Batgirl #13
Artists: Ed Benes and Ulises Arreola
Cover Artists: Ed Benes and Ulises Arreola
Publisher: DC
Knightfall is one of the more formidable foes Barbara has had to face since reclaiming the Batgirl mantle, and she handles herself quite well. The beginning of this series was littered with villains who were able to take advantage of Batgirl’s uneasiness crime fighting once more, however, with this issue we can clearly see that those days are gone and Barbara is back to feeling comfortable as Batgirl. Tragically, for her, all that is likely to change once again now that Joker has popped up once more. Simone ends the Knightfall arc in a fairly quick and concise manner that works well with the pace of the entire story. It also provides enough room to set up what’s in store for Barbara in the upcoming issues. Definitely one of the better issues of the series, the story is only enhanced with fantastic art. 4.5/5
Batman #13
Writer: Scott Snyder
Artists: Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion, FCO
Cover Artists: Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion, and FCO
Publisher: DC
When the Joker is in town, it isn’t just Batman that takes notice, and that fact was clearly evident in this opening issue of Snyder’s next arc. From the very first page, the tone of this next arc was set. It is going to be dark, it will be haunting, and it will be a bloody mess. Snyder, who has a handful of horror stories under his belt, crafts a haunting first issue where a rainy Gotham is depicted in a very dark and grim manner, which is further enhanced by the fact that Joker is back and he’s not taking any prisoners, except for Batman, that is. The premise that Joker has spent the last year plotting against Batman and his family is fantastically gruesome, especially given the fact that Joker is really the only villain to have ever beaten Batman. Regardless of the fact that Jason Todd was eventually resurrected, Joker killed him and didn’t even spend a day in jail because of it. Batman has arguably the best Rogue’s Gallery in comic history, and our dear friend Joker reigns as King. 4.5/5
Batman and Robin #13
Writer: Peter J. Tomasi
Artists: Patrick Gleason, Tomas Giorello, Mick Gray, and John Kalisz
Cover Artists: Patrick Gleason, Mick Gray, and John Kalisz
Publisher: DC
With Zombies being the new Vampires, it was almost inevitable that they‘d appear somewhere among the many Bat books. That it happened in this book, surprisingly, is a blessing. Once you get over the fact that there are zombies in this book, Tomasi’s story plays out quite well. Bruce and Damian have a nice father/son moment, Damian isn’t a brooding psychopath, and Titus makes a guest appearance. This is one of the best issues of this series so far. Damian is back to acting as he did after spending over a year as Dick’s Robin, and that makes all the difference. The arc is clearly just biding time until this series ties in with Joker’s return, but it is nonetheless a strong issue. 4/5
Superboy #13
Writers: Tom DeFalco
Artists: R.B. Silva, Rob Lean, Tanya Horie, and Richard Horie
Cover Artists: R.B. Silva, Rob Lean, Hi-Fi
Publisher: DC
In 13 issues Superboy has been through quite a bit; breaking out of the lab, fighting the Teen Titans, fighting N.O.W.H.E.R.E., being stranded, etc. While it has been a fairly interesting run, the series has unfortunately been plagued with crossovers and tie-ins. This current arc started with what appeared to be Superboy’s first solo outing, but by the end of this issue the series is back in crossover territory, and it’s soon going to be part of an even larger “Superman” crossover event. Tie-ins and crossovers are integral aspects of superhero comics, however, if a series is unable to sustain a single arc without a crossover, it doesn’t really merit a solo series. 3.5/5
Be sure to check out previous editions of Crisis of Infinite Reviews by clicking here!
Arnab Pradhan
arnab@comicattack.net
So, that back up story in Batman really didn’t pack a punch due to the fact that we knew what was being alluded to didn’t happen because we read the main story first. This seems to be an issue with a couple of the backup tales in this series.
I’m not exactly sure that the backup story was meant to have a shock value or anything. I think it was more meant to establish the relationship between Joker and Harley.
Hmm. I don’t even remember the back-up in Batman right now. As for Batgirl, that book continues to be one of my favorites. I think there was a lot happening, though, and I still can’t figure out what James, Jr. is up to. It seems like he was spying on something in this issue, right?
As for Batman itself, I think if I quit reading the hype that Snyder pumps into his books I’ll be much happier. That guy thinks everything he does is the “biggest, baddest we’ve done yet”. One problem I did have with the issue, though, is that Damian apparently forgot that the Joker totally played him in the cell during an arc in Morrison’s run. For a student of the character, that seems like a pretty big detail for Snyder to forget.
I haven’t read Tomasi’s B&R (aside from one issue), but I liked Damian a lot as Dick’s sidekick, and I liked him in the Night of the Owls crossover (the one issue of B&R I have read). I think I’m still trade-waiting this series, but it’s good to see (I guess?) that Robin’s changed from being a psychopath back to what he was before.
James Jr. was watching the fight between Batgirl and co. vs Knightfall and co. If I’m not mistaken, I think he was working with Knightfall. (But don’t quote me on that)
Morrison’s run is very iffy in terms of how much of it still exists in this continuity. So it might be less of Snyder forgetting and more of purposefully omitting certain parts of that history. Also, in my opinion, having that “biggest, baddest yet” attitude is necessary to a certain degree. If you (the writer, artiststs, etc) don’t believe what you’re doing is new, fresh, smart, then chances are readers won’t either.
Here’s the thing about Tomasi’s B&R. For most of the series, he’s been a psychopath. Pre-Dick Grayson’s Robin Psychopath (which is why I question how much of Morrison’s run still exists). He’s sadistic, cruel, almost more than he ever had been. I loved Dick and Damian, because I thought they worked well together and were a nice balance. Tomasi’s run pretty much ignored all of Damian’s growth. This is one of the first issues where he’s not crazy.