REVIEW

RECAP

Someone has stolen from Professor Pyg, and he’s ready to burn down Gotham to get his property back. Everyone is a suspect, and everyone will pay. With Batman gone, Batman Incorporated must return to Gotham before the city is nothing more than ashes.

CREATIVE TEAM

Author: Ed Brisson
Artist: Michele Bandini
Colorist: Rex Lokus
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Publisher: DC Comics
Genre: Action, Superhero
Published Date: 03/14/2023

After Batman Incorporated’s confrontation with Phantom-One and his team, Ghost-Maker, and the team have been asked by Batman to take on their next case: Stopping Professor Pyg from slaughtering Gotham’s criminals and potentially innocent lives. As Ghost-Maker splits the team into groups to investigate, Clownhunter refuses to join His group, making it clear he still does not trust him after the events with Phantom-One. As the groups investigate, Professor Pyg is still searching for what was stolen from him, which is a mystery to everyone since he won’t tell anyone what it is. The Batman Incorporated investigation teams discuss the current team dynamics with each other as they try to locate Professor Pyg. At the same time, Ghost-Maker reveals to El Guacho that he knows where Professor Pyg has been the entire time but sends the members to investigate so they can learn how to analyze and solve problems themselves in a “sink or swim” fashion. By the end of the issue, we find out who the thieves were, what was stolen, and a cliffhanger that leaves you uncertain about the fates of those involved.

The writing by Brisson here continues in the same style as the previous arc issues. It gives us just enough information to follow along, mysterious subplots to question, and a dramatic reveal that intrigues us and makes us wants to know what happens next. Raven Red gets some attention in this story, calling back home to check on his dad, which will undoubtedly play a more significant role later in this arc. And the team dynamics will constantly be pushed and challenged when the team reflects on the events they went through and what they are going through currently. If you’ve enjoyed the previous issues so far, you’ll enjoy this one as it follows the same pattern and style, giving you all of the drama and action you crave in a Batman-related book.

However, this issue doesn’t connect or mention the ending events of the “No More Teachers” arc in the previous issue. The issue was left on a cliffhanger where a mysterious gang wearing unique costumes and masks was holding Dr. Wu hostage while he was caring for Bat-Man (Baixi Wang). Though it wasn’t central to the story of this issue, it isn’t clear if the reader will learn about their fate, whereas mentioning Bat-Man would at least let the dedicated readers know that this story will come back into play (if it will at all).

The art and colors by Bandini and Lokus are stunning. Although Timms’s work in the previous issues was phenomenal, Bandini has done an excellent job continuing the story, keeping the same style and feel as the other issues but adding more of his style into each panel. The composition of Professor Pyg interrogating the Riddler in some factory while it was burning down was excellent, capturing some great angles and lighting that highlight the intense mental state of the antagonist as somehow calm amid the murderous chaos. There was also a panel where Clownhunter stood out from his panel, laying his hands on what would be a table but lying on top of the boards beneath him. The creative styles that the artists and colorists go through to make those small details stand out and make the images come to life instead of a static image are admirable.

The lettering by Cowles is done well here overall. The various styles he incorporates with speech bubbles and text make the reader truly know what the characters sound like. One thing that is still unclear is Clownhunter’s speech style. All the other characters have the same font style in all caps, so Clownhunter uses lowercase when he speaks. It’s unclear, given the circumstances, if this is because the character is young if this signifies him utilizing a kind of voice as his fighting voice, or something completely different.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The story continues what makes the previous arc successful in the new arc: mystery, action, drama, pulling you in for the ride at every possible moment with a group of characters that you'll love. Although there is a disconnect with the previous issue and some unclear decisions on the art, the issue has already proven that the next arc of Batman Incorporated will be another exciting spy thriller.