Tags
Batman, Batwoman, Clayface, comic books, comics, dc comics, DC Rebirth, Red Robin
Today I am continuing my look at week 4 of DC Rebirth with Detective Comics #935.
Batwoman is carrying on the training of the team formed in last issue. The weird thing here is that the team is training in a new simulator called the Mud Room. Apparently, the chamber uses material left behind by Clayface to create opponents for them to train against. In this instance, and army of Jokers.
The Mud Room was inviting comparisons to the X-Men’s Danger Room before this issue even came out. It seems like an odd move. The creators surely knew that readers would make that connection. Alternately, why not use hard light creations like in Morrison’s JLA run? The worst part is that it seems exploitative of Clayface. Even if it’s not, how it operates isn’t explained clearly enough to know that it isn’t.
Plus maybe name it something other than ___ Room. Mud Cave maybe. They could have explained that it’s the pool that the Clayface substance comes from. That would also put it one more step removed from Clayface.
We are now shown the new headquarters the team is using, located within Gotham City. The Belfry is the name of this new base, complete with a bell.
The shadow of J.H. Williams III looms large over Batwoman as Eddy Barrows plays with some similar panel layouts associated with the character.
There is a good scene between Batman and Red Robin (Tim Drake) that helps to explain Tim’s status post-Flashpoint. It helps to fill in some of the blanks of the character and questions I had. I’m partial to Tim Drake Robin as that’s the one I grew up with and see as “my” Robin. After Flashpoint and Damian’s run as Robin, Tim sort of got pushed into the background.
Afterwards, Tim returns home, one he shares with Stephanie “Spoiler” Brown. They talk about how Tim is looking to go to college and step away from superheroics. It’s been implied before that someday Tim will walk away from the superhero life and go on to have a normal one. Though it could be interesting, I really don’t want to say goodbye to Tim just yet.
Batman is driving through the streets of Gotham when he is confronted by two large tank-like vehicles. They look like giant Tumblers from the Dark Knight movies. The Batmobile is then struck by a rocket. Batman leaps from his car and is confronted by a paramilitary group.
They explain that he is outnumbered and that they are going to take him in. Batman, being the baller that he is, on the last page tells them that ” They can try.” He leaps into action against them, throwing a batarang.
These assailants are wearing military style gear with bat ears on the helmets and using tanks. This reminds me a lot of the Arkham Knight video game and not just because I am playing it right now. So far, in this issue, it looks like this story is cribbing a lot from that game. Maybe that will change.
Oh, and there’s a cool ad for Lucha Underground on the back cover. If I got El Rey network, I would watch that.
Overall, this is a good issue and I’m interested to see where this story goes. I collect Detective along with Batman so I will continue to pick up this series until I can’t collect comic books any more.
At that point, only Jack Kirby can judge me.