Hey guys, Darius here, and today I am bringing you, my loyal readers of all things DC, my review to issue #5 of Batman Eternal, titled “Disinfect”. In this issue we see Red Robin as the main point of view of this issue. He goes to look into a mystery that deals with the children from issue #1 of Batman Eternal who were targeted by Professor Pyg in that issue and how they were infected before they took a trip to the museum that day. The mystery eventually puts Harper and Cullen Row caught in the cross hairs!
Positives
- Red Robin is such a badass that even he do not know how much of a badass he is. I loved how Snyder and Tynion gave him a major arc of his own the same way they did Batgirl in Batman Eternal issue #4. The scene where he is having a back and forth with Batman was so good. I love when Batman says “…we should be working together.” and Red Robin says “That worked pretty well with Nightwing didn’t it? Our so-called family sure knows how to stick together.” You can tell that Batman just got owned by Red Robin. He is so much like Batman that it is mind-blowing. And you can tell the animosity from the “Death of a Family” arc is still leaving a lasting mark on Red Robin.
- Snyder and Tynion did a great job at expanding the Gotham universe, this is to be expected because they are such great writers.
- Issue #5 has Andy Clarke on art this issue, unlike last issue where Dustin Nguyen was the artist. You can tell the difference in the art, but you will not get taken aback by it because Andy Clarke does a great job at conveying emotions in the character drawings.
- I loved how Harper saved Vicki Vale and Joey Day, the intern, from the thugs in The Narrows. She came in the clutch because those goons were going to beat them ’til…well Harper said it best “…you see sideways”.
- One word:Â NANOBOTS!
- Another One Word:Â TOYMAKER?!
Negatives
- In this issue, when Batman and Red Robin was having their back and forth, something was giving me a weird sensation that maybe the next page should have been some sort of flashback instead of Batman just gliding off. I felt something was missing.
- I find Vicki Vale annoying in this issue. She is definitely the Gotham counterpart to Metropolis’ Lois Lane…well I guess that was one of the point of the character’s creation. Except I actually like when Lois Lane has dialogue. I do not like Vicki because she is just over the top for me and the scene where she almost got her and Joey Day killed in a sense, I found that to be pretty freaking stupid of her to go into The Narrows thinking everything was going to be sunshine and rainbows. Hello…It’s Gotham!!
Verdict
We are five issues in and so far I am loving every minute of Batman Eternal. This issue specifically was a good issue I think there were some dialogue issues, some over-utilized scenes with Vicki Vale, but overall, Batman Eternal Issue #5 is a good read. You will enjoy the fact that it is a Tim Drake/Red Robin focused issue. The dynamic between him and Batman will pull you in with every word. Plus this issue makes you want to go back and read “Death of a Family”, if you have not done so already, just to truly understand the hurt that Red Robin is feeling. This is a must have if you are a Red Robin fan and you love his and Batman’s dynamic.
Rating
