[Editor’s note: This review may contain spoilers.]
Writer: James Tynion IV
Artists: Christian Duce, Fernando Blanco, Alex Sinclair, John Rauch, & Allen Passalaqua
Following right where issue #951 left off, the Bat-Family is in the thick of it with the League of Shadows in Adams Square Park. To make matters worse Cassandra can feel eyes on them constantly throughout the fight. Eventually she tracks down the spy and finds Shiva, leading the League!
Packed with action, sword fights, ninjas, and a small army of…Clayface? This issue is a great joy ride! The web of interlocking secret organizations at play now in Gotham will truly test the new Bat-Family. Not to mention that, as we know from last issue, the League as framed Batman for the murder of the Mayor and the cops are out to get him.
Positives
We get to learn a lot in this issue as the smoke clears from the extreme battle, which is only just the beginning of what’s to come. We get to learn more about the enemies that now close in on Gotham, new powers that Clayface has gained while training, and most importantly, a little more about Cassandra’s past.
The five separate artists involved in this issue also work very well together. At first I was concerned that the issue would be visually disjointed but it flows very well. The artists don’t change anything within the looks of the characters in any major way and so the issue is fluid, while each separate scene feels different. The use of a white border in the brief flash back in contrast with the black border of the other pages also adds to the scene we see first in #952.
Tynion IV also does a great job of building suspense in this issue, which started building last issue. Using various other characters and by raising the right stakes he has made this appearance of Shiva and the League really feel big and scary.
The last thing I loved about this issue was the final panel. It is simple, and Allen Passalaqua really allows the gravity of the moment to play out.
Verdict
Detective Comics #952 was a solid issue that I enjoyed thoroughly. Tynion IV continues to deliver solid issues that will keep readers thoroughly entertained.
