Review: The Silencer #14

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writers: V Ken Marion and Dan Abnett

Artist: Sandu Florea

Colors: Mike Spicer

Letters: Tom Napolitano

Summary

“I’m still here Talia! Deep Down Inside, Hiding. Silent. Playing along so you don’t suspect!” – Honor Guest…..The Silencer

While Jonas Nine, Quietus, and Talia watch via surveillance, The Silencer takes down Zygo’s genetics lab as it has been deemed a threat by Talia and her Leviathan. Talia is relishing the Silencers’ unbridled killing as she views this as a result of her recent memory wipe via a Lazarus Pit. However, Honor Guest is still around….waiting on the right moment. The flip side of this is that her husband is grieving as there is no body in Honor’s assumed death and he is reticent to even discuss with his son the possibility that Mom is not coming home.  Nothing that a little gardening in the backyard can’t solve as Honor’s husband finds a hidden treasure. Meanwhile after her decimation of the genetics lab, Talia reveals that she and the Silencer have more in common that she thinks. Can you say “23 and me?”

Positives

The Silencer is a perfect killing machine in the form a trained assassin via the League of Shadows/Leviathan.  This book gets more intriguing as we go along and its a great march towards an ultimate battle between Talia and Honor.  Picture Al Pacino saying “They Keep Pulling Me Back In!” and you have Honor’s life right now. Talia and Honor are drawn beautifully and you wonder how such a creature as Ra’s Al Ghul could produce such offspring, but he did! And as a reader, you have to stay on your toes as I am guessing Talia is not so keen on having  a sister or any other offspring that can lay claim to the Leviathan. Marion and Abnett paint a great side to Honor’s family as well. They are grieving and they provide a true glimpse into that process.

Negatives

If you ever read Todd McFarlane’s Spawn, you can really feel some of that influence coming out as Silencer has some of the same back story elements.  While she has not sold her soul to the devil, she certainly has been forced into a life choice that is not really conducive to her getting her family back.  And The Silencer is pretty brutal.  In fact, the Punisher or the Grim Knight don’t have anything on her.  Therefore, if you don’t like the softer side of the al Ghul family, you may not enjoy this issue.

Verdict

I loved the family twist in the midst of all this chaos.  I never saw it coming, but maybe I was too into the story line to see the clues.  However, I am now wanting a bit more of a pace as I want to see an all out League of Shadows versus Leviathan war for all the marbles.  And of course…you have to do that in Gotham.  But wishful thinking aside, we have another great add on in the Batman world via Talia al Ghul and her shenanigans.  Keep with this comic as this is a tale of two sisters you don’t want to miss!