DC Comics reviews for 2/22/17 – Hal Jordan, The Flash, Suicide Squad

Detective Comics #951

Detective Comics keeps raising the bar as League of Shadows starts off in amazing fashion. Just like Rise of the Batmen and Victims Syndicate, LOS looks to be the next great Detective Comics arc.

Gotham has been unusually quiet, which has Batman on edge while the rest of the team uses the quiet moments to train and unwind. Naturally, it doesn’t last, but Batman isn’t prepared for the onslaught that follows. Lady Shiva and the League of Shadows are in town and it’s not a social visit. But just like shadows, Team Batman doesn’t see them coming until it’s far too late.

James Tynion IV has been building up to this storyline since the start of his run. The Colony was bracing for a bigger threat than Batman and it’s finally arrived in Gotham. And Tynion leaves more than enough doubt that the team can stop the LOS. Tynion is juggling the cast better now instead of just making the book play out more like Batman, Batwoman and their Amazingly Brooding Friends.

Despite some legit heavy hitters battling the team, Tynion is already making the LOS seem like their biggest test yet. And like Tom King on Batman, Tynion isn’t afraid to put Batman in vulnerable positions. Maybe the only knock is there’s some similar plot threads to the recently wrapped Emerald Outlaw story in Green Arrow.

Christian Duce pencils this issue, adding yet another high quality artist to the Detective Comics stable. Hopefully, Duce will be able to handle the entire arc in part for artist continuity and also because the art looks amazing.

Detective Comics always delivers. That’s nothing new, but this arc is getting off to such an impressive start it might be the signature storyline of this run.

Rating: 9.7 out of 10