DC Comics reviews 6/22/21 – Infinite Frontier #1, Robin #3

Detective Comics #1038

We’re at the point now in The Neighborhood arc where it probably needs to end instead of stretching out for a sixth installment.

Writer Mariko Tamaki is falling into the modern storytelling trap of extending an arc for the sake of it despite having little to add to it.
Presumably the most significant aspect of the issue was Batman’s first clash with Mr. Worth.

Batman put up a better fight against Bane after battling through his Rogue Gallery in Knightfall than he did fully rested against Mr. Worth. Tamaki hasn’t explained why he’s the size of Solomon Grundy or if he has any unrevealed super powers, but it seems silly for a regular guy to give Batman so much trouble in a fair fight.

Guest artist Viktor Bogdanovic draws Worth dramatically oversized and at one point, Worth holds a gun the size of another character’s head. Bogdanovic’s style isn’t too far off from regular artist Dan Mora, making for a smart fill-in, and he has no trouble with delivering high energy action sequences. In the end this issue felt like it had little consequence.

Mr. Worth is vowing vengeance on Bruce Wayne and Batman and Batman’s no closer to cracking the case than before. It’s telling that the secondary Penguin story from writer Meghan Fitzmartin and artist Karl Mostert is more engaging than the main story.

This arc is badly in need of a conclusion or at least some serious progression as it’s gotten stale and feeling like it’s running in place.

Rating: 6 out of 10