Batman Secret Files #3: Almost Got Him

Everyone always says that the villains are the best part about a Batman story, but I guess I’m the odd man out because my favorite thing is Batman. When it comes to Batman Secret Files #3, I can confidently tell you that everyone is gonna be very happy. Well, at least most of the time. There are five stories in this issue, all focusing on different assassins ranging from Deathstroke to Cheshire, with a couple of surprises and one that might make you scratch your head. We get stories from Vita Ayala, Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Mariko Tamaki, James Tynion IV, and Dan Watters, and every single story here is entertaining on a few different levels, and I assure you these aren’t the typical evergreen stories that have been locked in a drawer somewhere waiting for a chance to be used. While every story isn’t a homerun there certainly aren’t any clunkers. There’s a pretty wide range in tone, also. There’s a fun Green Arrow/Batman team-up that pits them against Merlyn, a tragic tale of Batman trying to save a teenager’s life and a down-right creepy story of Batman and Deathstroke that is definitely worth the price of admission (Psssst…it’s gonna be really important later on!)

There’s really no misses when it comes to the art, and like any good anthology book the style range of art is HUGE!! Sumit Kumar, John Paul Leon, Riley Rossmo, Victor Ibanez, and Andi Tong all contribute fantastically artistic stories here and each and every single one is drastically different from the others. Even though they’re each so unique, they blend together naturally and the transitions are never jarring or distracting, Simply put, it’s as entertaining to look at as it is to read. Some might think that this issue is just a cash-grab or a throwaway book like DC’s done in the past, but in my opinion, it’s an awesome comic and you should pick it up.