Detective Comics #1110: Why Do You Do What You Do?

“Why do you do what you do?” This question is the crux of Detective Comics #1110. Batman asks it of Prion, and Prion gives one of the most relatable answers there is: “I just want to be better than I was yesterday.” Aside from Batman and Prion’s heart-to-heart, this line also refers to Black Canary’s role in this issue, who sees a bit of herself in Arabella. It’s a lot stronger of a plot hook than “these people somehow know about our old ally” that the previous three issues have relied on.

This issue is Prion’s strongest showing yet. Readers learn a lot about why Prion did what he did and the kind of person he was. It’s difficult to distinguish a character while they are surrounded by three of DC’s most prominent vigilantes, yet Tom Taylor manages it in this issue by showing how Prion interacted with Batman, Green Arrow, and Black Canary individually and together.

There is also a nice callback in this issue to the “Courage” storyline from Detective Comics #1101-#1106, which saw an anti-fear gas spread throughout Gotham City.

Norm Rapmund provides the inks on this issue, assisting Mikel Janín, who handles the pencils and the colors. The artwork and the color in this issue are both immersive, with an emphasis on how the character’s move through the scenes. This starts from the first page, which opens with Green Arrow, Black Canary, and Prion parachuting onto a train that is being hijacked. The issue uses a number of slanted panels to give action beats an extra punch.