The aftermath of the trial of Batwoman leaves two factions:Batwoman and Batman’s. Tim and Batman have a major disagreement, and Cassandra deals with the trauma of losing Clayface.
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DETECTIVE COMICS # 976
Writer: James Tynion IV
Artist: Javier Fernandez
Colorist: John Kalisz
Letterer: Sal Cipriano
Cover Artist: Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira & Adriano Lucas
Variant Cover: Rafael Albuquerque
Editors: Chris Conroy Asst. Editor: Dave Wielgosz
Publisher: DC Comics
What You Need to Know:
This story is the follow up of recent events in which Batwoman made a choice to use an experimental bullet to assassinate Clayface (Basil Karlo). He had become Ten times his size and was wreaking havoc all over Gotham. Cassandra was infuriated, as she had fallen in love with Karlo, but ultimately the team decides it’s time to part ways with Batwoman.
Batwing and Azrael decide they are willing to follow Batwoman and they join he and the mysterious Colony, an organization with resources similar to Marvel’s Shield.
This story follows three threads, That of Cassandra Cain, Batwoman and her team and Tim Drake.
What You’ll Find Out:
She has lived an isolated life, having grown up with her Father as an assassin. Cassandra tries to cope with Basil’s death as she recounts her adventures several weeks back to Dr. Leslie Thompkins.
She tells her about how She and Clayface stopped a Child-trafficking ring of the Yakuza together. They seemed to be a great team, and Cassandra missed that.
Leslie talks to her and sees that Cassandra may actually lack the abilities to cope with her emotions to heal. In her upbringing, Cassandra was mute with an only physical language, and in many ways, she is unable to interact on a social level. She tells Leslie that “He Tried, but they killed him. Maybe one day they’ll kill me too.” Batman is devastated. As much as losing a soldier is a part of his job, this hopelessness is not.
Bruce confronts Leslie, who is not sure that she will be able to help Cassie, this will build up to his conversation with Tim later on.
Meanwhile Batwoman, Batwing, and Azarel intercept the Court of the Owls on a freighter ship near South America.
Batwoman instructs the team that taking a life is the last resort or rather the only part that she partially agrees with Batman on. “9 times out of ten I agree with Batman that there’s a better way. Then there’s the tenth time.” The team fresh from their victory decides they will use their resources to help find Jean-Paul Valley’s Father and the St Dumas order as well as a Global Peace Keeping force (Think Shield again). The team is up for it, and Colonel Kane (Batwoman’s Dad) could not be more pleased.
What Just Happened?
Back in the Batcave, Batman tells Tim that based on his recent concussion, he should have never let him out of the house for active duty. He tells him that he needs help just like Cassandra, and he wants Tim to talk to Leslie Thompkins after Cassandra’s session. He takes it a step further to tell Tim that Batgirl was right about Tim’s plans (the Knights Program). He knows how Tim feels, and tries to stop him from going off and doing anything drastic, by sealing the Batcave, but Tim is one step ahead of Batman and has an override protocol.
He seems to almost make it, but Batman has planned for everything. Angry and dejected Tim pounds on the walls of the exit. He hears a voice speak to him. A man that claims to have future knowledge of his exploits as “Bat-Tim”. He says that he was studying his work, but the work that Tim Drake has yet to do, and all about his Dark twisted Future.The man steps out of the shadows and reveals himself, telling Tim his name is Ulysses Hadrian Armstrong,, and he has data stolen straight from Tim’s future Computer! “Wanna take a Look?”
Rating: 8 / 10
Final Thought:
The thing about Detective Comics that usually separates the stories from the Batman title is that it involves a lot less action and more reasoning band problem solving, sprinkled with some emotional Character development. This is no exception, and we get to delve a bit more into the teams and especially the relationship with Batman and Tim Drake. In many ways, he was his best pupil, a great detective mind, and he understands the empathetic goals and vision of Batman better than even Bruce sometimes. What I think is that this divergence is leading to a huge Heel Turn and the making of a spectacular story. It’s my secret hope that we see Tim as the Villain that he became in “Batman Beyond Return of the Joker”, a tragically twisted version of Batman’s former sidekick. Who can say what’s in store for the Red Robin, especially with all the future knowledge at his fingertips?
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