New Avengers: Revolution Review

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis

Artists: Leinil Francis Yu & Alex Maleev

Over the last few months I've been going through as many series I can, reviewing them in the form of trade paperbacks. One of the series I've been reviewing is The New Avengers, with this being my seventh review on Brian Michael Bendis' Avengers run, and my sixth on the series itself.

Plot

Clint Barton goes looking for the Scarlet Witch, and the now fugitive New Avengers head to Japan to save Maya Lopez from Elektra, and The Hand.

Review

This was an amazing story, and a terrific follow-up to the Civil War event. Brian Michael Bendis did a fantastic job of showing the aftermath of Civil War, and although it wasn't a very conventional way of starting, it became a brilliant story, that was both interesting, and exciting. This story was however not perfect, as although I enjoyed that Bendis took a issue out to do a bit of development from House of M, I didn't like how it followed suddenly throwing you into this new team, not even showing how they formed. I did however love the tine of the story, and found it extremely interesting how Bendis decided to use a variety of different storytelling methods throughout, making it feel very unique. I also really enjoyed the dialogue, as Bendis always seems to know what the characters should be saying, with it being extremely suspenseful at times, as well as humours when needed.

The art on this book was simply outstanding, with both the main artist, Leinil Francis Yu, and Alex Maleev who only worked on one issue both doing phenomenal jobs. I'll quickly get Maleev out of the way by stating that this was some of the best art that I've ever seen from him, as although he's done brilliant work on the likes of Batman, Daredevil, and Moon Knight, this has to rank in amongst his best artwork ever. Yu also did amazing artwork, as although not quite as good as his one issue during Civil War, it was still very highly detailed, also being very exciting, and dynamic. I did however feel that there was a little too much happening at times, which caused slight imperfections, though not enough to ruin the artwork overall. I also really enjoyed both Yu's layout, as well as the way he handled the action sequences, with both being very exciting, and dynamic, and overall he's amongst the best Avengers artists I've ever seen.

The first story in this book would see Clint Barton visiting Doctor Strange, searching for the Scarlet Witch. Clint was presumed dead following the events of Avengers Disassembled, but was brought back to life during House of M, and is wanting answers from the Scarlet Witch who is responsible for all of this. I loved that Clint was back, as he's a brilliant character, and should be a part of the Avengers. The story itself was also very interesting, as without going into too much detail, it basically showed how much House of M changed.

Following the changes that Civil War would cause, this story would see a new set of heroes going under the New Avengers name. Now I already mentioned how I disliked the way the characters were suddenly added, but the characters themselves were a nice addition to the team, and much like some of the surprise choices from the original New Avengers line-up, this would have some very interesting characters joining, with Iron Fist, Doctor Strange, and a new Ronin joining the team. I also loved how this would change the dynamic of the series as well, as given the set of characters that now make up the New Avengers it would leave the door open for new and unique directions for them to go in.

The other big change that Civil War would cause is the first time in Bendis' run that there would be two Avengers teams, as with the New Avengers now technically being fugitives, a government group called the Mighty Avengers would also be active, and at one point in this story both teams clash. The fight was amazing, and I loved how it continued the fight of morales without being a complete continuation of the Civil War. I also felt that there was some brilliant dialogue during the interaction, as although there wasn't a proper fight there was still a lot of tension, and excitement during these sequences.

There would however be some action in this story, as the New Avengers would take on none other than the Hand, who at the time were being run by Elektra. Now the Hand always brings excitement to a story, especially when they've got such a great leader like Elektra. The fight itself however was simply phenomenal, and everything you'd hope it'd be, and more. It also had great dialogue as well, with some very witty comments by certain characters. I was however not a huge fan of the jumping back and forward between this, and the confrontation with the Mighty Avengers, as although it keeps suspense, it also is slightly frustrating, though not enough to spoil the story.

Final Verdict

A superb continuation from Civil War, introducing some new members to the team. The story itself had some amazing development points, also having tons of suspense, and drama throughout. It was however not quite perfect, with a few minor details letting it down slightly. Nonetheless I'd still highly recommend this story, and especially to anyone who enjoyed Civil War, as it's a fantastic continuation, showing that the war isn't quite over (even though it technically was).

Rating: 8/10

The next Avengers book I'll be reviewing will be Mighty Avengers: The Ultron Initiative.

Age of Ultron #10 Review

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artists: Alex Maleev, Bryan Hitch, Butch Guice, Brandon Peterson, Carlos Pacheco, David Marquez & Joe Quesada

Finally the end of Age of Ultron has arrived, and the series that I was so looking forward to, to only be a huge disappointment comes to an end. The only hope is that this issue will end the bellow mediocre story on a high, and even more so have a spectacular ending.

Plot

Time is running out, and can the events that have happened in Age of Ultron be rectified?

Review

This was a decent issue, and an very interesting way to end the series, but it was still far from perfect, and didn't rectify the series' overall poor quality. I hate to hate Brian Michael Bendis for what he's done here, as although the last few years of his Avengers run were poor, the entire run was relatively good, having a phenomenal start. I also find it hard to hate him as his current work on Marvel NOW! although at times slightly poor, has also been overall brilliant. I do however feel that he's seriously dropped the ball with this series, and although I wouldn't go quite as strong as to say that I hated him, I will say that I am very disappointed, as well as frustrated about this series, which I initially had high hopes for, and I seriously wish I'd just left it alone. Anyway, there were some good things about this issue, and it probably was one of the better issues in the series. At the same time it felt a little anticlimactic at times, as well as also re-printing parts of Avengers #12.1, but I'll talk more on that later. There was however a lot of excitement, and suspense in this issue, something that the series hasn't given much of, and overall it was enjoyable, just not spectacular, or overly memorable.

There were a lot of artist working on this issue, with everyone from Bryan Hitch, Alex Maleev, Jackson Butch Guice, David Marquez, Joe Quesada, and more. Now due to this I won't go into detail on every artists work, but I will mention the artists who's work stood out the most, as well as my overall feelings on the style, and layout. Anyway my favourite art had to be from Hitch, as although it was just a re-print of his work from Avengers #12.1, it was still amazing, and some of the most amazing, and explosive art this series has seen. It was also much better that his art on the earlier issue of this series that he worked on, having a lot more detail. The other art that really stood out to me was the small double page from Marquez, and the final few pages from Quesada, which were both truly phenomenal, with ton's of detail, and vibrancy. I did however find the overall style of the art to be inconsistent, which is expected when many artists collaborate on the same issue, and is the reason I don't like this sort of thing. Now I don't mind montages, in Finale issues, but as this was telling the end of the story I felt it should have had as few artists as possible, or artists with similar style, as although there wasn't one artist who's work I hated, the overall style didn't allow the story to flow as smoothly as it should have.

During the last issue we saw Hank Pym being persuaded to help stop Ultron without affecting the timeline. Now we see a continuation of this as the Hank Pym of the present receives a message from his past self. Now I won't go into any more details, as to avoid spoilers, but what would happen during this was very intriguing. It also was a interesting way of setting up the end of this story, and although it wasn't the most exciting way to do it, it was still very interesting, and appropriate. Besides this I also loved seeing the current Pym's reaction to this message, as although it was as expected, it was still brilliant, and added more drama, and suspense to the issue.

As I said earlier this issue took parts from Avengers #12.1 to finish the story, adding additional text to make it look, and seem like a different encounter. Now I wasn't too sure if I loved or hated this, as although I didn't initially notice that it was nearly an exact copy of Avengers #12.1, when I found out I wasn't sure is this was a brilliant, or terrible decision on Bendis part. I say this as part of me feels cheated, having what is virtually a previous used sequence added to this final issue. On the other hand I liked how the whole story has went full circle, with it starting, and ending with nearly the exact same sequence, in the exact same moment.

We did also get to see a fight between the Avengers, and Ultron, and although I won't go into too much detail, as well as zero story detail, to avoid spoilers, I will say what I thought of the sequence. First off, finally the Avengers/Ultron fight I was hoping for in this story, and although some of it was from the Avengers #12.1 issue, I was still happy to see the fight, as well as the fact that it was expanded, with Guice continuing from Hitch's art from Avenger #12.1. The fight itself wasn't spectacular, but it was still exciting, and clever, and although it still doesn't make up for the lack of Ultron in this series, as well as the overall quality of the series, it was still nice.

Now this issue speculated that there will once again be change in the Marvel Universe. Now I will once again avoid going into much detail as not to spoil anything, but I will say my thoughts on this. Now this for me was what made this issue so interesting, and really has me hooked on what may happen in the future. I will however say that although I liked the change that was shown at the end of the issue that was drawn by Quesada, I didn't understand the need for secrecy, as although I won't say what it was, I will say that it was something that was already mentioned prior. I did however still love this addition, and felt it was perfect considering what's to come, and although I still question the need for secrecy, it was still a nice surprise, all be it, not as big a surprise as I initially expected.

WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILER AHEAD!

Now this is only me speculating, but I wonder if the events in this series have anything to do with the upcoming Infinity story arc. Now I very much doubt it, but I ask this question as there was a double page spread not long after the half way point, that had a similar smashed panel affect as the Free Comic Book Day Infinity issue had. Now this could easily be a coincidence, but with this also showing things to come, as well as the fractured timeline, it's a possibility, and although I personally feel that it is just coincidence, I felt it was worth sharing.

Final Verdict

This was a good way to finish the series, but at the same time it didn't make up for the previous down points during the series, and overall was itself not spectacular. It did however have some action, and excitement, as well as suspense, and drama, something that the series hasn't always had. It also showed that there will be some changes coming, which has me hooked, but still doesn't make up for the fact that this was a seriously poor series. I would only recommend this issue to people who have already been getting the series, as well as others who want to get a teaser for the upcoming changes, as although you should be able to find these changes on the internet, I found it more interesting finding them out through this issue.

Rating: 3/5

Batman #20 Review

Writer: Scott Snyder
Artist: Greg Capullo

I'm a huge Batman fan, and have been extremely happy with how the series has been handled under the wing of Scott Snyder, these last couple of years, and although it's not always been perfect, it's always been unique, and interesting, and I can't wait to see what he has in store with Zero Year.

Plot

After being attacked by Clayface, Bruce, and Lucius Fox have to escape death, and Batman has to find a way of defeating this new and improved Clayface.

Ghost Lights Part 2

Batman, and Superman continue their battle against Will o' the Wisp, with Superman's life in the balance.

Review

This was yet another brilliant issue, and the perfect conclusion to the two part filler between Death of the Family, and Zero Year. As I said in my introduction, Scott Snyder has been doing a phenomenal job on this series, and he continues to show why in this explosive issue. What I've liked about this two part story is that it's not meant to be epic, and is genuinely meant to be the perfect story to ease new readers who are considering getting the Zero Year storyline into the series. I've also loved during this story that Snyder has taken a step back with Batman, having Bruce be in the spotlight for more of the story, which was nice, as although I love seeing epic Batman action, it's nice to see Bruce get involved in business once in a while. The dialogue that Snyder wrote throughout this issue was also brilliant, and I loved the interaction between Clayface, and anyone that was in his way, whether Bruce, Batman, Lucius, or the Gotham City Police Department, as he just stamped his authority. In following that Snyder has also done a fantastic job of giving us a great Clayface story, as when I first noticed it was Clayface as the villain I wasn't sure what to think, as he's already recently appeared in Detective Comics recently, and will be making an appearance in Batman: The Dark Knight from issue 22, but I was glad that he appeared in this series, as it was a brilliant story.

Once again Greg Capullo did an amazing job of the artwork on this issue, and he really suits this series. To be honest if you told me two years ago that I'd land up loving Capullo's art I'd have laughed, as although I didn't mind his art on the opening issues of this series, I wasn't really a fan. I have however since started to love his art, especially during the Death of the Family crossover, and his style really suits the Bat, with the right tone's, and moods. Anyway, in this issue the detail in Capullo's art was outstandingly perfect, as usual, with everything whether close-ups of character's, big action sequences, or things in the background looked just right. The thing I probably loved the most about Capullo's art in this issue had to be the way he drew Clayface, as although Jason Fabok did an amazing job of drawing him in Detective Comics, Capullo's was much more like the Clayface that I enjoyed reading when I was younger, or seeing on the 90's Batman Animated series. The layout of Capullo's art was also excellent, and as usual he add's a lot more drama to the story, as everything is laid out with such precision. The way Capullo handled the action in this issue was also outstanding, and as usual he made sequences that most artists would make look good, look phenomenal.

To be honest when it was revealed last issue that the villain impersonating Bruce Wayne was none other than Clayface, I was shocked. Yeah I know, when you think about it he is the obvious candidate, and me being a huge Batman fan I should have really spotted it earlier, but I didn't, and it was a real surprise. Anyway, as I said a little earlier, I really loved Clayface being in this story, as although he made a decent appearance in a recent story in Detective Comics, it was nowhere near as good as this mini story. I think the thing that made this story better was that it was a superior Clayface, with upgrades, and a true motive, whereas in Detective Comics, he was normal, and was being manipulated by Poison Ivy, which although interesting, didn't do much for him as a character. I also loved the determination in Clayface during this issue, as he didn't seem like the second rate villain that he usually is, which was nice, as he is a good villain.

We also got to see Bruce, and Lucius interact more than usual in this issue, as with them both being trapped in the same crusher, they both have to work together to survive. Now the interaction in this sequence was actually very short lived, as they were too busy trying to find a way out of the death trap that they were in, but the conversation they had was very natural, and interesting, and you could see the respect that both character's had for each other, with Lucius being respectful cause Bruce is his boss, and Bruce being respectful for all the great things that Lucius has done for him as Batman (even though Lucius doesn't know he's Batman).

The was however one other thing in that sequence that caught my eye, and that was the Batman Beyond style Batsuit. Being a big fan of the Batman Beyond Animated series I loved that it made a brief appearance in this issue. I also loved how Lucius said that it wouldn't be cost effective for another 20 years, coincidently when Terry McGinnis, the Batman from Batman Beyond is from. I also loved that despite obviously being the Batman Beyond suit that it was still unique, and slightly different. I do however look forward to seeing if we'll see this suit again at some point during the future.

Now the Batman Beyond suit wasn't the only new suit to feature in this issue, as Batman would also sport a suit to tackle Clayface with. Now if I'm being honest I didn't really like this other suit, as although it was interesting seeing another suit, and one that's designed to counteract Clayface's new powers (which was done quickly), it just didn't look like a Batman suit, and more like a hazmat suit. Anyway, I didn't really like this suit, but do give both Snyder, and Capullo credit for creating something different, and unique.

The back-up story in this issue was the second, and final part of the Ghost Lights back-up story that has featured in this issue over the last couple of issues. I've really been enjoying James Tynion IV's work on these back-up stories, but this one didn't really appeal to me. There were things about the story in this issue, as well as last that appealed to me, but in general it was nothing special, and easily forgettable. One of the things in this part that I did like though was when Batman was talking to the girl who helped conjure Will o' the Wisp, trying to get her to help him, help Superman, which was very interesting, and showed that Batman did care for others, something that Mr. Dark and Brooding doesn't always show. The art from Alex Maleev was once again brilliant, and really suited this story, and although I still don't like the way he draws Superman, he doesn't have do a good job of drawing Batman, making him the dark, and frightful character he is, and although I may not be reading it myself, I'm sure he will do a great job when he takes over art duties on Batman: The Dark Knight.

Final Verdict

This was an excellent issue, and a great conclusion, to what was a terrific two part story. This issue was full of action, and excitement, as Snyder once again makes Clayface a force to be reckoned with. As well as being exciting, this issue also had another brilliant reference, and the dialogue throughout the issue was outstanding. Cause of all this I would highly recommend this issue, as well as the previous issue, and as much of the series as you can get, as it truly is one of the best DC series out the now, and with Zero Year just round the corner, it's the best time to jump aboard.

Rating: 4/5

Batman #19 Review

Writer: Scott Snyder
Artist: Greg Capullo

This is easily one of my favourite series that's out the now, and although being a huge Batman fan's probably the reason for that, the series itself is still brilliant, and although it's not always outstanding, it's always interesting, and usually entertaining.

Plot

The Gotham City Police Department are outside a bank waiting for the robber to appear, and when the robber exits the bank, with a hostage, it's none other than... Bruce Wayne!

Ghost Lights Part 1

Batman is visited by Superman who is worried about Batman's emotional state. However they don't have time to chat as they start investigating a mysterious event.

Review

This was a brilliant issue, and a terrific start to the two part story that fills the gap till Year Zero. Scott Snyder has been doing a brilliant job on this series, and although it's not quite been as good since the end of Death of the Family, I never really expected it would until at least the start of Year Zero. This issue itself is still fantastic, and although it's not an entirely original story, with slightly similar stories being done before, it's still unique enough, and most idea's for Batman have probably been done to a certain extent already anyway. Although in the finish up I felt the outcome was a little obvious, I personally couldn't work it out at the start, so mystery wise it was nice and interesting for me, but the sharper mind may work it out a lot quicker than I did, and I'm surprised that I didn't work it out straight away. Snyder also did a brilliant job of continuing with the fact that Robin's (Damian Wayne) dead, and although he didn't go into a lot of detail with it, it was still nice to see that Batman's still morning (something which I expect he'll be doing for a while).

The art from Greg Capullo was phenomenal, and I'm glad that he's back as the artist, as although Andy Kubert's art wasn't bad in the last issue, it didn't really suit Snyder's style of story, whereas Capullo's artwork has really suited it. Anyway, Capullo's art was nothing short of fascinating, and the detail was superb, with ton's of small details being perfect, which was really nice. The way Capullo draws the characters is also amazing, as although he draws the darker side of Batman fabulously, he also manages to draw simple civilians brilliantly. I also loved how he drew this darker side to Bruce Wayne, as whether this is actually Bruce's own actions or not (I won't spoil it for you) Capullo showed this darkness on Bruce's face brilliantly, and you could tell that he had evil, and twisted thoughts going through his mind, which was nice. The way Capullo lays out his artwork is also fantastic, as it adds a lot of drama, and along with the emotion that he shows in the characters facial expressions, it really gives a lot more drama, and tone to the story.

This story started with the police facing a bank robber that was revealed to be Bruce Wayne, which was a brilliant and shocking opening to this two part story, and although I expected something big, and volatile from this story, I wasn't quite expecting this, so I was quite happy with the surprise. I know that Bruce will be going through a lot with the death of his son not being that long ago, but he surely wouldn't go to lengths like this, so there's a clear indication that these aren't his own actions, and that there's most likely some mind control, involved, or that this is an imposter. I still won't reveal whether this is the case as to avoid spoilers, but these are the thoughts that I had when I started reading this, as with the moral code that Bruce keeps as both Bruce Wayne and Batman wouldn't be broken over the death of a loved one, even if he was emotionally unstable. It was however a nice twist, and I found it very interesting, and I look forward to seeing how it develops.

The question I also asked myself was what the police will think of Bruce Wayne following this, whether it was him or not, as due to it being a person with his likeness the fall would go to him. I still won't spoil whether this is actually Bruce or not, but I personally think that even if it was to be revealed that it was someone else that it'd be a good thing if the police didn't know this. I say that as it'd make a great twist to the series, with the police looking for Bruce Wayne, and him not being able to go out in the day, unless in a disguise, which would either help Batman's life as a vigilante, or hinder it. Now I know that similar has been done in Bruce Wayne: Fugitive, but I didn't read that (meaning to get a hold of it) so I don't know exactly what happened, but I still think it'd be a good change to the series, and with Year Zero coming up it'd leave it possibly dormant for quite a while. Despite that I think that the police will learn the truth, and that it won't affect the future of the series a great deal, but it'd be nice if it did.

The story then jumped back six days showing Batman squaring off against Reaper, with Robin. I liked this sequence as it was brilliant to see Damian alive again, as I'm still rather upset that he died, but besides that it made for a brilliant transition showing Batman in the Batcave morning. The two sequences together were probably truly brilliant, as the one that featured Damian felt very cheerful, and fun, whereas when it's reminded that he's dead it gets awful dark, and morbid, which was a brilliant contrast. I did however find it slightly weird continuity wise that Alfred was still there as in Batman, Incorporated #9 Bruce told him to go on vacation. I know that even though it's canon, Batman, Incorporated hasn't always been the best series continuity wise, with the other series having to fit around it. It could simply be that Alfred never adhered to what Bruce told him in Batman Inc. #9, but it still posts questions, and also shows that even though DC try to have there series close continuity wise, that it doesn't always succeed. I also really liked how Capollo drew Batman all dark, just having his eye slits white, as this kind of reminded me of the 90's Animated series.

The back-up story, Ghost Lights was written by James Tynion IV, and drawn by Alex Maleev, which had Batman and Superman investigating a mystical event. I've really enjoyed the back-up stories that Tynion IV has been writing in this series, and have been looking forward to him taking over Red Hood and the Outlaws (even though I liked Scott Lobdell's work on the series), and have even considered getting his Talon series (especially after a connecting story that featured in Detective Comics #19), but this wasn't as good as the previous stories I've read. Don't get me wrong there were parts I liked, and I'm pretty sure I'll prefer the second half, but this felt a bit short, and not very informative, going quite slow. I did however like the appearance from Superman, as it was nice to see him in Batman's hour of need, and it also gives a nice tease to the upcoming Superman/Batman series. I also liked the mystical element of the story, and with the brilliant cliffhanger ending believe that it will have a very interesting and entertaining ending. Maleev's art was also perfect for this story, and although I'm not to fond of how he draws Superman, he draws Batman brilliantly, and really gives the dark feel that is needed to a Batman story, and I might even continue getting Batman: The Dark Knight which I was considering dropping seems he's doing the art on the next story (but that's a big maybe), as I've really enjoyed his art on the previous two issues of this, as well as the double page additional art in Detective Comics #19. Anyway, this was overall an interesting story, but it was a bit slow, which was disappointing, but I'm sure it'll pick up in the final part.

Final Verdict

This was a fantastic issue, and although not quite to the level of Death of the Family, it was very enjoyable, and I'm sure the conclusion will be amazing. It was however very interesting, and quite mysterious, and although it borrowed elements from previous stories it still felt unique, which was a bonus. I would highly recommend this as it was fun, and interesting, but if you are seriously strapped for cash it's easily missable, as although it references Year Zero I doubt that it will affect it (especially considering Year Zero's meant to have happened prior to the start of this series).

Rating: 4/5

Batman #18 Review

Writer: Scott Snyder
Artist: Andy Kubert

This has been my favourite series in the New 52, and although it's not always been outstanding, it's always been good. With Batman being my favourite character I expect good stories from the main Batman title, and Scott Snyder's been doing that, and I'm looking forward to seeing what he can do now that Death of the Family is over, and Year Zero's about to begin.

Plot

Harper Row is worried about Batman, as he doesn't seem to be acting normally, so she tries to help him out.

Review

Although not as good as all the Death of the Family issues, this was still a good issue, and to be honest I wasn't expecting it to be any better than it was. Scott Snyder has done a brilliant job on this series, but there have been the odd things, like the introduction of Harper Row that haven't appealed to me, but I'll talk a little more about that later. I did however like how Snyder handled this part of the Requiem month by showing you the change in Batman through Harper, as he wanted to leave Batman's perspective for Peter J. Tomasi's Batman and Robin #18. I did however like that this issue like the other Batman issues of this month focused on the aftermath of Batman, Incorporated #8, as I feel this needed more follow-up than Death of the Family, which I felt ended brilliantly, not needing an aftermath.

Andy Kubert is no stranger to Batman, having drawn him alongside Grant Morrison on Batman and Son, and Neil Gaiman on Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?, but this was not his best work on the character. Don't get me wrong, his art was still brilliant, and I love the way he draws Batman, actually preferring it to Greg Capullo's art on Batman, but the rest of the comic wasn't as good as his other work, and I prefer Capullo's art much more as a whole, as it suits the darkness of the series much more, and is much more consistent throughout. The main thing I didn't like about Kubert's art this time round was the way he drew Harper, and that's a big problem considering she's the main focus character in this issue. I also didn't like how he drew her nose piercing as it looked like she had a runny nose instead. Besides that his art was fantastic, and had ton's of detail. The character expression, and emotion's were also very well drawn, and if nothing else he drew a phenomenal Batman. Alex Maleev also worked on this issue doing the art for the second chapter. Maleev's an artist that I've been torn about in the past as I like his art on some series, but hate it on others. This was one of the times that I loved it though, as it was brilliant, and really suited the lighter tone in the section of story he worked on.

As I said earlier I've not been the biggest fan of the introduction of Harper Row, but I always like to see new characters, and you never know she may grow on me. What I like about new characters to well known comic book series' is that they are full of mystery, and give the writer more creativity, which should lead to a better story. Although I'm not a fan of her as a character yet I liked how Snyder has used her, as he's shown her determination, and made her very unique. Whilst doing that he's also given her the same desire that every other member of the Bat-Family's had before joining, and I would be surprised if she doesn't become a member. At the same time I don't want her to be the new Robin, as she doesn't fit the role in my opinion, and in a recent interview from Snyder it looks like she won't be Robin, but I still expect her to have some role in the Bat-Family.

Batman was brilliant in this issue, and although it didn't show as much emotion from him than Batman and Robin #18, it still showed that there was a change in him. Again I liked that this was mainly seen through the eyes of Harper, as Batman and Robin #18 showed the full emotional change in Batman perfectly, and duplicating it in this issue would spoil this issue, as well as lessen the affect from the Batman and Robin issue. I did however like that he was mad, and that he had a much more viscous side to him, as although we've seen Batman angry before, we've not seen it quite to this extent, and that's natural as he's lost his son. It was also interesting to see that at one point it appeared that Batman didn't care whether he died or not, which was something new for Batman.

I've already talked a bit about Harper, but seeing as this issues mainly centered around her I though that I'd talk about another aspect of her character, which is her relationship with her brother, Cullen Row. The sequence at the start when they both visit their father, Marcus Row is probably the sequence that showed there relationship the most, but there were other sequences that also showed this. What I liked about this was that we get to see more of Harper's characteristics, as she shows humility, loyalty, and bravery, as she stands up for her brother, and what he is, as he's not brave enough to do it himself. This shows more signs that she would be a good fit as a member of the Bat-Family as she also has determination as well, but it's these traits that shine out through the Bat-Family.

The second part of the story was also interesting, and although I won't talk too much about it to avoid spoilers, I will say a little. Basically it's a continuation to the main story, but at the same time has a very different tone, and is in itself unique. What I liked about it was that it was a much more lightheartened story, as following a very dark, and slightly depressing story, it's nice to see one that's a bit more cheerful, whilst also showing the right emotion. It was also nice to see Bruce at Wayne Enterprises for a change, as we haven't seen that much in the New 52.

Final Verdict

This may not be the best issue in this series, but it's still very good, and shows the right kind of emotion following Batman Inc. #8. Although I'm not too fond of the character it was also nice to see more development of the Harper Row character. I would recommend this issue, as besides Batman and Robin #18, this has been the best issue in the Requiem month so far (although to be fair there has only been four so far).

Rating: 4/5