New enemies strike, members of the Dark Knight’s family return and is the Batman Boot Camp breaking up?
In the aftermath of losing Tim Drake and “Strange” attacks in Night of the Monster Men, James Tynion IV launches his second arc of Detective Comics with thrills, mystery and feeling with the welcome return of a Gotham citizen who gave up the mask.
The Victim Syndicate begins with a fan-favorite couple reunited at the site of a horrible event with a haunting but familiar use of the Bat symbol and ends with evil party crashers.
Who could be Tim’s replacement?
Who makes a comeback and are they sticking around?
Who is the new force on the attack in Gotham City?
Before we dive into what happened and what it could mean here’s a SPOILER ALERT!
If you have not read Detective Comics #943 yet stop reading now.
Seriously.
OK.
Here it comes.
Tim Drake/Red Robin sacrificed himself to save Gotham City. Bruce and his team think Tim is dead. He’s actually been kidnapped by a mystery man tied to a greater mystery affecting the entire DC Universe. There’s a powerful image by artist Alvaro Martinez of Red Robin’s costume under glass in the Batcave with the Dark Knight looking broken.
Feeling guilty, Batman is not training or patrolling with the team he set up with Batwoman. The Dark Knight is interrogating Colonel Jacob Kane, Kate’s father and the man running the army of “Batmen” of the first arc. Who is Kane working with and for in The Colony? Kane may be the one man Batman can intimidate. Kane will only talk to his daughter. What’s the Colony’s endgame?
Kate and Detective Renee Montoya are on the crime scene at Wayne Enterprises. “No More” and the Bat symbol are sprayed painted in red in the lobby and Lucius Fox is being questioned after witnessing a horrible attack that left at least three dead.
Kate is trying to get Bruce to talk about Stephanie/The Spoiler. Brown is in mourning too after losing Tim.
The big and welcome surprise in this issue: Harper Row’s first appearance in the DC Comics Rebirth era. We last saw her make a big change in the Batman and Robin Eternal finale.
Stephanie turned to Harper who’s now working at a free clinic in Park Row, Gotham. The former Bluebird still has her iconic, cool hair but she’s wearing a new uniform, a volunteer nurse’s uniform. Harper offers Stephanie comfort in a welcome scene showing the bonds among the younger generation of Gotham’s Bat-family.
Tynion created The Belfry, a headquarters for the Batman boom camp crew. Now we see the Mud Room where Cass Cain and Clayface are training with computer generated vilains to fight and train against. Clayface’s continuing emotional transformation is just one of the many compelling reasons to stay with this book.
The high-tech Belfry is not complete and the team needs a new tech expert now that Tim is gone.
Enter Luke Fox, the former Batwing arrives at a gala like Bruce Wayne with a dash of Tony Stark arrogance and JLA era Maxwell Lord.
Bruce and Kate appear to recruit Luke. Stephanie, Harper, Cass and Clayface in a new guise unite at the party.
As we wait for a possible new team unite, the self-proclaimed Vicim Syndicate strikes again. The five “Victims” are horrific strangers right out of scary movie nightmares. Who are they? Are they resurrected pawns of another mastermind? Will we learn how these “Victims” were born?
Will Batwing join the team?
Can Harper be pursuaded or forced to become Bluebird again?
Tynion and Martinez deliver a fast-paced first chapter of a new arc with thrills and heart as Bat-family members unite.
By Editor