REVIEW: Detective Comics #970: Setting Up For a Fall

Detective Comics may be the title that introduced Batman to the world, but it has grown to become a great place to highlight more members of the Bat Family. Â While Batman was not absent from the issue, he was not the main focus ofÂ Detective Comics #970,Â but was still part of the action.

James Tynion IV gives us part 2 of theÂ Fall of the BatmenÂ arc and does an impressive job of making the entire cast relatable and very human. Â Not one character seemed to be there just to be there or to make it feel like more of a team book. The characters felt very human and they all had a part in advancing the plot.

We get a brief action sequence with Batman, Batwoman, Azrael, and Batwing which provides an important piece of information about their opponent“s fighting tactics.

Red Robin, Tim Drake, is way overcompensating after his return from presumed death. Â He seems determined to make Gotham City into the kind of place that would not need him to ever take up the mantle of the Bat and never become the nightmarish world his future self recently warned him about. His overzealous attitude and lack of sleep brought about a huge argument with Spoiler, Stephanie Brown, which may just end their relationship.

The thing that surprised me most was the subplot with Clayface. Tynion made me care about Clayface. After a lot of internal struggle and a heartfelt conversation with Orphan, Cassandra Cain, the big guy seems like he is about to have his happy ending, but the rug gets pulled out from under him and delivers us a killer cliffhanger which leaves us wondering what will happen to him and hoping he will be all right.

There are a few more revelations that tie most of the subplots and characters together, but you“ll have to pick up a copy to find out what they are, but it“s worth it.

The book has some challenging characters that are safe in the skilled hands of Joe Bennett who handled the pencils. His Clayface was very expressive. For a mostly featureless being I was impressed with the amount of emotion Bennett was able to convey in his face.

There was so much going on they needed 3 inkers to keep up with Bennett, but Salvador Regla, Ricardo Jaime, and Marcio Loerzer were more than up to the challenge and added a great deal of depth and mood to the issue.

The coloring talents of Jason Wright pulled everything together and gave each setting its own feel.

So far I“m enjoying theÂ Fall of the BatmenÂ arc and am looking forward to the next issue.

Writing: 4
Art: 3.5
Overall Rating: 3.75

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(W) James TynionIV (A) Joe Bennett (CA) Guillem March