Creative Staff:
Story: Tom Taylor
Art: Nathan Gooden
Colorist: Arif Prianto
Letterer: Wes Abbot
What They Say:
With three kingdoms on the brink of war, Batman is in hiding, recovering from an attack and a shocking betrayal. But Batman finds he’s not the only unfortunate soul to be taken in by his surprise rescuers-strange, magical youngsters have been given sanctuary alongside the bastard prince, Bruce Wayne. Will these teen outcasts change everything Batman believes in? Or will they perish at the hands of a demon?
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Non-continuity DC books continue to be where I’m at and this one is completely delivering what I had hoped for when it was first announced. Tom Taylor is showing a really solid understanding of characters and how to place them in new situations, retain what makes them who they are, but really challenge them in how they react. Just being able to make a real impact on characters with events goes a long way toward hitting a sweet spot for me. This installment has Nathan Gooden taking on the reigns and I’ve enjoyed their work in a couple of other books but really like what they bring to the table here. It sticks to the general theme and design of the first half with its take on the characters and seeing them presented in this setting and exploring the way things can be adapted and reworked from familiar things. That’s half the fun right there but this team is firing on all cylinders right out of the gate.
This issue opens on a dream/nightmare taking place, which is my least favorite way to start a monthly book as you desperately try to remember the previous issue wondering what you missed. For Bruce, he awakens to find out how he’s been taken care of since the battle and he’s had the help of Raven to remove the metal that caused him such injury. With the Titans there now and a part of the picture, they’re able to push back on him and his ways because of the pain and terror he’s caused, something that he’s now on the other side of with his true nature revealed. It’s fairly standard stuff but it works with the Kents providing some good balance along the way without giving Bruce a guilt-free out. We also get the eventual nod that the Kents took care of another baby some time ago in Arthur, which is definitely going to make for an interesting reveal.
While that unfolds, we see how Ra’s has brought the young prince back to life for Constantine so that he can claim payment in the form of the Titans themselves. He’s viewing a larger war ahead and is trying to build what he needs toward that. While we get some interesting subplot stuff for the young prince, the main focus and fight that we get is with Ra’s and his daughter Talia coming to the Kent farm to claim what they’re owed. Which means a fight ensues as Bruce won’t let that happen. It’s a lot of fun to watch as we see how Etrigan is bonded with Ra’s, an intriguing mix, and to see how we get surly teenagers in the Titans but in this kind of quasi-feudal state design. It’s a fight that has some good stuff to it with the mix of powers, the undead army that Ra’s has, and just seeing Bruce starting to get a handle on his powers and how to use them. It’s an expansion that works well to highlight this particular slice of continuity.
In Summary:
There’s a whole lot going on here as usual and it delivers really well on some great dialogue, interesting reworkings of familiar characters and concepts, and a real sense of being lived-in in a way that makes me want more. Hell, this is the kind of stuff that could get novelized easily and run for years with expansive storytelling. Taylor’s scripts is frustrating in just how easy flowing it is and the way the characters move about and interact, all while new aspects are revealed and more characters surface. Gooden’s artwork is spot on in feeling like what we’ve had but also having its own style and design choices made that let it stand out as a different artist, giving us the best of both worlds. I’m excited to see what’s next.
Grade: B+
Age Rating: 12+
Released By: DC Comics
Release Date: June 7th, 2022
MSRP: $3.99