BATMAN #12 (DC COMICS)
The Bat family finds a gift from beyond the grave.
Ever since his passing, there has been a notice hole in the family without Alfred Pennyworth. Being the true patriarch of the group, his absence has been extremely missed.
Enter Verity Pennyworth. The great niece of Alfred has arrived at Bruce & Damian Wayne’s doorstep to offer her service in the fight against Vandal Savage. Talk about divine intervention.
BATMAN #12 by Matt Fraction, Jorge Jiménez, Tomeu Morey & Clayton Cowles (DC COMICS) sees the latest addition to the family hit the ground running,
Let’s take a closer look into what transpires now.
BATMAN #12 by Matt Fraction, Jorge Jiménez, Tomeu Morey & Clayton Cowles (DC COMICS)
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
Fraction opens with a fast introduction to Verity meeting Damian. The interaction is surprisingly welcomed as Bruce contemplates the true motives of their guest. Readers watch as the story shifts to Gotham City. Six assassins are all going to work. Different targets are being taken out. Each have their own style and flare as they go amongst their business. It sets a clear path to figuring out who their target is.
Readers see as the new “trio” start the assessment of what these killers are doing in Gotham. The writing allows Damian to flex his wings while allowing Brice to be a proud father. The good times end fast as Batman heads to work. Pacing speeds up to chase the quick action. Fraction pushes Batman to let loose. This results in a brutal show of force. Its’ aftermath leaves a few questions in the air as where the results now lead. The interaction with Verity helps to cement her place with the group. This allows for one last chilling encounter before departing. It leaves quite the impression as events come to a stand still. A very unique story with some “Dark Knight” movie homages.
READ LAST ISSUE’S REVIEW!
Jiménez & Morey begin visuals with a more “wholesome “ sense to Verity’s entrance to the family. Seeing Damian Wayne smile is always cause for concern. This ushers in the new assassins to flex their muscles. Panels give each killer their own creative freedom to explore their methods. Keeping this contained to one page for each is quite an impressive feat. This lets the Bat family assess and strategize.
Damian’s breakdown of the killers draws a rare reaction out of Batman: a smile. This provides a solid pivot point to get events going on the eventual confrontations. Pacing revs up attacks as the killers now deal with Batman directly. Jiménez shines in this area. During one fight, there’s a brief glimpse reminiscent of the “Venom” days. It leads to a spectacular full page elevator shot that caps off the fighting. The epilogue is a great twist to the story. It ends events with a haunting image via full page. Always high level art on display here.
FINAL GRADE: 9
A new addition to the family proves vital as six assassins strike Gotham City looking for Bruce Wayne. Fraction stages a crafty conflict with sharp writing. Jiménez and Morey go for broke with high volume action. This run of the Dark Knight never ceases to amaze.
Let me know your thoughts on Batman #12 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
