Art by: Eduardo Pansica
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: December 4, 2013
Aren't You a Little Young for Full Contact?
Gray and Palmiotti are on a roll with Batwing and Luke Fox. For me, this book has gone from an afterthought to one of the books I look forward to each month. Last month's Zero Year tie-in put the story on hold, but Batwing #26 puts it back in gear and man does it make up for lost time.
The last we saw Luke Fox (in the present time at least) he had fought Lady Vic and found out that the man causing all the trouble was Italian Crime Lord, Charlie Caligula. To get the guys attention, Luke channels his inner Jean-Claude and enters an underground mma fight under an alias with an awesome Mohawk. Of course he wins and is invited to a even more secret tourney at Caligula's private Island. The Kumite is on!
Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti are good at many things, but what they are best at is writing fun comics. This issue is so much fun. You get a super secret underground fighting tournament with Luke battling an awesome powered baddie. You get a rebooted Charlie Caligula and when you think Caligula you think debauchery and fetish and that's exactly what you get. Then to top things off, they give us a Batman Inc sleeper agent who is a shout out to a "Club of Heroes" member who also ties in with Charlie Caligula. Awesome. Also of note is even though it continues the current arc, I really think it can be enjoyed by newcomers to the series and/or readers who just like fun action.
Eduardo Pansica is also really good here. His art is clean and vibrant and fits the action scenes so well. Also, I love seeing Batwing's costume at night and hope every issue has a scene with it.
I do have a few problems with the issue, but they are minor. Most of all, I wish that Caligula's tournament lasted longer. It was so much fun while it lasted, but it was over way too soon. Also, Caligula didn't feel like a fully fleshed out villain. His evil plan was a little too vague for me to see it as nothing more than a convenient reason for Luke to go after him.
Bits and Pieces:
Batwing #26 is action packed goodness. Part Blood Sport and part James Bond, I hope this issue gets the exposure it should to elevate it to the next level. It really deserves a bigger audience and this issue is a great one to get it. With DC really pushing gritty and dark, Batwing is a perfect title for those who still look for fun and action in their comics.
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