Team Building
Written by: James Tynion IV
Art by: Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira, Adriano Lucas and Marilyn Patrizio
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: June 8, 2016
Rebirth has been a lot of things to the books I've read so far. A return to the fun, a call back to the legacy of the characters and even a new start. James Tynion is combining them all here with Detective Comics. It's kind of like Batman and the far out Outsiders put together by Eric Shea playing with his Imaginext. Take Eric out of that equation and I'm all in and thankfully, that's what we have here. I love fun and I love team books and boy, I LOVE fun team books. Does Tynion come through on the promise of his team and give us just that? Let's find out...
The issue opens with a flashback of Azrael getting the shit kicked out of him by...Batman? I know I wasn't exactly thrilled with Azrael's performance in Batman and Robin Eternal, but Batman wasn't even around then. Maybe he read my reviews. If that's the case, I'm sorry Azrael. Actually, I'm not and it's not actually Batman. Oh snap! The mysteries keep building as we cue Rockwell's, "Somebody's Watching Me" and catch up to the present.
The only thing that upset me about this beginning is that we don't get Azrael on the team. Why can't we have Azrael on the team? Pretty please, Mr. Tynion. I let it pass for now because in the mean time we do get a kick ass team including...
Batwoman!!! It's been too long and I had such a huge smile on my face seeing her zipping across Gotham. She's talking to her father as she does her superhero moves and he wants her to stop going after Batman's sloppy seconds and while he has a point, she is also being watched. Finally, Kate is getting some Bat Family respect.
The issue continues with Batman paying Batwoman a little visit. It seems that our mysterious watcher has been watching all of Gotham's vigilantes and Batman has a plan. He wants Kate to help him train a team...a crazy team!
The rest of the issue is a cinematic look at the members of the team and their recruitment. We get Spoiler who should be in Birds of Prey (just my opinion), but deserves all the attention she can get. Hopefully, she doesn't disappear for lengths of time like every other book she's been in lately because I love her.
We also get Tim Drake in his old Robin costume and this is really the only thing I have a problem with in this issue. I like the Tim and Stephanie Brown interaction right away, but it feels odd for Tim to agree to this. He should be training the others, not being trained. Plus, Batman sent him a letter? A letter?!?! Pretty low, Batman, pretty low. (Note: Issac and Mike N. told me in the comments below that the letter Tim got was a college acceptance letter...I had no idea he was waiting for one and it totally threw me off.)
The roster continues to grow with Cassandra Cain and while I'm still not sold with her taking up the name "Orphan", I love the character and will put up with a lot of nonsense to see her every two weeks.
Then Tynion gives readers one of the best things in all of Rebirth...Batman and Batwoman recruit Basil Karlo! Yep, Clayface in in the house and it's a touching entrance and ties in with the last arc of Batwoman's solo book perfectly. It also leads to the best joke of the issue as the new team zips off into the night leaving Basil kind of hanging.
I like what Tynion is cooking up here. He gives us a fun team and a reason for it to be. Right now, I am less concerned about the mysterious watcher (we see a bit more in the cliffhanger) because I just want more of the team's interactions with each other. If Tynion gives us a heavy dose of that going forward, I am all in. As it stands, this was probably the most fun of all the Rebirth #1s and I like fun so you know where I stand here.
I liked Eddy Barrows art as well. Most of the scenes are in close quarters and I can't wait to see the whole team battling hundreds of enemies at once. His characters are big and bold and dominate the page and it already gives the team a larger than life feel.
Bits and Pieces:
This may easily become my fun book of this whole Rebirth menu. James Tynion gives readers a cool team that I want to see a whole lot more of and a mysterious reason to be one in the first place. This issue is basically a roll call and I liked it. Eddy Barrows' art helps give it all a cinematic feel and so far, this is the popcorn movie book that I was hoping for.
8.5/10
My most anticipated bat book behind Titans. Give me Dick Grayson and Tim Drake every day of the week I say
ReplyDeleteThere wasn't anything about this issue that I did not love. I was a big fan of Detective Comics during the New 52 and it would appear that the best is yet to come with this creative team. Based on your 10-point scale, I think I would have given it a 9/10. It was a pleasure to read!
ReplyDeleteI had a ton of fun!
DeleteI thought Tim's letter was a college acceptance letter?
ReplyDeleteI really liked this issue. I have some quibbles, like I wished we'd seen more reactions from the trainees, and it all felt a bit rushed, but those are minor. I'm really excited to see where this goes.
we will probably get reactions galore in the next couple of issues...and Tim better be pissed. A letter?!?!? At least send him a DM Batman!
DeleteYea im pretty sure that was him getting into college not batman lol
Deletethen i'm really mad! Let the guy go to college!
Deletewhen did I miss Tim applying to college...was it at the end of Batman and Robin Eternal?
DeleteI added a note in the review that you and you guys set me straight!
DeleteOnly issue i had with this..issue was tim he has lead rookies before has worked with batman a long time at this point i mean hell he gone to apocalypse but batwoman is putting him threw superhero boot camp...and god his uniform shm
ReplyDeleteWell, he's basically second-in-command, so it's not like he's a complete rookie here.
Deletemaybe third...Batman is still King! He is a "lieutenant" but we will see how that plays out. It still feels like he is moving backwards, but it still seems like it will be fun.
DeleteMy biggest problem with all of this: Cassandra being treated as a "rookie". She's the greatest fighter on the planet, and she had a lot of time maturing in her own series, it pisses me off that she's been reverted back to "the new girl".
ReplyDeletewith Rebirth anything is possible now, but this Cassandra didn't have her own series...
DeleteThere's more to being a crimefighter than fighting. And this isn't pre-Flashpoint Cass.
Deleteyep...she is just an assassin with an awful father!
DeleteI think this was a good start. I only gave this a try for Kate, Cassandra, and Tim. If this book treats them like shit I'm gone. But I'm still giving this series a 3 issue test drive. I've just been burned to many times with these batman related titles. Batman(with Gordon), Batman Eternal, Batman & Robin Eternal, And Robin War put a bad taste on the Bat Books.
ReplyDeleteI think this one is just crazy enough to work!
DeleteWe can only hope. My hope is that DC fleshes out The bat family members before they introduce me to others. It's a shame that I know more about Harper Row & Duke Thomas, then Tim, Kate, & Cassandra who are infact actually family to Bruce. I didn't mind the first Batman Rebirth & I actually liked duke, but this is the bat title I'm putting chips on.
DeleteThis is my book of the week. The REBIRTH books all fell short this week and ACTION, while good in its own way, was not as good as this issue. I loved every page.
ReplyDeleteI really liked it. Wonder Woman was my favorite, but this was second. People loved that Flash though!
DeleteThis is my favorite Rebirth issue so far. They did the basic roll call issue and made it interesting. I know Jim wants Steph in "Birds", but she needs to be in the book with Tim. It's where she started and it seems more fitting to see her here.
ReplyDeleteIt was also cool to see a father encouraging his super hero daughter instead of trying to get her to hang it up because it's too dangerous. Now all we need is some grappling guns for Claface so he can zip all over with the rest of the team.
9.5/10!
Clayface was hilarious and it was a cool thing for Tynion to call out right away...how is he going to get around???
DeleteMan this was my favorite rebirth book so far. The art was amazing, the cast of characters is crazy, and maybe I'm crazy but I loved Clay face being included and am pumped to see what he does more than anything else.
ReplyDeleteGlad next issue is in two weeks.
Man this was my favorite rebirth book so far. The art was amazing, the cast of characters is crazy, and maybe I'm crazy but I loved Clay face being included and am pumped to see what he does more than anything else.
ReplyDeleteGlad next issue is in two weeks.
This is my first issue of Detective Comics so that's why the dumb questions. Is this in continuity with the main Batman book? If so is Batman assembling a team for the Rebirth mystery or some other Gotham mystery?
ReplyDeleteDetective Comics stands on its own and the team is being assembled for the mystery at hand in this title.
DeleteI'm buying this series for Tim Drake, so I want him as present as possible.
ReplyDeleteI hope his character evolves a bit more in this series then in Teen Titans...unless becoming a bigger jerk is somehow "evolving"
DeleteJust read this. It's excellent. I love the team dynamic; I love the relationship between Batman and Batwoman. I especially loved the way the pair of them recruited Clayface. That was a lovely moment. It does feel a bit weird having someone being grimmer and more cynical than Batman as a regular in the book, but I've liked Batwoman for a long time and I really like her here. Tynion gets the interplay between the characters down perfectly. The artwork's excellent as well. I honestly can't think of a single thing about this issue I didn't like. Great issue.
ReplyDelete