GOTHAM HEROES versus BLOCKBUSTER, METALLO & GORILLA GRODD

Seduction of the Innocent (DC)
Where: Underworld Unleashed #3 When: Late December 1995 Why: Mark Waid How: Howard Porter

The Story So Far...
Hell has a new ruler and his name is Neron. This powerful devil comes baring a simple offer to those who will take it: great power in exchange for their immortal soul!

The demon's temptation lures many whose heart is darkened by desire. Roland Desmond receives the power of Blockbuster with the retention of a brilliant criminal mind; John Corben accepts the ability to summon a new Metallo body from nearby metals so he'll never be crippled again; and Gorilla Grodd enhances his powerful mind with the knowledge to take control of Gorilla City.

While the most powerful members of the Justice League enter the underworld on a mission to stop Neron -- his army of villains spread chaos and terror across a troubled Earth. The remaining heroes of Gotham City must scramble to stop the enhanced villains as they attempt to hijack nuclear weapons!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Metallo 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Batman 5 (Professor)
Speed: Gorilla Grodd 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Metallo 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Robin 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Batman 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy: Metallo 4 (Arsenal)
Total: Batman 29 (Metahuman)

The Gotham City heroes are: Batman, Robin, Black Canary, and Huntress.

A formidable foursome for the streets of Gotham, but today they face a trio of freshly supercharged super-villains who sold their souls to the demon Neron in exchange for greatly enhanced super-powers!

Blockbuster is Roland Desmond: criminal mastermind and brother of Mark Desmond. Like his brother, Roland possesses greatly enhanced super-human strength, but thanks to his pact with Neron, he no longer suffers the reduction in intelligence associated with the Blockbuster formula!

Metallo is John Corben: mortally injured criminal turned into a cyborg powered by kryptonite. Along with super-human strength and durability, his cyborg body could fire radiation beams from his kryptonite heart. Neron's offer granted Metallo the added ability to adapt and construct a body from any metallic objects in his vicinity -- meaning he could never be stopped!

Gorilla Grodd is an ape of Gorilla City who possesses incredible strength, intellect, and vast telepathic abilities. His deal with Neron restored lost psionic powers and granted him knowledge of the whereabouts of an ancient talisman that would allow him to challenge King Solovar for rule over Gorilla City.

All three villains possess strength levels that put them in a weight class above their mortal opponents. They usually contend with the likes of Superman and The Flash, but their enhanced durability also means the Gotham City heroes can utilize some of the most powerful weapons in their arsenal!

Batman used high explosives to defeat the robotic menace of Amazo in Batman #637, and slow a possessed WayneTech Rescue OGRE in Batman Confidential #2. We saw Metallo inadvertently destroy one of his post-Neron bodies in Steel #21 when he absorbed plastic explosive into his body.

Gorilla Grodd used The Heart of Darkness talisman to bring Supergirl into his ape-tribe in Supergirl #3, and telepathically turned the entire Ultramarine Corps against the Justice League in JLA: Classified #3. The latter issue also showed that Batman was able to overcome Grodd with guile and bat-weaponry!

With their combined strengths and intellect, the bad guys should have the advantage here, but all three have shown a propensity for losing in the end.

All four Gotham heroes have acrobatic abilities that should keep them out of harms way. Black Canary is arguably the ace in the hole, with her sonic canary cry shown to be powerful enough to vex the Marvel Family [Crisis on Infinite Earths #6], and Shadow Thief & Giganta [Justice League of America #13]!

The Tape: Gotham City Heroes Ranking: Batman (#1)

What Went Down...
A Gotham City bridge plays host to nuclear warheads while city-wide gridlock interrupts the government convoy. Their position was expertly predicated and planned by Major Disaster, whose associates are on site to topple the truck!

Blockbuster, Gorilla Grodd, and Metallo appear moments from success when Batman and Robin descend upon the bridge to spoil their plans!

Robin drops onto Blockbuster with a boot to the back of the head, sending him hurtling towards the waiting feet of a grounded dark knight. Batman lets momentum and gravity do the work, launching Blockbuster off the bridge!

While that's happening, Black Canary joins the battle with a swift flying kick to the face of Gorilla Grodd! Its a short-lived advantage, lost as Grodd unleashes a violent telepathic assault that sends her recoiling with a cry of agony!

Huntress swings across the bridge, surprising one of the convoy drivers by snatching his belt of grenades. She glides above the battle and pulls the pin, sending half a dozen explosives plummeting towards the villains!

Metallo spies the heroine swinging overhead, but fails to take her attack seriously enough to avert disaster. The grenades hit their target, blasting Metallo and Grodd -- and catching Black Canary in the shockwave!

Robin has Black Canary's wellbeing covered, calling for her to go limp so he can catch and break her fall. No such luck for the bad guys, who were blown clean off the bridge and disappeared into the waters below!

The Hammer...
It was a risky play on a populated bridge, but Huntress' grenade gambit won the day for the heroes in the end. It was even good enough to get a rare compliment out of Batman!

The battle is an otherwise easily overlooked, quick three-page episode that shows some of what's happening on Earth while the Justice League are descending into the depths of Hell.

Underworld Unleashed #3 more famously contains a battle between the corrupted JLA and Captain Marvel, as well as the ultimate confrontation with the arch-villain Neron. Nice battles from a mid-nineties DC event, but sometimes it's the small, forgotten moments from these big crossover events that can be the most fun to revisit!

Underworld Unleashed was an event with a grand purpose. Neron was essentially the demonic personification of the publisher's intent to revamp and refurbish some of their pantheon for the extreme nineties. Branded crossover issues turned a spotlight on jazzed up foes who'd sold their soul for new and improved powers, setting them loose on unsuspecting opponents.

By keeping the core event title to a tight three issues, and letting concise tie-ins exploit revamped villains in sometimes unexpected match-ups, Underworld Unleashed had some of the charm that made Acts of Vengeance a good time.

Gorilla Grodd didn't change too much, but the featured trio are a nice sampling for what it was all about. Metallo and Blockbuster were a couple of the updates I remember enjoying at the time. Both found their way into unlikely interactions with Steel, who was a character I was pretty enthusiastic about. We've covered Metallo's appearance in Steel #21, and I'd like to get to Blockbuster as well.

This is the first time the Roland Desmond incarnation of Blockbuster has found his way onto Secret Wars on Infinite Earths. Thanks to Neron, he fulfills the question of what it would be like for Blockbuster to retain strength and intellect.

Mark Desmond served a purpose as a super-strong villain who could run into Batman for cheap thrills. He was a serviceable stand-in for Marvel's Hulk, but it was fair to say the character was running its course. Using his brother to change things up gave DC a surprisingly fun twist, unleashing a powerful mastermind who'll be best remembered as the Kingpin to Nightwing's beleaguered vigilante.

Today's fight also marks the ranking debut of Huntress, who herself is a twist on an old idea. Helena Wayne made sense as the daughter of Batman & Catwoman in a pre-Crisis Earth-Two that showed the second generation coming into their own, but once DC rebooted there was cause to retool.

Helena Bertinelli is undoubtedly my preferred Huntress. Daughter of Gotham City mobster Franco Bertinelli, she witnessed her family's murder by hitman as a child, and vowed to dedicate herself to the fight against organized crime as an adult. She's a semi-inversion on the Bruce Wayne story with her own quirks.

Huntress would become a frequent collaborator with Black Canary as part of the Birds of Prey, who you'll probably know are headed to theatres on February 7th.

With any luck we'll be talking more about Huntress and the Birds of Prey in upcoming featured fights. For now, we record a debut win for the purple bird.

If you'd like to find more from the characters featured today you can follow links throughout this post, or dive into the Secret Archive for a complete index of featured fights ordered by publisher, series, and issue number!

You can also subscribe on Twitter and Facebook to get daily links to superhero smackdown inspired by the topics of the day. If you like Secret Wars on Infinite Earths and want to see it prosper you can now support the project via Patreon.

Winners: Huntress, Batman & Robin (w/ Black Canary)
#331 (new) Huntress
#1 (--) Batman
#23 (+10) Robin (Tim Drake)
#38 (--) Black Canary [+1 assist]
#400 (-10) Gorilla Grodd
#896 (new) Blockbuster (Roland Desmond)
#936 (-18) Metallo

TEEN TITANS versus BROTHERHOOD OF EVIL MUTANTS

The Greatest Heroes Of All Time (Marvel/DC)
Where: Unlimited Access #3 When: February 1998
Why: Karl Kesel How: Pat Olliffe

The Story So Far...
Axel Asher was just an ordinary New York University student until a trip down an alleyway turned into a life changing meeting with destiny!

Confronted by a man with a glowing cardboard box - Axel learned the responsibility was his to maintain the balance between two universes as the hero Access! When the two worlds went to war he learnt on the job: first merging the worlds together to stop the warring cosmic brothers that fuelled their fight, then fighting to stop reality as it should be from ceasing to exist!

Access is still trying to keep the worlds apart, but dark forces have begun to tamper with time and space! Thrown between the universes in their different periods, Axel has no choice but to recruit the aid of more crossover heroes! When the Justice League and Avengers go to war, he can only pluck the next generation to come to his aid when The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants strikes!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Juggernaut 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Robin 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Impulse 7 (Lightspeed)
Stamina: Juggernaut 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Toad 5 (Cat-Like)
Fighting: Sabretooth 7 (Born Fighter)
Energy: Scarlet Witch 7 (Cosmic)


The Teen Titans are: Robin, Superboy, Captain Marvel Jr, Impulse & Wonder Girl. They come to the aid of inter-dimensional summoner: Access.

As hard as it is to believe, we've got a couple of debuts coming our way on both side of the fight! For the heroes, this is the first time The Comic Book Fight Club has played host to Impulse and "Wonder Girl" Donna Troy!

They're fighting alongside the Tim Drake and Kon-El versions of Robin and Superboy. Important to note because they'd easily be confused amidst the time travel shenanigans that have brought the Teen Titans into conflict with today's villains...

The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants are: Mastermind, Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, Toad, Mystique, Blob, Sabretooth & Juggernaut.

The time displaced bad guys begin as the original sixties Brotherhood [see; X-Men #6], but get a serious injection of talent from other eras in the form of Mystique, Blob, Sabretooth, and the decidedly non-mutant, but still quite bad: Juggernaut!

For those keeping score at home, this marks the site debut for both Mystique and Blob! This all spells bad news for the kid heroes who are outnumbered, and arguably overmatched when it comes to experience and firepower, as well!

There isn't a lot of crossover experience between the two teams as they exist here, but what there is, is noteworthy. Three of these characters featured in the DC versus Marvel cosmic event: Robin defeated Jubilee [Marvel versus DC #3], Superboy lost to Spider-man [Marvel versus DC #3], and Quicksilver was defeated by former Titan: The Flash [Marvel versus DC #2]! Juggernaut also found himself flung into the path of Superman in an unofficial bout [DC versus Marvel #1], and later fought Wonder Woman in Unlimited Access #1, plucked from a time period after this fight. Donna Troy was the only Titan to participate in the pre-Crisis 1982 Uncanny X-Men/New Teen Titans crossover.

Juggernaut and Blob are arguably menace enough to occupy an entire team on their own. The unstoppable force and immovable object, respectively. They may be able to call upon the physical strengths of Captain Marvel Jr or Superboy to pin either down, but for the Teen Titans to stand any chance, they're going to want to pull some classic team tactics. Impulse's speed, and/or Robin's agility could be the answer to redirecting Juggernaut's unstoppable charge in the direction of Blob. That's a best case scenario that leaves their powerhouses free to occupy the rest of the villains.

Quicksilver's speed could prove problematic, but Superboy might slow him down with some well timed tactile telekinesis and brute strength. Scarlet Witch poses a serious threat with her hex powers, but in the old days, her timid personality will likely take her out of the fight when her brother's hurt. Toad and Mystique are lightweights matched by Wonder Girl and the team. Sabretooth is cunning, brutal and strong, but even if he gets the drop of the team and takes a hostage, the likes of Impulse or Captain Marvel Jr have it covered.

Mastermind may be the most likely danger working for the Brotherhood. His ability to cloud the young heroes' perception with illusions could very quickly render them vulnerable, or even turn them against each other. All the villains could pose serious threats given the right circumstances, but Mastermind's unassuming appearance and tendency to hang back makes him a big one!

We could come at this a lot of ways, but that's the quick version. It's the Teen Titans who need to fight uphill. Let's just find out how they actually did...

The Tape: Sabretooth Ranking: Robin (#32)

What Went Down...

Having been lured in by an illusion of his girlfriend in peril -- Access has found himself in the super-fast clutches of Quicksilver! Magneto's Brotherhood of Evil Mutants is working for Darkseid and Access knows he needs help if he's to stop their evil plan. With the Avengers and Justice League busy, he uses his power to open a portal between worlds and summon a selection of Teen Titans!

The young heroes recognize peril where they see it - Impulse the first to act to rescue Access from The Brotherhood! Quicksilver takes exception to the brash, "big-footed" speedster, who opts to skip his lesson in humility!

Meanwhile, Toad gets a lesson in the value of theatrics from Robin. The mutant leaps and kicks circles around his foe, boasting the advantage of being homo superior, but is quickly dispatched with a skill toss of a roped batarang. "Listen, if your name doesn't make your enemies fear you, your actions better!"

Superboy tries a more affectionate approach to subdue the Scarlet Witch, but his charm offensive falls on deaf ears. Her hex power on the other hand, falls on a nearby fire hydrant - which blasts the young hero with a well deserved and intense "cold shower"!

Lucky for Superboy, fresh faced Wonder Girl is more than thrilled to be fighting in his presence! She comes to his rescue with a swift uppercut that dispatches the Scarlet Witch before she knows what hit her!

Captain Marvel Jr isn't sure what's happening to him, either, when his arms begin to turn against him in the form of giant serpents! It's all part of the plan of the illusion projecting Mastermind! Unlucky for him, Junior's mastery of the wisdom of Solomon helps him see through the mentalists trick. The strength of Hercules is more than a match for meek Mastermind, who takes a stiff left!

Unfortunately, it's no trick when Juggernaut comes up behind Marvel Jr and pounds him into the ground with two clubbing, unstoppable fists!

It also isn't an illusion when two Superboys confront Wonder Girl! She has no way of knowing the truth as they both plead their case to being the genuine article. At least, not until Sabretooth lurks up behind her with claws drawn and the real Superboy springs into action to stop him!

Superboy succeeds at torpedo driving Sabretooth into a stationary car, but can't be of any assistance as the second Superboy gets the drop on Wonder Girl - delivering a stiff chop to the neck as he transforms into Mystique!

Robin is busy doing his best to slow down the Blob. His martial arts fail to make an impact, serving only to annoy the hulking mountain of mutant mass! Having collected the bundled up Toad, Blob turns him into a living projectile - hurling his unconscious body at a Robin shaped bullseye!

Still stomping around the fight - the Juggernaut sets his sights on Access and Impulse and starts a-rampaging! Access is relying on Impulse to dash them both to safety at the last second -- when suddenly a beam of energy slams the Juggernaut! And a blast of ice sends him unstoppably slipping and stumbling!

Watching from elsewhere: the master of magnetism Magneto curses the arrival of Xavier's merry mutants: The X-Men! Evil Darkseid assures him all is going to plan. The Brotherhood seem to think so as well, Mystique ordering a strategic retreat as a thundering boom tube opens to whisk them from the battlefield.

Professor Xavier telepathically warns the gathering of young heroes of the New Gods' evil he sensed, leaving them to await further instruction in victory.

The Hammer...

An unexpected end to an unexpected crossover! The momentum may have been shifting to the bad guys, but plan or no plan - we're going to call this one a forfeit victory! That means the Teen Titans are the winners with the assist from the X-Men!

Admittedly - this wasn't an easy call to make. There was no decisive finishing blow. Cyclops & Iceman got the last offensive, but they arguably only stalled their target. The Titans were able to take several villains out of the fight during the melee, even if they had their own visual losses as well. The X-Men's arrival ultimately prompted The Brotherhood's retreat, but the X-Men didn't participate enough share in victory.

For those who might be wondering - the X-Men who arrive on the scene are the earliest first class: Cyclops, Iceman, Angel, Beast & Marvel Girl. So new - they don't even recognize Juggernaut: who the team first faced way back in 1965's X-Men #12! Those're some bona fide near mint mutants!

As noted in The Tape; the meeting of Titans and X-Men isn't without precedent. The original 1982 crossover was the last collaboration between DC and Marvel for over a decade. It played up the similarities of teen superhero drama that permeated the pages of both popular books. I'm not sure how many people were clamoring for the 90s Teen Titans to meet the 60s X-Men, but I suppose it has a certain charm. It certainly plays to the sixties retro fad that was going on at the time of publication. Not that comics ever need a reason to be nostalgic!

As in a lot of the crossovers of this period, they get away with some fun nods. Wonder Girl quizzes Marvel Girl about the X-Men being "misfit heroes like the old Doom Patrol". A fun jab at an old comparison. Of course, they also kinda did it a couple of years earlier, when the Amalgam mash-ups delivered X-Patrol. I'm not sure X-Force fit the bill quite as well, but it's close enough.

If you've been keeping up with our regular Hero of the Week entries, you know Doom Patrol is a series I've had on my mind [04/11/2016]. I'm hoping we'll get a chance to talk more about them some time soon. Today's feature was a nice chance to delve into another neglected corner of the DCU - the Teen Titans!

Admittedly, I've never been a big fan. Reading the adventures of Robin, Wonder Girl and Kid Flash had its thrills as a small boy, but the melodrama and sidekick angst of iconic Titans never geld with me. Not even as a teen. Kid heroes struck me as disappointingly second-rate as a kid. My peers ain't no Justice League! I'm slowly coming around, though. The idea of bundling existing young heroes together is certainly a good one.

The deviation of Doom Patrol's Changeling to iconic Teen Titan is the kind of living evolution that makes comics great. At least until line-wide reboots erase the chronology. DC's Rebirth is fixing to reinject first and third generation heroes into the New 52 line-up. It's something, I suppose.

The Titans line-up featured here may not be traditional - but it's much easier to appreciate. I've particularly enjoyed watching Captain Marvel Jr climb the site ranks. Glad to have Impulse on the record, as well. I wasn't sure on first look, but he's often struck me as a better junior alternate to the Flash than latter day versions of Kid Flash. Giving the Teens their own identity and mythology always helps. Especially when it isn't soaked in self-serious sobbing and lame rejects.

If you noticed me ducking references to Wonder Girl, it's largely because I'm a little sketchy on what was going on with Donna Troy during the short 'n' nerdy years. Undoing that predicament in the years that followed - a good idea. With any luck we'll get a chance to explore all of these characters at a later point.

Sadly, we won't be adventuring further into the realm of big league comics crossovers! This feature concludes our April celebration of the 20th Anniversary of Marvel versus DC and the 10th of our original feature(s). Fear not, though! There are still plenty of weird and wonderful combinations I'm sure we'll dig up in the future! You can also dig through the back issues via our Secret Archive Index, character tags and links, or by hitting up our recent retrospective in Old Comics Wednesday: DC versus Marvel!

Coming soon: We turn our attentions to heroic battles of another kind! Be here next week when we witness one of the first ever showdowns between two of Marvel's greatest hand-to-hand combatants of all time! See you then!

Winners: Teen Titans (w/ X-Men)

#25 (+7) Robin

#59 (+40) Captain Marvel Jr

#100 (+195) Superboy

#280 (new) Wonder Girl (Donna Troy)

#281 (new) Impulse

#38 (+1) Beast [+1 Assist]

#61 (-1) Angel [+1 Assist]

#64 (-1) Cyclops [+1 Assist]

#103 (-1) Marvel Girl (Jean Grey) [+1 Assist]

#109 (-1) Ice Man [+1 Assist]

#343 (-15) Scarlet Witch

#349 (-9) Juggernaut

#774 (new) Blob

#775 (new) Mystique

#786 (-243) Mastermind

#805 (-21) Toad

#808 (-11) Sabretooth

#813 (-8) Quicksilver

RED ROBIN versus KIDNAPPERS
The Grail: Part One of Four (DC)
Where: Red Robin #1 When: August 2009
Why: Christopher Yost How: Ramon Bachs

The Story So Far...
The death of the New Gods brought about a final crisis for Earth as Darkseid and his evil minions were reborn among us as gods-as-men intent on bringing about the Fifth World through out doom. On this day when evil won; the majority of humanity was enslaved by Libra, harbinger of the Anti-Life Equation, and leader of the unionized Society of super-villains. Only a few free minds are left to rebel, but in the end it was one of the first to fall, Batman, who stands between a renewed Darkseid and the end of everything.

In possession of the only weapon capable of stopping Darkseid, Batman willingly sacrificed himself in a stalemate stand-off that resulted in Darkseid's defeat at the apparent cost of his life. In truth, the Dark Knight was not killed, but rather shunted through time and space as a result of the Omega Sanction -- the death that is life. Misled by the smouldering corpse left behind, the superheroes and adopted family who survive the Batman must strive to honor his legacy and fill the massive void his dark shadow once filled.

For Bruce Wayne's adopted son and sidekick, Tim Drake, there is cause to believe his mentor did not truly perish under the bizarre cosmic circumstances that fooled the world. Driven from the Batcave by Dick Grayson's decision to induct Damian Wayne as the Robin to his Batman; Drake assumes the identity of Red Robin -- a violent guardian trekking across Europe to seek answers from the world, and from within himself.

Though the orphaned Drake assumes his new mantle to avoid association with the prestige and integrity of his mentor's brand, his globetrotting does not escape the notice of powerful forces. While he distracts himself with cases in Europe - such as a political kidnapping in Madrid - there are larger forces at work, such as those in the employ of the League of Assassins and Ra's Al Ghul!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Fire Hands 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Red Robin 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Red Robin 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Red Robin 4 (Athlete)
Agility: Red Robin 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Red Robin 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy: Fire Hands 3 (Explosives)


- The death of the second Robin, Jason Todd, weighed heavily on Batman.
With the original boy wonder, Dick Grayson, having grown into his own mature hero; the Dark Knight's world turned invariably darker as he internalized the struggle of his responsibility. Recognising this grim turn, a young boy embarked upon a mission to return balance to the Batman's life by enlightening him to the value of the famous sidekick.

Tim Drake, having deduced the dual identities of Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson, showed an aptitude for detective work that made him unique candidate for the legacy of the boy wonder. When Batman and Nightwing's lives were in peril at the hands of Two-Face, Grayson donned the costume for the first time, forcing even the gruff Batman to accept the possibility of training a new Robin.

Under Bruce Wayne's tutelage, Tim Drake developed the acrobatic and combative skills associated with the previous Robins. Drake also further honed his skills as a detective, benefitting from the Batman's bredth of knowledge, experience, and technology. Drake also expanded his network, following in Dick Grayson's foot steps as a member of the Teen Titans. When Dick Grayson appointed Damian Wayne as his new Robin, Drake travels abroad, distancing himself and his actions from his family under the new identity of Red Robin.

- In Spain, the fifteen year old daughter of an outspoken politician, Yessenia Penalba, was taken hostage by forces whose agenda was uncertain, but included additional demands for a ransom secret police did not expect to save the girl's life. Working with the kidnappers is a cybernetic assassin capable of channeling flames through his prosthetic hands. During their battle, Red Robin considers a Gotham-like handle for the super-powered crook; Manos de Fuego, "Fire Hands."

Math: Red Robin Ranking: Red Robin (#53)

What Went Down...
Despite the unlikliehood of retaining the kidnapped daughter of an outspoken politician alive, the Spanish police were willing to bow to demands for a sum of cash from the group responsible for taking her hostage. In their attempts to track the cash collector, Spanish Secret Service are fooled by an exchange, unnoticed by their agents, but witnessed by a more cunning force for good.

When the cash mule arrives, he collapses in the doorway as throwing discs shatter lighting in the apartment hideout of the kidnappers. The darkness provides a dramatic entrance for the black and red garbed Red Robin!

Four men make-up the kidnapping cartel, but only three of them possess visible arms. While the unarmed fourth among them stands his ground, Red Robin disables the most immediate threats, crushing one gunman's nose beneath his fist, before tripping another with a fluid pivot of his extendable fighting staff.

Making mental comparisons between the Madrid wildlife and what he's used to in Gotham City; Red Robin evades a hail of shots from the bald goateed leader of the group. Considering the possibility the city is the Gotham of Spain, Red Robin is confronted by the unarmed man who wields a hidden power within cyber-organic synthetic arms.

Red Robin puts himself between the bound blindfolded girl and his opponent as the mysterious Spaniard unleashes a focused inferno from his synthetic hands.

His cape protects him from the licking flames, but the defensive strategum has left Red Robin with an environment now posing as big a danger as his enemies. With the apartment building beginning to burn, he recognises the urgency of his situation and plays it accordingly.

Presumably unfamiliar with the practises of costumed vigilantes, "Fire Hands" has reason to be boastfully ignorant of his opponent's abilities. With his hands engulfed in flame he readys his attack, only to have his burning fist caught by the unerring fist of Red Robin!

From the grapple, he executes a short and sharp headbutt that shatters Fired Hands' nose and glasses. It's a harsh but efficient finishing move for an increasingly dire situation.

With the kidnappers thwarted, Red Robin rescues the girl - not far his junior - and leaps from the window in a gust of flames and broken glass! His pneumatic cable line sends them to safety and a happy ending the local law enforcement never anticipated.

The Hammer...
We continue to be embroilled in the world of Batman: Reborn as Tim Drake picks up his first victory under the guise of Red Robin!

In a lot of ways, this was the Reborn series I was least looking forward to, but on reflection, might actually be the longest lasting change to come from the post RIP/Final Crisis shake-up of the Bat-family titles.

While I'm inclined to expect Grant Morrison to make good on plans to be the man who resolves Batman's Omega Sanction conundrum, it's Red Robin that's already alluding to the canonical possibility that Batman did not actually die. This might be more about the state of mind of a young man whose world has been turned upside down. Then again, I might be getting ahead of myself...

For those of you who don't know -- Batman is not dead!

Though mainstream news outlets were quick to report the death of the Dark Knight, it was readers of Final Crisis [#7] who had it immediately made clear that the fate of Batman was far from final. Granted, the specifics of his current status remain overlooked; deliberately passed in favour of more immediate creative concerns of the DC Universe; we do know that Batman suffered the same fate that shunted Sonny Sumo through cracks in time to land in feudal Japan.

Such is the cosmic fate of the Omega Sanction -- described by it's master, Darkseid, as 'the death that is life,' as opposed to your standard Omega Beam which just disintegrates you in your boots. Not your standard Gotham City fare, but not as silly as it might sound to the uninitiated. [With any luck we'll be able to document the events more thoroughly, later in the year.]

Assuming the silhouetted owner of a utility belt carving Bat symbols into Anthro's cave was indeed Batman, we can assume that there's some sort of archaeological evidence to be found regarding his predicament. That's the fact that makes Tim [Wayne]'s journey to find evidence of Bruce Wayne's survival such a compelling premise -- assuming, of course, he isn't just being a bitchy teen.

With Damian Wayne invited into the family business as the second half of Dick Grayson's Batman and Robin, Tim has been quite unceremoniously ousted from his position as the boy wonder. In many ways, he was the wearer of the costume to whom the role meant the most. He was the first to actively seek-out the mantle during a period of darkness that saw Batman working alone, abandoned by Dick Grayson (who had become Nightwing), and dwelling on his failure to protect Jason Todd from a fatal beating by the Joker. Drake was the self-appointed light to Batman's dark -- a cunning young boy who chose this life, intent on protecting Gotham City's protector from self-destruction.

After growing into the role and losing his biological family, Tim Drake became more like Bruce Wayne than many of the other heroes who have dwelled within his Batcave. It is clear that being Robin was an important part of the person inside the character, so the underlying angst and emotion of Red Robin is a really fun additional arc to the book. It casts into doubt the reliability of the narrator's perspective, but gains a lot in the flow-on effect felt through characterization.

We saw this character attempt to be Batman in the pages of Battle for the Cowl [#2], and it's here that we're likely to reconcile the aging of the character. Damian's induction makes Drake's permanent status as Red Robin an obvious choice as he mature enough to be somewhere between boy wonder and dark knight. This, to go back to the beginning, is what makes the series one with a lot of potential to have lasting effects beyond the temp-Bat focus of other books.

Ramon Bachs isn't spectacular inking his own work, giving it a bit of a rough and unpolished look akin to some of the attrocities committed against Scott Kolins' work, earlier in the decade. More unflattering, however, is the colour palette provided by Guy Major, who weighs heavily on the book with a motley hue of dark colours peppered with bright highlights. I imagine both artists worked in the digital realm, and it hasn't produced very attractive results.

The writing struggles to elevate Red Robin from it's B-status, particularly with much less focus on the high-concept fodder. Keeping Tim Drake away from a contemporary "emo" attitude will be a bold task, but I hope, particularly as plotlines involving Ra's Al Ghul gear up, is one Yost is up to.

There isn't a spectacular amount of meat in the issue, but it's important to note that the action is never in excess. Yost and crew use their pages to communicate adequately a Tim Drake who has become weary and darkened by Bruce Wayne's death, too driven to distraction by his superheroic goals to work through the emotions of his perceived abandonment (by Grayson). We get that sense of drive through his movements through the world, methodical planning, and even the artwork, which undoubtedly captures the mood of the book, regardless of preference of style.

I think Red Robin will unfortunately struggle against the intrigue of all the other titles in the Bat-family relaunch. Despite being a fairly decent read, it lacks the immediate colourful hooks and glitz of the other titles. It's a fantastic read and I hope fans of the Tim Drake Robin will be able to embrace his maturation into a new type of hero, which will be a process I'm sure the title will deal with as long as it exists. With minimal connection to the character, I would interpret it as a very appropriate step forward, even as it accordian folds time in the DCU.

The Fight: 4.5 The Issue: 4

Red Robin is currently appearing monthly from DC comics, but despite this, apparently you can already preorder the collection of the first big storyarc via Amazon! I would recommend pooling more information on the series before making the investment, but believe it will be well worth it for anyone interested in the developments in the character, and where this storyline might potentially go. By using purchase links provided on the site, you help sponsor future entries in the Infinite Wars! You can find more collections featuring reviewed issues in our Online Amazon Shop. Navigating the Secret Archives will also lead you to more from these characters, including other titles in the Batman: Reborn relaunch, and major issues from 2009!

BATMAN versus BATMAN
Army of One (DC)
Where: Batman: Battle for the Cowl #2 When: June 2009 Why: Tony S. Daniel How: Tony S. Daniel

The Story So Far...
Once upon a time, evil won. Humanity was enslaved by the god of evil, Darkseid, who was reincarnated to walk as man on Earth, a harbinger of the Fifth World. Few could stand against the spread of his Anti-Life Equation, and those that did were gradually whittled away as their own companions became weapons against them. With all hope seemingly lost, one man stood between us and them. Though he conemned himself to a fate worse than death, the Batman pointed a cosmic pistol at Darkseid, and he saved us.

For the people Batman left behind, a smouldering corpse leaves them little option but to believe him dead. For a time they mourn him, but inevitably the absence of a Batman in Gotham City leads only to chaos. Though reluctant to step into a father's mantle, Dick Grayson and Tim Drake are forced to confront the need for a symbol, and their unique suitability for the role.

Complacency allows a third contender for the Batman cowl to emerge on the streets of Gotham. This dark avenger utilizes methods similar to the Batman, but far more brutal than anything even he ever condoned. Armed with twin firearms and an armored cowl, all signs point to the fallen son, Jason Todd, but is there more than meets the eye to this so-called Batman, and who can find out?...

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Draw 2 (Average)
Intelligence: Draw 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Draw 4 (Athlete)
Agility: Draw 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Draw 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy: Draw 2 (Projectile)


- When Batman sacrificed himself to end Darkseid's reign of terror [during Final Crisis], the Dark Knight fell victim to the Omega Sanction -- the death that is life. While Bruce Wayne suffers the torment of successive unpleasant realities, the world he left behind continues under the assumption that he is dead.

In Gotham City, as a city of maniacs begins to tear itself apart, the vaccuum left by the Batman demands attention. From the void emerges a new lightly armored Dark Knight whose intentions meet criminals on a darker agreement than ever before. Wielding twin pistols, the grilled cowl and uncompromising ethic suggests Jason Todd as the sadistic new Batman, but his true identity remains unknown.

- The death of the second Robin, Jason Todd, weighed heavily on Batman.
With the original boy wonder, Dick Grayson, having grown into his own mature hero; the Dark Knight's world turned invariably darker as he internalized the struggle of his responsibility. Recognising this grim turn, a young boy embarked upon a mission to return balance to the Batman's life by enlightening him to the value of the famous sidekick.

Tim Drake, having deduced the dual identities of Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson, showed an aptitude for detective work that made him unique candidate for the legacy of the boy wonder. When Batman and Nightwing's lives were in peril at the hands of Two-Face, Grayson donned the costume for the first time, forcing even the gruff Batman to accept the possibility of training a new Robin.

Under Bruce Wayne's tutelage, Tim Drake developed the acrobatic and combative skills associated with the previous Robins. Drake also further honed his skills as a detective, benefitting from the Batman's bredth of knowledge, experience, and technology. Drake also expanded his network, following in Dick Grayson's foot steps as a member of the Teen Titans.

Math: Draw Ranking: Robin (#40)

What Went Down...
Donning one of the Batman's old costumes, Tim Drake takes it upon himself to do what Dick Grayson refuses. In his adopted father's colours, Drake enters the Gotham underground to fight the impostor Batman on their behalf. In the ruin of Gotham's collapsed subway tunnels, Drake finds a passage leading to a makeshift Batcave obscured by train debris.

The stunned Robin triggers an explosive trap, throwing him helplessly into the air, if not for the intervention of a whip. Catwoman comes to the blue Batman's aid, hoisting him to a jutting cliff face. Together they discover the dark twisted mirror of the alternate Batman's cave, complete with torture chambers and a starved prisoner. Their investigation does not last long.

The impostor arrives to the cut the cat's curiosity short, taking her out of the battle quickly with the butt of his gun. Tim springs into action, leaping into an gymnastic kick that knocks who he assumes is Jason Todd into the void!

The impostor Batman quickly recovers with some acrobatics of his own, challenging the recognised boy wonder to face him in his own environment!

The caped crusaders clash in a collision of kicks and dives.
The dark impostor notes a thorough understanding of the way Drake operates, observing him as a worthy opponent, but one with the perceived disadvantage of Bruce Wayne's morality. Despite the philosophical difference, the pair appear relatively evenly matched, leaving Tim Drake to land alone at the cave base.

The armored Batman sees fit to remain in the shadows, striking violently at his junior opponent with the sharp edge of a batarang. He slices at Tim's back, neck, chest, and face, showing no mercy in the battle for the cowl.

The dark Batman presses his advantage, leaping on his wounded opposite with a ferocious combination of punches. He mocks Tim's readiness to wear the cowl and symbol of Batman, but the youngster shows tremendous resilience. Reaching out to the rubble around them, he finds a poignant weapon -- a crowbar!

A swing of the metal bar shatters the impostor Batman's grille.

Tim whacks his exposed foe a second and third time, wielding the weapon that the Joker once used to beat Jason Todd to death. Despite the beating, the toothy gape of the impostor Batman's mouth lets loose a laugh, revealing to Tim Drake the truth of the situation. Looking down, the last thing he sees before blacking out is the batarang protruding from bleeding chest.

With that, the dark impostor leaves his nemesis to die.

The Hammer...
It might be a little early to start eulogising Tim Drake, but whomever he may be, the brutal Batman emerges victorious from this confrontation.

Stat hounds can safely assume the impostor Batman is Jason Todd. All signs certainly point toward the fallen boy wonder, but until we get confirmation on the subject, we'll hold off on updating the rankings. I'm sure you won't mind waiting (longer).

Thus far, Battle for the Cowl has been such an unusual experience. For all intents and purposes, a three-part mini-series that pits elements in Gotham against each other in competition for the Bat-mantle, while establishing a new "status quo" for Gotham City, isn't such a bad idea. However, in execution, I'm stuck wondering whether or not this series is running too long, or far too brief.

After a thoroughly ordinary first issue that ticked off sequences like a hurried checklist, this second issue pauses long enough to redeem itself. Even the artwork of writer/artist Tony Daniel appears a little more composed, making the two major fight sequences with "Dark Batman" much more enjoyable than the previous issue's stunted attacks on Nightwing, and Damian.

DC made no bones about the situation leading in to Battle for the Cowl, but one can't help but feel some level of disappointment regarding the gaps left entirely for a final issue. It's almost unfeasible to expect reasonable explanations for all the questions that have arisen as a result of this book in one single issue. Granted, those are presumably matters for subsequent issues of the post-Battle books, but without those answers, the events of these three issue feel hollow.

The scattershot narrative sifting through details of Gotham's Battle bound woes isn't quite as deft as Grant Morrison's approach to the expansive epic of Final Crisis. With events isolated to Gotham City, even presumably important scenes, like the gathering of notorious crooks under Black Mask, seem slightly irrelevant in a script that seems to want to focus on the matter of the title.

To give Daniel some credit, the issues certainly capture the rapid fire succession that is no doubt gripping Gotham City. However unfulfiled they might be, each scene whisks the reader through at a pace fitting to the overwhelming situation that's taken our heroes by the wayside. Unfortunately, that doesn't leave a lot of room for even insinuation, which was one of Morrison's great skills in Crisis.

The writer/artist copped some heat recently for leaking an image on his blog of post-Battle designs for Dick Grayson as Batman. Let's be honest, assuming the leak really did reveal the identity of the next Batman, he wasn't spoiling much.
Based only on the double-page teaser printed in various DC books months ago, most would've placed their bets on a Dick Grayson Batman to emerge alongside the blue-garbed Tim Drake Batman (featured this issue), and who we assume is Jason Todd, the fully masked grille Batman.

This telegraphed assumption makes sitting through Dick Grayson's pining reluctance all the more painful. It really isn't an attractive trait in the would-be next Batman, but again, I would have to call in to doubt Tony Daniel's handling of the script. Editorial demands might've steered him forcefully in this direction, but the handling of the character just feels a little too weak to be the veteran character. Worse still, it should be as obvious to all characters in-fiction, as it is to us, that Dick Grayson should be the next Batman. So get on with it!

Coping with death and interpretive culpability have long been central concepts in the Batman mythos. Battle for the Cowl continues this exponentially, forcing the expansive supporting cast to deal with issues once plaguing Bruce Wayne, while characters like the impostor Batman thrust many of the doubts of the Batman character upon his potential successors. With much less emphasis on this matter apparent in previews for upcoming titles in the Bat-relaunch, it's easy to accept this brooding stumble through the darkness of Gotham as something that had to happen. If it isn't a B-plot in subsequent series, at least we've dealt with some of those issues in this book, however cumbersome the process may be.

In the fight stakes, it's a shame Catwoman couldn't have featured more prominently, but I can see artistic reasons for wanting to pit the two Batmen against each other mano-a-mano. The artwork could've given a clearer image of her unfortunate fate, but that could be true of most pages. There's a very nineties feel about the whole book, not in a particularly positive way.

A nice enough read with a strong objective point that might not actually be contained within the pages of the series. No doubt we'll be back to talk about that some time in the future, as well as other details featured in this issue.

The Fight: 4.5 The Issue: 4

Want to know what's happened to Gotham City since Batman's disappearance? Keen to see who's battling for the cowl? Batman: Battle for the Cowl is still under way and on shelves now, but if you'd rather get the whole story in one volume, you can pre-order the trade collection via Amazon. By using purchase links provided, you help sponsor future entries in the Infinite Wars! You'll find plenty more in the Gift Shoppe including collections featuring most issues found in the Secret Archives!

BATMAN versus HUSH
Heart of Hush: The Demon in the Mirror (DC)
Where: Detective Comics #850 When: January 2009
Why: Paul Dini How: Dustin Nguyen

The Story So Far...
Thomas Elliot was once the childhood friend of Bruce Wayne, but as they grew apart into adulthood, a parent's constant references to the budding young billionaire fostered a deep resentment in Elliot. Tethered to an ailing mother who survived the severed brakes that killed his father; Elliot's dark urges only grew deeper as she held him to ransom with an inheretence and her ill condition, never passing an opportunity to belitte or berate.

After smothering his mother in a fit of rage, Elliot finally attained the level of freedom he had envied Bruce Wayne for. With his family fortune, Elliot travelled the world, studying various disciplines, before finally fulfilling his dream of practising medicine. A revered surgeon, it was an easy manipulation to return to Bruce Wayne's life when he orchestrated a mortal fall for the Batman, who had unwittingly been subjected to months of hypnotic suggestion.

Dedicated to his vendetta, Thomas Elliot faked his death to remain in Gotham, forever transformed as the villainous underworld figure, Hush. Enduring through battles with other prominent rogues, such as Joker and Poison Ivy, Hush remains a lurking threat present in the shadows of Gotham City and the darkness of Batman's subconscious. At least, he was, until returning to strike at his nemesis once more, this time with the intent to seize Batman's fortune. Once again relying upon a grand orchestration to strike at the Dark Knight from all sides, Hush removes Selina Kyle's heart, forcing Batman to recruit Mr. Terrific and Dr. Mid-Nite in a race to save her life, while Elliot himself enters the sanctum of Wayne Manor under the guise of Bruce Wayne himself. His gambit brings him to the threshold of victory, but the Batman is not so easily manipulated...

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Batman 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Batman 5 (Professor)
Speed: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Batman 5 (Marathon)
Agility: Batman 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting Ability: Batman 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy Power: Batman 4 (Arsenal)


- After witnessing the street murder of his parents, the young Bruce Wayne's destiny was forever shaped to be one dedicated to an ideal. Having spent his formative years studying the various sciences, martial arts, and crime fighting techniques, Bruce is ultimately inspired to become the one-man war on the criminal element in Gotham City: Batman.

Perhaps Batman's greatest power is the millions inherited from his industrialist parents, and the various facilities that came with that. They prove crucial in the design and construction of his many weapons, which are typically non-lethal, and have a variety of uses.

Complimented by his keenly strategic mind is Batman's expertise in the martial arts. He is extensively trained in multiple fighting styles, and commonly regarded to be one of the greatest hand-to-hand fighters in the world.
He is also extremely proficient in urban warfare.

- Born into wealth; Thomas Elliot spent his childhood in loathing of his parents. In an effort to gain independence and control of his family's estate, the child orchestrated a murder plot to sever the brakes on his parent's vehicle, after convincing them to pardon their driver. The horrific accident that ensued would bring the socialittes under the knife of Dr. Thomas Wayne, father to Elliot's best friend, Bruce Wayne. The doctor would fail to save Tommy's father, but leave him an ingrate mother to suffer and care for.

As Hush; Elliot is soon revealed to be the manipulator whose influence had led Batman to call upon his services as a surgeon when he suffered head injuries from a fall, also part of Hush's plan. Having teamed with The Riddler and an adult Jason Todd; a spiteful Elliot fulfils a lifelong goal of revenge for the Waynes' part in his mother's survival, and the jealousy felt toward Bruce for living the life he wanted and was constantly measured against. Taking this vendetta to new a level, Elliot underwent radical plastic surgery to alter his appearance to actually look like Bruce Wayne. His disguise failed to fool Wayne's confidants.

Additional: Their only previous reviewed battle was the penultimate chapter of Hush's introduction, in Batman #619. Though Batman technically suffered a physical defeat at the hands of his newest enemy, it was his relationship with Harvey Dent that saw victory slip through Hush's gloves, awarding Batman only an assist.

History: Inconclusive (0-0-1)
Math: Batman Ranking: Batman (#1)

What Went Down...
Foiled in his attempts to fool Alfred into believing him an injured Bruce; Elliot prepares to descend the Batcave with the brutalized butler in tow. Unbenknownst to the villain, Batman was able to escape his crazed staff, returning home to launch a final assault against his arch-nemesis!

Hush fires his twin pistols at the moving shadow of the Bat, jeeringly noting the suitability of their encounter beneath the watchful stare of a painting of the deceased Waynes. Batman strikes silently in retaliation, diving at Hush to send them both tumbling down a hidden stairwell to the Batcave.

On his home turf, the Batman descends from the shadows, disappearing from a landing kick that fails to slow Hush. With his surgical scars beginning to bleed, Elliot wraps his head in his trademark bandages, sticking to the light whilst admiring the magnificence of the secret cave.

Elliot reveals some of the unknown complexities of his history, walking through the trophy area of the cave into the Batman's sights. A stiff left hook does well to snap the killer's face around, but a two-pump burst from his pistols knocks Batman through the glass of one of his trophy domes.

Elliot looms with his guns drawn promising the final blow, but a thunderous "thoom" serves a fitting distraction. Batman pulls himself from the glass, while Hush goes on the hunt for Alfred, who, manning the Batcave computer, shows a steely resilience against Hush's murderous confidence...

... His confidence becomes clear as the cave's model dinosaur lurches to life!
A hail of bullets reduce the towering monster's facade to nothing, exposing the robotic under structure to his shots. It tumbles to a hault, destroyed, but serves a purpose in delaying the villain.

Robin and Nightwing drop from the upper levels, challenging Hush to an acrobatic scrum. Elliot, not without his own combat training, fends off Robin with a kick, while Nightwing leaps over his head. Hush avoids a baton strike, striking Nightwing at the base of the skull a whip of his pistol. Outnumbered, he abandons his plans, instead seeking a means of escape.

Batman reemerges; tossing his cape aside to pursue Hush as he commandeers a one-man autogyro. The Batman leaps onto the bottom of the "whirlybat," clinging gingerly to the contraption as it becomes airborne.

Elliot sneers at his opponent's decision to hang from the machine, taunting him with references to childhood games, whilst gloating over his opportunity to return to claim the Batcave at any time. His words are accompanied with the tip of a blade that slashes the Batman's hand. The last laugh, however, belongs to him.

With Elliot's bandages partly unfurled, the Batman draws his attentions to the hazards of live rotor blades and loose materials. The realisation comes far too late for Hush who becomes entangled as Batman dives into the waters below, leaving his doppelganger to careen out of control into the cave wall in a spectacular explosion.

The Hammer...
With the vital assist provided by Alfred, Nightwing, and Robin, we give to you the first winner of Season 2009: Batman!

Wow! At this point we're running nearly three weeks behind schedule, but it's nice to open the account for the year with a really great recent issue! Christmas was good to us, on the Wars.

"Batman RIP" branched out from the Grant Morrison plotline that pitted Batman against a strange new menace; Dr. Hurt's criminal organization, The Black Glove. The story featured a host of Silver Age touchstones revived for a plot that drove Batman to the edge of insanity and forced him to challenge the very notions of how he operates as a superhero.

The story made international headlines, with major press outlets reporting under the impression that Batman had died in a smouldering helicopter wreck. The truth, however, would prove to be much vaguer. Fans keen to learn the true fate of Batman in "RIP" were steered to Final Crisis, specifically, issue #6, where the final fate of Batman was said to finally be revealed.

Right around this time you might be wondering where Hush factors in.

Initiated fans will be well versed in the marketing strategies of major comics publishers. If one title is gripped by a major storyline, then there's often no reason surrounding titles can't benefit from that same attention.
Admittedly, in it's capitalist principle, it's not a very admirable method of doing business in a creative medium, but I have to give Paul Dini and the gang some measure of credit. Why? Because it's bloody good!

Good logic tells us Heart of Hush probably sits somewhere just prior to Morrison's core story, sharing nothing in common with the psychadelic trip of RIP-proper. Instead, this tale provides yet another emotionally draining struggle for the Batman to overcome. For a dark hero as closed-off as he; dealing with the sight of one of his few loves sliced open and filled with pipes (where a heart should be), is sure to be a particularly disturbing situation. Particularly given his sense of responsibility.

The real triumph of this story isn't what it does for Batman, however. Rather, Dini assures a future for two major supporting characters in Catwoman and Hush, who have returned quickly to the pages of an empty book.

As disappointing as the conclusion to the year-long mystery of Hush was, I have to admit, I haven't had the venom for the character other readers have. Though dependent on conveniences, I felt Jeph Loeb contributed a bold new character to the Batman universe with great opportunity for potential. Potential that has been exploited with a beautiful simlpicity in Heart of Hush, by Dini.

Amidst a fairly typical arc of mental and physical confrontation, Dini and Nguyen lace in further exploration of the character's backstory. What they add really only embellishes what we already know, but does so as an organic step forward in taking the cypher of Hush as a character, and building something more specific around it. This exploration shows foresight for extending the character in both directions -- adding further complexity to Thomas Elliot's origins -- while also redefining his obsession with Bruce Wayne and the nature of his vendetta.

By engaging Batman on such a personal and dramatic level, some might feel Hush, from inception, bares a disturbing resemblence in nature to destructive characters from the mid-nineties (ie; Bane). With this follow-up, however, I think we see the character's future significance assured, even if it walks a tight-rope that will no doubt be exploited in the upcoming Battle for the Cowl. Afterall, a villain who possesses Bruce Wayne/Batman's face is a very intriguing thing, not just for the psychological implications, but his potential to usurp the mantle.

Dustin Nguyen deserves full credit for his work on Heart of Hush.
I've mentioned before that he really does deliver a Batman balanced beautifully between stylized darkness, cartoon simplicity, and hyper-realistic brutality. His style almost seems to mirror a Mignola sensibility, lending itself moreso to action, versus Mignola's skill for moments of still.
Derek Fridolfs (inker) and John Kalisz (colours) also deserve heady praises for interacting with the artist's pencils with a touch that truly enhances the mood of the story, and the art of the pencils. I might miss the grey tones of a more recent gritty era of Detective, but the vibrant and cool colours are welcome.

Nguyen also provides gorgeous cover art that not only lends a unique ink wash finish to his pencils, but possess a design sense that really made these issues of Detective stand-out above the Alex Ross fare of Batman. Superb!

The true fate of Batman is something we'll discuss at a later date. I'm particularly looking forward to getting January traditions out of the way to dive into Final Crisis -- a series I have found myself thoroughly enamored with over the holiday season. From the central issues, to the spin-offs, this is the event that defined 2008!

That's a subject for a later date, however.
Next up: More Batman!? Stay tuned!

The Fight: 5 The Issue: 6

Heart of Hush might just be the best Batman story of 2008!
If you want to get hold on it yourself, why not take advantage of Amazon's prices and customer service? By using purchase links provided, you help sponsor the Infinite Wars, which is important! You can find this story, as well as collections of most other reviewed tales, all on sale in the Infinite Wars Amazonian Gift Shoppe! Happy New Year!