Comic Review: Detective Comics #952 (DC Comics)

Batman and the Bat-family are in way over their heads as the League of Shadows have the Bat family cornered, and outmatched. Why is Lady Shiva here and what does she want with Gotham City, most especially, Cassandra Cain aka Orphan? What is it that Batwoman’s father is

Tynion is ramping things up in this issue and arc. Batman is yet again, a wanted felon in Gotham City, so things aren’t looking too good for the Caped Crusader. Tynion does a fantastic job at displaying Lady Shiva in her classic, brutally lethal fashion that she is most known for, even displaying her overpowering even the top leader of the bat family. What makes this issue for me is seeing Orphan (AKA Cassandra Cain) struggling with her stance on killing. It’s great to see that progression with the character. One complaint I will make (just a general complaint) is I hope Cassandra Cain gets a better name than her current code name: Orphan. Hopefully, Tynion could change that so we can see Cassandra be identified as something much more suitable to her character.  As usual, Clay Face steals the show in this book when it comes to big action set pieces. I love the way Tynion utilizes him as a great asset to the Bat Family. Although this is a huge arc, it is very much a story centered on Cassandra Cain and her journey of self, which I’m sure will pay off when this arc is completed.

The art by Christian Duce and Fernando Blanco is cinematic and helps achieve the kind of cinematic scope that the issue required. The colors by Alex Sinclair, John Rauch, and Allen Passalaqua helps make the colors consistently atmospheric throughout the book. Sal Cipriano’s letters are great in the book, making appropriate choices in regards to lettering and placement. This is a good issue and it continues to amplify the intensity and presence of the League of Assassins, as well as the stakes for Batman and the Bat Family.