DC Comics Review: Batman #690

Rating: ** 1/2*

After a great first issue, this storyline continues to go downhill.  When we last left Batman, Dick was cornered by Clayface and an unknown ex-army guy, who were hired by the Black Mask to help the Penguin.  The army guy is given a name in this issue and it’s Lyle Blanco.  Blanco is a serial killer whose spent time in Arkham Asylum.  Our issue opens with Clayface and Blanco battling Batman.  I didn’t like the way Judd Winick had been writing Dick as Batman.  I felt that he portrayed Dick is kind of wimpy and unsure of himself, but I liked the way he portrayed Dick here in this fight with Blanco and Clayface.  He was confident and sure of his abilities that he could take these guys down.  This is the way Batman should be.  Kicking butt.

We see also in this issue Two-Face recruiting a young girl who can perform magic whom he looks to recruit in his efforts to find out more about the new Batman.  He shows her a batarang that he was able to get his hands on and asks her if she can use it to find out where it comes from.  Sort of use it as a tracer to locate the new Batman’s hideout.

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DC Comics Review: Batman #689

Rating: ** 1/2*

Judd Winick’s run on Batman continues. In the last issue, we saw that Two-Face has realized that the current Batman battling in the streets of Gotham is not the same Batman that he’s faced over the years. This Batman likes to smile, which is something the previous Batman was not fond of doing. In this issue, the battle to be the number one crime boss continues. Two-Face is feeding the new Batman intel on the Penguin’s operations; the issue opens with Batman taking out a secret Penguin casino.

The Penguin is obviously not happy as we see him complain to a mysterious figure. I think the person is the Black Mask, but I’m not 100% sure. The Penguin decides he needs help in taking on the Batman. To help him with this problem, the mysterious figure has some muscle for the Penguin in the shape of genetically-enhanced soldier. 

Batman continues his patrol in Gotham when the soldier attacks Batman (with some help from Clayface). We end there.

I wanted to mention one other scene that I thought was very touching with Dick Grayson and Alfred. Alfred talks about how his role was to stand in Bruce’s shadow and be his aid in the fight against crime. He wasn’t sure he could do it without Bruce, but he feels Dick makes it easier since he is a person closer to the “light” than Bruce. Alfred talks to Dick about how before the darkness came for Bruce on that night, Bruce was a very good artist when he was a little, but all that changed after his parents’ deaths.  We see a flashback to a young Bruce drawing. I would love to see DC follow-up on this little detail and make it a part of the Batman mythos. Sherlock Holmes used to play the violin for relaxation—maybe when Bruce returns he could draw for relaxation.

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