Review Detective Comics #938

By Jerry Montgomery

Detective Comics #938
"Rise of the Batman." Pt. 5-Enemy at the Gates

Writer: James Tynion IV
Pencils: Alvaro Martinez
Inks: Raul Fernandez

We all know the capabilities of Batman. He is the one man army.. a force to be reckoned with. He has taken down the pettiest of criminals and gone toe-to-toe with the dark lord of Apokolips himself. Darkseid. So, imagine if you will what an army of Batmen could do. The story thus far: Batman and his allies have been driven out of the Batcave by just that, an army of Batmen. They have been trained with military precision and outfitted in the latest technology, operating under the group known as The Colony.

After a brief flashback, providing an important look into The Colony's beginnings, Pt. 5 resumes as Batman has been incapacitated and captured, held at the Colony's base. The rest of his group, Red Robin (Robin), Batwoman (Cassandra Kane), Spoiler (ex-Batgirl), Clayface (yes, Clayface!) and the ninja known as Orphan have tracked him and stand poised to rescue Batman. In the ensuing fight, it becomes clear that sheer numbers and brute force are not what brought the Batcave down. The Colony's nefarious motives are also revealed at the end as Batman and his group vow to destroy them.

The current DC Universe is now under its Rebirth relaunch of its entire line following The New 52 revamp of all of DC's comic book titles. DC has updated them all, making their characters more modern and with it, addressing the worries, problems, and pressing issues of today. Detective Comics and The Rise of Batmen storyline is no exception.

The Verdict: Issue #938 of Detective Comics is a great continuation in The Rise of the Batmen storyline. It has done well in reflecting current fears of the day by bringing these real world concerns into Batmen's life. Computer hacking, identity theft, cyber war, drones, sky net (well, maybe not Skynet) are addressed here by write James Tynion IV, and the nightmare that advances in technology can bring when misdirected. A great, fresh piece in this storyline and great art to match!