written by Mariko Tamaki and Meghan Fitzmartin
art by Viktor BoGdanovic, Jonathan Glapion, AND Karl Mostert
cover by Dan Mora
card stock variant cover by Lee Bermejo
ON SALE 6/22/2021
$4.99 US | 40 PAGES | FC | DC
card stock variant $5.99 US
As we enter part 5 of “The Neighborhood” arc even more characters and setup are thrown into the mix! Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Let’s head down to the micro caves under Gotham and find out!!
STORY:
Mariko Tamaki picks the story up immediately where it left off the last issue. That being with Batman going toe to toe versus a very intimidating Roland Worth!
Worth isn’t concerned with the truth. He just wants to take out his grief and pain on Batman…and Bruce Wayne! Quite a spectacular fight ensues.
Little does Worth know, but not far from where he and Batman are duking it out, Lady Clayface sits in a confused state in one of the micro caves. She’s taken the form of Worth’s dead daughter Sarah.
How and why Lady Clayface has taken this form has yet to be determined.
Huntress tries to provide assistance but it proves to be a tough assignment, although she does save the day so to speak in another manner.
After Worth comes face to face with his dead daughter, things take a quick turn to the political side of Gotham. Hue Vile’s presence is much more pronounced as he is instrumental in setting up the next arc I believe. This possible next arc is also further set up in the Penguin back up which I thoroughly enjoyed!
DC editorial continues to click on all cylinders. I can’t stand most backups honestly, but the last several in Detective Comics serve as set up to future arcs, as well as hopefully setting up a Batgirls book! Meghan Fitzmartin does an amazing job in making the Penguin seem like an afterthought. Steph and Cass have bigger fish to fry, so to speak which only enrages Cobblepot even more. It all fits together perfectly in the main story and backup!!
ART:
You can’t go wrong at all with covers by Dan Mora and Lee Bermejo, but the pencil work by Viktor Bogdanovic steals the show for this reviewer! He’s a perfect fit to capture perfectly what is in my mind’s eye for a gritty Gotham and a grizzled Batman!
FINAL THOUGHTS:
This arc has been thoroughly enjoyable for me. The evolving story brought to life by top-tier art work put Detective Comics at the top of my read list each and every time it comes out!