For the first time in a year of doing these reviews, I forgot to pick up a book. I’ve never had Batwing in my pull list because I honestly think that the moment I tell the comic shop to hold this book for me, DC will cancel it. The series has failed to stand out in my mind. I thought that a Batman of Africa comic might address all the many, many real world problems of that entire CONTINENT, which would be too much for one hero to bear. But that’s not what this series is, he’s often fighting against magic or alien villains (And it’s time I gave up on seeing Batwing confront real world problems because four pages in, I actually muttered aloud “Does she got ****in’ lightsabers?”), he never faces any obstacle alone and relies on the real Batman’s help OR the help of some other hero in almost every issue. Even this comic introduces a new heroine that will fight along side him in future issues. So when I glanced through the shelves of new comics today, I totally missed Batwing and didn’t realize it until I was back at home. Very frustrating.
Well, I finally got my hands on a copy and it really wasn’t worth it for me. This might be the quickest issue of Batwing yet. It took me maybe 5 minutes to read. Maybe! Even Marcus To’s art failed to impress. It had a very plain look and none of the imagery stood out at all. It’s page after page of giant panels in which very little is said or action without spectacle or emotional weight occurs. I went back and counted the panels, averaged them across 20 pages, and came up with the number 3.65 panels per page. There’s no excuse for giving your readers so little content. Not enough story is being conveyed, the page is not being used to its full potential.
On the plus side, Father Lost and his cult have the potential to be interesting villains that pose a serious threat to Batwing. David was given all of this tech by Batman yet it won’t do him any good against a mystic like Father Lost. On the more comic’s more personal side, David’s love interest is given more to do and it’s nice to see her fleshed out a bit more and the corruption of the local police department is touched upon again for the first time since issue #1.
But the book went by so quickly and is so disposable that I can’t recommend it. It’s not one of the worst issues in the series’ history, not by a long shot. But it’s definitely the most forgettable. I also wonder when Judd Winick will be leaving the title and who will take it over. He told Newsarama last month that he would be leaving and there has yet to be any announcement on a replacement. Maybe Batwing won’t survive the 4th wave of titles?
SCORE: 4.5/10
