When presented with a finale, there are usually two questions on people’s minds: was it a satisfying conclusion to the series as a whole? and did everything get wrapped up? The answer to both of these is no. But that is not to say I didn’t enjoy the issue for what it was. Just not as a series finale. You can tell that the cancellation of their book came as a surprise to the creative team, or at least I got that impression from the material presented. It sets up several future prospects that, I am sad to say, we will never see brought to fruition. Also, many of the current threads do not get closed. For example, while we do touch on George and his crazy demons, they don’t feature in the story (not that I minded, I wasn’t a fan). Nor do we receive a resolution with his sister or the mother’s state of depression. If they were looking for a better closing point they should have gone for #32, which ended with that wonderful Batman confrontation.
The comic opens with some nice internal monologues dealing with Luke’s trepidations in regards to a continued career as Batwing. Luke debates whether or not he is actually doing any good and how dealing with all the darkness within people has started to wear on him. I can understand this train of thought. I’m sure lots of us have fantasized about becoming superheroes, but when you take a moment to consider all the practicalities involved, it is definitely not a dream job. His conflict continues through out and while a resolution is reached it seemed a little forced to me, like it was generated to give the issue some kind of emotional resonance as a finale.
The best parts of this issue have nothing to do with action or Luke in the suit. They stem from his internal struggles and the interplay between him and Tiffany. The funniest thing in this whole issue is when Tiff tries to play wingman for her brother after he displays interest in a woman he refers to as “hot”. It’s hilarious! It is even more funny when the woman “burns” Luke. This whole situation displays how Luke is really just an adolescent trying to be a man. It is disappointing that we won’t get to see more of this as, from the small taste we are given here, I absolutely wanted more.
One of the ideas that was broached in this issue was the concept of “us vs them.” As a whole, it seems to be something people are quite obsessed with. Whether it be movies, companies, publishers, teams, or countries; humans are all about conflict. I always thought that if an alien civilization was ever discovered, conflicts between nations on Earth would cease because it would no longer be country vs country, but Earth as a whole vs the rest of the universe. This comic points out that in the DC Universe aliens exist, we are no longer alone in the universe, and yet we still fight one another. Why is that? and what does it say about us in the end?
- One of the thugs in the warehouse says, “I swear there is someone in here with us.” I present this gentlemen with the “Captain Obvious” Award for outstanding achievements in his field.
- “I didn’t do nothing!” “Anything. You didn’t do anything.” Now we know why the series is ending. Coming next year from DC Comics…Luke Fox has hung up the suit and puts on the uniform of …The Grammar Police!
- Luke! Keep your eyes on the road! Hands at 2 and 10…2 and 10.
Recommended if…
- You’re ok with enjoying this comic for what it is and not what it is labeled as.
- You’re a fan of Tiffany Fox. She has some hilarious moments!
- You want to philosophize a little.
Overall:
This story is actually quite humorous and entertaining but, as a finale of an entire series, it doesn’t deliver. I can’t hold this against the creative team as it really is out of their hands. You can tell they had more stories lined up and that they were forced to wrap things up in a hurry. For what it is worth, I am sad to see we won’t get a resolution to several key points that were definitely worth exploring further.
SCORE: 7/10
