DETECTIVE COMICS #934
DC Comics
Written by James Tynion IV
Art by Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira, and Adriano Lucas
In Detective Comics #934, someone is spying on Gotham’s vigilantes and it’s up to Batman and Batman to recruit the rest of the bat family for whats-to-come. Nothing in the DC universe is as exciting to me as when we get to see the Bat-Family come together. I’m not talking about a group (flock?) of Robins either, Batman is joined by the Kate Kane as they recruit Cassandra Cain, Tim Drake and Spoiler. 
Also thrown in the mix, a character straight from Batman’s Rogues Gallery, Clayface. The group must unite to take on a mysterious villain or organization that may have a Batman of their own. The issue also features a cameo from Azrael, who we’ll hopefully see more of in the future. He is roughed up early on by an imitation Bat, who I assume will be one of the main antagonists of this arc.
This issue is a clear build up of what we can expect to see in the future, as readers are taken through the recruitment process and the heroes prepare themselves to face a new kind of threat.
Admittedly, I found the inclusion of Clayface to be an odd choice to add to the team at first, however, in just two pages this issue, I was sympathetic towards the character. I applaud the writers effort to bring in this character into the spotlight in this way, as I believe he is one of the more underused characters in Bats Rogues Gallery. Clayface will be an interesting addition to the team, especially with his shape-shifting capabilities. After reading this direction, I’m interested to see Clayface on the course of redemption.
Seeing Batwoman take on the leadership role was a nice turn of events. This version of Batman not only holds Batwoman as his equal but acknowledges and even praises each of the heroes strengths. (Welcome back, Pre-52 Bats). My only question is, wouldn’t Tim Drake with all of his experiences, even Pre-52, be much more qualified to lead the Bat team?
The artwork here is not to be overlooked. There are some fantastic action scenes featuring Robin, Cassandra and Spoiler. Clayface is beautifully drawn as well, especially a moment where he is sitting alone in a theater. For a character constructed entirely out of clay, Barrow successfully conveys a very melancholy man.
Detective Comics #934 is off to a fantastic start, thanks to the new creative team of James Tynion IV and Eddy Barrows. Both the writing and artwork were solid. I’m excited to see what else they have in store for us.