Detective Comics #946
DC Comics
Written by: James Tynion IV
Pencils by: Eddy Barrows
Inks by: Eber and Julio Ferreira
In this penultimate issue of the ‘Victim Syndicate’ storyline, Bruce takes a moment to reflect on the creation of this newest strike team that he’s assembling in an enlightening conversation with Tim Drake. A moment that reminds us as readers why Tim’s presence is sorely missed in Batman’s world. Back in the present, the Dark Knight and his team have tracked down the syndicate and are attempting to take them out floor by floor while Stephanie deals with her own issues, including the missing Red Robin. Her conversation with ‘Tim’ leads to an intervention that could put everything Batman has created at risk.
Tynion continues to create a story that is large in scale, but doesn’t sacrifice the character driven moments that make this title so compelling. Even with the reader wanting the Victim Syndicate to be stopped, you still fell a sense of sympathy for who they are and what they’ve been through. Putting so much of the story in the hands of Spoiler is still a little iffy due to how weak a character she’s always been, but I am interested to see how the story is resolved. Barrows artwork is masterful and the inks by Ebber and Julio Ferriera give many of the beautifully crafted panels the look of oil paintings brought to life.
The story of Detective Comics #946 continues to engage with each character given their own hero moment. Spoiler continues to be a relatively flat character with little to no actual value on the team. The artwork continues to move and flow giving the reader a feast for the eyes.