Bat-Reviews: Batman #690
I find it interesting that the various Batman comics seem to be dealing with Dick Grayson’s takeover as the Caped Crusader differently. Batman definitely seeks to challenge Grayson’s authority to assume the cape and cowl, playing with the notion that only Bruce Wayne truly does the name justice. In Batman #690, sloppiness is costing Dick more and more.
Judd Winick continues to lay out the Black Mask’s cards with the vibrant touch of Mark Bagley’s pencils and Pete Pantazis’ colors. With Clayface and former special forces operative Lyle Blanco dishing out the pain in tandem, Dick soon learns that someone else orchestrated their team-up—and provided Blanco with superhuman ferocity.
Elsewhere, Black Mask reveals more of his sinister plan to the Penguin, who quickly folds when the criminal mastermind presents the second tier to their business arrangement. Just another rise and fall for Cobblepot. While Penguin’s tail gets nipped by the frost, Two-Face begins to organize a more private strike against Batman. It almost seems out of universe to hire teleporters to trace the origins of a single batarang in order to infiltrate the Batcave, but Dent pulls it off in a way you probably won’t expect. If you thought the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh had weird taste in fashion, what comes at the end of the issue makes that look seem almost tame.
While I’m not sure the oddly fantastical element to Batman #690 fits the comic altogether, it does mix things up and I’m certainly intrigued by what Winick is building. All the various aspects of the comic are unfolding nicely, and it’s good to see Two-Face’s luck turn heads’ up for a change (no pun intended). Considering how much the main title fell apart on Morrison’s watch, Winick’s firm hold on the events of Reborn are welcomed.
Recommendation: This lucky penny’s still facing right-side up. It’s almost like magic.
