There are two DC comics published today. One has a “Requiem” on the cover, one has not, but both address the death of Damian Wayne. It was quite a bait and switch, the Batbooks were expected by readers to have been reeling from the events of Death Of The Family, and indeed Detective Comics #18 is making a valiant attempt of at least tidying up some of the mess left by The Joker in the form of the Penguin and Zsasz. But both it, and World’s Finest #10 take time out to address a certain son.
It’s all a bit forced in Detective Comics though, trying to deal with the repercussions of two different plots, both in contemplation and action, you can feel the screech of the tyres moving from one to another. Almost as if the writers were also surprised by the death of Damian, Despite a valiant attempt, they just don’t seem to tie together well. But then life, and death, get a bit messy.
In World’s Finest however, the Huntress is mourning for a brother who was not a brother, a dimensional counterpart as Bruce Wayne’s only child, and both who became Robins. But even more in her thoughts is what happens when she meets her father-who-is-not-her father.
The merging of two distinct plots here is rather more effective than in Detective Comics, they fit together far more organically. It’s a rather moving and tense scene with all sorts of repercussions for the characters in the future.
Detective Comics is more successful when it gets away from the Damian editorial insert and deals with to the Emperoor Penguin story, the fate of Zzasz and sets up the next issue pretty much as we expected.
Get used to seeing a lot more graveyard scenes over the next month. World’s Finest #10 has already sold for $5 on eBay…
World’s Finest #10 and Detective Comics #18 are published today by DC Comics.