“Mutineers“
Writer: Matt Fraction
Artists: Jorge Jimenez
Color Artist: Tomeu Morey
Letterer: Clayton Cowles & Jorge Jimenez
Review by Max Byrne
Batman #11 is an issue that sees the reintroduction of a bizarre villain and a brand new character brought into the fray too. It also does take a slight detour from the previous issue, in that the overall masterplan to defeat Vandal Savage takes a little bit of a backseat. This is not a problem though, as instead we get the return of the strange assassin, Ojo! Such a curious creation, this hitwoman is lethal and amoral, but does know how to honour a contract. Indeed, her refusal to walk away from her planned hit on Bruce Wayne is extremely brutal, dispatching a messenger in such a manner that he ends up looking like Colin Salmon in the first Resident Evil movie. Shudder!
Such is her prowess that, when she and Batman inevitably collide, our titular hero certainly struggles to keep up the pace with her, relying on all his skill and experience to subdue her. There also appears to be a supernatural element to the character too, as her ability to seemingly vanish into thin air would suggest. I would welcome an issue that explores her backstory for sure, as there is a lot of rich material to be mined from, making this character one with a lot of potential to maybe become a top tier Bat-villain.
Slice and Dice
Whether we see her again remains to be seen but her relentless professionalism would suggest we will. If so , I look forward to Jorge Jimenez’s artwork depicting the next fight between Ojo and Batman. In this issue, he serves up panels that are free of dialogue but loaded with action. Brute force against balletic skill, a back and forth skirmish that leaps off the page and no mistake.
In the midst of all this action, there are slower moments reflecting on the domestic arrangements of the Wayne family. It’s an interesting change of pace from the chaos as we get to see Bruce ruminating on the challenges of being a father to Damian. I do always like moments like this, as it helps to humanize the man behind the mask. Seeing father and son together, engaging in simple domestic activities such as reading a book, is a nice juxtaposition indeed.
The finale to the issue is especially intriguing stuff too. Since the demise of Alfred approximately seven years ago, the absence of a domestic god in the Wayne domicile has been keenly felt. But, things are about to change on that front, with the final panel introducing the newest member of the Pennyworth family to serve the Waynes. Enter Verity, Alfred’s great niece. Seemingly loaded with references, it does beg the question why she has taken so long to appear in Gotham, given the length of time since Alfred’s demise? Is she all she says she is? Time will tell I guess…
Conclusion
Batman #11 is high quality stuff. With a brand new addition to the Wayne inner circle that may or may not be aware of Bruce’s true calling, the table is set for a new status quo at Chez Wayne. Fraction is certainly starting to adopt a kitchen sink mentality to his storytelling, which I tend to favour over sparse narratives. Issue #12 has become an even more essential purchase now.
Images Courtesy of DC Entertainment