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"Shadows of the Bat"
PublisherDC Comics
Publication dateDecember 2021 – March 2022
Genre
Title(s)
Detective Comics (vol. 2) #1047-1058
Main character(s)Batman
Kate Kane
Dick Grayson
Barbara Gordon
Cassandra Cain
Stephanie Brown
Huntress
Harley Quinn
Scarecrow
Psycho-Pirate
Penguin
Creative team
Writer(s)Mariko Tamaki
Penciller(s)Ivan Reis

Max Raynor

Amancay Nahuelpan
Inker(s)Danny Miki
Letterer(s)Steve Wands
Colorist(s)Brad Anderson Jordie Bellaire
Editor(s)Paul Kaminski

"Shadows of the Bat" is a 12-issue weekly comic book event published in December 2021, mainly set in the Detective Comics series. Set after "Fear State", the storyline features the Bat-Family dealing with a new villain and Arkham Tower being created in Gotham City. The event received positive reviews from critics who praised the action, story, and art.

Publication history

[edit]

After the announcement of James Tynion IV departure from Batman after Fear State, DC Comics revealed the new event, where Batman and his allies must deal with a new villain and how the Arkham Tower will cause a split between the Bat Family.[1] It was also revealed that Batman will leave Gotham City temporarily in order to deal with a new villain called Abyss, leaving the Bat-Family in charge of Gotham City.[2]

Main plot

[edit]

Prelude

[edit]

Batman remembers the time when Thomas Wayne tried to save a mentally ill individual name Peter Faust after they tried to murder him and his wife when Bruce was young. In the present day, Lucius Fox meets with representatives of Mayor Nakano (Gotham City's new mayor) in discussion of creating Arkham Tower to rehabilitate criminals since Arkham Asylum is not seen as effective. Nightwing and Batman investigate with Nightwing wondering if Arkham Asylum is even effective since that is where the Bat Family just lock criminals without rehabilitating them. Nightwing and Batman apprehend Peter Faust, where Nightwing asks Batman why can't they send irredeemable people to better prisons in order to prevent them from hurting other people.

While the police are escorting Peter Faust, their car explodes and Peter Faust is captured by a mysterious group of people. Nightwing and Batman manage to find Peter Faust after determining where he got inspiration for his costume and prevent him from committing suicide. Nightwing gets in a confrontation with police officers, and a therapist name Dr. Chase Meridian admires Nightwing's courage for wanting to rehabilitate criminals and plans to support Nightwing. [1]

Main plot

[edit]

The main story is told in a nonlinear fashion. After Arkham Asylum was blown up[3] and Scarecrow nearly took over Gotham City, Mayor Nakano decides to create Arkham Tower in order to treat prisoners instead of punish them. A man named Dr. Wear decides to show an example of Nero XIX (an enemy that nearly killed Nakano back in "Fear State") as completely rehabilitated. Dr. Wear wants Dr. Chase Meridian to work with him in rehabilitating criminals. Kate Kane goes undercover at the Tower, being hired in under the alias of Dr. Lisa Frow, a psychiatrist, in order to investigate Dr. Wear, the facility itself, and the "miraculous" methods keeping the patients under control.[4] Helena Bertinelli, due to her continued ability to see violent acts through a victim's eyes as a result of her parasitic infection during "Fear State", voluntarily checks in to Arkham Tower as a patient to receive treatment.[5]

21 days after the Tower opens, Batwoman tells Barbara Gordon that there is a new drug on the streets and Arkham Tower was bombed. The criminals kill Dr. Wear, and Cassandra Cain, Nightwing, and Batwoman go to Arkham Tower to investigate when they hear Helena is missing.[6] In a flashback, Dr. Wear wants to help cure prisoners because Ana Vulson, his mother, attacked him, and Mr. Freeze is rehabilitated.[7] Before the Arkham Tower was bombed, Batwoman investigates the Arkham Tower and sees a previous criminal and Ana Vulson in the tower. Cassandra Cain follows a girl who met with Dr. Wear and Batwoman meets Huntress who's memory is gone and is "rehabilitated". Batwoman escapes when the police arrives, and Nightwing wonders how the Arkham Tower has "rehabilitated" criminals using drugs.[8] Nightwing remembers how Huntress has been acting more violent and goes to Arkham Tower to get treatment. Nightwing goes to Arkham Tower to investiage and meets Mr. Freeze, and it's revealed that Psycho-Pirate is also one of the leaders of Arkham Tower.[9] Psycho Pirate was trying to escape from people, and is responsible for the drugs that help make criminals rehabilitated and the recent drug deals that Barbara Gordon and Nightwing are trying to take down, and Penguin is one of the ringleaders. Psycho Pirate struggles to control the Arkham Tower residents (including Nightwing) and passes out briefly which causes pandemonium to occur in the tower. Dr. Wear finds Psycho Pirates and makes him take control of the Arkham Tower once more.[10]

Batwoman reveals that she put a listening device on Dr. Chase, but Dr. Chase (under the influence of Psycho Pirate) hangs up to prevent anyone from listening in. Cassandra Cain, Stephanie Brown, and Batwoman take down a drug deal that was heading for the Arkham Tower.[11] Dr. Wear meets up with Penguin to talk about the Bat Family interfering with the Drug Deals, and tells a group of criminals to kill a woman who was a witness to the illegal operations. Cassandra Cain prevents that from happening, and Nightwing goes to investigate when he encounters Psycho Pirate.[12] Nightwing breaks Psycho Pirate's mind control, which breaks Psycho Pirate's other holds on the inmates and criniminals which causes a criminal named Siphon to stab an innocent person and pull a gun on Dr. Wear.[13]

Siphon kills Dr. Wear and the criminals take Mayor Nakano's wife hostage in the Arkham Tower. Nero Xix, Ana Vulson, and Siphon plan to take control of the Arkham Tower. Huntress fights Ana Vulson but is stabbed by Huntress and is nearly killed by Mister Freeze before Nightwing arrives with a defeated Psycho Pirate. Psycho Pirates escapes, and in the confusion Nightwing falls into a hole and is captured by Scarecrow.[14] Huntress defeats Dr. Freeze, and Harley Quinn saves Dr. Chase, revealing that she was in the Arkham Tower all along. Harley and Huntress meet to try to save Nightwing as the rest of the Bat-family (Batwoman, Tim Drake, Stephanie Brown, Cassandra Cain) arrive, but Scarecrow throws Nightwing off the tower and Batman saves Nightwing.[15]

Ana Vulson shoots Psycho Pirate in the chest, and Scarecrow takes Psycho Pirate and Mayor Nakano's wife to a secret room. Huntress uses her ability to see where is Ana Vulson, and defeats her. Tim Drake, Stephanie Brown, and Batwoman take down Penguin's men who are storming Arkham Tower and they all meet up with Batman to confront Scarecrow. Mayor Nakano's wife helps Psycho Pirate be more confident to prevent Batman from falling under Scarecrow's fear toxin, and Mayor Nakano's wife wears Psycho Pirate's mask.[16] In the aftermath, it is revealed that Dr. Wear was a con artist who created the Arkham Tower to steal city funds. Dr. Wear's wife receives flowers from Huntress, Batman and the family arrest Scarecrow and take down Penguin's men when Batman hears Riddler calling him out to challenge him.[17]

Collected editions

[edit]
Title Material collected Published date ISBN
Batman: Shadows of the Bat: The Tower Material from Detective Comics #1047-1058 December 2022 978-1779517005
Batman: Shadows of the Bat: House of Gotham Material from Detective Comics #1047-1058 December 2022 978-1779517012

Critical reception

[edit]

According to Comic Book Roundup, Detective Comics #1047 received an average score of 8.6 out of 10 based on 13 reviews.[18]

According to Comic Book Roundup, Detective Comics #1048 received an average score of 8.3 out of 10 based on 11 reviews.[19]

According to Comic Book Roundup, Detective Comics #1049 received an average score of 8.3 out of 10 based on 11 reviews.[20]

According to Comic Book Roundup, Detective Comics #1050 received an average score of 8.6 out of 10 based on 14 reviews.[21]

According to Comic Book Roundup, Detective comics #1051 received an average score of 7.8 out of 10 based on 13 reviews.[22]

According to Comic Book Roundup, Detective Comics #1052 received an average score of 7.4 out of 10 based on 14 reviews.[23]

According to Comic Book Roundup, Detective Comics #1053 received an average score of 7.7 out of 10 based on 13 reviews.[24]

According to Comic Book Roundup, Detective Comics #1054 received an average score of 7.7 out of 10 based on 13 reviews.[25]

According to Comic Book Roundup, Detective Comics #1055 received an average score of 8 out of 10 based on 13 reviews.[26]

According to Comic Book Roundup, Detective Comics #1056 received an average score of 7.8 out of 10 based on 12 reviews.[27]

According to Comic Book Roundup, Detective Comics #1057 received an average score of 7.7 out of 10 based on 11 reviews.[28]

According to Comic Book Roundup, Detective Comics #1058 received an average score of 7 out of 10 based on 14 reviews.[29]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "DC Announces Shadows of the Bat Event". DC. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
  2. ^ "Batman To Leave Gotham City In DC's 2022 'Shadows Of The Bat' Event Dark Knight News". Dark Knight News. 2021-08-28. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
  3. ^ "Batman: The Villains Who Died and Survived The Attack on Arkham". ScreenRant. 2021-03-11. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
  4. ^ Detective Comics #1048 (January 2022)
  5. ^ Detective Comics #1049 (January 2022)
  6. ^ Rudolph, Casper (2022-01-04). "Detective Comics #1047 review". Batman News. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
  7. ^ "DC Comics & Detective Comics #1048 Spoilers & Review: Shadows Of The Bat Thrives Without A Batman?! | Inside Pulse". insidepulse.com. Retrieved 2022-01-17.
  8. ^ Wright, Theodis (2022-01-18). "Review: Detective Comics #1049". The Batman Universe. Retrieved 2022-01-25.
  9. ^ Staff, Beat (2022-01-25). "Syndicated Comics". The Beat. Retrieved 2022-01-25.
  10. ^ "Detective Comics #1051 Review". The Super Powered Fancast. 2022-02-01. Retrieved 2022-02-01.
  11. ^ Trudeau, Anthony (2022-02-10). "Detective Comics #1052: Tamaki's Tower Keeps Rolling". Comic Watch. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
  12. ^ Trudeau, Anthony (2022-02-16). "Detective Comics #1053: The Tower Begins to Stall". Comic Watch. Retrieved 2022-02-27.
  13. ^ "Comic Book Review Round-Up For Week Of 2/23/22". Comic Book Revolution. 2022-02-26. Retrieved 2022-02-27.
  14. ^ Terror, Jude (2022-02-26). "Detective Comics #1055 Preview: Who Could Have Seen This Coming?". Bleeding Cool News And Rumors. Retrieved 2022-03-05.
  15. ^ Cruickshank, Reg (2022-03-08). "Detective Comics #1056 review". Retrieved 2022-03-12.
  16. ^ Terror, Jude (2022-03-13). "Detective Comics #1057 Preview: Finally Batman Stars in Another Comic". Bleeding Cool News And Rumors. Retrieved 2022-03-16.
  17. ^ McCreery, Cori (2022-03-22). "Syndicated Comics". The Beat. Retrieved 2022-03-23.
  18. ^ "Detective Comics #1047 Reviews". ComicBookRoundup.com. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
  19. ^ "Detective Comics #1048 Reviews". ComicBookRoundup.com. Retrieved 2022-01-17.
  20. ^ "Detective Comics #1049 Reviews". ComicBookRoundup.com. Retrieved 2022-02-01.
  21. ^ "Detective Comics #1050 Reviews". ComicBookRoundup.com. Retrieved 2022-02-01.
  22. ^ "Detective Comics #1051 Reviews". ComicBookRoundup.com. Retrieved 2022-02-01.
  23. ^ "Detective Comics #1052 Reviews". ComicBookRoundup.com. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
  24. ^ "Detective Comics #1053 Reviews". ComicBookRoundup.com. Retrieved 2022-02-27.
  25. ^ "Detective Comics #1054 Reviews". ComicBookRoundup.com. Retrieved 2022-02-27.
  26. ^ "Detective Comics #1055 Reviews". ComicBookRoundup.com. Retrieved 2022-03-05.
  27. ^ "Detective Comics #1056 Reviews". ComicBookRoundup.com. Retrieved 2022-03-12.
  28. ^ "Detective Comics #1057 Reviews". ComicBookRoundup.com. Retrieved 2022-03-23.
  29. ^ "Detective Comics #1058 Reviews". ComicBookRoundup.com. Retrieved 2022-03-23.
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