Batman #58
The Tyrant Wing
This issue starts a new Batman story and is a great “Jump On” point for any new readers. For those who don’t know, a “Jump On” or “Jump In” point is an issue that starts a new storyline/arc in the series.
Batman #58 opens with the penguin, Oswald Cobblepot, learning that Penny Cobblepot is dead. There is no explanation as to who she is to Oswald, a daughter? A wife? We don’t find out in this issue. Penny though, apparently means a great deal to Oswald and he prepares for her burial, instructing his henchmen that her “other” family should not be invited.
After the burial, Penguin ends up back in Arkham and has a sit down with Bane. After the talk, some time passes and Oswald is released. He gives instructions to his team that they are to take out Alfred Pennyworth. It appears that this is most likely directly related to whatever Bane and Oswald were talking about as we only get one small panel of the two together and not much is given to the reader.
In the last few pages, we see Alfred cleaning up a broken window that a bird appears to have flown throw with a red dot on his head. Before he is shot though, Batman is in Penguins office. As his henchmen ask if they should pull the trigger to kill the butler, Oswald, in twist, has them kill themselves.
Batman #58 was a good read. As the story closes it looks like Penguin and Batman are going to have a meeting. Will there be an alliance between the Dark Knight and the Penguin? Does Batman have something to do with Penny’s death? I am looking forward to see where this story goes and how the Penguin/Batman relationship plays out through the rest of this story.
Nightwing #52
Knight Terrors (Part 3)
In Nightwing #52 Ric has called the cops on himself for assaulting a person who has tried to rob him in front of a jewelry store. Ric leaves before the cops show up and we see him thinking to himself on a rooftop. He can’t understand how he knows how to fight even though he has been told he used to be a superhero. He falls off the roof and uses his acrobatics to save himself from dying, yet he still couldn’t “stick the landing” getting a bit hurt in the process.
Next the comic transitions to the coroner’s office where Detective Elise Svoboda asks the doctor about a male subject on his table before excusing herself to take a phone call. The doctor proceeds to start the autopsy cutting into the man’s chest. As he does, a gas fills the room causing a few officers and the doctor himself to go crazy. Elise handles the situation.
Ric wakes in a house that he is squatting in and leaves to head to work. While working Ric learns that his dispatcher, Burl, is in some kind of trouble. Ric races over to the help him. Once he gets there though he is met by the new Nightwing and told to stand aside.
I am hoping this Ric/Dick and fake Nightwing story comes to a close soon. While Ric is getting to be tolerable as he seems to be starting to accept his past the story is still falling flat. We have no real villain yet and it seems the Wyrm storyline died. Wasn’t it Wyrm’s plan to ultimately have put the hit out on Dick? KGBeast even tells Batman (in the Batman comics) that he was hired by someone to shoot Dick but doesn’t give up the name. What happened to the conclusion of that? Hopefully we get some answers soon. Maybe the Batgirl comic will tie it together, she did make mention of Wyrm recently. Just have keep trudging through to find out.
