Wednesday, February 15, 2017

DETECTIVE COMICS #950 - League of Shadows, Prologue

DETECTIVE COMICS #950 - League of Shadows, Prologue


























Published February 8, 2017 by DC Comics. Written by James Tynion IV and illustrated by Various artist

Ghosts. Are they real? What defines a ‘ghost’? Cassandra Cain feels ghosts. Ghost of the past. Ghosts of a life she wishes she had. To dance is her passion. But her circumstances keep it from being a reality.

She can’t explain the ghosts to her friends and she tries to avoid explaining them. Unfortunately some of the ghosts are not very pleasant. The violence she witnessed as a child and the wicked hopes her father had for her haunt her and cause her discomfort of the soul.
Mayor Hady has a change of heart about life after his heart nearly gave up on him. To make a better world he seeks out Gordon and our cowled hero for help. He offers Batman a hand in helping Gotham. A new beginning.

Orphan dreams of the ballet and dancing freely but those dreams quickly turn to the violent dans macrbe her life is. Instead of peaceful leaps and landings she performs fighting moves to subdue assailants. Her art has become disarming guns and knives and not graceful dance moves. This life has put her in turmoil and it takes all she has to keep score as to who is friend and foe. The violence and fighting are causing her to blur the lines of sanity and without hesitation she begins to see how to best defeat everyone even her closest allies.

Karlo Basil only wants his old self and life back but a new invention by Batwing may eliminate the need for a bulking device to return his DNA to normal he has physical consequences for the change. The longer he uses this new invention the more susceptible he is to causing himself more damage.
Orphan looks up to Batwoman and would like to learn as much as she can but she can’t communicate this very easily and must remain in the shadows. But she darts away and dances. She loses herself in the dance and the loneliness only to confide in herself she wants more. But has someone else heard her silent plea?

Jean-Paul Valley is called by a higher power. His heart seeks to overcome war and violence with the law of peace and love. His training partner marvels at his ability to stay focused in the heat of battle. Batwing would like the divine inspiration that drives Azrael in battle. Valley enlightens Batwing on things bigger than himself. Things that drive and shape the universe.  These things humble Jean Paul and focus his mind and heart to one good.

Before Tim’s supposed death he and Batman had a lengthly discussion on the change in Batman. Tim noticed a shift and a preparation being made for what Tim thought was war. He questioned the reasoning behind this preparation and pledged his loyalty to whatever end it all meant.


Detective #950 is obviously a set up for a larger story coming to the Bat-books. The many sub-plots coming should be good. I suspect Lady Shiva will test Orphan and her loyalties but the big picture I’m holding out for is this “war” that Tim mentions at the end. And after the events of Detective #949 I’m left guessing that Monster Venom is going to be the McGuffin everyone’s after. Dram-ah is coming…   

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