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Detective Comics (2016)
Batman: Detective Comics, Vol. 3: League of Shadows
The sweeping new chapter in writer James Tynion IV’s acclaimed saga—featuring a league of talented artists including Marcio Takara (THE FLASH) and Christian Duce (BATMAN AND ROBIN ETERNAL)—is here, in BATMAN: DETECTIVE COMICS VOL. 3: LEAGUE OF SHADOWS.
Batwoman, an accomplished crime-fighter who’s overcome the darkest of betrayals. Clayface, a reformed villain whose potential is eclipsed only by his astonishing powers. New heroes like Azrael, an avenging angel, and Batwing, whose incredible armor makes him a true dark knight. Led by the Batman himself, this team of guardians stands ready to protect Gotham City.
But the secrets of the team’s most mysterious member, Cassandra Cain, are about to come to light. And that light will cast a shadow darker than anything they’ve ever seen before.
They thought the League of Shadows was just a rumor—a secret society of nihilistic killers often whispered about but never seen. But now the League is here, in Gotham. They’re destroying Batman’s team one by one. And their sinister leader, Lady Shiva, has come to reclaim her daughter—or destroy her.
Can even Batman’s arch-enemy Ra’s al Ghul and his League of Assassins stop the onslaught? Or have the Shadows come to stay?
Find out in BATMAN: DETECTIVE COMICS VOL. 3: LEAGUE OF SHADOWS.
Collects DETECTIVE COMICS #950-956.
Batwoman, an accomplished crime-fighter who’s overcome the darkest of betrayals. Clayface, a reformed villain whose potential is eclipsed only by his astonishing powers. New heroes like Azrael, an avenging angel, and Batwing, whose incredible armor makes him a true dark knight. Led by the Batman himself, this team of guardians stands ready to protect Gotham City.
But the secrets of the team’s most mysterious member, Cassandra Cain, are about to come to light. And that light will cast a shadow darker than anything they’ve ever seen before.
They thought the League of Shadows was just a rumor—a secret society of nihilistic killers often whispered about but never seen. But now the League is here, in Gotham. They’re destroying Batman’s team one by one. And their sinister leader, Lady Shiva, has come to reclaim her daughter—or destroy her.
Can even Batman’s arch-enemy Ra’s al Ghul and his League of Assassins stop the onslaught? Or have the Shadows come to stay?
Find out in BATMAN: DETECTIVE COMICS VOL. 3: LEAGUE OF SHADOWS.
Collects DETECTIVE COMICS #950-956.
184 pages, Paperback
First published October 10, 2017
65 people are currently reading
1031 people want to read
About the author
James Tynion IV
1,665 books2,007 followersPrior to his first professional work, Tynion was a student of Scott Snyder's at Sarah Lawrence College. A few years later, he worked as for Vertigo as Fables editor Shelly Bond's intern. In late 2011, with DC deciding to give Batman (written by Snyder) a back up feature, Tynion was brought in by request of Snyder to script the back ups he had plotted. Tynion would later do the same with the Batman Annual #1, which was also co-plotted by Snyder. Beginning in September 2012, with DC's 0 issue month for the New 52, Tynion will be writing Talon, with art by Guillem March. In early 2013 it was announced that he'd take over writing duties for Red Hood and the Outlaws in April.
Tynion is also currently one of the writers in a rotating team in the weekly Batman Eternal series.
Tynion is also currently one of the writers in a rotating team in the weekly Batman Eternal series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 198 reviews
June 25, 2017
This is right around a 3.5. I think Detective Comics remains engaging and fun throughout it's series run though the best part is still the first arc for me. This one brings in the league of shadows. For some odd reason Batman believes they aren't real. Then we find out why he believes that. Then we have some side story with Batwing and Clayface which is entertaining but feels like a afterthought. The main event is Cassandra and her life as Orphan.
What I liked: Anything to do with Cass is GREAT. The moments of quietness for the character really help grow her. I also love any fight scenes with her because she's the most vicious fighter on the team. Add on the fact her relationship with different people is always interesting. I also like Batwomen alot in here, she came across most relatable here. Also thought Clayface was adorable here, as he is becoming one of my favorite characters.
What I didn't like: Batman's plot felt uneven. I also felt Batman was kind of dumb? Like he just seemed to be surprised and confused at everything. Also his reaction with the mayor felt offbeat. I also still don't care about Batwomen's father. So anything with him was mehish. The art seemed to be pretty bad at certain points too.
Overall Detective Comics is still a must read for Batman fans. I think it balances a lot of characters pretty wall. Also the character growth of people like Cass make it well worth reading for fans of the character.
What I liked: Anything to do with Cass is GREAT. The moments of quietness for the character really help grow her. I also love any fight scenes with her because she's the most vicious fighter on the team. Add on the fact her relationship with different people is always interesting. I also like Batwomen alot in here, she came across most relatable here. Also thought Clayface was adorable here, as he is becoming one of my favorite characters.
What I didn't like: Batman's plot felt uneven. I also felt Batman was kind of dumb? Like he just seemed to be surprised and confused at everything. Also his reaction with the mayor felt offbeat. I also still don't care about Batwomen's father. So anything with him was mehish. The art seemed to be pretty bad at certain points too.
Overall Detective Comics is still a must read for Batman fans. I think it balances a lot of characters pretty wall. Also the character growth of people like Cass make it well worth reading for fans of the character.
January 2, 2026
*** Received an ARC review via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ***
4.5 stars.
So, this volume centers around Rebirth! Cassandra Cain and her meeting with Shiva.
So, I’ll get the negatives out of the way upfront: (1) This is not my favorite art. Something about it just isn’t as pleasing to the eye, to me. (2) I’m still majorly bummed that this version of Cass is not Bruce’s daughter. This version of Bruce is wary of her and she chose to name herself after David Cain, something Cass would never do because her father was an abusive prick. Sigh. (3) All of Cass’ portions are told through narratives and boxes because she barely speaks because they regressed her. While I liked the choice to use movement and art to tell her story, i’m still not pleased with these choices as a whole. (4) There’s another fade to black scene when Shiva’s fighting. Why?
Onward!
I loved that they gave us more of Cassie and ballet. I loved her sneaking into the studio to learn and watch the dancers! She's fascinated by people using body language to create art and not pain. I also loved Cass using the dance moves to inspire her fighting style. It was heartbreaking to see Cass unable to communicate with Harper even though she so badly wants to. This friendship remains interesting to me.
I liked seeing Bruce's proud little smile when he’s talking about Cass. Bruce admits Cass would beat him. Batwoman worries about her. Bruce also talks about them taking her out to see ballet. Again, wish she was still his adoptive daughter but this was cute to see. I also really liked the relationship between Cass and Basil.
Shiva has always been a very dynamic character. Watching Cass go through this situation where her mother, who she’s been dreaming of meeting, tells her she’s not worthy was heartbreaking. As were the flashbacks of her father’s abuse.
So, when you separate Cass’ superior history (had to say it) and just appreciate this as a story for an entirely separate character, it’s pretty interesting. If I didn’t have the context of her past incarnation, I would probably love this even more. As it stands on its own, it’s pretty moving. Cass is a little more trusting of others, especially considering the scene with Claire, the dancer. I loved their interactions and I really hope Cass stays in touch with her.
The crux of this story is Cass’ relationship with autonomy. While it isn’t as progressive as Puckett’s run, it does obtain some autonomy for Cass. She discerns, from a story read to her, that she can choose her own destiny. Not fighting to kill doesn’t make her weak: it makes her strong. She defines who she is; not her father and not Bruce. It does make me question whether they’ll let her have a real code name after this. Orphan. Especially after David Cain makes no sense at all.
I’m still a little fuzzy as to what Shiva’s goal were but the ending was satisfactory. My daughter is a total badass!!
There’s a short interlude with Luke and Azazel that surprised me. I was actually charmed by it and want to see more of them working together. I love the idea of an atheist/agnostic scientist that trusts in logic and reason working with a religious person. They have an interesting chemistry and I hope to see more of it in the future.
The end with Tim kind of served no purpose other than to hint, once again, at the war coming.
So, in some ways, this was probably the strongest, well put together arc of the series. I say that not just because I love Cass and it focused on her but because it had a beginning, middle and end and by focusing more on one character, it felt more cohesive. Still bummed that this version do Cass speaks in sentence fragments and isn’t Bruce’s adoptive daughter and the Batfam’s adoptive sister. However, as I said, if I remove that context, it’s a very powerful story.
4.5 stars.
So, this volume centers around Rebirth! Cassandra Cain and her meeting with Shiva.
So, I’ll get the negatives out of the way upfront: (1) This is not my favorite art. Something about it just isn’t as pleasing to the eye, to me. (2) I’m still majorly bummed that this version of Cass is not Bruce’s daughter. This version of Bruce is wary of her and she chose to name herself after David Cain, something Cass would never do because her father was an abusive prick. Sigh. (3) All of Cass’ portions are told through narratives and boxes because she barely speaks because they regressed her. While I liked the choice to use movement and art to tell her story, i’m still not pleased with these choices as a whole. (4) There’s another fade to black scene when Shiva’s fighting. Why?
Onward!
I loved that they gave us more of Cassie and ballet. I loved her sneaking into the studio to learn and watch the dancers! She's fascinated by people using body language to create art and not pain. I also loved Cass using the dance moves to inspire her fighting style. It was heartbreaking to see Cass unable to communicate with Harper even though she so badly wants to. This friendship remains interesting to me.
I liked seeing Bruce's proud little smile when he’s talking about Cass. Bruce admits Cass would beat him. Batwoman worries about her. Bruce also talks about them taking her out to see ballet. Again, wish she was still his adoptive daughter but this was cute to see. I also really liked the relationship between Cass and Basil.
Shiva has always been a very dynamic character. Watching Cass go through this situation where her mother, who she’s been dreaming of meeting, tells her she’s not worthy was heartbreaking. As were the flashbacks of her father’s abuse.
So, when you separate Cass’ superior history (had to say it) and just appreciate this as a story for an entirely separate character, it’s pretty interesting. If I didn’t have the context of her past incarnation, I would probably love this even more. As it stands on its own, it’s pretty moving. Cass is a little more trusting of others, especially considering the scene with Claire, the dancer. I loved their interactions and I really hope Cass stays in touch with her.
The crux of this story is Cass’ relationship with autonomy. While it isn’t as progressive as Puckett’s run, it does obtain some autonomy for Cass. She discerns, from a story read to her, that she can choose her own destiny. Not fighting to kill doesn’t make her weak: it makes her strong. She defines who she is; not her father and not Bruce. It does make me question whether they’ll let her have a real code name after this. Orphan. Especially after David Cain makes no sense at all.
I’m still a little fuzzy as to what Shiva’s goal were but the ending was satisfactory. My daughter is a total badass!!
There’s a short interlude with Luke and Azazel that surprised me. I was actually charmed by it and want to see more of them working together. I love the idea of an atheist/agnostic scientist that trusts in logic and reason working with a religious person. They have an interesting chemistry and I hope to see more of it in the future.
The end with Tim kind of served no purpose other than to hint, once again, at the war coming.
So, in some ways, this was probably the strongest, well put together arc of the series. I say that not just because I love Cass and it focused on her but because it had a beginning, middle and end and by focusing more on one character, it felt more cohesive. Still bummed that this version do Cass speaks in sentence fragments and isn’t Bruce’s adoptive daughter and the Batfam’s adoptive sister. However, as I said, if I remove that context, it’s a very powerful story.
April 6, 2020
Rating: it's a 'fucking awesome I love every moment of it don't want to return the book to the library' 5 stars!
(1) I noticed Ra's al Ghul has a nice-looking hideout up in the mountains. XD
(2) OMG Lady Shiva is like, super awesome although she is pretty awful for the most parts! I'm loving every moment of her appearance! Plus Shiva finally addressed Cass as 'daughter' after the latter , tough love much?
(3) I actually counted, in one huge panel that takes over 2 pages, Cass is fighting 30 ninjas at once. That's so exciting!!!
(4) I love it when the heroes have cool-looking outfits and gears, and the villains also have cool-looking outfits and gears. For example, Lady Shiva and Ra's both have fancy looking long coats. LOL
(5) The ending is great and I really do like how this series focuses on the stories of supporting characters and their developments instead of just focusing on Batman!!! DC needs to give us more stories like that!
(6) But I must admit I'm not very interested in Spoiler and her angst issues.
(7) I'm totally looking forward to the next volume!!!
(8) Cass's friendship with the young ballet dancer is really good! Plus...the fairytale book that was read to Cass was penned by her dead aunt? That's also Great!
Cute gif!!!
PS: when facing the WuHan virus pandemic, please wear a facemask when you go outside! Even a cloth mask or a self-made mask is better than no mask at all! And don't forget to give support to your local medics and cleaning staffs, they are the true heroes in this crisis.
(1) I noticed Ra's al Ghul has a nice-looking hideout up in the mountains. XD
(2) OMG Lady Shiva is like, super awesome although she is pretty awful for the most parts! I'm loving every moment of her appearance! Plus Shiva finally addressed Cass as 'daughter' after the latter , tough love much?
(3) I actually counted, in one huge panel that takes over 2 pages, Cass is fighting 30 ninjas at once. That's so exciting!!!
(4) I love it when the heroes have cool-looking outfits and gears, and the villains also have cool-looking outfits and gears. For example, Lady Shiva and Ra's both have fancy looking long coats. LOL
(5) The ending is great and I really do like how this series focuses on the stories of supporting characters and their developments instead of just focusing on Batman!!! DC needs to give us more stories like that!
(6) But I must admit I'm not very interested in Spoiler and her angst issues.
(7) I'm totally looking forward to the next volume!!!
(8) Cass's friendship with the young ballet dancer is really good! Plus...the fairytale book that was read to Cass was penned by her dead aunt? That's also Great!
Cute gif!!!
PS: when facing the WuHan virus pandemic, please wear a facemask when you go outside! Even a cloth mask or a self-made mask is better than no mask at all! And don't forget to give support to your local medics and cleaning staffs, they are the true heroes in this crisis.
December 4, 2017
The League of Shadows comes to town with Lady Shiva in charge and is looking to destroy Gotham. The League's plot to sow discord with Gotham was very interesting. However it soon devolved into the plot of Dark Knight Rises. The focus on Orphan was great. Making her fascinated with ballet makes complete sense. A genius idea. I'd love to see her become Batgirl again. Hipster Batgirl Barbara Gordon grates on my nerves.
The art on this book was OK to subpar at best and didn't mesh together well at all. Even the coloring had glaring changes with each different art team. Marcio Takara's art was particularly awful. This was one of my fears with DC going to a biweekly schedule on its bigger titles. Artists wouldn't be able to keep up and the art would suffer.
Received a review copy from DC and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The art on this book was OK to subpar at best and didn't mesh together well at all. Even the coloring had glaring changes with each different art team. Marcio Takara's art was particularly awful. This was one of my fears with DC going to a biweekly schedule on its bigger titles. Artists wouldn't be able to keep up and the art would suffer.
Received a review copy from DC and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 10, 2017
3.5.
World: The art is dark and brooding and it does work well for a Batman book, that being said I did find it a bit too muddy during action sequences to really see what was going on. The world building is solid, it comes from all the Batman books and the past which is good cause I guess that stuff all happened even in the New52. The focus in characters is also great. The pieces at play and the larger picture really makes a good stage for future books.
Story: Paced alright but I did find the dialogue a bit much and sometimes fairly redundant. I also found the emotions to be a bit fragmented and unearned especially the ballerina stuff. I love that this is a Cassandra story, she's important to Batman lore and her run in the 2000s was great and it was such a shame of what happened to her during the New52. This is the new origin and her being still tied to Shiva is perfect. Tying use League of Shadows even better. The cast was a but too big though as I've found with this book so I think more time with Cass and Shiva would have been better. The end was good leaving the stage set for more. Solid, this teams best arc yet.
Characters: I love Cass and her story and her struggles and I wish we had more time with her. I kinda wish the Detective Comics book was able to pull away from the team and have more small intimate street level stories and character stories for each of them. Make this series an anthology for the Bat family. Okay sidetracked but yeah Cass is good. I just want more. The rest of the cast had little development this arc and pretty much acted as they do. The Colony stuff so still iffy to me and making Kate have that relationship with Dad is not something I'm enjoying.
It was the best arc so far, Hey DC I wonder if you'll do what I suggested with this book.
Onward to the next book!
*read individual issues*
World: The art is dark and brooding and it does work well for a Batman book, that being said I did find it a bit too muddy during action sequences to really see what was going on. The world building is solid, it comes from all the Batman books and the past which is good cause I guess that stuff all happened even in the New52. The focus in characters is also great. The pieces at play and the larger picture really makes a good stage for future books.
Story: Paced alright but I did find the dialogue a bit much and sometimes fairly redundant. I also found the emotions to be a bit fragmented and unearned especially the ballerina stuff. I love that this is a Cassandra story, she's important to Batman lore and her run in the 2000s was great and it was such a shame of what happened to her during the New52. This is the new origin and her being still tied to Shiva is perfect. Tying use League of Shadows even better. The cast was a but too big though as I've found with this book so I think more time with Cass and Shiva would have been better. The end was good leaving the stage set for more. Solid, this teams best arc yet.
Characters: I love Cass and her story and her struggles and I wish we had more time with her. I kinda wish the Detective Comics book was able to pull away from the team and have more small intimate street level stories and character stories for each of them. Make this series an anthology for the Bat family. Okay sidetracked but yeah Cass is good. I just want more. The rest of the cast had little development this arc and pretty much acted as they do. The Colony stuff so still iffy to me and making Kate have that relationship with Dad is not something I'm enjoying.
It was the best arc so far, Hey DC I wonder if you'll do what I suggested with this book.
Onward to the next book!
*read individual issues*
July 16, 2021
This was a bulky but really good read!
It starts off with the story of Cass and what she does in her spare time aka Ballet dance and its wonderful to see the artist rendition of it and we see it then she goes to the Bat call and finds that the League of shadows have attacked them. Gotham Knights engage them and we find out the one leading them is Lady Shiva aka her mother and we get this whole backstory and they have taken down the Knights and then we have Ra's Al Ghul entering and he tells Bruce of what happened, their origins, Jake tells Kate of his encounter with these shadow Ninjas and when everything falls into place, its an all out war and will involve everyone of the Batfamily to come together for one of the biggest fights.
I love how Tynion was building up to it and showed their danger and like they talk so less and are still mysterious, but their actions shows their ferocity and how dangerous they are and that they will be a big challenge to Bruce. I like how magic was used here and how its a weakness that even Bruce has. Plus the relationship between Cass and Shiva was awesome and seeing how Cass developed and accepted herself for who she was and started fighting others and even got afriend was so awesome. This story had some great art but way too much dialogue and the stories in the end setting up Azrael arc next and Metal was okayish. Its a good volume and has some great stories for multiple characters and sets Bruce for some great things going forward.
It starts off with the story of Cass and what she does in her spare time aka Ballet dance and its wonderful to see the artist rendition of it and we see it then she goes to the Bat call and finds that the League of shadows have attacked them. Gotham Knights engage them and we find out the one leading them is Lady Shiva aka her mother and we get this whole backstory and they have taken down the Knights and then we have Ra's Al Ghul entering and he tells Bruce of what happened, their origins, Jake tells Kate of his encounter with these shadow Ninjas and when everything falls into place, its an all out war and will involve everyone of the Batfamily to come together for one of the biggest fights.
I love how Tynion was building up to it and showed their danger and like they talk so less and are still mysterious, but their actions shows their ferocity and how dangerous they are and that they will be a big challenge to Bruce. I like how magic was used here and how its a weakness that even Bruce has. Plus the relationship between Cass and Shiva was awesome and seeing how Cass developed and accepted herself for who she was and started fighting others and even got afriend was so awesome. This story had some great art but way too much dialogue and the stories in the end setting up Azrael arc next and Metal was okayish. Its a good volume and has some great stories for multiple characters and sets Bruce for some great things going forward.
January 22, 2018
I realized today how very behind I am in all things Rebirth when I sat down to read the latest Super Sons event and found myself missing quite a bit of context. So it seemed like it was time to start playing catch up, so here I am, beginning with Detective Comics Volume 3.
I wasn't a big fan of the last volume, and I wasn't really a big fan of this one either. Something really fractured with the loss of Tim at the end of the first volume, and I don't think the book has ever really recovered from that. The team doesn't really act like a team, and it's easy to forget about certain members. It's a shame, because I did really enjoy the first volume.
Cass is the star of the show in this volume, which was one of the pros. The first issue with her dancing was a clear stand out, and was probably the best full issue in the book. The plots with the two evil leagues, though...not so much.
I do like Cass a lot and I liked some of the points made about her here, but the story where she learns the truth about Shiva wasn't very interesting to me because I already knew Shiva was her mother. It's not a secret, and they really needed to make the reveal interesting in some other way. The whole plot with Shiva wanting to destroy Gotham felt very trite. Like, oh look, a villain wants to destroy Gotham for unclear reasons...again...I just couldn't get interested.
Azrael, Batwing, and Clayface were hardly in this volume. And whenever Batman was around, it was usually just him being surprised and unprepared, which was very tiresome. He's supposed to be the world's greatest detective, in a book called Detective Comics, so why is he constantly being being outsmarted? It'd be really nice if he had he upper hand or a surprise advantage for once.
I do still enjoy Batwoman a lot in this title. She didn't do much in this volume, but I really like how Batman treats her as an equal, and he doesn't do that often with others.
I sort of hate to say it, but I'm mostly reading this to get to the good stuff, when this will all tie in with the larger plot of Rebirth. And as such, the final four pages actually felt more interesting than the whole rest of the book combined, which is just a little flashback to Tim (who I just have to say, actually showed more detective skill in those four pages than Batman did in this entire book) seeming to hint at the larger plot.
Overall, I would be dropping Detective if it weren't that I want to see this whole fake-dead Tim plot through. And what's most unfortunate is that it seems as though the writers are aware of this, and have gotten a bit lazy because they know people will hang around for that. I did like Cass in this volume, but that's not enough to make up for all its other flaws.
I wasn't a big fan of the last volume, and I wasn't really a big fan of this one either. Something really fractured with the loss of Tim at the end of the first volume, and I don't think the book has ever really recovered from that. The team doesn't really act like a team, and it's easy to forget about certain members. It's a shame, because I did really enjoy the first volume.
Cass is the star of the show in this volume, which was one of the pros. The first issue with her dancing was a clear stand out, and was probably the best full issue in the book. The plots with the two evil leagues, though...not so much.
I do like Cass a lot and I liked some of the points made about her here, but the story where she learns the truth about Shiva wasn't very interesting to me because I already knew Shiva was her mother. It's not a secret, and they really needed to make the reveal interesting in some other way. The whole plot with Shiva wanting to destroy Gotham felt very trite. Like, oh look, a villain wants to destroy Gotham for unclear reasons...again...I just couldn't get interested.
Azrael, Batwing, and Clayface were hardly in this volume. And whenever Batman was around, it was usually just him being surprised and unprepared, which was very tiresome. He's supposed to be the world's greatest detective, in a book called Detective Comics, so why is he constantly being being outsmarted? It'd be really nice if he had he upper hand or a surprise advantage for once.
I do still enjoy Batwoman a lot in this title. She didn't do much in this volume, but I really like how Batman treats her as an equal, and he doesn't do that often with others.
I sort of hate to say it, but I'm mostly reading this to get to the good stuff, when this will all tie in with the larger plot of Rebirth. And as such, the final four pages actually felt more interesting than the whole rest of the book combined, which is just a little flashback to Tim (who I just have to say, actually showed more detective skill in those four pages than Batman did in this entire book) seeming to hint at the larger plot.
Overall, I would be dropping Detective if it weren't that I want to see this whole fake-dead Tim plot through. And what's most unfortunate is that it seems as though the writers are aware of this, and have gotten a bit lazy because they know people will hang around for that. I did like Cass in this volume, but that's not enough to make up for all its other flaws.
September 17, 2017
[Read as single issues]
Here they come to wreck the day/town/entire Bat family - it's the League Of Shadows!
This six part story brings the League of Shadows as well as their illusive leader Lady Shiva to Gotham, and then it's up to the Tec team, including new member Luke Fox, to get them the hell out of dodge. Of course, the fact that Shiva could potentially be Cassandra's mother complicates matters, as does the re-emergence of the Colony. Oh, and there's Ra's Al Ghul to deal with too. This arc is busy.
And yet, this still remains the most consistent and most enjoyable Rebirth book that I'm reading. The characterization is always on point, every character gets time to do something awesome, and there are multiple storylines at play all at once - this is what happens when you give a creator a book for a long term project, and allow them to seed ideas early on that don't come to fruition until later.
The art on this one is divided up between Christian Duce and Fernando Blanco for the first three issues, and Marcio Takara for the final three and the prologue story from Detective Comics #950. Takara's a little more fast and loose with his linework than I've seen before, while Duce and Blanco have very different styles that don't really gel as well as you'd hope, but overall the aesthetic of Detective Comics is preserved by the three artists, and it works very well.
3 volumes in, and still my favourite. You go, Tec.
Here they come to wreck the day/town/entire Bat family - it's the League Of Shadows!
This six part story brings the League of Shadows as well as their illusive leader Lady Shiva to Gotham, and then it's up to the Tec team, including new member Luke Fox, to get them the hell out of dodge. Of course, the fact that Shiva could potentially be Cassandra's mother complicates matters, as does the re-emergence of the Colony. Oh, and there's Ra's Al Ghul to deal with too. This arc is busy.
And yet, this still remains the most consistent and most enjoyable Rebirth book that I'm reading. The characterization is always on point, every character gets time to do something awesome, and there are multiple storylines at play all at once - this is what happens when you give a creator a book for a long term project, and allow them to seed ideas early on that don't come to fruition until later.
The art on this one is divided up between Christian Duce and Fernando Blanco for the first three issues, and Marcio Takara for the final three and the prologue story from Detective Comics #950. Takara's a little more fast and loose with his linework than I've seen before, while Duce and Blanco have very different styles that don't really gel as well as you'd hope, but overall the aesthetic of Detective Comics is preserved by the three artists, and it works very well.
3 volumes in, and still my favourite. You go, Tec.
February 21, 2018
You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.
If I had to bet money on the Batman-related Rebirth series that would thrive first between James Tynion IV’s Detective Comics run and Tom King’s Batman run, I would’ve thought Tynion IV was on track to delivering the better content. While his run is still highly entertaining and generally much more intriguing than what Tom King has to offer, there just seems to be roof that his run can’t seem to burst out off in order to place a mind-blowing story arc out in the market. Batman: Detective Comics (Volume 3) League of Shadows is the third main story arc by James Tynion IV within the Rebirth era. Collecting issues #950 to #956, the story explores one of the most well-known group of villains within the Batman universe: the league of shadows. Unfortunately, this secret organization remains a myth to the eyes of most individuals until now. Presenting us a rabid introduction of the league of shadows, James Tynion IV also places Cassandra Cain, also known as Orphan, at center stage and dives into her origin story with sheer brutality.
Giving Orphan a voice was probably the best story-telling decision in this arc. For those of you who don’t already know, Orphan is not exactly a character that says a lot. Most of her dialogues are just a word or two long. To compensate for her lack of communication, she’s a natural dancing assassin. Every single one of her takedowns are lethal and merciless. This volume explores her personality as well as her way of life as her origin comes hunting her through a villain who matches, if not outdo, Orphan’s own viciousness: Shiva. The introduction of this Big Bad villain was pretty well done and conveys that urgent threat that is sure to come soaring into Gotham. There’s also a certain war for power that seems to surge within Shiva and one of Batman’s greatest villain, but its inclusion never felt quite poignant. In fact, after the first two issues, the story started to become very stale and uninteresting. The major problem that is presented is the Dark Knight being blackmailed for the death of an important individual and leaves everything on territory a bit less uncharted.
What really stood out from this volume is the artwork, and not in a good way. One thing I really hate is the change of style from one issue to another, especially when there doesn’t seem to be any effort put into cohesion or transition. The first issue had the strongest artwork with Marcio Takara as the artist. Then the job shifted into the hands of Christian Duce for two consecutive issues. You’d think that things would quickly find consistency after that, but all we get is a hectic division of labour. With Christian Duce and Fernando Blanco sharing artwork duty and finally a return of Marcio Takara as lead artist for the final three issues. When the artwork becomes such an evident flaw throughout the story, you know something is wrong and that all you’ll get from it is a an obstacle that will hinder the experience of the reader. For me, the decline in quality that often arose throughout some of the later issues made me dislike the stagnant story-telling that was slowly floating to the top of this story arc.
The artwork wasn’t this volumes forte and the story-telling felt a bit messy with multiple subplots and a rather incoherent main plot, but things don’t really find a balance with the characters either. The highlight definitely remains Orphan as James Tynion IV explores her past and her identity crisis throughout this volume. The arrival of Shiva launches Orphan on an even more complicated path as she tries to understand why Shiva does what she does. I did however enjoy all the analogies and development that was put into Cassandra Cain’s character. Unfortunately, while she does start and end strong, there still seemed to be some very hazy and blunt moments regarding her character in the middle. Nothing however compares to how atypical Batman seemed throughout this story arc. In fact, Batman never seemed to be any steps ahead of anything. He was lost and everyone managed to surprise him in ways that only Batman should be able to do. The only upside I saw from his character was his psychological support for Cassandra Cain, but sometimes, even that felt off; maybe just out of the blue.
While the artwork sometimes had some pretty original moments (see that moment where it shifts into landscape), there was a steep decline in quality throughout most of those middle issues that really killed any vibe the story wanted to convey. Batman: Detective Comics (Volume 3) League of Shadows however remains fun and interesting as it explores so many characters at the same time. I do love it when two members of the team would have their own moment and have their chemistry developed in an instant (i.e. Batwing and Azrael with the whole science versus religion/faith dialogue, even if it wasn’t exactly part of the main story). Speaking of things that weren’t part of the main storyline, the first issue is an oversize anniversary special and includes a couple of mini-stories, including one that serves as a nice little unexpected teaser to DC’s next huge Batman-related event (Dark Nights: Metal). In the end, this third volume remains a nice Orphan-centric story that unleashes a bunch of different new threats for future volumes to explore. Fans will want to stick around as James Tynion IV will surely have something up his sleeves in volume 4.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
If I had to bet money on the Batman-related Rebirth series that would thrive first between James Tynion IV’s Detective Comics run and Tom King’s Batman run, I would’ve thought Tynion IV was on track to delivering the better content. While his run is still highly entertaining and generally much more intriguing than what Tom King has to offer, there just seems to be roof that his run can’t seem to burst out off in order to place a mind-blowing story arc out in the market. Batman: Detective Comics (Volume 3) League of Shadows is the third main story arc by James Tynion IV within the Rebirth era. Collecting issues #950 to #956, the story explores one of the most well-known group of villains within the Batman universe: the league of shadows. Unfortunately, this secret organization remains a myth to the eyes of most individuals until now. Presenting us a rabid introduction of the league of shadows, James Tynion IV also places Cassandra Cain, also known as Orphan, at center stage and dives into her origin story with sheer brutality.
Giving Orphan a voice was probably the best story-telling decision in this arc. For those of you who don’t already know, Orphan is not exactly a character that says a lot. Most of her dialogues are just a word or two long. To compensate for her lack of communication, she’s a natural dancing assassin. Every single one of her takedowns are lethal and merciless. This volume explores her personality as well as her way of life as her origin comes hunting her through a villain who matches, if not outdo, Orphan’s own viciousness: Shiva. The introduction of this Big Bad villain was pretty well done and conveys that urgent threat that is sure to come soaring into Gotham. There’s also a certain war for power that seems to surge within Shiva and one of Batman’s greatest villain, but its inclusion never felt quite poignant. In fact, after the first two issues, the story started to become very stale and uninteresting. The major problem that is presented is the Dark Knight being blackmailed for the death of an important individual and leaves everything on territory a bit less uncharted.
What really stood out from this volume is the artwork, and not in a good way. One thing I really hate is the change of style from one issue to another, especially when there doesn’t seem to be any effort put into cohesion or transition. The first issue had the strongest artwork with Marcio Takara as the artist. Then the job shifted into the hands of Christian Duce for two consecutive issues. You’d think that things would quickly find consistency after that, but all we get is a hectic division of labour. With Christian Duce and Fernando Blanco sharing artwork duty and finally a return of Marcio Takara as lead artist for the final three issues. When the artwork becomes such an evident flaw throughout the story, you know something is wrong and that all you’ll get from it is a an obstacle that will hinder the experience of the reader. For me, the decline in quality that often arose throughout some of the later issues made me dislike the stagnant story-telling that was slowly floating to the top of this story arc.
The artwork wasn’t this volumes forte and the story-telling felt a bit messy with multiple subplots and a rather incoherent main plot, but things don’t really find a balance with the characters either. The highlight definitely remains Orphan as James Tynion IV explores her past and her identity crisis throughout this volume. The arrival of Shiva launches Orphan on an even more complicated path as she tries to understand why Shiva does what she does. I did however enjoy all the analogies and development that was put into Cassandra Cain’s character. Unfortunately, while she does start and end strong, there still seemed to be some very hazy and blunt moments regarding her character in the middle. Nothing however compares to how atypical Batman seemed throughout this story arc. In fact, Batman never seemed to be any steps ahead of anything. He was lost and everyone managed to surprise him in ways that only Batman should be able to do. The only upside I saw from his character was his psychological support for Cassandra Cain, but sometimes, even that felt off; maybe just out of the blue.
While the artwork sometimes had some pretty original moments (see that moment where it shifts into landscape), there was a steep decline in quality throughout most of those middle issues that really killed any vibe the story wanted to convey. Batman: Detective Comics (Volume 3) League of Shadows however remains fun and interesting as it explores so many characters at the same time. I do love it when two members of the team would have their own moment and have their chemistry developed in an instant (i.e. Batwing and Azrael with the whole science versus religion/faith dialogue, even if it wasn’t exactly part of the main story). Speaking of things that weren’t part of the main storyline, the first issue is an oversize anniversary special and includes a couple of mini-stories, including one that serves as a nice little unexpected teaser to DC’s next huge Batman-related event (Dark Nights: Metal). In the end, this third volume remains a nice Orphan-centric story that unleashes a bunch of different new threats for future volumes to explore. Fans will want to stick around as James Tynion IV will surely have something up his sleeves in volume 4.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
February 6, 2018
I'm still on the fence about this Rebirth title, but I keeping reading because . . . it's Batman, you know? Well, Batman and his extended vigilante Bat-family, anyway.
This time around the spotlight is mostly on Cassandra Cain, and she's the one who keeps it lively and interesting for the most part. As for the plot and some of the other story threads they are just passable.
This time around the spotlight is mostly on Cassandra Cain, and she's the one who keeps it lively and interesting for the most part. As for the plot and some of the other story threads they are just passable.
July 18, 2018
This book remains fun overall and Cassandra is a real standout once again. Tynion does a good job with pretty much the whole Bat-family, and there are a bunch of them.
This is about a 3.5. The story is pretty good but nothing special, but it’s an enjoyable one-time read.
This is about a 3.5. The story is pretty good but nothing special, but it’s an enjoyable one-time read.
November 20, 2017
This volume focuses mostly on Orphan/Cassandra, with Tynion trying to develop a character that doesn't speak, no easy feat. He pulls it off well, and with lots of action, so this arc was fairly well rounded with the exception of not a lot of Batman. Primarily at the end, there's a tidbit at the end which seems to lead into the Dark Metal crossover. I really appreciate the writing spending time getting to know the characters in this series.
August 21, 2018
5 🌟
Nice to see Ra's Al Ghul and the League of Assassins again. Sad that Cassandra found out her mother was Lady Shiva. Wonder what Shiva said to Cassandra. Also wonder what Jacob Kane is going to do now that he is free from prison.
Can't wait to read Batman: Detective Comics, volume 4: Deus Ex Machina!!!
Nice to see Ra's Al Ghul and the League of Assassins again. Sad that Cassandra found out her mother was Lady Shiva. Wonder what Shiva said to Cassandra. Also wonder what Jacob Kane is going to do now that he is free from prison.
Can't wait to read Batman: Detective Comics, volume 4: Deus Ex Machina!!!
May 11, 2018
This volume primarily focuses on Orphan, Cassandra Cain, the daughter of David Cain and Lady Shiva. There's a lot of character work here. I actually liked the opening issue with Cassandra admiring a very talented ballet dancer who expresses herself through dance. There's a great dynamic between the two that plays out nicely over the course of the book, especially at the end. I'm glad to see Ra's al Ghul in this volume and see how he plays out in the story. This book primarily centers around Lady Shiva coming to Gotham to destroy it so that the world can move toward a utopia....hey, wait a minute...wasn't this the basic plot of The Dark Knight Rises? And Shiva even has a nuclear bomb! WTF?! I guess Tynion really liked DKR. Well, that's okay, so did I. This all sounds great, but there are a few things I did not like at all about this book. Batman is supposed to be the best martial artist in the DC Universe. NOT Shiva. NOT Cassandra Cain. Tynion REALLY makes Shiva and Cain way overpowered and makes Batman drastically underpowered. I mean, what the hell is with Batman admitting that he'd lose if he and Cassandra ever fought for real? Well, he shouldn't. I was mostly disgusted by the fact that Batman seems to be turned into an almost beta male cuck here. He does kick ass at some points, but this is his book. Even if the story focuses on one of his teammates, at least have Batman be an important deciding factor in the victory at the end!! There's some great character work between Clayface and Cain. There's also some nice backups at the end of the book setting up a future volume with Azrael (who comes out of nowhere by the way) describing to Luke Fox his background and the nature of the tech that makes up the Suit of Sorrows. There's also a flashback where Tim Drake confronts Batman on why he has to have eyes and ears everywhere. Tim accuses Bruce of preparing for war. Well, overall, I'd say this volume is okay.
October 4, 2017
At the beginning of DC Rebirth, both Tom King and James Tynion IV were putting new spins the Bat-mythos with their respected runs of Batman and Detective Comics. Based on their first volumes, Tynion’s Detective was more ambitious in making it more about the sense of family with Bruce Wayne pairing up with his cousin Kate Kane/Batwoman to recruit a team of vigilantes that would protect Gotham. However, it’s been over a year since DC did their big relaunch and although the Dark Knight Detective will always come out on top, every subsequent installment from this run fails to stay strong.
Please click here for my full review.
Please click here for my full review.
December 2, 2017
Loved the first volume in this collection, but I am liking them less and less as they continue. This volume is way too light on the Batman and way too heavy on the secondary characters that I don't fully care about yet (aside from Clayface). I realize that these stories are supposed to be building that interest in the new characters, but they're not working for me.
January 9, 2018
The plot of League of Shadows is very repetitive. An all-powerful organization comes to Gotham, makes troubles, and captures the entire Bat-crew while doing so. It's a big yawn.
Fortunately, it's got character work that utterly excels and rises above that trite plot. It's all about Cassandra Cain, and it truly positions who she is, who she was, and what she represents in the nu52 Universe. It took several years, but it's great to have this innocent, damaged, monstrous human being back, and she's depicted so well in this volume.
It's also nice to see the puzzle pieces of the Rebirth Detective Comics coming together, as we get more on the Colony that was so important in this comic's debut.
Overall, a mixed comic, but still at least 3.5 stars.
Fortunately, it's got character work that utterly excels and rises above that trite plot. It's all about Cassandra Cain, and it truly positions who she is, who she was, and what she represents in the nu52 Universe. It took several years, but it's great to have this innocent, damaged, monstrous human being back, and she's depicted so well in this volume.
It's also nice to see the puzzle pieces of the Rebirth Detective Comics coming together, as we get more on the Colony that was so important in this comic's debut.
Overall, a mixed comic, but still at least 3.5 stars.
September 18, 2019
3.5 stars
Standout in the series so far. It goes into some detail about Cassandra Cain and her origin story. I am interested in seeing more of her character in this run and elsewhere.
Standout in the series so far. It goes into some detail about Cassandra Cain and her origin story. I am interested in seeing more of her character in this run and elsewhere.
February 26, 2020
A fun, action packed, bloody adventure of not only Batman, but his whole roster of hero's against the League of Shadows.
The real star of the story is X-2.... I mean Orphan, otherwise known as Cassandra Cain. I always love when the story turns towards these "killing machine with a good heart" characters, as there is a lot of layers of story, not to mention personality, to really work with. Couple this with their usual propensity to inner monologue and you got yourself some good comics. Especially when the bad guys are a army of the most dangerous and deadly ninja that ever walked the Earth.
Not to spoil to much, but basically Orphan needs to bail everyone out as the League of Shadows, for all intents and purposes, wins. But after the long buildup where we see what Orphan is thinking of and going through, when she ultimately defeats her inner demons it feels warranted and well earned. I really enjoyed James Tynions take on Orphan. The only down side is that Batman felt a bit...amateurish to me? But its good to see someone else take the spotlight once in a while.
The art is handled by a rotating crew, but to me they were all really good. I though that every artist brought something interesting tot he table and added to the tone overall. Great job by the art team.
I would definitely recommend this to Batman fans.
The real star of the story is X-2.... I mean Orphan, otherwise known as Cassandra Cain. I always love when the story turns towards these "killing machine with a good heart" characters, as there is a lot of layers of story, not to mention personality, to really work with. Couple this with their usual propensity to inner monologue and you got yourself some good comics. Especially when the bad guys are a army of the most dangerous and deadly ninja that ever walked the Earth.
Not to spoil to much, but basically Orphan needs to bail everyone out as the League of Shadows, for all intents and purposes, wins. But after the long buildup where we see what Orphan is thinking of and going through, when she ultimately defeats her inner demons it feels warranted and well earned. I really enjoyed James Tynions take on Orphan. The only down side is that Batman felt a bit...amateurish to me? But its good to see someone else take the spotlight once in a while.
The art is handled by a rotating crew, but to me they were all really good. I though that every artist brought something interesting tot he table and added to the tone overall. Great job by the art team.
I would definitely recommend this to Batman fans.
October 9, 2018
আগের পর্ব - আই এম সুইসাইডের রুফটপসের রোমান্টিকতা থেকে ধুম করে রক্তারক্তি আর খুনোখুনির মধ্যে। কেমন জানি খাপছাড়া। সেই চিরন্তন অনেকগুলো সুপার ভিলেন জড়ো হয় গোথামকে ধ্বংস করার জন্য আর ব্যাট ফ্যামিলি এক জোট হয়ে সে ধ্বংস যাত্রা ঠেকায়। টিপিক্যাল সুপারহিরো নভেল। বিরক্তিকর।
স্টোরি - ১/৫
গ্রাফিক - ২/৫
সম্পুর্ন কমিকস - ২/৫
স্টোরি - ১/৫
গ্রাফিক - ২/৫
সম্পুর্ন কমিকস - ২/৫
May 12, 2017
Tynions series is great!
Not only does Tynion make stories that are better and less convoluted than the flagship title (Batman), but he also has a way of making side characters I could otherwise care less about matter.
Not only does Tynion make stories that are better and less convoluted than the flagship title (Batman), but he also has a way of making side characters I could otherwise care less about matter.
March 31, 2020
Batfam is bestfam.
I love the focus on Cass in this book. She's such an intriguing character, and one of my favorite bats.
Also she deserves another solo series. Or maybe like her own birds of prey team, with Spoiler in place of Black Canary, and Harper as Oracle.
I love the focus on Cass in this book. She's such an intriguing character, and one of my favorite bats.
Also she deserves another solo series. Or maybe like her own birds of prey team, with Spoiler in place of Black Canary, and Harper as Oracle.
February 21, 2023
I read this storyline in the regular monthly issues . . . While this was an entertaining saga, there’s not enough Batman (my favorite) in these proceedings for my preferences. Sure, he’s in every issue and investigates and directs the activity, engages in fights, gets captured, etc . . . but this read to me like a story about Cassandra Cain / Orphan.
Good thing it was a compelling story. Tynion takes the groundwork laid in BATMAN & ROBIN ETERNAL regarding Orphan’s background and further expands and develops it here. Sure, there are plenty of trained/brainwashed assassin/vigilantes prowling the pages of the Big Two publishers, but Tynion differentiates Orphan enough to make her a bit more interesting.
The Bat-Team from the original story arc has been modified a bit, with Batwing and Azrael joining up with Batwoman, Clayface and Orphan. (Red Robin is allegedly deceased).
In that first story arc, Batman was convinced that the League of Shadows was just a rumor contrived by R’as Al Ghul - - stories of a secret society of ninja-like killers. That’s why he disrupted the militaristic Colony (created to counter the League of Shadows) and put its’ leader, Jacob Kane (Kate/Batwoman’s father) in prison.
That opened the door for the actual League of Shadows, led by Ghul lieutenant Shiva, to make their move - - destroy Batman’s team and plant bombs underneath Gotham that will reduce the city to rubble. R’as Al Ghul makes an appearance mid-story but it’s not clear whether Shiva is working under his direction or has gone rogue.
During on the skirmishes, Jacob Kane is released and partnered with his second-in-command Ulysses who has yet another diabolical plan (with lots of collateral damage) to stop the League of Shadows and at least save the city.
Even though it’s foreordained that the good guys will win in the final issue, this was a fun story. The prologue issue was all about Orphan and her troubled past, her uncertainty about her role going forward, and how can she continue to resist her trained impulses to attack and hit all the weak points of the Bat-team members. To complicate matters, she’s mourning her dad,Cain, who sacrificed himself to save everyone from Mother in BATMAN AND ROBIN ETERNAL. Plus, her mother Shiva is disappointed that Orphan isn’t more of a cold-blooded killer and wants to teach her a fatal lesson). THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
Good thing it was a compelling story. Tynion takes the groundwork laid in BATMAN & ROBIN ETERNAL regarding Orphan’s background and further expands and develops it here. Sure, there are plenty of trained/brainwashed assassin/vigilantes prowling the pages of the Big Two publishers, but Tynion differentiates Orphan enough to make her a bit more interesting.
The Bat-Team from the original story arc has been modified a bit, with Batwing and Azrael joining up with Batwoman, Clayface and Orphan. (Red Robin is allegedly deceased).
In that first story arc, Batman was convinced that the League of Shadows was just a rumor contrived by R’as Al Ghul - - stories of a secret society of ninja-like killers. That’s why he disrupted the militaristic Colony (created to counter the League of Shadows) and put its’ leader, Jacob Kane (Kate/Batwoman’s father) in prison.
That opened the door for the actual League of Shadows, led by Ghul lieutenant Shiva, to make their move - - destroy Batman’s team and plant bombs underneath Gotham that will reduce the city to rubble. R’as Al Ghul makes an appearance mid-story but it’s not clear whether Shiva is working under his direction or has gone rogue.
During on the skirmishes, Jacob Kane is released and partnered with his second-in-command Ulysses who has yet another diabolical plan (with lots of collateral damage) to stop the League of Shadows and at least save the city.
Even though it’s foreordained that the good guys will win in the final issue, this was a fun story. The prologue issue was all about Orphan and her troubled past, her uncertainty about her role going forward, and how can she continue to resist her trained impulses to attack and hit all the weak points of the Bat-team members. To complicate matters, she’s mourning her dad,Cain, who sacrificed himself to save everyone from Mother in BATMAN AND ROBIN ETERNAL. Plus, her mother Shiva is disappointed that Orphan isn’t more of a cold-blooded killer and wants to teach her a fatal lesson). THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
November 8, 2019
Detective Comics: League of Shadows picks up where the previous volume left off and collecting the next seven issues (Detective Comics #950–956) of the 2016 on-going series and covers two stories: "League of Shadows", "Higher Powers", and "The BIG Picture".
"League of Shadows" is a five-issue storyline (Detective Comics #951–955) with a prelude (Detective Comics #950) and finale (Detective Comics #956) has the Team facing off with the League of Assassins and their splinter group in the League of Shadows. Sandra Wu-San as Lady Shiva arrives in Gotham City to test her daughter, Cassandra Cain as Orphan, to see how far she has progressed.
"Higher Powers" and "The BIG Picture" are two short stories found in the anniversary issue of Detective Comics #950. The first story has Jean-Paul Valley as Azrael and Lucas Fox as Batwing teaming up to take on the Order of St. Dumas. The second story has Tim Drake as Red Robin confronting Bruce Wayne as Batman on his overall plan, pulling strings that affects the Team, family, and associates of the Bat.
James Tynion IV penned the entire trade paperback. For the most part, it is written rather well, the confrontation between Lady Shiva and her daughter Cassandra Cain as Orphan has been done before, but not in this continuity, albeit in my mind wasn't as successful as those in the past.
Marcio Takara (Detective Comics #950, 954–956), Christian Duce (Detective Comics #951–953), Fernando Blanco (Detective Comics #952–953), Álvaro Martínez and Eddy Barrows (Detective Comics #950) penciled the trade paperback. For the most part, their penciling styles meshed well with each other despite having distinct penciling styles and made the artistic flow rather smoothly.
All in all, Detective Comics: League of Shadows is a good continuation to what would hopefully be a wonderful series.
"League of Shadows" is a five-issue storyline (Detective Comics #951–955) with a prelude (Detective Comics #950) and finale (Detective Comics #956) has the Team facing off with the League of Assassins and their splinter group in the League of Shadows. Sandra Wu-San as Lady Shiva arrives in Gotham City to test her daughter, Cassandra Cain as Orphan, to see how far she has progressed.
"Higher Powers" and "The BIG Picture" are two short stories found in the anniversary issue of Detective Comics #950. The first story has Jean-Paul Valley as Azrael and Lucas Fox as Batwing teaming up to take on the Order of St. Dumas. The second story has Tim Drake as Red Robin confronting Bruce Wayne as Batman on his overall plan, pulling strings that affects the Team, family, and associates of the Bat.
James Tynion IV penned the entire trade paperback. For the most part, it is written rather well, the confrontation between Lady Shiva and her daughter Cassandra Cain as Orphan has been done before, but not in this continuity, albeit in my mind wasn't as successful as those in the past.
Marcio Takara (Detective Comics #950, 954–956), Christian Duce (Detective Comics #951–953), Fernando Blanco (Detective Comics #952–953), Álvaro Martínez and Eddy Barrows (Detective Comics #950) penciled the trade paperback. For the most part, their penciling styles meshed well with each other despite having distinct penciling styles and made the artistic flow rather smoothly.
All in all, Detective Comics: League of Shadows is a good continuation to what would hopefully be a wonderful series.
November 6, 2017
James Tynion continues to show what a great super hero team book is all about. In each volume we dive more into what makes the Bat family tick. Batman: Detective Comics, Vol. 1: Rise of the Batmen focused more on Tim Drake and Batman's second in command of the Bat Family unit, Batwoman. Batman: Detective Comics, Vol. 2: The Victim Syndicate focused more on Spoiler and Clayface . In this volume we get to learn more about Cassandra Cain aka Orphan. I have to admit I have a soft spot for Cassandra Cain. Many a Batman fan has told me her run as Batgirl was incredible. Tynion does a good job not only capturing the voice of Cain but also the books tone has changed to match the character's psyche. I really enjoyed this book. The villain, Lady Shiva, had some exciting scenes and I really enjoyed her back and forth with Orphan. The artwork was a bit sketchy and not that great in some issues, but ultimately it was the story that won me over. Sometimes I wish I collected this series instead of the Tom King Batman. I am not saying King's Batman book is bad it is just Tynion's book is more fun. I really loved the set up for the coming Dark Days and Dark Nights Metal event. Having the flashback with Tim Drake was a nice touch at the back end of the book. The Batman creative team continues to give us some of the best Batman stories around.
June 25, 2017
This I have actual read volume 1 of Detective Comics: Rebirth, but this one is the one I want to review first. This is the "Batman Team book" of DC Comics right now and it is a very interesting book. I did not read this series at first, but the buzz over it got the better of me. The story is good, but depending on how you look at it, shows one of the weak-points of the Rebirth project in-general. The tendency to redo pre-Flashpoint stories only works if they can stand on their own.
The focus on this story is Cassandra Cain, the Batgirl during the early 2000s. I plan to review the second volume of that run soon, but this run has her under her pre-Batgirl codename: Orphan. We see her backstory get established and it comes back to haunt her and her team as very terrifying mother comes calling.
This story is a composite story of her two original storylines as Batgirl. The thing is, if you do not know this, then this story feels a little out of nowhere. This is one of the few blind-spots of DC Rebirth. If I had not been reading Kelley Puckett's run on the character concurrently, I would have been lost through half of the story. Beyond that, it is a good story and because it did not introduce her father yet (oh boy) it can be revisited in the future.
The focus on this story is Cassandra Cain, the Batgirl during the early 2000s. I plan to review the second volume of that run soon, but this run has her under her pre-Batgirl codename: Orphan. We see her backstory get established and it comes back to haunt her and her team as very terrifying mother comes calling.
This story is a composite story of her two original storylines as Batgirl. The thing is, if you do not know this, then this story feels a little out of nowhere. This is one of the few blind-spots of DC Rebirth. If I had not been reading Kelley Puckett's run on the character concurrently, I would have been lost through half of the story. Beyond that, it is a good story and because it did not introduce her father yet (oh boy) it can be revisited in the future.
November 6, 2025
Pretty fun storyline focusing on Cassandra Cain coming to terms with who she is (again but needed after learning who her mother is). Okay artwork and predictable plot, but still overall good.
Lady Shiva comes to Gotham after learning her daughter is there, she finds Cass lacking because she refuses to kill, so she uses the league of shadows to kidnap the batclan (sans the Robins i care about bc they're somewhere else) and destroy Gotham. Cassandra is distraught that her mother is evil like her father and abandoned her - but reminds herself to use her skills for good. She tears through the league of shadows to save everyone, and fights Lady Shiva who is surprise shot to death by Ra's Al Ghul. Batman also learns that Ra's would occasionally use magic on him to make him forget things about the League. Hints of a coming war because of that. Batwoman's dad also escapes and is in the wind but idrc
I like how vicious the women are in here. Cass can kill you so easily but constantly has to hold herself back, Shiva has some pretty bloody kills and her rage is fun to read. Even though Cass is going through an arc she already has before, it's still a good character arc bc she's such a fun and interesting character.
Lady Shiva comes to Gotham after learning her daughter is there, she finds Cass lacking because she refuses to kill, so she uses the league of shadows to kidnap the batclan (sans the Robins i care about bc they're somewhere else) and destroy Gotham. Cassandra is distraught that her mother is evil like her father and abandoned her - but reminds herself to use her skills for good. She tears through the league of shadows to save everyone, and fights Lady Shiva who is surprise shot to death by Ra's Al Ghul. Batman also learns that Ra's would occasionally use magic on him to make him forget things about the League. Hints of a coming war because of that. Batwoman's dad also escapes and is in the wind but idrc
I like how vicious the women are in here. Cass can kill you so easily but constantly has to hold herself back, Shiva has some pretty bloody kills and her rage is fun to read. Even though Cass is going through an arc she already has before, it's still a good character arc bc she's such a fun and interesting character.
December 15, 2018
I read the book Batman Detective comic book. In my opinion, it was okay because I like the action but there was just too many words. In the beginning of the book there was a lot of talking and not as much action. There was a girl named Cassandra who had super powers and was abandoned by her mom and Batman found her and asked her to be his sidekick. Later on in the book, batman had to face the Joker in the mayor office. Batman got tricked and he was there at the wrong time. The Joker made it look like Batman killed the mayor and later on Cassandra was fighting the leader of the league of shadows and found out that it was her mother. Later on in the book they met again and her mother made her switch sides on Batman. They ended up fighting against each other. They captured Batman and kept him locked up, and tortured him. After that, Cassandra woke up and realized that Batman was being tortured and helped him escape. Then she fought her mother again and defeated her and she disappeared and never seen again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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