Comic Review: Batman #122

Publisher: DC Comics

Writer: Joshua Williamson

Artist: Howard Porter & Tomeu Morey

Letterer: Clayton Cowles

It’s been quite some time since I’ve read the main Batman series. Sure, I’ve jumped around some interesting miniseries (With the Chip Zdarsky’s Urban Legends being one of my favorites in recent memory), but I just never got around to read any Batman after Tom King stepped down. The new Shadow War event caught my eye, and a strong first issue in Shadow War: Alpha has sparked my interest again.

Batman #122 continues the storyline from last week, with Bruce doing some detective work, Damien teaming up with an old friend to kill Deathstroke, and Deathstroke himself trying to stay alive. There aren’t any significant breakthroughs as this issue mostly exists to set up the rest of the arc. The detective bits are somewhat interesting, but they are mostly offset by some cliché writing by Joshua Williamson.

I don’t mean to be negative towards Williamson, as he is a more than capable writer, but the characters throughout this issue just feel stiff. Most of the dialogue doesn’t feel natural, and some readers will have a hard time taking some of this issue seriously. The final few panels were predictable even last week, and I almost found myself rolling my eyes at Bruce once again being in this position. The writing is by no means bad, but this issue doesn’t live up to the expectations set up last week.

One thing this issue does incredibly well is deliver some satisfying action sequences. Everything from the panel layouts that move the action along nicely to the stellar art by Howard Porter and Temeu Morey makes the action more than fun to take in. Porter’s characters look great in every panel, with movement that feels natural and takes full advantage of the spacing between panels. Morey’s colors are dark and moody, and the shading that it provides ensures that every character looks their best.

Clayton Cowles continues to showcase some of the best lettering in the industry. Tons of effective creative decisions are made throughout the issue to emphasize the correct moments. Sound effects, the volume of the characters’ voices, and more can all be easily heard by the reader.

While it falls below expectations when it comes to dialogue, Batman #122 is still a solid read in large part to how well Howard Porter draws the action. If readers are able to ignore the cliches, this is a solid second chapter to Shadow War.