Batman has followed the trail of Ra’s al Ghul straight to Themyscira, leading to a confrontation with Amazonian warriors and the Head of the Demon himself, in “Batman And Wonder Woman” #30.
Written by Peter J. Tomasi
Illustrated by Patrick GleasonThe quest for Damian’s remains takes Batman to Paradise Island and into direct conflict with Wonder Woman!
Since Damian Wayne kick the the bucket last year, the “Batman And Robin” series have transformed into a team up book as the Dark Knight leap frogs around the DCU. At first, Batman joined forces with some of the regular members of the Bat-family, like Nightwing, Red Robin, and Catwoman. Batman has left the confines of Gotham City to partner up with fellow Justice Leaguers Aquaman and now Wonder Woman herself.
Ra’s al Ghul has brought the bodies of Damin and Talia (cause she’s totally dead now too) to the island of Themyscira in search on a Lazarus Pit that straddles multiple dimensions. This will bring Thalia and Damien back to life, and wipe their memories, providing Ra’s with two incredibly powerful blank slates he can use in his global plans. Batman is determined to stop him, but first he must deal with a horde of Amazonian woman that don’t take too kindly to men intruding upon their home.
With this issue, Peter J. Tomasi finally gets the opportunity to write a face-to-face showdown between Batman and Ra’s. This has been brewing since Damian and Talia’s bodies disappeared at the end of “Batman Incorporated”, and Tomasi does not disappoint. The story moves along at a very quick pace, and the fighting starts on the first page. There’s a big chunk of expository dialogue explaining the tense state of Diana’s relationship with her fellow Amazonians that will seem a little redundant for anyone who has read the excellent Azzarello/Chang run on the “Wonder Woman”. Tomasi makes it as unintrusive as possible, and the world of Wonder Woman is very accessible to new readers. The ending throwdown fight is smartly scripted, as Tomasi makes the wise choice to let Batman’s intelligence and compassion lead to a solution, instead of just a pure fist fight and pummeling.
Batman and Wonder Woman is a pairing rarely seen outside of the larger Justice League team ups, and presents a lot intriguing possibilities. Unfortunately, this issue doesn’t get too deep into the nuts and bols of their superhero friendship, as there just isn’t the space. This issue is part of Tomasi’s larger ‘Hunt for Robin’ arc, and everything gets filtered through that story prism. There is the possibility that once this arc wraps up “Batman And…” can continue as a good old fashion team up book, and the small glimpses that Tomasi includes to highlight the differences and similarities between Batman and Wonder Woman suggests that he could explore this relationship much further given the opportunity.
There are two very different visual representations of Wonder Woman in the New 52 right now. There is the “Justice League”/”Superman/Wonder Woman” version, as rendered in the Jim Lee heavy lined and detailed realistic manner, and the look of the actual “Wonder Woman” book, drawn in a much more stylized look by Cliff Chang. Patrick Gleason succeeds in the seemingly impossible task of combining both stylizes and arriving at a very happy medium. Gleason’s art has the detailed character designs and backgrounds found in “Justice League”, but without sacrificing the cooler, less than realistic moments in Chang’s work. The result is very impressive, and it feels like Gleason’s Wonder Woman fits in just as well with Superman and Green Lantern as she does among gods and goddesses.
There is a lot going on this book, often with a dozen characters filling each page, and Gleason handles every very well. From the moment Batman ends up on the shores of Themyscira and Gleason surrounds him with Amazonian warriors that look like Amazonian warrior instead of disproportionate models, it’s clear the Gleason knows what he’s doing. The ending battle features two superheroes, a supervillain, various henchman, a giant mud monster, and an imploding cave, but it never gets confusing or visually overwhelming. The book’s art is just very balanced, like Gleason was sure not to sacrifice things like facial expressions for grand spectacle.
“Batman and Wonder Woman” #30 continues the Dark Knight’s globe trotting adventure on the trail of Ra’s al Ghul, and Tomasi and Gleason manage to deliver one of the best issues of their run. Peter J. Tomasi avoids super messy exposition, and is sure to include smaller character moments along with bigger plot developments. Patrick Gleason accomplishes the difficult task of combining the Jim Lee realistic Wonder Woman and the Cliff Chiang’s stylized version. This was a solid and entertaining installment of the “Batman And…” series, and with the Tomasi/Gleason team at the helm, this is a title that could have real legs.
Final Verdict: 8.5 – Buy
