REVIEW: A duel with the Demon’s daughter in ‘Batman #35′
A fight to the death. Its Selina vs Talia. The Cat against the Daughter of the Demon. The winner wins Bruce’s heart.
A fight to the death. Its Selina vs Talia. The Cat against the Daughter of the Demon. The winner wins Bruce’s heart.
Many things can be said about Rules of Engagement, but a good story arc is not probably one of those. However, I would agree that Rules of Engagement is a good set-up story for a bigger adventure. I still believe that Tom King is a great writer but he failed to capitalize on the different interesting angles in this story. There are just so many relationships and elements involved that Tom probably picked the least interesting direction to set up a bigger story in the future.
Taking BATMAN #35 for what it is, it still has a good story that explores the relationship of Selina and Talia as Bruce’s lovers. I like how both women made argued why they are Bruce’s one true love. Both gave compelling arguments, but at the end of the day, Bruce will love whoever (or whatever) will make him happy.
Batman #35 feels like a finale to Rules of Engagement. But I do hope that this wouldn’t be the last time I’ll see Joëlle Jones’ art in a Batman book. Her interior work for Batman is captivating and refreshing that I never thought a Batman comic book can be drawn that way.
The banter between Dick and Damian is also a highlight for this book. While Tom King didn’t delve much into their conversation, I think the dynamics between those two characters are great. Looking forward to how Tom will develop the Bat-family after Scott Snyder has torn them apart.
Review by Paolo Ollero, co-founder of The Dark Knight Philippines, the premier Batman group in the country
