Much like Action Comics, Detective Comics #946 continues the great legacy that this series is known for. Being one of the few comics that can puff its chest out at having almost 1000 issues, it has some big shoes to fill. Thankfully, James Tynion IV knows Batman, Batwoman, and the rest of this team very well. Much like Snyder, Tynion has spent years with these characters and knows what makes these characters tick. He shows that with every issue of Detective Comics, and #946 is no exception. This issue continues The Victim Syndicate arc, and I really enjoyed it.

In this issue, we get so much story packed in. We get the newest members of the team, Batwing, and Azrael fighting alongside Batman and Batwoman. We see Stephanie Brown, Spoiler dealing with what happened to Tim Drake, her talking to a computer version of him, and thinking about what the member of The Victim Syndicate who visited her said. We also get to see a moment between Clayface and Mudface, and as usual with this series, we get to see an awesome and more human side to Basil Karlo, as he tries to explain to Mudface that at one time he thought he was nothing more of a monster, but Batman helped him. We even get a moment for Orphan, as we see her take down a member of the syndicate in a brilliant, and touching way.

The way Tynion writes this series with such raw emotion is a nice thing to see in a superhero comic book. Especially when it comes to superheroes. The whole idea that The Victim Syndicate is made up of people who Batman hurt may not be a new idea, but it is still done quite well. I am enjoying the mystery behind the syndicate, and how this arc will be resolved if it will be at all. It definitely seems to be affecting some of the members more than others, like Spoiler, and Clayface. I am interested to find out how Batwoman is feeling about all of this, as she keeps her feelings close much like Batman. She is focused on getting things done, and dealing with all of that later. With all the team has been through, and her own solo book coming up, will she be leaving? The addition of Batwing and Azrael would lead me to believe the answer to be yes, even if it is only for a short time.

Eddy Barrows does a very nice job on pencils, along with Eber Ferreira on inks and Adriano Lucas on colors to give this issue some awesome art. They use panels in such a smart way to pack a ton of things onto one page, but I never found it distracting like some other books that do it. Clayface and Mudface look gross, but there is some humanity in them that is captured here well. They found a way to show there is more behind these characters than their appearances (as Basil has shown throughout this series as a hero now instead of a villain). There are also some near full page drawings of Spoiler, Batman, and Clayface that are awesome. Barrows does a great job of matching Tynion on the emotion behind the characters. Stephanie and Clayface look sad throughout the book, while Batman looks angry and frustrated.

I have enjoyed every issue of the post-DC Rebirth Detective Comics run (not that I did not enjoy the pre-Rebirth book), and I don’t think that will stop anytime soon. I loved the ending of this book, and what it could set up. Batman has never liked working as a team like Red Robin told him in the early page flashback in this issue, and sometimes you can see why. He is afraid of getting other people hurt, but he is learning that sometimes, not even he can avoid that. I am starting to wonder why The Victim Syndicate chose Spoiler to visit and ask her why she helps Batman. I think the end game is a lot bigger than simply being civilians who turned villains because Batman got them hurt. I cannot wait to see where this book goes, and I would recommend it to anyone.

Story: James Tynion IV Art: Eddy Barrows Ink: Eber Ferreira Color: Adriano Lucas
Story: 9 Art: 9 Overall: 9 Recommendation: Buy

DC provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review