Writer – Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, Ray Fawkes, John Layman, Tim Seeley
Artist – Trevor McCarthy
Colours – Guy Major
Letters – Taylor Esposito

Something is lurking below Arkham Asylum and giving the inmates nightmares while Batwing makes an appearance and tussles with the Gentleman Ghost. That fight, to say the least, does not last very long as a Nth metal Batarang makes short work of the villain. Jim Corrigan has a chat with Bruce and then teams up with the aforementioned Batwing to investigate some spooky stuff which is an interesting team-up and one that would be welcome again in future issues. Batman follows a truck from a medical supply house in old Gotham to possibly fatal consequences which continues the action and it all makes for a very fun book. There is no GCPD in this issue, no Stephanie Brown, no Jim Gordon, no Batgirl, no Red Robin and no Falcone although what is in this book, at least some of it, ties into what has been going on and readers can see this story getting bigger and bigger with every passing issue which in some ways is not a bad thing in the slightest, though if the creators of this tale are not careful, it could get away from them. This was a good issue overall and it is great to see Jim Corrigan in the new DCU as the rightful alter-ego of the Spectre, something that did not need a change and those in charge realizing it. While the artwork was good and the story engaging, it would add yet more plot threads to a book already teeming with them as previously stated, creating a very complex web. Hopefully as it all trucks along, it does not get bogged down by its own weight and some of the storylines get resolved or at the very least, not forgotten. With guest stars like Corrigan and Batwing, they continue to intrigue the reader and make one wonder just who might be next appearance-wise, hero or villain. As for Gordon whom this whole thing started with, it will be good to see him return to the book and see how prison is treating him. Best of all, despite being a ‘Batman’ title, he does not necessarily dominate the book, at least the first six issues thus far, sharing the spotlight with his extended family which definitely makes for a well-rounded story.

4 out of 5