DCU Comic Book Reviews

DETECTIVE COMICS #865

Beneath The Mask, Part Two:  Face Off!

July 2010

Written by David Hine

Pencils by Jeremy Haun

Inks by Jeremy Haun

Cover by Cliff Chiang

Synopsis

Jeremiah Arkham thinks he has just killed his “Beauties” the three asylum inmates that Jeremiah had “cured”. And he blames Batman for making him do it.  However, Batman convinces Jeremiah that the Beauties were only part of his delusions.  Later, Jeremiah reveals that when Dr. Hugo Strange was a patient at Arkham, Strange was able subtly coerce Jeremiah to work with the Joker, who slowly introduced the Joker Toxin into Jeremiah’s system, allowing them to control him.  After talking to Jeremiah, Batman learns Alyce Sinner was named the new director of the facility.  That night, Alyce releases Jeremiah so he can exact revenge on Zsasz.  It is also a test to see who is in control:  weak Jeremiah or the strong Black Mask.  It is Black Mask. 

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

This is less of a story and more of an info dump, a long exposition that helps to connect the dots between two different, previously published stories, as I had talked about in the review for the previous issue.  In that regard, this issue works perfectly as it explains everything, and removes any apparent contradictions, that happened in the Arkham Aslyum mini-series and Tony Daniel’s recent Black Mask story, the two stories that this story helps to flesh out and explain.  Moreover, it also leaves the door open for more stories and keeps Black Mask still in play as a viable character and villain for Batman down the road.  Does it work as a story?  Not really.  There is no suspense or impact to the story.  It just meanders around, finding various plots that needed to be tied up or explained.  Hell, the biggest plot point of the previous issue (the banker with the bomb) is an almost throw away part of the story, quickly forgotten by Batman.  It is such an inconsequential moment that I think it almost appears simply because Hine realized he couldn’t completely forget about it.  The most important thing in this issue is to wrap up the madness of Jeremiah while still keeping Black Mask around for future stories.  Never mind the fact that the manipulation of Jeremiah by Dr. Strange and Joker is barely touched upon or the detoxification of Jeremiah of the Joker toxin happens rather quickly.  These are minor points.  Ultimately, Hine breaks it down into simple terms:  Jeremiah was manipulated into sniffing the proverbial glue and now he is nuts.  The details are unimportant.  What does matter is that this issue ties together two other stories so it all makes sense, even if it doesn’t completely quite make sense.  If that makes sense. 

Actually, what doesn’t seem to make sense is the scene with Zsasz.  We see Jeremiah holding the knife with Zsasz screaming about the fact that he can’t see. The implication is that Jeremiah cut up Zsasz eye.  But Jeremiah says he has special place “right here” and points to his own eye and adds “every time I blink” he’ll be reminded of him.  So he carved “my initials inside his eyelid”.  So every time Jeremiah blinks he is reminded of Zsasz?  Why?  Did this happen before?  Yet, Jeremiah says it in the future tense (“I’ll be reminded”) which is weird.  Was the attack on Zsasz payback?  For what?  Why is Jeremiah referring to his eye, but saying he cut up Zsasz’s eye?

I wonder how Zsasz’s role in this issue ties into his recent appearance in Streets of Gotham.  It is mentioned that he arrived in Arkham with minor injuries, which would contradict that near fatal blow he received in this issue. 

Pipeline, Chapter Two / Part Six

Written by Greg Rucka

Art by Cully Hamner

Synopsis

In Syria, Renee Montoya (aka The Question) and Helena Bertinelli (aka Huntress) are confronted by Vandal Savage, who now carries the mark of Cain on his forehead.  He wants one of them to take the mark from him.  Willingly.  Or both of them will die.  The two women discuss it, with Renee deciding she’ll do it.  Helena, however, decides as well.  She incapacitates Renee and then finds Savage to finish the deal.  In the middle of the ceremony, Renee breaks it up.  Despite that, the mark disappears from Vandal.  It does not appear on Helena.  With her mask on, it is difficult to tell if it appeared on Renee.  Helena tells Renee to take her mask off.  Renee refuses; she’ll take it off later.

Review

I suppose, in a way, Rucka found the only ending to the story that he could possibly find, without fundamentally changing one of the three characters.  Granted, he done that with Vandal Savage to begin with, but I am guessing that he did it with the realization he needed to undo it.  I am not sure if that was the reason Rucka had the story lead to Savage, but it seems like it.  Yet, it still works, especially with the Twilight Zone-ish ending that makes you wonder what might’ve happened.  Anyway, Rucka found the perfect ending, dealing with the situation that would allow any writer to use the characters without having to deal with the Mark but ending in a way that doesn’t seem obvious that that was exactly what Rucka was doing.  I liked it. 

Overall, I liked the “Pipeline” story; it was easily one of the better second features that DC had in the past year or so since they started with the idea of doing them.  Hamner’s art was perfect and Rucka found a way to work within the small number of pages to make each installment feel like a whole while it was still part of the overall story he was telling.  This was good stuff.