Written by Tom King
Art by Clay Mann
Published by DC Comics
This has been a great book.
The City Of Bane storyline has been fantastic thus far and this issue continues along those lines. Tom King has been doing stellar work on this title. This issue is a nice interlude from the main storyline and it is wonderfully handled by the creative team.
The book opens with Bruce and Selina on a beach enjoying some rest and relaxation. Bruce is in disguise as Matches Malone and Selina is making sure he relaxes with her.
She’s trying to help Bruce heal both spiritually and mentally. Of course Bruce is resistant. But that’s part of the fun here.
It’s actually a really great story that is well written and Illustrated. It also feels completely necessary.
And not just for the story that Tom King is telling.
It actually feels like maybe Bruce needed this for a long time. Maybe even since I started reading Batman. Maybe even before that.
We see them climb a cliff. We then see a beautiful scene where Bruce can’t sleep. This is an especially original scene as it’s something we have never seen before. Selina comments on Bruce’s sleeping patterns and it’s funny, sweet and strangely heart breaking. It’s so well done it in fact that it may actually be my favorite scene of King’s entire writing career. Seriously.
We see the two of them go back and forth. We see Selina trying to get Bruce back into fighting shape. We see the two of them honestly in love. And it feels real. It’s completely perfect. It also feels incredibly well earned.
This is another issue that just shines in King’s run. The art by Clay Mann is absolutely tops. He’s really just an amazing artist. Just amazing. You can’t ask for better than this.
RATING: A+
