: (4 of 5cowls)

This cover by John McCrea and Nathan Eyring is not the sort of thing I normally like, due to it being so stark, plain, and rough feeling. However, in the case of the story involved, it is extremely effective, and a good indicator of the edgy, gritty feel of the issue. A simple black and white mug shot of Bruce Wayne, looking scruffy, ragged, and very much like he COULD have killed someone, is set on a pure white background with the 'TEC logo in grey. The only splash of color on the cover is the yellow cowl logo on all the batbooks, drawing the eye and making it fit in well with the other titles. My only complaint is the dot-style shading. I thought it detracted from an otherwise very striking image. Smooth shading in grayscale would have been a better compliment to the blocky harsh outline image.

Story: (5 of 5 cowls)

This is, perhaps, the finest comic issue I have ever read. Last year, Action Comics #775, "What's so Funny about Truth, Justice, and the American Way?" by Joe Kelly blew me away, gave me chills, and re-ignited the meaning of Superman for me. This month, Greg Rucka has introduced me to the absolute horror of murder, and the intricate, frustrating, and emotional procedure of a police investigation. He has gripped me so deeply as a reader, I cannot possibly turn away from the "Bruce Wayne: Murderer?" and "Bruce Wayne: Fugitive!" storylines no matter how poorly other writers may contribute to them. Rucka has left a very big impression on me ever since I started reading Detective Comics, but this is his best work here. From the opening scenes of chaos at Wayne manor, to the investigative thoughts, suspicions, and hunches of detectives Montoya and Allen, the GCPD takes center stage and literally shines. Batman never appears in this entire issue, and he is not missed at all, that is how well this is written. There are two exceptional standouts in the story. The first is the 911 call. Here words, simple words handled with creative emphasis by letterer Todd Klein and complemented by McDaniel's images, are able to move the reader to feeling that clench in the pit of their stomach, hearing the pleading tone of a voice we have never heard in life, feeling the absolute chill menace of Vesper being stalked down the upstairs hallway of Wayne Manor, and sensing the terror of the struggle at hand. The other is the wordless, simple, utterly effective departure of Alfred from Brentwood. Bravo Greg, you really outdid yourself here.

Artwork: (5 of 5 cowls)

Although I am quite used to and charmed by the work of Martinbrough and Mitchell on 'Tec, and the monochrome color scheme, I think DC was very wise to place McDaniel and Delperdang on this issue. The story was too powerful, too emotional, and too complex to be handled by the effective but simpler cartoon-ish style of the monthly crew. I was pleased that although the issue was full color, the colors remained muted, out of respect for the monochrome trademark of 'Tec, and the heaviness of the story. McDaniel is brilliant in this issue, and I cannot possibly place any improvements on his handling of Rucka's story here. Many multiple small panels make up the first page, carrying us from the arrival of the police at the manor, to the removal of the suspects with little ado on a single page, yet show every step of the procedure with an incredible sense of feeling derived from Bruce's and Sasha's facial expressions and postures. There is a sense of speed and urgency in the book, derived from the uniquely overlapping page layouts and numerous frames on the early pages. The stark graphicness of the murder scene is tamed only by the muted colors, but no less effective for it. (Note to movie makers: I don't need to see entrails, blood clots, and fingers blown off to really understand the horrors of war!) Here too, the standout is the 911 call scene. There is absolute brilliance in the two-page panel, showing alternating views of Bruce and Sasha reacting to Vesper's words, screams, struggles, and the gunshots. We watch Bruce go from sad and resigned, to tense, to struggling with himself, to all out horror. Sasha goes from withdrawn, to unsettled, to pained, to tortured in a beautiful use of increasingly closer perspectives. McDaniel's ability to show us expression and Delpardang's ability to not lose an ounce of that expressiveness when inking his work, made this issue a true masterpiece.

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