Batwing #23 Review

Batwing #23, penned by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray, picks up where last month's installment left off without the slightest pause. After his family's abduction by the Marabunta, poor Luke Fox isn't even given a chance to catch his breath before he's up to his neck in villains, new and old.

The issue opens with a full page fight scene that's packed to the gills with action. Penciller Eduardo Pansica is an expert at manipulating his lines and angles to fill the space on the page with energy. Similarly, Julio Ferreira's inks and Paul Mounts' colors are rich and vibrant, particularly during the nighttime scenes that call for a juxtaposition of deep blacks and saturated colors.

After tidying up the Marabunta's mess, Batwing finds himself in a position familiar to many a masked vigilante. Because he can't explain his curious absence to his family, they assume the worst (that's he's an irresponsible coward essentially) and judge him harshly. It's a trope we've seen before, and Palmiotti and Gray do little to liven it up. We then quickly move on to Batwing's next foe: Lady Vic, assassin for hire.

The problem with Lady Vic is that she's simply not that interesting. Her dialogue feels more than a little forced, and she reads as more of a caricature than a character. Considering the effort that Palmiotti and Gray have put into making Luke feel like an authentic character with a distinct voice, Lady Vic's lack of comparable complexity stands out even more starkly in comparison.

While we're having a jolly good time getting to know this new Batwing -- and we like the cut of his jib so far -- we're holding out hope that his supporting cast of friends and foes will prove a worthy complement.

Melissa Grey is a lover of all things cats, comics, and outer space. She can be found on MyIGN at MelissaGrey or lurking on Twitter @meligrey.

Source : ign[dot]com