DC Comics and Batman #123 Spoilers and Review follows.
Batman and Robin Hunt Down Deathstroke As A Big Death Mars Shadow War Part 5?!
The issue has a few variant covers below to supplement the main cover above.
The promise of the title can be discerned from its solicit.
BATMAN #123
“SHADOW WAR” PART 5
Written by JOSHUA WILLIAMSON
Art and cover by HOWARD PORTER
Backup written by JOSHUA WILLIAMSON
Backup art by TREVOR HAIRSINE
Variant cover by GABRIELE DELL’OTTO
1:25 variant cover by JAY ANACLETO
1:50 variant cover by JOCK
$4.99 US | 40 pages | Variant $5.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 5/3/22Batman and Robin are finally reunited! Together they will hunt for the truth behind the death of Ra’s al Ghul! But then who is left to defend the Secret Society against the League of Shadows? Deathstroke’s fight against the Demon’s Shadow ends with a shocking cliffhanger!
Plus, what happens when you get Deathstroke infected with Joker toxin? Find out in the epic backup story!
Shadow War continues and here’s the checklist so you can see where we are.
Batman #123 opens with Batman and Robin…
…interrogate a fake Deathstroke from a recent Justice League arc…
…to locate who masqueraded as Deathstroke to kill Ra’s Al Ghul.
They get the name of the person that gave them and the other fellow, who seemingly is just as scary as Batman, their Deathstroke duds; that fellow actually wanted the classic Deathstroke look.
Elsewhere, we see Batman Inc. protect Deathstroke Inc. aka the Secret Society of Super-Villains; at the same time Deathstroke and Ravager try to get in the head of his doppelgänger.
Batman and Robin break into the lair of the super-villain tailor during which time Robin tells Batman he has a girlfriend presumably that’s Flatline.
That distracts Batman who then uncharacteristically trips a deadly alarm.
They track down the tailor, whose lair has bene torched and he’s been drugged, but is still alive.
The fake Deathstroke confronts the dynamic duo…
…telling them they just want Deathstroke punished.
Deathstroke knows that someone from Batman Inc. is following him and Ravager and asks them to reveal themselves; it’s the Hood and no sooner are they revealed that everyone is attacked.
Talia Al Ghul’s ninjas with swords and…
…guns?!
Deathstroke’s son, Ra’s Al Ghul’s experiment with his daughter and Deathstroke’s DNA, ReSpwan – who would then technically be Robin’s 1/2 brothers – gets between the bullets and his “dad”!
Ravager comes on the scene…
…seeing her dad cradle her brother’s seeming lifeless body?!
The back-up involves a flashback to when Batman and Deathstroke first met.
Deathstroke was poisoned by the Joker and sent on a mission to kill Batman’s first Robin.
Deathstroke hunts him down, but Batman is close by and saves the Joker!
The book ends with Deathstroke realizing he hasn’t fulfilled the contract to kill Robin, as the Joker toxin begins to wear off, and he’s ok with not killing the boy wonder.
The Pulse:
A solid issue to front to back. That includes a back-up that meshes well with the main story. That core story is fill of action and intrigue. Both stories are beautifully rendered by the full art team. A satisfying and entertaining issue as the Shadow War continues. 8.5 out of 10.
