Batman #119
DC Comics
Written by Joshua Williamson
Art by Jorge Molina, Adriano Di Benedetto and Mikel Kanin
Colors by Tomeu Morey
Letters by Clayton Cowles
The Rundown: Batman will discover who is funding Batman Inc. as his investigation into a murder takes a dark turn.
Years ago, Bruce Wayne lays out his plan for his work as Batman with Alfred. As they go through his idea for Gotham’s protector, Alfred gives him a warning about the dangers that he will face. Back in the present, Batman faces one of those dangers when he is confronted by Lex Luthor who has taken over the funding of Batman Inc. for his own unknown purposes.
Lex invited Bruce to dinner to discuss the future of Batman and to make him an offer. One that will continue to finance the Batman in the way he deserves. In the aftermath of their conversation, Batman heads back out into the night to try to examine the body of Abyss before it is given to LexCorp. However, Batman will discover quickly that the body is not who he thinks and the real killer will reveal himself while also taking something from Batman himself.
The Story: Williamson brings in Lex Luthor as part of this arc and it has some interesting moments and points. On the flip side, it feels like another way of reminding both the reader and the character that he isn’t wealthy anymore. A trope that is already tired. The mystery elements of the story are done really well and the Abyss moments were some of the best of the issue. It will be interesting to see how the story evolves.
The Art: All of the artists deliver some great visuals. The meeting between Luthor and Bruce stands out for its visual details and the Abyss fight has some great moments of visual tension.