The Super Powered Fancast

Batman: Urban Legends #2

DC Comics

Written by Chip Zdarsky, Cecil Castellucci, Brandon Thomas and Matthew Rosenberg

Art by Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferriera, Julio Ferriera, Marcus To, Marguerite Sauvage, Max Dunbar and Ryan Benjamin

Colors by Adriano Lucas, Luis Guerrero and Antonio Fabela

Letters by Becca Carey, Steve Wands and Saida Temofonte

The Rundown: Three new stories take readers into the dark corners of Gotham.

Cheer

Jason has messed up in a way that there might be no coming back from. After killing a man responsible for distributing drugs in the city, he has to deal with the fact that he is also responsible for taking care of the man’s son while the boy’s mother recovers from an overdose. The events bring back bad memories from Jason’s own past. Memories he might not have time to reconcile when Batman shows up wanting answers.

An intense, dark and moving short story. The artists perfectly capture the mood and tone of the story with each panel.

Ghost in the Machine

Oracle prepares for her next encounter with criminal hacker and scientist Vi Ross. After fashioning a new set of equipment to track her down, Barbara takes to the streets with some costumed backup to find and thwart her latest plan. A plan that might seem small, but could definitely indicate something bigger on the horizon.

This is a great story that highlights a looming and evolving threat. It’s great seeing Barbara get in on the ground floor of tracking this villain and how her presence influences Barbara to step up her game technologically. Sauvage’s art is stunning in how the characters look and the warmth of the environment.

The Caretaker

The complicated nature of Katana and Black Lightning’s relationship comes to a head when Jefferson and Metamorpho escape from the clutches of a woman with a connection to Katana. As Katanna fights for her life, she is confronted not only with the fact that her late husbands soul is missing, but that her feelings for Jefferson might be the cause. Meanwhile, Black Lightning and Metamorpho face an army in their attempt to rescue Katana.

A great story that continues to move the relationship and internal conflicts between Jefferson and Tatsu forward while introducing great tension and fun. The art is stunning and the style perfectly fits the aesthetic of the story.

The Long Con

More of Grifter’s history with Wayne Enterprises and Lucius Fox is revealed as Cole fights to save his new boss from another Leviathan attack that almost takes the CEO out again. In the aftermath, Cole meets his new boss and has a meeting with a scared Toyman that puts him face to face with Red Hood. An encounter that will put Grifter on the hook for another murder.

The immediacy of the plot and its pacing are two of the things that make this story an interesting and entertaining read. There is great action and thrills throughout and Ryan Benamin’s art is beautifully detailed and filled with energy.