Batwing #5

Who needs Batwing if Batman is going to keep showing up?

Batwing #5 begins in the past. AGAIN! A nice little trip down memory lane where David (Batwing) burnt some poor helpless villager alive at the command of his General. That's the General that killed Isaac (except he didn't actually kill him as we'll see as soon as the comic returns to the present) and that David killed. Or left to die at the hands of his enemies. Pretty much the same thing.

Batman and David are working security for a new museum that's about to open. The Kingdom's old headquarters, The Citadel, is being revamped into a museum dedicated to Africa's greatest super group. David is patrolling in his human persona. Batman is probably hiding in shadows somewhere inside waiting to show himself at the most dramatic moment.

Oh, forget that. Batman is being Bruce Wayne! He's one of the bigwigs with money behind the project. So when trouble starts, five or six people will probably die before these jerks can change into their costumes.

Except when all hell breaks loose, Batwing and Batman find somewhere to hide and change costumes quicker than one terrorist can discharge a full clip. Amazing! It must be some kind of Batman, Inc, Franchise Secret. Like the Colonel's 11 herbs and spices. Unless there are 12.

Batman and Batwing fight side by side like the cover says. In two panels. Yes. TWO PANELS! That's a slap in the face to any Batman fan picking up this title because Batman makes an appearance. But really, I don't have any sympathy for someone picking up a book because of what the cover shows! It's always just a big lie!

Here's one of the panels where they fight side by side. This comic is full of silhouette panels. Lazy or artistic? You make the stupid call.

Batwing and Batman fight a bunch of people in Massacre masks only to realize that the thugs are simply trying to get everyone clear of The Citadel. And once they're clear, one of them makes a phone call and the Citadel is brought to the ground in a huge explosion.

Batwing beats the crap out of the guy with the phone and then hits redial and has his techie in the Hawaiian shirts trace it. The call is coming from Giza. Which means next issue, Issue #6, we are finally going to return to the present! Sheesh. Even though the comic book, yet again, began telling the reader it was Today!

No, not today! One week ago!

This book is taken a long time building up to the big revelation that Massacre is really Isaac even though everyone guess it three issues ago! It's taking it's time but not in a good way or horrible way. Just an average way. I like when stories don't rush. But at only 20 pages per comic and a mere four panels per page average (if that!), it needs to step up the pace a little more. Don't forget the fans are paying for this and when you waste an issue with slow pacing, they're not going to stick around for long. DC needs to just drop four pages of their own ads for other comics and get their writers and artists used to doing four more fucking pages of work each month. And drop the other DC ads for ads that are paying money! That'll help out too! Do I have to come over there and run this fucking company for you?