Batwing #8

Is this news? A massacre in Gotham? Really?

At the end of last issue, Nightwing and Robin found themselves trapped in a warehouse up against Massacre and Steelback's Armor. The original Steelback who is just Daniel right now warned them to get out! He obviously has no faith in Batman trained heroes. But then he's from an old school regime when bullets could actually hit normal people without super powers who just happened to be wearing costumes.

I'd make Robin fight the armor with the machine guns as well.

Nightwing dodges Massacre's machetes and Robin dodges Steelback's Armor's bullets until Batman and Batwing arrive on the scene. They probably could have defeated these guys themselves but were just stalling so that Batwing could serve up the righteous ass-kicking himself.

When Batman arrives, he drops some Bat Grenades on Steelback's Armor. I wonder if Batman has a pouch on his utility belt where he keeps the weapons that could be fatal to a normal person? And he has a safety on it so that he doesn't accidentally throw a Bat Grenade at The Joker's head when he meant to throw a Batarang. I bet he keeps a Batgun in there just in case a situation arises that can only be solved by shooting a bullet at something. Because that would just be another tool used to save his life! Not like he'd actually shoot anyone with it! But I bet if he kept a gun around the house, Robin might find it and accidentally shoot one of the Teen Titans in the face on a sleep over.

While Batman contemplates his Bat Grenades, Batwing tackles Massacre through a wall. He still thinks this guy is the General! What a dumb dumb! Boy is he in for a big surprise when he fatally wounds him and then takes off the mask to see his brother's scarred face. And the reader will know it's his brother because of those scars! Otherwise, how would we recognize him as an adult when we've only seen him drawn poorly as a boy?

Batman's Bat Grenades have no effect on Steelback's Armor. It just gets mad and raises its fists over its head in the universal sign of being mad. Or overly excited.

Daniel Balogun, the original person inside Steelback's Armor, is the guy in the Batplane. He's going to tell Robin, Nightwing, and Batman how to defeat it. It'll probably go pretty smoothly. But enough about them! Let's get back to Massacre and Batwing!

I wonder if the Batclamps come out of the same hole as the urine. I mean lighter fluid.

Batwing shoots some Batclamps at Massacre and easily immobilize him. Would those be Batclamps? Or is the proper term, Batwingclamps? Perhaps they're Batcuffs? Or Catcuffs, you know what I'm sayin'? They exchange a few more punches and share a little dialogue.

I smell an emotional moment coming up! Yes, it's true. Emotional moments smell.

But then the action goes back to the fight against Steelback's Armor! Sheesh! Nothing emotional going on over here. Except maybe a few high Batfives after the Armor is defeated.

Oh fuck me, Judd. I was just joking about the making it angry thing! But look! His tactic is to make it angry so that it throws its arms in the air and looks up! Bwa ha ha!

Daniel instructs the Batguys to keep throwing bombs at the armor to make it angry. That way it will be looking up when Robin slides under it to throw bombs at its crotch. I'm not sure what that does. I guess it makes it look down while holding its junk and moaning. That way, Batman can jump on its back and engage the External Shutdown.

Really? An external shutdown? I guess having a shutdown switch on the outside of the armor is the smart thing to do. Just in case something like this happens. Or if the Armor became sentient. Or if Daniel suddenly caught Space Madness. So it's the right thing to do if you're a hero. Proper precautions and all that.

The Armor pops open and nobody is in it! Batman wonders if it can be operated remotely and I'm guessing it can be. By somebody who knows technology and science! Someone like Josiah Kone, the Kingdom's science guy! Yeah, I'm sticking to my guess that he's in on it even though Steelback's Armor is about to explode all over the Batguys.

Back to Massacre and Batwing, they continue to argue. Batwing suggests that if Massacre is not General Keita, then he must be some other big jerk rapist evildoer crimelord asshole. And then he kicks Massacre's mask off and gets a good look at him!

See! See the scar! Was this a surprise to anybody reading this comic?

Batwing realizes it is his brother and calls him by name. Massacre begins to freak out, wondering how Batwing knows his name. And then Batman, over the comm, screams at Batwing to get the fuck out because Steelback's armor is going to explode! Batwing tries to get Issac to come with him but Isaac won't go until Batwing tells him how he knows his name.

And then...

Whoops! I mean, *sniff*!

Later and elsewhere in an abandoned office building, some guy is on a phone leaving a message to Massacre. My guess has been it's Kone but I don't recognize him. I'm not good remembering the faces of characters I've only seen a few times. Why didn't they give him a scar? Maybe the glasses are supposed to tip me off. Anyway, Batwing walks in and starts roughing him up because they traced the remote control signal to him.

Sometimes if I just take the time to turn the page, my questions are answered!

Kone tells Batwing how he found Isaac in the jungle living like an animal. Kone gave Isaac something to live for by telling him about The Kingdom and how they betrayed their own people. Kone didn't turn Isaac into a weapon; Isaac already was one. But he did turn him against Africa's heroes. And that's the last mystery of that story.

Batman lets Batwing know that there was no sign of Massacre after the explosion. He escaped and is now on the run. Batwing can only hope to find his brother and bring him back to him. Batman consoles Batwing and perverts General Keita's saying that they honor us with their blood by telling Batwing he honors them with his strength. Oh Batman! You're such a cheeseball!

And then the comic ends on the emotional moment that was stinking up the comic. And it's actually really nicely done.

Batwing Issue #8 Rating: +1 Ranking. Superb finish to a good comic book story. It won't go down in history as one of the great must reads! But it was a fine comic book and a good introduction to Batwing. Definitely a surprise book in my comic box.