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Detective Comics (2016) (Single Issues)
Detective Comics #934
"RISE OF THE BATMEN" Chapter One An unknown predator begins outdoing Batman, taking down dangerous threats with military precision. It's up to the Dark Knight and series costar Batwoman to rally and train the young heroes of Gotham City to end this mysterious threat! WHAT Batman and Batwoman begin training Spoiler, Red Robin and Cassandra Cain, but is the villainous Clayface ready for redemption?
28 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 8, 2016
17 people are currently reading
169 people want to read
About the author
James Tynion IV
1,174 books1,998 followersPrior to his first professional work, Tynion was a student of Scott Snyder's at Sarah Lawrence College. A few years later, he worked as for Vertigo as Fables editor Shelly Bond's intern. In late 2011, with DC deciding to give Batman (written by Snyder) a back up feature, Tynion was brought in by request of Snyder to script the back ups he had plotted. Tynion would later do the same with the Batman Annual #1, which was also co-plotted by Snyder. Beginning in September 2012, with DC's 0 issue month for the New 52, Tynion will be writing Talon, with art by Guillem March. In early 2013 it was announced that he'd take over writing duties for Red Hood and the Outlaws in April.
Tynion is also currently one of the writers in a rotating team in the weekly Batman Eternal series.
Tynion is also currently one of the writers in a rotating team in the weekly Batman Eternal series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
May 12, 2025
James Tynion is the man to be in Rebirth!
After this first issue I just read I believe he has a very good chance to make Detective Comics better than Batman series which wasn't the case in New 52 not even close.
This first issue explained to me all the new heroes Batman is training, I thought it went back more than this or something.
I'll still track down their first appearances but after I finish both these Batman titles in Rebirth.
Who is the bad guy though? It feels like he is someone Batman knows but who?
I love how Batwoman is taking the lead and declaring herself Batman's equal, even if in the story not in her series, it's hard for a side character to beat the main series, but she just made me want to read her series to see if they are able to make it compete with Batman.
This is just so great, I am here for a reason, I won't spoil.
But this is going to be so much fun I can't wait.
After this first issue I just read I believe he has a very good chance to make Detective Comics better than Batman series which wasn't the case in New 52 not even close.
This first issue explained to me all the new heroes Batman is training, I thought it went back more than this or something.
I'll still track down their first appearances but after I finish both these Batman titles in Rebirth.
Who is the bad guy though? It feels like he is someone Batman knows but who?
I love how Batwoman is taking the lead and declaring herself Batman's equal, even if in the story not in her series, it's hard for a side character to beat the main series, but she just made me want to read her series to see if they are able to make it compete with Batman.
This is just so great, I am here for a reason, I won't spoil.
But this is going to be so much fun I can't wait.
June 8, 2016
3.5/5 stars
So glad this delivered. Loved everything except the artwork, but it was a pretty cool story and I'm curious as to where this is heading.
So glad this delivered. Loved everything except the artwork, but it was a pretty cool story and I'm curious as to where this is heading.
September 27, 2016
DC Rebirth is here, so many things have changed for the better! Detective Comics is now back to its original numbering. See, you really do not need some renumbering of titles or a clean slate, all you need is a good start (Although I can also argue that the New52, for all the bad things that it gave to fans and readers alike, acted as a necessary ordeal. I mean, you won't have Rebirth without it, right?) .
So there is a new, more advanced enemy and our Caped Crusader cannot do it alone. So he asked helped from Batwoman (who by the way had an awesome J.H. Williams run) to form a team tasked to surmount this inevitable conflict.
I liked how Tynion made use of the DC characters in the Batman mythos who have been either scarce or totally absent during the New52 era. The author did not make me feel that the two Bats are recruiting them just for screen time. They felt as a start of something great, a team and a really good one.
So DetCom #934 is a recruitment issue. And we have seen this so many times in movies and comics. The fun here is the variety of personalities during the recruitment and Tynion nails it. Despite each team members' action scenes lasting for only a few panels, they are effective and entertaining to see. But who I think stole the show are the villains: Azrael and Clayface.
Jean-Paul Valley was a famous Batman character during the 90s, especially in the Knightfall era. He stole the show and embodied an "aesthetic" Batman that kinda reflects the comics of that decade. I got so excited seeing him again, updated in a "Arkham Knight-esque" costume. His spiritual personality is still intact, loyal to a fault to the Order.
Then there is Basil Karlo, a.k.a. Clayface. Now, what's with DC making heroes out of villains? First Killer Croc in Suicide Squad (well, not really), then SuperLuthor then Clayface. Forever Evil proved to us that villains can become cool, effective heroes too. Haha, but Clayface ain't effective and cool. He's effective and cute! So Clayface being in the team is a good move!
Barrows' subdued contrasts is effective in a DetCom landscape, obviously since this is a Batman comic. The choice of characters turns out to be a good choice of colors as well. There's Batman purple, Batwoman red among other colors.
Rebuilding the Batman family in the face of uncertainty is a way to go for Detective Comics. I think we are in for one great ride.
So there is a new, more advanced enemy and our Caped Crusader cannot do it alone. So he asked helped from Batwoman (who by the way had an awesome J.H. Williams run) to form a team tasked to surmount this inevitable conflict.
I liked how Tynion made use of the DC characters in the Batman mythos who have been either scarce or totally absent during the New52 era. The author did not make me feel that the two Bats are recruiting them just for screen time. They felt as a start of something great, a team and a really good one.
So DetCom #934 is a recruitment issue. And we have seen this so many times in movies and comics. The fun here is the variety of personalities during the recruitment and Tynion nails it. Despite each team members' action scenes lasting for only a few panels, they are effective and entertaining to see. But who I think stole the show are the villains: Azrael and Clayface.
Jean-Paul Valley was a famous Batman character during the 90s, especially in the Knightfall era. He stole the show and embodied an "aesthetic" Batman that kinda reflects the comics of that decade. I got so excited seeing him again, updated in a "Arkham Knight-esque" costume. His spiritual personality is still intact, loyal to a fault to the Order.
Then there is Basil Karlo, a.k.a. Clayface. Now, what's with DC making heroes out of villains? First Killer Croc in Suicide Squad (well, not really), then SuperLuthor then Clayface. Forever Evil proved to us that villains can become cool, effective heroes too. Haha, but Clayface ain't effective and cool. He's effective and cute! So Clayface being in the team is a good move!
Barrows' subdued contrasts is effective in a DetCom landscape, obviously since this is a Batman comic. The choice of characters turns out to be a good choice of colors as well. There's Batman purple, Batwoman red among other colors.
Rebuilding the Batman family in the face of uncertainty is a way to go for Detective Comics. I think we are in for one great ride.
July 7, 2016
(I read this as a physical single issue, but I'm not able to find that edition on GR, so I'm just going to use this one.)
This was a lot better than the one-shot! It's interesting that Batman/woman would choose Clayface, so hopefully that will be explained later on (I'm guessing he was a target for one of those drones, but why him?)
I also want to note that a long time around I got a comic that included Black Bat, or Cassandra Cain. I don't remember anything about it aside from Black Bat, but ever since then I've had a fascination with her, so I hope this title focuses on her a lot in the future.
Definitely one of the best Rebirth issues so far that isn't a one-shot (not that it as much competition at this point x3)
This was a lot better than the one-shot! It's interesting that Batman/woman would choose Clayface, so hopefully that will be explained later on (I'm guessing he was a target for one of those drones, but why him?)
I also want to note that a long time around I got a comic that included Black Bat, or Cassandra Cain. I don't remember anything about it aside from Black Bat, but ever since then I've had a fascination with her, so I hope this title focuses on her a lot in the future.
Definitely one of the best Rebirth issues so far that isn't a one-shot (not that it as much competition at this point x3)
June 11, 2016
This had direction and purpose, it even introduced the notion that a villain of the Batman universe could be reformed. I enjoyed the idea and where it could be going, out of all the rebirth so far this has worked the best. I did like the idea that something is coming and instead of twisting the normal batman squad they have introduced new blood. I've got big expectations and faith this storyline will deliver.
July 27, 2016
Good start to a new story arc. This is the first time I've picked up Detective Comics and this run is basically Gotham City's group of super heroes. There is Batman, Batwoman, Spoiler, Red Robin, Orphan, and Clayface all working together. Batwoman is going to take up the training of the team. The group is up against a large force of enemies. I thought the art was fantastic and I think the writing has some real potential.
June 8, 2016
Great intro to the team and the dynamic between Batman and Batwoman. Wish all of these Rebirth books didn't have the exact same villain structure, but what can you do?
http://pop-break.com/2016/06/08/revie...
http://pop-break.com/2016/06/08/revie...
June 15, 2016
Good little setup of batman getting a crew together. Thought it was good, I do want to see more of duke though ...
June 10, 2016
YES. So much yes. Who would have thought another reboot of DC's universe would turn the tables for the better? After the disaster that the Batwoman series ended in (a hard fall from such a spectacular beginning), I was worried Kate Kane would be overlooked in DC's Rebirth. When I found out she'd be featured in Detective Comics as a major player, I didn't get my hopes up. Odds were the writer they ended up choosing wouldn't be able to handle her well.
I should've paid more attention. I had no idea James Tynion IV would be writing this run! I'm very intentional about which comics I read. Usually, they feature a female protagonist and/or one or more queer characters. Tynion's work has impressed me more than once, with series like Constantine: The Hellblazer and Cognetic, with leads who are openly rainbowtastic but not solely defined by their sexual or gender identity. A quick scroll through his Wikipedia page says he's "openly bisexual" (isn't it glorious?!), which is great to see queer creators making queer comics (because double levels of inclusion!). But enjoying a writer's previous work doesn't guarantee you'll enjoy their work in a different context.
So I flipped open the issue and started reading.
I've never cared for Azrael, but there he is on the first page. I still didn't care about him at the end of his scene, but I did care about what I'd learned by the end of that exchange...
And now for some minor spoilers (that you can somewhat infer from the cover anyway).
Batman asks Batwoman for help to train a new generation of superheroes and prepare them for some big-bad that's going to come after them in the future. Here's the important part: he admits she'd be better at it than he would because she knows how to work in a team, and he wants them to be equal partners.
*arms raised victoriously over my head* THANK YOU, JAMES TYNION IV!!! Thank you for acknowledging how valuable and capable a character Kate Kane is, and for presenting it in such a badass way. Thank you for explicitly having Batman acknowledge it. There's plenty more to the whole "equality" between our lead Bats here, but I'll save the surprise. Let me just say, it's amusing and Tynion really shows off how cool Kate is. She's also kinda sassy! I love me a sassy, out-and-proud Kate Kane!
Another delightful surprise? Batman isn't just dark, broody, serious, and emotionally closed off. He's accessible. He smiles, shows genuine emotion, accepts being teased, and knows when to ask for help. He also believes in redemption. The reason I became interested in Batman as a character in the first place was when I read Gail Simone's version of him in her Batgirl run. We know he's tough, but he also has a heart. A lot of writers forget that. But it's the heart that makes Batman interesting. It's the heart that makes Batman human. I'm thrilled Tynion hasn't forgotten that.
Then our beloved Bat-bosses start recruiting their new babies:
Tim Drake as "Red Robin". I haven't read Tim before, but I'm curious.
"The Spoiler" aka. Stephanie Brown. I've also never read her but I've always wanted to (I have a soft spot for Batgirls). It's hard to find any of her run of Batgirl in hardcopy though, and I insist on reading it on paper. Thankfully, this series is going to give me a chance to get to know her!
Speaking of Batgirls, Cassandra Cain's here! As "Orphan"... Not so sure about the name but I guess it matches her... darker roots? Though her redesigned uniform looks pretty cool, I'm really missing the bat ears. There's probably a good reason for it (like maybe they want to distance her from the Bat Family associations - specifically Batgirl), but... Look, I just miss the ears, okay?!
And Clayface. I didn't expect to sympathize with him, but Tynion makes it happen. I love a well-written bad-to-good transformation, and I'm very interested in how he'll develop as a character.
All in all, I'm very impressed with this first issue. I tend to shy away from team series due to their general lack of individual character development. Only one writer comes to mind who pulls off individual and group development with consistently high quality: Gail Simone. Tom Taylor does a fantastic job with Injustice, but I haven't read enough team books by him to gauge his consistency. Tynion seems intent on building a solid team of distinct characters who'll have their own development as the series progresses. I am so excited for this series.
I should've paid more attention. I had no idea James Tynion IV would be writing this run! I'm very intentional about which comics I read. Usually, they feature a female protagonist and/or one or more queer characters. Tynion's work has impressed me more than once, with series like Constantine: The Hellblazer and Cognetic, with leads who are openly rainbowtastic but not solely defined by their sexual or gender identity. A quick scroll through his Wikipedia page says he's "openly bisexual" (isn't it glorious?!), which is great to see queer creators making queer comics (because double levels of inclusion!). But enjoying a writer's previous work doesn't guarantee you'll enjoy their work in a different context.
So I flipped open the issue and started reading.
I've never cared for Azrael, but there he is on the first page. I still didn't care about him at the end of his scene, but I did care about what I'd learned by the end of that exchange...
And now for some minor spoilers (that you can somewhat infer from the cover anyway).
Batman asks Batwoman for help to train a new generation of superheroes and prepare them for some big-bad that's going to come after them in the future. Here's the important part: he admits she'd be better at it than he would because she knows how to work in a team, and he wants them to be equal partners.
*arms raised victoriously over my head* THANK YOU, JAMES TYNION IV!!! Thank you for acknowledging how valuable and capable a character Kate Kane is, and for presenting it in such a badass way. Thank you for explicitly having Batman acknowledge it. There's plenty more to the whole "equality" between our lead Bats here, but I'll save the surprise. Let me just say, it's amusing and Tynion really shows off how cool Kate is. She's also kinda sassy! I love me a sassy, out-and-proud Kate Kane!
Another delightful surprise? Batman isn't just dark, broody, serious, and emotionally closed off. He's accessible. He smiles, shows genuine emotion, accepts being teased, and knows when to ask for help. He also believes in redemption. The reason I became interested in Batman as a character in the first place was when I read Gail Simone's version of him in her Batgirl run. We know he's tough, but he also has a heart. A lot of writers forget that. But it's the heart that makes Batman interesting. It's the heart that makes Batman human. I'm thrilled Tynion hasn't forgotten that.
Then our beloved Bat-bosses start recruiting their new babies:
Tim Drake as "Red Robin". I haven't read Tim before, but I'm curious.
"The Spoiler" aka. Stephanie Brown. I've also never read her but I've always wanted to (I have a soft spot for Batgirls). It's hard to find any of her run of Batgirl in hardcopy though, and I insist on reading it on paper. Thankfully, this series is going to give me a chance to get to know her!
Speaking of Batgirls, Cassandra Cain's here! As "Orphan"... Not so sure about the name but I guess it matches her... darker roots? Though her redesigned uniform looks pretty cool, I'm really missing the bat ears. There's probably a good reason for it (like maybe they want to distance her from the Bat Family associations - specifically Batgirl), but... Look, I just miss the ears, okay?!
And Clayface. I didn't expect to sympathize with him, but Tynion makes it happen. I love a well-written bad-to-good transformation, and I'm very interested in how he'll develop as a character.
All in all, I'm very impressed with this first issue. I tend to shy away from team series due to their general lack of individual character development. Only one writer comes to mind who pulls off individual and group development with consistently high quality: Gail Simone. Tom Taylor does a fantastic job with Injustice, but I haven't read enough team books by him to gauge his consistency. Tynion seems intent on building a solid team of distinct characters who'll have their own development as the series progresses. I am so excited for this series.
June 10, 2016
With a growing storm that aims to take Gotham over, its going to take more than just Batman to train the next generation of heroes. With help from Batwoman, they shall be trained and ready in anticipation as the unknown foe that lurks in the shadows of Gotham. Who are they? Why do they have technology that isn't from this decade? As more questions arise, will the four handpicked coincide well or oppose this new team-up.
June 11, 2016
The Bat family is front and center in this book, and it looks like that's what the focus will be on. Imagine Justice League, but no super humans. Given the number of characters brought back into a top title by this issue, I'm interested in watching their character development as well as the chemistry between them. There is a lot of diversity and novelty here, and I'm glad the storylines will not be stag parties.
I do hope members of the previous Bat family make a few cameos now and then.
I do hope members of the previous Bat family make a few cameos now and then.
June 8, 2016
I loved these characters, all of them, in their previous New 52 incarnations. I'm hopeful that this series will draw me back into DC. The set-up and the team look solid. The art is good. Who would have thought that Clayface would have made me sad? So far this is my favourite Rebirth.
June 8, 2016
Interesting team. Unknown adversary. Can't wait for next issue.
June 22, 2016
First one of these Ive read. Not a beginner comic but if you're familiar with the current batverse then I suggest this title.
June 30, 2016
Yo en verdad estoy amando los comics de Rebirth, soy muy fan de este nuevo arco de historias y me encanta poder ver a Stephani y Tim en un comic juntos de nuevo
June 9, 2016
4.5/5 really , like the new team , would be interesting to see this partnership between Batman and Batwoman , love Spoiler and orphan and CLayface . but i am kinda sad that they are turning Detective comics into a Batman trains Young Justice comic instead of batman's comics but it's still interesting and it makes more of an interesting read than Batman rebirth one shot
June 8, 2016
Hmm, interesting start. Batman is assembling a team to fight a mysterious threat. This person or something, is watching him and the members of his team. I'm definitely in for the next issue to see what happens next.
June 9, 2016
This is my jam, right here. I loved each and every panel of this story. The art and the dialogue were both top notch. And the character interactions were fantastic.
I liked Clayface more than I expected, and that's an important thing.
This will be a subscription for me.
I liked Clayface more than I expected, and that's an important thing.
This will be a subscription for me.
June 9, 2016
They chose an interesting cast of characters for this title. I'm particularly curious how Clayface will truly fit into this team. My favorite parts of this were the artwork and Tim Drake working with Batman again.
June 8, 2016
Excellent Batwoman re-introduction.
August 23, 2021
Just a couple words here, folks. Rise of the Batmen. BATMEN. Also, Clayface :')
October 19, 2017
Anytime Batman and Batwoman team up you know it's going to be good. Add in clayface...color me intrigued.
June 10, 2016
Corny writing. "This plan was supposed to be foolproof! This was gonna be an easy 18 mil in the bag."
Cringe-worthy.
Cringe-worthy.
September 25, 2016
In the series opener Batman and Batwoman train a new group of Superheroes.
June 11, 2020
The young crime-fighters of Gotham City are being surveilled by mysterious drones. Batman decides it’s time to train them formally to protect themselves and their city. He recruits Batwoman to aid in the training drawing on her military background and experience as a vigilante. But is there another Batman roaming the streets of Gotham?
This issue is all set-up. While I see some interesting potential in this concept and storyline, the issue does little more than march Batman around Gotham enlisting his team. Along with Batwoman, Batman recruits Red Robin, Spoiler, Orphan (Cassandra Cain) and the most unusual member of the team - Clayface. Tynion portrays Clayface as a very sympathetic character here, but there must be more behind this for Batman to want to bring him into this new team structure. Should be fun to see these characters interact in a sort of “New Mutants” kind of situation.
There are a few plot threads dropped into this mix as well - the idea of the drones and the Batman poser. At this point we don’t know if they’re related, but both have intriguing possibilities. I enjoyed seeing Azrael in a little cameo at the start of the issue as well. Like to see more of him down the road. I’ve enjoyed Tynion’s previous Batman work, so I’m willing to give him some time to get things going here.
The artwork is top notch! Barrows and Ferreira do a nice job using light and shadows to really establish that Gotham City mood, but their figures are also really detailed and well-constructed. The characters all feel different and unique, having their own energy and grace of movement. Very easy to see who’s who even in silhouette. Barrows version of Clayface is still pretty monstrous, but he does give him a very expressive face which contributes greatly to making him sympathetic. Honorable mention is given to Rafael Albuquerque’s variant cover for this issue - a really iconic Batman that should have gotten a lot of attention!
A solid start to the Rebirth thing, and I’m interested to see how it develops.
This issue is all set-up. While I see some interesting potential in this concept and storyline, the issue does little more than march Batman around Gotham enlisting his team. Along with Batwoman, Batman recruits Red Robin, Spoiler, Orphan (Cassandra Cain) and the most unusual member of the team - Clayface. Tynion portrays Clayface as a very sympathetic character here, but there must be more behind this for Batman to want to bring him into this new team structure. Should be fun to see these characters interact in a sort of “New Mutants” kind of situation.
There are a few plot threads dropped into this mix as well - the idea of the drones and the Batman poser. At this point we don’t know if they’re related, but both have intriguing possibilities. I enjoyed seeing Azrael in a little cameo at the start of the issue as well. Like to see more of him down the road. I’ve enjoyed Tynion’s previous Batman work, so I’m willing to give him some time to get things going here.
The artwork is top notch! Barrows and Ferreira do a nice job using light and shadows to really establish that Gotham City mood, but their figures are also really detailed and well-constructed. The characters all feel different and unique, having their own energy and grace of movement. Very easy to see who’s who even in silhouette. Barrows version of Clayface is still pretty monstrous, but he does give him a very expressive face which contributes greatly to making him sympathetic. Honorable mention is given to Rafael Albuquerque’s variant cover for this issue - a really iconic Batman that should have gotten a lot of attention!
A solid start to the Rebirth thing, and I’m interested to see how it develops.
February 20, 2020
This series really started out with a bang. We see Azrael being chased by someone who resembles Batman. And the real Batman starts a boot camp of sorts for members of the Bat family AND Clayface. It was a really human moment that Clayface got here. I probably most enjoy the art whenever Clayface is on the page. And Batwoman knowing Batman's identity already is pretty funny.
March 11, 2018
Following the Rebirth story arc. This one was really good. It finally feels like the meat of the arc is beginning. Still a little short for the price, but things are starting to meld properly. Enjoying this story arc so far.
May 11, 2019
#934 – THE YOUNG AND THE BRAVE
“I will push you to the absolute limits you are capable of, because if I do not, YOU WILL DIE. And even worse? Innocent people will die.” - Batwoman
“I will push you to the absolute limits you are capable of, because if I do not, YOU WILL DIE. And even worse? Innocent people will die.” - Batwoman
July 25, 2024
This was really cool! A little bat academy getting put together (plus clayface, lol!). I'm on board, can't wait to see what's next.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews