New alliances are about to get forged in today’s edition, but we’re apparently not quite ready for that to happen just yet. Two different teams are about to meet in Ghostbusters 101 and Batman may have to join up with an enemy in Detective Comics.
Ghostbusters 101 1
Written by Eric Burnham
Art by Dan Schoening
The latest Ghostbusters series from IDW continues to expand the brand, as the original team is forced to consider some new options now that the EPA once again comes down on them. Seems no one likes it when mood altering slime – even positive slime, unlike what was featured in Ghostbusters 2 – explodes all over Coney Island. Honestly, though, I’m amazed anyone even noticed…
Regardless, the incident inspires Venkman to suggest a new revenue source to former EPA agent and current Paranormal liaison Walter Peck: open a fantasy camp for ghost busting and then charge potentials for more training. But before they can get that off the ground, we get some fun with an interdimensional gateway and the introduction of Holtzmann, Yates, Tolan, and Gilbert, the team from this past summer’s new Ghostbusters movie. We even get a cameo from Kevin, the lovable but very dumb receptionist played by Chris Hemsworth. And he’s dancing around in a suit of broccoli. And no one knows why.
It’s a lot of set-up, but the team of Burnham and Schoening has built up a considerable amount of goodwill with their previous Ghostbusters maxiseries. So, I’m willing to wait a month for the series to get itself going.
Seriously, though, why is it always Queens that gets kicked around? It’s a nice Borough to raise a family! OK, I guess the extranormal entities thing is pretty accurate. Thanks, Men in Black!
I’m actually really looking forward to Burnham writing the characters played by Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones. I think there’s a lot of potential there for some amusing banter between the two teams. While this issue was just a small taste of what may come over the next few months, I think it’s going to be a really great series.
Detective Comics 953
Written by James Tynion IV
Art by Fernando Blanco and Christian Duce
As the LEAGUE OF SHADOWS story continues in Detective Comics, readers get to see the stakes intensify as we hit the fourth chapter. Cassandra Cain – Orphan – gets to be a rebellious teenager now that her birth mom is back in town. And after getting schooled by mama Shiva in the last issue, she’s starting to lash out against Batman. Shiva is systematically taking out all the remaining members of Batman’s secret boot camp, while a number of Gotham residents are infected with Joker gas and wreaking havoc across the city.
Thankfully, Batman recognizes the Joker gas riots as a red herring, though I suspect there’s more to it than writer James Tynion IV is letting on. Introducing the Joker into the conversation usually has consequences. But I guess we’ll see what happens as the story continues.
The best part about the Joker conversation, really, is Renee Montoya getting Commissioner James Gordon out of hiding in Blüdhaven.
That is an amazing Hawaiian shirt Gordon is wearing. I really do want it. But it has to be a little embarrassing to run into Batman wearing that shirt.
The crux of the issue, of course, is Batman trying to figure out what he needs to do to defeat the League of Shadows. After taking out two members of the team last issue, the League takes out Clayface and Batwoman this time around. It’s possible this time, Batman actually is out of his league. After all, Shiva is one of the best fighters in the world, and his counter to that – Cassandra Cain – doesn’t seem to be responding well to Batman’s instructions.
But at the very least, it seems as though someone else is willing to join up with Team Batman – the Demon’s Head, the leader of the League of Assassins and Damian Wayne’s grandfather, Ra’s al Ghul. He seems to have his own issues with Shiva – hinted at in a previous chapter – so coming to the aid of The Dark Knight to put Shiva in her place is probably the best possible move for him. Plus, having a big guy like Ubu, al Ghul’s personal body man, around doesn’t hurt either.
The fourth chapter of this story seems like a lot of set-up – my least favorite part of the current decompression era – but really, everything was made worth it by Jim Gordon’s shirt, so we’ll call this issue a win.