REVIEW: ‘Batman’, Issue #107

Batman #107 is published by DC Comics, written by Tynion IV, art by Jorge Jiménez and Ricardo Lopez, colors by Tomeu Morey, and letters by Clayton Cowles. With fear spreading throughout Gotham, Batman must unravel an unseen web that links The Scarecrow to the Unsanity Collective. But unbeknownst to him, there is another player whose presence in the game he is not yet aware of. 

There has been a lot of high-octane action in the pages of Batman lately. Whether it’s seeing large portions of Gotham exploding during The Joker War story arc or Batman crossing swords with his newest, old rival, the Dark Knight has had an extended action hero run under writer Tynion’s care. This newest storyline, however, seems to be getting Batman back to being the World’s Greatest Detective. With multiple enemies and numerous leads that can’t yet be put together, Batman, aided by Oracle, struggles in the dark for answers. And let’s face it, in the dark is where The Batman is always best.

Batman #107 opens with Batman investigating a mysterious scarecrow that has appeared in the mayor’s home. While there can be little doubt about who would leave this calling card behind, there are nevertheless details about it that imply a rather sophisticated game is in the works. And despite an old ally taking the role of Police Commissioner, it looks like Batman won’t be getting much help from local law enforcement.

From here, the story takes a brief segway to catch up with Harley Quinn. As she confronts a survivor of the Arkham attack, who hasn’t had his meds in a while, she attempts to diffuse the situation in a clean and precise manner. Well, as cleanly as Harley can anyway. To be fair, the cop had it coming. 

Batman #107 catches back up with its titular hero as he confers with Oracle about the information he has gathered and what the next move should be. Throughout this scene, Tynion does a great job of reminding me why I have always loved any time Batman and Barbara Gordon are written well together. Every bit his intellectual equal Batman generally affords her a level of respect most don’t receive from him. On top of this, there is a friendly comrade between the two, which is fair. Especially since the smile, she greets him with is the only one Batman has probably seen in days. 

The back portion of this extended issue sees The Ghost Maker off on a solo mission. He is tracking down some old opponents and has caught up to them on a rather dubious-looking island. As he touches down, he has no way of knowing what lies ahead. 

The art in Batman #107 delivers it”s dual stories well. The main narrative builds up the slow-building mystery skillfully, while the secondary tale leans into the high-tech action themes of its tale. But while all the art delivers, the stand-out work here has to be Morey’s colors. Particularly during the Batman/Oracle scene.

While Morey bathes the bulk of the main story in neon lights and hard shadows, Batman’s visit to the watchtower delivers an entirely different tone than the rest of the story. With its high vaulted floor-to-ceiling windows bathing Oracles workspace in natural light, the colorwork in this scene greatly enhances the closeness and comfort of its characters. Seeing the sun shine off of Barabra’s smile as she casually chats with the ever-dour-looking Batman is a moment that perfectly breaks the heaviness of the story with a fleeting second of warmth. 

Rounding out the presentation is another strong lettering performance by Cowles. The dialogue is always kept clearly laid out and easy to follow, thanks to the work of this veteran letterer. 

When all is said and done, Batman #107 delivers a finely paced story that builds its core narrative while also taking a couple of moments to deliver some great character. 

Batman #107 is available now wherever comics are sold.