Batman

• Title: Bruce Wayne: The Road Home – Oracle (One-shot)
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Marc Andreyko
• Artist: Agustin Padilla

The Insider and Oracle attempt to keep Vicki Vale alive before Ra’s al Ghul‘s hit squad (The Seven Men of Death) permanently silences the reporter. Oracle sends the reserves into battle (Batgirl, Manhunter, Man-Bat, Ragman, Hawk and Dove) while the once-and-future Batman tries to keep the nosy reporter alive.

Most of the action works pretty well, even if we are dealing with baddies not really worth caring about (and a few heroes which you could say the same). Although I’m glad for its inclusion, I wish the flashback to the days after Barbara Gordon was shot, including Bruce visiting her in the hospital and a quick montage of her training for her new role as Oracle, were handled a little better.

On the positive side, we do get 32 pages for $3 (not too shabby) and I am glad that this issue lets Barbara correctly recognize and identify Bruce (even if it does take her more pages than I’d like). The ending leads us to a big showdown between Bruce and Ra’s in the final “Bruce Wayne: The Road Home” One-shot.

[DC $2.99]

• Title: Batman Beyond #5 (of 6)
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Adam Beechen
• Artist: Ryan Benjamin

The latest issue is a bit of a mess, but it does have its moments. On the plus side the final panel of the last issue painting Dick Grayson and the new Hush is quickly swept away. It’s not Dick, it’s his clone. Clone? That’s right! More clones! (Maybe he should call himself the Scarlet Dark Knight?)

It seems, in an effort to keep a Batman around, Amanda Waller and Cadmus (with the help of Thomas Elliot’s granddaughter) cloned Grayson and,as things are want to do in monster stories, something went wrong.

My favorite moment of the story is the short conversation between Dick and Barbara Gordon after both have learned the truth about Cadmus and the clone. I really hope the series finds a way to keep Dick around and bring him back into the fold.

We also lean the new Catwoman’s identity and Bruce and Terry have a nice bonding moment. It’s not a great issue, and some of the clone’s super-villain banter is way too forced, but for all-encompassing Bat-fans it might still be worth a look. Hit-and-Miss.

[DC $2.99]

• Title: Bruce Wayne: The Road Home – Batman and Robin (One-shot)
• Comic Vine: link

Even if The Return of Bruce Wayne mini-series isn’t finished yet, it seems like the original Batman is back in action…sort of. In the first of a series of one-shots Bruce Wayne sticks to the shadows as the mysterious “Insider,” checking in on various members of the Bat-family to gauge the readiness and test their abilities.

This issue finds Bruce offering some high praise to Dick Grayson (in narration) for not only taking on the mantle of Batman and wearing it with such confidence, but also making it his own. He also gives Dick high marks for how well Damian is performing as Robin.

As with the other one-shots the thread of Vicki Vale‘s search for proof of Batman’s real identity continues as she has dinner with Thomas Elliot and realizes for the first time the man parading himself around Gotham as Bruce Wayne is anything but.

The most interesting thing about these one-shots is who Bruce decides to tell he is back. He doesn’t let on to either Dick or Damian, but does reveal himself to Tim Drake (here) and a few select others.

Even if the issue jumps the timeline of Bruce Wayne/Batman’s return up faster than the rest of the DCU seems ready for, it’s still a good read, and worth a look.

[DC $2.99]