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Detective Comics (2016)
Batman: Detective Comics, Vol. 2: The Victim Syndicate
Innocent victims maimed or broken by Batman's greatest enemies band together, and they blame Batman and his fellow vigilantes for what happened to them just as much as they blame the psychopaths who hurt them.
Batman and his newly trained team of allies must take on these troubled souls, but one of Batman's teammates can't help but think they might have a point...
From writer James Tynion (Batman/TMNT) comes the second volume of the return of Detective Comics!
Collecting: Detective Comics 943-949
Batman and his newly trained team of allies must take on these troubled souls, but one of Batman's teammates can't help but think they might have a point...
From writer James Tynion (Batman/TMNT) comes the second volume of the return of Detective Comics!
Collecting: Detective Comics 943-949
168 pages, Paperback
First published May 16, 2017
About the author
James Tynion IV
1,532 books1,591 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 200 reviews
August 30, 2017
A group of unintended casualties in Batman’s war on crime have banded together under the cringey name of The Victim Syndicate. If Batman doesn’t renounce his vigilante ways, they’ll make Gotham pay! Sigh…
There are some fundamental problems with the premise writer James Tynion IV sets up in his increasingly crappy Detective Comics run. Batman’s accused of not improving Gotham City after all this time, therefore he and his crusade against crime is useless. Except Gotham City can never be a haven of peace because then there’d be no need for Batman and therefore no more Batman stories and DC loses their biggest money stream.
Stephanie Brown accuses Batman that everyone around him gets hurt. Well, yeah, dramatic things need to happen to a dramatic character, hence why he’s had a rich 75+ years history! What is Tynion doing? He’s critiquing the entire concept of superhero vigilantes in a superhero comic. You know what this book reads like? A writer who’s come to dislike the character they’re writing and is utterly fed up and disillusioned. These are invalid criticisms that add a redundant layer of reality to an obviously fictional world. It’s like he doesn’t even understand the genre, let alone Batman’s world!
Flawed setup aside, the story plain sucks. The Victim Syndicate are a pitiful bunch of unmemorable nobodies we’re meant to believe represent a challenge to Batman and co. which I never bought for an instant - they’re just the villains of the week. Tynion also writes two great characters very poorly: Batwoman is written as a total bitch while Stephanie Brown acts like an idiot.
It’s impossible to care about anyone mourning Tim Drake’s “death” when we were shown at the end of the last book that he’s alive and well and as a result Tynion’s hackneyed attempts at emotion fall flat. I couldn’t care less about Clayface’s feelings - FFS, Clayface?! Meanwhile Luke Fox, the new Batwing, is a derivative Iron Man/Tony Stark wannabe.
The book closes out with a couple of immensely dull Batwoman-centric issues setting up her solo series which I’m not looking forward to as it seems to be picking up where the godawful Monster Men crossover left off.
I can’t think of a single positive thing about this one. It’s just terrible. James Tynion IV was never a great Batman writer but he was capable - now, after two stinkers, I’m hoping he gets the boot sooner rather than later!
There are some fundamental problems with the premise writer James Tynion IV sets up in his increasingly crappy Detective Comics run. Batman’s accused of not improving Gotham City after all this time, therefore he and his crusade against crime is useless. Except Gotham City can never be a haven of peace because then there’d be no need for Batman and therefore no more Batman stories and DC loses their biggest money stream.
Stephanie Brown accuses Batman that everyone around him gets hurt. Well, yeah, dramatic things need to happen to a dramatic character, hence why he’s had a rich 75+ years history! What is Tynion doing? He’s critiquing the entire concept of superhero vigilantes in a superhero comic. You know what this book reads like? A writer who’s come to dislike the character they’re writing and is utterly fed up and disillusioned. These are invalid criticisms that add a redundant layer of reality to an obviously fictional world. It’s like he doesn’t even understand the genre, let alone Batman’s world!
Flawed setup aside, the story plain sucks. The Victim Syndicate are a pitiful bunch of unmemorable nobodies we’re meant to believe represent a challenge to Batman and co. which I never bought for an instant - they’re just the villains of the week. Tynion also writes two great characters very poorly: Batwoman is written as a total bitch while Stephanie Brown acts like an idiot.
It’s impossible to care about anyone mourning Tim Drake’s “death” when we were shown at the end of the last book that he’s alive and well and as a result Tynion’s hackneyed attempts at emotion fall flat. I couldn’t care less about Clayface’s feelings - FFS, Clayface?! Meanwhile Luke Fox, the new Batwing, is a derivative Iron Man/Tony Stark wannabe.
The book closes out with a couple of immensely dull Batwoman-centric issues setting up her solo series which I’m not looking forward to as it seems to be picking up where the godawful Monster Men crossover left off.
I can’t think of a single positive thing about this one. It’s just terrible. James Tynion IV was never a great Batman writer but he was capable - now, after two stinkers, I’m hoping he gets the boot sooner rather than later!
June 17, 2017
Don't be confused by the 3 star. The actual Victim Syndicate storyline is great. It's well told, powerful, and exciting. It's the Batwoman storyline I could have lived without. (Issue 948 and 949 which is what they say will be included in the volume on Amazon)
The victim syndicate is all about the fallout of Robin and Batman dealing with a group of people who wants to prove how dangerous the bat is. How many lives he touches negatively. What I really enjoyed here is watching Batman doubt himself. Wondering if he even remembers names or faces of the people he hurt indirectly in dealing with villains. The snydicate isn't just the regular "bad guys" they def have some true and good motive. It's just their approach that is wrong.
Also we get to see the other character's deal with Tim's death. Especially Spoiler, who still won't forgive Bruce. Which is very understandable. I didn't love how quick her change was but I did like the fact she simply doesn't forgive him right away. It's called doubt, it's called emotion, and sometimes they trump logic. I really enjoyed that.
The Batwoman storyline at the end was cool to get some background on her, but I just...I dunno didn't care. She's the least interesting member for me and I was having a hard time focusing or caring about her plot. It felt like a waste.
So for here I'd go VS storyline - 4. Batwoman - 2 = 3 overall. Or 3.5. Either way another solid volume, much better than current Batman solo series.
The victim syndicate is all about the fallout of Robin and Batman dealing with a group of people who wants to prove how dangerous the bat is. How many lives he touches negatively. What I really enjoyed here is watching Batman doubt himself. Wondering if he even remembers names or faces of the people he hurt indirectly in dealing with villains. The snydicate isn't just the regular "bad guys" they def have some true and good motive. It's just their approach that is wrong.
Also we get to see the other character's deal with Tim's death. Especially Spoiler, who still won't forgive Bruce. Which is very understandable. I didn't love how quick her change was but I did like the fact she simply doesn't forgive him right away. It's called doubt, it's called emotion, and sometimes they trump logic. I really enjoyed that.
The Batwoman storyline at the end was cool to get some background on her, but I just...I dunno didn't care. She's the least interesting member for me and I was having a hard time focusing or caring about her plot. It felt like a waste.
So for here I'd go VS storyline - 4. Batwoman - 2 = 3 overall. Or 3.5. Either way another solid volume, much better than current Batman solo series.
January 1, 2020
I adore this series!
Honestly, this is my favorite series to come out of DC Rebirth. I thought maybe I feel this way because, excluding Dick and Damian, this series has my favorite DC characters in it but the stories are great too! I love the team dynamic and the plots Tynion IV creates for them. I cannot get enough of this series! I wish I had started out collecting the single issues because now I have to wait for the trades.
This picks up after Tim's sacrifice and everyone's dealing with that by not dealing. Stephanie has gone AWOL. Cass and Clayface continue to work. Batsy is avoiding everyone and talking about Tim at all, to Kate's annoyance. She tries to convince him to find someone for the team, especially Steph, to talk to about their loss. As this is happening, it becomes apparent that Tim's the only super, super tech savvy member and they need someone who knows how to run the Belfry (I love that they call it that!) So, this is why they bring in Luke Fox!
I loved this guy in the animated film Batman: Bad Blood. Full confession, that and this trade are the only times I've seen this character. Which is a shame because I find him really intriguing, sort of like a Gotham Iron Man, and I would like to read more about him. He's a super rich genius and Batsy wants his help with Tim's tech. Kate doesn't like him because she thinks he's like a vigilante tourist so his addition to the team isn't super smooth.
The big bad in the first half is a group of bystanders called the Victim Syndicate. They were all, in some way, victims of being on the sidelines when someone tried to come after Batsy. So, they all hate Batsy. And not the people that really did this to them... for some reason. They crash Luke Fox's event unveiling non violent tech for the GCPD (This is such an awesome concept and I wish it was real!). Before it all went to hell, I got some really adorable shots of Cass, Harper and Steph. We get to see Harper Row again, who I adore and have a huge crush on, not gonna lie.
The art changes about two issues in and I missed the earlier stuff, not gonna lie. The new stuff is great but I much preferred the earlier artist's way of drawing Cass in particular. She's probably my favorite DC character and while I'm still not super jazzed about the way they've regressed her since Batman & Robin Eternal, I like what they've done with her in this series. Granted, this book didn't do much with her at all but I like seeing her as a part of the team. She even comforts Clayface a little. I just don't understand why we went from Pre 52 Cass who could speak just fine after some time recovering from her father's poor treatment of her - to a Cass who can barely speak more than two words. It seems off.
Edit: There's a line here where Stephanie tries to end the Bat legacy and she says "Maybe Cassandra could get foster parents that teach her how to speak properly instead of the best way to throw a batarang" and that was anger inducing. She had that Tynion. She had a family with Bruce as her adoptive father and Babs as her big sister who made a point to give Cass a real shot at a normal life. She had all of that before you retconned her backstory and took that away from her for some drama. It really rubbed me the wrong way.
The conclusion of the Victim Syndicate arc left me concerned about where this story with Steph is gonna go. Admittedly, I think it's kind of refreshing that a male character was (seemingly) killed off to further a female character's storyline instead of the other way around, I'm not a fan of this storyline for Steph. I know she and Bruce haven't always got on but this just kind of makes me wonder if it's going to feel worth it in the end. This version of Steph isn't as close to Cass as Pre 52 Steph. She's not connected to anyone outside of Tim and Bruce (save maybe Harper? Who pops in every few issues) so I don't think I'll really feel the intensity of this conflict. Time will tell.
Anyway, I really want more on what happened to Tim. I want more of this series period! This is definitely my favorite Rebirth series.
Honestly, this is my favorite series to come out of DC Rebirth. I thought maybe I feel this way because, excluding Dick and Damian, this series has my favorite DC characters in it but the stories are great too! I love the team dynamic and the plots Tynion IV creates for them. I cannot get enough of this series! I wish I had started out collecting the single issues because now I have to wait for the trades.
This picks up after Tim's sacrifice and everyone's dealing with that by not dealing. Stephanie has gone AWOL. Cass and Clayface continue to work. Batsy is avoiding everyone and talking about Tim at all, to Kate's annoyance. She tries to convince him to find someone for the team, especially Steph, to talk to about their loss. As this is happening, it becomes apparent that Tim's the only super, super tech savvy member and they need someone who knows how to run the Belfry (I love that they call it that!) So, this is why they bring in Luke Fox!
I loved this guy in the animated film Batman: Bad Blood. Full confession, that and this trade are the only times I've seen this character. Which is a shame because I find him really intriguing, sort of like a Gotham Iron Man, and I would like to read more about him. He's a super rich genius and Batsy wants his help with Tim's tech. Kate doesn't like him because she thinks he's like a vigilante tourist so his addition to the team isn't super smooth.
The big bad in the first half is a group of bystanders called the Victim Syndicate. They were all, in some way, victims of being on the sidelines when someone tried to come after Batsy. So, they all hate Batsy. And not the people that really did this to them... for some reason. They crash Luke Fox's event unveiling non violent tech for the GCPD (This is such an awesome concept and I wish it was real!). Before it all went to hell, I got some really adorable shots of Cass, Harper and Steph. We get to see Harper Row again, who I adore and have a huge crush on, not gonna lie.
The art changes about two issues in and I missed the earlier stuff, not gonna lie. The new stuff is great but I much preferred the earlier artist's way of drawing Cass in particular. She's probably my favorite DC character and while I'm still not super jazzed about the way they've regressed her since Batman & Robin Eternal, I like what they've done with her in this series. Granted, this book didn't do much with her at all but I like seeing her as a part of the team. She even comforts Clayface a little. I just don't understand why we went from Pre 52 Cass who could speak just fine after some time recovering from her father's poor treatment of her - to a Cass who can barely speak more than two words. It seems off.
Edit: There's a line here where Stephanie tries to end the Bat legacy and she says "Maybe Cassandra could get foster parents that teach her how to speak properly instead of the best way to throw a batarang" and that was anger inducing. She had that Tynion. She had a family with Bruce as her adoptive father and Babs as her big sister who made a point to give Cass a real shot at a normal life. She had all of that before you retconned her backstory and took that away from her for some drama. It really rubbed me the wrong way.
The conclusion of the Victim Syndicate arc left me concerned about where this story with Steph is gonna go. Admittedly, I think it's kind of refreshing that a male character was (seemingly) killed off to further a female character's storyline instead of the other way around, I'm not a fan of this storyline for Steph. I know she and Bruce haven't always got on but this just kind of makes me wonder if it's going to feel worth it in the end. This version of Steph isn't as close to Cass as Pre 52 Steph. She's not connected to anyone outside of Tim and Bruce (save maybe Harper? Who pops in every few issues) so I don't think I'll really feel the intensity of this conflict. Time will tell.
Anyway, I really want more on what happened to Tim. I want more of this series period! This is definitely my favorite Rebirth series.
December 3, 2017
The team is dealing with the fallout of red Robin's death when the Victim Syndicate shows up. It consists of people caught in the crossfire during Batman's war on crime. They want to Batman to stop fighting crime so that no one else gets hurt. Then they kill 3 cops which I didn't think made nay sense. The bad guys are incidental as they are barely fleshed out. This is really about how each of the Bat family deals with Tim's death. I liked the turn Spoiler takes.
There's also a 2-parter that leads into Batwoman's solo series. Even though I thought Night of the Monster Men was terrible, the fallout from it is a neat idea. It looks like Batwoman is going after the Colony full-time in her solo series. I liked this story quite a bit and Ben Oliver's art is great. It works perfectly with a Bat book.
There's also a 2-parter that leads into Batwoman's solo series. Even though I thought Night of the Monster Men was terrible, the fallout from it is a neat idea. It looks like Batwoman is going after the Colony full-time in her solo series. I liked this story quite a bit and Ben Oliver's art is great. It works perfectly with a Bat book.
January 15, 2020
Pre-review: Hot damn, this comic is in the library system! To read or not to read? I don't think I'm ready to read the Rebirth Batman yet!!!
Actual review starts here:
Sighs, why is everyone throwing their real names around in the field? Secret identity is still a thing, right? Right!?
The story of how the Gotham Knights came into being is doing pretty great, I really like this part of the story; although I got a bit tired of Stephanie's angst of , I know, this kind of thing sucks big time for everyone........but I still don't like how she reacts to this.
As to the villains...The Victim Syndicate, despite their awesome outfits and looks, these people are a bit on the 'Meh' side. I mean...Joker, Scarecrow, Clayface etc killed your loved ones and screwed your life over, so.......let's blame the Batman and kill people who aided him and/or supported him? It isn't like I can't see their reasoning but still.....them going out in the open and calling out to the general public to support their revenge against Batman...? I'm skeptical.
Last but not least....Batwoman! I really like her storyline in the main story and the Batwoman Begins short story.
Review for vol. 5 https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Actual review starts here:
Sighs, why is everyone throwing their real names around in the field? Secret identity is still a thing, right? Right!?
The story of how the Gotham Knights came into being is doing pretty great, I really like this part of the story; although I got a bit tired of Stephanie's angst of , I know, this kind of thing sucks big time for everyone........but I still don't like how she reacts to this.
As to the villains...The Victim Syndicate, despite their awesome outfits and looks, these people are a bit on the 'Meh' side. I mean...Joker, Scarecrow, Clayface etc killed your loved ones and screwed your life over, so.......let's blame the Batman and kill people who aided him and/or supported him? It isn't like I can't see their reasoning but still.....them going out in the open and calling out to the general public to support their revenge against Batman...? I'm skeptical.
Last but not least....Batwoman! I really like her storyline in the main story and the Batwoman Begins short story.
Review for vol. 5 https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
March 7, 2019
Another solid volume of Detective Comics by James Tynion. The main storyline, The Victim Syndicate, started out a bit unexciting but ended up being pretty good. Focused mostly around Spoiler, Clayface and Red Robin, it was a pretty interesting and emotional story, dragged down a bit by Tynion's kinda clunky writing style. The second two-issue story about Batwoman was pretty bland, probably because it was a continuation of the Monster Men event, which I skipped. The artwork is absolutely gorgeous throughout.
July 16, 2021
This was a fun one.
As the group are dealing with the fallout of Tim's death and all, they are attack by the Victim syndicate comprising of victims of Batmans villains like Mr Obnoxious, Madame Crow, Mudface and The Mute. The Batfamily has to take them on and as they attack GCPD Fundraiser they take them out quick and then we have Batman confronted with his failures. Tensions rise amongst Spoiler and she takes drastic steps. Its fun to see Luke and Azrael back with this team and the chemistry is just awesome. Plus always good to see Bruce being challenged this way.
Clayface has an interesting confrontation and then what spoiler does and what the fate of both teams will be is intriguing and then we have a story about Batwoman and how she became involved with Bruce and they fight Colony Prime and learn of Monster town and the chemicals from there and all that sets the stage for her solo.
This volume was a bulky read but has some great character developments for both Bruce and his family and showing the victims who get trapped in this war and change Steph for good in a big way. It makes it more real when there are victims of Batman's crusade and also great to see Kate and Basil get some seminal story moments and I am loving the relationship being developed between Kate and Jake and everything in between! A perfect read! The art was fire as usual!
As the group are dealing with the fallout of Tim's death and all, they are attack by the Victim syndicate comprising of victims of Batmans villains like Mr Obnoxious, Madame Crow, Mudface and The Mute. The Batfamily has to take them on and as they attack GCPD Fundraiser they take them out quick and then we have Batman confronted with his failures. Tensions rise amongst Spoiler and she takes drastic steps. Its fun to see Luke and Azrael back with this team and the chemistry is just awesome. Plus always good to see Bruce being challenged this way.
Clayface has an interesting confrontation and then what spoiler does and what the fate of both teams will be is intriguing and then we have a story about Batwoman and how she became involved with Bruce and they fight Colony Prime and learn of Monster town and the chemicals from there and all that sets the stage for her solo.
This volume was a bulky read but has some great character developments for both Bruce and his family and showing the victims who get trapped in this war and change Steph for good in a big way. It makes it more real when there are victims of Batman's crusade and also great to see Kate and Basil get some seminal story moments and I am loving the relationship being developed between Kate and Jake and everything in between! A perfect read! The art was fire as usual!
June 6, 2018
I found the idea of this really cool but it just wasnt executed. The last 2 issues with Batwoman were very meh. Im obviously not a fan of that character. One positive which I haven't seen before, is the doubt you get from Batman in himself. Was interesting to see this side.
February 15, 2018
You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.
James Tynion IV continues his unexpectedly entertaining run of Detective Comics with volume 2, The Victim Syndicate. Taking place directly after the unfortunate events in Detective Comics (Volume 1) Rise of the Batmen, the story starts off by serving us an aftermath assessment for each character in the newly formed squad under Batman and Batwoman’s wings. Inevitably, the events that lead to the loss of a comrade have taken a huge toll on every one—some more than others—and things seem to be a lot more fragile for everyone. Questions about their purposes in life and their motivations on a daily basis are put through the blender and mixed in with a hefty amount of doubt. There’s nothing like a new group of freaky and shady characters to make matters a bit more dark and complicated. This story arc introduces fans to a brand new set of villains who have had a grudge for quite some time and are ready to react in order to see change in Gotham.
The Victim Syndicate is definitely not your typical squad of villains as they have joined forces for one particular reason: they see Batman as the cause of their supernatural conditions. Being the collateral damage of an altercation between Batman and big-name villains, each of the Victims find solace in blaming Batman and his friends for their predicament. This alone can be seen as a brilliant premise to investigate the idea that their are innocent victims that get hurt or die while the focus of the action remains on Batman and his nemesis. By diving deeper in the psyche of those that never asked to be in the middle of a battlefield, the rise of the Victim Syndicate brings light to the ignored and the forgotten. But does it actually set things up for something extraordinary for this story arc? Yes and no.
What was particularly well-done was the leader of the Victim Syndicate, the First Victim. His character remained mysterious throughout the whole story arc and his mere presence installed fear and demanded caution. His origin was kept a secret for the better part of the story, while every other member had a rapid-fire revelation on who and how they became who they are now. Even in the final showdown, everyone (except the First Victim) was dealt with in a quick and efficient manner. This style was quite effective as they always packed a punch and remained straight-forward. However, while some of these moments were quite powerful, some of them also fell short. I’d probably point my finger at the writing. With James Tynion IV, you get the most wordy dialogues ever, but they aren’t consistent in quality—their pertinence can sometimes be questioned. In fact, he sometimes overdoes it for my taste and deviates from the character’s personalities.
plays a big part throughout this storyarc, especially because she’s the one who’s having the hardest time to deal with the loss of you-know-who from the past volume. Throughout the story she often serves as a cliff-hanger for a lot of moments; just when you think you know what’s going on, something else is delivered. I can definitely appreciate these plot twists and find them quite tantalizing. Two other characters are also newly introduced into this Rebirth series, . While the former gets a more prominent role in the narrative, the latter was teased. In fact, he was teased so hard that the transition from his cliff-hanger moment to his reveal in the next issue made no sense to me. I wish they had taken the time to build him; it honestly would’ve been quite a “rebirth” for that particular character.
I believe it was the last issue of the storyarc regarding The Victim Syndicate that had me hesitant. For one, I wasn’t sure anymore what the First Victim’s powers/weapons were. One second he seems unbeatable, the next he’s just a wooden log ready for the next big round house kick. Second of all, the arrival of the “game-changer” character, , also sort of bothered me as well. While the story was obviously being built-up for this very moment, it’s the speech and the tactics used by said character that felt so underwhelming and unconvincing. However, I do understand the whole idea behind this move and what the volume as a whole was trying to tell us. After all, you’ll never see a more doubt-ridden and sad-faced (I’m not even kidding about this one; it really gets weird to look at sometimes) Batman anywhere else.
Similar to Batman (Volume 2) I Am Suicide by Tom King, this volume also features a two-part story at the end, involving Batwoman however. Co-written with Marguerite Bennett in order to promote the Rebirth series of Batwoman that came out around the same time as the last issue, this story connects with the crossover event Night of the Monster Men and continues along the sub-plot regarding Batwoman and her dad who was mentioned earlier in The Victim Syndicate. This mini-story somehow managed to make the crossover event sound a lot more interesting than it actually was. The artwork is quite decent and the idea of tackling the purpose of Batwoman, compared to Batman, was also interesting. However, the way they conveyed her purpose felt wrong, but it’s quite hard to grasp the extent of it until you actually go ahead and read Batwoman’s Rebirth series. In fact, this two-part story simply sets things up for Batwoman Rebirth #1 and didn’t have anything more to offer regarding the Victim Syndicate. In the end, volume 2 continues in the right direction and James Tynion IV is definitely a great writer for this series. There are things that need work, but this is nonetheless entertaining.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: http://bookidote.wordpress.com
James Tynion IV continues his unexpectedly entertaining run of Detective Comics with volume 2, The Victim Syndicate. Taking place directly after the unfortunate events in Detective Comics (Volume 1) Rise of the Batmen, the story starts off by serving us an aftermath assessment for each character in the newly formed squad under Batman and Batwoman’s wings. Inevitably, the events that lead to the loss of a comrade have taken a huge toll on every one—some more than others—and things seem to be a lot more fragile for everyone. Questions about their purposes in life and their motivations on a daily basis are put through the blender and mixed in with a hefty amount of doubt. There’s nothing like a new group of freaky and shady characters to make matters a bit more dark and complicated. This story arc introduces fans to a brand new set of villains who have had a grudge for quite some time and are ready to react in order to see change in Gotham.
The Victim Syndicate is definitely not your typical squad of villains as they have joined forces for one particular reason: they see Batman as the cause of their supernatural conditions. Being the collateral damage of an altercation between Batman and big-name villains, each of the Victims find solace in blaming Batman and his friends for their predicament. This alone can be seen as a brilliant premise to investigate the idea that their are innocent victims that get hurt or die while the focus of the action remains on Batman and his nemesis. By diving deeper in the psyche of those that never asked to be in the middle of a battlefield, the rise of the Victim Syndicate brings light to the ignored and the forgotten. But does it actually set things up for something extraordinary for this story arc? Yes and no.
What was particularly well-done was the leader of the Victim Syndicate, the First Victim. His character remained mysterious throughout the whole story arc and his mere presence installed fear and demanded caution. His origin was kept a secret for the better part of the story, while every other member had a rapid-fire revelation on who and how they became who they are now. Even in the final showdown, everyone (except the First Victim) was dealt with in a quick and efficient manner. This style was quite effective as they always packed a punch and remained straight-forward. However, while some of these moments were quite powerful, some of them also fell short. I’d probably point my finger at the writing. With James Tynion IV, you get the most wordy dialogues ever, but they aren’t consistent in quality—their pertinence can sometimes be questioned. In fact, he sometimes overdoes it for my taste and deviates from the character’s personalities.
plays a big part throughout this storyarc, especially because she’s the one who’s having the hardest time to deal with the loss of you-know-who from the past volume. Throughout the story she often serves as a cliff-hanger for a lot of moments; just when you think you know what’s going on, something else is delivered. I can definitely appreciate these plot twists and find them quite tantalizing. Two other characters are also newly introduced into this Rebirth series, . While the former gets a more prominent role in the narrative, the latter was teased. In fact, he was teased so hard that the transition from his cliff-hanger moment to his reveal in the next issue made no sense to me. I wish they had taken the time to build him; it honestly would’ve been quite a “rebirth” for that particular character.
I believe it was the last issue of the storyarc regarding The Victim Syndicate that had me hesitant. For one, I wasn’t sure anymore what the First Victim’s powers/weapons were. One second he seems unbeatable, the next he’s just a wooden log ready for the next big round house kick. Second of all, the arrival of the “game-changer” character, , also sort of bothered me as well. While the story was obviously being built-up for this very moment, it’s the speech and the tactics used by said character that felt so underwhelming and unconvincing. However, I do understand the whole idea behind this move and what the volume as a whole was trying to tell us. After all, you’ll never see a more doubt-ridden and sad-faced (I’m not even kidding about this one; it really gets weird to look at sometimes) Batman anywhere else.
Similar to Batman (Volume 2) I Am Suicide by Tom King, this volume also features a two-part story at the end, involving Batwoman however. Co-written with Marguerite Bennett in order to promote the Rebirth series of Batwoman that came out around the same time as the last issue, this story connects with the crossover event Night of the Monster Men and continues along the sub-plot regarding Batwoman and her dad who was mentioned earlier in The Victim Syndicate. This mini-story somehow managed to make the crossover event sound a lot more interesting than it actually was. The artwork is quite decent and the idea of tackling the purpose of Batwoman, compared to Batman, was also interesting. However, the way they conveyed her purpose felt wrong, but it’s quite hard to grasp the extent of it until you actually go ahead and read Batwoman’s Rebirth series. In fact, this two-part story simply sets things up for Batwoman Rebirth #1 and didn’t have anything more to offer regarding the Victim Syndicate. In the end, volume 2 continues in the right direction and James Tynion IV is definitely a great writer for this series. There are things that need work, but this is nonetheless entertaining.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: http://bookidote.wordpress.com
August 26, 2017
There are many things to like about Batman, such as having the greatest rogues gallery in all of comics, as many of them are really victims of mental illness and obsession that Batman is ultimately trying to save, even it is implied that he is the roots that made Gotham City what it is today. There have been many stories that have explored this idea, so it is now writer James Tynion IV's turn to tackle in his current of Detective Comics.
Following the tragic events of the last volume, Batman is trying to maintain the stability of his team of Bat-heroes, even if Stephanie Brown a.k.a. Spoiler is trying to cope the tragedy in her own way. Meanwhile, it gets worse for the Dark Knight Detective as the past comes back to haunt him in the shape of the Victim Syndicate.
Although I still get the sense that Tynion is taking his cues from previous writers such as Grant Morrison and Scott Snyder, he managed to add an interesting dynamic to a team, mostly comprising of youthful characters led by two Bat-themed adult cousins. Also, when the first volume concluded on a tragic note (as well as setting up a mystery as part of the ongoing significance of Rebirth), the status quo can always change, for better or worse.
Continuing right after the events of Rise of the Batmen as well as the event Batman: Night of the Monster Men (which I didn't bother reading due to hearing negative reactions), Tynion's strength here is in the characterization of this Bat-family as we see new layers into how Batman founded the training program which originated from the late Red Robin, Tim Drake, whilst Stephanie Brown has hit a new low, despite receiving comfort from Cassandra Cain a.k.a. Orphan and Harper Row, formerly Bluebird. Even Clayface finally gets to shine as a man who is trying to redeem himself for the horrors he committed as a monster, especially when one of his victims return as Mudface of the Victim Syndicate.
Speaking of the Syndicate, Tynion doesn’t elaborate too much into the psychology of the villains, who were victimised from the attacks Batman has had with classic villains such as Poison Ivy and the Scarecrow, and thus the Syndicate's abilities evoke said villain. As for The First Victim, who looks like he came from the horror of Clive Barker, the creators are keeping the mystery of who he is close to the chest and whether he will get a big reveal in the near future, I'm not quite excited about it.
Under the artistry of Alvardo Martinez and Eddy Burrows, the transition from one artist to another can be a bit jarring, but this is a stunning visual read with the clever use of panel layouts, as well as the diverse action with members of the Bat-family have their own distinctive fighting style as t,hey battle the freakish-looking baddies. However, I would've liked to see more of Eddy Burrows whose painterly illustrations are a sight to behold, whether it is the horrific red-faced blankness of the First Victim or the sad facial expressions of Spoiler.
Following the central arc, we get the two-issue set-up for Kathy Kane gets her own solo title after The New 52 as Batwoman Begins (co-written by Marguerite Bennett) contrasts flashbacks showcasing Kathy's early months as Batwoman who is targeting Batman, with her current state where her army-based father is the villain whilst a soldier from their history steals a batch of monster venom, which lead into the aforementioned solo series. This right away was the main criticism with this volume as this two-parter is all-set-up and not much drama to really sink into, whilst Ben Oliver's art isn't as awe-inspiring as the previous artists.
There is much to like about this second volume of Tynion's Detective Comics run, which works best when it delves into the dynamic of the Bat-family and even though the flaws are more evident here, this is yet another action-packed and fun read.
Following the tragic events of the last volume, Batman is trying to maintain the stability of his team of Bat-heroes, even if Stephanie Brown a.k.a. Spoiler is trying to cope the tragedy in her own way. Meanwhile, it gets worse for the Dark Knight Detective as the past comes back to haunt him in the shape of the Victim Syndicate.
Although I still get the sense that Tynion is taking his cues from previous writers such as Grant Morrison and Scott Snyder, he managed to add an interesting dynamic to a team, mostly comprising of youthful characters led by two Bat-themed adult cousins. Also, when the first volume concluded on a tragic note (as well as setting up a mystery as part of the ongoing significance of Rebirth), the status quo can always change, for better or worse.
Continuing right after the events of Rise of the Batmen as well as the event Batman: Night of the Monster Men (which I didn't bother reading due to hearing negative reactions), Tynion's strength here is in the characterization of this Bat-family as we see new layers into how Batman founded the training program which originated from the late Red Robin, Tim Drake, whilst Stephanie Brown has hit a new low, despite receiving comfort from Cassandra Cain a.k.a. Orphan and Harper Row, formerly Bluebird. Even Clayface finally gets to shine as a man who is trying to redeem himself for the horrors he committed as a monster, especially when one of his victims return as Mudface of the Victim Syndicate.
Speaking of the Syndicate, Tynion doesn’t elaborate too much into the psychology of the villains, who were victimised from the attacks Batman has had with classic villains such as Poison Ivy and the Scarecrow, and thus the Syndicate's abilities evoke said villain. As for The First Victim, who looks like he came from the horror of Clive Barker, the creators are keeping the mystery of who he is close to the chest and whether he will get a big reveal in the near future, I'm not quite excited about it.
Under the artistry of Alvardo Martinez and Eddy Burrows, the transition from one artist to another can be a bit jarring, but this is a stunning visual read with the clever use of panel layouts, as well as the diverse action with members of the Bat-family have their own distinctive fighting style as t,hey battle the freakish-looking baddies. However, I would've liked to see more of Eddy Burrows whose painterly illustrations are a sight to behold, whether it is the horrific red-faced blankness of the First Victim or the sad facial expressions of Spoiler.
Following the central arc, we get the two-issue set-up for Kathy Kane gets her own solo title after The New 52 as Batwoman Begins (co-written by Marguerite Bennett) contrasts flashbacks showcasing Kathy's early months as Batwoman who is targeting Batman, with her current state where her army-based father is the villain whilst a soldier from their history steals a batch of monster venom, which lead into the aforementioned solo series. This right away was the main criticism with this volume as this two-parter is all-set-up and not much drama to really sink into, whilst Ben Oliver's art isn't as awe-inspiring as the previous artists.
There is much to like about this second volume of Tynion's Detective Comics run, which works best when it delves into the dynamic of the Bat-family and even though the flaws are more evident here, this is yet another action-packed and fun read.
May 7, 2017
[Read as single issues]
Did I mention how much I love this series in my review for volume 1? Probably. Am I going to mention how much I love this series here too? Definitely.
After the awesome Rise Of The Batmen first arc, this one gets a lot more personal as both Batwoman and Spoiler begin doubting their place in the team when a crew of villains (the titular Victim Syndicate) appear in Gotham. They're all people that have been swept up in the battles between Batman and his villains and have been irrevocably changed by it, and are out for revenge (fair, tbh). We get intensely personal with a lot of the characters, specifically Spoiler and Clayface, but it's all balanced with great superhero action and even some new characters like Batwing and Azrael getting in on the action too.
Also included in this trade is the two issue Batwoman Begins arc that sets Batwoman off on her own ongoing series as she explores the fallout from Night Of The Monster Men, which is good fun too and a handy palette cleanser between the Victim Syndicate and the League Of Shadows arc in the next volume.
Not only is this book very well written, but we also get a gorgeous array of artists with Alvaro Martinez and Eddy Barrows returning from volume 1 and Ben Oliver tackling the Batwoman issues with his beautiful painted style.
This book remains one of if not my favourite Rebirth title. Superb from start to finish.
Did I mention how much I love this series in my review for volume 1? Probably. Am I going to mention how much I love this series here too? Definitely.
After the awesome Rise Of The Batmen first arc, this one gets a lot more personal as both Batwoman and Spoiler begin doubting their place in the team when a crew of villains (the titular Victim Syndicate) appear in Gotham. They're all people that have been swept up in the battles between Batman and his villains and have been irrevocably changed by it, and are out for revenge (fair, tbh). We get intensely personal with a lot of the characters, specifically Spoiler and Clayface, but it's all balanced with great superhero action and even some new characters like Batwing and Azrael getting in on the action too.
Also included in this trade is the two issue Batwoman Begins arc that sets Batwoman off on her own ongoing series as she explores the fallout from Night Of The Monster Men, which is good fun too and a handy palette cleanser between the Victim Syndicate and the League Of Shadows arc in the next volume.
Not only is this book very well written, but we also get a gorgeous array of artists with Alvaro Martinez and Eddy Barrows returning from volume 1 and Ben Oliver tackling the Batwoman issues with his beautiful painted style.
This book remains one of if not my favourite Rebirth title. Superb from start to finish.
September 28, 2017
Great idea but still kinda meh.
World: The art is fine, it's a bit too muddy for me and I would love the panels and characters to convey more than just grim and brooding but oh well. The world building is solid, building upon what came before and even pushing more into the Monster Venom stuff which was a terrible arc. But yeah it's solid and I am intrigued. Using the past was also good but I'd have love even more depth in that area.
Story: The concept of the Victim Syndicate is good but I'd have wanted more personality from the villains and less monsters and more scarred humans, it made them less sympathetic. The pacing was okay the interactions was also solid. I liked Stephanie this arc but because the story and the villains were not as fully baked the decision she makes in the end feels unearned. The Batwoman story was also okay but I feel two issues was not enough for depth.
Characters: Kate is good but I need more time with her. This is the problem with team books, you don't have enough time for development if there's a fight to fight. I'd have loved a quiet arc this time to build the team and deal with post Tim but oh well. I wanted more Stephanie and the depth of her relationship with Tim and Batman making her decision mean more. But now it's wasted and doesn't really ring true.
Good ideas, still waiting for it to be great.
Onward to the next book!
World: The art is fine, it's a bit too muddy for me and I would love the panels and characters to convey more than just grim and brooding but oh well. The world building is solid, building upon what came before and even pushing more into the Monster Venom stuff which was a terrible arc. But yeah it's solid and I am intrigued. Using the past was also good but I'd have love even more depth in that area.
Story: The concept of the Victim Syndicate is good but I'd have wanted more personality from the villains and less monsters and more scarred humans, it made them less sympathetic. The pacing was okay the interactions was also solid. I liked Stephanie this arc but because the story and the villains were not as fully baked the decision she makes in the end feels unearned. The Batwoman story was also okay but I feel two issues was not enough for depth.
Characters: Kate is good but I need more time with her. This is the problem with team books, you don't have enough time for development if there's a fight to fight. I'd have loved a quiet arc this time to build the team and deal with post Tim but oh well. I wanted more Stephanie and the depth of her relationship with Tim and Batman making her decision mean more. But now it's wasted and doesn't really ring true.
Good ideas, still waiting for it to be great.
Onward to the next book!
September 28, 2017
Woooo I finally finished.
So I don't really remember what happened in the first two thirds, because I found this book so boring that I actually forgot I was reading it on at least two separate occasions. My murky memories tell me that I wasn't impressed by the victim whatever-it-was at all, and I wasn't very compelled by Steph's story.
The Batwoman story was fine, but not that gripping. Basically an origin that tied a bit into the current plot line with her dad. I liked it, but nothing to write home about.
I did really like the art in the final batwoman-oriented issues.
All in all, I found this forgettable. I do want to keep going with Detective though, because I want to see this Tim thing through to its resolution and I'm hoping I'll warm up to their Steph storyline. I want to follow the main plot of Rebirth and what's going on with that, and I think a good chunk of it seems to be happening in Detective, for better or worse.
So I don't really remember what happened in the first two thirds, because I found this book so boring that I actually forgot I was reading it on at least two separate occasions. My murky memories tell me that I wasn't impressed by the victim whatever-it-was at all, and I wasn't very compelled by Steph's story.
The Batwoman story was fine, but not that gripping. Basically an origin that tied a bit into the current plot line with her dad. I liked it, but nothing to write home about.
I did really like the art in the final batwoman-oriented issues.
All in all, I found this forgettable. I do want to keep going with Detective though, because I want to see this Tim thing through to its resolution and I'm hoping I'll warm up to their Steph storyline. I want to follow the main plot of Rebirth and what's going on with that, and I think a good chunk of it seems to be happening in Detective, for better or worse.
August 18, 2017
There have been many variations of the "But isn't Batman the real villain here?" plotline: somebody blames Batman directly for the villains he fights. This is a solid take on a story that's been told many times. Here, it's a team of victims of collateral damage from some of his fights: a woman Scarecrow experimented on with fear toxin, for example. And most interestingly, a mysterious person referring to him/herself as the First Victim. Around a very basic "Batman sucks, and here's why" plot, Tynion has built some interesting scenes and ideas. Clayface literally lost his moral center when his brain turned to mud. Batman has lost track of the indirect victims throughout his career. Steph can't quite bring herself to forgive Batman for Tim's death. This is actually good stuff. It's a shame the last two issues in the volume, a revisit of the early career of Batwoman, just isn't that compelling. This character just isn't that old, and Tynion doesn't really bring anything that interesting to the table. The Victim Syndicate story is great, but Batwoman Begins is just ok.
July 25, 2018
Pretty good story lines here but nothing that wow'd me. Victim Syndicate is a bunch of villains that where collateral damage when Batman was fighting off the bad guys. The Syndicate itself has some cool characters but for now they didn't have much of a story to me. The second part of the book was a bat woman story that I thought was just OK too. I still like this team of Clayface, Spoiler, and the rest. Its a odd ball team but its interesting to me. The art is actually really good. Ill keep reading on in this series for now
June 10, 2017
Quite possibly the best series currently being published in superhero comics period. I mean, WOW! One thing has not change about DC Comics and that is they know how to pick the best writers for Batman. It is tough saying if Detective Comics written by Tynion IV is the better Batman book when compared to Tom King's Batman title or even Snyder's All Star Batman. I will put it this way, Detective Comics by Tynion IV is the most entertaining of the currently written Batman series. King's Batman is more of a curiosity and has some intriguing ideas. All Star Batman is more of an examination of what makes the Batman villains tick and is still quite an enjoyable. What I have enjoyed most about this Batman series thus far is the more exposure of members of the Bat Family. Tynion does a great job balancing the focus on such a large cast of characters. In the last volume, Batman: Detective Comics, Volume 1: Rise of the Batmen, Batman put together a specialize team to combat an army of villains who would greatly destroy Gotham city. This team included Cassandra Cain aka Orphan, Stephanie Brown aka Spoiler, Tim Drake aka Red Robin, former Batman foe Clay face, and Batman's second in command Kathy Kane aka Bat woman. The group faced impossible odds and being untested found themselves faced with a monster epidemic caused by long time villain Hugo Strange and have to confront a militant group of Batman copycats led surprising by Bat woman's own father. This volume picks up after the lost of one of the Batman family's key members. I really enjoyed reading about how all the events the group has faced as effected each member, especially Spoiler. In this new volume entitled the Victim Syndicate our heroes do not get a chance to rebuild or heal as they faced with unexpected threat. A group of people greatly damaged in the past by several of the Batman's rouges gallery are hunting down anyone who has aided Batman in the past. They hoped to threaten Batman and his followers to quit their vigilantism. This was an amazing plot and I loved the philosophical arguments that Tynion is sharing in this story. Should Gotham need a hero like Batman at all? Is Batman really making a difference or is he without knowing causing more harm? This discussion comes to a head in this book as Spoiler is forced to rethink her place in Batman's never ending mission to save Gotham. The artwork is pretty good and I think the colors are fantastic. Tynion writes a story here with a lot of emotion and heart. Batwing returns here in good fashion as well. I can not wait to see where the story goes next.This definitely a must read for Batman fans.
April 2, 2018
The Victim Syndicate storyline was a good one. Superhero collateral damage is always a good sore spot, and so far, I've been really enjoying James Tynion IV's writing.
I really enjoyed Basil/Clayface's struggle in this volume. I didn't really understand his addition to the team in Vol 1 Batman: Detective Comics, Vol. 1: Rise of the Batmen, but I really see him coming into his own, and struggling to become the hero he wants to be.
I was super disappointed by Stephanie's choices (though, we all saw it coming).
This is why I'm giving this book 4 stars and not a 5 (bumping down a star, just like I did for Vol. 1)... I hate the betrayal storylines. Blech.
I love Alfred, as always.
Batwing/Luke Fox is a new character for me. So far, he's a little like Iron Man, who I don't naturally take to, but I'll give Luke the benefit of the doubt. Like Batwoman, I liked what he had to say about why he puts on the Bat symbol and fights. It means something.
I liked the flashback with Tim a lot. It's important for us to know that Tim was 1,000% on board with this team. I know he wanted to go to college, but he supported Batman's initiative, which is an important part, especially in a volume like this, where Batman is being told he does more harm than good, & needs to be stopped.
Strong ending with Basil visiting Glory and a reminder that Tim is still out there.
+ The (Batwoman) issues at the end were gorgeous. Art by Ben Oliver is an A++.
I really enjoyed Basil/Clayface's struggle in this volume. I didn't really understand his addition to the team in Vol 1 Batman: Detective Comics, Vol. 1: Rise of the Batmen, but I really see him coming into his own, and struggling to become the hero he wants to be.
I was super disappointed by Stephanie's choices (though, we all saw it coming).
This is why I'm giving this book 4 stars and not a 5 (bumping down a star, just like I did for Vol. 1)... I hate the betrayal storylines. Blech.
I love Alfred, as always.
Batwing/Luke Fox is a new character for me. So far, he's a little like Iron Man, who I don't naturally take to, but I'll give Luke the benefit of the doubt. Like Batwoman, I liked what he had to say about why he puts on the Bat symbol and fights. It means something.
I liked the flashback with Tim a lot. It's important for us to know that Tim was 1,000% on board with this team. I know he wanted to go to college, but he supported Batman's initiative, which is an important part, especially in a volume like this, where Batman is being told he does more harm than good, & needs to be stopped.
Strong ending with Basil visiting Glory and a reminder that Tim is still out there.
+ The (Batwoman) issues at the end were gorgeous. Art by Ben Oliver is an A++.
June 17, 2017
Another excellent volume in this series. The Victim Syndicate makes their move, pushing Batman and the new team to the breaking point.
This story has really been about why Batman and other superheroes exist in Gotham. What is the real reason they are doing this for? Sure it's been examined before but this had a slightly different angle. I really appreciate the analysis and characterization Tynion puts into his stories. Sure this isn't the level of Dark Knight Returns or Year One, but I thoroughly enjoyed this. Keep in mind this is the Rebirth Batman, meaning he's trying to be more open and understanding and less of a *@#$.
Also, I don't normally like having a super-villain be turned into a hero, but Tynion gives a very rational explanation for Clayface and found myself being empathetic to him.
An unfortunate minus for this volume is the rotating artists. I still think Barrows is the best but I guess he can't do the whole book on a monthly schedule.
Amidst all of this there's a bigger threat in the plot and it's still building. Looking forward to seeing how it is resolved.
This story has really been about why Batman and other superheroes exist in Gotham. What is the real reason they are doing this for? Sure it's been examined before but this had a slightly different angle. I really appreciate the analysis and characterization Tynion puts into his stories. Sure this isn't the level of Dark Knight Returns or Year One, but I thoroughly enjoyed this. Keep in mind this is the Rebirth Batman, meaning he's trying to be more open and understanding and less of a *@#$.
Also, I don't normally like having a super-villain be turned into a hero, but Tynion gives a very rational explanation for Clayface and found myself being empathetic to him.
An unfortunate minus for this volume is the rotating artists. I still think Barrows is the best but I guess he can't do the whole book on a monthly schedule.
Amidst all of this there's a bigger threat in the plot and it's still building. Looking forward to seeing how it is resolved.
July 19, 2018
Not sure why we're wasting time going down this path. Basically, a bunch of D villains decide everything wrong in Gotham is Batman's fault and argue life would be better if he stopped being a vigilante. Apparently, nobody told them that they're all living in a fictional universe intended to sell comics. Trying to apply comic-book logic to explain away things like why the fighting in Gotham never ends was bound to go poorly. Why not go the distance then? Have Batman put down the cowl in Volume 3. Have all criminals in Gotham go sane all of a sudden. No more crime in Gotham. Just a peaceful city with no superheroes or supervillains. Go for it.
Oh, but that won't sell? No shit, Sherlock!
And to think Stephanie Brown would fall for this dumb logic...
No. What a bloody a waste of time.
Oh, but that won't sell? No shit, Sherlock!
And to think Stephanie Brown would fall for this dumb logic...
No. What a bloody a waste of time.
October 11, 2017
I have to laugh, although I've always noticed it, that the GR member comment box asks 'What did you think?' Methinks I should've read Vol. 1 (which is not available at my library until later this month) first and maybe I would have a better opinion on this edition. It just seemed sort of mediocre in execution, although the idea of superhero collateral damage 'victims'-turned-villains was interesting. Thus far I've enjoyed other Rebirth titles (including the regular Batman) more than this one.
September 9, 2017
CRYING OVER TIM PART 2
I think this might be my favorite or at least top two of the Rebirth titles.
I think this might be my favorite or at least top two of the Rebirth titles.
December 9, 2017
Detective Comics continues to be a bright spot in Rebirth primarily due to the great team of Bat-helpers. Many of these characters, like Batwoman, Spoiler, and "Orphan", have really deserved more attention, and Tynion does a good job of characterizing them. Spoiler comes across particularly well in this volume, doing the sort of stupid thing that Stephanie always has.
The main plot of the "Victim Syndicate" is interesting. I don't love yet another variant of "all the troubles are caused by heroes", but nonetheless this is an interesting crew of malcontents that are worthy of becoming new Batman foes.
The second story, "Batwoman Begins", isn't quite as enthralling, but does a nice job of continuing the Batwoman story begun in previous volumes.
The main plot of the "Victim Syndicate" is interesting. I don't love yet another variant of "all the troubles are caused by heroes", but nonetheless this is an interesting crew of malcontents that are worthy of becoming new Batman foes.
The second story, "Batwoman Begins", isn't quite as enthralling, but does a nice job of continuing the Batwoman story begun in previous volumes.
September 5, 2018
This was just OK for me. The main villain in this volume is a group calling themselves the Victim Syndicate. Basically, they are people who got caught in the crossfire in Batman's fights with super villains. For some reason, they blame Batman rather than the super villains for their misfortune. That didn't make a lot of sense to me. Also, the members of the Victim Syndicate weren't very interesting as characters.
August 31, 2020
People have suffered during Batman's fights in Gotham so some turn into villains to take him down, dividing the team's loyalties. Could have been better but it went down the juvenile moral compass route.
MY GRADE: B minus to B.
MY GRADE: B minus to B.
August 16, 2018
5 🌟
Sad to see that Spoiler is still worked up about Red Robin's death. Hope that she will find out that he is still alive. Glad that they recruited Batwing, Luke Fox. Also sad about the victims of the villains' attacks against Batman. Wonder who the First Victim is. Also glad to see when Kate met Batman.
Can't wait to read Batman: Detective Comics, volume 3: League of Shadows!!!!!!
Sad to see that Spoiler is still worked up about Red Robin's death. Hope that she will find out that he is still alive. Glad that they recruited Batwing, Luke Fox. Also sad about the victims of the villains' attacks against Batman. Wonder who the First Victim is. Also glad to see when Kate met Batman.
Can't wait to read Batman: Detective Comics, volume 3: League of Shadows!!!!!!
July 5, 2017
The Victim Syndicate solidifies Detective Comics as one of the most essential books of DC’s Rebirth era.
As Batman and his new team struggle to deal with the near-crippling loss from the first arc, the grotesque Victim Syndicate begins attacking Gotham City. Led by the mysterious First Victim, the group is composed of innocent bystanders whose lives were ruined in the crossfire of Batman’s fights with some of his most iconic foes. They contend that Batman and his allies are the real problem, and vow to only stop their attacks if Batman unmasks and agrees to give up his crusade. The Syndicate’s message hits especially hard with the devastated Spoiler, propelling her down an uncertain new road. The collection also includes a two-part spotlight on Batwoman, paving the way for her new ongoing series.
The Victim Syndicate demonstrates the strength of turning Detective Comics into an ensemble series with cousins Batman and Batwoman as the pivot. Writer James Tynion IV deploys his large and shifting cast in dynamic, thoughtful ways that create potent character drama as an effective counterpoint to the superhero action. The Victim Syndicate is a clever twist on the old question that’s laced through many classic Batman stories: does Batman’s mere presence create the menaces he fights? Tynion manages the tricky balancing act of creating some genuine sympathy for the Syndicate without excusing their crimes, working a thorny moral dilemma for both Batman and readers.
Tynion uses the ensemble quite well. Batwing joins as a regular and experiences some well-handled conflict with Batwoman. Tynion loops in familiar Gotham City faces like Leslie Thompkins, Renee Montoya, Harper Row (leaving her Bluebird costume at home) and Vicki Vale, making good use of the franchise’s deep bench. Clayface especially gets some effective moments in the spotlight, shedding more light on his role in the book and on Team Batman. But the heart of the arc belongs to the conflict between Batman and Spoiler and how Tynion effectively uses the long shadow of the absent Red Robin to logically propel both characters’ journeys. It’s strong, character-based storytelling firmly grounded in established histories and relationships and it’s one of the hallmarks that makes this iteration of Detective Comics stand out.
The art side of things is a bit harder to pin down. There is no bad work here; indeed, a lot of it is quite well-crafted, interesting and involving. The concern is that this seven-issue stretch required a team of fourteen pencilers, inkers and colorists, working in various combinations, to produce one five-part arc and an additional two-part character focus. Except for the Batwoman spotlight, the art team changed every issue. It’s easy to appreciate each individual installment, but in collected format, the differences among the approaches of each primary artist are noticeable enough to be a distraction.
That’s hardly a fatal flaw when the work is from talented pros. But it speaks to the bigger issues DC is facing in producing books on a twice monthly schedule. Especially with a book like Detective Comics, positioned as one of the Rebirth flagships, it’s imperative that DC find some way to better manage production to minimize these kinds of tonal shifts within an arc.
But don’t let that deter you. The Victim Syndicate is an absorbing, propulsive read that will leave you eager for the next arc.
As Batman and his new team struggle to deal with the near-crippling loss from the first arc, the grotesque Victim Syndicate begins attacking Gotham City. Led by the mysterious First Victim, the group is composed of innocent bystanders whose lives were ruined in the crossfire of Batman’s fights with some of his most iconic foes. They contend that Batman and his allies are the real problem, and vow to only stop their attacks if Batman unmasks and agrees to give up his crusade. The Syndicate’s message hits especially hard with the devastated Spoiler, propelling her down an uncertain new road. The collection also includes a two-part spotlight on Batwoman, paving the way for her new ongoing series.
The Victim Syndicate demonstrates the strength of turning Detective Comics into an ensemble series with cousins Batman and Batwoman as the pivot. Writer James Tynion IV deploys his large and shifting cast in dynamic, thoughtful ways that create potent character drama as an effective counterpoint to the superhero action. The Victim Syndicate is a clever twist on the old question that’s laced through many classic Batman stories: does Batman’s mere presence create the menaces he fights? Tynion manages the tricky balancing act of creating some genuine sympathy for the Syndicate without excusing their crimes, working a thorny moral dilemma for both Batman and readers.
Tynion uses the ensemble quite well. Batwing joins as a regular and experiences some well-handled conflict with Batwoman. Tynion loops in familiar Gotham City faces like Leslie Thompkins, Renee Montoya, Harper Row (leaving her Bluebird costume at home) and Vicki Vale, making good use of the franchise’s deep bench. Clayface especially gets some effective moments in the spotlight, shedding more light on his role in the book and on Team Batman. But the heart of the arc belongs to the conflict between Batman and Spoiler and how Tynion effectively uses the long shadow of the absent Red Robin to logically propel both characters’ journeys. It’s strong, character-based storytelling firmly grounded in established histories and relationships and it’s one of the hallmarks that makes this iteration of Detective Comics stand out.
The art side of things is a bit harder to pin down. There is no bad work here; indeed, a lot of it is quite well-crafted, interesting and involving. The concern is that this seven-issue stretch required a team of fourteen pencilers, inkers and colorists, working in various combinations, to produce one five-part arc and an additional two-part character focus. Except for the Batwoman spotlight, the art team changed every issue. It’s easy to appreciate each individual installment, but in collected format, the differences among the approaches of each primary artist are noticeable enough to be a distraction.
That’s hardly a fatal flaw when the work is from talented pros. But it speaks to the bigger issues DC is facing in producing books on a twice monthly schedule. Especially with a book like Detective Comics, positioned as one of the Rebirth flagships, it’s imperative that DC find some way to better manage production to minimize these kinds of tonal shifts within an arc.
But don’t let that deter you. The Victim Syndicate is an absorbing, propulsive read that will leave you eager for the next arc.
June 26, 2017
Another very good Detective Comics Rebirth volume. I think I enjoyed this better than the first one, as Batman and Family must take down the Victim Syndicate, made up of passersby who were harmed during some of Batman's many cases. Somehow given powers, they take their frustrations out on Batman and the GCPD, trying to drive a wedge between Batman, the police force, and the public. This isn't that original of an idea, but Tynion and the various artists pull it out with, once again, some great characterizations of the various heroes here.
My favorite part was the two issue Batwoman-centric story illustrated by Ben Oliver, who is one of my favorite artists. We learn more about how Batwoman got her start, and these issues act as an introduction to Batwoman's own series.
Detective Comics Rebirth is more about the Batman Family than Batman himself, and that's a good thing. All of these characters have been pretty popular over the years, so it's good to see them getting the highlight again. Additionally, Detective Comics is a major part, seemingly, of the Rebirth story. The mysterious figure over in Superman Action Comics is also here with his various machinations. It's nice to see the DCU cohesive again after the disparate parts of the New 52.
My favorite part was the two issue Batwoman-centric story illustrated by Ben Oliver, who is one of my favorite artists. We learn more about how Batwoman got her start, and these issues act as an introduction to Batwoman's own series.
Detective Comics Rebirth is more about the Batman Family than Batman himself, and that's a good thing. All of these characters have been pretty popular over the years, so it's good to see them getting the highlight again. Additionally, Detective Comics is a major part, seemingly, of the Rebirth story. The mysterious figure over in Superman Action Comics is also here with his various machinations. It's nice to see the DCU cohesive again after the disparate parts of the New 52.
January 2, 2023
Tynion does a very good job balancing philosophy and action; this story expands on the idea of innocent victims in interesting ways (although the Victims Syndicate themselves are mostly pretty poor characters), and uses it to drive a wedge into the Bat Family, splintering the group after the events of the last volume. Tynion makes good use of all the characters, even new addition Batwing makes a powerful impact (and it's good to see Harper back, even in a secondary role). There are some good action scenes and some significant ramifications coming out of this story, which manages to be an enjoyable read even while it spends a lot of times dealing with feelings.
The Batwoman Begins storyline isn't quite as impressive, but it isn't terrible either. It's a decent action-heavy story that provides some flashbacks that don't really add a lot. The art is okay to good throughout, although some of the layouts make it hard to follow the panel flow.
This series has been surprisingly strong so far, especially considering the characters it has brought together. It has a good mix of action, humor and character depth. Definitely recommended.
The Batwoman Begins storyline isn't quite as impressive, but it isn't terrible either. It's a decent action-heavy story that provides some flashbacks that don't really add a lot. The art is okay to good throughout, although some of the layouts make it hard to follow the panel flow.
This series has been surprisingly strong so far, especially considering the characters it has brought together. It has a good mix of action, humor and character depth. Definitely recommended.
August 12, 2019
Oh my God, that was boring as fuck.
Reading this felt like a chore.
Everything on vol.1 and pretty much anything that had to do with Tim Drake was nice and it was interesting, and don't get me wrong at the start of the whole victim syndicate thing, it was nice and mysterious and even a bit creepy, but... nope.. after that first "fight" with the cops conveniently have changed their bullets and no casualties and nothing happening pretty much every turn of the page, ugh.. no.
Nope. Nothing. It was ok. The best thing on this one was the variant covers at the end.
+1 for the Batwoman intro at the end!
Reading this felt like a chore.
Everything on vol.1 and pretty much anything that had to do with Tim Drake was nice and it was interesting, and don't get me wrong at the start of the whole victim syndicate thing, it was nice and mysterious and even a bit creepy, but... nope.. after that first "fight" with the cops conveniently have changed their bullets and no casualties and nothing happening pretty much every turn of the page, ugh.. no.
Nope. Nothing. It was ok. The best thing on this one was the variant covers at the end.
+1 for the Batwoman intro at the end!
November 20, 2017
A decent idea - exploring the people accidentally hurt by vigilante operations - is overpowered by the emotional FEELZ of what-if and hindsight. This mopey garbage is not why one reads superhero comics. Follow that with a tacked on lead-in to further adventures with over-sized monsters and the whole volume is disappointing.
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