Unfortunately, the most interesting thing about this issue is Snyder revealing the Commissioner Gordon backup runs concurrent to the feature story. The Gordon backup, all talking heads and decent art, is a bore. All talk is no way to do a backup.

The feature, with Dick pursuing the evil auctioneers, rips off Eyes Wide Shut. Dick discovers Gotham society is secretly devoted to evil. If Snyder were commenting on rich Republicans being secretly demonic, it’d be funny. He’s not. He’s acting like no one would have noticed—in twenty years—the blue bloods were funneling their money into terrorist activities.

Someone like, you know, Batman.

The character stuff with Dick and his supporting cast is fine. Snyder writes a good Dick Grayson as Batman. Though all his internal angst is the same as it was in the eighties.

It’s inoffensive, unoriginal mainstream Detective.

Shame Jock’s art isn’t more impressive too.

CREDITS

The Black Mirror, Part Two; artist, Jock; colorist, David Baron. Skeleton Cases, Part Two; artist and colorist, Francesco Francavilla. Writer, Scott Snyder; letterer, Jared K. Fletcher; editors, Janelle Siegel and Mike Marts; publisher, DC Comics.

Snyder opens the issue with narration from Dick playing over the storyline’s inciting action. Still, it took until Alfred shows up in the next scene, talking to Dick in the penthouse, for me to realize Snyder and Jock’s Detective Comics is about Dick Grayson as Batman. I was honestly expecting him in the pixie boots.

It’s a straight mystery issue, with some superhero strangeness—one victim is Killer Croc Junior, another’s a Mad Hatter drone, the third has Poison Ivy’s vines growing out of him.

Where Snyder does well is with Dick acclimating to being Batman with Bruce around, learning to work with Commissioner Gordon—both as Batman and as Barbara’s ex-boyfriend or whatever. It’s good, though Jock’s art doesn’t seem suited for a procedural.

The Jim Gordon backup—with another Snyder script, but Francesco Francavilla on the art—is fine too. Though I never remember his son exists.

CREDITS

The Black Mirror, Part One; artist, Jock; colorist, David Baron. Skeleton Cases, Part One; artist and colorist, Francesco Francavilla. Writer, Scott Snyder; letterer, Jared K. Fletcher; editors, Janelle Siegel and Mike Marts; publisher, DC Comics.