Convergence: Detective Comics #2 is an interesting story in the Convergence event, but for how much I enjoyed reading it, it brings up a number of issues on why this whole damn event just doesn’t work.
“STARRING HEROES FROM CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS! Helena Wayne and Dick Grayson attempt to keep Bruce Wayne’s memory alive as they come to blows with the powerful Superman Red Son characters!”
Not having read issue number one –my lack of interest in Convergence is no secret– I didn’t know what I was getting into, or what I had already missed out on. Still, the cover work by Bill Sienkiewicz was more than enough to make me stop and pick it up and you’ll be happy to know that the book has a really cool art style. Maybe it’s a little strange that I still pick out my comic books the same way I did when I was seven, but that’s just how I enjoy it; no early online previews or anything of that nature, just a random pull by what peaks my interest while in my local shop.
Len Wein does a lot right with regards to the writing here. Superman: Red Son was one of my favorite “what if” storylines for what it does with the Superman character, but also for giving us a new setting and set of circumstances that had us questioning everything we grew up knowing. So when I saw this featured our Communist Comrade, Superman, I was in. For whatever issue one may have been, issue number 2 is an all out, white knuckle action fest. Thankfully the book gives the reader a few pages of recap so we know the gist of what’s going on.
As with every other Convergence book we get two DC universes in a bubble, yada, yada, yada. It’s all so boring and generic at this point that I don’t really feel like I’m missing much by skipping any of these first issues for any of the books. Still, the characters in this stage-play are quite a bit more interesting than most. We get Red Son Superman pitted against Robin and Huntress from a world where Batman is no more. What we learn very early on, besides the whole worlds in a war for survival shtick, is that Robin and Huntress are no match for Superman. And let’s be perfectly honest here, the duo would be no match for any Superman, in any universe.
What makes things interesting is the appearance of the Batman of the red Sun universe. He saves the duo, and while the meeting is short, it serves to give some honest to god character development to both Robin and Huntress. Neither of these heroes had The Batman there to help guide them well into adulthood, but Huntress, more than Robin had a deeper connection as her worlds Batman was her father. This is a small scene of only a few panels that really makes for a touching moment giving Huntress the goodbye she never had in her world. Robin is of course dark and brooding through the meeting doing a really good job of channeling the spirit of Batman, as he is more interested in finishing the mission.
The rest of the story has some good action beats, but the ending is really telegraphed from a mile away. Without reading the book, or this review, you can imagine how it all goes down. Russian Batman –he is so dang cool looking– leads away those searching for Robin and Huntress giving them a pep talk and letting them know that this is their fight with Superman. Before he makes the final sacrifice he gives Robin a nice little box of kryptonite. That’s not a spoiler because you all knew that was the only way this was going to go down.
This brings up one of the major issues on this book, and of this event in general. You just can’t pit heroes against heroes and honestly expect them to battle each other to the death. No matter what the cost to their world, these heroes won’t commit the ultimate crime of willing taking another life. This isn’t the Marvel universe, and because of that DC has, and should always be about holding their heroes to the highest of standards. The darkening of the DC universe that began in the late 90’s/early 2000’s is one thing that I always hated.
With that being said, we close out issue number two in a stalemate, but this is where my second issue with Convergence comes into play. Nothing happens. Yeah, the world doesn’t end, the universe doesn’t explode, and everything goes back to normal with that last line of the book stating, “Certainly not the end.” While I did like how the book closes with Dick finally taking up the mantel of Batman, and we got to see both him and Huntress show some real character growth, it still felt needless and makes this whole event just a throwaway. Maybe this isn’t the case for every world, but if everything goes back to normal and we see no consequences to people spending a goddamn year under a bubble fighting for thier lives, what was really the point?
Convergence: Detective Comics #2 is a decent book that offers up a lot of fun, I just wish this little bit was its own event in and of itself as it sets up a nice new book with a new Batman and Huntress. And for someone who loved seeing Dick Grayson wear the cowl, I’d be sure to keep reading the stories that follow.
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