We’re on the third issue of this new series and I still have no idea what to think of it. On one hand the first issue was good, but the art was less then steller. Last issue it was an overall improvement and I was expecting this series to continue on a high note. Then this issue comes out and…..I’m still confused.

I’m not going to say this was a bad issue overall, but there has to be some changes here. Biggest change has to be the artist. No offense to Roman Bachs, who I thought did improve last month, but I want a new artist. His pencils are so uneven and character faces are so sketchy. It took me a long time to figure out in certain panels that I was looking at Michael Lane. The coloring also needs to be a bit more clearer because I had no idea when we transitioned between different timelines. The third time they did it I could tell the slight color palette change but still, colors were very uneven. I’m still fine if Stanisci and Smith continues the coloring and inking, but I just don’t think Bachs is fit for the pencils.

It’s a shame that this issue was so uneven overall. The story was okay, but it won’t set the world on fire. Considering there was very little introducting to these characters in Lane’s past, I could care less what was going on. Also, when we see just how Lane takes care of the problem, it leaves me wondering why he didn’t do that in the first place. Nicieza might have been able to make this a more powerful issue if it was just Lane versus his military partner. Cause again, there was very little reason to have these other soldiers involved. (Considering how much camo they had on in the flashbacks, it kinda makes me wonder why we needed them in the first place)

I’m still hoping this series can find a soild foothold in the Bat titles. Nicieza does have a strong character and cast to go along with the new Azrael. But issues like this show that there needs to be a lot of work to make this title worth reading. Hopefully we see a new artist in the future, but I have a very bad feeling that Bachs is in for the long haul.