Detective Comics #854

I've got to say I was a little confused at the beginning of this issue. I haven't read Batwoman since 52, and I haven't read those issues since they came out (though I've gotten the TPBs and will soon rectify that). Because of this, I wasn't sure if I had missed part of the story over the years. Was I supposed to already know that her father fills the role of Oracle/Alfred for her? This felt like I was dropped in the middle of the story, and I guess maybe that was the intention.

I found the interaction with Batman interesting. I've read interviews where Rucka has said this story has been sitting on the shelves for over a year, and I wonder if that was true about the art as well. You never got a full-on shot of Batman, and the dialogue was general enough that it could've been Bruce or Dick. Was that done on purpose because they had this done before R.I.P. and the outcome was still up in the air?

I found the backup to actually be a little stronger than the lead story. Maybe it was because he only had a small amount of pages to work with, but it seemed to just be packed with action, and such a good, simple, straightforward story, and I can't wait for the next chapter.

But actually what made this issue extremely special for me was that I got to have it signed by Rucka himself at Zeus Comics here in Dallas. (also picked up and had him sign the first volume of Gotham Central since Josh and Connor have been raving so much about it). He's a really nice guy, and I'm loving everything he's doing now. Can't wait to see where this is all going.