I remember thoroughly enjoying the first issue of Azrael’s story.  I don’t know how the hell I missed the final page panel with Talia Al Ghul in it.  But, somehow, I did.  So her involvement was a surprise to me.

I enjoy how her story is playing out in the Batman U, and am curious if the plans she talks about in this issue will come to fruition, and how that will fuck up everything.

I’m not sure, in general, if I like the washed out look that seems to be overtaking some of the DC books, the way the muddied look is crusting over Marvel, but it works in this issue.  Almost.  I’m not a fan of the facial shadows in this book.  A few times, they really took me out of the story, as no shadwos fall on faces the way they do in this comic.  It’s as though someone got the references wrong.

Overall, though, a solid story, and well-pencilled and inked (except for the shadows) art.