Review: Batman Vol. 9- The Tyrant Wing

Quick Summary

Pros: The main storyline continues this comic’s larger narrative in a way that is interesting and builds even more excitement for the future. The volume closes with a few great short stories, including one fantastic Batman/Alfred one. The entire collection features high-quality artwork.

Cons: The Penguin plotline in the main storyline is not that interesting and does not stand well on its own.

Overall: This collection explores the mysteries floating throughout the Batman series while also providing moments for the characters to shine. The book’s main storyline reveals some seriously tantalizing details about the plot against Batman while supplementary material provides unique snapshots of the Dark Night’s life. Unfortunately, the Penguin storyline is lackluster. Ultimately, this book is for fans interested in seeing this comic’s larger narrative unfold or those who really want to read one fantastic Batman/Alfred story.

Story

Most volumes in this Batman series have stood well on their own while also working as part of a larger narrative. Batman Vol. 9: The Tyrant Wing, by Tom King, really only works as a part of the aftermath from The Wedding (Review) (Reading Order) event. The main story here builds on the mysteries introduced at the conclusion of the wedding and furthers the examination into Batman’s psyche, all of which is interesting. Meanwhile, the main standalone story is a Penguin narrative that is pretty mediocre and doesn’t do well in drawing interest on its own. The volume closes with a few fantastic, isolated stories but these only comprise a small piece of the larger collection.

(spoilers start here)

The Tyrant Wing starts with its longest and most significant story arc. This portion of the book reveals more of Bane’s plan to destroy Batman’s life, which essentially involves driving him crazy. It also brings Penguin in on this plan and has him turn on Bane in order to help Batman.

The portion of this story that works is centered around Bane’s plan to drive Batman to the brink. Over the course of this book, readers confirm Bane was behind the attempt on Nightwing’s life, learn that he wants to kill Alfred, and see that he is launching an elaborate campaign to discredit Batman in the eyes of the GCPD. It is a nefarious scheme but the skill and dedication he utilizes to pull it off is seriously impressive. It builds on everything this comic has already built up while gearing up for the final showdown at some point in the future.

The portion of this story that doesn’t work is centered around the Penguin. There are a few fun moments that come from Penguin’s lines and actions, like when he asks for his top hat and umbrella as a easy way to get himself thrown in Arkham. However, his story in general just isn’t that compelling. It ultimately boils down to him having a breakdown over the death of a penguin he was possibly having a romantic/sexual relationship with, which kills any sense of emotion in the story and is also just plain weird.

Luckily, The Tyrant Wing closes with a few short, isolated stories that are almost all fantastic. Each of these stories is a brief glimpse at Batman’s life and the life of those around him. I particularly enjoyed the Father’s Day story of Batman and Alfred, as it gave a seriously wholesome look at their unique relationship.

(spoilers end here)

Art

The artwork in The Tyrant Wing lives up to the high level of quality seen in nearly every volume of this Batman series. Mikel Janín’s work is detailed and laid out beautifully. Individual panels are broken down to tell small pieces of the narrative while key moments play out in larger, splash pages. I also really enjoyed the interspersed artwork from Jorge Fornés in the last chapter of the main narrative. This dramatic shift of visual styling helped separate the two narratives the chapter focused on.

A similar level of quality is seen outside of The Tyrant Wing‘s main storyline. Jorge Fornés’ visuals and Matthew Wilson’s colors come together in a frighteningly psychedelic trip for a chapter about fear toxin. Brad Walker handles the blend between serious storytelling and comic book weirdness very well. And Otto Schmidt’s work on a story about Batman and Alfred’s relationship has a beautiful level of emotion, which ends up being critical for the story’s success. All in all, this collection has plenty to offer when it comes to visuals.

Continuity

Batman Vol. 9: The Tyrant Wing continues the story from Batman Vol. 8: Cold Days (Review).

The story here continues in Batman Vol. 10: Knightmares (Review).

• A mystery introduced after Batman’s wedding, from Batman #50 collected in Batman Vol. 7: The Wedding (Review) (Reading Order), plays a big part in this storyline.
• The aftermath of what Nightwing underwent in Batman #55 is detailed further in a story arc starting with Nightwing #50, collected in Nightwing: Knight Terrors.
• Batman met a Flashpoint (Review) (Reading Order) version of his father in Batman/The Flash: The Button (Review) (Reading Order).
  • The blood from Batman’s fight with Reverse Flash also came from the Batman/The Flash: The Button (Review) (Reading Order) event.