Ray: The search for Elixir has led Batman and Harvey Bullock abroad – where they picked up an unlikely ally in the Penguin. This is a great team-up – you have one hero, one slightly corrupt cop, and one villain with the exact same goal – to get to the heart of this multi-national conspiracy for immortality. After barely surviving an attack by the sinister Ambrose, they capture the ringleader and Batman has to decide just how far he’s willing to go in order to get answers. Bullock is particularly entertaining in this story, and he and Penguin are able to correctly sus out that Ambrose is a bit of a paper tiger. They quickly find out that he’s one step below the mastermind – but the man behind the man is not willing to be discovered easily, and he’s set up a pretty elaborate trap for everyone who gets close. The problem is, it’s not just a trap for outsiders – it’s one for him as well.

The Batman comics have often dealt with themes of immortality and the quest for an extended lifespan – obviously, Ra’s Al Ghul has pretty much hacked the nature of life and death. But I’ve rarely seen it explored in such a compelling fashion. Our villain here has become so obsessed with preserving existence that he’s forgotten what life actually means – and Batman still finds a way to get under his skin and remind him that he won’t be safe forever. Next issue brings us an anniversary issue with several guest talents, and I’m guessing we’ll get a kickoff to a new story next. It’s a little surprising that this one plot has taken up the entire run so far, but Taylor has found some interesting ways to shift genres while focusing on this one big plot. The ending also has some nice ambiguity to it, as one character makes a surprising decision that proves Elixir may not be gone from Gotham for good.

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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.

Source: geekdad.com