This issue was great and the ending will have readers excited for the next issue! Read Full Review

This isn't your regular Batman comic you might be used to. By having Batman ally himself with others in the Bat Family, there is so much more to see explored and developed. Barrows, Ferreira, and Lucas are doing an amazing job with the art and color. How many different Batman stories and titles have we seen over the years? James Tynion IV and crew make Detective Comics stand out from the others. Read Full Review

Tynion and Barrows + Team Batman? That's a combination too spectacular to fail as Detective continues to be a must-read Rebirth title. Read Full Review

I have enjoyed every issue of the post-DC Rebirth Detective Comics run (not that I did not enjoy the pre-Rebirth book), and I dont think that will stop anytime soon. I loved the ending of this book, and what it could set up. Batman has never liked working as a team like Red Robin told him in the early page flashback in this issue, and sometimes you can see why. He is afraid of getting other people hurt, but he is learning that sometimes, not even he can avoid that. I am starting to wonder why The Victim Syndicate chose Spoiler to visit and ask her why she helps Batman. I think the end game is a lot bigger than simply being civilians who turned villains because Batman got them hurt. I cannot wait to see where this book goes, and I would recommend it to anyone. Read Full Review

As Detective Comics #946 comes to a close, one can’t help but marvel at Tynion’s ability to play across the emotional spectrum. As always, this issue is a roller coaster ride through feelings happiness and anger; through hope and despair. That being said, the art team still manages to do an outstanding job following the intricate ebbs and flows of this engaging and fast-paced story. The classic Caped Crusader action is rounded out by strong character beats, as well as captivating sub-plots, and truly sets the bar for what an ideal team book should be. Read Full Review

A pivotal chapter in “The Victim Syndicate,”Detective Comics #946 contains strong character beats for several members of the team. While Barrows' pencils exhibit the usual quirks in close-up, his layouts are, for the most part, rich storytelling. If you've been waiting for a deeper connection with this arc, this issue may be just what you need, and it sets up what looks to be an emotional thriller of a finale in two weeks. Read Full Review

By the end of the issue the question stands " Are the people who fight alongside Bruce better off or worse for having taken up his cause? I guess it will be another issue before we start to get our answers. Read Full Review

Tynion and Barrows are making a really entertaining Batman comic, focused on some truly neat characters. This is good Bat stuff on a reliable Bat schedule. Barrows, especially, outdoes himself in this issue with a string of really great double-page spreads. Read Full Review

Alright, Tynion, you've peaked my interest again. I can't wait to see how this all plays out in less than two weeks. Read Full Review

Tynion and Barrows put all the pieces in place for a killer finale as Batmans team confronts the Victim Syndicate. Read Full Review

The story of Detective Comics #946 continues to engage with each character given their own hero moment. Spoiler continues to be a relatively flat character with little to no actual value on the team. The artwork continues to move and flow giving the reader a feast for the eyes. Read Full Review

On the whole, Tynion's and Barrow's run on this title has proven itself to be one of the most fascinating series in the Rebirth lineup. In a genre known for stagnation and the "illusion of change," the creators working on this title have made impactful character development the core that gives their plots momentum. Read Full Review

I liked this issue, but I really want Tim Drake back - sooner than later. The best thing the Snyder run did was humanizing Bats; Snyder gave him the ability to smile, and to be more than just a man in a cape. Tim's death has shoved him back in that hole " and I want a human Batman back. Read Full Review

This issue just cruises along, giving us more of the same until the crazy cliffhanger.  The way it ended, though, made this whole arc feel like nothing but a disguised setup.  I hope I'm wrong because I thought the Victim Syndicate made for an interesting villain. Read Full Review

The problem with Detective Comics #946 is that, for much of the issue, things are neither revealed nor escalated. For the fourth part of what feels like a five or six part storyline, there's remarkably little tension or suspense. At this point, the First Victim is little more than a cool idea and a great visual, with the main antagonist's motivation maddeningly obscured, resulting in a villain that isn't as compelling or formidable as the concept promised initially. Read Full Review

The story inthis issue was pretty good, the information we got on the Victims Syndicate wasa little meh though. Hopefully the first victim's story is more exciting and alittle more in depth. I did really enjoy Mudface's story though, very sad thatit had to do with Clayface. He seems to have more depth than any character inthe series which is surprising in a good way. I'm interested to see whathappens with Spoiler in the next issue. The art on the characters in this issuewas fine but I was not a fan of the lack of detail in the backgrounds. Read Full Review

[ART: 9.6 | STORY: 8.7 | WRITING: 8.8 | TOTAL: 9 (~9)] This was a fantastic issue, probably my favourite for this arc. The art was truly fantastic yet again, but it felt like there was just a little something extra this issue. Barrows set a new high on this front. The story has been really intriguing so far--I like how Batman is being questioned on a real psychological level which created some nice moments between him and the First Victim. This series is written beautifully by Tynion who has a great handle on every character at play. Needless to say, I am anxiously awaiting the conclusion to this arc.

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• pocketmegar

pocketmegar - Dec 17, 2016

Haha couldn't agree more!

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What an incredible issue! The concept of the crime syndicate is really great and the questions the antagonists raise about Batman, and super-heroes in general, are thoughtful. The characterization of every character (and there are a lot of them) is brilliant and the dialogues are neat. Finally, the art is breathtaking. The panel composition is at the same time original, surprising and perfectly clear. It guides the reader's eyes smoothly. I can't wait to discover how this skillful creative team concludes the arc and how they set the stage for the future.

Barrows' and Ferreira's art just makes everything feel better. I don't like how they keep changing between them and Martinez, Fernandez and Anderson, who had the terrible idea of changing Spoiler's outfit design and colours. That is not good.

Score: 8.4

Comic Book Review (8.5/10) "Great!"
Detective Comics #946 "The Victim Syndicate Part 4: Death Wish"
Writer: James Tynion IV
Penciller: Eddy Barrows
Plot: The penultimate issue to the Victims Syndicate story arc! Batman and his allies are about to take on the Victim Syndicate before they hurt more people. However, the Spoiler is beginning to have second thoughts...
This issue starts with a poignant conversation between Tim Drake and Bruce in a flashback scene, and it helps tie the whole story together. Batman doesn't want to to use force to take down the Victim Syndicate (although it seems Orphan and Batwoman didn't get the memo as they straight up clock the Victims they fought respectively) and it makes sense why Batman doesn't just want to punch the First Victim in the face.
Tim had a grand idea to reform the Batfamily team - to make them a team of hope rather than a team of fear and coercion. Because of Tim's recent passing, Bruce feels obligated to approach the First Victim differently. It's a great issue but I had one major problem with it: how is it that each hero conveniently faced off against a Victim that they were prepared and equipped to take down in a building? If each hero fought the villain that he or she was not prepared to take on then it feels the Batfamily would've failed. Besides this forced narrative decision, this is a great comic and Barrows' incredible artwork only heightens the emotional impact and the gravity of the issue. Highly recommended.
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Interesting twist to the Victim Syndicate arc, but I am having a really hard time with Spoilers character. I know that she should come off as the victim, but it seems that she is being the most disruptive out of all the villains in the story. Overall, I am very interested in seeing who the first victim is.

this issue made me realize something that's been SORELY missing from this series!!! TIM DRAKE ! ! ! !

i enjoy some of Tynion's writing quite a bit, but at times he does tend to get very wordy. though i don't mind all the dialog when used in an emotionally powerful scene like the one between Clayface and Glory.
some of Tynion's character's feel very real and believable to me, though others i'm not 100% sold on.
overall i really like this comic series, i just don't love it.

i will say the artwork is definitely top notch though!

I'm much more a fan of what's going on in Batman rather than Detective Comics. This is well done and the artwork is strong though.