I thought this was another good installment in this arc. Nguyen's artwork was horrifyingly awesome, Fawkes writing was really good, and we got to see some Deacon Blackfire's background! There were a few problems in character interaction and the jumps in logic in Deacon Blackfire's origin was sometimes annoying; however, overall you guys will really like this issue as much I did. I recommend this! Read Full Review

Nguyen and his art team of Derek Fridolfs and John Kalisz do a great job this issue in setting up a bleak tone without getting consumed by it. They transition well to the lighter moments above ground, but still keep the entire issue feeling mysterious and dark. The action scenes are fun, but never over the top, and there is an incredible feeling of brutality that emanates from Batman's showdown with the Deacon. Art is truly powerful when it is able to speak on its own, and Nguyen's does that in this issue. By pairing the familiar team of Nguyen and Fridolfs with colorist John Kalisz, the book is able to take on a tone very similar to that of another great Bat-book, Batman and Robin, which Kalisz also colors. Read Full Review

This series has gone through many different takes on the types of horror Gotham has to face on a daily basis. The crime bosses, the corrupt cops, the freakishly corrupt deaconsSuperman has it soooo easy in Metropolis. Issue #17 brings new story threads and motives into the mix as well as containing a scene showcasing the Batman in all of his Dark Knight glory (see the top quote for one of the best lines hes ever muttered). Read Full Review

This is the last leg in the Ray Fawkes/Dustin Nguyen story before we get a little break for awhile. I must say, that I really enjoy how the team has told this mini-arc. We get a nice 3 issues of consistency, along with the same artist throughout. While I wish I could say the next few issues will be following the same format, that doesn't look to be the case in the next few weeks. Hopefully, this will become the norm. Read Full Review

Fawkes really drives home the fanatical fervor from which he speaks, introducing a true supernatural threat amidst the many loonies already on the streets. Artist Dustin Nguyen attacks the supernatural angle with obvious glee, his shadows deep and menacing and his baddies suitably grotesque. Read Full Review

I don't want to give much away, but I really liked this issue. Batman was involved, and it seems like Blackfire is going to be a major player in the coming weeks. We know more about him, yet have only scratched the service. Author Ray Fawkes did a great job of taking us on a journey throughout the issue, between different story and time lines, while artist Dustin Nguyen remains at the top of his game. He really is one of my favorite Batman artists. Read Full Review

Batman Eternal #17 is for people who have read the series up to this point and are going to stick with it to the bitter end. It is a bit difficult to jump right into without any previous knowledge of the series and doesnt have enough going on inside 22 pages to make picking it up out of nowhere really worth it. Read Full Review

Batman: Eternal‘s latest arc has been somewhat average, though the side development and art help make it better. As an individual issue however I can't recommend it. Read Full Review

I enjoyed it much better than last issue since it brought back the Corrigan/Batwing relationship but the jumps in logic in the Deacon Blackfire origin kept it from scoring higher for me. Read Full Review

Batman: Eternal #17 may show the origin story of Deacon Blackfire, but does little else.  That may have been acceptable, but I didn't like the Origin at all.  Dustin Nguyen does a fine job with the art this week, but it's not enough to save this boring book.  It's a shame because I liked the scary side of things that Fawkes was giving us. but for now I'm done. Read Full Review

All I know is that two characters I don't particularly care about are in over their heads against a villain I don't particularly care about, and neither one of them is Batman or Robin. This whole storyline is an example of Batman Eternal giving itself far too many plots. Read Full Review

Maybe the problem is Batman. Things were going so well, as Ray Fawkes and company had Batwing team up with Jim Corrigan - the human host of the otherworldly Spectre - but this origin of Deacon Blackfire falls flat as soon as the Batman shows up. Read Full Review