Detective Comics #1058: The Tower Falls

The tour may only have started three months ago, but its 12-issue length made it feel almost endless. Detective Comics #1058 dispelled that notion by concluding Shadows of the Bat once and for all.

With Scarecrow’s plot to take over Arkham Tower undone, the Bat-Family decided to secure Psycho-Pirate, who was being chased by a vengeful penguin. Elsewhere, Mr. and Mrs. Mayor Nakano spoke about their respective nightmarish experiences with Arkham Tower, a story Deb Donovan reiterated for readers via a fictional op-ed. Finally, the issue’s cover is explained as the next big Batman villain makes his presence known.

If this plot summary seems to betray an extremely thin issue, that’s because it does. After weeks of cluttered issues, The Tower finale unfolds as a kind of extended recap. Little is achieved in the way of narrative advancement; audiences are still in the dark about Scarecrow’s unfinished endgame and the details of how Koyuki Nakano saved the day. This is after Batman unceremoniously hijacked an arc based on his absence.

The Tower will remain as a story in two parts. Unfortunately, it was only the beginning that delivered.

If the empty calorie chart achieves one thing, it gives Amancay Nahuelpan the chance to draw. The artist’s action sequences of either Batgirl are perhaps just the visual highlights of this entire long thread.

Like its A-side, House of Gotham also concluded this week. The protagonist used his carefully gathered villainous allies to stage a climactic showdown between himself, Batman, and the Joker in ‘Tech #1057. This week, he put Batman in the unfamiliar position of defending his rival. The conclusion is a shock but marks House of Gotham more as a commentary on the human cost of Batman’s crusade than an actual comic book story.