This review contains minor spoilers.
It pains me to say this, but I told you so. Detective Comics #956 is one issue too far for the “League of Shadows” storyline. While it did succeed in hyping up Cassandra Cain, I don’t think anyone will be wishing for more long-winded arcs like this one.
As expected, Cassandra faces off against her mother, Lady Shiva, and proves she’s more than meets the eye. She finally defeats her in a grueling battle, but there’s a real gut punch that takes us all by surprise (but really shouldn’t because, well, you’ll see what I mean when you read it). In the end, Cassandra does make some form of peace with Shiva and they share a curious moment, which should have future repercussions for the Bat Family.
The other subplot sees the Colony prepare to destroy Gotham City in an effort to end the League of Shadows for good. As Ulysses prepares to pull the trigger, though, Colonel Kane senses something isn’t right and stops him. When he sees footage that his daughter, Kate, is still alive, he pulls the plug on the whole operation. Ulysses tries to reason with him that this is their big chance to end the League, and Kate might not even survive her stabbing, but Kane refuses to listen to him. Maybe there’s a chance at redemption for the character after all.
While “League of Shadows” is far from his best work, James Tynion IV does end it off in fine fashion. Look, if he’d cut out a lot of the filler material from before and the unnecessary and repetitive fights, this ending would’ve been far stronger. Nonetheless, the issue answers all the questions we had, resolves several plot issues, and leaves us with an opportunity to explore the consequences in later storylines. I’d chalk this one up as a win.
On a negative note, the issue does nothing to add to the mythos of the League. In fact, after appearing like they’d destroy Gotham City for so long, they resembled nothing more than Foot Soldiers at the end of the story. Sure, there needed to be a build up for Cassandra, but there didn’t need to be a complete wiping of the floor with the League.
I must say that Marcio Takara’s penciling here is the best work he’s done in his Detective Comics run to date. His simple approach to the characters and action scenes combines well with Marcello Maiolo’s color palette once again, giving the illustrations a Samurai Jack-esque look. It has taken time and a few issues, but Takara’s efforts on this book have finally grown on me.
Overall, Detective Comics #956 adequately closes off the “League of Shadows” arc. There’s a decent twist that none of us saw coming and it assists Cassandra in finding closure with her mother and accepting herself. That said, I enjoyed this issue more because I knew it was the end of this storyline than its actual contents. It’s over, guys and girls. It’s finally over!
