Part five of “The Courage that Kills” roars into comic shops this week, featuring a new threat known as the Lion, who has clear signs of Bruce Wayne’s past. He’s also the creator of a toxin that makes people lose all sense of fear. That’s not good in a mostly lawless town like Gotham. In Detective Comics #1105, the Lion is further fleshed out, and his threat to the people of Gotham becomes even clearer.
As the cover says, Batman is infected with the virus, which is why he wears a new suit that keeps the toxin inside. While the rest of the cover features events from the last issue, the book starts with a flashback. We see the day Commissioner Gordon interacts with a younger Lion, named Lio, after Batman takes his father to the police department. Never as heartless as his enemies seem to think, we soon see Bruce checking in on Leo and even fostering his skills in chemistry. As aptly put by writer Tom Taylor, Batman is the monster who took everything away and the man who empowered him.
This issue moves along briskly, checking in on Batman’s team, who are trying to find a cure to Lion’s virus, and setting Batman off to confront Lion directly. This leads to a direct confrontation, a war of words between villain and hero, and a show-stopper cliffhanger page.
Once again, Mikel Janin’s art is spectacular, especially with the fire effects and the way they play off the details of Batman’s new suit. Flashbacks look different enough to tell them apart, with a striking use of color when we see Leo boxing as a younger lad.
Bruce tried to help Lio, but maybe inadvertently helped create the Lion.
Credit: DC Comics
Further in the issue, we get key details about Leo’s training in hand-to-hand combat, and all in all, Janin and Taylor have done a great job establishing a new villain. He may have the same angle as Scarecrow, but he’s much closer to Bruce in a variety of ways, making him a kind of mirror to the hero.
If you’re just dropping into the story, you may feel rather lost. DC doesn’t have the summary pages handy to start, so you’d best buy the previous chapters. That’s more on you, but I will say the writing doesn’t do the new reader a lot of favors. Thankfully, there is a direct confrontation between Batman and Lion, since most of the rest of the issue is table setting for the next issue. That said, Batgirl gets to be a total badass in one scene, while Scarecrow is a total creep in another. Nice little moments peppered in reward the avid reader.
Detective Comics #1105 continues “The Courage That Kills” with confidence, sharpening the Lion into a formidable, emotionally charged foe while reinforcing the ties to Batman’s past. While it’s not the most accessible chapter for newcomers and leans heavily on setup, the character work, visuals, and thematic resonance more than justify the ride. Longtime readers will find plenty to chew on as the arc barrels toward its endgame.
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