There have been a lot of deaths in the DC Universe lately. Just read Heroes in Crisis. But can Batman stand one more? It’s one thing when a comrade in arms falls, but when it’s an innocent, what does that do to those who stand on the front line? Doubt? Grief? Acceptance? In Batman’s case, there aren’t five stages of death. Only one: Anger.

This issue moves, as events follow one another quickly, with no let up, no rest in between. Its breakneck pace adds to the tension, making the final page hardly satisfying. It’s NOT the end but merely a two-week pause until the next chapter, no doubt building to the landmark Detective Comics #1,000.

DC Comics is perhaps obligated to make DC 1,000 a major event, without repeating the format of Action #1,000. They’re two different characters and require two separate story strategies. Events so far promise exactly that, but where it will ultimately lead is anyone’s guess.

Will it bring the Bat-family together? Honestly I hope not. That’s kind of what the wedding storyline of 2018 seemed to do. I’d prefer to see a character-building story featuring Bruce and almost no one else. The children – Dick, Barbara, Selina, et al – are grown with live and titles of their own. When they hit #1,000, they’ll have their big moment. Until then, this is Bruce’s story, and should remain so.