This "prelude" to the "War Games" crossover is really the first chapter of the story, and it's far more accessible and clear than this week's Detective Comics #797, which is billed as "Act 1, Part 1" in the event. The players are identified much more clearly here, but another problem makes itself known: the non-costumed villains are incredibly generic, and we still don't get a sense of who they are. Fortunately, the narration does give us a strong sense of one particular member of the Batman Family, building nicely on some interesting events from recent issues of Robin.
The Spoiler happens upon a mysterious meeting in a dark corner of Gotham City. Just about every gang boss in town has gatheredd together, along with their personal bodyguards, to discuss their criminal endeavors. Tensions are running high, though, and the situation is a volatile one. Still, the Spoiler, eager to prove herself once again to the Batman, is confident she can handle the legion of wiseguys; after all, she has the element of surprise on her side. Across town at a benefit, the Batman deals with a different kind of criminal -- Kobra terrorists looking to steal some technology to further their nihilistic goals.
Ramon Bachs's work here reminds me a great deal of the style of Sal (Black Panther, JSA: All-Stars) Velluto. It's an appropriately realistic style that brings out the Spiler's humanity and the tension in the mobster meeting. Oddly enough, the scenes featuring Batman boast a more Silver Age feel in terms of the writing, so the darker, more realistic approach doesn't work as well in those segments. The real visual highlight of the book is the lovely cover by Cameron (Seaguy) Stewart. It captures both aspects, the lightness of the super-hero and the dark maturity of the crime drama elements.
Grayson does a great job of taking the reader inside the Spoiler's head. The script provides plenty of exposition, explaining Stephanie's roller-coaster ride as the fourth Robin. The writer portrays the Spoiler not as a spunky young heroine, but an angry and scared little girl who's in way over her head. I also thoroughly appreciated the fact that Grayson didn't follow the predictable path here when it comes to the Spoiler's involvement in the issue's explosive climax.
The Batman's encounter with Kobra goons was completely generic and rather uninteresting. Furthermore, it has little to do with the larger plotline that's launched here, and it just gets in the way of the complexity of the crossover premise. Still, if there's one thing one can say about this comic book, it's that the price is right. No one can complain they got ripped off by buying this comic book. Now the crossover as a whole... that might prove to be a different matter altogether.
