As DC's Batman rockets towards a landmark 700 issues, Tony Daniel continues to ramp up the Dark Knight's enemies by way of Black Mask and his villainous team of evil-doers. Issue #696 features a hefty cast of guest stars including Robin, Catwoman, and The Penguin, but the primary conflict here seems to be Batman's struggle to defeat the new Black Mask.
Daniel's work, both his writing and his art, has really improved Bats' solo series since it restarted last June, and I can't deny that his cast of characters is completely enthralling. Also, Damien uses the term "epic fail" in this issue, and that's just awesome.
Batman #696 is on shelves February 17.
