Review: Task Force Z # 8

Overview: IN Task Force Z # 8Jason’s mission to break into Batcave brings up more family issues as several unexpected heroes deter him.

Synopsis (spoilers ahead): Task Force Z # 8 begins in an (mostly) empty street in Gotham City as Task Force Z drives their van head first into a parked truck, creating an explosion that they hope will act as a trick big enough to pull Batman out.

Across the city and at the site of the new Batcave, Jason observes the Batmobile swinging out of the streets. Jason subtly enters the hideout and asks Dent to stop long enough for him to get the resin and get out.

Unfortunately for him, Batman was not the only resident of Batcave that night; to greet him is nothing but the first Batgirl, Barbara Gordon herself, who asks Jason what brings him around to their side of town.

Elsewhere, at Power International Headquarters, Mr. Bloom’s experiments on Man-Bat (six simulation experiments, to be exact), while addressing Dr. Acheron, sent by Geri Powers to observe Bloom’s work.

The ethical violations and the lack of proprietary scientific equipment shock Dr. Acheron, but Bloom is not drawn to his dismay and is more fascinated by learning about some of the other projects Powers International has been working on over the years. After working together long enough, Dr. Archeron definitely let Bloom pry them out of him.

In Batcave, Jason and Barbara go back and forth for some time before Jason is able to convince her that he only came to get another communicator to replace the one he destroyed when he was mad at Batman. When Barbara leaves to get him one, Jason recovers the resin sample and leaves, only to be stopped by Nightwing’s arrival.

Jason’s actions in Batcave are known by Nightwing, thanks to Barbara’s security, and unfortunately there is no way any of them can find a peaceful solution. Their fight is brought to a temporary halt by the arrival of Tim Drake, Robin and Batgirl, Cassandra Cain, before continuing with Jason against his other ‘siblings’.

Across the city, Dent manages to steal some extra time by blowing up the Batmobile, but he’s sure it’s not going to last long.

The fight between the heroes leads to Jason being thrown into a woman carrying groceries home, and after helping her to her feet again, everyone resumes their fight. It’s bloody, thanks to Jason, and a verbal sparring as much as a physical one. Nightwing and the others deny that Jason goes solo and does not obey Batman’s order to withdraw from his undercover mission. Jason replies that he is doing something necessary and would not have stolen the resin if he did not have to.

When Jason betrays his guard for a moment, Nightwing takes advantage of it and manages to overthrow him. Despite the fact that they have searched his person, it is clear that Jason does not have the resin, and it is then that they all realize that the woman who was carrying groceries was clearly someone who worked on Jason’s team. He had managed to pass it on to her without anyone noticing.

Jason looks up at them from his seat on the floor with his hands tied behind his back and asks Nightwing what they want to do with what he has been working on. Powers International has been and is currently involved in things that are not okay, and it has been going on right under Batman’s nose. Now Jason has a chance to stop it, but he can not convince Batman to trust him.

Jason made a deal with some bad people to get what needs to be done, and if that makes him one of the bad guys, he’s fine with it because what he’s doing is right. They can all compare scorecards when he’s done.

Less than impressed with his argument, Nightwing’s contradiction is interrupted by Batman, who gets his attention through their communicator, saying that Task Force Z’s base is packed together; the whole laboratory has been cleared out.

Batman has to talk to Jason, and just as Nightwing turns around to forward Batman’s latest update to Robin and Batgirl, they’re all shocked to be alone. Jason is gone.

Analysis: It’s dysfunctional family time in Task Force Z # 8 as the other members of the Bat-Family try to prevent Jason from leaving with Lazarus Resin while Batman deals with the rest of Task Force Z. While I was somewhat (pleasantly) surprised that it was Jason vs. Nightwing and company instead of a fight against Batman as I had expected, unfortunately I was not so preoccupied with the overall predictability of the events that unfolded.

Although I appreciated the way Mathew Rosenberg wrote Barbara and Jason’s conversation and then focused most of the story on the dynamics between Jason and the others (and meant to include almost all of the current Gotham heroes except Damian, Stephanie, and Duke, both of whom are mentioned). At this point in comics, the plot point of ‘Jason fights the Bat-Family’ has become a bit overused. (I would have been shocked if there had been an actual adult conversation between the characters that resulted in a productive game plan, but that does not mean I had not hoped for it). It was not my favorite way to move the plot forward or provide insight into the strained relationships between the characters, but maybe later in the series we will be able to see how the heroes of Gotham can all work together and face the enemy in front of them instead. each other.

Overall, I think the Task Force has equally hit a solid score in both the writing and art departments, with some ups and downs. I’m not a fan of the classic trope Jason versus the Bat family, but I still appreciate that they were involved and the amount of time dedicated to developing and presenting their relationship to each other. Harvey Dent’s characterization and interactions with Batman in this issue were comical and elaborate, and the scene with Mr. Bloom and Man-Bat actually made me a little uncomfortable, which I think was the intent.

Editor’s Note: DC Comics provided TBU with a copy of this comic for review purposes. You can find this comic and help support TBU in the process by purchasing this issue digitally at Comixology through Amazon or a physical copy of the title throughout Things from another world.