Greeting citizens of Gotham! Meg Downey is off on a secret mission, so I’ve been entrusted with the printing press here at the Gotham Gazette, and not a moment too soon. The city and its heroes have been pretty busy, and we have lots of activities to report on. You guys won’t make fun of me if I put on my Alexander Knox replica hat while I type this, right? It was either that or my Vicki Vale wig.

First off, one of my favorite teams is back in Batman and the Outsiders #1. We’ve had a few incarnations of Batman’s covert ops group over the years, and this time the roster consists of Black Lightning, Katana, Orphan and the Signal. I’m pumped about this first arc because the team has been tasked with protecting a girl named Sofia, who’s being hunted by Ra’s al Ghul. I don’t know about all of you, but the idea of Katana and Orphan fighting against the League of Assassins has me mega excited!

My excitement over a potential Outsiders vs. Ra’s fight almost makes me forget my heartbreak over what’s currently happening in the pages of Batgirl. There has been some tension between Barbara Gordon and her father Jim Gordon for months, with Babs feeling betrayed that he’s working with her sadistic brother James Gordon Junior (over in the pages of The Batman Who Laughs). I was hoping things would calm down between these two, but Barbara has moved out of her father’s house. The Gordon family has overcome so much adversary over the years, so I really hope these two can bridge the gap in their relationship.

Speaking of fathers and daughters, Dr. Arkham had some interesting news about his own little girl over in the pages of Detective Comics #1003. Remember that article I wrote about the Arkham Knight? Well, the Knight is none other than Astrid Arkham! (It does explain her choice of name.) You’ve got to wonder what it’s like growing up in a family like that. I’d imagine I’d have some real problems with Batman too. Now that Batman and Robin know the Arkham Knight’s real identity, hopefully they’re closer to figuring out how to stop her.

If you haven’t checked in with Jason Todd in a while, you’re missing out on some great fun. The former Boy Wonder has taken over the Iceberg Lounge and is forcing the Penguin to watch him take down his criminal empire piece by piece. And where is old Oswald? He’s locked in his own panic room and has no choice but to witness Jason Todd’s devious machinations!

By the way, longtime Todd fans will love Red Hood Outlaw #34. Remember Isabel Adrila, Jason’s flight attendant girlfriend from the New 52 Red Hood and the Outlaws series? Well, she’s back and it looks like she and Jason are picking things back up from where they left off. These types of relationships never last, but I think Jason deserves some happiness.

On the subject of love, we got an update on Stephanie Brown’s whereabouts at last! The teenage vigilante known as Spoiler had last been seen during the closing pages of Detective Comics #981, where she had run off with her boyfriend Tim Drake. Since then, fans have been wondering where Stephanie was and that question was finally answered this month in Young Justice #5. We learned via flashback that Spoiler and Red Robin are still together, but she’s currently searching for her father, the villain known as Cluemaster, so she can get closure on their twisted relationship. It might explain why she’s not answering her phone over in the pages of Batman #71.

You have read Batman #71 by now, right? The Dark Knight put out a red alert and most of the Bat-Family answered the call. However, if you’ve been following Tom King’s run, then you know that Batman hasn’t been himself lately. Bane has been working things behind the scenes, getting the Dark Knight to question his own sanity. Now Batman’s on to his game, but his allies are still unconvinced. Tim Drake tried to reason with his mentor, but things didn’t go too well. You’ve all seen that internet meme of Batman slapping Robin? Well the issue closed with a modern version of it, with Tim on the receiving end. Holy Gaslighting Batman! Is Bane isolating the Dark Knight from the Batman Family?

Stay tuned to future editions of the Gotham Gazette to see how this all plays out!
 

Joshua Lapin-Bertone writes about TV, movies and comics for DCComics.com and DCUniverse.com, is a regular contributor to the Couch Club and writes our monthly Batman column, "Gotham Gazette." Follow him on Twitter at @TBUJosh.