Writer: Doug MoenchPlot: As a plague of snakes visits Haunted Gotham, Batman must take on Ophidian, a serpent-human hybrid.
The second issue of this series ended so well, that no further story would have been necessary. Yes, Bruce's mother still would've been running from the dark lords, but that might have been an acceptable hanging plot thread.
Instead, we're given a snake-ridden story, which doesn't directly relate to the city's dark lord problem. It's an independently entertaining tale, and if you're a fan of either Doug's writing or the KJ/Big B art combo, you'll love seeing them all work on a Bat-book again.
KJ has been criticized for his art on females in the past, but he drew the mystical seer, Cat Majik, really well this time around (perhaps a little too well). Batman's outstretched set of multiple wings at the top of page 41 instantly reminded me of the final two books in the Bat-vampire trilogy, Bloodstorm and Crimson Mist.
Doug makes Ophidian's origin believable and bizarre at the same time. We're treated to a lot of disgusting scenes, including an infestation of snakes in a woman's chest, and Batman's journey into a giant serpent's belly.
