DC/RWBY #3 // Review
Arkham Asylum is burning. The fire’s origin isn’t an entirely earthly one. Supernatural forces are at work in DC/RWBY #3. The DC/Rooster’s Teeth crossover continues as the fantasy warriors team up with the most recognizable heroes in the DC Universe. Writer Marguerite Bennett continues a story that is rendered into the visual by artist Soo Lee. Color comes to the page courtesy of Marissa Louise. Beyond being a basic inter-world crossover, Bennett and company are telling a truly interesting story that takes a novel glance into the psyches of very familiar DC Universe characters.
Catwoman can replicate anything she wants. Batgirl can instantly learn the history of any object simply by touching it. And the patients at Arkham? They’re all a little bit worse than they’ve ever been. Everyone from Team RWBY’s world is infecting the DC Universe with unwanted magical superpowers that are likely to tear it all apart if the heroes can’t get a handle on it. To deal with all the weird magic, Batman will have to call in the help of a couple of the DC Universe’s greatest occultists. Meanwhile, the members of Team RWBY are taken off to the one place on Earth that might be more familiar with ancient magic than any other: Themyscira.
At its heart, Bennett’s story makes for a really fascinating read. Magical powers overrun the world, and even heroes are given gifts that they’d rather not have. However...rather than explore the deeper psychological implications of this, Bennett’s story rolls around in superficial fantasy without much direction in the third issue of the series. There’s an extended conversation about fairy tales and shared stories between both worlds that DOES feel kind of intriguing, but it drags the overall momentum of the story. The rhythm of the story doesn’t quite pick up until Cheetah attacks at the end of the issue.
Lee’s work is expressive enough to draw in the reader. The action seems like it has the right kind of direction across the page as well. The distinct look and feel of Themyscira might not be all that present on the page. What Lee lacks in immersive atmosphere, she more than makes up for in the sweeping kinetics of her execution of action. The scratchy sketchiness of her art gives the visuals an aggressively textured feel that lacks some degree of elegance. Lee’s art is given a rich sense of warmth thanks to the coloring work of Marissa Louise.
Overall, the story has been a thoughtful tour through various angles of the DC Universe. Gotham City gives way to Themyscira in a largely fun third issue. The ideas that Bennett is working with ARE interesting. Magic infecting one universe from another...it’s an intriguing idea with lots of potential across a universe as big and diverse as DC’s. It’s too bad not every issue in the series is framed with the right narrative spin to keep it all living up to its potential.
