Every once in a while it's refreshing to have a "one and done" story in an ongoing series. It gives the reader a moment to catch their breath.

That's what issue #10 does here. Lucius and Bruce take a trip to Germany to meet with wealthy investors in order to help fulfill Bruce's plan for a revitalized Gotham City. Lucius gets to take a nice, relaxing trip overseas to recover from his wounds, and Bruce gets to take care of business. It's a win-win.

Of course, nothing goes to plan. Lucius and a potential business partner by the name of Zimmer are kidnapped by a group of thugs interesting in stealing Zimmer's prototypes. Before you know it, Lucius is strapped to the hood of a car as it drives at high speeds down a crowded German street.

It's up to Batman to save his friend, and the resulting action and artwork make a strong impression. Robson Rocha's pencil work is a step above what we normally see from this book. The action is well-drawn and is given a strong sense of speed as two cars zoom down the road. Faces are vibrant and full of emotion (like Lucius screaming for his life), and to top it off Rocha delivers a stellar full page spread of Batman leaping onto the criminal's car that is a thing of beauty.

Overall it's a well drawn, entertaining break from the doom-and-gloom of Gotham city, even if one particular story beat isn't entirely thought out. After Batman rescues Lucius, the two meet up with Zimmer to discuss improvements to the Batmobile. Zimmer knows Lucius works for Wayne Enterprises, and one assumes he also knows Lucius traveled to Germany with Bruce Wayne.

Having Batman with Lucius with no Bruce Wayne in sight is a little suspicious. Zimmer could easily put the pieces together and conclude Wayne is Batman. Instead, writer Peter Tomasi attempts to close this plot hole by having Lucius simply say he is purchasing equipment for Batman without Bruce Wayne knowing.

It all seems a little far-fetched, but it's a minor complaint compared to the overall quality of this issue. Solid artwork, entertaining action and a break from Batman's regular haunt makes issue #10 a welcome diversion.

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Batman: Arkham Knight #9
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Convergence #3

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