In this review of Detective Comics #1109, Oliver Queen finds himself in mortal danger (and he’s not even in his own series), while the mystery girl proves to be even more dangerous than previously thought.
Detective Comics #1109 main cover by Mikell Janín (DC Comics)
DETECTIVE COMICS #1109
Written by TOM TAYLOR
Art and Main Cover: MIKEL JANÍN
Variant Covers: GERALD PAREL and RILEY ROSSMO
Page Count: 32 pages
Release Date: 5/27/26
This review contains spoilers
Detective Comics #1109 begins with a flashback as young Prion’s past connection to Batman, Green Arrow and Black Canary is further explored. While Wildcat (Ted Grant) and the others welcome the aspiring hero into the fold, Batman remains suspicious and unconvinced. Soon, Green Arrow and Prion spar in the ring, with the eager novice catching the emerald archer off guard.
The story flashes back to the present day where Oliver Queen finds himself in a much more dangerous predicament as he plummets from the fortieth floor of an unfinished high rise. Ollie slows his descent utilizing his aim and grip strength to wrap his belt around the nearby scaffolding and landing safely on it. Shaken by the near disaster, Ollie finds Batman perched above him.
After a brief exchange, the pair return to the place where Ollie fell and discover the young mystery girl who pushed him off the building. The girl professes her innocence, but Ollie calls her out prompting the girl to leap off the building. slowing her descent with a glider parachute. Batman chases after her while Ollie grabs his gear. Batman catches up to the girl and during the struggle, she drops top the ground from a dangerous height.
Prion arrives for training (DC Comics)
Batman lands and is caught off guard as she overpowers her and wails on him repeatedly. Batman exclaims that he recognizes her fighting techniques as Prion’s. Ollie shoots an arrow at her, which she catches with her bare hand, but the arrow burst open releasing a thick gas cloud. The girl receives a communication that orders her to retreat. The caller also calls her by her name: Prion.
Detective Comics #1109 ends as Prion scrambles to an underground safe house where Black Canary (Dinah Lance) is hiding the last surviving witness against Klep Corp. Canary is happy to see the girl because she recognizes her connection to the original Prion.
Analysis
Detective Comics #1109 ironically reveals more about the mystery girl called Prion than about her predecessor. Behind her innocent appearance hides a formidable assassin with more than a few tricks up her sleeve as she willingly leaps off a tall building and overpowers Batman during their scuffle. Her seemingly sincere reaction (gaslighting) when Ollie and Batman return was another bit of spy craft and is a clever bit of misdirection for readers.
Black Canary’s pleased reaction to finding the younger Prion at the door to her safe house is another wild twist, as is Dinah clearly laboring under a misconception about the girl’s intentions. Two trained fighters locked in close quarters combat in a safe house over the fate of a protected witness should be interesting to watch.
Writer Tom Taylor moves the story along while dropping more hints about the first Prion’s formative years while also raising questions about who this girl actually is and who trained her. Also, who was she talking to during the fight?
Mikel Janin returns to Detective Comics #1109, taking the baton from solid guest artist Pete Woods. Janin’s stunning artwork provides gorgeous depictions of Gotham City, Wildcat’s Gym and the various heroes in both their past and present costumes. Janin’s fight choreography is thrilling while Ollie’s mid-air rescue is an impressive sequence. Even the quieter moments shine.
Final Thoughts
Detective Comics #1109 has barely scratched the surface of this new mystery while already providing tantalizing clues about the new characters who have been introduced. The story zips along while art is astounding.
