Red Robin #7 - DC

This issue shows us some more of the game going on between the Spider's Guild and the League of Assassins. In it, we're getting bits and pieces about the girl from South America. The one that we learned was bitten by all the spiders and then became the woman with the poisonous touch. Everything except her name . . apparently. Anyways, she's been putting together her own band of assassins and over the years has come into contact with more than a few of Ra's operatives, when they cross paths over a job. They usually offer her a position in their organization, and then they end up dead. After a while, she's gathered up her own assassins and taken on several jobs. She's turned her misfortune into a career. But . . she's bored. As are most of her ilk. So, for some reason, she decides to up the ante and start going after the members of this League of Assassins that she's caught glimpses of over the years. She's been picking them off one by one, but hasn't gone for the Demon's Head. At least not yet. And then . . then Tim comes along. He decides they're going to strike back. So he draws up traps, and games, and gambits designed to draw them in and hopefully, somewhere along the line, help them to capture one of their members alive so that they might get some information. The problem is, that while the tactic is sound, Tim has to work past the power struggles with the White Ghost. Because of that infighting, she Spider's are able to slip one of their own inside, and gain the support of Ra's own Expiditer. Which is, I assume, how they gained knowledge of the Cradle. Now, after Lucius has sent his daughter Tam . . named after Thomas Wayne, Lucius' role model . . to find Tim, she has found herself caught in the middle of the escalating attacks. While Tim has everyone out running their ops to trap the Spiders, they attack the Cradle. Tim is almost to late before he figures this out. He ends up saving Tam, and attempts to get her out of the Cradle, but in the process he comes across Ra's. The problem is . . the Spider's got to him first. And it looks like they've killed him. Obviously all they have to do is get him to a Lazarus pit to bring him back, but . . I'm wondering if the Spider's even know that. They may not know the length and depth of Ra's organization. I'm thinking that maybe they just see this whole thing as a game . . a power struggle, if you will. Next issue we'll have to see if Tim can save Tam, Ra's and the League of Assassins. And, during all of this, how is he gaining the information, or clues, that's led him to believe that Bruce is still alive? And what are those clues? I think Christopher Yost is doing a great job with this book. I like the way that he's created, and given us the patchy history of this Spider's Guild. He's also put them in league . . er, I'm sorry . . they're on the same level as the League. The only outcome that I can see is . . either they all end up dead, or Ra's brings them into the fold. Marcus To is the new artist in residence. I like his work. It definitely shows promise. I don't think he's a 'superstar' yet, but . . he's well on his way. By the way, through all of this we get a glimpse of the working relationship between Alfred and Lucius. And a hint at the trouble Vicki Vale may present for the little deception that they're perpetrating. A 'nosy-nelly' may be the downfall of their intricate plans. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed the book.