Detective Comics #34 – Review

By: Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato (storytellers)

The Story: Ever wanted to see Batman punch a flying motorcycle?

The Review: Detective Comics #34 starts with a bang. Well, perhaps more accurately, Tec #33 ended with one. Nonetheless, from the moment this issue opens there’s a sense that you’re racing towards the finale. That sense of momentum is a great asset for the book. It makes you want more, makes this issue feel big and meaningful. Written by a pair of artists, the book’s layouts build with the tension, leading to a pair of dramatic arrangements that really convey the showdown nature of the issue.

Unfortunately, that plot structure really only works if the mystery has already been revealed. It hasn’t. The issue is very rushed, partly to accommodate some of the more striking visuals. Despite Bullock’s claims that “The answer was right under [Batman’s] nose” there’s a lack of clarity in the reveal that leaves you feeling one step behind all throughout.

The final battle lends itself to some gorgeous panels but it’s highly confused at times and too unevenly matched to live up to its own hype. At one point Batman flat out socks an innocent child in the face, seemingly at terminal velocity. A few pages later this same recently introduced character jumps out of the comic, never to be mentioned again. Even worse the panel’s dialogue is completely unrelated and you’d not be blamed for having to back and make sure you read right..

Though there are still some staples of the Bronze Age present, the tone of hardboiled fantasy that Manapul and Buccellato have been cultivating is largely thrown out in favor of loud moments and fist-first problem solving. Throughout the issue you can feel the writers reaching back to previous thematic strands, notably those from the first issue of the storyline, but only pieces survive the translation to this chapter and the grab bag of plot threads doesn’t feel satisfying.

Detective Comics #33 – Review

By: Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato (storytellers)

The Story: Annie Aguila discovers what’s brought the Kings of the Sun to Gotham.

The Review: Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato have been crafting a tonally fascinating but somewhat scattered run on Detective Comics. There’s a lot going on in this series right now, but it’s felt more like a number of little stories than a cohesive statement. With some luck, we’ll look back on this issue as the place where that started to change.

While this is actually not a big issue for plot progression, it is an issue full of dramatic shifts that are sure to play out in next month’s conclusion and possibly beyond. Interestingly enough, a number of these shifts don’t involve Batman, who remains something of a static character here. Instead, Manapul’s stated interest in Harvey Bullock continues to be one of the greatest draws of the title. While we don’t get anything quite as wonderful as the character redefining scene from last issue, we’re learning a lot about Harvey this month: his faults, his methods, his charm. As Detective Bullock and Batman converge on the same case, the tension is strong and the personalities larger than life. That said, it’s interesting to note that Bullock is actually further along in his investigation than the Dark Knight, compliments of Jeb Lester. Perhaps even more interesting is Bullock’s insistence that, unlike Batman, he’s a real detective, despite his highly questionable methods of information gathering. This pairing definitely has legs.

On the other side of things, the Kings of the Sun finally escape the gravity of their own iconography and make a bold break for true characterhood as their leader, Holter, makes a startling declaration. Admittedly, I think that Manapul and Buccellato could have done a better job of clarifying the Kings’ out-of-towner status or at least foreshadowing things a little better in previous issues, but those choices are in the past and, while they weigh on this issue, there’s a natural poetry to the shape the story is taking that makes you want to accept the rules it’s laying out.

SENYC Report: DC Comics – Batman 75th Anniversary Panel

DC really only had one big panel at SE: NYC but Batman’s 75^th anniversary is certainly nothing to scoff at. On Sunday, DC VP of Marketing John Cunningham hosted a panel with some of the most interesting voices currently writing in Gotham, providing hints about what’s coming for the Bat-family and an exploration of what makes Batman such a special property.

The panelists included Gail Simone, the definitive Batgirl writer in many minds; James Tynion IV, one of the key minds behind the flagship Batman: Eternal; Greg Pak, who writes Batman/Superman; and Francis Manapul, co-writer for Detective Comics.

Detective Comics #32 – Review

By: Francis Manapul & Brian Buccellato (storytellers)

The Story: Family can make you do crazy things…

The Review: Manapul and Buccellato continue to give me flash backs to Batman’s transitional periods in the 70s and early 80s in this month’s issue of Detective Comics. It’s not quite hardboiled the way many Gotham yarns are, nor is it as heady as a classic detective story might be, but there’s a groundedness that you just don’t get much of these days.

Gotham may be a bigger focal point of Batman’s stories than ever in the age of Snyder, but Tec puts the focus back on the latter half of Gotham City. It’s easy to see Gotham as some small personal chess board for Batman and the Joker, but there’s a reestablishment of perspective that makes the city feel large and teaming with individual lives, not to mention making Batman feel more vulnerable. The focus on gang violence and drugs also reminds of the late Bronze Age, while a sinister force within Wayne Industries points to a return to the themes of legacy and personal responsibility that often appeared in Bruce Wayne’s more socially conscious days.

But lest you think this was some social-justice noir utopia, don’t forget that this was the era of Man-Bat, Maxie Zeus, and Nocturna, for our writers certainly haven’t. Indeed, the title seems to have a real appreciation for the fading gimmickry of the pre-Crisis period, with Sumo being carted off at the start of the issue and The Squid appearing again towards the end.

Detective Comics #31 – Review

By: Francis Manapul & Brian Buccellato (storytellers)

The Story: On the trail of a lethal new drug, Batman finds himself in a cage with a tiger.

The Review: Though it can’t yet claim to match the Layman/Fabok run in terms of detective work, it’s becoming clear that Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato’s Tec is bringing back an element that has been sorely missing from Batman’s more mystery oriented adventures, particularly in recent years. While Batman may be “the world’s greatest detective,” detective work is supposed to be a lot of dead ends and incomplete information. Even many of the most intriguing cases feature Batman following his first gut lead to the mystery’s conclusion or waiting pensively in the Batcave, pondering what he knows until the missing piece falls into his lap. Detective Comics #31 really gives a sense that Batman actually doesn’t know the answer and, as such, allows us to see his inventiveness and dedication in finding out who killed one of his business partners.

While it lacks the force of, for instance, Scott Snyder’s Batman issues, there’s a depth and a realism that rivals any Batman story of the New 52 era. It’s little things like being taken by surprise, getting too close to the case, or Bullock noticing that Bruce Wayne “burns the candle at both ends” that help give this story such a moody Bronze Age feeling.

Speaking of Bullock, I’m quite impressed with the way Manapul and Buccellato have incorporated him into the story as an ally and an adversary.

Detective Comics #30 – Review

By: Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato (storytellers)

The Story: If Francis Manapul wants to draw motorbikes he is going to draw motorbikes and you are going to like it.

The Review: Though I adored his extended Emperor Penguin arc, John Layman’s Detective Comics had lost a bit of energy by the end and, while it’s sad to see a writer with a great sensibility go, the title was ready for some new blood. Well this week it gets it in the form of Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato.

This is a version of Tec with very different feel. There aren’t any major supervillian battles, nor is there all that much sleuthing, instead Batman is simply following his promise to make Gotham a better place. That goal leads us into an impressive battle through the heart of Gotham’s China Town.

Though the art doesn’t play with the comics form the way that early issues of Manapul and Buccellato’s Flash did, they’ve somehow managed to make this comic look even more beautiful than their last collaboration. Where Flash did some amazing things with bright primary colors, the shift to a cooler palette proves a great move. There’s a level of incredibly fine detail in this panels and all Gotham looks as if it’s cloaked in a thin mist, perfect for a detective story. The opening splash is especially impressive but all throughout the panels are moody, the faces are detailed, and the colors are beautiful.

Detective Comics #27 – Review

by John Layman, Scott Snyder, Paul Dini, Brad Meltzer, Gregg Hurwitz, Peter J. Tomasi, Jason Fabok, Neal Adams, Dustin Nguyen, Guillem March, Bryan Hitch, and Sean Murphy

The Bat-Man, a mysterious and adventurous figure, fighting for righteousness and apprehending the wrong doer, in his lone battle against the evil forces of society…

Giant anniversary issues like this are always interesting to dissect. What’s the best use of all those pages? Will it connect to current storylines, or should it serve as a celebration of the character’s history? This behemoth issue tries to have its cake and eat it too, but that’s only a problem if it fails. So the question is: did it?

Let’s start at the very beginning, as I hear that that’s a very good place to start. The issue opens with a story from Brad Meltzer and Brian Hitch that goes by the highly appropriate title, “The Case of the Chemical Syndicate.” This iteration of “Chemical Syndicate” is a clever retelling of the 1939 original. Though it has been updated, it is a remarkably faithful adaptation. The major difference is the addition of Batman’s later character traits and a running commentary from the Dark Knight, himself, which would not have been possible in the original story without spoiling the surprise ending.

Though Meltzer displays an impressively economic writing style, cramming a lot into a short fifteen pages without overcluttering his story, the real meat of this story is in the narration. Basic Batman caption boxes do a fine job of showing up a mysterious and yet inexperienced version of the Caped Crusader. Meanwhile, a series of journal entries posit a number of answers to the question “why does Batman do it?” The answers are a master class in Batman, neither overglorifying the vigilante, nor digging too deep into his neuroses to appear heroic. Particularly over the last few days, I’ve been growing tired of a Batman too damaged to inspire us to anything healthy. Perhaps I’m biased by my recent musings, but I think this story navigated these dangerous waters very well.

Detective Comics #25 – Review

By: John Layman (writer), Jason Fabok and Jorge Lucas (art), Tomeu Morey and Dave McCaig (colors)

The Story: Many of his fellow officers considered him the most dangerous man alive – an honest cop.

The Review: To be frank, I was actually considering not buying this issue, as I wasn’t terribly interested in picking up a Gordon-centric tie in. So I hope you’ll forgive me if I take a quick moment to say this: Wow, I forgot how much I love John Layman’s Detective Comics.

While the issue can’t claim a particularly important place in the overall story, what it does deliver is tone. While Layman’s work on Detective has brought an emphasis back to Batman’s forensic tech and deductive prowess, Gordon’s story is simple hardboiled goodness.

While it won’t be replacing any of the classic Lt. Gordon stories that have accumulated over the years, “Whistleblower’s Blues” is a smart take on early Gotham that enjoys a Dashiell Hammett novel from time to time, but isn’t quite as stilted and manly as a Frank Miller story. Layman’s interpretation of Commissioner Loeb, in particular, possesses more grace and care than any I’ve seen. He may only appear for a handful of pages but he has his own little arc, one that says a lot about Gotham, then and now.

My NYCC Experience Pt. 3

After a full day of panels I returned to whence I began, Empire Stage, for another big one, this time presented by the distinguished competition.

Gone were the charming advertisements – apparently someone thought better of them – and now we simply waited, glancing occasionally to the silent screen which informed us that we were sitting in DC Comics – Batman.

John Cunningham, a DC marketing VP, took the podium and introduced us to our guests. At the far left of the table was the beloved creative team behind DC’s relaunched Batman, Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo. Beside them was James Tynion IV, who writes Talon and Red Hood and the Outlaws. Next came Marc Andreyko, the controversially incoming writer on Batwoman. Beyond him was Kyle Higgins, who writes Nightwing, and Ann Nocenti, who pens Selina Kyle’s adventures in Catwoman. On the far end were John Layman, the surprisingly mild-mannered-looking man behind the current run of Detective Comics, and Peter Tomasi, writer for Batman and Robin.

As in nearly all things DC, this was largely Snyder’s show. Cunningham gave Snyder every opportunity to discuss last week’s Batman #24 (review here), but Snyder, in classic form, really just wanted to talk about how honored he was.

Snyder opened with a heartfelt thank you to the fans for not only letting him tell his stories, but supporting him in doing so. He waged charming, unassuming war on the notion that he did not respect the power and responsibility given to him in writing Batman’s origin story. Snyder called “Zero Year” his favorite story ever and seemingly could not help but show off some of the tricks that he brought to the table. Though he’s never been shy about it and his writing reeks of love for the character, Snyder put his status as a massive Batman fan on full display for this panel.

Detective Comics #24 – Review

by John Layman (writer), Jason Fabok (art)

The Story: James Gordon totally drops the ball and Batman utterly fails to warn him.

The Review: Like several incarnations of Bane before him, John Layman’s reinvention of the Wrath wages war on Gotham City this month. Actually, that’s not technically accurate. Gotham can thrive or burn, but Wrath demands his  pound of flesh from the GCPD.

There are plenty of anti-batmen running around the DCU. From Owlman, to Black Mask, to Hush, to Lincoln March, to Prometheus, to Batzaro, Bruce Wayne has no want for evil doppelgängera. As Caldwell stands revealed as Wrath, John Layman makes a clever choice not to harp on the similarities between he and Batman. This new Wrath narrows his focus from the law itself down to the more reasonable goal of the GCPD and, to his credit, Layman creates a scenario where it seems plausible that a single man could besiege the entire department.

As ever Detective Comics is the comic for those who long for the sense of wonder Batman inspired as a child. All manner of gadgets and fancy costumes come out of both players’ arsenals, as if begging for toy sales, raising the stakes of combat and elevating it far beyond what two normal men could ever hope to engage in. The characters all have their motives and quirks but at its heart, the issue is a simple one.

Detective Comics #23.3: Scarecrow – Review

By: Peter J. Tomasi (story), Szymon Kudranski (art), John Kalisz (colors)

The Story: There’s a war out there, and you’ve got a pick a side—evil or other evil.

The Review: To be frank, I’ve mostly been unimpressed with Villains Month, both in concept and on execution.  I tend to dislike these company-wide gimmicks in general, mostly because they reek of editorial mandates thrust upon unprepared or, worse, unwilling creators.  That lack of preparation and enthusiasm has often come through in the various issues I’ve read.  Plagued by stilted writing and sloppy art, it’s no wonder this has been my lightest DC month yet.

But the law of averages dictates that there shall be gems among the rubbish.  Finding one is a bit like winning a small sum from the lottery, in the sense that you can’t tell if your excitement is from the prize itself or from the fact that your losing streak is finally over.  As a writer who emphasizes character over plot, Tomasi can generate good material from the thinnest stories.  In this case, he manages to do more than simply make lemonade out of lemons; he makes you look at lemons in a whole new light.

Detective Comics #23.2: Harley Quinn – Review

by Matt Kindt (Writer), Neil Googe (Artist), Wil Quintana (Colorist)

The Story: Harley tells her story while she blows stuff up and kill people.

The Review: As Villain’s month goes on, the readers continue to receive more issues focusing on some of the more popular antagonists of the DC universe. For the better or worse, some of the talented writers do try their very best to give the readers stories that either try to connect with Forever Evil or tell the origins of those characters in the retooled DC universe.

Some do try, to be sure, yet attempting to do something does not necessarily mean success as Matt Kindt tries to tell a story featuring Harley Quinn, a fan-favourite character created by Paul Dini. While Matt Kindt is very much able to write some very good comics, this issue is a poor showcase of his talent, as it never seems to focus on anything in particular.

While it could be a meta-fictional way to put a certain focus on the psychological profile of the character, the story suffers a bit because of it. Turning this story into both a telling of her origin and with her trying to do something after the events of Forever Evil. Even though it is an ambitious challenge, Kindt never seems to connect both tales in a way that enhance the whole.

Detective Comics Annual #2 – Review

By: John Layman and Joshua Williamson (writers), Scot Eaton (lead story pencils),Jaime Mendoza (lead story inks), Jeromy Cox (lead story colors), Szymon Kudranski (first backup art), John Kalisz (first backup colors), Derlis Santacruz (second backup pencils), Rob Hunter (second backup inks), Brett Smith (second backup colors)

The Story: As the Wrath continues his campaign against the GCPD, Batman suspects that the force has been infiltrated. Better make sure you eat before hand, you might not want to after you meet Jane.

The Review: Batman has faced many  impressive adversaries in his annuals: Ra’s al Ghul in 1982 Hugo Strange in 1986, Clayface and the Penguin in 1987, Two-Face in 1990, even the Klan in 1989! So some might find it strange that John Layman has selected Jane Doe as the antagonist for this year’s annual. Even Paul Dini’s attempts to bring the character to prominence left me cold, but Layman and Joshua Williamson have done a fine job with her.

The annual continues Layman’s tradition of strong, analytical narration and simple, lively mysteries. The plot is admirable, and some of the earlier sequences are particularly strong, but it’s not exactly a brainteaser. Indeed, the twist isn’t the identity of the mole but rather Jane Doe’s identity.

Layman and Williamson’s Jane Doe is hauntingly creepy, the sort of thing that easily robs one of sleep if one dares to encounter it in the wrong headspace. Jane’s always been gross, but the issue taps subtler fears, making text out of former subtext and striking at the heart of what identity means. Still, the jewel in the crown is the lingering sense in the back of your mind that Jane Doe is a victim of her insanity as well.

Detective Comics #22 – Review

By: John Layman (story), Jason Fabok (art), Emilio Lopez (colors)

The Story: For once, someone fought the law, and the law did not win.

The Review: While I appreciate the maxim, “Your own worst enemy is yourself,” in an abstract, trite sort of way, I can’t say I support writers who take that statement too literally in the superhero genre.  Of all the villain types you can think of, the evil clone probably requires the least thought and imagination.  It’s a cheap way to come up with a “new” character: take your superhero, tweak the background a bit, slap on a new paint job, and set affiliation to Evil.

Thus you have E.D. Caldwell and Wrath, each the parallel of Batman’s civilian and vigilante personas, respectively.  Given their near-simultaneous introduction, it’s pretty obvious there’s a connection between the two, although Layman avoids confirming them as the same person for now.  Either way, they’re thoroughly uninspired characters, with Caldwell being the excessively wealthy entrepreneur without Bruce’s scruples, and Wrath the night-haunting warrior who stalks cops instead of criminals.

Detective Comics #21 – Review

By: John Layman (story), Scot Eaton (art), Jaime Mendoza (inks), Jeromy Cox (colors)

The Story: It shouldn’t surprise anyone that Batman kind of has a thing for assassins.

The Review: I admit that I’ve never read much of Chew, but from the reviews on our own site and elsewhere, my understanding is that it’s something of a breakthrough series for Layman, turning in a solid performance with every issue.  And certainly he’s shown a lot of promise here on Detective Comics, delivering a credible first arc despite detours from other members of the Bat-family of titles.

So I’ve been looking forward to the point where Layman can just tell his story of choice without any further distractions.  Unfortunately, this issue disappoints on nearly every level, not so much because it’s bad, but rather because it seems uncharacteristically pedestrian and unfocused by Layman’s usual standards.

Detective Comics #20 – Review

By: John Layman (story), Jason Fabok (art), Jeromy Cox (colors)

The Story: Batman encounters a three-for-one deal of villains that he’d rather avoid.

The Review: I don’t always engage in fruitless speculation as to what goes on behind the scenes in a comic, but I imagine that Layman has got to be a little exasperated about how long it’s taken to get to this point in his Emperor Penguin story.  It’s been six months, just about, since Layman took over this series, and it still feels like he’s only in the middle of his first arc, having been sidetracked by the return of Joker, the death of Robin, and a thinly veiled anniversary issue.

Despite all that, Layman has striven valiantly to keep his agenda on course, and here, at the climax of his story and the peak of Oglivy’s powers, the timing seems fine for a confrontation between the new Penguin and the Dark Knight himself.  Fine, but not ideal; any battle with Batman inevitably ends with the villain’s defeat, and as quickly as Oglivy has asserted his presence in Gotham’s underworld, he could stand some more time at the top.

Detective Comics #19 – Review

By: Too many to list—check out the review.

The Story: Gotham’s always had a bat problem, but now they have a bat problem.

The Review: In the grand scheme of things, the number of issues a series has under its belt isn’t really important—quality over quantity and all that—but it does quantify a title’s longevity, which sort of says something about the title’s popularity.  Obviously, reaching 900 issues is a pretty big achievement, and you know the most painful thing DC had to accept when they relaunched their entire line was resetting Detective Comics’ numbering back to square one.

Here, they make an attempt to have their cake and eat it too by incorporating the 900 number into the story, which John Layman faithfully does.  Unfortunately, the number has no real value or purpose in context other than as an ominous reference, and the story itself is just yet another variation on the virulent transformation premises that have been infecting the DCU lately: Rise of the Third Army, Rotworld, Demon Knights (not to mention I, Vampire, in which you literally have murderous creatures spreading across Gotham’s citizenry).

Detective Comics #18 – Review

By: John Layman (story), Jason Fabok (art), Jeromy Cox (colors)

The Story: Penguin is driven to the lowest point a modern man can get—using a pay phone.

The Review: The use of a shared universe and “family” of titles definitely has its benefits, with each writer able to work off of the ideas of their peers to create a more substantial storyline with more impact than a single writer can achieve on his own.  But there are downsides, too; if something major happens to a character in one title—particularly if that character appears in all the others—suddenly every title has to deal with the ramifications of that development.

You don’t get anything more major than the death of a son, and since the son in question is Robin and the father is Batman, it would be churlish, to say the least, if the rest of the Bat-family titles didn’t address it in some way.  Sometimes, however, the timing can be a real drag.  Layman hasn’t had much time to be left to his own devices on his run so far, what with the effects of Death of the Family taking over #16 and #17.  Now he has to give attention to the death of Robin when it’s clear he’d rather get back to the Penguin story he’s had to put on hold for a while.

Detective Comics #17 – Review

By: John Layman (story), Jason Fabok (art), Jeromy Cox (colors)

The Story: Despite the merrymaking and clowns, this is truly a downer of a party.

The Review: Between the movies and writers like Frank Miller who spend a lot of time showing what an unbeatable badass Batman is, you’d think the Dark Knight was little more than a fantastically equipped master martial artist.  But among other things, Batman is also known as the “world’s greatest detective,” one of DC’s biggest geniuses.*  Unfortunately, Batman stories have grown less inclined to show off the more cerebral aspects of his character.

So I really appreciate Layman’s more technical, investigative approach to Batman.  Instead of spending all his time whipping out implausible kung-fu moves, Batman spends a large chunk of the issue actually thinking things through.  We all know that his prep-time skills are second to none, but now you can see him going through that prep, putting the clues together to figure out exactly what he needs to do at any given moment.

Detective Comics #16 – Review

By: John Layman (story), Jason Fabok (art), Jeremy Cox (colors)

The Story: On the plus side, clown-nose sellers are making a killing—so to speak.

The Review: I don’t often feel too competitive with my fellow reviewers across the web, but every now and then I’ll stumble upon a piece that dismays me because it happens to make nearly all the same points I want to make, but better.  David Pepose of Newsarama did just that in his review of this issue, which very properly calls it a “hidden gem…a tie-in comic done right.  It may actually be the best tie-in comic I’ve ever read.”  Damn you, Pepose—I totally agree.

Tie-ins usually have an entirely incidental quality to them.  They pop up unexpectedly during a series’ run, make some obligatory references to the main event, then wheedle their way out as unobtrusively as possible.  Catwoman threw Selina right into Joker’s way and somehow she came out of the experience completely unscathed and unaffected, if the totally unconnected following issue shows anything.  Batman and Robin did a much better job using Joker’s presence in the series, but this was a more direct tie-in which still seemed to interrupt the title’s flow.

Detective Comics #15 – Review

By: John Layman (story), Jason Fabok (art), Jeremy Cox (colors)

The Story: Look on the bright side, Clayface—no messy, expensive divorce proceedings.

The Review: Ah, love—that most elusive of virtues.  If I’ve learned nothing else from How I Met Your Mother (and indeed, what you learn from HIMYM boils down to pretty much nothing), it’s the more effort you put into finding love, the more it seems to escape you.  Another thing I learned from HIMYM: it’s that even the least deserving people can be suckers for love.  You can take the toughest, most dominant bozo in the room and love will reduce him to a weeping mess.

In short, love is the most wonderful horrible thing—and vice versa.  It shouldn’t surprise you, then, that Clayface also gets caught in its trap in a big way.  It’s easy to feel sorry for the big lump.  He’s not nearly as inherently evil or sadistic as some of the other crazies running around Gotham, and the protective way he looks after Ivy is rather touching.  As he flips cars and bellows at the world to give him his wife, you can see just how far gone he is over her.

Detective Comics #14 – Review

By: John Layman (story), Jason Fabok (art), Jeremy Cox (colors)

The Story: It’s a rough night when you get your thunder stolen by the Penguin.

The Review: Another review, another Batman title.  I’ll spare you the lecture on how every series sharing a brand should at the very least bring something different to the party.  Instead, let’s talk a little about Detective Comics, the book which not only brought Batman to life, but from which DC Comics as we know it today took its confusingly redundant name.  In theory, at least, this title should focus on Batman as investigator, rather than avenger or superhero.

However, to write the world’s greatest detective, you need to be a fairly good one yourself—no small task for the ordinary, non-fictional person.  How else can you expect to set up clues amidst the plot with enough intricacy and subtlety that the reader doesn’t spot them and put them together with his commoner’s brain faster than the Batman himself?  With his experience on the unusual and surprisingly complex Chew, Layman seems up to the task.

Detective Comics #5 – Review

by Tony Salvador Daniel (writing & pencils), Szymon Kudranski (art), Sandu Florea & Rob Hunter (inks), Tomeu Morey (colors), and Jared K. Fletcher (letters)

The Story: Batman has to fight through a mob of Occupy Gotham Joker fans to catch a killer.

The Review: Thus far, I’ve found Tony Daniel’s Detective Comics to be one of the new 52’s biggest surprises in that it’s actually been pretty enjoyable.  Hell, I’ll go as far as saying that Daniel has been doing some of the best work of his career both as a writer and as an artist.

Well, I guess he had to trip up eventually.

To be fair, it’s not entirely Daniel’s fault.  Rather, this victim falls prey to DC’s attempting a creative solution to hitting deadlines.  It’s clear that Daniel couldn’t get an entire 20 page issue drawn in time, so DC ends up publishing a 12 page Batman comic alongside an 8-page Catwoman-related back-up, both written by Daniel.  Sadly, neither story satisfies.

In the case of the main feature, it’s too damned short.  It’s meant to function as a prelude, but Daniel sets so much up, but moves forward so little, that it ends up being a little befuddling and feels almost like a waste of time.  Sadly, the pacing doesn’t help here.  This doesn’t feel like a 12 page prelude.  Instead, it feels like 20 page comic with the last 8 pages ripped out.  It feels as though Daniel accomplish what he wanted to, but running up against that page limit, he and DC just called it quits and sent it to the printers.  The result is a comic that feels terribly incomplete and unfulfilling.

Then there’s the back-up, which is definitely a case of “your mileage may vary.”  I actually rather enjoyed it and found it fairly well-written, but then, I’m a sucker for dirty, gritty noir.  As such, anything in that genre often gets more latitude from me.  Honestly, while technically it’s written fairly well, it’s also unremarkable.  It’s standard fare but, more frustrating, it’s fare that’s completely and utterly unrelated to the main feature and, thus, the upcoming arc.  There’s no Batman or Bat-family in sight, for instance.

While all this can be blamed on the issue’s format, not all this issue’s faults are out of Daniel’s hand.   You see, this month, Daniel attempts to get political, or “current.”  I’m sure that’s going to induce cringing and it rightly should.  Daniel does a completely ridiculous, ham-fisted, and embarrassing parody of Occupy that feels horribly simple-minded and immature.  Bear in mind, I myself am far, far from a fan of Occupy, but “awkward” doesn’t begin to describe this.  At best, it’s completely simple-minded.  At worst, it’s an utterly bizarre and left-field demonization of Occupy that would make Frank Miller proud, I’m sure.  Well, I take that back.  Frank probably would’ve had Batman viciously beat up slews of protesters, all while laughing maniacally.  Nonetheless, this was really, really strange and I hope Daniel doesn’t go back to this well any time soon.

Detective Comics #3 – Review

Written and Drawn by Tony S. Daniel, inks by Sandu Florea, colors by Tomeu Morey

The Story: Batman faces off against the Dollmaker and his twisted family.

The Good: There was a lot of action in this issue. Brutal, Batman-getting-his-ass-kicked action. And we get to see how much balls Batman has–or still has, despite the relaunch. Half paralyzed and realizing he can’t make it out alive, he simply tells the freaks “What the hell are you waiting for? Bring it on!” And that’s the first page. Batman then proceeds to barely escape the fight and go on to solve the mystery. That’s another thing great about this–it is a detective book. We see Batman actually do detective-like things, where in some recent stories (and movies), he’s more of a guy who simply responds. It would make sense that at least in Detective Comics, we see him investigate. And the investigation leads to more clues about the Dollmaker and what form of crazy he came from–and it’s the kind of crazy that only a Gotham City villain could have. This villain is right at home in Batman’s rouge galleries. Pretty soon a doll head will be joining that giant penny and T-Rex. Yet there are still some great mysteries left to solve–like who his “children” are. Who is he working for? What is–and why does he even seem to have–his code of conduct? The Dollmaker is becoming an easy villain to get invested in, and it also helps that Daniel puts most of his artistic talents to this character. He’s the most visually striking (I almost said appealing, but that just feels wrong) character in the issue. And for a comic artist, he’s probably a wonderful character to draw, ink, and color. All that patchwork!

Detective Comics #2 – Review

Written and Drawn by Tony S. Daniel, Inked by Ryan Winn and Sandu Florea, Colored by Tomeu Morey

The Story: Batman and Gordon discover the Joker’s face left behind in Arkham and begin their investigation. But first, Batman must save a little girl…

The Good: An issue 2 that doesn’t feel like filler to fit a trade. This has a story to it. Beginning, middle, and end. Character arc. Subplots. So many comics now are one note made-for-the-trade these days that getting something with a lot of content is almost overwhelming.  But Daniel gives us a lot of meat for our three bucks, whether it’s developing Bruce’s personal life, showing us how Gordon works, or building towards the crescendo of the issue, there’s nothing thrown in for filler. Everything is working towards something. And this mystery is just beginning to explode. It’s so hard to write about these issues without spoiling them or mentioning some very intriguing key parts. So, how to do this and be vague… The new villain set up in the last issue, the Dollmaker… I am now convinced that he is a credible threat to Gotham. Riddler, Two-Face, Penguin–you’ve got a new buddy in your league and he is young and hungry (well, maybe not young. And maybe a bit more hungry in a literal sense). But Dollmaker succeeds as a villain where Morrison’s Professor Pyg fails–in that, I didn’t give a crap about that villain and never saw him as a threat to Batman. Dollmaker is. I am interested in Dollmaker and his….agh…can’t say it. And he’s a villain with a scheme. Okay, all villains have schemes, but you get the sense that he really has something cooking in that deranged noggin.