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.