Detective Comics #875 – Review

By: Scott Snyder (writer), Francesco Francavilla (art & colors), Jared K. Fletcher (letters), Katie Kubert (assistant editor), Janelle Asselin (associate editor) & Mike Marts (editor)

The Story: Jim Gordon tries to close an old case while also dealing with his feelings about his son.

What’s Good: Sheesh, what a good issue.  “Haunting” is probably the most apt word for the story that Snyder weaves as he effortlessly links several tales.  Much of the story is told in flashback to a time when Gotham was plagued by the “Peter Pan Killer” who was breaking into homes and killing little boys.  It is a case that remained unsolved, but always bothered Gordon, so when his prime suspect is released from Blackgate in the present day….Gordon decides to do a little private stakeout to see if he returns to old habits.  Woven together with this A-story are Gordon’s feelings about his son, both the initial realization that something isn’t quite right with James, Jr. in the past and his grappling with what to do now that JJ has come home in the present.

But, the most spot-on moment of the issue is where Gordon discusses how he knows that his prime suspect is the Peter Pan Killer.  Gordon says that it basically comes down to an experienced cop’s intuition and ability to detect when a person “ain’t quite right”.  Of course, what does that mean about his son since Gordon clearly knows that there is something fundamentally wrong with JJ?  It is especially effecting how Snyder shows Gordon’s change from being unwilling to face JJ’s non-conformity in the past, but being so resigned to it in the present that he suspects JJ of doing things of which he is innocent.

Wow.

The other thing that is really impressive about this story is how effectively Snyder tells the whole thing in a single issue.  In this era of writers and editors noodling ideas for 6 issues to get a “better” (or at least “thicker”) collected edition, this is a very welcome thing!