Detective Comics has become a book with elements that I enjoy, but overall the book is still a miss for me. Ram V is pushing the limits of the term “slow burn” Can a book simultaneously feel so over-stuffed yet so hallow? There is also a new backup tale to discuss written by Dan Watters, not of Batman Returns fame.
Let us get into it!
I remember when I could give Lower a few good jabs when Batman was at its lowest. That is what this feels like. I don’t know what is happening; who is the gold-faced enemy? Am I reading a comic book based on THE OFFICE? I’m unsure how long I can repeat “V writes a good tactical Bat-team” in my reviews. This book is so overstuffed with pretentious nothing it is beyond boring. The action and Nightwing save the book from being a complete disaster, Gordon has a good moment with Montoya, but the story itself weighs the issue down more than the gargoyle on the Joker’s ankle in ’89.
Ivan Reis and Stefano Raffaele do a remarkable job on this book. Even the eye-rolling moments of golden foxes and werewolves are drawn well. The action scenes with Nightwing in Gotham Square are a fun distraction to the book blowing up around itself. Batman has some stoic cape panels for the lock screen crowd to grab.
Colorists Bran Anderson and Lee Loughridge are the duos that steal the show. They magically mix colors, drawing you in with these cool reds and blues and then grabbing your attention with oranges and yellows. If this book weren’t visually pleasing, it wouldn’t be pleasing.
Dan Watters drops his new backup entry, “Things That Must Die, Part 1”. This story will make me beg for Spurrier’s days.
Batman, werewolves, and Goldface, no way! Detective Comics has been a must-read for my pull list since I was a lifeguard in high school; this title deserves better. Someone in DC editorial needs to tell V to speed up the process because this story is stale. If you want to read Nightwing, Tom Taylor has you covered. I can’t tell you to go out and grab this book for a few panels of Dick Grayson. This issue is a dud. – Peter Verra
