If you have been reading these reviews, God bless you. I have not said a good thing about Detective Comics in a long time. I’m not usually this negative. Hell, I enjoyed BATMAN v SUPERMAN! Thanks for sticking through it. Ram V continues his Batman run, and this is much more enjoyable than previous issues, but can he hold my interest? Ivan Reis and Goran Sudzuka work wonders, almost miracles, on this issue. Oh yea, there is a backup story as well…
Let’s get into it!
V almost had it here, guys. I enjoyed this book; it sometimes felt like a No Man’s Land tie-in. Batman is fighting underground, the city blowing up around him and his opponent. Oracle on the comms with everyone saving live and manufacturing a plan on the spot. It was all great to see. Batman seems to be at his peak here, calculated and mindful of his surroundings. I was sucked in until Gold Face Bane and BarBatos ripped the joy out of my hands.
The moments of Babs and her father, as well as Batman vs. Arzen, are the highlights. The back and forth between father and daughter puts you in the man on the street perspective. This dynamic was fun; typically, we see things from the heroes’ point of view, and seeing the other side of that coin was a blast. Batman’s fight scene is the best in the book, dialogue, and artwork, and it was fun from page to page. Batman is on top of his game, leading the villain right where he wants; it’s perfect and what you expect from the Dark Knight.
Then the book goes a bit too fantastical and psychedelic for my liking. Magical fake Banes, Batbatos, aka DC’s version of Krampus, and green zombie wolves will not tickle my fancy.
The artistic team of Ivan Reis and Goran Sudzuka work magic in this issue. Easy to follow panel to panel, page to page. Stunning use of the Batfam around the city, from Batgirl overlooking the explosion to Batman squaring up with Goldface. Even the parts of the book I don’t like look gorgeous; that wolf could be in a horror film. The art is the best part of the book, hands down.
Dan Watters is back with the backup story, “Things That Must Die Part II .” This tale seems to be Arzen’s origin tale. It connects the League of Shadows and Ra’s even more with that four-eyed woman. This story is a hard pass; these characters are slowing V’s story down like molasses. I want less of them, not more.
Overall, I like this issue of Detective more than a lot of the previous issues. I’m unsure if it was the smoke screen of NML or the few teases along the way, Two-Face, and Ten-Eyed Man’s comeback. Overall, I see a Batman by V that I like; that is good. I am not seeing that in this run entirely, just bits and pieces. Somewhere in the multiverse, there is a V’s Batman that I love. – Peter Verra
Not this time, maybe some other time.
GRADE: C+
