Happy Holidays to all! I hope everyone had a great time with family and friends this week. I know I did; that is why this review is late! But let’s get back to business, precisely what Tom Taylor has done. So put those new Batman socks on, poke the fire, and let’s talk Detective Comics #1092.
Tom Taylor swopped in on his horse and saved this title in no time. We are back to the grand entrances and sidekick breakdowns in front of a supercomputer. Taylor doesn’t deliver “classic” Batman; it is “pure” Batman. Batman, the police, and two sidekicks are a recipe for a great time if you ask me. Taylor nails the moments with Robin and Oracle on more than one occasion. The back and forth with Bullock would make Bruce Timm proud. All this, and Batman is investigating a crime, bravo! The balance of Batman and Bruce Wayne is never easy, but Taylor makes it seem effortless. The book’s first half is classic action and crime scene investigation; the second half is playboy socialite. It doesn’t get any better than this.
Mikel Janín is making Gotham City his playground, and I am here for it. Janín loves a good Bat-entrance and for a good reason. Batman and Robin dropping from the Batwing is poster-worthy. I appreciate the amount of shadow that Janín uses; the silhouette of the cowl is something I don’t think gets used enough. It seems like Janín has decided to give Damien a new haircut, not an inadequate show flow. Half of the book is action-packed, but Janín does a fantastic job with the more intimate moments of the book. At times, Janín, who also colored the book, gives me Simone Di Meo color vibes, lots of hot colors that would most certainly make Barbara Ling proud.
This is the Batman I have been dying to read for the last two years: detective, sidekick, crime-driven Batman. Taylor is batting 1.000 since his debut on the title, and the combo of him and Janín has taken off. Another book may have the hype, but Detective Comics is not to be slept on. Taylor delivers the Batman we all know and love to damn near perfection. This is not to be missed. Add this to your pull list, and enjoy. – Peter Verra
GRADE: A-
