Welcome back, BOFers! It’s your favorite time of the month, DETECTIVE COMICS review time! Tom Taylor has hit the ground running since taking over the title. A new serial killer is on the loose and Batman and the Bat-Family are in hot pursuit. But who is this new villain, and what is their angle? Let’s dive in!
While Taylor has toned down the father-son love-fest that we were getting in his Batman and Robin title, there is still a heavy element of sidekick in this issue. Batman and the family are investigating a serial killer targeting teenagers in Gotham. Taylor does a masterful job of quickly showing the sidekicks rounding up targets as Batman plans to capture the new bloodthirsty villain in Gotham.
The scene that takes the book by storm is where Batman saves the life of a young victim of domestic violence. That moment is not outshined when Batman finally confronts Asema in a shocking fight where our killer gets the upper hand. While feeling vintage in his motivations and detective work, Taylor’s Batman displays a bit of a softer side for the youth of Gotham that we have only seen when it comes to adopting and training his next protege. Taylor does a magnificent job of displaying this side of Batman but still retains just the right amount of skepticism when dealing with the youth of Gotham and the Penguin. If I had one gripe about Taylor’s Batman, this issue is that I don’t see Batman flirting with his flavor of the month while on patrol. That is more of a Dick Grayson move if you ask me.
Mikel Janin again double dips as an artist and colorist, which makes it look easy. Janin’s vigilantes look majestic as they swoop in to save the day from Red Robin to Batman. Each character is drawn to perfection, from rooftop perches to stoic poses. You would envision these scenes when you close your eyes and think of what it would be like to be saved in Gotham City. Janin’s action panels flow one right into the next. The emotional moments are well drawn and focused, and Janin perfectly matches the tone set from Taylor’s dialogue. This is a team that is as in sync as the writer and artist can be. The layouts are unique to the scene; sometimes, the borders have extra color that makes the scene pop.
I would not call Detective Comics under Taylor a slow burn, but he is taking his time setting up all his dominos. From a strategy standpoint, Batman is at the top of his game and knows the right beat cops to call upon when needed. I don’t think we have seen Batman this well prepared until the final battle, where Asema gets the surprising advantage over our hero. That is something I don’t mind since it led to one of the most powerful emotional moments in the book. Taylor leaves the reader on a cliffhanger they did not see coming. There is still more than meets the eye when it comes to Asema and these teenage killings, Penguin is involved, but even he is getting overruled among the scum of Gotham. We have an old-school 70s detective story on our hands. This is one that you should not miss! – Peter Verra
