BATMAN: DETECTIVE COMICS (ISSUE 2 & 3)
January 5th 2012 22:24
Category: Graphic Novels/Comics
Publisher: DC Comics
Production Team: Tony Salvador Daniel – story, art & cover art (Issues 2 & 3), Ryan Winn – inks & cover art (Issue 2) Sandeu Florea – inks, Tomeu Morey – colours & cover art (Issues 2 & 3), Jared McFletcher - lettering
Cost: AU$6.50/US$2.99
Something amazing happened to me the other day whilst wandering around town waiting for an appointment, I strolled into the local newsagent and discovered much to my surprise the next two issues, in sequence no less of the New 52 reboot of Batman: Detective Comics. To say it was something of a minor miracle would be to make a vast understatement, such events very rarely occur in the town where I live, usually an issue will come out of a comic series and if you’re lucky you might see another issues that is five issues on from the previous and if you’re really lucky they might continue stocking the series. But to sell the next two issues in sequence…practically unheard of…
So naturally with some cash in hand I purchased both these comics and kept them with me whilst I made my way to my appointment. Once that business had been dealt with I carried them home and proceeded to read them. Now with the first issue in this reboot of the classic comic franchise I had to admit I was very much impressed with the line the production team had elected to follow. It was dark, it was grimy, it was gritty in essence it was very much how a Batman story should be…one part action hero, one part mystery, one part detective and for atmosphere and vibe a final part noir. This simple yet appetising recipe was applied with great success in the first issue, the trick was could they make the mix last?
Well my feeling is after reading both issues they elected to improve the taste just a wee bit with a little bit of horror of the Hannibal Lector kind to keep things going as well as add something of a twist to the affair. Issue 1 of Batman: Detective Comics ended up with Batman’s nemesis the Joker being ‘incarcerated’ in Arkham Asylum where rather than being scared out of his fragmented wits he instead was happy to be there, as he finally was able to meet the individual he was seeking initially…the mysterious Dollmaker…who then as per the Joker’s request carried out a rather bizarre surgical procedure, removing the villains face in its entirety, a rather gruesome thing indeed.
The next instalment in this seemingly macabre saga opens firstly with Batman in his Bruce Wayne persona dealing with certain ordinary life issues, namely of the romantic and business variety. Then once he’s resolved these aspects of his alter ego adequately he dons the mask, leaps onto his trusty bike and zooms off to Arkham Asylum where the news is that somehow the Joker has escaped from his cell sans visage. A frightening prospect, a major league villain roaming Gotham without a face…or is he? Certainly the police are aware of the fact that the Joker has vanished but where? And how? An investigation into affairs at Arkham is ongoing and it is into this that Batman gains some insight from his ally Commissioner Gordon as well a potential lead.
From there though it seems that things start to go decidedly pear shaped…first Gordon ends up being captured by the Dollmaker then Batman himself ends up having a confrontation with the villain in question and his clique of somewhat macabre minions all of whom seem to be in some way related to the Dollmaker and thus by extension each other…although whether this is a bond due to actual familial connections or something decidedly more bizarre is yet to be revealed.
Even though he’s at the peak of his game Batman still finds himself somewhat pressed by this sudden ambush, especially when he’s confronted with the ghastly work the Dollmaker has done on his friend and ally Commissioner Gordon. But is that really his friend? And just what the heck is the Dollmaker up to, why does he have a sudden interest in the Dark Knight? And amongst all this sudden chaos where the heck has the Joker gotten to? With is guts, determination and the judicious application of force Batman manages to evade the clutches of his opponent in order to beat a hasty retreat and regather himself back at the Bat Cave. What he doesn’t realise is that his sudden withdrawal and attempt to get a line on his foe is simply playing even further into the hands of the Dollmaker.
It seems that this decidedly macabre individual is operating to a particular agenda and schedule, one that allows for certain leeway but still needs to be met. This thus implies that even though the Dollmaker was behind the initial events of the opening of this story he is not the primary mover and shaker, there are others behind him who have from implication contracted him to carry out his particular scheme. Though as yet precisely who these others are is as yet unrevealed, suffice it to say though that there are interested parties who are backing the Dollmaker and his crew for reasons as yet unknown though most likely to have a monetary motive. When the dust finally settled after reading these two issues I was again impressed with what has been done…as I said earlier this is Batman at his best, fighting bad guys, solving crimes and bringing villains to justice out on those mean streets of Gotham City. The mix’s zest and flavour has been well and truly maintained and I hope it continues to do so…
Production Team: Tony Salvador Daniel – story, art & cover art (Issues 2 & 3), Ryan Winn – inks & cover art (Issue 2) Sandeu Florea – inks, Tomeu Morey – colours & cover art (Issues 2 & 3), Jared McFletcher - lettering
Cost: AU$6.50/US$2.99
Something amazing happened to me the other day whilst wandering around town waiting for an appointment, I strolled into the local newsagent and discovered much to my surprise the next two issues, in sequence no less of the New 52 reboot of Batman: Detective Comics. To say it was something of a minor miracle would be to make a vast understatement, such events very rarely occur in the town where I live, usually an issue will come out of a comic series and if you’re lucky you might see another issues that is five issues on from the previous and if you’re really lucky they might continue stocking the series. But to sell the next two issues in sequence…practically unheard of…
The next instalment in this seemingly macabre saga opens firstly with Batman in his Bruce Wayne persona dealing with certain ordinary life issues, namely of the romantic and business variety. Then once he’s resolved these aspects of his alter ego adequately he dons the mask, leaps onto his trusty bike and zooms off to Arkham Asylum where the news is that somehow the Joker has escaped from his cell sans visage. A frightening prospect, a major league villain roaming Gotham without a face…or is he? Certainly the police are aware of the fact that the Joker has vanished but where? And how? An investigation into affairs at Arkham is ongoing and it is into this that Batman gains some insight from his ally Commissioner Gordon as well a potential lead.
From there though it seems that things start to go decidedly pear shaped…first Gordon ends up being captured by the Dollmaker then Batman himself ends up having a confrontation with the villain in question and his clique of somewhat macabre minions all of whom seem to be in some way related to the Dollmaker and thus by extension each other…although whether this is a bond due to actual familial connections or something decidedly more bizarre is yet to be revealed.
Even though he’s at the peak of his game Batman still finds himself somewhat pressed by this sudden ambush, especially when he’s confronted with the ghastly work the Dollmaker has done on his friend and ally Commissioner Gordon. But is that really his friend? And just what the heck is the Dollmaker up to, why does he have a sudden interest in the Dark Knight? And amongst all this sudden chaos where the heck has the Joker gotten to? With is guts, determination and the judicious application of force Batman manages to evade the clutches of his opponent in order to beat a hasty retreat and regather himself back at the Bat Cave. What he doesn’t realise is that his sudden withdrawal and attempt to get a line on his foe is simply playing even further into the hands of the Dollmaker.
It seems that this decidedly macabre individual is operating to a particular agenda and schedule, one that allows for certain leeway but still needs to be met. This thus implies that even though the Dollmaker was behind the initial events of the opening of this story he is not the primary mover and shaker, there are others behind him who have from implication contracted him to carry out his particular scheme. Though as yet precisely who these others are is as yet unrevealed, suffice it to say though that there are interested parties who are backing the Dollmaker and his crew for reasons as yet unknown though most likely to have a monetary motive. When the dust finally settled after reading these two issues I was again impressed with what has been done…as I said earlier this is Batman at his best, fighting bad guys, solving crimes and bringing villains to justice out on those mean streets of Gotham City. The mix’s zest and flavour has been well and truly maintained and I hope it continues to do so…
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