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Andy Kubert, Batman, Batman The Detective, Batman The Detective #1, Batman The Detective #1 review, DC Comics, Gotham, The Dark Knight, The Knight, The Squire, Tom Taylor
Batman The Detective #1
Review by Paul Bowler.
The Dark Knight embarks on an epic European adventure in Batman The Detective #1, the new DC Comics six-part mini-series helmed by the dynamic duo of writer Tom Taylor and artist Andy Kubert.
Opening with a harrowing mid-air tragedy in the United Kingdom which spells out a dark and personal message for the Dark Knight, writer Tom Taylor quickly establishes this mini-series’ intriguing premise and brooding atmosphere of mystery. This Batman is older, somewhat past his prime and questioning his role in the world. However, Taylor deftly circumvents the usual tropes by making this a Dark Knight Detective that isn’t simply driven by the death of his parents and the more recent loss of Alfred, instead we have a Batman in the twilight of his career who is finally ready to move on from the ghosts of his past. The terrible attack in the UK simply provides the catalyst Batman needs to pack his bags, put the past to bed, and set out from Gotham City to investigate!
Batman The Detective also sees the Dark Knight’s visit to England leading to an encounter with the UK’s own dynamic duo of Beryl Hutchinson as The Knight and her new Squire, Amina, who looks set to become something a of new side-kick for Batman over the course of his European mission. Of course the characters and Britain are very different in this modern iteration when the Squire was originally introduced in the 1950s (The Knight, Percival Sheldrake, was created by Roy Thomas and Michael Bair for You All-Stars in 1948, while The Squire, his sidekick, was created by Bill Finger and Dick Sprang for Batman #62 in 1951), and their investigation into the crash-site at the West Pennie Moors in Lancashire spells high-tech intrigue and supernatural danger for them both!
Andy Kubert’s pencils and inks are a perfect fit for this story. From the dramatic opening, to the emotionally charged scenes in the Bat-Cave, though to Batman and the Squire’s uncanny team-up against a spectral adversary Kubert’s art enriches every page with detail, while Brad Anderson’s vivid use of tone and shade accentuates every nuance of Taylor’s action-packed story as it unfolds. The look of this incarnation of Batman is a cool hybridisation of Miller’s iconic Dark Knight Returns suit and the Snyderverse’s Kightmare Bat-Fleck, and the end result is extremely impressive looking indeed.
You can’t really go wrong with a superstar creative team like Tom Taylor and Andy Kubert. The premise in itself is enough to ensure the first issue has the momentum to gets this new mini-series off to a strong start. Its going to be interesting to see where this adventure with new foes, allies, and the hunt for the menace known as Equilibrium will take Batman and Squire next. With its solid storytelling and great art Batman The Detective #1 deftly blends current themes with elements and characters from yesteryear; whilst also crafting a bold new take and look for the Dark Knight mythos.
Writer Tom Taylor / Pencils and Inks Andy Kubert
Colors Brad Anderson / Letters Clem Robins
Main & Variant Cover Kubert & Anderson
Variant Cover Riccardo Federici
About The Author
Hi, I’m Paul Bowler, blogger and reviewer of films, TV shows, and comic books. I’m a Sci-Fi geek, a big fan of Doctor Who, Star Trek, movies, Sci-Fi, Horror, Comic Books, and all things PS4.You can follow me on Twitter @paul_bowler,or at my website, Sci-Fi Jubilee, and on YouTube and Facebook
Sounds pretty good. Might have to grab a copy.
It was a very promising start to this mini-series. I like the premise a lot, and this Dark Knight’s costume was especially striking as well.
Great review we love Batman!
Thank you! I’m a big fan of all things Batman, and especially enjoyed this issue with the Batman visiting the UK!
Great write up on this one, and as a Brit I kind of like the idea of Batman in Britain (UK) – I’m betting he will set up a base in Gaping Gill (a large cave in the UK, which is so big you could fit St Paul’s Cathedral inside and the dome would still not reach the cave roof!).
I don’t want to seem like I’m picking fault but I think your voice recognition or Auto-Correct software might have had a glitch…. I think the line ” Of course the characters and Britain are very different in this modern irritation from when the Squire was originally introduced in the 1950s” should have contained the word “iteration” 😔.
Thanks! Being in the UK as well I was especially glad to see this issue where the Dark Knight visits the UK on his mission. Gaping Gill would indeed make a spectacular Bat-Cave, it would be epic looking! That’s ok, thanks for letting me know. Its either a typo or that I have a new computer and I’m still figuring out how all the new software works. 🙂
Always been more of a Daredevil guy, but this series sounds awesome. Great review, love the points you highlighted.
I really liked the premise of this new Batman mini-series, especially with the Dark Knight travelling to the UK. This issue had a lot of interesting aspects and potential to explore. I’m a big fan of Daredevil as well, he’s one of my favourite Marvel characters, been really enjoying Chip Zdarsky’s run.
The cover and the Bat costume are brilliant. Good work by Andy Kubert, one of the sons of the great Joe Kubert. Interesting where they take this and what other locations around Europe they choose. So many fantastic locations possible!
I think its great to see Batman going on a European adventure like this to solve a mystery. I wish DC would bring back Justice League Europe, I always thought that was a cool comic series. I really like Batman The Detective’s new take on the Dark Kn night’s costume as well, and I think Andy Kubert’s art is a perfect fit for this story.
I thought this first issue was a bit of a disappointment to be honest Paul, it just didn’t quite click with me for some reason. Still, I’m intrigued enough to keep reading and Andy Kubert is an obvious draw (pun, or no pun?) – although Bruce Wayne seems a bit Frank Castle here…
I think I like Batman the Detective as its such a world away from what’s happening with Batman in the DCU right now. Its very different and I love the art by Andy Kubert as well. The mystery that kicks off this European adventure was also very intriguing and I think that’s the thing that really hooked me the most.
You make a good point about it standing apart from the main Batman titles, I do hope I’m more into the subsequent issues – especially since the story takes place in our neck of the woods!
Yeah, overall I tend to enjoy Tom Taylor’s DC work more than I have his work at Marvel. I think DC is a better suit to his writing style. I think the big draw for this issue for me was that it brought Batman to the UK as well. 🙂
Thinking about it, I’m sure this is the first Tom Taylor comic I’ve ever actually read!
Tom Taylor did Earth 2 back in the New 52 which I enjoyed. I like Taylor’s work at DC Comics more than I do his Marvel stuff. DCeased was really good, a sort of Zombie DCU story. He’s also writing Nightwing atm as well. This is one of the first Batman stories I’ve read by Taylor, and I think he’s taking over writing Superman soon when it reboots and becomes Superman Son of Kal El (where Jon Kent Takes over the mantel of Superman while his father is on a mission in space over in Action Comics written by Philip Kennedy Johnson.
I’ve just recently heard about the plans for the Superman comics, I actually had a twitter exchange with Philip Kennedy Johnson who clarified the situation – he’ll continue to write Action Comics while Tom Taylor takes up the relaunching Superman (darn, back to #1 again!). Should be interesting.
Yes, that’s right. I think its a good move to have two different writers handling each book. I like the new logo for Action Comics as well, although I don’t really see the point in starting Superman over again with an new No #1 – but that’s so often the way of things now.
Batman visiting London, while also meeting up with similar local vigilantes? Sounds like a good premise, and more often than not I enjoy Tom Taylor’s work.
Its this concept of having Batman visiting the UK for this mission that I found really interesting as well. I like Tom Taylor’s writing as well, especially his work at DC Comics.
I really like this idea, of having a series set in Europe. Like you said, it opens up many, many possibilities.
I think the idea of having Batman The Detective take place in Europe is an inspired move, and I rally enjoyed the story and art. It was a welcome change from the main storylines in the current crop of Bat-Titles.