Batman The Detective #1 Review

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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

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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

Batman #18 Review

Tags

Alex Maleeve, Andy Kubert, Batman, Blackgate, Bruce Wayne, Damien Wayne, DC Comics, FCO Plascencia, Gotham City, Greg Capullo, Harper Row, James Tynion IV, Sandra Hope, Scott Snyder, The New 52, Zero Year

Batman #18

Review by Paul Bowler

[Contains Spoilers]

If the psychological damage inflicted upon the Bat-Family by the Joker in Death of the Family wasn’t enough to contend with, tragedy struck again when Damien, the ten year old son of Bruce Wayne and Talia Al Ghull, was brutally slaughtered in Batman Incorporated #8. The requiem for Robin continues across all the Bat-Titles this March as everyone close to Batman has to come to terms with the shocking news of Damien’s death.

Overwhelmed with grief, Batman’s life starts to spiral out of control. It falls to Harper Row, the young electrical engineer who once helped Batman in the past, to try and make the Dark Knight see reason before his reckless crime-fighting spree gets him killed.

Scott Snyder handles the aftermath of Damien’s death in Batman #18 by crafting an incredibly moving tale, albeit one with two distinctly different creative teams. The first part of Batman #18 is by Scott Snyder, Kubert and Sandra Hope, while the closing half of the story is handled by Snyder and James Tynion IV, and Alex Maleeve.

This issue features the return of Harper Row, who assisted Batman after he helped her deal with a gang that was bullying her brother. Harper and her brother, Cullen, are still living together in the Narrows of Gotham City with the hope that the Wayne Foundation will soon honour its promise to redevelop the area. Batman #18 opens with Harper and Cullen as they set out to visit their father in Blackgate Penitentiary. The visit doesn’t go well, their father upsets Cullen, and then blames Harper’s “special friend” for getting him sent to jail.

After the unpleasant visit to Blackgate, they return home, where Harper decides to go out looking for Batman. She is deeply concerned about the changes she has noticed in him recently. Even though he told her to end her activities, Harper has continued to monitor Batman’s movements, and over the last week she has been shocked by the level of ferocity she’s witnessed Batman using to apprehend ordinary street criminals – even operating during the daytime – almost as if he is consumed by a pain that feels strangely familiar to Harper.

Harper’s fears that Batman’s relentless crusade against crime is wearing him down, to the point where he is actually beginning to make dangerous mistakes, are realized when Batman is caught off guard by a surprise attack from a thug involved in Ultra-Dog fights. However, when Harper takes it upon herself to intervene, the Dark Knight is far from pleased, and the ensuing war of words inadvertently leaves them both with more than a few home truths to dwell on.

Unperturbed by Batman’s violent outburst, Harper visits Wayne Tower the next day and has a meeting with Bruce Wayne – where she asks him to help her send a message to Batman. That night Batman meets Harper on a rooftop overlooking Wayne Enterprises. Batman apologises for lashing out at her before and Harper explains how she recognised his pain, comparing it with how badly she felt after her mother was murdered. Those dark days would’ve destroyed Harper were it not for the memory of her mother’s advice that helped Harper to find the light in her life again. It is this one word that Harper shares with Batman, a silent message glowing in the night, a light which she hopes will help Batman find the strength he needs to overcome the pain of his loss.

Batman #18 is a remarkable issue by Snyder and Tynion that sensitively deals with Bruce’s reaction to Damien’s tragic death. Both aspects of this story are well handled by Snyder and Tynion, they work extremely well together, and the transition between their scripts is almost seamless. It would have been easy for Snyder to have had Batman go off the rails like he did after Jason Todd was murdered by the Joker in Death of the Family (1988/89), however by utilising the return of Harper Row in Batman #18 Snyder and Tynion have the opportunity to explore Batman’s grief from an entirely new perspective. The way Harper pushes Batman to confront the grief she herself once faced is truly inspired, as is the way they both unwittingly discover an inner catharsis that neither of them were expecting to find as a result.

There has been a lot of speculation about whether Harper will be the next Robin. While this is a distinct possibility, the similarities between Harper’s story and Tim Drake’s origin could just be a red herring to keep readers guessing, I believe Harper’s real potential lies more with her operating on the fringes of Batman’s twilight realm. Harper isn’t interested in finding out Batman’s secret identity, neither does she want the right to fight by his side, all she wants is to make Batman realize how much Gotham needs him – and that she is not prepared to watch him die while he is consumed by a pointless vendetta against his own pain.

Batman #18 also offers readers a very striking mix of artistic styles. Adam Kubert’s art is inked by Sandra Hope, and portrays the Dark Knight as a muscle bound engine of vengeance who goes all out to vent his pent up fury on Gotham’s petty criminals. The final pages by Alex Maleev offer a more refined interpretation of the Dark Knight, one which I feel gives an even greater emotional resonance to the stories closing moments. The different styles don’t really detract from the overall effect of the story, in some ways it actually enhances it, although of the two I preferred Maleev’s take on the Dark Knight as it seemed more in keeping with the overall tone of the issue. Greg Capullo and FCO Plascencia’s cover for Batman #18 features Robin’s empty red laced books; it’s a powerfully understated image, and one that instantly surmises the emptiness of Robin’s death.

Snyder and Capullo’s next big story arc, Zero Year, begins in June with issue #21 and will explore the secret history of Bruce Wayne’s transformation into Batman. The death of Damien Wayne will no doubt seem even more poignant as we look back at Bruce Wayne’s early years in the months ahead. Batman #18 not only provides a fitting coda to Robin’s demise, it also brings Harper Row closer to the legacy of the Bat, and gives Batman a chance to openly face up to his loss and look to the future with a newfound resolve to be the strength that Gotham needs to survive.