By Chris Fenn
This new creative team is exactly what Detective Comics need. They make me want to just never stop reading, and I’m honestly considering going back to read their Flash run.
The art and page layout in this comic is utterly beautiful. Going through the book I took time to appreciate the first page, and the page where we see Annette walking down the pier; both have such wonderful layouts and really good use of panels.
I think my favourite image in the entire comic, and a contender for my favourite image of all time, is the two page splash featuring the creative credits. The setting sun juxtaposing with the darker sky not only looks good on the page but conveys the themes I want to see in a Batman comic; Batman being a saviour and a symbol of hope.
Whilst the art is utterly magnificent the writing is fantastic too. With a hardboiled detective like Bullock it seems easy to fall into cliché’s; have him having a drink at the bar and be snarky to everybody all the time – but showing him go home and listen to his voicemails has done more for his progression than anything else I’ve read before.
I also love the fact that so far we haven’t seen Batman stumble upon some ‘deus ex machina’ to get him to the killer and deal out justice. I like the fact that he had to interrogate a criminal to find where the victim’s car was before swimming to retrieve the evidence. I even like the fact that all that did was help him find a base without actually knowing who lurks there.
The end of the issue is excellent as well; Batman is without his utility belt and is in the middle of a Mexican Standoff. This scenario feels like something a street level hero would end up in; it isn’t a convoluted death trap, and the fate of Gotham doesn’t hang in the balance – it’s just so simple yet so brilliant.
I thought that with all the seemingly endless huge story arcs in DC at the moment I’d have run out of steam for a multiple issue Batman story in Detective Comics, but this has been such a pleasure to read. It doesn’t feel forced, or exhausting or like it’s trying to change the DC Universe as we know it.
For anybody who wants to read a good Batman story about a detective who takes on street level threats, please pick up Detective Comics by Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato.
For more comic views and reviews follow Chris on Twitter at @fenneth1989
Posted on June 14th, 2014
Category: OUT OF THE LONG BOX, REVIEWS
Tags: Batman, Brian Buccellato, Chris Fenn, comics, DC Comics, Detective Comics #32 review, Francis Manapul