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“Batman: The Detective” #1

By | April 15th, 2021
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Grant Morrison, Andy Kubert, Jesse Delperdang, and Guy Major stunned readers by introducing Batman’s sidekick Damian Wayne as The Dark Knight in “Batman” issue #666. The apocalyptic vibes and dark aesthetic of the issue became incredibly inspirational to DC. Wayne was such a new character during that time that Morrison and Kubert were able to make a really lasting impression by showing the potential of this future hero. DC has had a difficult time finding a place for Damian to flourish as Batman as Bruce Wayne is still Batman in the main DC Comic Book Universe. Damian deserves to grow up and become his own character but the revolving door of comics will not let him naturally age into the role. “Batman: The Detective” #1 is the perfect opportunity to tell more stories starring one of the most complex sidekicks ever created in the role of Gotham’s protector. Writer Tom Taylor is joining Wayne’s co-creator Kubert to find a new way to tell Batman stories with Damian, let’s see if the creative team is able to execute on the potential for a new Batman!

Written by Tom Taylor
Illustrated by Andy Kubert
Colored by Brad Anderson
Lettered by Clem Robins

An epic tale begins that will take Batman on a harrowing, action-packed European adventure in a new miniseries by superstar creators Tom Taylor and Andy Kubert! A horrific tragedy in the United Kingdom sends a very personal and deadly message to the Dark Knight—one that will draw Batman out of Gotham City to investigate! From the moment he lands in Europe, Batman will face a difficult investigation and unheard-of adversaries and find the assistance of a partner once more—all in the hunt for the villain known as Equilibrium! New villains! New allies! A thrilling overseas adventure begins for the Dark Knight, starting with an extra-sized 26-page debut story!

A fresh writer can make all the difference with a character. Previous stories placing Damian in the cape and cowl have been sparse and disappointing at times. Thankfully writer Tom Taylor is able to make readers empathize with Damian Wayne without subjecting readers to too many genre tropes or tired ideas. It is really interesting to compare and contrast this title with comics like “Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.” Frank Miller’s opus starred a Batman late in his career that was ready to fight his last battles. Damian is in a similar position in this series but there’s a level of authenticity from Taylor’s writing that makes the title feel anything but formulaic or monotonous. Pairing Taylor with Andy Kubert showed me a side of the artist that I feel can sometimes be lacking in his other works.

I’ll be honest and admit that the opening chapter of this series required a google search from me but Taylor catches readers up to speed quickly. The fight sequence out of a plane introduces so many new concepts in such a short amount of time. Taylor shows his hand and reveals important players in the supporting cast and villains within a few short pages. This first sequence is equally impressive from an artistic standpoint. Kubert draws insane page compositions that capture the interest of the reader immediately. This sequence ends a dramatic note filled with violence and pans the camera towards a beautiful splash page introducing the protagonist. Taylor and Kubert use these pages to tell a huge cinematic story in comic book form. It is great to see a comic book this focused also starring Damian Wayne as Batman.

Taylor flirts with the narration in “Batman: The Dark Knight Returns” for “Batman: The Detective” #1 to good effect. Batman always feels like he’s one step ahead of the reader and cracks jokes at others who aren’t up-to-speed. This characterization works incredibly well for someone like Damian who was always presented with numerous character flaws. The idea of combining Damian with younger characters is another incredibly smart dynamic that readers don’t get the chance to see often in normal continuity. Emphasizing points such as these are just little touches that add up to a greater whole. Many writers have tried to find a voice for Damian as Batman and seldom capture the nuance of his personality like Taylor does here.

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While I don’t prefer Kubert’s linework in every scenario I can’t deny the majesty of his layouts here. The strange anatomy of Damian Wayne can perplex the reader at times but moments like the issue’s final page redeem the interior art. Kubert is such a high-profile talent at DC. I’m glad to see the publisher pair Kubert with a writer like Taylor who has an incredible body of work in comics. Every page has something interesting to look at. Kubert is particularly adept at showing movement and action which Taylor also explores really well. There are so many moments where Kubert’s art references the previous page in an interesting way or fluidly depicts motion during an important fight scene.

I was incredibly skeptical of “Batman: The Detective” and pleasantly surprised when the melodrama of Damian Wayne’s narration was crafted with subtlety. There’s a few moments here where Taylor arguably spells out too much of what is going on with the narration alone. At times the interior art can be inconsistent in quality. However, this creative teams appears to be at least a bit self-aware thanks to some of Damian’s quips. There’s also an impressive amount of continuity here if the DC Universe was ever to go in this direction. Kubert draws fight scenes that are exhilarating to read. This comic is incredibly focused as well. Even throw-away moments like a typical Batman villain fight are pulsing with nods to other characters while combining Taylor’s interesting new supporting cast. Thanks to the impressive talent of the creative team “Batman: The Detective” #1 gives Damian Wayne the story he deserves.

Final Verdict: 7.8 – “Batman: The Detective” #1 finds an intriguing direction for a different kind of Batman.


Alexander Jones

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