Detective Comics #1000 is a huge milestone. Arguably the most popular character in comics is hitting a four digit number! That’s cause for a celebration and with anniversary issues that means a series of short stories from every living creator willing to pitch in. As such, it’s not easy to evaluate “Detective Comics” #1000 as a whole, so first let’s break down each vingnette and then talk about how the issue works as a whole.
Written by Scott Snyder, Peter J. Tomasi, Kevin Smith, Paul Dini, Warren Ellis, Denny O’Neil, Christopher Priest, Brian Michael Bendis, Geoff Johns, James Tynion IV, Tom KingCover by Scott Williams & Jim Lee
Illustrated by Doug Mahnke, Greg Capullo, Jim Lee, Dustin Nguyen, Becky Cloonan, Steve Epting, Neal Adams, Alex Maleev, Kelley Jones, Alvaro Martinez, Tony DanielAfter 80 years, it’s here-the 1,000th issue of DETECTIVE COMICS, the title that literally defines DC! This 96-page issue is stacked with an unbelievable lineup of talent that will take you on a journey through Batman’s past, present and future…plus a sensational epilogue that features the first-ever DC Universe appearance of the deadly Arkham Knight! But who is under the mask? And why do they want Batman dead? The incredible future of Batman adventures begins here!
Snyder and Capullo open the issue with the first story, and they remind us why they are the masters. Their tale is full of good mystery writing that disguises the fact that with so few pages, the mystery has to be shallow by design. They don’t waste our time and by the time we get to the deeply allegorical twist ending we’ve been reintroduced to none other than the original star of “Detective Comics,” Slam Bradley! The story ends up being deeply loyal to the very concept of “Detective Comics.”
Kevin Smith and Jim Lee write a surprisingly poignant story about Batman tracking down the gun that killed his parents and deciding what he wants to do with it. It’s a great idea, and Jim Lee is Jim Lee. But Smith leans on a bag of tricks that feels very dated. Lots of narrative captions juxtaposed with a grab bag of somewhat related imagery. It’s the kind of thing that felt really fresh in 2005 but today feels as dated as Stan Lee-style narration.
Paul Dini and Dustin Nguyen give a life story to one of Gotham’s most prolific henchmen. The idea is classic Dini and feels really fresh. It makes you wonder why they don’t just give him the main “Batman” book and walk away to leave everything in his capable hands. The twist at the end of this story really seals the deal. Dini is the a legend.
Warren Ellis and Becky Cloonan seem like an unlikely pair, but the two of them are both masters. The story is really violent, but in the end acts as a strong assertion that Batman’s no-kill policy is the moral thing to do. That’s a tiresome argument, so to see it made so compellingly here is quite affecting.
It doesn’t get more legendary than Denny O’Neil and Steve Epting. The story is sad and the writing is a little clunky, but it has a strong idea at its core: the concept of Batman is inherently cruel. Epting is the perfect pick for such a story, but it really would be better served being told over more than a couple of pages.
Christopher Priest and Neil Adams step in. The style and the chapter titles are classic Priest, even though they all happen in a tiny amount of space. The mystery is very intellectual and again, it’s very dense considering how little space it has to operate. Priest has trouble going small, but he’s a professional and with a veteran like Adams, the story (just barely) keeps from falling apart.
Brian Michael Bendis and his partner in crime Alex Maleev spin a story together. Their long history of crime comics makes you wonder why they haven’t gotten around to doing “Batman” yet. Bendis still reads like Bendis. He’s clever and quippy, sometimes to a fault. Maleev is on a whole ‘nother level. He makes a strong case for himself on a “Batman” ongoing. He could easily become the series’ definitive artist.
Geoff Johns was of course going to participate, and Kelley Jones is his art buddy. Their story takes place in an alternate future, but feels very old school: colorful, crowded, and conceptually ambitious. It’s a cool little tale, but it suffers from the 80s-style panel grids that DC seems so enamored of lately. I’m not sure if Johns and Jones have done a lot of work together, but of all the stories in the collection, their styles felt the most incongruous.
Continued belowOn the other hand, there’s a case to be made that James Tynion IV is the definitive “Batman” writer of the era. Here he’s featured alongside Alvaro Martinez-Bueno. They do a story about Dick Grayson, who’s been around for 962 of the 1,000 issues of “Detective Comics.” It’s a slight story, but Tynion infuses it with a ton of emotion. Martinez-Bueno is his perfect match, putting comic book montage to great use.
Obviously we needed a story by Tom King and Tony S. Daniel. King hasn’t done a lot of stories about the entire assembled Bat-family, but this one is pretty fun. There’s not much substance to it, but that’s not a bad thing. At his worst, King’s writing can feel kind of ponderous and portentous. This short story acts as a reminder that he’s also a pretty strong writer who does well with character stuff.
We close with a piece by Peter J. Tomasi and Doug Mahnke, who are about to take over ‘Tec as a whole. The story also leans heavy on montage, and features a greatest hits roundup of Batman’s rogues and adventures. The ending though, looks towards the future. It’s the comic book introduction of the Arkham Knight, who’s been teased as the subject of “Detective Comics” #1001. It’s competently done, and acts as a great teaser of what to expect though if you are a skeptic, it’s not going to change your mind as to whether or not the Knight needs to be included in the comics.
Overall a very strong showing. Even the weaker entries only suffer from a lack of space to breathe. There’s not a single story that doesn’t have something significant to say about Batman or a member of his extended supporting cast. A lot of stories tread familiar themes, but that’s to be expected, this is a big celebration of those themes. There are a few storytelling techniques that get used a few too many times, particularly the juxtaposed montage and the 9-panel grid, but despite being tired devices, they can’t hide the fact that every story in this collection is here for a good reason.
Batman isn’t just popular, he’s at the core of the superhero genre. He’s the ultimate expression of the dual identity, his adventures can be dark or goofy (or both!). He’s accumulated dozens of memorable villains and friends, been at the center of some of the most iconic images in comic book history, inspired more films, cartoons, and kids’ birthday parties than almost any other character created in the last hundred years. He’s a legend, and he has been for 80 years. With the love and care that the creators bring to this issue, it’s easy to want him to continue on for 80 more.
Final Verdict: 9.0 – If you want to celebrate 1,000 issues with a huge anthology, it’s hard to do better than “Detective Comics” #1000.
