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Review: Detective Comics #873

By | January 28th, 2011
Posted in Reviews | % Comments

Written by Scott Snyder
Illustrated by Jock

Now at the mercy of the deadly Mirror House, Dick Grayson must fight for his life against one of Gotham City’s oldest and most powerful evils!. Be here for the shocking conclusion to “The Black Mirror,” the first arc by the highly anticipated new creative team of writer Scott Snyder and artist Jock!

The Snyder/Jock era of Detective Comics is only three issues old, but it’s already blazing a trail of entirely creepy, completely riveting and immensely unique storytelling that combines to form one of the best Bat-books running. How did the latest issue play itself out? Click below to find out!

It’s rare that my jaded self encounters a cliffhanger that actually earns the intended reaction out of me. That said, Dick Grayson trapped and gassed in a room full of the homicidal upper class that came out in droves to bid on the crowbar that beat Jason Todd to death was WAY more than enough to make me stand up and take notice last issue, and this issue pays off on that cliffhanger in spades. As Dick fights through the effects of the gas, he walks himself almost point by point through his past in the circus, using his own history to keep himself focused enough to survive the onslaught of rich and entitled angling for his flesh.

Following an impressively disturbing, gas induced scene, Dick proceeds to track down the mastermind of the super villain artifact auction scheme and, in very short order, dispatches this new and disturbing rogue with the cunning and tact expected of someone that was trained by Bruce Wayne. More than anything else though, this scene was evidence that Dick may finally be comfortable under than that cowl, and that is an immensely crucial character moment for this book. The issue ends, much to my amusement, by returning back to a moment in the story that lesser writers would have just left as an afterthought. Having the issue end by Dick reflecting on the fact that it was not diabolical super villains at that auction, but the mega rich and bored. The people who COULD be using the power and influence to make Gotham a better place, instead spending their time bidding on artifacts of death just leaves a haunting aftertaste to me…and that makes for some well written comic bookia.

On the art side, Jock’s art fits this book perfectly. The story being told needs a distinctly dark, almost warped lens to focus itself through, and Jock provides that lens with the consistency and dark beauty required to bring the story of a former trapeze artist turned into one of the most recognizable heroes in history to life, and I really have no complaints on that front.

Overall, there is very little to dislike about this comic and so very much to like. Smartly crafted characters, genuinely unique art and a universally compelling story make this one a must-buy. And on top of that, while many great back-up stories were lead to their demise by DC’s content restructuring, it makes me immensely pleased that Snyder and Francavilla’s Commissioner Gordon story will be continued with every fourth issue of this book, and can’t wait to see where THAT story is going next issue.

Final Verdict: 9.8 – Buy


Joshua Mocle

Joshua Mocle is an educator, writer, audio spelunker and general enthusiast of things loud and fast. He is also a devout Canadian. He can often be found thinking about comics too much, pretending to know things about baseball and trying to convince the masses that pop-punk is still a legitimate genre. Stalk him out on twitter and thought grenade.

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