DC Comics reviews 3/27/19 – Detective Comics #1000 review and more
Detective Comics #1000
This is it. The big anniversary. If you’re a Batman fan this is a required purchase and one of the biggest comic milestones we’ll see in our lives. That alone makes it worth picking up. But there’s a slew of great stories from some of the all-time Batman creators here. Need a bit more convincing? Here’s a small breakdown of some of the stories included.
Longtime collaborators Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo collaborate on a really fun story that fully plays in to Batman as a detective. It’s the ideal intro piece as The Dark Knight showcases his investigative skills without a bad guy in sight. I’m always a fan of Batman stories when he has to struggle and solutions don’t come to him immediately.
Capullo’s art is terrific as always. He knows how to frame Batman in the most cinematic light and with regular inker Jonathan Glapion and colorist FCO Plascencia, the story looks fantastic.
The payoff for the story is really intriguing and I’m already hoping Snyder has follow-up plans as it could make for a terrific spin-off or mini-series. There was also two characters whose appearance really made me excited about Snyder doing more with this concept.
Kevin Smith and Jim Lee take the next story. For the grief he gets in some fanboy circles, Smith is a very talented writer who gets the characters at the core. This isn’t a complex story, but Smith uses it as an excuse to have Lee draw as many Batman Rogues as possible. Lee rarely draws comic stories anymore so it’s a treat seeing him in action. After all these years, his work still impresses. Lee reunites with his frequent collaborators inker Scott Williams and colorist Alex Sinclair for a second very strong story.
Next up, writer Paul Dini and artist Dustin Nguyen team up on a story about the Legend of Knute Brody, a hopeless henchman who keeps messing up the best plans of Batman and company. This was a fun story with a great payoff. Nguyen has been one of the more underrated Batman/Detective Comics artists and as usual, he does a great job with this lighthearted tale.
Warren Ellis & Becky Cloonan craft a story about Batman stopping a potential terrorist attack, legend Denny O’Neil & Steve Epting break down a night on Crime Alley and Priest & icon Neal Adams find Batman investigating a murder victim’s connection with Wayne Enterprises. It would have been great to have O’Neil and Adams collaborating on a story together for this issue, but this is the next best thing. I’ve already discussed the outstanding story from Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev, which remains one of the best stories in this collection.
Geoff Johns and Kelley Jones knock out The Last Crime in Gotham. Jones has been an artist closely associated with Batman for his time drawing during the Knightfall run. He’s always had a slightly nightmarish take on Batman, which works well in this story Johns dials up about Batman’s greatest desire. It’s a strong story that matches up well with the next tale from recent Detective Comics team of James Tynion IV and artist Alvaro Martinez-Bueno as they look at Bruce and Alfred considering the precedent set by allowing Dick Grayson into Batman’s world. It was fitting to have a Robin focused story considered the role he’s played in this title.
Current Batman writer Tom King gets the honor of writing the final standalone story along with artists Tony Daniel and Joelle Jones, which features most of the Batman family. This read like a lot of King’s earlier Batman works with a more playful, fun tone. King really has the banter of the family down nicely and it’s great seeing them interact. Even without dedicated letter bubbles or shots to that character, King voices them strongly enough that it’s not too hard to guess what character is speaking. Daniel and Jones’ art is excellent with tremendous character moments conveyed in small, but effective panels.
The issue closes with pinups from some of DC’s best including Mikel Janin, Jason Fabok and Amanda Conner before wrapping with an in-continuity story from current team of writer Peter J. Tomasi and artist Doug Mahnke. Tomasi uses his pages to reflect on Batman’s legacy through the eyes of a new character and it gives Mahnke a terrific showcase pitting Batman against some of his greatest foes. It’s an exciting tease for the next issue and one fans will be anxiously awaiting.
Grabbing this was an obvious call, but it really delivers on all fronts for Batman fans of all ages. It’s a tribute to one of the most endearing and popular characters in all of pop culture. Make sure to add this one to your collection.
Rating: 10 out of 10