DC Comics reviews 5/30/23 – Icon vs. Hardware #3, Detective Comics #1072

Detective Comics #1072

The latest act of the seemingly endless Gotham Nocturne kicks off as Batman and his allies continue to find themselves several steps behind the Orgham Family.

Ram V is able to write some interesting and fun segments — Nightwing’s scenes are the best in the issue — but Batman isn’t being much of a detective or proving capable of dealing with a threat that won’t just vanish with a few well-placed right hooks. Jim Gordon appeals to Commissioner Montoya for assistance, but she’s not interested in relying on the Batman crutch like her predecessor.

One thing that’s really hurting this storyline is it’s stretched out for so long, yet the events are never mentioned in other Batman titles. It’d be fine if this was a 12-hour type emergency, yet Batman has had plenty of time to call in Batman Inc., all of the Robins and if things kept getting bad, Superman and Wonder Woman.

The artwork from Ivan Reis and Stefano Raffaele holds its end up well with dynamic perspectives on the action scenes and dramatic perspectives on every page.

Gotham Nocturne started off promising, but it’s not an event like Contagion or Knightfall and isn’t a riveting serial like Batman: Eternal. It’s just feeling like a story that has ran out of steam months ago.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10