Detective Comics #1 Review: Tunnel Vision
DC continues it’s New 52 initiative this week with an all new Detective Comics helmed by Tony S. Daniel, who previously drew and wrote Batman. Detective #1 kicks things off with a very simple demonstration of how things operate in Gotham, it’s very reminiscent of Frank Millar’s Year One and some points feel very inspired by Nolan’s The Dark Knight.
Longtime readers are going to ask first and foremost: What’s different? As of this issue it is too soon to really tell. Thankfully DC has decided to keep the Bat-universe mostly the same, Bruce Wayne is still Batman and has been raging his war on crime in Gotham City for some time now. While Commissioner Gordon, (who is looking much younger, I must say,) is the only officer the dark knight can turn to.
We see a little bit of Alfred and the cave, which looks a lot more minimalist than it appeared in Flashpoint although it seems to be equipped with some very sophisticated holograms. On the Bruce Wayne end of things we have yet another woman in the life of Gotham’s most eligible bachelor, Charlotte Rivers. We all know how that’s going to end…
The meat and potatoes of the plot revolves around Batman’s obsession with catching the Joker, who is reintroduced as a madman who has never truly been brought to justice. Batman has developed a kind of tunnel vision when it comes to the Joker, and likewise the GCPD have a very negative viewpoint on the caped crusader himself. With such a high profile villain like the Joker on the loose, none of these crime fighters are aware of another threat lurking in the shadows.
Given how bare bones the story is and Batman’s relationship with the GCPD it would seem as if this issue is set in the 5 years ago era featured in other New 52 issues such as Justice League #1 and Action Comics #1. But according to Tony S. Daniel that isn’t the case. The writer/artist corrected an interview with USA Today that implied Detective took place in the same time period as Justice League.
The art in this issue is fairly solid, and the writing is a touch better than what Daniel’s Batman run ended up being. I’m looking forward to where this story goes and to see a bit more of what is different in Gotham.
3 Notes/ Hide
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