Detective Comics #30 Review

This city…feeds on hope.

I picked up Detective Comics after a long time. The only ones I remember picking up after the initial Dollmaker arc were tie-ins to the main Batman titles, and only one of them has felt like it was worth a review.

But that changed when I picked up Manipal and Buccellato’s Detective Comics. It has themes very familiar to Black Mirror, and that’s a high compliment from me (given it’s my favorite Detective Comics story ever).

The art is simply gorgeous. I wasn’t a fan of Jock during Snyder’s run (talking about Black Mirror again), and so it’s nice to see a variant of Black Mirror with better art in my opinion. Though it’s still early days and these guys have a lot of worth ahead of them if they’re going to be up to it.

SPOILERS FOLLOW………………

For anyone wondering, yes it’s the same drug from the Flash tie-in to Zero Year. I know the name Icarus, but having skipped that issue, don’t know much more.

And maybe that’s a good thing. It only makes an appearance in the final pages but what a reveal it is.

But first, is that cover beautiful or what? Probably my best Batman cover in some time. Seems to encapsulate some of the major pieces of this story with Batman himself as the canvas.

We first meet up with two new arrivals to Gotham, hoping for a fresh start. Next it’s the same old as Batman busts up some child traffickers.

One of them escapes with the help of a motorbike gang as Batman is knifed and backs down.

A little while later, Bruce attends a Extreme Motorsports event as part of a business meeting where Elena Aguila is watching her 18 year old daughter compete.

Elena references Bruce’s speech during the initial Zero Year arc, and mentions his son. The facial expressions are on spot, from Annie Aguila’s rebuke at Bruce’s offhand comments and Bruce’s silent reflection at Damian’s mention.

Bruce agrees to Elena’s proposal, which sets the wheels in motion as Congressman Sam Young, the spurned, is forced to take some drastic steps to scupper the plans for renovation. At the East End Waterfront, the leader of the Kings of the Sun teaches his errant brother what happens when you steal from Mr Squid.

The scene with the Squid and Mr Squid’s comments heavily reference Black Mirror’s underlying tread that Gotham is a living body that consumes it’s inhabitants.

At Wayne Manor, Bruce is hard at work on Damian’s unfinished motorbike. Just then, Elena arrives. Only problem is she’s on fire.

SPOILERS END…………………

With some great artwork, and non-stop action, Manipal and Buccellato start their run with a bang.

There is much left unexplained but enough to be intrigued about. And that’s all one can expect from a kind-of debut issue.

So, I give it 9.0 out of 10

+Some great themes are explored

+Excellent artwork

+Perfect Pacing

-Too many threads may have been introduced