Detective Comics #32 Review

Dive in.

Batman’s lead takes him to a not-so-subtle base of operations while we get a peek into Bullock’s investigation.

First of all, this is the most beautiful Batbook currently on the stands.

The story also has something I don’t think most Batman related books have been focusing on for some time – the human element.

And the ‘detective’ angle continues as we see a surprisingly well crafted Bullock decipher the clues, though tempered by Batman already having done so.

SPOILERS FOLLOW……………

Diving into the river looking for the victim’s submerged car, Batman finds a clue that leads him to the next spot. Bullock and his team arrive a little later, on the back of an anonymous tip, and find both the car and a severely injured Sumo.

And this gives Bullock some nice moments – like his being beat by Batman to the scene and his ability to decide what happened at the docks a short while ago. Though his animosity towards Bruce Wayne and the personal aspect to this investigation frequently come to the surface.

At the East End Pier, Batman tries to console a broken up Annette, while reaffirming that Gotham is a city that deserves to be saved, despite how it acts towards everyone who tries to make a better place.

Continuing the focus on Bullock, we see him at home with his cats (a lot of cats) and the voice messages from his mother and the rest give us a glimpse of what life is like for Harvey Bullock.

 

It seems work is all there is to him, though there is a little cheer at the end of the scene with one of the missing shipping containers being connected to a Wayne Industries employee.

Even as Jeb Lester tries to destroy evidence, he is arrested by Bullock’s team.

Batman finally reaches the old aquarium, where he is promptly dropped into a water tank with a squid. Using his electrified gloves, he is able to knock the squid out, though it also results in the water tank exploding.

As commotion and chaos ensures, the biker gang from earlier come to collect – and a stand-off ensues.

SPOILERS END……………….

This is a truly beautiful book in all the right ways, and one of the most Gotham centered at that. Gotham is the protagonist here and Batman and the rest are just pawns to it’s capricious nature.

So, I give it 9.5 out of 10.

+The artwork

+Bullock’s character arc is brilliantly poignant

+A good prognosis on Gotham

+The brief battle with the Squid

-A slightly contrived cliffhanger