Detective Comics #33 Review

The past always digs its way out.

As Batman gets closer and closer to the source of Icarus, in an already personal battle, he is going to learn it’s about to get more so by the second.

First of all, that is an awesome cover. Every month Manapul and Buccellato give me another pic I want as a poster on my walls.

The interior artwork isn’t up to the same quality as before though, as faces falter and proportions seem distorted.

The story continues to be as strong as ever though, as more hidden skeletons tumble out of the closets.

SPOILERS FOLLOW…………..

The Kings of the Sun and the Squid’s men get into a skirmish even as the GCPD arrive. Batman is able to escape, but he’s not the only one.

Meanwhile, Harvey Bullock cuts Jeb Lester a new one as he shakes him down, getting a name (but maybe not the one he wanted) – Congressman Sam Young.

Maggie Yip (there is a hair color error here that made me think it was two people) comes up with a lead that Lester was transporting radioactive waste and most probably hiding it at the long unused Kane Power Plant.

At one of the Sun’s hideouts, Batman is able to learn of their origins and comes to know that they’re interested in Annette Aguila.

At the cheap motel where Annette is staying, she is visited by the leader of the Suns, Holter who is carrying the Squid’s brother Lawrence.

Apparently Holter and Annette’s mother Elena go way back in New Orleans (they were in a relationship and Annette may or may not be their daughter). And he blames Lawrence for her death.

Back at the batcave, digging through everything Batman learns of the unused Kane factory.

Holter gives Annette the rundown of the sequence of events that led to Elena’s death – her deal for the waterfront was a problem for Young and so he paid the Squid to take care of it. He puts a gun in her hand wanting her to kill Lawrence.

At the East End Waterfront, Bullock reaches the old Kane Laboratories. He confronts Batman, saying the latter is nothing more than a thug pretending to be the police while Bruce reveals he knows that Bullock did some suspicious things during his last run-in with Icarus.

Even as Batman and Bullock start to fight, we see the ‘radioactive’ Icarus Man walk through the street. It seems whoever he passes gets ‘transformed’ into a clone of him.

In the backdrop of Kane Laboratories, a blast is heard even as the two continue to clash.

While I’m still not convinced by the actual drug Icarus and its ‘enhancements’, I love the detective work being done here. From Bullock to Maggie to Batman to even Holter, they all prove themselves detectives of varied natures at the end of the book.

SPOILERS END……………

Though the supernatural elements are still a little underdeveloped, the excellent detective work by the cast is more than enough to make this book a blast to read.

The artwork did falter this issue but still is great compared to most of the other books coming out.

So, I give it 8.0 out of 10.

+Great detective elements

+The entire cast feels like relevant, which isn’t always the case

+Great pacing

+Some excellent visuals

-Artwork is inconsistent

-The supernatural elements are still not coming off