Detective Comics #964 - A Review

With the help of some surprising allies, Anarky has built his own utopia under Gotham City. He hopes to bring Stephanie "The Spoiler" Brown into his world but she demands the whole truth of how it came into being. So does Batman, who has finally tracked them both down...

Meanwhile, Basil "Clayface" Karlo hopes to make amends for his past crimes. Working with Batman to protect Gotham City was a first step but now he's working on a cure for his condition - not only for himself but for the former friend he tried to transform into something like himself. But is redemption possible? Or is Clayface doomed to remain a monster even if he can hold a human form?






The only flaw to Detective Comics #964 is its brevity. Both subplots here - Clayface's quest for redemption and Spoiler's search for purpose - are gripping, touching stories which mirror each other. Basil turns to Batman to escape what he's becoming as Stephanie escapes from Batman to become something else. One wishes that the overly long Azrael-focused story-line from a month ago had been cut-down a few issues and those comics given over to this story.

The story by James Tynion IV and Christopher Sebela is matched perfectly by the artwork of Carmen Carnero. I've greatly enjoyed Carnero's previous work on Adventures of Supergirl immensely and she's in fine form here. With the addition of Ulises Arreola's colors, this is one fine looking book!

The Final Analysis: 10/10. The only thing wrong is there's not nearly enough of it.