Detective Comics #972 - A Review

As riots break out around Gotham and Anarky revels in the chaos that he and The First Victim have unleashed, Batman must stare down a Basil Karlo driven mad by the torture he experienced at the hands of The Victim Syndicate. Batwoman may have a way to stop the rampaging Clayface but could her solution unleash Tim Drake's worst nightmare?


Again, I find myself wanting to sing the praises of this book yet unable to articulate its glories to the uninitiated. Such is the rich tale that James Tynion IV has told that it is impossible to relate the parts without considering the whole. This is Detective Comics only flaw - it defies the casual reader and denies easy access. To read it, one must start from the beginning or not bother at all. The journey will prove well worth it, however, particularly with the amazing art of Miguel Mendonca, Diana Egea and Jason Wright.

 The Final Analysis: 10 out of 10.

Detective Comics #971 - A Review

Anarky and The Victim Syndicate have control of Arkham Asylum and Clayface in their clutches. Now, with the people of Gotham City turning upon their vigilantes in the wake of the news that Batman enlisted Clayface in his war on crime and Batman's closest allies with the city and The Gotham Knights questioning his actions, Batman must make a bold choice in order to save his city.



The only bad part about Detective Comics #971 is its complete inaccessibility to new readers. James Tynion IV's plotting is dense and there's no way to just jump into this book at this point. You must have been reading since the beginning of DC Rebirth or there's just no chance of understanding it. Those devote Bat-Fans who try it, however, will find one of the most rewarding stories in years.

This complex story is told through some equally complex artwork. Miguel Mendonca's detail-driven style is a good match for Tynion IV's script. It is the inks of Diana Egea, however, which truly make this issue sparkle. Egea adds just the right amount of shade and definition, leaving the finishing artwork looking distinctive but not overly dark. Jason Wright's work on the color art is equally impressive.

 The Final Analysis: 10/10.

Injustice: Ground Zero #20 - A Review

The Joker is subdued but his Joker Clan is still running loose in Gotham City. With Batman and the parallel Earth Justice League focused on bringing down the tyrant Superman after his vicious murder of Lex Luthor, it will fall to Harley Quinn to save her city. But she isn't fighting alone...



With this series, Christopher Sebela has written the best Harley Quinn focused story in the last decade. He interjects a few good bits into the subplot taken directly from the Injustice game (I particularly like Aquaman offering to let Green Arrow ride one of his giant shellfish friends as a consolation.) but Injustice: Ground Zero has been Harley's tale from start to finish. Much as I'm looking forward to Tom Taylor's Injustice 2 book, I'll be sad to see this story end.

Miguel Mendonca joins Daniel Sampere on the art duties this time around. Their styles clash but thankfully both artists are individually devoted to different subplots so the sudden changes in the art are not as distracting at they might have been. This is my first time viewing Mendoca's work and it is quite good, as are the inks and colors by regular creators Juan Albarran and  J. Nanjan.