Detective Comics brings the Arkham Knight into the DC Universe!
Here we are — Detective Comics #1000. Like its Action counterpart, Detective Comics is a major staple in DC’s history. It was the birthplace of the world’s greatest detective, and with this issue, creators honor the dark knight with several stories. This story revolves around Peter Tomasi’s current run in Detective Comics, which probably means we’ll be getting a look of what’s ahead for Batman. Last time we left Bruce in the current continuity, he just finished his annual Birthday program he designed to kill him. The whole story arc appeared to show what price is there to pay for being Batman. However, there might be more to it than that. What is the price the public pays for having Batman?
**Some Spoilers Below**
Story:
Similar to Tomasi’s story in Action Comics #1000, this story is told after the fact by a mysterious narrator. The narrator explains how he’s been watching Batman his whole life and believes he’s the actual criminal. This person thinks that while the criminals are doing wrong, Batman is worse. He believes Gotham deserves a knight who can bring Batman to justice. He believes that Gotham deserves an Arkham Knight.
Unlike the story in Action Comics, this story does less honoring the past and more set up the future for the current series. It was cool to see a different perspective on Batman’s fights against his villains. There are plenty of civilians who still see Batman as a criminal, so one becoming this anti-Batman is brilliant.
That being said, some of the things the Arkham Knight claims Batman does is a stretch for anyone. While him saying Batman beats on sad clowns is one thing, he claims Batman went around the world to use the Lazarus Pits for himself. Last I checked, the Lazarus Pits are seen more like a myth to the general population of the DC world. When the Arkham Knight is talking about them, it makes him sound less like a threat and more like a conspiracy theorist. As the story unfolds, we’ll probably see the Arkham Knight become a cold, calculating threat instead of a hot head conspiracy theorist. For this intro, however, it’s a bit offputting, even in comics standards.
Art:
The illustrations of Doug Mahnke fit the world of Gotham exceptionally well. With every page, we see epic battle after epic battle going through Batman’s most prolific rogues. Mahnke makes every villain look terrifying, and every hit feels gritty. The cherry on top of this proverbial sundae would be the reveal of the Arkham Knight. Unlike his video game counterpart, the Arkham Knight’s comic look takes a more medieval approach, exchanging kevlar and tech for a more plate look. I love this look and the look of this story.
Conclusion:
It’s a rocky start, but I can’t say I didn’t enjoy it. Seeing Batman face off against his old enemies was quite entertaining. The art made it a visual feast as well, with every page feeling more brutal than the last. The only problem I had with the story is the Arkham Knight, but it could be smoothed over in time. Let’s just say the future of Detective Comics is going to get more violent, and I can’t wait.
