“Detective Comics” #23 Review

Detective Comics #23

Written By: John Layman
Art By: Jason Fabok
 

Layman and Fabok continue to create the closest interpretation of Christopher Nolan’s Batman with Detective Comics #23. While it’s not as thematically heavy, it certainly covers the brooding espionage motif and cinematic spectacle of the series.

Plot-wise, nothing all that revolutionary is happening to Batman, but it’s the use of his familiar tropes – business man/detective – that feels both fresh and familiar to the reader.

Layman’s clever one-page origin of Wrath, while tying him to Bruce’s corporate life, makes Wrath a personal and natural rogues addition. Having Caldwell sell weapons to the GCPD and attempt to swindle Wayne Enterprises, creates that perfect Batman formula of making a villain a danger to Batman just as much as Bruce Wayne.

The way in which Fabok draws his arsenal and towering stance over Alfred captures the scope of the character as a legitimate threat.

The art certainly matches the look of the recent films, but the detail in characters’ faces gets lost at times, in favour of muscular detail. While the detailed sets and bodies ground the story, at times it loses that stylistic, dark, Batman flare.

Detective Comics #23 feels true to the Batman that the general public has grown to love. While it doesn’t introduce any redefining elements to the mythos, it offers an enjoyable and exciting installment in the character’s career.

Score: 8.1/10