October 21, 2020
Detective Comics is a staple of DC comics, it’s even a part of their name. And when you have a writer such as Peter J. Tomasi on board, you’re in for a real treat. The first two volumes of his Detective Comics run gives us two interesting arcs to look at, Mythology and Arkham Knight.
Mythology was a really interesting story arc, it’s part of the run up to #1000, and if anything it’s the perfect story to tell here. Bruce is hunted by a being taking the form of many of his greatest villains, with Bruce needing to travel to each of his previous teachers, as the people Bruce cares for and helped to birth the Batman are now in danger. It’s compelling, and a hard look at the journey Bruce took to get to where he is today.
Arkham Knight wasn’t as good as Mythology but was still an incredibly interesting take. The Arkham Knight originally appeared in the Arkham games, but that was simply Jason Todd in disguise. Here, you have an original character, someone who is actually connected to Arkham and has an interesting reason for hating Batman. The Arkham Knight’s plan is rather clever given that Batman is, well, inspired by Bats. Blind Gotham by getting rid of the night.
The Annual #2 was an excellent throwback to the 80s, with the return of The Reaper! That’s enough to get me interested!
I love that Tomasi brought Damian in for a number of moments, I truly miss the Damian/Bruce dynamic, just as I am currently missing the Clark/Jon dynamic. I find that most people, once they get their hands on Damian, revert him back to how he was written back in the Batman & Son story from Grant Morrison. Ignoring that Damian has indeed grown, but given Tomasi was one of the writers who developed Damian and Bruce’s relationship, it’s incredibly comforting to see them together again.