Batman: Detective Comics #1073 – Ram V, Dan Watters, Writers; Ivan Reis/Danny Miki, Goran Sudzuka, Stefano Raffaele, Artists; Brad Anderson, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: Before this series takes a break for Knight Terrors, Gotham is plunged into its own nightmare courtesy of the Orgham clan. The mafia of immortal cultists has made its move, detonating the tower that was supposed to be the symbol of their reign and sending the city into chaos. While the psychic ringleader of the cult broadcasts a message to the city, urging them to blame Batman for their misfortunes, the Dark Knight is missing in action and presumed dead. That leaves it up to Oracle to rally the remaining crimefighters, relying heavily on her father as the city winds up possessed by the suggestions of the villain. It’s a tense, creepy segment and it’s great to see the Gordons get the chance to shine.
However, while they’re working together to save the city, Batman is a one-man force in battle against Arzen Orgham himself. The leader of the clan has a personal grudge against the Bat, and everything has been to lure him into position. This is one of the most brutal battles Batman has been involved in for a long time, and things get so intense that we get an unexpected guest star—Barbatos, the mysterious and malevolent Bat-God who has been seeking to get his hooks deeper into Bruce Wayne for a long time. The use of two artists this issue works nicely, with Sudzuka’s grittier style working effectively to elevate the creepier scenes. Ram V’s run continues to be some of the creepiest Bat-material in a long time.
The use of the backup to flesh out the Orgham story has been really strong as well, with Dan Watters taking over the backup for this arc. This is the story of Arzen Orgham, and how he went from a sheltered prince grieving his father to a monster in the making. His manipulative mother plays a key role in this, setting him up to make the decisions that will cast away the last of his humanity, but it’s clear she didn’t transform him on her own. This is one of the best exampled of a villain origin story I’ve seen in a while.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
