Batman: Detective Comics #1093 – Tom Taylor, Writer; Mikel Janin, Artist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: Tom Taylor has always dealt with some darker themes in his work, but I don’t know if he’s ever done a run with a villain so unsettling as this one. It delves back to Bruce Wayne’s childhood and the legacy his family left in Gotham, with the reveal that his mother saved a woman and her child from her abusive husband – Joe Chill, who was also saved by Thomas Wayne’s surgical skills. A flashback shows the woman trying to contact Bruce years later – leading to Bruce’s first meeting with Scarlett, the girl who would grow into a biotech magnate and Bruce’s lover. But how does she tie into the murderous streak targeting juvenile detainees in Gotham – and are they having their blood harvested to create the serum that’s giving Bruce his youth back? It’s a deeply disturbing concept, and one the comic doesn’t shy away from in its depiction of the assassin tasked with hunting them down.
Having identified the next target, the Bat-family tracks down the teenagers and collects them in a lair. Most go smoothly, but Batman has a particularly tense showdown with an abusive stepfather as he rescues the boy. There’s some great Bat-family banter in this issue, reminding us how good Taylor can be at humor, but there’s also some really interesting discussions about redemption and second chances. The Bat-family tries to keep tabs on the kids, but the mysterious Asana soon finds them, setting up a bloody battle in the streets of Gotham that leaves Batman vulnerable – and may give away his biggest secret. Scarlett is mostly out of focus this issue, but she’s looming in the background as either a pawn in a truly evil scheme – or one of the darkest villains Batman has ever faced. The scope of this run so far is smaller than Taylor’s Nightwing, but it’s zoomed in tight on a very compelling story.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
