Batman: Detective Comics #1102 – Tom Taylor, Writer; Mikel Janin, Artist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: Tom Taylor’s second main arc on Detective Comics is upping the tension, as Batman investigated a ship filled with people who seemingly tore each other apart due to an engineered virus that made them incapable of feeling fear – only to discover that he was infected himself, with a ticking clock before he loses control of his mind. As Mr. Terrific tries to unravel the mysteries of the virus, Batman makes the most of every moment he has – going abroad to trace a lead to the European country of Kasnia. He has an in at the most elite casino in the country, courtesy of his old friend Princess Caroline (not the cat), but the person he’s there to see is the mysterious gambling magnate Louis King, a high-roller with a blank slate of a past who claims to have lost someone to Gotham too. Bruce wastes no time losing a ton of money to King, who seems to have an edge no one understands – but that just helps him get in deeper.
King is a new character, from a quick Google, but I suspect he’s not exactly who he says he is. Bruce suspects the same, and Oracle quickly gets to work investigating – and uncovers an answer that’s all too relevant right now. As Batman investigates a mysterious mountain factory where King travels to, the gambling magnate reveals his true face – and a new villain’s identity that nearly blows the entire factory and all his men sky high while giving Batman far more of a fight than he expected. This issue shifts tone and genre dramatically as it moves on, and Taylor deserves particular credit for some of the best use of Bruce Wayne as a character I’ve seen in a while. His version of Bruce isn’t a dumb playboy, but he’s definitely non-threatening enough to make a convenient face who can open doors in the same way Matches Malone can to the criminal world. This mystery might be even more intriguing than Taylor’s first so far.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes
