Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Detective Comics, Volume 4: The Wraith


Detective Comics (2011-Present) #HC Vol 4

An interesting take on some major players occur in this volume of Detective Comics. Keep in mind that this is the New 52 universe and thus some characters are going to be re-introduced while some didn’t change at all. One character in particular is Kirk Langstrom (and his wife!) in which Batman must save a neighborhood in Gotham from a virus that is turning the residents into giant bat-like creatures. So, Man-bat gets an all-new origin as Langstrom’s cure for deafness turns into his curse.

Then the Emperor Penguin storyline gets a unique plot twist as the original Penguin looks to regain his Empire while his usurper goes through some changes of his own. As this storyline wraps up, someone is killing off Gotham’s Finest. Thus begins a unique multi-issue arc that explores Batman’s relationship with his city’s thin blue line. But what makes this story so engrossing is the various opinions of the Gotham PD which range from costumed nut to worse than the Joker to one of the good guys.

In my opinion this volume is how Detective Comics should be. These issues harken back to the original days of this series where Batman was the lead feature and then several B-listers finished out the issue with a variety of 1-7 page stories. Only in this Detective Comics, the back-up stories star some of the colorful citizens of Gotham; so you know quite well, some you’ve never seen this way before, and some are just the average Joe trying to survive the concrete jungle of Gotham.

I hope this format continues for quite some time!

Worth Consuming

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars

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