DC COMICS – @DCComics
[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]
EDITORS: Chris Conroy and Dave Wielgosz
COVER: Jim Lee and Scott Williams with Alex Sinclair
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Steve Rude; Bruce Timm; Michael Cho; Jim Steranko; Bernie Wrightson with Alex Sinclair; Frank Miller with Alex Sinclair; Tim Sale with Brennen Wagner; Jock; Greg Capullo with FCO Plascencia
MISC. ART: Mikel Janin; Jason Fabok with Brad Anderson; Amanda Conner with Paul Mounts;
96pp, Color, $9.99 U.S. (May 2019)
Rated “T” for “Teen”
Batman created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger
Detective Comics is an American comic book series published by DC Comics, and it is the longest continuously published comic book periodical in the United States, according to the Guinness World Records. Its first issue, Detective Comics #1 (cover dated: March 1937), was published by Detective Comics, Inc., a forerunner of DC Comics. Detective Comics is best known as the comic book series in which Batman/Bruce Wayne first appeared, in Detective Comics #27 (cover dated: May 1939).
The first volume of Detective Comics was published from 1937 to 2011 (for 881 issues). Then, as part of “The New 52” initiative, the series was relaunched in the fall of 2011 with a new Detective Comics #1 (cover dated: November 2011). In 2016, after 52 issues of “The New 52” run, Detective Comics reverted to what would have been its original numbering if it had not been relaunched – with Detective Comics #934 (cover dated: Early August 2016).
March 30, 2019 marked the 80th anniversary of the first appearance of Batman. Although Detective Comics #27's cover date is May 1937, it apparently debuted for sale March 30, 1939. Just in time for this Bat-birthday is the arrival of Detective Comics #1000.
To celebrate, Detective Comics #1000 is an anthology (which the series originally was) featuring ten short stories created by an “all-star” list of comic book creators. It also features a twelve-page preview of Detective Comics #1001 and has three pin-up illustrations.
For this review of Detective Comics #1000, I'll offer a few comments one each story:
“Batman's Longest Case”
STORY: Scott Snyder
PENCILS: Greg Capullo
INKS: Jonathan Glapion
COLORS: FCO Plascencia
LETTERS: Tom Napolitano
Snyder and Capullo have been THE rock star Batman creative team of this decade, but this story, introducing another of Snyder's contrived secret societies, is a misfire.
“Manufacture for Use”
STORY: Kevin Smith
PENCILS: Jim Lee
INKS: Scott Williams
COLORS: Alex Sinclair
LETTERS: Todd Klein
I think this is the first story I have ever read this is about the gun that killed Bruce Wayne's parents, Thomas and Martha Wayne. I like this slightly imaginative slash inventive tale from filmmaker and sometimes comic book writer, Kevin Smith. The art is standard Jim Lee Batman art – not Lee's best work, obviously. The coloring by Alex Sinclair is gorgeous though.
“The Legend of Knute Brody”
STORY: Paul Dini
PENCILS: Dustin Nguyen
INKS: Derek Fridolfs
COLORS: John Kalisz
LETTERS: Steve Wands
This is another good idea turned poorly executed Paul Dini story from Paul Dini. However, this story has the best Dustin Nguyen art I have seen in quite awhile; maybe Derek Fridolfs' inking helped. John Kalisz colors are also nice.
“The Batman's Design”
STORY: Warren Ellis
ART: Becky Cloonan
COLORS: Jordie Bellaire
LETTERS: Simon Bowland
The art team of Becky Cloonan and colorist Jordie Belliare produce some attractive art for this story. Warren Ellis offers a thoughtful examination of how young men can end up as violent, remorseless criminals. Ellis also presents a rather screwy, oddball version of what mercy from Batman looks like. This is a nice story.
“Return to Crime Alley”
STORY: Denny O'Neil
ART: Steve Epting
COLORS: Elizabeth Breitweiser
LETTERS: Andworld Design
If any writer deserved to have a spot in Detective Comics #1000, it is classic Batman writer, Denny O'Neil. His offering for this anniversary comic book features a Batman supporting character, Leslie Thompkins, that O'Neil created with artist Dick Giordano. This is a powerful, powerful tale starring the one of the few characters who can give both Batman and Bruce Wayne pause. Steve Epting's beautiful illustrations, Elizabeth Breitweiser's watercolor-like hues, and Andworld Design's lettering make this the best story in Detective Comics #1000.
“Heretic”
STORY: Christopher Priest
ART: Neal Adams
COLORS: Dave Stewart
LETTERS: Willie Schubert
The second best story in Detective Comics #1000, “Heretic,” features art by one of the greatest Batman artists of all time, Neal Adams. It is set in the world of Ra's al Ghul, a character that Adams had a hand in creating. Christopher Priest offers a potent tale about the fate of those become ensnared in both Batman and al Ghul's sphere of existence.
“I Know”
STORY: Brian Michael Bendis
ART/COLORS: Alex Maleev
LETTERS: Josh Reed
Okay. The third best tale in this comic book is Bendis and Maleev's “I Know,” which depicts a confrontation between an aged Bruce Wayne and The Penguin. This is an edgy tale with a Film-Noir feel, and I really like Maleev's design of each page.
“The Last Crime in Gotham”
STORY: Geoff Johns
ART: Kelley Jones
COLORS: Michelle Madsen
LETTERS: Rob Leigh
This is a nice tale by Johns and Jones. This isn't Jones' best Batman work, but it is nice, and it is made all the better by Michelle Madsen's (as usual) gorgeous coloring.
“The Precedent”
STORY: James Tynion IV
PENCILS: Alvaro Martinez-Bueno
INKS: Raul Fernandez
COLORS: Brad Anderson
LETTERS: Sal Cipriano
This is a nice, sentimental tale about the importance of Dick Grayson/Robin to Bruce Wayne/Batman. The art team, the colorist, and the letterer turn in some pretty art. Brad Anderson's colors are practically radiant.
“Batman's Greatest Case”
STORY: Tom King
ART: Tony S. Daniel and Joëlle Jones
COLORS: Tomeu Morey
LETTERS: Clayton Cowles
Meh.
“Medieval”
STORY: Peter J. Tomasi
PENCILS: Doug Mahnke
INKS: Jaime Mendoza and Doug Mahnke
COLORS: David Baron
LETTERS: Rob Leigh
This is story is basically twelve pages of filler exposition, but the art, colors, and letters are eye-catching. “Medieval” also offers the preview of a big character debut that is supposed to happen in Detective Comics #1001.
Detective Comics #1000 is, by my estimation, better than last year's Action Comics #1000, which was apparently the bestselling comic book of 2018. I think many of the creative teams in Detective Comics #1000 are better at capturing the history and characteristics of Batman and his supporting cast, than their Action Comics #1000 equals were with Superman, even if the Batman teams largely fail to tell stories that convey the mystique of Batman.
It took a little over eighty-two years for Detective Comics to get to one thousand issues, so many of the Batman writers, artists, and editors who established the character are deceased. The shame of it is that many of the people who really deserve to contribute to Detective Comics #1000 are long gone from the world of the living, that includes Batman creators, artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger (arguably the greatest Batman writer of all time).
I would replace most of the artists in Detective Comics #1000 with such late luminaries as Carmine Infantino (one of the most important Batman artists of all time), Jim Aparo, Bob Brown, Gene Colan, Sheldon Moldoff, Don Newton, Marshall Rogers, and Dick Sprang, to name a few. I would brush away almost all the writers who actually appear in this comic book for a number of Batman writers who are deceased, such as John Broome, Gardner Fox, and Frank Robbins, to name a few.
There are quite a few living Batman creators who should have stories here: writers Mike W. Barr, Gerry Conway, Steve Englehart (a frickin' crime that he is not included here, really) Doug Moench, Grant Morrison, and artists Brian Bolland and Alan Davis, to name a few. Frank Miller provides a variant cover for Detective Comics #1000, but... Also, Alan Moore...
But I have learned to take what I get... even when there could be better. Detective Comics #1000 will be the high-water mark for one-thousandth issues until some other titles reaches a thousandth issue. Oh, well.
7 out of 10
Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"
The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.
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