Detective Comics #946

Detective Comics #946

(slightly behind due to New Year hangover)

Easily my favourite of the Rebirth era so far, the story in Detective is gripping and attractive to probably any DC fan new and old.

Over the Christmas/New Year period we had #946 ( God I love the return to old numbering…) and #947. The issues are standalone from Batman/Batgirl, etc. and are an excellent read. Scott Tynion IV has delivered on previous Batman titles like Batman Eternal and he suits the Dark Knight very well. It’s a comic that has not let me down once and will go down as one of the best of Rebirth due to its gritty art, hard story-telling and consistency.

Issue #946 sees the continuation of the Victim Syndicate storyline where Batman’s first ‘victims’ (who are not criminals, see?) take offence at having their lives ruined by the caped crusader. At the start of the issue we see a character who left us after he sacrificed himself to save the rest of the team: Bruce and Tim are in the old Wayne Tower looking forward to the possibilities the new project could bring, the new project is of course Batman and Batwoman’s team that they put together in this run of Detective.

There is an excellent image on the second page showing a throwback to the night Tim died, a vast panorama of broken glass and Gotham, Wayne Tower in ruins, an airship and the sky filled with danger. It looks dystopian with all the lighting and two vigilant capes ready for action.

Tim talks to Batman of another way forward, a way of trusting other people to help him on his quest to make Gotham the city it should be. The juxtaposition is excellent. Tim tore Bruce apart when he died a few months ago but in this scene he is telling him the benefits of opening himself up to trust. One can easily imagine after being hurt so badly Bruce just doesn’t want to trust anything ever again.

The issue ties in nicely with Batman #12 also, part of the ‘I am Suicide’ storyline in which Tom King examines Bruce’s reason for donning the cowl in an excellent issue-long monologue.

As I’ve said any time someone is unlucky enough to ask me about this run of Detective Comics, this is an excellent book, consistently #1 or #2 of DC’s Rebirth line and long may it continue.

If you're not reading it you really should give it a chance, pick up the TPB versions of this run, the first of which is coming out 14th February of this year.