Detective Comics #28 Review and Thoughts
This is the second part of the “Gothtopia” arc.
Detective Comics #28 is written by John Layman and drawn by Aaron Lopresti. And it is great!We find Batman incarcerated in Arkham Asylum. His doctors, Mr Freeze, Merry Maker, Harley Quinn and Professor Pyg under the guidance of Scarecrow are trying to find a way to cure him of his delusions.
Wait. What?
I don't want to spoil anything about it. Layman brings back the “Detective” in Detective Comics and turns the tables by making the lunatics run the Asylum. And not only the Asylum but the whole damn city. We find out more about Scarecrow's and Co plan to “enslave” Gotham. Layman does philosophy here, Ontology 101. What is real and what is fake? Empiricism vs Rationalism. And of course Rationalism wins. And you will never guess who is the rational force in this one.
Poison Ivy! Yup! She's a hero here! In Layman's batworld Ivy actually cares about the city and it's citizens and is more of a gray radical and not a villain. Which also answers why she is staying and not going on a world quest against the enemies of the Green: because she cares for her city. Her dynamic with the Dark Knight is excellent, there is a great battle with Killer Croc and she has some “scientist” moments. And a kiss! A contrast to Catwoman's kiss in the first issue. Contrast is the key to Detective #28. From the bright and open world of #27 we are transferred to the dark and claustrophobic Arkham. Just like Carpenter uses space to create tension, Lopresti's art plays with shadows, corridors and high contrasts to makes us feel traped..
This is a perfect middle point for Gothtopia. A fun issue that's worth it's bucks. John Layman will be leaving Detective Comics to focus on his excellent Chew.
I hope DC realizes that this is the kind of Poison Ivy story readers want.
