I Missed Some Issues, But So What? Great Wrap-Up!
Detective Comics 4, New 52
I saw Tony S. Daniel's first New 52 Batman story in Detective Comics 1, and I'm sorry to say I missed the next two issues so I had to play catch-up with this new issue.
Cover: Batman is all tied up with a bunch of Jokers pulling the strings. How did Batman get into this mess, as his muscles bulge from struggling against the ropes. Is it worth the $2.99?
Characters: Bruce Wayne hits the streets running and catches up to a hood, Raju, who will play a pivotal point later in the story. I don't know the guy myself, but he seems to be a small-time hood with big-time connections.
The Dollmaker, an insane guy who is bringing The Bat up for bidding! The tension of the plot centers around how Batman will get out of this trap. Reminds me of the old days when the Dynamic Duo used to get themselves into all sorts of traps. This one is for real.
Commissioner Gordon: Somehow he got himself onto a hospital bed (alas, I have to find Issues 2-3 to find why). He has an unbalanced young girl who pulls out a knife! The conclusion is of course that she's gonna stab the guy but something else happens instead. This gal later becomes the center of controversy – should we send her to Arkham? Debate ensues. Not sure what her story is, but it's quite an interesting character Daniel has created.
Illustrations: Not a lot of splash panels, but the art has a lot of "sound effects" (Karash!), explosions burst from the page and the dark, moody art makes you want more. Not bad at all.
Bottom Line: Even though you fall into the middle of the story, it wraps up nicely at the end and of course the teaser makes you want Issue No. 5. Tony S. Daniel has written and drawn the book and the man clearly has a knack for the Batman, no doubt in part due to his collaboration with Grant Morrison in earlier books.
Recommended.
