Batman: Detective

BATMAN: DETECTIVE is a new trade paperback reprinting a six-issue run of stories from DETECTIVE COMICS that were originally published a year or so ago. Five of them were written by Paul Dini, the driving force behind the Batman animated TV series, and the other is by Royal McGraw, with art by various hands.

Batman first appeared in DETECTIVE COMICS #27, of course, ’way back in the late Thirties, and ever since, his abilities as a crime-solver have set him apart from most of the other superheroes out there. All the stories in this volume are stand-alones, and most of them focus on Batman functioning as a detective as he takes on classic villains such as The Joker, The Penguin, The Riddler, and Poison Ivy. There are a couple of villains who were new to me, Façade and Dr. Phosphorus. All of them make fine opponents for Batman.

This is an excellent collection with fine scripts and art from everyone involved. Batman remains my all-time favorite DC Comics character. I’ve read stories from every era of his history and liked them all (even the goofy, SF-dominated stuff from the Fifties). It’s nice to know that he’s still in good hands today.