Hello and welcome to the World of Bats, the Batman Book Club!
For the month of September, to commemorate the ten year anniversary of the New 52 relaunch, we’re going to be examining some of the titles that launched the September of 2011.
First we’ll start with the first arc of Detective Comics, issues 1-7, written and drawn by Tony S. Daniel, with a back-up story in issue 5 drawn by Szymon Kudranski.
As a part of the acclaimed DC Comics—The New 52 event of September 2011, Detective Comics is relaunched for the first time ever with an all-new number #1! Bruce Wayne returns as Batman, and sets his sights on new villain the Gotham Ripper, who in turn has his sights on Batman. Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne explores a budding romance with television journalist Charlotte Rivers, who’s visiting Gotham City to cover the gruesome slayings–while also trying to uncover Bruce’s own mystery. But time is running out as both Commissioner Gordon and Batman work to uncover the true identity of this new serial killer.
If you’re looking for more Bat-readings, check these out!
First, here’s the coverage we’ve done of other New 52 Batman books:
Meanwhile, if you’re looking for something outside the New 52, check out these readings from the rest of the Bat Club Family!
First over at Renegade Robins, they’re continuing their look at the Jiro Kuwata Batmanga! Also, Damian Wayne kidnaps leads the Teen Titans in the Rebirth era!
And over at the Birds of Prey Club, they’re spotlighting Black Canary by continuing their look at the most recent Black Canary ongoing, as well as team-ups with Batman and Wonder Woman!
If memory serves, 'Tec was my favorite Batbook during the launch of The New 52. Month in, month out, I couldn’t get enough of Daniel’s run.
I’m also a huge fan of his run on the Pre-New 52 volume of Batman.
Every time I read that, his New 52 Detective run and well, practically all of his other DC stuff (especially his three-issue run on the New 52 Action Comics of #'s 19-21), I become a bigger and bigger fan of his.
From what I remember, I think in terms of favorites at the start of the New 52, I was tied between Batman and Batman & Robin, but this had it’s fun moments. I’m not as big on Daniel as a writer, but he is a great artist, really liking him right now on Nocterna over at Image.
I started on Batman and Robin in trade (then switched to singles with #9) and really dug it, too. Patrick Gleason’s art was “gold, Jerry! Gold!”
As a big David Finch fan, Batman: The Dark Knight was also good (especially his rendition of White Rabbit ). Once he left, the series got to be a “buying it out of habit” read for me. I was glad when it ended, because it felt like it had run out of steam about a year or two earlier.
I’ll have to check over it again, but I remember this one falling between the other Batman comics of the time. It didn’t anger me as much as Court of Owls, and it didn’t offer as many unintentional laughs as Dark Knight. It was just kinda dull.
Update: I did kinda enjoy the story from issues 6-7.
I can see that – I think Tony Daniel was more sure of what he wanted to do with the first arc and it has this crazy Grindhouse vibe that’s kind of fun.
I think it was issue 6 that had one of THE most unintentionally funny panels I’ve read in a long time.
This arc was a pretty solid start to the New 52 Detective Comics reboot. Charlotte Rivers (and her evil twin) were fairly interesting new characters; though it feels like DC relies a bit too heavily on the plucky female reporter archetype (I guess every hero wants his/her own Lois Lane). Dollmaker was quite creepy, though the fact that he got the drop on Batman twice strains my disbelief. The twist with Penguin at the end legitimately caught me off guard.
This version of the Batsuit looks pretty good. It needs longer bat ears.
). Once he left, the series got to be a “buying it out of habit” read for me. I was glad when it ended, because it felt like it had run out of steam about a year or two earlier.