Old Saint Wayne
Writer: Peter J. Tomasi
Artist: Scott Godlewski
Colors: David Baron
Letters: Rob Leigh
Colors: David Baron
Letters: Rob Leigh
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: January 1st, 2020
With one Norse ax hacking away in Basketful of Heads we've got another doing the same here in Detective Comics #1018, which starts off the story arc called "Dead of Winter".
And that's how the issue begins: It's December of 1659 in the township of Gothame and an ax hacks away on the head of some dude, being swung by a huge Viking speaking Icelandic. There are monks on their knees behind him and Vikings weren't very nice to monks, raiding and murdering them all the time. So I don't think those monks are on his side, and there's more reason to think that is the case later. Anyways, he says that seeing the sun is like seeing a glorious goddess and that he bowed to her one last time "in this world of time".
Skipping ahead to the present day, a big part of the issue is focused on Bruce and his situation now that he doesn't have Alfred to do everything for him, such as feed and walk the dogs. There's plenty of Batman punching and detecting, though. He stops a B&E first and then goes to a murder scene in the Botanical Garden. Ever seen the movie The Ritual? It's like that. Bodies impaled on the Christmas tree and left there. Nearby there's a man with his head axed open, just like the scene at the beginning of the issue. There's also an image drawn in the snow of a woman holding the sun. (Gotta be the glorious goddess of the sun, right?)
It's weird that Gotham PD lets a man dressed up as a bat investigate a scene like this before CSI does. Bats takes this info back to the Batcave and puts pieces together that these are Norse based rituals and informs Bullock. Then he leaves to light up the Christmas tree in Wayne Plaza. While giving his speech to the crowd, the Viking comes out of nowhere and screams "JOLABLOT!" (which is the Scandinavian Yule) and that's how the issue ends.
Bits and Pieces
It appears that we've got a Viking waging a war on Christmas! Making everybody say "God Jul" instead of "Merry Christmas" in the name of the sun goddess Sól! Pretty cool! I like that Bullock is heading the GCPD, the Batmobile scene is AWESOME, and the art is great buuuuuut... although it's nice seeing Titus and Ace playing together and Bruce actually giving them some attention, there are moments that don’t fit this particular issue and take you out of the mood that's being set. It could have done without those, saved them for another day, and instead use the space to add more of the creepy stuff that was done so well.
With one Norse ax hacking away in Basketful of Heads we've got another doing the same here in Detective Comics #1018, which starts off the story arc called "Dead of Winter".
And that's how the issue begins: It's December of 1659 in the township of Gothame and an ax hacks away on the head of some dude, being swung by a huge Viking speaking Icelandic. There are monks on their knees behind him and Vikings weren't very nice to monks, raiding and murdering them all the time. So I don't think those monks are on his side, and there's more reason to think that is the case later. Anyways, he says that seeing the sun is like seeing a glorious goddess and that he bowed to her one last time "in this world of time".
Skipping ahead to the present day, a big part of the issue is focused on Bruce and his situation now that he doesn't have Alfred to do everything for him, such as feed and walk the dogs. There's plenty of Batman punching and detecting, though. He stops a B&E first and then goes to a murder scene in the Botanical Garden. Ever seen the movie The Ritual? It's like that. Bodies impaled on the Christmas tree and left there. Nearby there's a man with his head axed open, just like the scene at the beginning of the issue. There's also an image drawn in the snow of a woman holding the sun. (Gotta be the glorious goddess of the sun, right?)
It's weird that Gotham PD lets a man dressed up as a bat investigate a scene like this before CSI does. Bats takes this info back to the Batcave and puts pieces together that these are Norse based rituals and informs Bullock. Then he leaves to light up the Christmas tree in Wayne Plaza. While giving his speech to the crowd, the Viking comes out of nowhere and screams "JOLABLOT!" (which is the Scandinavian Yule) and that's how the issue ends.
Bits and Pieces
It appears that we've got a Viking waging a war on Christmas! Making everybody say "God Jul" instead of "Merry Christmas" in the name of the sun goddess Sól! Pretty cool! I like that Bullock is heading the GCPD, the Batmobile scene is AWESOME, and the art is great buuuuuut... although it's nice seeing Titus and Ace playing together and Bruce actually giving them some attention, there are moments that don’t fit this particular issue and take you out of the mood that's being set. It could have done without those, saved them for another day, and instead use the space to add more of the creepy stuff that was done so well.
7.7/10
in Basketful of Heads?
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