Written by: Tom Taylor
Art by: Mikel Janín
Colors by: Mikel Janín
Letters by: Wes Abbott
Cover art by: Mikel Janín (cover A)
Cover price: $4.99
Release date: November 27, 2024
Detective Comics #1091, by DC Comics on 11/27/24, finds Batman keeping tabs on the serial killer's likely next victim while he contemplates undergoing Scarlett's youth-giving procedure.
Is Detective Comics #1091 Good?
It shouldn't be any surprise that Tim Taylor's take on the Dark Knight would put the brakes on the plot in favor of the heavy-handed social commentary that spoiled his run on Nightwing and Jon Kent. Still, when the brakes are stepped on for most of the issue, you get a comic that's long on bland talking and short on everything else. Detective Comics #1091 is a step down from the previous issue because Tom Taylor just can't help himself.
When last we left the Caped Crusader in Detective Comics #1090, Batman found himself hot on the trail of another vigilante without qualms about killing criminals. Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne met with an old friend whose medical research may be just the elixir Batman needs to overcome the unrelenting ravages of battle damage and age. In the past, we learned Dr. Thomas Wayne saved the life of an abusive man. That man's name was Joe Chill.
In Detective Comics #1091, we begin with Bruce Wayne waking up from a nasty dream. He makes the most of his waking hours by connecting the dots between the recent murder victims as late teens and low-level criminals who were recently released from juvenile detention. Batman meets Bullock at the morgue to check on the results from the latest victim, and there, Batman expresses regret over hitting the armed boy. Batman believes he should have done more to disarm the armed robber without resorting to violence(???), but Bullock reassures him that his actions were humane and justified.
Oh, boy. Tom Taylor just can't help himself. Batman's entire mythology revolves around socking a criminal in the mouth to stop a crime. Late teen or not, the kid was armed and dangerous, so for Batman to suddenly become rueful about using force is out of character and silly.
Suddenly, Oracle alerts Batman that one of the teens under monitoring was kidnapped by a group of thugs and whisked away in a truck. Robin is already en route, so Batman races to the Batmobile to catch up. The Batmobile catches up to the truck with Robin latched on the roof. Batman shoots grappling hooks at the rear of the truck to rip the doors open, giving Robin the opening he needs to swing in and fight the kidnappers. Batman puts the Batmobile on auto-plot and joins the fight.
During the battle, Batman takes a crowbar to his knee from one of the kidnappers, but the fight ends in victory soon after. We learn the thugs kidnapped the teenager for stealing something from their boss - The Penguin. Batmobile orders Robin to take the teenager to a hotel room for safekeeping.
Later, Batman asks for a meeting with Superman for a quick diagnosis of his knee and to talk over the guilt he feels for considering Scarlett's youth-giving elixir. How can a man born into wealth and privilege overcome the guilt of taking a life-giving drug that so few can afford or access? Superman assures Batman that the world is better off the longer he stays in it.
The "chat" between Superman and Batman drones on for three pages, but you get the idea. No reasonable person would deny that Batman has saved the world countless times and that Batman's continued presence serves the greater good magnitudes more than the average person. Why does Batman all of a sudden feel guilt over using his money and privilege to extend his life and, by extension, his mission? The very same money and privilege that made Batman possible in the first place with his resources and gadgets? There's that nonsensical, heavy-handed messaging again.
Later, Bruce meets with Scarlett at her experimental clinic for his first treatment. Despite a side-effect of excess sleepiness, the treatment works as expected. Batman's knee doesn't hurt as much. He moves better, and he reacts quicker. Batman heads to the Iceberg Lunge to give his body a test drive, and the results are promising. After taking down the Penguin's security goons, Batman lets Penguin know he has the money the teenager stole, so his beef with the boy is over.
The issue ends with the boy receiving an unexpected visitor in his hotel room.
What's great about Detective Comics #1091?
What's not great about Detective Comics #1091?
How's the Art?
Mikel Janín is one of the better artists in DC, so there was never any doubt that the visual presentation would be top-notch. Thankfully, Janín's style shines brightest during the two brief action sequences, so Janín makes the most of what little superhero material he's given.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
Follow @ComicalOpinions on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
Final Thoughts
Detective Comics #1091 slows down the pace and the plot while Batman grapples with his inadequacies and privilege in a sedate step down from the previous issue. Tom Taylor slathers on the heavy-handed pontification while progress on finding the serial killer and the twist involving Thomas Wayne go completely on the back burner. The first issue showed promise. The second does not.
5.5/10
We hope you found this article interesting. Come back for more reviews, previews, and opinions on comics, and don’t forget to follow us on social media:
Connect With Us Here: Weird Science DC Comics / Weird Science Marvel Comics
If you're interested in this creator’s works, remember to let your Local Comic Shop know to find more of their work for you. They would appreciate the call, and so would we.
Click here to find your Local Comic Shop: www.ComicShopLocator.com
As an Amazon Associate, we earn revenue from qualifying purchases to help fund this site. Links to Blu-Rays, DVDs, Books, Movies, and more contained in this article are affiliate links. Please consider purchasing if you find something interesting, and thank you for your support.
No comments:
Post a Comment