08 August 2006

Detective Comics

Premise: The World's Greatest Detective starts acting like a detective again...


Detective Comics is my current favorite comic. Here's why.
First off, the covers are stellar. Simone Bianchi renders Batman in a style reminiscent of the 1920's German expressionist horror films that influenced the look of the original Batman comics. The above image is from last week's issue (#822).
Secondly, the scripts are being written by Paul Dini, former head writer of Batman: The Animated Series. The stories are intelligent and fast-paced, with healthy doses of black humor and a hint of sex (the S&M dungeon scene from last week's issue).
Finally, each issue is a self-contained story. During his time on the Batman cartoon, Dini proved he could tell an epic story in only 22 minutes. It appears that he can do the same in 22 pages. Each issue has a beginning, a middle, and an end, which is more than you can say about most of the comics on the market.
All that having been said, I highly recommend going out and gambling $3 on an issue.



Recommended for:
fans of mystery novels and detective shows; the poor (and/or the cheap).

Not recommended: people who don't find bondage at least a little funny.