A Conclusion Like No Other: Reviewing ‘Detective Comics’ #1089

As the curtain falls on Gotham City’s years-long gothic opera, the audience rises delivering a thunderous well-deserved standing ovation. In awe of an undoubtedly successful production.

Take a bow, Ram V, as the conductor of this unique prolific and sure to be classic storytelling endeavor. Rise, too, and take a bow, the wide array of creative partners, past and present, who brought their talents to this event of events. Guillem March, Luis Guerrero, Ariana Maher, Dan Watters, Christopher Mitten, Triona Farrell, and Steve Wands at the forefront for their place within this well-crafted, emotionally charged, and truly perfect concluding chapter.

The analogy of landing a plane is often used for creative endeavors. Meant to represent how smooth or bumpy (or catastrophic) the ending of one’s storytelling, no matter the medium or format, turns out.

The Ram V era of Detective Comics didn’t just have a smooth landing. It had a takeoff, flight, and landing so thematically perfect and resonating that it likely can’t ever be replicated. This was a flight where the captain had on the sickest shades, played awesome tunes, and wowed everyone as they took the plane gracefully through the skies. Not a care in the world and not a single obstacle that presented even a modicum of difficulty.

No doubt, those involved are far privier to the highs and lows, ups and downs, that come with creating a story of this magnitude. Behind the shades, there might have been some concern or steadfast steely determination to see it through. Not letting the sweat build up on the brow.

What began with a haunting tune and a man pondering his fragility and age, ended with a new tune and a man returning to his status as a forever symbol. Shadows are things to fear, but what is more fearsome is the thing that calls those shadows home. The Batman of Gotham.

One and the same, city and vigilante, entwined forever and always.

I could go through all the details of the story, but that is what reading it is for. I could never do justice to what is on the page, because it’s meant to not only be seen visually but embraced as an experience. Right now, I truly envy the person that will pick up the eventual (there is no doubt it’s coming) omnibus of this run, able to experience the whole run for the first time all together. What a true treat they are in line for right now.

Just like a carefully constructed opera, all the pieces that were laid out here came back into play as they should. Characters were moved around, dangling threads were dealt with, and the toys were put back into the proverbial toy box. Yet, they do so not unchanged.

Sure, like many runs, those who come after will do their own thing and not refer back to this run explicitly. Except the changes made to some of the major characters here will be resonating out into other books (we see that at the end of this story). And even if creators years from now are not aware of why character A acts a certain way that they are keeping up in their own book, those of us who know will know.

In a way, this was clearly by design. The way that this story ends showcases how the Batman idea and saga is as never ending as we’ve seen with comics coming out for 80 years. With this epic, Ram V wrote his thesis of sorts about the Batman and what he means, distilling that down into the very essence of the story. Sure, there were all the supernatural and fantastical elements added in, but again those are key elements to the story of the Batman.

A story that tore down, and even killed, the main character, only to build him back up into the purest version of himself. That being a man that embraces his place in the darkness of this city. Who has hope that one day something more can come for the city, but also knows the worth that some darkness entails. A being willing and ready to do what must be done to protect this city, the people who live in it, and the very soul of Gotham itself.

He is the thing to fear. The thing that goes bump in the night. Just a man, but also a symbol.

Hot damn.

This was not a one-man show though of course. Just as Batman didn’t fight this fight and win the day alone, neither did Ram V.

So many amazingly creative forces rolled through the two plus years that this run has been happening. All bringing their particular energy to the page and picking up the baton of those before them to keep the theme and tone strong.

March is an artist heavily associated with the Batman family of titles and brings that rough whimsical charm to play here. As we behold the strong choreographed action that dances through the chosen panel styles. Everything feeling quite heavy but light as a feather at the same time, oozing kinetic energy from every pore. Emotional energy strong and tight, as the focus on the characters remains key.

Emotions clear on their faces and their body language as loud as can be. All of it right there in our faces as the chosen focus allows the audience to be in the thick of everything. We’re not passive observers to this story, and we never have been. We’ve been strapped in tight in the passenger seat of this proverbial speeding Batmobile since the first issue. Terrified yet enthralled and giddy at the same time.

Enhancing and setting the mood perfectly is Guerrero, who brings a bright but also muted and rough color palette to play. Absorbing all that the art is presenting, the colors very much present the moment that faces the characters. Flashes of livelier colors that speak of the heroic energies present, all wrapped in heavier swathes of darker colors including full black shadows. Just like the Batman and Gotham, clouded with darkness that always accompanies the light.

Characters have much to convey here in the swan song of this run, and as usual Maher is there to give it the right beats of life. Allowing the words to flow around the page so smoothly and naturally. Hitting each mark, while allowing various characters voices to visually achieve the unique power they should have. Giving every single already powerful word even more of a punch at all times.

Gone are the backups that have accompanied this run (and those preceding it). Instead Watters, Mitten, Farell and Wands provide a different storytelling method for this finale.

It’s a great touch to have this team stay on board to handle the semi-epilogue portion of the issue. Continuing with the musical framing of the run, this portion is called the Luftpause, which is a mark that allows the performer of any piece to know to take a breath. Thematically that is exactly what this portion of the issue provides, a moment for the characters and even the audience to take a much-needed breath as things wrap up.

Watters has been here off and on throughout the run to bring more light and power to various characters. Here he wraps up the various beats with the villains we’ve seen in this piece. From Freeze to Two-Face to the Ten-Eyed Man. Sowing a few seeds (such as Two-Face seemingly headed to Blüdhaven…where Watters will soon be playing with Nightwing) but mostly showing the effects of Batman’s usage of Scarecrow. These characters that were integral to the story are basically freed in this moment, to go off to their own corners, none of them exactly as they were found.

I hope to see more of Mitten’s unique art style, either in Bat-titles or similarly themed books. It has this really sharp texture that lends itself to rougher and darker stories. Not to say it can’t do others, but it just really works for these moments and story types. Really capturing the energy of the various characters, driving home the moment, and doing so at times in a more pulled back way. Eschewing deep details at times to really focus on the moment, while others are given far more depth.

Farell returns to deliver another palette of darker and heavier colors mixed with striking splashes of bright colors. Just like Guerrero in the main bulk of the story, the colors here sell the feeling of the story. Delivering something that also feels lighter in the moment to fit the idea of this being a breather moment. Gotham and Batman are now intrinsically tied with fear, but things are brighter here because the character and his family also still represent hope.

Wands has been on this book for quite some time, even before this run began. Coming in clutch to give the story and characters of the backup, and no-so-backup in this case, a voice. Giving it all a flowing energy that lets it bounce around the pages in a logical ordered way, never letting up. Infusing the words with the right tone, volume, personality, and energy with just a few shifts of fonts or bubbles or colors.

This was a very long review, but a run of this magnitude deserves all the words. What a tremendous accomplishment for everyone that has been involved with this run, both on and behind the pages. There is no way that this run will not be celebrated for numerous years to come as a true classic.

There is no doubt that this is not only one of the best Batman stories that the publisher has delivered but just one of the best stories, period.

Detective Comics #1089 is now available from DC Comics.