The Lion Roars With Anger — Reviewing ‘Detective Comics’ #1104

Batman is cool, calculated, and controlling. He’s always able to counter moves and be steps ahead, but is logically careful as well. A healthy dose of fear keeps even the bravest from making mistakes or putting themselves, or others, in far too much danger.

In Detective Comics #1104, Batman faces a reality where that healthy does of fear is almost gone. Forces collide and pieces come together in the next chapter from Tom Taylor, Mikel Janín, Wayne Faucher, and Wes Abbott.

Some forward movement, that’s always nice.

Look, I did enjoy the last issue with Lois and Batman doing their detective thing. Just go see the review to confirm that there were parts that I liked. There are parts of this issue that I like. I think I’m just kind of burnt out a bit on comics like this where the really small overall plotline gets dragged on for so many issues.

This is not a villain or threat that should be taking up to six or more issues of an arc to deal with. Batman used to beat Scarecrow and his fear nonsense in the standard page run of a single comic book issue. Yes, things have changed with how comics are done now, but there are still times where less is more.

All that being said, the art continues to kill it all the time. There is just something so powerful about the way that Janín draws Gotham, Batman, and the whole of this line’s trappings. It’s so dense, deep, authentic, with a little bit of a sexiness. Not like sexy sexy, but that slick and powerful, in your face really great kind of sexiness. All the panels have a true life to them as the character and world unfold before our very eyes.

Inks by Faucher add a bit more to that and keep the overall feeling going. He adds a bit more weight to the whole proceedings similar to what Janín typically does on his own.

There is also such care that is being put into the color palette. This keeps things very toned-down in most respects but allows flashes of color to soak in, becoming more vibrant in the process and really highlighting the light and darkness of this city and the moments happening. Night feels dark and consuming but pushed back by the ever-present light that fills Gotham as a city that seemingly never sleeps.

Batman soars through the city and beats bad guys as his voice rings around us. Abbott really nails the lettering, as usual, as Batman’s thoughts are flowing around the page and really filled with depth and emotional power. Each character feels unique and authentic through and through. Little visual flairs giving the lettering even more power and differentiation.

There are elements to what Taylor is putting down that I’m digging. One example is the relationship that Batman has with his various family members and allies. Even the moment when he calls Selina, his fear ebbs away, but he stops himself from saying whatever he might have said cause of Superman’s entrance is solid. I love his version of Bruce and how he really cares about and brings his circle into things. There was no fear of asking for help, but this Batman would have asked for help even without the loss of his fear.

Seeing the Batfamily together was really great, even if I sighed at how the villain gets away and we’re still in the dark to a lot of things even four issues into the story. Well, at least we got the name of the kid that we all knew was the Lion from the first issue of things.

There’s that, I guess.

Detective Comics #1104 is now available from DC Comics.