Review by Karl Verhoven
Over time Batman graphic novels have increasingly become connected books, if not telling an over-arching story, then dependent on the reader being familiar with more than the basics of Batman’s back story. Detective, then, is the graphic novel for the reader who wants six individual stories thoughtfully crafted and taking a tour of some of Batman’s frequent foes. Even better than that, the opener features the superlative art of J.H. Williams III.
This is relatively early in Williams’ career, but the art is stunning even so, decorative with the pages laid out to catch the eye, yet unlike some other artists prioritising images, there’s never any difficulty in following events. This is all the more remarkable for Williams abandoning some entrenched rules of comics storytelling. He combines textured panels with what would be common line art, if anything by Williams could be labelled common. Sympathetic colouring from John Kalisz adds to the depth.
The focus on Williams perhaps isn’t fair on the also solid and decorative art of Don Kramer, who draws four of the six stories. His people are occasionally posed, but he tells the story well, and his action is lively, while his villains have a suitably sadistic air about them, especially when he has a chance to draw the Joker, his best art in the book.
Just as the art is nuanced and layered, so Dini varies his writing techniques. All six stories live up to the collection title by being mysteries Batman has to solve, yet in the first Bruce Wayne has a large role, as it’s Gotham’s old money that’s being targetted. Dini supplies Wayne as Batman’s act, and his dialogue is accompanied by Batman’s thoughts. “Hard to imagine a sparkling young woman like yourself slaving away in that dry old tomb”, says Wayne to a journalist. “Corn”, comments Batman.
That’s followed by a reluctant team-up with the Riddler, and Poison Ivy being victimised, not least by artist Joe Benitez over-sexualising her in what’s the weakest of the six stories, gratuitously unpleasant pulp. The Penguin’s appearance has the great opening of Batman being dangled above vicious, hungry leopard seals and goes on to feature Zatanna. Dini’s final story is a Christmas special in which the Joker abducts Robin. Dini writes an exceptionally convincing psychopathic Joker on a killing spree with Robin a powerless witness. It’s seat-squirmingly tense.
One story isn’t by Dini, as Royal McGraw and Marcos Marz return Doctor Phosphorous, a villain not seen since the 1980s. It’s the one contribution that’s a straightforward track and trace tale. It’s decent enough with a gimmick ending based on science just like DC stories of the 1960s, but not why you’ll want Detective. That’s for Dini, Williams and Kramer.
Dini’s Batman continues in Death and the City.
