BATMAN: THE DETECTIVE #3 Review

SYNOPSIS: Henri Ducard is a man of mystery with a checkered past and a complicated existence…but what deep connection does he have with Bruce Wayne? What lessons did he teach the man who would become Batman? Can Batman use these lessons to save Ducard’s life? Or will Equilibrium strike again?

Action takes a backseat, while character building takes control of the muscle car known as BATMAN: THE DETECTIVE.

In this third issue, we get a more detailed look into the history of Batman and his trainer, Henri Ducard. The two have a complicated past, something that will seem very familiar to the relationship displayed in BATMAN BEGINS (without the al Ghul twist though). The past then catches up to the present and leaves us in a state of shock for the future.

I simply love what writer Tom Taylor and artist Andy Kubert are doing in this book. It feels like a fresh story, with sprinkles of older tales that we love. The setting feels early 90s, with character beats from the 80s, and some illustrations from the 70s. It’s been a unique combination.

Taylor kicked off this story with one hell of an action scene and has kept up the pace ever since. I actually don’t mind at all that this month’s issue took a breath and allowed us to have some small moments. I think it will only help the back half of this story, and hit us with some big emotional payoffs.

Kubert has another exceptional issue on his hand here. What can I say that hasn’t been said hundreds of times before? He draws comics good. I especially appreciated the older scenes, and how Kubert must be a fan of Peter Verra’s, having added some yellow oval on the Batsuit. An artist is put to the test when he has to nail the big and small moments, and issue #3 was the man’s test that he aced with flying colors.

Great writing and great art is a continuing theme for this book. It’s always the first book I read, and I’ll usually give it another few reads before the next chapter arrives. What’s really exciting is we are now halfway through this story, and I’m not sure where we’re headed.

Those are usually the best rides. – Ryan Lower

GRADE: A

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