So we enter month number three of The New 52. Everyone should be use to it by now. I can't speak for the other comics, but the ones I'm reading,
Justice League and
Detective Comics, have been some of the best stories I've read all year.
Detective Comics has been the definitive Batman story, it has been bringing all the elements: dark atmosphere, insane villains, down-to-earth mystery, and Batman doing what he does best: solving it. The series has been exceeding my expectations, Issue One I gave a PERFECT score. Issue Two, while it didn't live up to the previous one, still got a 9/10. I have been anticipating this issue for awhile, does it continue to impress? Of course. (There will be spoilers, skip to the last paragraph if you don't want to know anything.)
With the realization that the plot twist at the end of the second issue isn't what it seemed, Batman is on the hunt for the horrific Doll Maker. He first has to find him, and a captive, Olivia, knows where the psycho is. Even that may not be everything it seems....
As I've said before, I'm loving how this series is less "superhero" and more "Law and Order." I haven't read something like this in a long time. I'm loving the dialogue boxes, they let us know how Batman feels about everything. Everyone looks upon him as a serious force who cannot be stopped. These dialogue boxes really ground the character, making him even less "Superman" to the street level of things.
Even though it's a mystery at its core, this issue doesn't slow down or get dull. There are no unnecessary filler scenes, (I'm looking at you Issue Two) and is it really necessary to say how great the art is? While this new take on Batman isn't as drastic as Superman, he does act a bit different than the ultra-serious one we're use to. He's actually making some wise cracks! No, not like Spidey, but he makes them once in a blue moon. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, just surprising. It's kept at a minimum, so it's fine. I was shocked by the plot twist at the end of the second issue, but as the month went by, I knew it couldn't be him. So Commissioner Gordon is once again slapped to the side, but this is by far my favorite incarnation. (Not that there's much difference besides the hair.)
Doll Master has been the antagonist for this series so far. He hasn't been anything special, nothing we haven't seen before. Honestly, I want to see what's up with Joker, that's really what I'm interested in, not this guy and his backstory. It doesn't help that it turns out, (according to Olivia) that this guy is working for someone he fears, therefore undermining him even more.
There's some really gritty action here as it should be. The cover is very impressive, showcasing Batman looking great. Still not a fan of the short ears on the cowl though.
Overall, another amazing issue from DC. It's much better than the last one, though I preferred Issue One a bit more. Still, this issue is not to be missed, especially with the amazing price of $2.99. Seriously, if Marvel's going to charge $3.99, they should at least make their main stories (I'm looking at you
Amazing Spider-Man) have the high-quality feel of
Detective Comics.
9.5/10.