Detective Comics #13
Tired of Bruce Wayne getting all the spot light for any type of fundraising charity event, The Penguin steps up his game and if that includes the assassination of Bruce Wayne, so be it.
The Team
Written by John Layman (Chew), illustrated by Jason Fabok (Batman Annual #1 2012) & coloured by Jeromy Cox. Published by DC Comics.
The Pros
Welcome aboard Chew scriber John Layman as regular writer, which is the reason I even picked up this title. In my opinion, Batman is the only title worth collecting, but I’m always curious in other Batman titles if the creative team peaks my interest. Chew is one of my favourite titles, so I’m anxious to see what Layman will bring to the caped crusader. This is a straight forward Batman crime story with a twist, Batman’s not the intended target, but rather his alter ego Bruce Wayne. It features one of the dark knight’s old school villains, The Penguin. With the Talons and the Court Of Owls and the Joker taking up all the attention of late, it’s cool to see the Penguin getting some much deserved respect. And that’s exactly what the Penguin is after, respect as a pioneer of Gotham City at any cost. Featuring Nightwing & the Ghost Dragons.
The other reason I purchased this issue is for the illustrator Jason Fabok. Fabok’s relatively new to the game, but I was really impressed with the work he did on this year’s Batman Annual #1 (click here for my review). He draws a very slick looking Batman with just enough application of shadows to scare the pants off the criminal element.
The Cons
My only beef is something I’ve always disliked, back up stories. This one is also written by John Layman, but illustrated by Andy Clarke. The story is about 2 Gotham thugs on a heist job swapping Batman stories. It’s a dull story and a waste of pages that could’ve easily been used for a full length comic book. I pay 4$ for a Batman & Penguin story, I want what’s promised on the cover. I don’t think that’s too much to ask.
The Outcome
Despite the boring back up story, this was a decent enough issue that merits the rest of the upcoming story arc.
A Look Inside
Comments
I must admit that I dropped Detective Comics for quite a while. I was, quite frankly, bored with Tony Daniels' artwork and writing. I thoroughly enjoyed this issue and have to agree that we didn't need the backup story. If I'm paying $4 for a comic, I want the whole comic to be what I paid for and want to see, not some other filler story.