Detective Comics Annual #2 Review
Written by Peter J. Tomasi
Art by Travis Moore and Max Raynor
Colouring by Tamra Bonvillain and Nick Filardi
Lettering by Rob Leigh
I enjoy a good one-and-done Annual story, and I'm glad to report that the team here deliver. We aren't that long into Peter J. Tomasi's run on this title so putting out an annual before the second arc is even done seems like a bit of an odd decision, but I digress.
Art duties are split between Travis Moore and Max Raynor. Moore has been making quite a little home for himself in the Bat-corner of DC. He regularly jumps from NIGHTWING and BATMAN and this is another Bat book on his resume. At this point he handles the character and his associated environments and cast so well. Raynor on the other hand hasn't drawn Batman in any book that I've read, and I quite liked his pages. There's energy and motion in the few pages that he and colourist Nick Filardi contribute. Moore handles the bulk of the book and he's really the star of the show. I'm glad DC is shuffling him around these titles but I think a more consistent book is what he needs right now. Tamra Bonvillain regularly collaborates with Moore and these pages are just gorgeous. There's fun and excitement in Batman's little international caper
Tomasi uses a pretty fantastic and very underused framing device. The resurgence of an old foe leads Batman to consult the Black Casebook, a collection of unfinished or unsolved cases that he's dealt with over the course of his career. This is a classic Batman story in all the ways that matter to me; he's given the same levity and scope of James Bond and one of his missions. He rediscovers a supposedly dead old foe of his, embarks on some international travel, hangs out with a pretty lady, and all the rest. The real backbone of this issue is the fun dynamic between Bruce and Alfred, which is something recent writers like Tom Taylor mine for either comedic or emotional emphasis. It borders more on the comedic side with this issue, and Tomasi's dialogue was simply charming. He can write the hell out of these characters as he's proved for the past eight years, and he hasn't missed a step. This is an accessible book that anyone can pick up and enjoy. The ending was a bit of a snafu, as it ends with a vague promise of things to come rather than a satisfying conclusion.
This was a joy to read. The banter between the characters and the gorgeous art make an already stuffed week even stuffier.
Art by Travis Moore and Max Raynor
Colouring by Tamra Bonvillain and Nick Filardi
Lettering by Rob Leigh
I enjoy a good one-and-done Annual story, and I'm glad to report that the team here deliver. We aren't that long into Peter J. Tomasi's run on this title so putting out an annual before the second arc is even done seems like a bit of an odd decision, but I digress.
Art duties are split between Travis Moore and Max Raynor. Moore has been making quite a little home for himself in the Bat-corner of DC. He regularly jumps from NIGHTWING and BATMAN and this is another Bat book on his resume. At this point he handles the character and his associated environments and cast so well. Raynor on the other hand hasn't drawn Batman in any book that I've read, and I quite liked his pages. There's energy and motion in the few pages that he and colourist Nick Filardi contribute. Moore handles the bulk of the book and he's really the star of the show. I'm glad DC is shuffling him around these titles but I think a more consistent book is what he needs right now. Tamra Bonvillain regularly collaborates with Moore and these pages are just gorgeous. There's fun and excitement in Batman's little international caper
Tomasi uses a pretty fantastic and very underused framing device. The resurgence of an old foe leads Batman to consult the Black Casebook, a collection of unfinished or unsolved cases that he's dealt with over the course of his career. This is a classic Batman story in all the ways that matter to me; he's given the same levity and scope of James Bond and one of his missions. He rediscovers a supposedly dead old foe of his, embarks on some international travel, hangs out with a pretty lady, and all the rest. The real backbone of this issue is the fun dynamic between Bruce and Alfred, which is something recent writers like Tom Taylor mine for either comedic or emotional emphasis. It borders more on the comedic side with this issue, and Tomasi's dialogue was simply charming. He can write the hell out of these characters as he's proved for the past eight years, and he hasn't missed a step. This is an accessible book that anyone can pick up and enjoy. The ending was a bit of a snafu, as it ends with a vague promise of things to come rather than a satisfying conclusion.
This was a joy to read. The banter between the characters and the gorgeous art make an already stuffed week even stuffier.
A Look Inside
