Batman : The Black Mirror (HC)

After the shattering events of Final Crisis, Batman was presumed dead. Dick Grayson aka Nightwing, formally the first Robin has taken the mantle as the new Dark Knight. But when Bruce Wayne returns, he sets out to form “Batman Incorporated”, an international taskforce of “Batmen” to fight the war on crime on a global scale. The burden of being Batman is once again left on the shoulders of Dick Grayson with Tim Drake aka Red Robin by his side.

Batman has his hands full as new threats immerge from the black pits of Gotham. Methodical maniacs such as The Dealer, who, to the highest bidder sells used weapons that once belonged to Gotham’s famous & notorious Rogue Gallery; Tiger Shark, a sadistic man who collects the hides of extremely rare animals on the brink of extinction; The return of the mentally unstable James Gordon Jr. estranged son to Commissioner Gordon. And no Batman collection is complete without the presence of The Joker!

This is writer Scott Snyder’s entire run on Detective Comics before taking on Batman (The New 52) series and It’s some of his best work. This gorgeous hard cover reprint features the illustrations of Jock (The Losers) & Francesco Francavilla (Captain America & Bucky : Old Wounds). Both are very good pencillers, but Jock’s  illustrations really shine as he ensnared me with his visual style. The story shifts back & forth with Batman dealing with new criminals & scumbags, but the main focus is on The Gordons and their family history which paints a very dark & violent picture. The plot had a copious amounts of twists & turns, kept me guessing and took me in directions I did not see coming.

At 29.99$, it’s a pretty hefty price for a book, but then again, it is 11 issues. You could wait until Nov 2012 when the TPB comes out and save a few bucks, but either way this is a must for any Batman enthusiast. Originally published as Detective Comics #871-#881. From DC Comics.