I love detective stories. You'd think that a series called Detective Comics would consistently be one of my favorites for scratching that itch. And yet, surprisingly few runs on the title actually focus on detective work. Even some of my all time favorites just treat it as "the other Batman comic". Taylor at the very least read the assignment correctly and has made his opening arc all about uncovering a mystery, complete with investigations and putting together clues. That's step one. Step two is having the investigation make sense, which is where the issue struggles.
The big clue of the story so far has been the fact that the mysterious killer has only been targeting other criminals. This works nicely because it also ties into one of the ongoing themes about who deserves to live or die. That pattern continues this issue as Kai, the boy that Robin was tasked with protecting, was killed. His guilt adds a nice bit of drama to the story, though it's only briefly touched on and then not brought up again. The thematic cohesion also points to the new character Scarlett as the prime suspect, as she seems to have a lot of strong opinions about who deserves to live.
The new clues (which also point to Scarlett almost so much so that one might start thinking she's a red scarlet herring) on the other hand all start to feel a little too convenient. The clandestine agents sent in to clean up the body instead of the police all carry nice ID cards on them that say the organization they're working for, LXR. Not only that, but their secret business cards that every good black ops team have have a logo of a grail, which implicates Scarlett's "Sangraal" (French for "Holy Grail") formula.
I'm all for pun-based goofy riddles; give me those sparrows with machine guns. However, you need to have the right tone for that sort of story. A serial killer who drains people's blood is not that tone. The kicker is that it wasn't even necessary. Earlier, Bruce discovered that after taking the formula, he had platelets in his blood that weren't his. That, combined with the fact that the victims were found without their blood, is easily enough to establish a line of reasoning. Go with the answer that feels like a real investigation and not the one that relies on the bad guys carrying a literal calling card.
Regardless, when Bruce goes to investigate Scarlett, he starts noticing all sorts of things that alert his suspicions. Not only is she unable to get even her mother on the waitlist for the youth serum, she's afraid to even speak of adding new patients. She's being watched and she knows it. It both clearly implicates her in what's been happening, while also making her a plausible victim.
The strangest moment comes when they are mugged in the street and Scarlett reveals that she's a highly capable fighter. Bruce reacts to this in two odd ways. First, he decides that her ability to fight means he no longer needs to hide his own martial prowess. I suppose hiding the fact that he's Batman stopped being a concern since she can kick butt. The second is that Bruce is suddenly overwhelmed with emotion and hooks up with Scarlett despite the lack of any romantic chemistry before now.
This ends up being useful because Bruce is able to hack into her computer when they go back to her place, but the comic seems confused as to whether this was the plan or not. He was always carrying the flash drive that let him hack the laptop and Barbara even later makes a joke about it, but his inner narration at the time heavily implies that this was a sudden act of emotion. It almost feels as if the story was written to have Batman seduce and sleep with Scarlett to get information, but then changed at the last minute to not have Batman do something so out of character.
Despite the issues with the way the mystery was uncovered, it at least looks consistently good while doing it. Mikel Janín does a great job capturing the dark and moody atmosphere you need for a murder mystery. The action is exciting and avoids any of the stiffness that Janín's art will sometimes fall victim to. The use of purples and greens for the city backgrounds creates a sense of unease perfect for the unsettling mystery unfolding.
Recommended If
- You want to know more about the youth serum conspiracy
- You don't mind mysteries being solved by coincidences
- Detective stories should look slick and stylish
Overall
Detective Comics #1092 lives up to the series' name by placing its murder mystery front and center, something that not many runs on the title do. The problem is with how the investigation is carried out, which too often relies on conveniences and questionable character decisions. While the structure of the plot might have its problems, the comic still looks great with Mikel Janín delivering some of his best work.
Score: 6.5/10
DISCLAIMER: DC Comics provided Batman News with a copy of this comic for the purpose of this review.
