Reading this issue, it made me realize that it felt like ages since I've read a "real" Batman story. Between "Zero Year" and "Forever Evil," "Detective Comics" has been the only place where we're getting traditional Batman stories, focused on him fighting crime in present-day Gotham. But, even the last few issues of this series have veered off the beaten path, with "Gothtopia" and the anniversary issue exploring various alternate Gothams. As such, this issue was the first one in months that covered the basics, a welcome return to normalcy.
That said, I was nervous about Manapul and Buccellato. First, I loved Layman, so they've got big shoes to fill. But, in all honesty, we just haven't had such great luck with artists writing Bat-titles lately. Tony Daniel and David Finch were less than successful at it, in my book. Finch's "Batman: The Dark Knight" was pretty much unreadable, and Daniel had problems wrapping up stories in a satisfying way in "Detective Comics." As such, I was worried about Manapul and Buccellato. (Manallato? Buccepul?)
At least in the beginning, though, Manallato delivers. I can't say the story of Bruce Wayne deciding to fund a redeveloment project that angers the corporations and supports the poor is novel, but it's a pretty safe place to start. (For example, "Batman: Streets of Gotham" had a Ragman story that involved the Mayor burning down apartment buildings so that his construction companies could rebuild them, and "Batman" #1 had Bruce presenting his vision for a redeveloped Gotham. One can only imagine the blood bath that Gotham zoning-board meetings are.)
But, they make it clear that their story isn't that straight-forward, hinting at the darker elements lurking in the background. We get the guy with a rose on his t-shirt running a criminal enterprise with a Congressman on its payroll and its own plans for the East End. We're also spend some time with a street-level heavy named the Squid and his ne'er-do-well brother who steals from him. (The Squid seems well aware that the brother steals from him, but instead feeds his brother's accomplice, who rats out the brother in his last moments, to, you guessed it, a squid). We also get the too-good-to-be-true do-gooder, Elena, who sells Bruce on her vision for the East End, attracted to Gotham after Bruce's speech in "Batman" #24 about Gotham offering people new starts. Of course, her new start seems to be over pretty quickly, after the Rose (as I'm now calling him) seems to have her set on fire to "apply pressure" to scuttle the re-development deal. ("Welcome to Gotham. Hope you survive the experience.") Moreover, Bruce is also still coping with the death of Damian, something that seemed settled in the Bat-books and raises the question why the authors are re-introducing it as a theme. Finally, the title of this arc is Icarus, which seems to be related to a new drug (which the thugs in the beginning of the issue are taking), even if it doesn't play a clear role in this issue. Again, even if the core story isn't novel, Manallato certainly gives us enough to keep us interested.
As expected, the artwork is fantastic. Fans of the "Arkham" video-games will feel their fingers twitch as Batman uses his Grapple-Accelerator to fly off one of the gargoyles on the extremely recognizable church. But, I have to actually really give Manallato credit for the scripting. If their plotting is safe, they really go pedal-to-the-metal with the attempt to give each character his or her own voice. One of my main complaints about Dan Slott writing Spider-Man is that everyone pretty much sounds the same, similar to my complaint about Bendis on "Avengers" and "New Avengers." Manallato doesn't have that problem here. Bruce sounds like Bruce. Alfred sounds like Alfred. Thugs sound like thugs, but not monolothically or stereotypically thuggish. (I'll admit to having to read the drug-related dialogue a few times to get it.) Even new characters like Elena and her daughter have their own voice. It's extremely impressive, and it's this part that gives me the most hope.
In other words, it's a great debut, and I thank DC for not going the Marvel route and renumbering it with #1.
**** (four of five stars)
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