Detective Comics #1005 Review

Writer: Peter J. Tomasi / Artist: Brad Walker / DC Comics When it was announced that Tomasi was going to reimagine the Arkham Knight, I didn’t know what to expect beyond the general aesthetic. But now that I have seen Astrid Arkham in full regalia, I’m really glad that such a cool name has been bestowed on an original character. The conclusion to “Medieval” is an appropriate brawl between Batman and Robin versus the Arkham Knight. And as far as big action sequences go, Tomasi and Walker knocked it out the park. I honestly forgot how much fun it is to watch Batman work with Robin. Even in the midst of hellfire, Damian’s smugness on the battlefield cuts the high stakes drama and balances the story in a necessary way. And Batman having even more motivation to be a badass is never a bad thing, especially if Walker is drawing the set pieces. Without going into spoilers, Detective Comics #1005 does such a wonderful job of juxtaposition and iconography. The issue’s title, “Savage Sun” doesn’t quiet do justice to the spectacle that happen on the streets of Gotham nor the sheer badassery that is the Bat doing his job and doing it all so well. Tomasi’s first post-1000 arc of Detective Comics continues to show that the reason authors gravitate towards Batman, and why we have dozens of stories with him at the center, is because there is simply so much territory that can be covered and presented in unique ways. Batman is an embodiment of human determination, and Tomasi captures both the relentlessness of the character and his deep-seated love for his city. “Medieval,” while not perfect, started laying the groundwork for some very exciting things to come, and I’m ecstatic to see where Detective Comics will go to next.

9 “Knight Fights” out of 10

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