Detective Comics #1000 // Review
Celebrating 80 years of Batman and filled with an absolute embarrassment of riches when it comes to creators, this milestone issue has arrived at long last. From Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo to the legendary Neil Adams and Denny O’Neil, this book is packed to the brim with an all-star cast. As each story unfolds, the reader is sent through several small glimpses into the Caped Crusader’s life while each tale stands as a short love letter to The Dark Knight.
In the same vein as Action Comics #1000 last year, this landmark issue gives well-known creators the opportunity to tell shorter stories, each to encapsulate the Dark Knight respectively and to offer something more substantial than the sum of its parts as indeed something special for the Caped Crusader and fans alike. From sheer entertaining to downright heart wrenching, this anthology delivers a wide range of varying stories, some aiming higher than others, and truly delivers something memorable to the pages. With a multitude of flavors to choose from, this issue will be cherished and read for years to come as the assortment of tales will find fans for each one.
Starting with the absolutely gorgeous wraparound cover from the legendary Jim Lee, this issue is host to a whole army of amazing artists. With each story standing apart from the next, it indeed creates a beautiful and poetic an entire juxtaposition while still demanding multiple read-throughs for each separate account. As per usual, this milestone is accompanied by a massive stack of gorgeous variant covers for readers and collectors to choose from. While including interior art from Kelley Jones, Greg Capullo, Doug Mahnke, and Neil Adams to name a few, the issue demands a hefty $9.99 price tag but is well beyond worth the cash, even if just for the art alone.
Although the visual aspects may be the overall draw, each story is helmed by a cabal of master class writers. With the likes of Geoff Johns, Warren Ellis, Scott Snyder, Christopher Priest and even Kevin Smith behind but a handful of the short stories, this book promises something for every fan of the Dark Knight. Continuing on his run, Peter Tomasi closes out this massive issue, setting the stage for his next arc on the title and introducing DC’s new comic book version of the villain, The Arkham Knight.
Detective Comics continues to reign as the premiere Bat-title currently on the market. This milestone issue gushes with the love and affinity that the creators feel for this character as a gift to the fans. Standing as the poster child for DC Comics, sorry Superman, this issue will hope to bring in longtime Batman fans that might be new to the actual comic book community and create new readers, even if just for more Batman titles.
Grade: A+
