Detective Comics #1002 // Review
Kicking off yet another blockbuster issue, Peter J Tomasi and Bradley Walker unleash the Arkham Knight and his ruthless army upon the Caped Crusader and Gotham city as a whole. With the mystery behind the new villain’s identity still under wraps, he proves to be more than a formidable adversary to take on the Dark Knight and his family. This explosive page-turner continues to set the bar as the premiere Bat-related title.
After igniting a day bomb, illuminating the entirety of Gotham City, the Arkham Knight and his Crusaders unleash their fury upon Batman and bring Gotham police to a standstill in the process. With both sides in at each other’s throats, Bruce allows the Knight and his army an escape to save the police. Making his way home with the help of Commissioner Gordon, Bruce seeks medical attention from Alfred while Damian does some investigation of his own. Before the chapter closes out, Robin comes face to face with an unmasked Arkham Knight as he wished for Damian to join his side.
With such clean and polished pencil work, Bradley Walker (Action Comics, Aquaman) continues to add such a vibrant look to this arc with the help of Nathan Fairbairn on colors. Walker delivers an animated look to the title, yet to be seen previously, his pacing sensibilities lend exceptionally well as he makes excellent use of every page. From his engaging cover to the sequential interior, Walker continues to develop and bring his best work with each new chapter.
Tomasi takes more of the passenger seat with this issue as it focusing primarily on the action-packed visuals while he continues to develop this new arc. No stranger to this corner of the DCU, Tomasi proves time and time again to be the perfect writer on the title. His familiarity with deep cuts while having the ability to bring something new to the table is a breath of fresh air. As this new villain, first debuting within the titular video game, Tomasi can bring a whole new layer of depth and interest to an otherwise one-note character. With the mystery left to dangle, readers will continue to speculate for weeks to come.
Holding firm as the premier title for DC’s flagship character, Tomasi and Walker build an exciting ride for readers to embark on while the mystery of the Arkham Knight’s identity remains up in the air. With the reveal hinted to come next issue, speculation will be at an all-time high and potentially bringing more eyes onto this new run.
Grade: A
