Detective Comics #1003

Recap
Damian was so certain he could succeed against the Arkham Knight where his father failed—and not only was he wrong, but as it turns out, the Knight has a surprising plan for the son of Batman!
Review
Tomasi continues the Arkham Knight mystery in Detective Comics #1003 with a twist almost nobody saw coming. Beware, this review will have a LOT of spoilers!
Let’s start with the most obvious development in the issue, the Arkham Knight’s identity. There were a lot of differing guesses in the fandom about who the Arkham Knight could be ranging from Jason Todd to the clone of Damian Wayne, Heretic. It turns out, we were all wrong. The Arkham Knight is none other than the daughter of Doctor Phosphorous, Astrid Arkham!
A new female villain in Detective Comics? This is something that is long overdue. We know she’s a force to be reckoned with already, which is great, but now we know a little more about her life and mission as well. The “Eclipse” her and her allies are preparing for Gotham isn’t some random attack. It’s a plan that has been long in motion and could prove to be more than even Bats can handle. Astrid aka the Arkham Knight may be quite a drastic change from how the character was initially introduced in the video game series, but I would go so far as to say this is an improvement.
The strongest aspect of this issue is its determination to remain focused on the Arkham Knight character and devote an entire issue to her identity. The mystery continues throughout the beginning as we try to piece together who this woman could be, and the reveal within Arkham Asylum truly brings everything full circle.
Batman and Robin play their part well in the story as the detectives closing in on their perpetrator, but Astrid undoubtedly steals the spotlight even when she isn’t in the panel. With a powerful artistic performance that shows off beautiful character sketches and vibrant colors, Detective Comics #1003 proves to be the best addition to the arc yet.
Now that the mystery is out and sides have been chosen, it’s time to see just how much damage the Arkham Knight can wreak on Gotham before she is stopped. Great things are surely ahead!
Final Thoughts
The identity of the Arkham Knight is here and it is well worth the wait! Newcomers, longtime fans and speculators alike will all find something to love about Detective Comics #1003. This is one you don't want to miss out on!
Detective Comics #1003: Kill the Bat’s Bird!
- Writing - 9.5/109.5/10
- Storyline - 9.5/109.5/10
- Art - 9/109/10
- Color - 9/109/10
- Cover Art - 9/109/10