Batman Detective Comics 1044
Kyle
Recap
After an attempt on Mayor Nakano's life Batman, after saving Nakano from certain death, has retreated to the sewers to what should be safety. But, the anti-vigilante Mayor has stumbled upon on something that is going to rock an already deeply shaken Gotham from it's very foundations.
Review
Fear State is definitely shaping up to be one of those “S$%^ hits the fan” moments for everyone involved– even it’s perpetrators– as the whole scheme to control take control of Gotham suffers terrible from “too many cooks” and the tug of war between Vile and Scarecrow is about to send both of their wicked schemes into complete disarray.
The overarching theme of using “Fear” to control and inevitably how “Fear” itself once reaching its pinnacle is “uncontrollable” has been quite masterfully pieced together from the very inception of this run of Detective Comics. We are seeing what fear can drive people to do and now we are seeing what fear does when it takes root and the results are disastrous.
Tamaki writes a fantastic Batman comic and brings a certain uniqueness to it’s titular character. Each character used throughout this eerie tale has their own voice and not one of the pieces on the chessboard disappear into the background despite it being pretty packed out with cast members.
Between each of the Fear State cross overs we flit between political thriller, science fiction horror and monster horror. Detective Comics mixes in all three of the genres creating some exceptionally chilling moments and ends on one hell of a cliff hanger.
The back-up story is a brand new tale written by Stephanie Phillips (who is currently writing an exceptional run of Harley Quinn), artist David Lapham, colorist Trish Mulvhill with Rob Leigh on letters.
“Foundations” is the perfect horror story as we draw closer to Halloween and is definitely not to be skipped. It of course ties in with the current state of Gotham City and the consistent political missteps that have been taken due to the fear instilled into it’s residents and politicians. The art is superb and the colors add to the perfect eerie setting.
Final Thoughts
My only issue is the overuse of Editorial notes. There seems to be constant reminders of previous plot points and which issues readers should go back and check out. For a book that's pretty much half way through a cross-over event it's hardly a jumping on point for new readers and you're almost guaranteed those reading this issue are already invested in Fear State.
Detective Comics #1044
- Writing - 9/109/10
- Storyline - 9/109/10
- Art - 9/109/10
- Color - 9/109/10
- Cover Art - 9/109/10
