- Title: Detective Comics #1027
- Comic Vine: link
- Writers: Matt Fraction, , Brian Michael Bendis, Peter J. Tomasi, Grant Morrison, Dan Jurgens, Mariko Tamaki, Greg Rucka, Scott Snyder, Marv Wolfman, Kelly Sue Deconnick, Tom King
- Artists: Jim Cheung, José L. García López, Lee Bermejo, Dan Jurgens, Jamal Campbell, Dan Mora, Ivan Reis, Emanuela Lupacchino, Riley Rossmo, Eduardo Risso, Chip Zdarsky, David Marquez, Chris Burnham
Like many of DC Comics’ recent anniversary issues, Detective Comics #1027 (which marks 1,000 issues since the first appearance of the Batman in Detective Comics #27) offers a collection of stories and art featuring one of the comic industry’s most beloved characters.
Even if it lacks a single great stand-out story, the collection is solid. The best of the tales collected here, “The Master Class,” features all of the best-known Batman sidekicks winding up investigating the same body left on a Gotham City rooftop.
“Blowback” centers around Batman’s ability to escape a death trap (while also thinking back on the many he has survived over the years). “Many Happy Returns” showcases the Joker‘s odd behavior of sending Batman strange birthday every month for years. “Rookie” offers the struggles of a newbie cop in the most corrupt police force in the world. Batman and Robin team-up with Deadman in “Ghost Story.” A business rival attempts to frighten Bruce Wayne in “Fore.” “Odyssey” offers a decades-long mystery in which the search for the ship of art belonging to Batman’s grandfather continues.
“Detective #26” gives us a look at the Silver Ghost, a vigilante upstaged by the first appearance of Batman. “Legacy” offers a fight between Batman and Doctor Phosphorous that would lead to Bruce Wayne’s death of cancer years later. “As Always” gives us James Gordon’s ruminations on Batman dealing with world-wide threats over the years. “The Gift” takes place during the current Joker War arc. Batman fights costumed criminals led by Calendar Man on Halloween in “Generations: Fractured” which kicks-off a time-traveling story that will continue in Generations: Future State #1.
[DC, $9.99]