REVIEW: ‘Detective Comics,’ Issue #1065

Detective Comics #1065 from DC Comics draws all the players together for a showdown that jealously guards its secrets. Our first tale is written by Ram V, with artwork by Rafael Albuquerque, colors by Dave Stewart, and letters by Ariana Maher. The new second story featuring Two-Face is written by Si Spurrier, with art by Hayden Sherman, colors by Nick Filardi, with letters by Steve Wands. So, last time, a slower Batman got ambushed by old flame Talia and her assassins and had a theater dropped on him, while the evil Addams…er, Orgham Family arrived in Gotham only to get attacked by Talia’s League.

Enter the flamethrower ninjas to know you’re reading a superhero comic. The GCPD is pinned down, but Commissioner Montoya is not in the mood to have the Bat Signal activated. Yet. It makes sense as this issue opens because I suppose the police have to prove they can contain an assault from assassins. But Batman does arrive. He survives the theater debacle and comes down to deal with the main baddie sent to execute the Prince of the Orgham family. There are excellent action sequences with moody inks and colors by Albuquerque and Stewart. Batman suffers from the ‘slows’ again. We get some appearances from other characters that have been playing some role in this story. The Orghams remain deathly chilling as they seek to deepen Gotham’s darkness. They’ve been great mystery villains from the start. My one slight gripe is we are well into this story, but Batman’s slowness is a vital plot point that has yet to move forward. I assume it’s Barbatos. But not much reveals what’s wrong with him or why. It’s a tiny thing because V is bringing a terrific story with loads of mystery and some cringe bad guys. The Orghams have unleashed the dark side of Harvey Dent, Two-Face, while the Two-Face persona is sidelined. It’s another genius twist to the goings-on in Gotham City.

You can’t go wrong with Albuquerque’s art with its scratchy, realistic figures with animation-style faces, the details in Orgham characters like Shavhod (creepiest coolest villain around), and the absolute slick way Harvey is realized. Stewart’s brilliance in Shavhod’s mandarin eyes layers on the eerie. Gotham is a depressing blue-gray shade with loads of standout pops of color. And Maher’s creative lettering, especially in the fonts and placing of the credits, is an exercise in art.

Detective Comics #1065 doesn’t stop there. Speaking of Two-Face, the backup tale stars my favorite Gothamite outside of Robin. I have to say, right off the bat, this new story kills. Spurrier already dropped my jaw with the Gordon tale, but holy…this one takes Harvey and the readers inside his mind for a war of words with his other persona, locked out of action by whatever the Orghams did to Harvey. Now a worker for that family, the Two-Face identity is none too happy. This is a new look into Harvey’s psyche and a fiendish bout of personal horror. As if that wasn’t good enough, the artwork by Sherman is tripped out wicked. Angular, shady, with lots of edgy lines (every face is vague save for Harvey’s). Married to Filardi’s waves of ink, Stewart’s bright and moody colors, and Wands’ sinister font for Two-Face, I think they all drank the same psychedelic energy drink while doing this story. Whatever it is, keep it up. This story is acid rock horror. I adore it.

Detective Comics #1065 is page after page of enjoyable reading. Get a hold of this storyline and catch up if you haven’t read it yet! It’s twice the fire every thirty days or so. 

Detective Comics #1065 is available now wherever comic books are sold.