REVIEW: ‘Detective Comics,’ Issue #1072

Detective Comics #1072 from DC Comics finds Batman taking on the Arzen of the Orghams full force, but is he too late? Ram V pens the primary tale, and Ivan Reis and Stefano Raffaele provide the highly detailed, intricate, moody artwork. Raffaele joins Dani Miki on blanketing that art in some gorgeous inks. Brad Anderson and Lee Loughridge highlight the story in some of the best blends of colors in comics, while Ariana Maher singlehandedly conquers letters. Batman is bleeding. No surprise here. ‘Gotham Nocturne’ has taken a toll on the Caped Crusader. But now he finally faces the golden masked head of the Orghams in Gotham for a showdown while other heroes attempt to calm down Gotham as the Orgham Place gets its celebration.

The issue starts with Batman bleeding, seemingly beaten. Then V backtracks to how things got to that point. Orgham Place is covered in Gothamites and, police, fireworks galore. Nightwing is on the streets. Batgirl searches for the kidnapped people in cages underground. Batman has made it to the heart of the machine the Orghams intend to use to alter Gotham to their ends. Still no verdict out on whether Gotham is alive or just pulsates weird energy, is an ancient machine, etc. There’s a lot more to this issue than Azmers and fights. Expect some amazing dialogue between various members of the Bat Family and some hellified phenomenal art from Reis and Raffaele.

V sets some good tones here. The stress in certain characters resonates as they try to chase down the Orghams while not truly knowing what they’re all about. When I think this can’t reach a darker plateau, a new layer of shadow glides over. Marvelous. I am stoked to see how this will all end.

Detective Comics #1072 unleashes a new backup story, ‘Things That Must Die,’ written by Dan Watters, with art by Raffaele, colors by Loughridge, and letters by Steve Wands. This tale opens with an eye and a tongue in a box. King Zehdan is, and this brings a smile to his widow’s face. Welcome to a story about the Orghams from years ago, or more to the point, a tale of Arzen as a youth. This chronicles a few things, but it gets to how Arzen became the dedicated little tyrant who vows to uphold his family’s legacy.

Arzen must contend with his father’s demise, and this sets him on the path we know in the future, which leads to Gotham. Watters can write a creepy story that glides into sadness with ease. The Orghams are a creepy, feudalistic bunch. Raffaele and Loughridge create lovely scenery in yellows and greens. Wands pulls out a beautiful font in narration boxes to give this story an even older vibe.

My one issue with the backup story is that I never felt it told me anything about Arzen I didn’t know. Single-minded dedication to family. Ability to get bloody. I know that. It’s no fault of the creative team. Origin tales are neat, but sometimes they don’t add anything. It doesn’t need to, but it’s nice when they do.

Detective Comics #1072 is a gorgeous volume of modern gothic noir superheroism shaded by a blood moon eclipse I know you need in your comic book pile. For all that’s Azmer (un)holy, please get this book.

Detective Comics #1072 is available now wherever comic books are sold.