The big bad has been revealed and our heroes are either captured or on the run. What will happen next?! Is it good?
Detective Comics #937 (DC Comics)
The Breakdown
Detective Comics #937 sees the series doing a slow burn approach; while not a bad approach to storytelling, it does result in very little happening and very little progresses being made in terms of a narrative. We see more on how the Colony operates and a hint at mysterious force for a future storyline. Tynion also brings in Ulysses Hardian Armstrong from the old universe, a person whose been reverse-engineering Batman’s tech for the villains. I’m not sure how accurate he is to his other appearances, but his inclusion makes sense and I can guess where Tynion might be going with him. Other than that, it was a slow moving issue that felt more interested in dealing out exposition rather than story progression or action.
Writing-wise, the comic is fine as before. There are some good exchanges and dialogue with the characters at the beginning and end of the issue, though the middle is mostly taken up by exposition dumping. The pacing and storytelling are solid, keeping the story moving at a reasonable speed and transitioning from scene to scene without any hiccups. The characterization remained on point for everyone, especially with Batman (I totally buy him having a gas grenade tooth in his mouth). Ultimately, I just wish there was more characterization and development for the cast, since no one really got much to do this time around.
Alvaro Martinez continues as the artist for the book and like last time, he does a great job here. He’s great with drawing well-constructed and efficient layouts, like in the opening page or with the many double page spreads with the comic. He’s good with drawing locations, giving them a lot of detail and making them feel real. The characters are drawn just as well, looking like who they should be and are capable of a wide range of emotion. It’s a good looking book overall with nothing to really nitpick or complain about.
Is It Good?
Detective Comics #937 is a decent issue that unfortunately feels a tad lacking. The issue doesn’t make much advancement with the characters or story beyond introducing two new aspects for later. While the writing and artwork were solid, it didn’t feel like I got a whole lot out of the experience. I’m predicting this will read a lot better in the trades, but until then, you won’t miss much if you just wait until you can both this and the next issue together.
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