Detective Comics has been nothing short of moody, atmospheric, and romantic. Ram V’s been writing one hell of a story, which he spoke to AIPT exclusively about recently, exploring Gotham in new ways and pushing Batman equally so. Out this week is Detective Comics #1069, which continues Batman’s tortured existence, battered and nearly beaten. Thought-provoking and deeply compelling through well-written dialogue, today’s issue is a must-read.
And even before we get to the main story by Ram V, Dexter Soy, Stefano Raffaele, and Miguel Mendonca, let’s start with the backup by Si Spurrier and Caspar Wijngaard. This backup is so darn good it makes this a must-read issue in itself.
Spurrier and Wijngaard explore Mr. Freeze in a different light as one of his victims attempts to connect with him. She’s a therapist and assumes she’s not frozen and can speak because he may subconsciously want help. This tale captures the emotional coldness of Mr. Freeze well while delivering a compelling situation for us to root for this citizen to escape from. Spurrier takes an interesting approach with this character, putting you right there with the victim.
That and the backup story is a vision of visuals. Cast in Wijngaard’s iconic pinks and purples, the story is practically surrealistic at times as it explores color and space. The blues of Mr. Freeze play well off these pinks and purples, which are used for his eyes and the plate on his chest. Every panel is gorgeous, even when horrors are seen, as Mr. Freeze aptly comments. Capping off the visuals is a cliffhanger reveal of something quite extraordinary and weird, even for Gotham. Part 1 of a three-part backup, I dare you to read this and not be annoyed we can’t get the rest of the story right away.
The main story is incredibly well written, with multiple scenes that seem like the peak, until you turn the page and find another great scene hiding. Detective Comics #1069 opens with the Ten-Eyed Man hovering over an incapacitated Batman. Two-Face sits nearby, listening to the mad ramblings of the Ten-Eyed Man, which border on poetry. The lettering by Ariana Maher enhances the incredible weirdness here, with an interesting eye-ball design to the word balloons conveying the sing-song strangeness. Visuals equally enhance the moment making the somewhat confusing utterings feel otherworldly and deep. yYu’ll find yourself rereading everything as it’s so beautifully weird.
Amazing page.
Credit: DC Comics
This leads to Two-Face cutting the jabberings short, depicted in an interesting dizzying effect as Batman’s POV is skewed. There are scenes that follow that help inform what the bad guys are up to, what Montoya is facing, and building up towards a connecting moment between Jim Gordon and Batman. No matter the length of each scene, Ram V seems to be saying something about Gotham.
The scene with Batman and Jim Gordon is quite good, framed using the gutters of the panels, like the door separating them. Like a therapist, but more like a friend, Gordon relays his concern for Batman in a touching moment. Ram V even gets a fun nod to Batman’s ability to exit conversations without a word in a fun way.
It’s tough to say who draws what in these scenes, though it’s fairly obvious when artists change. All three artists do an incredible job with what they have, be it splashy cliffhangers featuring humongous and muscular villains popping up or tender moments. Sometimes when comics juggle multiple artists, it can feel jarring when scenes change, but not so here.
Detective Comics #1069 is an exceptional chapter in Ram V’s run on the series. The operatic themes are still present, especially in the opening, while there is an interesting commentary on Gotham, Batman, and more throughout. Add in the incredibly well-done first chapter in a three-part backup story, and you have an all-time great issue of Detective Comics. Detective Comics is a series that has something to say, and does so in a vivid and rich new way.
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