Ram V is barreling towards his finale in Detective Comics with part 4 of “Crescendo” out this week. If you ever complained this series was light on action, buckle up; this issue delivers.
Detective Comics #1087 is an all-out war as Batman and his amazing friends Nightwing, Batgirl, and Azrael fight the Orgham family’s goons in the streets. The goons are dragging people into the war-torn streets with gallows set up as they rush to gain back control of the city.
The pace of this issue is one of its strongest elements. The story hops around progressing the plot be it with Batman, Azrael, Mr. Freeze or the Orghams. With the Orgham’s utilizing werewolves, this war on Gotham does feel a little different than the plethora of wars in Gotham over the last few years. Plus, surprise helpers in Batman’s plan come out to play.
Two of the best moments come on the last page, which hints at a major villain entering the battle next issue, and Mr. Freeze. Freeze is a big part of slowing the Orgham down, and he gets a fun one-liner at one point.
There’s no denying Azrael is awesome.
Credit: DC Comics
Christian Duce and Stefano Raffaele draw the main story with colors by Luis Guerrero and letters by Ariana Maher. Overall, the art isn’t as hyper-detailed as modern superhero comics, but it has a moody, atmospheric vibe that suits the Ram V run. Say what you will about Batman’s new costume, but the bleeding bat on his chest is a great visual. Possibly the best panel in the entire issue is a close-up of Two-Face’s face. Unnerving stuff.
The backup is a ton of fun by Dan Watters and Francesco Franvavilla. It focuses on Nightwing giving Azrael a hard time. In serial superhero stories it’s nice when characters remember they have beef with characters and Watters lifts that up.
There’s a nice bonk on the head that pays off on the final page that’ll give you a chuckle, but the story is a bit more serious. The heroes are trying to save people from burning vehicles.
Francavilla utilizes orange to great effect, with a nice shock of it when Azrael is bonked and good framing throughout. He’s one of those artists who’s just a pure joy to see and an easy one to pick out of a lineup.
Detective Comics #1087 moves at a fast clip as the heroes attempt to take back Gotham in a plan that unfolds before us.
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