Batman: Detective Comics #2
Writer: Tony Salvador Daniel
Artists: Tony Salvador Daniel, Ryan Winn, Sandu Florea, and Tomeu Morey
Cover Artist: Tony Salvador Daniel
Publisher: DC
After being extremely impressed with Tony Daniel’s first issue last month, I was very happy that this issue continued to be great. With this issue we’re beginning to get a feel for Daniel’s Bruce both in and out of the cowl, and from what I’ve seen, Daniel has a great feel for the character. First we see Bruce interact with a business acquaintance in what could possibly be the strangest business meeting I’ve ever witnessed, followed by a bit of smooth talking with the ladies. Then we get Bruce under the cowl as he attempts to get to the bottom of the Joker/Arkham/missing girl case. With Batman, we get a direct, crime-fighting, but more importantly detective Batman. When a new villain is introduced to a comic book, creators always run the risk of creating a villain that is just boring. That is not the case with this book. With our first look at the Dollmaker, we get a villain that is shrouded in darkness with his gang of horrendous minions, and is overall a very creepy being. Batman’s relationship with Gotham PD and even Gordon feels a bit strained, which I admittedly find a tad off putting, but that’s not really anything of import. Tony Daniel continues to impress with his art, in addition to the great story he is writing. His Bruce and Batman comes off as having an air of confidence, importance, and strength; everything that describes Bruce. 4/5
Green Arrow #2
Writer: J.T. Krul
Artists: Dan Jurgens and George Perez
Cover Artist: Dave Wilkins
Publisher: DC
When the Green Arrow series prior to this one started, I couldn’t wait to see what JT Krul had in store for Ollie. But then Brightest Day reared its ugly head and ruined that book. This book is exactly what I was waiting for. The book start starts off with with an amusing and fairly lighthearted scuffle between Green Arrow and a duo that goes by the name Lime and Light. It turns out that the two of them are part of a larger syndicate of criminals who take pleasure in broadcasting their crimes online, and they’ve got their eyes set on Oliver. Much like with the Bat books, these first two issues have given us a look into Ollie’s non-superhero business side, and it makes me wonder whether or not there is a specific purpose to all of this. It begs to be noticed that Wayne Enterprises has been mentioned in this book, and Q-Corp was recently mentioned in Detective Comics, making me wonder if there will soon be a war of the businesses. The art in this book continues to impress, as well. Dan Jurgens combined with Krul’s writing makes for a very much more youthful and overall happy Oliver Queen, which is a nice change from his depressed and sullen mood in recent years. 4/5
Swamp Thing #2
Writer: Scott Snyder
Artists: Yanick Paquette and Nathan Fairbairn
Cover Artists: Yanick Paquette and Nathan Fairbairn
Publisher: DC
I am hard pressed to believe that just anyone could make this book as interesting and as new reader friendly as this books is. This issue can be split up into two parts. The first part is a conversation between a Swamp Thing and Alec Holland. To be honest, to call it a conversation diminishes just what it was. For me, as a new reader, it was almost a complete recap of the Swamp Thing history, including concepts such as the Green, the Parliament of Trees, and the past Swamp Thing series. Shortened to one sentence, it sounds like a hot mess, but it was done extremely well. Not only was I not confused after reading those pages, but I left more interested in Swamp Thing than I ever could have imagined. The second portion of the book brings the ominous villain back to the reader’s mind, as it takes control of Alec’s small town and sends everyone after him. Scott Snyder leaves the reader with a cliffhanger that is sure to keep everyone coming back.
It is my opinion that Yanick Paquette was born to draw this book. When he drew Batman Inc. I was left thoroughly unimpressed. However, what he’s doing with this book is beautiful stuff. His layouts were fantastic and looked very much like a blend between J.H. Williams III, and Andres Guinaldo’s recent work. Overall this is a book that everyone can and should read. 4.5/5
Be sure to check out previous editions of Crisis of Infinite Reviews by clicking here!
Arnab Pradhan
arnab@comicattack.net
