Review of Detective Comics #1090

Is Detective Comics #1090 Good?

Writer Tom Taylor takes over Detective Comics from Ram V to chart a new course for the series by connecting a killer’s path of death in the present with the actions of Thomas Wayne in the past. On first read, Taylor’s take on the series is galaxies better than Ram V’s metaphysical flop, which is a pretty low bar to clear, so we’re off to a good start, even if Taylor brings the baggage of failed runs on Jon Kent, Nightwing, and Titans with him. Maybe the 4th time is the charm.

Detective Comics #1090 flip flops between the past and the present, recounting Batman’s encounter with a clawed serial killer while his father holds fast to his convictions by treating a car accident victim who some feel would have been better off dead.

In the opening scene, we see Batman in a small room with a dying man tied to a chair. The person responsible for the dying man’s predicament is a clawed individual whose face we never see. The killer claims to be doing what she does to show Batman that some people deserve to die.

Tom Taylor’s opening scene is moody, intense, and intriguing. The most challenging conflicts for Batman involve challenging his no-kill rule, so starting a new run with that premise in mind is a solid start.

Years earlier, Dr. Thomas Wayne wakes from a call by a fellow doctor to assist with two car crash victims. The driver is likely to die. The driver’s girlfriend, Evelyn Scott, is in less serious condition. The accident forced early labor for Evelyn’s unborn child, and some of her injuries pre-date the accident, meaning the boyfriend is abusive. Thomas’s fellow doctors subtly suggest letting the boyfriend die, but Thomas won’t hear of it.

The car accident accomplishes two things well. First, it informs new readers about the quality of Thomas Wayne’s character. Second, the victims in the accident are critical to Bruce Wayne’s future in more ways than one.

Both victims survive, and Evelyn’s baby is delivered without incident. Evelyn asks to speak to Thomas, and she privately asks him to take the baby away for adoption because her boyfriend is a vicious criminal. As a compromise, Thomas brings in Martha Wayne to use her wealth and connections to send mother and child away under protective custody.

Now, Batman responds to an armed robbery alert during his rounds of Gotham City. The robber, a teenager with a checkered past, accidentally shot a shopkeeper. When Batman crashes through the store window and punches the robber, the robber runs. Batman delays the pursuit to ensure the shopkeeper gets medical attention. 

When Batman gives chase, his battered, aging body isn’t able to keep up. However, Oracle guides him to the boy’s location, where he lies dead. Batman catches a whiff of perfume, White Musk, that links the boy’s death with several killings in recent months. 

To Tom Taylor’s credit, the pieces of the puzzle fall into place quickly and easily. Arguably, too easily. We know a mother and child absconded years ago, thanks to the Waynes, and we know a presumably female serial killer is targeting low-level criminals. The line between connected dots is indeed short.

Later, Bruce Wayne attends a gala hosted by the grown daughter of Evelyn Scott, Scarlett Martha Scott. Scarlett specifically invited Bruce to show that her genetic research has created a medically stable method for healing and extending the life of the human body, so she offered Bruce to be part of the recipient group, an offer he considers.

In the past, the boyfriend wakes from his surgery and becomes violent when he learns his girlfriend and unborn child are gone. The boyfriend’s name is Joe Chill.

The issue is weak on one front and concerning on a second.

First, the “childhood friend who turns out to be a killer” setup has been done to death with Batman. You could tell this story without linking Batman and Scarlett and still accomplish the same thing. By linking the two, their relationship comes off as cliché.

Second, the revelation about Joe Chill could work out well, or it could be a disaster. If Chill somehow drove Scarlett to become the killer, there are a myriad of ways that story could turn out well. On the other hand, if Taylor retcons the death of the Waynes as an act of revenge from an abusive boyfriend, the reveal waters down Batman’s origin because his parents’ death becomes less senseless and shocking. 

If Taylor goes the revenge route with Chill, his premise would irrevocably harm Batman’s origin (see the baggage of missteps from Jon Kent and Nightwing as references).