Welcome back to Upcoming Comics! One of my favorite things to do as a Batman fan is to find hidden gems in the backlog. Beneath all the bombastic events and superstar runs, there are often lesser known stories and runs that are criminally underlooked. Thanks to a comment left by user Madeleine a couple months ago, I decided to check out Ed Brubaker’s Detective Comics run from the early 2000s, which was a blind spot for me. I went in a little skeptical because, despite loving his Catwoman run and Gotham Central, I was never super impressed with his Batman.
Boy, was I happy to be wrong. It’s a short run, only lasting two story arcs, but each one is exactly the sort of well crafted, meat-and-potatoes Batman detective story that the title should strive for. “Dead Reckoning” especially is easily something I would recommend to anyone looking for a solid piece of Batman writing that understands all the characters and how to put them in a murder mystery perfectly.
What are some of your favorite lesser known Batman stories? I’ll return the favor and throw one of mine into the conversation: “A Gotham Tale” by John Wagner in Batman #477-478. It’s a simple two-parter that involves Batman trying to solve a mystery while trapped inside a vault with two other people, and air is running out. It’s such a clever premise that is so much fun to watch play out.
Upcoming Comics
Detective Comics #1085
The Batman has returned, but his city is no longer the home it once was. A sinister order now governs the shadows of Gotham. An order so precise, so methodical, that there is only one thing that could combat it. What is this one force—this singular thing that could undo order? Even if you were told, you would not believe it. In fact, you may think it’s a joke.
Written By: Ram V, Alex Paknadel
Penciled By: Stefano Raffaele, Javier Fernandez, Christopher Mitten
Inks By: Stefano Raffaele, Javier Fernandez, Christopher Mitten
Colors By: Lee Loughridge, Triona Farrell
Cover By: Evan Cagle
Thoughts: Man, that last line of the solicit scares me. I’ve been loving this run, but the Joker has the potential to suck all the air out of a story if not kept in check by a writer.
Batman News Critic: Jackson
Batman: Dark Age #3
A Robin rises from the ashes! Bruce Wayne discovers he may wield more power without a mask as he reenters society to rave reviews. But when an ambitious Carmine Falcone takes over Gotham with the help of his False Face Society, Batman realizes the only way to win the war is with allies. Will the next generation be up to the task? Or is Gotham doomed to continue living in this dark age?
Written By: Mark Russell
Penciled By: Mike Allred
Inks By: Mike Allred
Colors By: Laura Allred
Cover By: Mike Allred, Laura Allred
Thoughts: I’m still not sure how I feel about this version of Batman, so I’m curious to see how it handles Robin and Superman.
Batman News Critic: Akash
Batman: The Brave and the Bold #13
Brave and the Bold enters its second year with five tremendous tales! Nightwing and Deadman face the ghosts of the circus, as presented in spectacularly horrific detail by Kelley Jones! Booster Gold (allegedly) causes a disaster that must be fixed by…the JURASSIC LEAGUE?! Artemis’s quest comes to its stunning conclusion! Batman and Guy Gardner face high strangeness when a UFO crashes in Gotham! And finally, Jason Shawn Alexander brings his legendary talents to Batman Black and White!
Written By: Tim Seeley, Mark Russell, Delilah Dawson, Joshua Hale Fialkov
Penciled By: Kelley Jones, Jon Mikel, Serg Acuña, Lisandro Estherren
Inks By: Kelley Jones, Jon Mikel, Serg Acuña, Lisandro Estherren, Jason Shawn Alexander
Colors By: Matt Herms, Michelle Madsen, Patricio Angel, Mike Spicer
Cover By: Simone Di Meo
Thoughts: According to DC, this title will now “start” focusing on team-up stories. That’s also what the title was known for for decades, but hey I guess so long as they get there eventually.
Batman News Critic: Chris
The Penguin #10
The fire in Gotham turns into an inferno as chaos spreads in the wake of Penguin’s return. No one in the city is safe from the bird’s wrath, not least his own children. How far will Penguin go to regain his crime empire? How much blood will need to spill? You ain’t seen nothing yet.
Written By: Tom King
Penciled By: Rafael de Latorre
Inks By: Rafael de Latorre
Colors By: Marcelo Maiolo
Cover By: Carmine Di Giandomenico
Thoughts: I wish I could bring myself to care about Penguin’s kids, but I can’t.
Batman News Critic: Jack
Harley Quinn #40
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