Thursday, August 29, 2013

80-Page Thursdays: Detective Comics #19!


A recent 80-pager, from DC's New 52: Detective Comics #19, featuring stories from John Layman and John Tynion IV, and art from Jason Fabok, Andy Clarke, Henrik Jonsson, Mikel Janin, Jason Masters, and more.

If Detective Comics had continued, uninterrupted by the New 52 reboot, this would've been the 900th issue. Cleverly, Layman's main story this issue is "The 900," named after a normally prosperous and safe neighborhood of Gotham City, tonight hit by a mysterious virus turning people into Man-Bats. As Batman tries to contain the outbreak, which he recognizes as similar to Talia al Ghul's soldiers; he's also dealing with the breakup of his family. Batgirl doesn't respond to Bats, but does help with the containment; while Nightwing just leaves town. Eventually, Batman discovers Patient Zero of the outbreak, the serial killer Zsasz, and stops him as Batwoman arrives with Drs. Kirk and Francine Langstrom. Kirk, of course, was the creator of the Man-Bat formula, which was stolen by Talia; but he still feels responsible. He injects himself with the serum, since by becoming a Man-Bat himself, he'll release a new pathogen that will cure the others. Francine is left alone as the Man-Bat flies off to parts unknown, and Zsasz is taken back to Arkham, but he admits he released the virus, on the behest of the Emperor Penguin. (The who? Having not read the book recently, I'm not familiar with "Ogilvy" at all.)

Also this issue: Francine plans to retrieve her husband, in a brief origin story for Man-Bat; the odd-looking Mr. Combustible leads a crime wave during the Man-Bat breakout for the Emperor Penguin; Bane plots against the Court of Owls and their Talons, since he sees them as an obstacle in taking Gotham; and some of the city's police discuss their positions on the Batman, some of which may have changed after the Man-Bat outbreak..

Not too bad of an issue, although I don't know if it's $7.99 worth: fortunately, I didn't pay anywhere near that! By that happenstance I hold so dear, found it for $1.99 at Hastings! For that price, pretty good!

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