Brubaker opens his run on Detective Comics with a bang, featuring some of Batman's more notorious rogues, the cops who were such a big part of Rucka's run and a fascinating mystery. Complimented by solid artwork from Castillo and Von Grawbadger and a decidedly unusual backup tale by the Gagnes, Detective Comics has shot back up onto my must-read list, surpassing even the more hyped Batman and the more anticipated Gotham Central so far.
Wasting no time, Brubaker establishes the mystery in the first few pages of this story, introducing us through a series of flashbacks to a no-good con who thinks he's got a shot and then revealing that he's little more than a plot point. It's an opening reminiscent of Law & Order, as the viewer gets to see a little more of what led to the crime than the cops, but is basically pulled along with the cops into the mystery, wondering how these little clues come together into a larger whole.
The use of the cast is impressive and sets a good standard for the series to follow. Brubaker fleshes out the crook and his girlfriend enough that we can feel for them as people as well as actors in the story, and the interplay between Montoya and Allen rings true as well. This could almost have been an issue of Gotham Central at first, except that Batman shows up and takes over the case fairly quickly, and I enjoyed that as well. This is Batman as detective, picking up clues fast and starting to put things together with Oracle's help, and I really enjoyed the confidence and skill that Brubaker showed the character having. More than that, though, I enjoyed the glimpses of Riddler and Penguin, longtime Batman foes, and the hints that this new foe has ties to the old. There's a solid mystery in the offing here, and I'm anxious to see where it goes.
Tommy Castillo's artwork isn't spectacular right off the bat, but it's good work and it serves the story well. His splash page of the deceased villain at the beginning, aided by a nice choice of red by Jason Wright, really sets the tone for the story, and though his work on the Gotham backgrounds looks positively generic compared to the work of Michael Lark in Gotham Central or Jim Lee on Batman, it's decent enough for establishing the setting. I also enjoyed his work on Batman, particularly the way he uses the shadow when Batman is offscreen.
It's in the backup story where the art really stands out, though. Michel Gagne is probably best known for Zed, his comic-book about an alien inventor who accidentally blows up his home planet, or for his illustrated books that feature bizarre aliens and fantastic creatures, and J.C. Gagne's story here plays right to those strengths. It's an unusual story, not really fitting in with the hard-boiled crime style that Batman has been all about, but it's so charming and whimsical that the unusual aspects are welcome. The contrast between the style of the lead and backup story is very strong, but they're both excellent stories by talented creators.
