Deron Generally
Deron Generally
Detective Comics #1000
DC Comics
Written by Scott Snyder, Kevin Smith, Paul Dini, Warren Ellis, Denny O’Neill, Christopher Priest, Brian Michael Bendis, Geoff Johns, James Tynion IV, Tom King and Peter J Tomasi
Art by Greg Capullo, Jim Lee, Dustin Nguyen, Becky Cloonan, Steve Epting, Neal Adams, Alex Maleev, Kelley Jones, Alvaro Martinez-Bueno, Tony S Daniel, Joelle Jones and Doug Mahnke
Inks by Scott Williams, Derek Fridolfs, Raul Fernandez and Jaime Mendoza
Colors by FCO Plascencia, Alex Sinclair, John Kalisz, Jordie Bellaire, Elizabeth Breitweiser, Dave Stewart, Michelle Madsen, Brad Anderson, Tomeu Morey and David Baron
Letters by Tom Napolitano, Todd Klein, Steve Wands, Simon Bowland, Andworld Design, Willie Schubert, Josh Reed, Rob Leigh, Sal Cipriano and Clayton Cowles
Batman’s Longest Case
A case that Batman has been investigating since his first tenuous days as the Dark Knight will finally lead the detective to a resolution. A journey that has taken Bruce years to solve with clues leading him around the world will finally bring the Dark Knight Detective to the hidden lair of the most unexpected cabal of individuals that he could have imagined.
A fun and beautifully drawn story that engaged the reader in the investigation before revealing its unexpected and humorous conclusion.
Manufacture for Use
Matches Malone returns to Gotham and he’s looking for a new score. He tracks down the elusive Gotham Gift Shop where all the props used in crimes throughout Gotham are there to be sold. Matches is there for one thing and one thing only. Even after listening to the owner drone on about the city, Matches wants one item; the gun that killed Thomas and Martha Wayne.
This is a sublimely clever story from Kevin Smith that gives a great answer to one of the biggest questions surrounding that night and everything is enhanced with the beautiful art of Jim Lee.
The Legend of Knute Brody
Gotham Insider decides to spotlight one of the worst henchmen in the history of Gotham crime, Knute Brody. From Mad Hatter to the Riddler, every villain in the city has a story about their master plans falling apart at the inept hands of Knute Brody. His stupidity not only costs these villains huge scores, but he’s apparently one of the luckiest henchmen in the world after surviving multiple deaths at the hands of his angry employers. Fortunately for Knute, he has a secret none of them are aware of.
A fun story with a conclusion that is even more fun and amusing.
The Batman’s Design
A group of escaping terrorists are going to learn that Batman is the master of his city and he always has a plan. One that will herd the fleeing criminals into a trap laid out for those who think they can do wrong in his city.
A straight-forward, effective Batman story with great action.
Return to Crime Alley
Leslie Thompkins returns to Crime Alley with Batman to remember the event that brought them together. When a group of kids decides to rob the Dark Knight and the social worker, Batman springs into action taking them down violently. An act which causes Leslie to become more concerned about him and the path he’s on.
A pretty serious story that continues the Bruce/Leslie dynamic. Really enjoyed the art, but the characterization and interpretation of Leslie put me off. She seemed too meek and dowdy.
Heretic
A young man is found dead in the streets of Gotham. Stripped of his clothes with the only thing on him being an old card from the Wayne Foundation, Gordon calls Bruce Wayne in to ask him some questions and Batman realizes that this clue will lead him to Ras Al Ghul, a moment from his past and an act that will cause him to reach out to a group of young people caught in the grip of fanaticism and violence.
Other than Neal Adams’ exceptional art, the story is a little weak and doesn’t add much to the overall narrative.
I Know
An ailing Oswald Cobblepot goes to visit an ailing Bruce Wayne to tell the old man that he knew Bruce was Batman for years. Years ago, Joker and the rest of the rogue’s gallery got together to determine who could be the man behind the cowl. Oswald decided it was Bruce and went out to prove his theory. He follows Bruce, researching his life and finds out the truth one night. His reasons for keeping that information to himself are what he wants to tell Bruce before the end, but even an old Bruce Wayne is a dangerous one.
A clever and entertaining short that gets to the heart of Batman’s relationship with his rogues.
The Last Crime in Gotham
An older Batman and his family have been brought in to investigate the murder of twelve people at a makeshift party. Going through the list of the usual suspects and looking at the clues, they discover that the killer is also one of the victims and has left a letter for the Dark Knight to find explaining why.
An alright short story that only becomes compelling at the end.
The Precedent
The conversation to determine what to do with a young Dick Grayson is chronicled in this story. Both Bruce and Alfred deliberate about the young man and what making him a part of the life they’ve chosen means not only for Bruce, but also the future. It’s a serious deliberation that is being watched by a very interested party.
A nice short story with great art.
Batman’s Greatest Case
The final story in this issue wraps up all the themes of Bruce’s life and Batman’s mission as the extended family he has created comes together for an unknown reason while the man himself pays a visit to the people who have inspired him to be Batman.
This is a great conclusion to a big issue. Both the dialogue and art are perfect and the story itself is compelling.
The issue culminates in a preview of what’s to come for the Dark Knight when a new threat emerges that has studied his means, his methods, his philosophy and his mission. This new threat believes that Gotham deserves better and he is just the one to bring justice to the Batman.
Detective Comics #1000
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