Batman Detective Comics is a little bit of a deceiving title as it isn’t really focused on Batman at all, but rather (like the Vol. 1 title says) the BatMEN (and women!) within Gotham City. The main character of this series is Kate Kane aka Batwoman as she takes on a role as a Batleader alongside Batman to recruit and train the other vigilantes of their city.

Batwoman and Batman very literally take Tim Drake (Red Robin), Stephanie Brown (Spoiler), Cassandra Cain (Orphan), and Basil Karlo (Clayface) under their wing, helping to refine their skills and make them even better at what they do. Batman, of course, has ulterior motives for putting together this merry band of Batfolk though and very quickly the team realizes what’s at stake.

James Tynion IV has been working with Scott Snyder and co. on Batman for a while now on a few different books over the last couple of years. Everything I’ve read from Tynion’s Batverse has been great, but his writing on Detective Comics is definitely his best work to date within this world. You can tell that Tynion likes these characters a lot and is having fun shaking things up and figuring out how they would all function together. The dynamic is definitely interesting to watch unfold as Batwoman takes the lead in place of Batman and how the “trainees” respond to her decisions and commands.

The story takes twists and turns that I genuinely didn’t expect and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride from the beginning to end of this arc.

We’ve seen some really crappy books come out of having a woman take the lead for a team book (Brian Wood’s X-Men, I’m totally looking at you…) but thankfully the focus here isn’t on any drama within the ranks. The story revolves around exactly that: the story. There’s no needless antics contributing to what’s happening and I love that.

The one thing I craved was more Stephanie Brown-esque shenanigans within the story… the character is prone to sarcasm and the tone of the book is generally pretty serious so I GET IT. I’ll always have Bryan Q. Miller’s run for that and right now while DC is tentatively letting her out in the world, I’ll take whatever I can get. It’s just great that DC has decided to use her and while I loved her as Batgirl, I think it’s amazing that she gets to be Spoiler again, giving her a chance to not just be “the other Batgirl”.

Stephanie Brown’s relationship with Tim Drake is all I want in this world too. They’re so adorable together and it’s kind of silly to be like THEY HAVE SUCH GREAT CHEMISTRY when they’re deliberately written that way but I really enjoy how they interact with one another and how they have each other’s backs.

Batwoman is perfect. She has so many conflicted feelings that come out over the course of the book but she never lets that change how she behaves when people are relying on her. She is always ready to kick ass and make sure that she’s doing the right thing for her. I LOVE seeing her in a more prominent role within the Batverse, and I hope that this ultimately leads to more and more Batwoman stuff.

The art on the book from Eddy Barrows, Alvaro Martinez, Al Barrionuevo, Raúl Fernández, and Eber Ferreira is consistently great. There are swap outs here and there like you occasionally see so I won’t get into who did what but the styles really mesh well together and you don’t notice any drastic changes throughout the storyline. There were a few really interesting page layouts within the book too. I don’t know where it took place in terms of the issues, but there’s one panel that’s shaped like a pint glass and has a beer-coloured tone layered on top of the art and it was really neat. Interesting layouts and panel work have followed Batwoman from book to book since J.H. Williams III’s work on Elegy several years ago now. I’m sure there was more before that but Elegy was my first proper introduction to the character so it stands out to me for a number of different reasons (with #1 being that it’s freaking fantastic).

Verdict:
Buy it! Batman Detective Comics is easily my favourite of the titles coming out from DC Comics right now. Rebirth surprised me with how good it’s been for the most part, but Tynion knocks it out of the park with this series and brings us numerous fan favourites all in one great book.

It’s a nice distraction from bigger storylines going on in the DC Universe and with characters that DC is ultimately too concerned with (Batman obviously excluded), Tynion really seems to have a lot of places he can go with the stories. It’s a fun change of pace and you can jump into the book and enjoy it even if you have no previous experience with ANY of the characters within it, Batman included.

The problem with batman stories are that there are so many dimensions and characters are now that sometimes it becomes difficult to keep a track of it. The illustrations are excellent, the plot is compelling and oh-so-typical of batman. the only reason the whole book can be understandable for a first timer is becuase of the flashbacks that help in following the thread.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I love the makeup of the team of characters and the personal struggles that are present throughout the book.  I will definitely be running out and picking myself up a physical copy.

A fast paced, wonderful story featuring some of my favorite characters.

Hot damn!

“Rise of the Batmen” is instantly the best Batman comic since Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo launched their now infamous Batman series, and this one basically picks up where they left off. James Tynion IV writes a compelling story with such precision that it seems too impossible for one person to pull off. But, make no mistake this is the work of a fine storyteller and someone who understands Batman and his world perfectly! If you’re an old school fan, or if you’ve only been reading Batman for a short time, dedicated fans know it’s easy to tell when the writing is off. If that’s true, then they can also spot signs of greatness after just a first few pages, and that is without a doubt the case here. Remarkable! Five stars based on the story alone!

In this fist volume we get all of the classic Detective Comics elements, with plenty of mystery and bizarre twists and turns throughout. Volume one is a genuine detective story with Batman doing his usually top notch investigating and uncovering secrets he might not want to know exist. This is a story about crisis, defeat and betrayal running as deep as the Wayne family tree. It’s a Batman-family epic, but the odds are stacked against the team. Batwoman leads, Spoiler, Orphan and Red Robin while they take center stage, as Batman goes up against an army of soldier-like Batmen, known as the Colony. There’s more than one twist that keeps things very intriguing all the way to the last page. The team, as it were, is tasked with rescuing Batman, Gotham, and perhaps the world, from one of their most dangerously powerful threats yet. Luckily, the only classic villain actually appearing in the series, Clay Face, is on the side of the good guys this time, and that provides a huge advantage and more fun than we may deserve.

Tynion deserves a lot of praise for his writing on this title. It’s as if he’s been writing Batman for decades the way every character is given authentic dialogue and emotional reactions. The stakes only increase as the book progresses and we see all sides of their respective personalities whether it’s fear, loneliness, pride, arrogance, courage or hubris. No one is perfect, although they are rendered perfectly thanks to the writing. Tynion tells thoughtful backstories, strategically placed at the start of individual issues, which are revisited throughout the story for more dramatic effect. It works so well that you don’t mind a break in the action one bit and the overall effect is a terrifically well-rounded comic. It’s extraordinarily rich with subtext and detail in a way that the book almost couldn’t fail and that’s without evening mentioning the art yet.

“Rise of the Batmen” is a gorgeous book that goes beyond typical mainstream comic book standards. Pencilers Eddy Barrows, Alvaro Martinez and Al Barrionuevo all maintain a level of consistent finesse here as if they each took part in every page. Composition and panel arrangements are designed with expertise in ways that keep it interesting to the point where you just want to pause and take it all in for a moment. Whether in average settings, like someone’s kitchen, or when he is in action, Batman feels like a guy in a costume rather than a standard issue comic book design. The illustrations are dynamic yet real, inventive yet believable and everything you’d want out a comic, especially a Batman comic. Pages are packed with information, but instead of overwhelming the reader you get a masterfully curated collage of images that only help tell the story in the best way possible.

Inkers Eber Ferreira and Raul Fernandez handle their renderings with an equal level of professionalism. There are times where images feel softer, attentive, refined even, which is a testament to their ability to nurture the line work without overpowering. The end result is a playground of black and white pages poised and ready for colorists, Andriano Lucas and Brad Anderson. These guys are incredible. They use appealing painterly techniques that create a charm found in classic illustration and animation. What feels like a potentially painstaking process comes across as a flawless use of unique palettes and stylistic dynamism. “Rise of the Batman” is bright and colorful, which may sound like the wrong direction for a Batman story, but it isn’t. It just helps solidify these fantastic characters and storylines in the real world while exaggerating tones and saturation just enough to take full advantage of the medium’s potential. In the end, rest assured, you still get all of the dramatic tension and style required for a Batman book.

As if this first volume wasn’t sensational enough, it all leads up to a fascinating ending that will have you clamoring for the next issues as soon as you can get your hands on it. This book is a remarkable achievement and an all-new level for Batman and his sub-universe under DC’s Rebirth banner. And say what you want about Rebirth, and whether you like what they’re doing or not, DC got this one right. Seriously, you will not want to miss out on this, especially now that it’s been collected. Supplemental material, including a lengthy cover gallery, serve as an added bonus, but it’s nothing more than that, because the real treat here is the comic itself. Well done, James Tynion IV and company! This is the Batman creative team, that will have fans rejoicing for a long, long time.

This one was all over the place. The "bad guy" add no surprise, and I have to say that I really dislike how a lot of Batman's enemies are somehow tied to his past and his family. Come up with an original enemy, DC!

An interesting plot and lots of familiar faces. This is my second rebirth comic now and I gotta say that I'm really liking what's going on so far. A great place for newer readers to start without feeling lost or even older readers to enjoy an intriguing new story and the new bat family coming together. Heck of a way to start.