Detective Comics #12

The Killer Inside

This is my first issue of Detective Comics to read since the reboot, and boy was it a disappointment. This whole issue was a mess.

The Unexplained

The first panel starts off with Bruce being covered by an unknown substance. He soon manages to start a fire which somehow causes this...stuff to disintegrate. Something is said about a chemical reaction and flames causing it to burn itself out, but beyond that meager narrative, no explanation is ever given to clue in new readers as to what was going on just before the issue started. I understand that the last story probably ended on a cliffhanger, but it would only have taken about two lines of inner monologue to give new readers a half a clue what was happening. With it being such an easy thing to incorporate into the story, I can only assume that this was an accidental omission or that writer Tony Daniel left it out for his own stylistic reasons to which I say, "Bad decision, Mr. Daniel!" Though this was the most confusing part of the story, it was not the only time I was left scratching my head attempting to make sense of the unexplained.

Bad Dialogue

Another major problem with the comic was the dialogue. The interaction between Batman and Alfred was especially horrid. Usually, Bruce treats Alfred with a dismissive respect. He is rarely rude to him, but he is used to having Alfred taking care of him. In other words, he never says thank you, but he never talks down to him either. In return, Alfred is usually wry and droll in subtly directing Bruce.

In 'Tec 12, all the dialogue felt off and at times a bit forced. Alfred came off as a know-nothing idiot who marveled at Bruce's genius while Bruce seemed to view Alfred as a nuisance. It was hardly the way they should be portrayed.

Ect.

The conclusion to the story marches on feeling like the inevitable end to a piece of uninspired fan-fiction. Thought the story ends with a literal bang, it resonates with an emotional fizzle.

The art work was not to my liking either. The faces of all the characters seemed off somehow, but I do not have enough of an artistic sense to say what exactly was wrong.

The one positive thing I can say for the issue is that Mr. Toxic did look like an extremely menacing villain though this could be due partially to the distorted artwork.

The Tell-Tale Face

The Joker backup story was excellent, and it is one of the best Harvey Bullock stories I have read in a long, long time. I would much rather have seen this stretched into a whole issue rather than suffer through the threat of Mr. Toxic. Despite the excellent backup, I can't recommend the comic since the main story is so shoddy.