Detective Comics #22 Review

DETECTIVE COMICS #22

by John Layman, Jason Fabok and Andy Clarke

Wrath is Prometheus done right. Not the movie, but I'd like to see that done correctly too. 

Detective Comics #22 marks the start of a new arc, involving Batman facing parallels of both, his superhero and civilian identities. First off, is Mr. Caldwell of Caldwell Tech, who is the mirror of Bruce Wayne. He is very Lex Luthor-ish, but with a more benevolent vibe. He makes for an mysterious character, but we don't really learn that  much about him. And then, there's Wrath. This bastard is freaking awesome. He has a vendetta against the GCPD, and when jumps into action, he's completely menacing  and badass. Layman is back at the top of his game with this issue. It has a very Christopher Nolan-esque vibe, and it really works. It's a lot darker and grittier than the Emperor Penguin arc. Another thing Layman does great, is the mystery he sets up about Wrath. I was completely sure that Wrath would turn out to be Caldwell, but Layman plants these very subtle hints that it's not Caldwell, and you really have to think about the clues Layman plants. The only problem I had with the story is Scorn, who seems like a pretty weak and useless character.

Jason Fabok has a new colorist in this issue, and it makes ALL the difference. It looks more like Fabok is trying to make his own style instead of imitating David Finch. The color palette is similar to what you would see in a Christopher Nolan film, with a heavy use of bland colors like grey, black and white and a limited use of more poppy colors. It looks absolutely breathtaking, and I could pour over each panel for hours.

The backup story is very good as well, this time around. Clarke seems to be going back to the darker style he had with the backups in the main Batman series, and Layman sets up a complex mystery here. And when the culprit is revealed in the very last panel, you won't believe who it is. 

Detective Comics #22 is an awesome issue. Layman, Fabok and Clarke are at their best here, and they even introduce a new villain who might actually be pretty interesting!

STORY: 4/5

+ Intriguing mystery

+ Great setup

+ Wrath is awesome

- Scorn is lame

ART: 5/5

+ Great coloring

+ Feels very cinematic

+ Awesome action scenes

BACKUP: 5/5

+ Complex mystery

+ Kirk is truly becoming his own character, maybe even worth of his own title

+ Shocking ending

VERDICT: 4.75/5