Detective Comics #1027 Special Announced

[bat39]

I'd buy it just for Grant Morrison's story. Best Batman writer ever. I just wish Paul Dini was there.

Grant Morrison's story is the most intriguing one for me based on the title alone. Since its titled Detective # 26 I'm assuming its some kind of prequel to Detective # 27. So an early Batman story, just before he takes on "The Case of the Chemical Syndicate"? Anyway, Morrison's proven he's a great scholar of Batman's history, and he did a great job recontextualizing the old Golden Age and Silver Age stories, so I have faith he'll do a great job here.

The Generations story is something I've, funnily enough, imagined a lot of times...a story where Batman ends up in the body of his 1939 counterpart and has to navigate his way through the Golden Age world while figuring out how he got sent back. Hell, I almost feel like they reached into my mind and 'stole' this story...LOL. Its interesting though that this was part of the 5G timeline. This seems to suggest that they planned on restoring the Golden Age Batman through a kind of time-travel. Wonder if that was the plan for Superman too?

[K. Jones]

I'm in this for Morrison/Burnham and hope they can do a lot with that high-concept title and ten pages.

Tomasi's story, I'm curious if it'll be contiguous with whatever his current Detective arc is, but I'm optimistic actually because while I've found his Detective run currently to be kind of the worst Batman he's written to date, saddled with second-fiddle to whatever else is going on, and kind of circular and odd in a way that's less than cool, it does have this slight Alan Grant vibe to it, tackling serial killers and cultists in a Gothic Gotham and is stronger when it does that than when it tries to get all big with the A-List players - but moreso, specifically, I think that the one-offs he's done within this current Detective run are even stronger. That "Reaper" one-shot for instance was something I really liked. So hopefully it's just a weird, cool one-shot.

Bendis, eh, can't say. Could be cool. I like Bendis but I doubt it'll be anything I can't live without.

Fraction & Zdarsky I'm incredibly stoked for because I just want Fraction all over DC and Chip is ungodly good.

I'll always be in for a Rucka story though I'm incredibly curious what it'll be. But with that title and a good artist maybe we can presume it's a Batwoman flashback set during his Second Detective Run, in which case, Rucka hasn't written Batwoman for a while, let's do it.

Tynion's Detective Run is a guilty pleasure of mine but Rossmo's art while stylish can be hit or miss tonally. Depends entirely on the content.

I'm not unhappy to see a Romita story. His work is really hit or miss and garish, but somehow I still really liked that weird Snyder Two-Face story. Janson on inks probably is my most excited aspect of that. DeConnick writing Batman is all new basically, so just curious.

Great to see Wolfman with a very good art team, curious what that'll be. Sienkiewicz inking Luppachino? Worth it just to see that. I don't know if I'd bet money that it's a Nightwing or Grayson short story, but if I was organizing this, yeah, I'd have that team do Dick Grayson some justice.

Tom King/Simonson we can't escape but his stuff is always more tolerable in short form and he's got a great artist so I'm sure it'll at least give me something to write about. Haven't seen a ton of Walt Simonson Batman so it's got novelty.

Ditto Snyder/Reis/Prado.

Generations definitely more a curiosity about the behind-the-scenes notions. Rock on for including Kevin Nowlan in this collection at least.

Tamaki & Mora will be a good looking chapter. No clue what and how much substance or if it's just nostalgic and short and celebratory, but yeah, Mora on art. Hell yeah.

Comes right down to it I'm more excited about the artist line-up in this book than the writers, almost 3 to 1.

I do agree there should be some representation from other legendary Detective runners. Dini in the recent past (who was the other big Detective writer of the 2000s, Rucka, and he's here), Moench or Grant from the late 80s and early 90s would be really nice and it's a drag not to have them. The 2010s had Snyder at least briefly as well as Tomasi and Tynion, and I don't mind not having Layman or any of the forgettable others.

Prior to that it would've been the 70s and early 80s and the obvious call would be another Denny O'Neil inclusion but of course that's not possible now, which is a bummer, but it speaks to the same reason why there also can't be any inclusion of writers or artists from that era or the eras prior like Novick or Jim Aparo - it was a long time ago now and they've almost all grown old and died at this point. And not every Anniversary book needs to have a bunch of randos aping Kane/Finger/Robinson era or Silver Age Ghost Artist Legends.

So it feels pretty well covered actually, and luckily the most veteran Bat-writer in this collection is Morrison and his stuff is still wild and fresh as hell.

[Hypo]

Grant Morrison's story is the most intriguing one for me based on the title alone. Since its titled Detective # 26 I'm assuming its some kind of prequel to Detective # 27. So an early Batman story, just before he takes on "The Case of the Chemical Syndicate"? Anyway, Morrison's proven he's a great scholar of Batman's history, and he did a great job recontextualizing the old Golden Age and Silver Age stories, so I have faith he'll do a great job here.

I think it's either a callback to that or he'll be referencing the Elseworlds story Batman: Detective No. 27 somehow.

[Batman Begins 2005]

What did we think then?

[Bat-Meal]

What did we think then?

For me it was a bit meh.
The family one was promising at first, but then they all just stood around talking, I got bored.

[SixSpeedSamurai]

I thought the Bendis was the best. Overall it was OK, not great. I was hoping for more work by creaters who worked on Detective.

[Laufeyson]

I thought the Bendis was the best. Overall it was OK, not great. I was hoping for more work by creaters who worked on Detective.

Yes, Bendis and Morrisson are the best ones. Overall, I think it's a good book, improvement over 1000.

[redmax99]

loved the gotham central one written by greg rucka and the scott synder as always it remind's me of a better final night.

[Zaresh]

Fraction/Zdarsky's, Rucka/Risso's and Tamaki/Mora/Bonvillain's were the ones I liked. Fraction/Zdarsky especially, was my personal fave.

[bat39]

Nothing mindblowing...but a decent selection of stories.

I liked 'Masterclass' mostly for the visuals of the entire Bat-family on a glass roof around a dead body, indulging in chitchat and deductions. Must have been a sight to behold for the party guests in the nearby skyscraper! Plus, Batman's closing line was a nice touch and a great contrast to how he's normally perceived as being with his protegees.

'As Always' was an interesting idea, though I feel it could have been executed better. But I think we can definitely do with more stories about how people from Batman's 'street-level' world react to his exploits as a Justice League member saving the world.

Morrison's "Detective # 26" was a nice story, and I loved how they worked in a neat pun on the title. As expected, it was set around 'Tec # 27. The art was a bit choppy, but loved the recreation of the climactic moment from the original story.

The story with Joker's birthday gifts was an interesting concept with a neat punchline. Curious about the chronology of the story and its placement in continuity though - spoilers:

Are we really supposed to believe its Year 22 for Batman right now?

end of spoilers

Tom King's story was tragic but powerful, and presents Batman and his story as equal parts tragic and hopeful - which IMO, is one of the best places for the character to be.

I have mixed feelings about the 'Generations' tie-in.

spoilers:

So it does seem like we are getting the Golden Age Batman in the 'Generations' event, and not just modern Batman in the original suit as the preview seemed to indicate. But the story itself didn't really serve as anything more than a teaser that explained absolutely nothing...beyond the fact that we're getting this Batman.

end of spoilers

[Restingvoice]

The story with Joker's birthday gifts was an interesting concept with a neat punchline. Curious about the chronology of the story and its placement in continuity though - spoilers:

Are we really supposed to believe its Year 22 for Batman right now?

end of spoilers

Oh dear lord, hang on
Batman starts at 25 at the beginning of both Year One and Zero Year
spoilers:

Year 22 he would be 47

end of spoilers
That's a lot more than Rebirth which back story only run for 10-15 years
Even in Post Crisis it goes like this
Year One begins - 25
Year Three begins - 27 - Dick Grayson Robin age 12
Dick went to Hudson Uni at 18 - Bruce is 33
Let's say 12 year old Jason becomes Robin when Dick is 19 - Bruce is 34
I know Jason didn't become Robin that long but I'll use his death sertificate at 15 for easiness sake - Bruce is 37
At the same year Tim became Robin at 12 and last seen he's 17 as Red Robin - Bruce is now 42
When Tim was Red Robin Damian was 10 but now in Rebirth Damian is 13 - Bruce is 45
spoilers:

It doesn't even get to Year 22... unless Jason became Robin when Dick was 21

end of spoilers

Wait wait wait hold on a bit. I think someone told me ever since Rebirth began and Damian had his birthday, it's been 1-2 years with Year of The Villain and Duke Thomas training so maybe we do reach it, but you have to count all of Post Crisis, New 52 and Rebirth timeline

[K. Jones]

I like that it's a collection of Batman Anthologies and isn't strictly linked to some kind of current canon.

Oh man, specifics. For me weirdly enough Bendis's big Bat-Family crime scene class room was my favorite because it's just been too long since we've seen the gang all together like that. I mean of course I say all together, but like, Cassandra should be there with them, and Jason should be off lurking in the distance being moody and dark. But even so, even with Bendisy dialogue and banter, the characterization was all great. Lots of Tim and Steph but lots of everybody and even Croc not being so bad a baddy. Ostensibly total shuttering or forgetting of the various Snyder-Kids additions to the Bat-Family, which is frankly fine. Luke Fox is his own man. These are Batman's students, specifically. I also liked that Nightwing comes across as the least interested or worst detective. We've seen over the years he can deduce just fine but that it's often not his approach or style, and that he's almost better at thinking on the fly or using asymmetrical lateral moves to get similar results. But also ... here ... as Batman's right hand and oldest friend, he comes across like the Teacher's Assistant, letting the kids figure it out and asking gently prodding simple questions. It's a fantastic dynamic for what their current status quo after the various fake deaths, bat devils, cowl donnings and spyjinx of the last few years.

I went in looking for Morrison & Burnham's short and it definitely didn't disappoint, was funny, had charming Burnham art and poked so much fun at the tropes Batman was born amidst, evoking Crimson Avenger but also Green Hornet and your just classic Mystery Men as well as paying its respects to the Titular and NAMED Private Detectives of Gotham who didn't wear masks. He does something that Snyder did recently too and crafts another sort of meeting spot for the "Club of Detectives". So it was just tons of fun. I didn't expect it to adhere so strictly to Golden Age Batman and have him kick Stryker into a vat of death. Hilarious stuff though.

The story that actually got me the most jazzed up was probably Wolfman's "Bruce Wayne teams up with another incarnation of Roy Raymond" as well as the Speed Saunders and ... other person ... grandchildren? Children? So and sos. It ironically felt connected again to the celebration of Gotham's Club of Detectives and like they could exist in the same continuity without much of a struggle to fit. Not only that, but it told a kind of valuable story about Patrick Wayne, Bruce's grandfather who we frankly never knew that much about ... and it paints him as a Howard Hughes type which is simple and obvious but perfectly clever and the right thing of course. Having the Nazi Map might obliquely resolve the storyline, but it's frankly a story I'd like to see continue.

I'm sure there was other stuff I really dug but this is the stuff that sticks in my frontal lobe memory a few days later.

[Ying Ko]

That Bendis and Marquez story was alright. I wonder if this is the new Batman creative team

[Pohzee]

Kinda underwhelmed by the issue. With so many in the past year, I think I'm just kind of sick of these anthology issues. It was cute for Tec 1000 and Action 1000, but it's getting kinda played out.It's not just that the stories don't "matter" as landmark stories, but also that they are too short to really get me too invested. They're just long enough to get their very brief point across

Bendis's issue reads exactly how every Batman family teamup goes. If you've read one, you've seriously read them all.

Despite loving Gotham Central, Rucka's story really fell flat to me. Perhaps with the current political climate I just don't find any "good cop" stories very appealing.

Snyder's story was pretty enjoyable, as was Deconnick's and Tamaki's.

[warzon]

why wasn't the Huntress in the book is she still around ?