Excellence Assured: Detective Comics #821

Detective Comics 821
Originally uploaded by Heidi Meeley.

I have been so thrilled about Grant Morrison's upcoming run on Batman that I seriously overlooked the fact that writer Paul Dini was taking over on Detective Comics. Shame on me. His work here rules.

Dini and artist J.H. Williams III have taken a new direction with a much covered subject. Their stories will be one issue reads instead of story arcs, giving a reader the opportunity to jump on board at any point in their run. In a fast food society, this is good news indeed. Maybe impatient consumers will find their niche here.

The best news about Detective Comics #821 is that the book is wonderful. The gritty, noir style combined with a sophisticated edge serves up a tasty bit of entertainment. I kept refocusing my eyes as I read the issue because I could not get over the fact that it was so fantastic, and was pretty well convinced I was dreaming.

Bruce Wayne makes a bit of a return in this tale of high-end citizens being targeted. The approach Dini uses is true to the character. Instead of using Batman as the true identity, the real skin of Wayne appears. His persona is not just a mask of opportunity, but part of the make up of the man as a whole. It is a refreshing, compelling change.

Dini has also focused on the detective aspect of Batman, making the book true to it's title. I appreciated his use of Robin and Alfred, as those characters resonated with a clarity that served to enhance the tale being told.

Quite simply, I highly reccomend anyone looking to get their money's worth. It is a winner from word "go".