Once Commissioner, now he’s Batman Jim Gordon and with that comes a spot in the Justice League. This issue offers an opportunity to see him on the team for the first time, but is it good?
Detective Comics #46 (DC Comics)
Wow, I was very pleasantly surprised by this issue. It’s a lot of fun, delivers some great character building for Gordon and gives all of the characters something to do too. Most times with team books you’ll get a little action from some and a lot from one or two, but not so here. Sure Gordon is the main character, but the team aspect is very well done. It helps this is a done in one issue with the team using their detective skills to figure out who killed a giant in the Himalayas.
Why does this comic book matter?
This is the first time Jim Gordon has left Gotham as Batman. That’s a big deal. It’s also the beginning of his relationship with the other major heroes. That’s important!
What are they doing there?
Fine, you have my attention. What’s good about it?
Peter Tomasi writes a very fun issue that’s well balanced and never boring. That’s saying a lot since this is mostly detective work and very little action. There are exposition heavy moments, but they are of Gordon deducing things in order to make the right choices and solve the crime.
The crime appears to be the murder of a giant. There’s no telling why or what it even was, but by the time we reach the end there is a solution and it’s fun to follow the characters along as they work together to piece things together. There are even some surprises, including a very heartfelt end. Generally speaking this is good detective comics. If the comic accomplishes something that’s right there in the title, I call that a win!
The art by Marcio Takara is quite nice too. It heavily uses inks which gives the book a darker tone. That helps with the setting as the characters are in the cold and somewhat dark mountains. When they enter a cave it becomes downright scary. He puts a lot of detail into the characters too, even when they’re tiny on the page.
It can’t be perfect, can it?
The only thing I’m confused about is why the heroes are trying to solve a crime that has long passed. Sure they’ve found some mysterious bones, but do they really need the whole team there to figure out what happened? It becomes even more absurd this wasn’t a job for a single hero when the issue ends with the heroes rushing off to help people in a natural disaster.
Team work!
Is It Good?
A great read. By the end you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the story and you’re guaranteed to enjoy the detective elements.
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