DETECTIVE COMICS #876

[ CAN YOU HEAR THE
JAWS THEME? ] 

Did you know that the ‘Orcas’ got the name "killer whale", after being observed killing whales for food. In fact, the Orca is the only natural predator of the humpback whale - as about fifteen percent of them have scars left after an Orca attack. Interesting, huh? Do you want to know who told me this? Writer: Scott Snyder; Artist: Jock; and Publisher: DC Comics – they told this to me in May 2011.

THE STORY:

Now you would have thought that a dead whale in the lobby of a bank was strange enough. But to make it stranger still: (1) The bank belongs to Sonia Zucco – the daughter of Tony Zucco, the murderer of Dick (Batman) Grayson’s parents. (2) Unlike her father, Sonia is legit. And (3) Within the belly of the whale, is Sonia’s dead aide. Now goaded by Commissioner Gordon, Batman goes to Sonia’s penthouse to ask her some questions about this discovery. But as Sonia won’t speak to Batman, instead he traces a threatening telephone conversation that she is having, all the way to dodgy car exporter / weapons smuggler, Bixby Rhodes. However, whilst scouting around Bixby’s car forecourt, Batman becomes’ encased in a mound of cars that is about to be crushed... to be continued. 

THE REVIEW:

Both Scott and Jock do it again – they have given us yet another Bat-tastic issue of Detective Comics! I love it – in fact, I love this comic so much – that I want to take it home with me and give it a baby (hint, hint!). Since they have started their run on this title, Scott and Jock consistently deliver to us innovative and fresh storylines. I especially like the way in which most arcs start with Dick speaking to Gordon in the lab, and ends with Batman in some sort of impending doom. And there is something peculiar about that really? Not the impending doom – but the Gordon and Dick speaking thing. Because does Gordon know that Dick is really Batman? OK, I know that even if Gordon did know, that he would not just say anything out in the open – he is not that type of a guy. But are these nice little pithy scenes at the beginning of each Bat-adventure, Scott’s way of saying that Gordon knows? Who wants to twitter him? Here is his twitter handle – [removed by Scott’s request] – go for it. Now normally I wouldn’t mind doing this sort of thing myself, but it may seem kind of creepy for a ‘writer’ to hound a ‘better writer’. Though not as creepy as Jock’s art! (That wasn’t a bad segway, huh?). His consistency is on par with Scott’s writing, as Jock likewise delivers time and time again moody line work that both meshes and enhances Scott’s splendid stories. Please DC, keep these two on this book for as long as you can, as they:  (1) Innovate – such as Tony Zucco’s daughter in this issue. (2) Entertain – like Jocks majestic splash page of Batman / Dick flipping through the sky. And (3) Kick ass – which is something that Batman will do next issue. Viva la revolution!!! Viva la Scott and Jock!!!    

THE RATING: A