Batman Dark Detective

                                                 

       After reading issue one of Dark Detective I was pretty stoked to read the rest. Seemed like a simple story right? Joker runs for govenor, hijinks ensue, but something went wrong somewhere. That's not what the next three issues are about at all, and The Joker isn't a integral part of this story which is odd. There's stuff happening, but it doesn't seem like a cohesive story at all. What the key events are so far is Bruce Wayne hooking up with Silver a woman he used to date. They've reconnected and well, she happens to be dating the man who's also running for Govenor. I don't mind a bit of romance here and there, but this isn't what I thought I'd be getting when I started reading this series. What happened? How did a comic that started off so amazing get so off course? I have no idea. None at all, but you know what? I still like pieces of this story because it is a Batman comic and I am a huge Batman fan.

       The moments between Silver and Wayne show that despite all the rage that he feels, he's still human but the woman he's in love with is involved with another man. It's the type of stuff you would see in soap operas but it works for some reason. You get to see a different side of Wayne that almost makes you wonder if there's going to be a happy ending. Then you have Two Face who isn't a fan of Joker's run for Govenor. He feels that he's not taking the role seriously which he isn't. This is the Joker after all and let's be honest, there's always ulterior motives in anything he does. It's not a focus of the comic though. Joker is just a guy who chimes in occasionally but the real focus here of course is Batman who is not very well received by Gotham's finest.

        Issue four is a great issue and shows that when done correctly, this is a great comic. We have Batman battling Scarecrow and then, Silver is kidnapped by the Joker after a dramaric scene where we find her breaking Evan's heart and admitting her love for Bruce Wayne. The best scenes here are the ones that feature the Joker with all of his madness in full display. We see him at his most deranged which is the only reason to read the remainder of the series. We know what type of relationship the Joker and Batman have but when Silver lets it slip that Batman will save her we get to hear him explain the relationship they have and it's one that hasn't changed at all.

        The goal here is to get Evan to drop out of the race so The Joker can win and he even explains his strategy to Silver in full detail. The whole reason that SIlver is featured so much is to lead us toward the end of the story. We see how much she and Bruce love each other and now, we know that the only person who can save her is Batman. Even Evan in his desperation goes to the one man who can save her. Bruce Wayne. Imagine for a second, you recently got dumped and you have to go to the man she left you for for help. Imagine how hard that would be. Bruce knows Batman so he goes to ask Bruce for Batman's help. Not many men would do that, but Evan still loves this woman and wants to save her from Joker who is now having way too much fun tormenting SIlver.

        So, we know how this is going to end and the artwork throughout this series is great. It adds to the story. The story itself isn't great, but there are moments of brilliance. Certain issues like four, five and six bring things back into focus while the other issues merely feel like filler. Had it been shorter and focused more on Joker it would have been a great series. There's a lot of promise here, but it just feels too long sometimes. It's still a good read especially towards those last three issues, but getting there you have to deal with Two-face and his clone, and The Scarecrow and his fear gas that does a number on The Dark Knight.  When Joker finally gets featured by kidnapping Silver the story finally gains some momentum and becomes a must read. There's something beautiful about Joker and his madness Will Batman save the girl? What happens to Evan? That's the messed up part of this comic and shows what happens to you when you love a woman so much you'd risk your life to save her.

       Batman Dark Detective is a newer series and it's pretty good overall. Not a classic by any means, but still worth a read just to see the Joker in all his glory. We know that this is a messed up character and it's great to see that madness in full display. When done correctly, he's a great character who is insane, and yes even dangerous. His small appearances in some of the issues is finally forgiven in the last few issues. For Joker fans this is a great conclusion and shows us why Joker is such a great character. Dark Detective allows the insanity to shine brightly and I love that. It's not a comic for everyone, but it's still a decent read and reunites a creative team that comic fans have been clamoring for.