Detective Comics, Vol. 1: Faces of Death

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Detective Comics, Vol. 1: Faces of Death (Detective Comics Vol. II #1)

3.44 of 5 stars 3.44 · rating details · 1,031 ratings · 91 reviews

ANew York TimesBestseller

As a part of the acclaimed DC Comics—The New 52 event of September 2011, Detective Comics is relaunched for the first time ever with an all-new number #1! Bruce Wayne returns as Batman, and sets his sights on new villain the Gotham Ripper, who in turn has his sights on Batman. Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne explores a budding romance with television journa...more

Hardcover, 176 pages

Published June 12th 2012 by DC Comics

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Aug 07, 2012 William Thomas rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'll always remember Tony Daniel for being the guy who made X-Force one of my favorite books of the 90's. His art wasn't as tight oor sleek and slick as other artists like Jim Lee. It was more chaotic, rough and stylistically set apart from the rest of the X books and Marvel in general. After he left to work on Spawn, I didn't really care for any of his work. It all looked like Mcfarlane copycat stuff. Even his work for DC before the reboot still had traces of Mcfarlane in it. But now, Tony Dani...more

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Feb 19, 2013 Sam Quixote rated it 2 of 5 stars

SPOILERS

The book is about as close to cookie-cutter Batman as you can get. It opens with Batman running across the Gotham skyline in pursuit of Joker. Cut to Arkham Asylum and Joker’s in a straitjacket talking menacingly to doctors and then inevitably he escapes. Then Batman is after Penguin who’s opened a new Iceberg Casino floating in Gotham Bay which leads to Penguin’s arrest. The book’s over. Ho hum.

Despite the inclusion of these stalwarts of Batman’s rogues gallery, there are some more int...more SPOILERS

The book is about as close to cookie-cutter Batman as you can get. It opens with Batman running across the Gotham skyline in pursuit of Joker. Cut to Arkham Asylum and Joker’s in a straitjacket talking menacingly to doctors and then inevitably he escapes. Then Batman is after Penguin who’s opened a new Iceberg Casino floating in Gotham Bay which leads to Penguin’s arrest. The book’s over. Ho hum.

Despite the inclusion of these stalwarts of Batman’s rogues gallery, there are some more interesting villains thrown into the mix: Dollmaker is creepy with his collection of disfigured human dolls and the side story involving him removing Joker’s face was intriguing but didn’t go anywhere (probably to be explored in later volumes). There’s also a weird kid called Olivia whose dead eyes were unnerving as she played on peoples’ perceptions of what a pre-pubescent girl should behave like and came across as a psychopath in the early stages of development. But that’s pretty much where the good parts of the book end.

The Joker storyline doesn’t really go anywhere, it leads to the Dollmaker and then just peters out – presumably we’ll find out what happens to Joker after his face was removed in another volume but it’s still an unsatisfying plot thread. The Penguin storyline turns into a dull heist involving Snakeskin and Mayor Hady’s foxy daughters. There’s even a strange scene involving protestors doing a kind of Occupy Movement demonstration supporting the Joker(!).

I’ve read a few Tony Daniels Batman books he’s scripted and drawn - “Battle for the Cowl”, “Life After Death”, “Eyes of the Beholder” - and like those books “Faces of Death” shows that his artistry far exceeds his writing ability. He can’t seem to write an involving Batman book, it’s all just surface texture propped up by his excellent artwork, it never delves deep into the characters’ psyches.

“Faces of Death” looks good but doesn’t have a solid storyline, it’s just a mishmash of villains with Batman chasing after them to no real purpose. It’s just a series of things that happen and they don’t feel connected or that they’re going anywhere new. Compared to Scott Snyder’s “Court of Owls” with its combination of focused original storyline, taut writing and great art, and “Faces of Death” comes off as amateurish and sloppy. Here’s hoping Daniels stays on as artist but is relieved of writing future titles. He just doesn’t cut it. (less)

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May 13, 2012 Vanessa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: superhero, dc, modern-age

The New 52 has four different Batman titles. This isn't the best, but it also isn't the worst. When considering picking this one up, I'd think about how many Batman books you want to read. It is better than Batman: The Dark Knight. Batman is better. If you like Damien, I'd buy Batman and Robin first.

The two best things are the art and the twists. Tony Salvador Daniel's art is great, and the book is filled with little stylistic touches. Daniel's version of Gotham is the best part of the book. Sev...more

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May 13, 2013 MissAnnThrope rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, batman, graphic-novel, library-book, dc-comics, dc-the-new-52, superheroes

13 May 2013

Detective Comics, Vol. 1: Faces of Death starts off strong with the creepy Hannibal Lecter-ish story featuring the Joker and the Dollmaker. If the book had ended here, my star rating would be higher. However, when the story transitions into the Snakeskin/Penguin storyline, the plot kind of loses its oomph.

The story isn't terrible in the least. The first-half is definitely more exciting, but how can you top this?
(view spoiler)

I really enjoyed Tony Daniel's artwork, esp...more

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Apr 26, 2013 Zack! Empire rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: dc-comics

I read in another review that this book is a very mixed bag, and that is really the perfect way to describe it. The book can be divided into two, with the first half being a story about the villain Dollmaker, and the second half being a story with the Penguin. The first story is much better than the second. I rather enjoyed it. The second story I didn't really care for. In fact I was somewhat at a loss as to what was happening. It feels like a story that starts about a third of the way in, but d...more

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Nov 29, 2012 Pete rated it 2 of 5 stars

What's the deal with Bruce Wayne and girlfriends? I mean, I get it. Who isn't into hot babes? But my question is, Why do people who write Batman comics include a girlfriend angle? I have to say, Bruce Wayne's girlfriends must be the least interesting aspect of most Batman stories. Think about it. This is a guy who flies around in jets and speedboats, is a martial arts expert, has all kinds of crazy gadgets, and I'm being told about a date he went on to some stupid ball? Hell, I get bored when my...more

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Jun 27, 2012 Justyn Rampa rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: batman, graphic-novels

Tony S. Daniel deserves props for both writing and illustrating this title on his own. Well done, sir!

Unfortunately, I can't really say much about the story itself that is positive. I found the plot to jump around quite a bit and it was hard to tell what was going to happen next.

He starts with the Joker prominently featured on the cover with quite a shock at the end of Issue 1 and we don't revisit that plot again at all in this volume. Then we switch to another (somewhat connected) villain named...more

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Feb 06, 2012 Michelle Svoboda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Starting off with yet another one of DC Comics’ newly numbered releases, Detective Comics #1 is a great classic cat-and-mouse Batman vs. Joker story. This debut issue brought to us by Tony S. Daniel and Ryan Winn is a brilliant restart to the title.

The issue did a great job of introducing various essential characters and their personalities, signature Batman paraphernalia, various supervillains and the Arkham Asylum, and the crucial relationship between Batman and Commissioner Gordon. With a bat...more

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Oct 03, 2012 Jeremy Stange rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-comics

My latest visit to Gotham comes in the form of Detective Comics, the iconic title that is to Batman what Action Comics is to Superman (forming a collection of short story-lines instead of a continuous one). I have read several of the titles in the Batman franchise part of the New 52 releases, but I get the impression that Detective Comics is both one of the darker and more mature ones as well as having an incredibly high expectation to live up to (considering the very long run the title previous...more My latest visit to Gotham comes in the form of Detective Comics, the iconic title that is to Batman what Action Comics is to Superman (forming a collection of short story-lines instead of a continuous one). I have read several of the titles in the Batman franchise part of the New 52 releases, but I get the impression that Detective Comics is both one of the darker and more mature ones as well as having an incredibly high expectation to live up to (considering the very long run the title previously had).

Tony S. Daniel has done the writing and pencilling on several Batman related titles in the past (not counting the supporting team of inkers and such), so one assumes this to be another hit. The writing seems a lot darker than other Batman related titles in the New 52 range, but I do not feel like it is adding anything to the franchise. Maybe the title will come into its own once they start mixing in some other Gotham based characters, but at the moment it does not capture my attention like it should.

As with the writing, the artwork for Detective Comics is definitely a lot more brooding than the other titles in the Batman franchise. That said, it is still very middle-of-the-road in terms of the general look and feel (although it does fit the writing nicely). Not that I was expecting the artwork to be very alternative (that would have been way too risky), but with the writing so bland at the moment it would have been nice it the artwork managed to somehow elevate this title above being rather average.

If you love Batman (like I do), then Detective Comics is definitely worth checking out. It does feature the occasional side-tale, but these always concern well-known figures in Gotham. With the Court of Owls dominating the first Collected Edition of the “main” Batman title, it was refreshing to see him be what I always imagine him to be in Detective Comics instead. Do not go expecting anything award-winning, but with this being one of the most prolific DC Comics titles it might be worth sticking with it.(less)

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Mar 08, 2012 Bryan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: superheroes

Issue 1 deals with the Joker, but ends with a shocker of a surprise ending, and focus shifts to the Dollmaker.

Issues 2-4 focus on the Dollmaker. A very minor subplot involves Charlotte Rivers.
The Penguin is referenced in issue 4 as one of the buyers bidding on Batman; the Dollmaker accepts the bid, but wants Batman's corpse back. And the Dollmaker gets away at the end of issue 4 - he'll certainly be back when the Joker mystery gets sorted out, but his story in these pages now ends.

Issues 5-7 fea...more

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Jun 13, 2012 Shane rated it 2 of 5 stars

The reboot of Batman's earlier years isn't living up to the hype so far. I've enjoyed the ones set in the present, but this collection was all over the place. Set in a Gotham where only a young Commissioner Gordon fully trusts him, Batman tries to stop deranged murderers while avoiding cops that want to kill him and a Mayor that supports his elimination. The first story is about Batman's first confrontation with the Joker, after the Joker has been in action for several years already. The ending...more

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Jun 23, 2012 Chris Beveridge rated it 1 of 5 stars

I didn't go into Detective Comics with too many preconceived notions since I've read a wide range of writers and writer/artists over the years tackle the character. The book has additional pressures in being the relaunch of the venerable magazine and really needed something strong to sell it, especially running in parallel with the other main Batman book. Tony S. Daniel has some good mood pieces here, some solid artwork and a lot going on, but the story as a whole is a mess and the narration dia...more

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Jun 22, 2012 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, dcu

To note, I received a copy of this book from DC via Goodreads' first-reads giveaway.

In general, I rated this book as a 3 by Goodreads suggested rating guide (I liked it). Otherwise, using a non-suggested rating guide, I'd rank it a 7.5/10. (general ranking explanations in my profile). I felt the book was good, but maybe not great, The 1st story (the Dollmaker segment) was a little lacking in cohesion to me. It starts off suggesting a Joker story, but then that villain disappears with a mystery t...more To note, I received a copy of this book from DC via Goodreads' first-reads giveaway.

In general, I rated this book as a 3 by Goodreads suggested rating guide (I liked it). Otherwise, using a non-suggested rating guide, I'd rank it a 7.5/10. (general ranking explanations in my profile). I felt the book was good, but maybe not great, The 1st story (the Dollmaker segment) was a little lacking in cohesion to me. It starts off suggesting a Joker story, but then that villain disappears with a mystery that isn't even resolved within this volume. He could be in the background or other participant, but that isn't revealed. In general, he 1st story didn't seem to really go anywhere more than jump around from scene-to-scene, with the only real benefit of enforcing Batman's position with James Gordon and the other Gotham authorities.

On the other hand, the other two stories in this volume ("Russian Roulette" and the Penguin segment) were much better told stories in my opinion. I especially liked the short "Russian Roulette" story, which focused on Catwoman and several other villainous-types to the exclusion of Batman completely. This short also had a different artist, which worked rather well for the style. The only problem I felt was the placement in the middle of the Penguin segment of the book caused a major break in the flow of the volume. It probably should have been located between the main story segments or at the end of the volume. The penguin story was very nice in that it resolved plot points from earlier in the book, actually had active detective investigating which one should expect for "Detective Comics" (even if Wayne's girlfriend-du-jour might have done the most active investigating as a reporter), and contained a cohesive story-line.

The art in this book was good and succeeding in setting a mood. While there was some gore, it did not go so far over the top as to become grossly disgusting, but kept to a level that focused on the act of violence rather than the effects when needed for the story. And the author demonstrated several times that he is clearly aware that off-screen (or panel in the case of comics) violence can be far more frightening than what is demonstrated on-screen. The book also included sketches and pencil-work in addition that was nice for getting an idea of Daniel's planning and design methods.(less)

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Jun 30, 2012 Michelle rated it 2 of 5 stars

Review originally posted here.

Why I Read It: I love love love Batman, and this is a part of my challenge to read as much of the New 52 as possible. I did go in with some trepidation though -- one of my really good friends who is a fellow comic book geek warned me that the new line of Detective Comics isn't up to snuff.. I wanted to try it anyway for curiosity's sake.

Well, my friend was right. This volume of Detective Comics was a mess I tell you. MESS!

It's sad because the first issue looked pro...more
Review originally posted here.

Why I Read It: I love love love Batman, and this is a part of my challenge to read as much of the New 52 as possible. I did go in with some trepidation though -- one of my really good friends who is a fellow comic book geek warned me that the new line of Detective Comics isn't up to snuff.. I wanted to try it anyway for curiosity's sake.

Well, my friend was right. This volume of Detective Comics was a mess I tell you. MESS!

It's sad because the first issue looked promising. That last panel with the Joker? Chilling stuff. But then the rest of the volume barely touched on that story. There was some stuff with the doll guy, but it somehow branched off into the Penguin and his new casino which became it's own story. It was all so scatterbrained.

There was no cohesiveness. Batman was apparently solving mysteries, but things were popping up left and right out of nowhere and I couldn't keep up. It's kind of hard to when the writer is throwing things at you from all sides and not letting everything come together on its own. I actually finished this almost two weeks before writing this, and I've forgotten pretty much... everything that happened. Except for the first issue.

The art was fine, but I keep repeating how I'm not a fan of the typical American comic book look, and this is definitely in that camp. Batman is built like Arnold Schwarzenegger (seriously, I know superheroes are probably built, but they're all SO BUILT!!) and has a ridiculously chiseled jaw etc. It's not my thing, but it's perfectly fine for the medium.

OH, and another thing. Like Green Lantern, I was not at all a fan of the romance here. I am so sick of reading comic books where the female love interest is totally into the male superhero even they're hard-to-get assholes who blow them off all the time. Charlotte digs Bruce BECAUSE he plays hard-to-get? And she forgives him of all fouls when he does bother to show up? And he assuages her with gifts and money? Gross. Is this whole idea of chicks digging hard-to-get guys some kind of male fantasy? Because it's annoying.

Final Verdict: This first volume of the new launch of Detective Comics was a hot-mess. The story (or stories I guess) lacked cohesiveness and I constantly had information flying at me from all sides, creating a big jumbled mess. I was also extremely annoyed with the romance angle of the story, and Charlotte's draw to Bruce because he's elusive and "hard to get". I get that some girls like that kind of thing, but do all female love interests in comics need to be into it? It's annoying. The art was fine, but not mind-blowing. All in all, my friend was right and I probably just shouldn't have bothered. Will I read more?? ...Maybe. I'm still curious if they're going to go back to the story of the first issue, which I DID actually like. It was a promising start... it's just too bad it devolved from there.(less)

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Dec 31, 2012 Laurel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: batman

Tony S. Daniel is one heck of a Batman artist! He's well complimented by colorist Tomeu Morey who added just the right moods to Daniel's pencils. Not only did Daniel's characters have distinctive faces, but body types and movements as well. I was also impressed with the beautiful details he puts into his backgrounds whether it's the Gotham skyline of mountains in Colorado.

There were some real 'gross out' moments in this collection, but for the most part the story rolled along smoothly, includin...more

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Jun 29, 2012 Dave Harrison rated it 3 of 5 stars

Not bad. A fairly good start for the New 52 rehash of the primary Batman series "Detective Comics". There's no "year one" stuff here - Batman is an absolute veteren badass who crushes baddies like bugs. The book feels like it's broken up into two parts:

Part 1 is very good, and has a Silence Of The Lambs feel to it. The Joker has escaped and undergone a radical (and, I should note, fucking awesome) surgical procedure at the hands of a new villain, the Dollmaker. Dollmaker uses parts of people (af...more

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May 29, 2012 Michelle (In Libris Veritas) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novels

I've been curious about the New 52 for some time I just haven't really had much of a chance to read any of them. So when my boyfriend bought the first 7 issues I definitely wasn't going to refuse the offer to read them. 2 hours later and I'm dying for more.
This starts off pretty strong and keeps you hooked. Batman is in prime form (though a little arrogant, but I don't blame him) and his enemies are really working to shake things up. Reading them in issues as opposed to the volume format does g...more

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May 31, 2012 Draackje rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: comics

As a newcomer to DC comics, this was a confusing combination of stories. First a short (but great) Joker story. Unless I missed something, there was no end to this storyline though, so I suppose that's still coming later. Then the story shifts to the Dollmaker, which had some connection to the Joker story, but didn't continue it or offer answers. The Dollmaker story was interesting and rather exciting, but had a great anti-climax.
Then suddenly the story focuses on the Penguin, with some aspects...more

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Jun 21, 2012 Tasha rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, graphic-novel

I received this book free from Goodreads' first reads.

When DC started the new 52 I knew I wouldn't be able to afford to read all the different Batman comics. I chose two, but Detective Comics was not one of them. I now regret this decision.

The way this story begins is creepy beyond words. The first third of the book is hands down the best part. From there the plot thickens. Getting more complex and drawing in more and more villains. And of course the best thing about Batman is the villains. This...more

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Aug 10, 2012 Jessie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: comic-compilations

We had read the first issue or two of this in comic form and then dropped it in favor of Batman. That was the right choice, but this was better than we thought it would be. I definitely felt like there were lots of nuances I missed not being as familiar as I should be with the villains of Batman. So many were introduced or name-dropped that sounded familiar, but I couldn't place. On the other hand, there were many storylines and none of them got resolved in this first volume. I also wasn't alway...more

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Oct 23, 2012 Dane Jackson rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

I've always liked Tony Daniel's art on the Batman projects he worked on. It must have been tough to have co-duties on such an iconic title.

Unfortunately, this volume is pretty hit or miss. I loved everything with The Dollmaker and was ho-hum about everything else. I'd love to see the Dollmaker explored a bit more thoroughly...maybe by Scott Snyder or John Layman?

To be honest, I just started picking Detective Comics up again monthly with Layman's addition to the book. My only experience with Da...more

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Jul 08, 2012 Aaron rated it 2 of 5 stars

I don't understand why Tony Daniel is allowed to both write and draw. I'd really love to know what the political situation is there. Does he have something on DC? Does he refuse to draw if he isn't allowed to write? I don't know, but he's no good at writing. His art is detailed and at times gorgeous, but it's not good enough that he should have full control over an entire flagship DC series.

The stories in this volume are bland as bland can be. They're not outright stupid, but they're just predic...more

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Oct 10, 2012 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Batman fans, old & new alike

When DC decided to "re-boot" their superheroes, I'll admit I was a bit skeptical and wary. However after reading Faces of Death by Tony S. Daniel, I feel a bit more comfortable----enthusiastic even to read more of DC's "New 52"!

Whether you are new to The Dark Knight and his friends/villains or if you've been a fan for a while now, I'd definitely recommend picking up this graphic novel which houses the first 7 issues of the new Detective Comics. :) The artwork was stunning, and as far a story, a...more

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Sep 17, 2012 Steve rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, graphic-novel, science-fiction, sci-fi-fantasy

Story and Illustrations both by Tony S. Daniel, this book was more of a traditional Batman tale where Batman is trying to find the criminal or their victims before it's too late. And, being part of the New 52, Batman is more of an outsider, working on the fringes to clean up Gotham. While some threads are left for the future most of the plotlines in this book are tied up and the art fits well with the story, if a little more mature, in terms of gore and violence than the Detective Comics of a de...more

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May 06, 2013 Kyle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: dcu

Slightly above average.

The half of this collection that is about Joker's face is REALLY intriguing! Not only because of what happens to the Joker, but also because of the new, equally sadistic villain, Dollmaker. In this half of the collection, art imitates life (or vice versa? I'm not sure of the IRL timing), and we get to see how Gothamites idolize the Joker and use his likeness to undermine social order. It's a really good storyline that comes to an abrupt end when....

We move into the second...more

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Dec 20, 2012 Chris rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: batman, graphic-novels

I have been a Batman fan since before I could read. Changes in my life had caused me to pull away from my comic addiction a few years ago so I have been a bit out of touch with the DC Universe lately. When I saw my library had this graphic novel I was as excited as a kid at Christmas time. I couldn't wait to step back into Gotham city and visit my ultimate hero. I knew going into this that things have changed in the DCU and the New 52 is basically a reboot of all the big series characters. This...more I have been a Batman fan since before I could read. Changes in my life had caused me to pull away from my comic addiction a few years ago so I have been a bit out of touch with the DC Universe lately. When I saw my library had this graphic novel I was as excited as a kid at Christmas time. I couldn't wait to step back into Gotham city and visit my ultimate hero. I knew going into this that things have changed in the DCU and the New 52 is basically a reboot of all the big series characters. This was not what I expected.

I was so excited to read this becuase I had heard bits and pieces about the story and thought it would be amazing, with Joker loosing his face and a new villain on the loose. The story seemed like it could have been so dark and, Batman would be pushed to his limits once again. Sadly the story and Batman fell flat for me. Batman is always a dark private character and that was expressed here, but throughout the whole book I felt like Batman was missing some aspect of his personality, and that he was really flat as a character. It was hard to like him or be excited about the action in this book. I know it has been awhile since I have read Batman, and even longer since Bruce Wayne has been back in the cape and cowl, but this seemed off.

The story had some real potential, but nothing really went anywhere. The joker story line only took up half the book and there was really no resolution. I understand stringing the reader along so they keep coming back, but when this ended I felt like "Is this really it?". Next we get a Penguin story, that is typical and really didn't impress me much. All it did was give Batman's current girlfriend a little more page time. The story wasn't very special at all and again I was left asking if that was it.

On to what I liked about this book. Tony Daniel is an amazing artist. I have loved his work on the Batman series and I hold him in such high esteem as I do Jim Lee who did amazing artwork for Batman Hush, and numerous other comic series. Mr. Daniel is also a very good story teller, I loved his series Batman: Battle for the Cowl, and I kind of expected a story worthy of that caliber. I think Tony Daniel is amazingly talented, but this book was not his best work. It happens to everyone so I will not hold it against him. I still gave this 3 stars because of the art work and the potential to be a great story line. Who knows, when Vol 2 is released I will pick that up and maybe learn more about the Joker situation and it will make this better. (less)

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Oct 06, 2012 Jake Forbes rated it 1 of 5 stars

I understand that when grabbing a trade collection of an ongoing series, one can't expect a tidy self-contained story. That said, as a volume 1 of a rebooted series, this collection is a mess. The first half of the book, from which the collection gets its title, is garbage. Torture porn shock villainy of the laziest sort. The other major storyline, featuring the Penguin, is flat and forgettable. Tony Daniel can draw a nice Batman, no doubt, but I don't think I'll read another of his stories agai...more

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Sep 15, 2012 Ronald rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: comics

Not a bad story, but there are some continuity issues within the story. There is a point where we go from a cliffhanger ending with Batman in a trap, to the Bat running around punching people with no mention of time passing or if that was a flash back. Of the three main Batman titles in the new 52, upon re-reading in book format this ended up being the weakest title from the story telling.

I do like the Dollmaker idea, just transitions made no sense and neither did the next story.

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Aug 10, 2012 Caroline rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novels, read-in-2012

I might have enjoyed this more if I hadn't first read Snyder's Court of Owls, which honestly set the bar pretty high for the New 52 Batman comics.

This certainly is setting up the Detective Comics as a much more violent, horrific storyline. The twists early on with the Joker are pretty surprising, and the question of where he is and how he's going to show back up later in the series will definitely keep me reading this. The rest of the volume, however, wasn't terribly memorable.

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Dec 24, 2012 Peyton rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: thriller, superheroes, science-fiction, mystery, grit, graphic-novel, crime

I'm going to give this one a break for being part of an ongoing serial, because that's the only way it makes sense. The first half--what I'm assuming is the beginning of a long-reaching arc--is excellent: grisly, creepy, and strange, with a well-defined threat and ample tension. The second half--a standalone story--stinks of Hollywood cliché. All in all, I like the New 52 version of Gotham and its denizens, but I wish the storytelling was more consistent.

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Detective Comics, Vol. 1: Faces of Death (Detective Comics Vol. II #1)

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