Last issue of Detective Comics was flat out amazing! Dini crushed one out of the park with the dramatic return of The Joker. I have been anxiously waiting for Detective Comics #834. There is no doubt in my mind that this issue is going to be an excellent read. Let’s do this review.
Creative Team
Writer: Paul Dini
Penciler: Don Kramer
Inker: Wayne Faucher
Art Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
Story Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 8.5 Night Girls out of 10
Synopsis: We begin with Joker telling Batman how he was horribly injured after his scrape with Robin. That Joker knew that Loxias had been looking for him so he made his way to Loxias’ mansion. Joker traded his knowledge of tricks in return for Loxias nursing him back to health. Once Joker recovered, he killed Loxias and took to the stage as Loxias in order to bring magic to a new stage of horror.
Joker then got tired of getting praise as Loxias rather than himself. So, Joker killed Katy knowing that it would attract Zatanna’s attention and maybe Batman’s too as a bonus. Joker says that he didn’t target Zatanna for any other reason other than so at JLA meetings the heroes could talk about how Batman wasn’t able to save Zatanna from dying. Batman then blames himself for being harsh on Zatanna playing by his rules as the reason that she is now about to die at the hands of the Joker.
Batman being able to survive the electrical shocks due to his insulated costume. Batman uses the pain and reaches down inside and breaks free from the chair’s shackles. Joker then makes his escape saying that the show must go on. Batman then smashes open the glass case of water. Batman notices that Zatanna wrote a spell in her own blood on the top of the case in order to heal her throat. However, she still has water in her lungs. Batman gives her mouth to mouth in order to save Zatanna.
We then cut to the next day with Zatanna waking up in Bruce’s mansion with Bruce by her side. Bruce fills Zatanna in on what Joker did to Loxias. Zatanna retorts that she wants to kill Joker. Bruce asks Zatanna why she chose to heal herself rather than free herself from the case of water. Zatanna responds that if she had freed herself she would have been too weak to cast another spell to heal herself. So she just healed herself and trusted Batman to save her. That Batman always does.
We shift to Batman and Zatanna searching Loxias’ mansion for clues about where Joker is going to hold his next show. Batman turns the steam on in the shower and sees that Joker wrote notes on the shower door about holding a show at a church on St. Genesius Street.
We hop to the abandoned church and see a huge crows assembled for Loxias’ show. Joker releases his trademark Joker Gas on the crowd. The crowds stampedes for the exits only to find electrified bars locking them into the church.
Batman and Zatanna then arrive on the scene. Zatanna turns the Joker gas into harmless oxygen. Zatanna then turns the audience into vampire bats. The vampire bats then attack Joker and begin biting him all over and sucking out his blood. Batman then drops Joker with one punch.
Zatanna turns the audience back into normal people again. Joker stays slumped over and babbles as he is lost in a delusional nightmare of pain and fear. Batman compliments Zatanna on a job well done. Zatanna thanks Batman for giving her a chance to catch Katy’s killer. Batman tells Zatanna that he is done blaming her for an error in judgment since he made a terrible one himself last night. Zatanna kisses Batman on the cheek and tells Bruce that he is only human. End of issue.
Comments
The Good: Detective Comics #834 was a good issue. Dini gives us a well paced issue. Dini serves up an enjoyable blend of action and drama. The issue doesn’t feel rushed, but it certainly moves along at a pleasant pace. Detective Comics #834 was well plotted as Dini manages to build off of the earlier one-shot issue involving Robin and the Joker as well as putting a bow on the conflict between Zatanna and Batman.
Even though Dini has stuck almost exclusively to a one-shot format during his run on Detective Comics, he still has kept an eye to long range plotlines. Dini weaves several re-occurring themes throughout these series of one-shot issues. I was glad that Dini got around to explaining to the reader what happened to Joker after we last saw him getting run over by a truck in Detective Comics #826.
We get plenty of action in Detective Comics #834. It is always enjoyable watching Batman punk out Joker. The final fight scene was well executed. I like the edge that Zatanna displayed as she turns the crows into vampire bats that then begin to chomp away on the Joker. That is twisted. And then Dini has Batman approve of Zatanna’s vicious tactics. Dini has a great feel for Batman’s character and it is little throwaway lines like that which serve to re-enforce that Batman has a real nasty streak.
Dini crafts his usual well done dialogue. The strong dialogue helps to generate excellent chemistry between Zatanna and Batman. Dini uses this two issue story arc to continue to flesh out and evolve the relationship between Zatanna and Batman. I dig that Dini shows that Batman is capable of acknowledging when he has made a mistake. I dig that Batman assumes full responsibility for Zatanna’s injury due to his bullying of Zatanna in last issue refusing to let her use any magic in their search for Loxias.
I also like that Dini shows that no matter how tough it appears Batman is on the people around him, it is nothing compared to how tough Batman is on himself. Batman refuses to forgive himself for almost getting Zatanna killed. Dini shows the human side of Bruce by having him sit by Zatanna’s bed all night until she woke up and he knew she was all right.
I liked the depth that Dini brought Bruce’s character by seeing Bruce beat himself up for endangering Zatanna. And then after showing Batman’s moment of weakness, Dini balances it nicely with Zatanna’s absolute faith in Batman. That at no point did she worry. That the Batman never fails. This scene does a fantastic job showing Batman as more human, but still a total bad-ass who in the end never fails to get the job done.
Dini uses this scene to show how Batman is a total perfectionist and can’t tolerate mistakes even from himself. Also, Dini manages to make the Batman a little human in this issue. Not even the Batman is perfect. And even the Batman second guesses himself sometimes. And even the Batman can admit that he was wrong.
Dini’s version of Batman is a nice compromise between the total prick of the 1990’s and the touchy feely wuss Batman that some people want this character to become. Dini delivers a human Batman, but one that is still cold and terse at times along with a real mean streak.
Dini does a wonderful job with the Joker. Dini’s Joker is deliciously evil and easy to hate. Joker is a cool character, but can be easily written the wrong way. Dini manages to tap into Joker’s twisted logic and beliefs without making him seem to cartoon-ish or ridiculous.
Dini delivers a fantastic ending. It is nice to finally have the simmer conflict between Zatanna and Batman come to a resolution. I enjoyed the events of Identity Crisis; however this feud has run its course. The purpose of Infinite Crisis was a cleansing experience for the big three of the JLA to let go of their hate, mistrust and bitter feelings.
It is certainly time for Batman to let go of his mistrust and bitterness toward Zatanna. Dini handled reconciliation between Batman and Zatanna perfectly. And capping it all off with a small kiss from Zatanna to Batman was a nice human touch. It shows that beneath the tough and cold exterior of the Batman is the angry and scared little boy that Zatanna first met at a birthday party at Wayne Manor many years ago.
Kramer and Faucher serve up plenty of gorgeous artwork. I absolutely love how Kramer draws Batman. Kramer’s Batman is certainly one of my favorite versions. We get plenty of dramatic and stunning splash shots of the Batman. And the final scene was incredibly well done.
The Bad: I have no complaints with this issue.
Overall: Detective Comics #834 was another good read. Dini continues to impress me with his quality run on this title. Dini has even managed to win me over to his continual one-shot format. I believe that this two issue story arc is the longest one we have gotten during Dini’s run. Dini has a great feel for the world of the Batman and has certainly made Detective Comics an enjoyable read each and every month.