Batman

• Title: Detective Comics #880
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Scott Snyder
• Artist: Jock

Splitting the story between the perspectives of both Batman and Commissioner Gordon, the latest episode gives us a Joker story that’s not really a Joker story at all.

One issue away from the title’s wrap-up before the massive DC reboot writer Scott Snyder continues the story he’s been weaving for months and brings events full circle.

Someone has targeted the Gordon family using an old version of Joker venom. Batman is hot on the heels of the Clown Prince of Crime but discovers, perhaps too late, that the Joker isn’t responsible for the attack on Barbara’s mother or the imminent attack on Barbara herself.

I have mixed feelings with the art in the issue which is especially inconsistent with regards to both Batman and the Joker, but the story itself, including the reveal, works quite well. It looks like Detective Comics is one title DC plans to let go out with a bang.

[DC, $2.99]

• Title: DC Retroactive: Batman – The 70’s (One-shot)
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Len Wein
• Artist: Tom Mandrake

As DC Comics looks forward to the future and it’s 52 issue reboot of the DC Universe it also takes a look back with a series of one-shots featuring writers and artists returning the characters and stories they told in the 1970’s, 1980’s, and 1990’s in an attempt to create new tales in the style of those eras.

The first of these Retoractive titles features Batman as Len Wein returns to the character. The story itself isn’t great. I wasn’t expecting a Joker story but I was hoping to get more than the Terrible Trio, but at least it gives me my favorite Batmobile and that old Batman title logo.

Tom Mandrake does a fair job in his artistic duties by given the issue the layout and feel of a 1970’s Batman title. As with all the Retroactive issues this one also includes a bonus issue from the same period (Batman #307). It’s overpriced and not nearly as good as I was hoping for (but still a damn shade better than pretty awful Flash Retroactive issue). Longtime fans of the character may want to pick this up, but others can give this one a pass (escpecially given the $5 price-tag). For Fans.

[DC, $4.99]