Written by: Ram V
Art by: Ivan Reis, Danny MikiColors by: Dave Stewart
Letters by: Ariana Maher
Cover art by: Evan Cagle
Cover price: $4.99
Release date: December 27, 2022
Detective Comics #1067 brings the Orgham family plan for Gotham City a few steps closer to fruition with a land deal for the Narrows that completes with explosive speed.
Is It Good?
When last we left Batman, he was trapped in an ice explosion while fighting Gael the werewolf. Batman escapes (Sorta. It's not depicted or explained very well.) by getting carried away by a rush of water, only to be saved by Mr. Freeze. Freeze helps Batman to recover and sends him on his way with a simple warning - leave me alone, and I'll leave you alone.
Later, the Orghams take their next step in Gotham City's domination by clearing out large sections of the Narrows with fire and force while Mama Orgham brokers a deal to buy out all of Wayne Enterprise's property in the Narrows with a Hypno-whammy on the realtors to accept all terms, no questions asked. In one fell swoop, the Orghams clear out and take ownership of the Narrows before Batman can make it to the location.
Regarding plot movement and forward momentum, it feels like things are happening, even if it needs to be clarified what the Orghams are after and why. The attack on the Narrows and the simultaneous purchase of its land demonstrate how far and brutally forceful the Orghams are willing to act to get what they want, using a mix of money, muscle, and supernatural power. This issue dispels all doubt if it wasn't clear how much of a danger the Orghams represent.
Detective Comics #1067 is a step in the right direction for the heavily decompressed story about the Orgham Family's secretly-evil plan to reshape Gotham City into... something. Reis and Miki's art is outstanding, and the Orgham plot to take over Gotham City appears to be coming together with frightening speed. Still, the central down point of the issue is the bloated, ponderous language that weighs the pacing down like a ten-ton anchor.
When last we left Batman, he was trapped in an ice explosion while fighting Gael the werewolf. Batman escapes (Sorta. It's not depicted or explained very well.) by getting carried away by a rush of water, only to be saved by Mr. Freeze. Freeze helps Batman to recover and sends him on his way with a simple warning - leave me alone, and I'll leave you alone.
Later, the Orghams take their next step in Gotham City's domination by clearing out large sections of the Narrows with fire and force while Mama Orgham brokers a deal to buy out all of Wayne Enterprise's property in the Narrows with a Hypno-whammy on the realtors to accept all terms, no questions asked. In one fell swoop, the Orghams clear out and take ownership of the Narrows before Batman can make it to the location.
Regarding plot movement and forward momentum, it feels like things are happening, even if it needs to be clarified what the Orghams are after and why. The attack on the Narrows and the simultaneous purchase of its land demonstrate how far and brutally forceful the Orghams are willing to act to get what they want, using a mix of money, muscle, and supernatural power. This issue dispels all doubt if it wasn't clear how much of a danger the Orghams represent.
That said, the central down point of this issue is the tediously ponderous narration and dialog. It's never a good thing when you have to stop after reading through a panel to puzzle out what the character or narrator is trying to say. Multiply that experience several times in a single issue, and you know the writer messed up. There's a fine line between writing an intelligent-sounding story and overwriting a story. This issue is severely overwritten in several spots, and the heavy language kills the pacing.
Reis and Miki's art is stellar regardless of the script and language. The line work is razor sharp, the action scenes are eye-catching, and Stewart's coloring is exquisite.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
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Bits and Pieces:
Detective Comics #1067 makes some much-needed progress on the plot with an Orgham-sponsored takeover of the Narrows. The art is fantastic, and the plot looks like it's taking on shape and form, but the needlessly heavy dialog and narration drag the story to a crawl.
6.5/10
