Detective Comics #34 Review

Will Icarus end on a high? Read on to find out.

The official description from DC Comics:

Batman is faced with an unsolvable mystery: a dead friend, an unknown assailant and a drug called “Icarus.” Has the World’s Greatest Detective finally been outmatched?

Icarus reaches it’s gripping conclusion as Batman has to deal with the biker drug dealers, whilst the superhuman source is also on the loose. The energetic battle between Batman and Holster, along with the violated expression of the superhuman host of the Icarus drug gave a lot of drama and suspense to the issue, with the huge Batman suit being a lovely throwback to The Dark Knight Returns.

Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato have been killing it on this series, as though John Layman‘s run was very impressive, the duo of Manapul and Buccellato have given the kind of freshness the series has needed. The way in which the duo take a edgy approach, going in risky direction, shows their commitment to this series, with the payoff being fantastic. In addition to this the sheer drama, along with the intense dialogue really helps give that sense of atmosphere, with the explosive action being an added bonus.

One of the things I’ve loved about the team of Manapul and Buccellato is the fact they also handle the art, with Manapul producing beautiful pencils and inks, whilst Buccellato delivers beautiful colouring. The consistency of Manapul’s pencils, along with the crispness of his inks really help things stand out, with the unique layouts only enhancing this. Combined with the energetic action sequences, and the soft, washed out colours of Buccellato, and the artwork can be described in one word: phenomenal.

Manapul and Buccellato’s first Detective Comics arc comes to a fantastic conclusion, with the Icarus case getting put to rest. Highly recommended.