WARNING: The following contains spoilers for "A Master Class" in Detective Comics #1027, by Brian Michael Bendis, David Marquez, Alejandro Sanchez and Josh Reed, on sale now.
By most counts, Batman is considered the World's Greatest Detective, but his young sidekicks and partners aren't much that far below his skill level. He's always honed this particular skill in them, and he wants the Bat-Family to be able to operate in the shadows, coming to conclusions that even Gotham City's cops don't see.
And in the landmark Detective Comics #1027, Bruce Wayne reveals what he really thinks about the Bat-Family's detective skills and their varying methods to approaching the crime.
Somehow, everyone in the primary Bat-Family ends up on a Gotham rooftop where a detective, Dungeon, is dead. It's coincidence according to Bruce, but with the story titled "A Master Class," it goes from Red Hood wondering if it's a trap set up by an enemy or if it's a training session. However, it's really business as usual and Batman instructs Damian to lead the procedural. And everything starts flowing like clockwork.
Damian deciphers that Dungeon's linked to a lawyer, Cynthia Marcus, and there's something sketchy about a murder warrant he has on him involving a Nelson Simpson. At this point, Tim Drake, who usually is considered the best detective of the sidekicks, points out a stench hints that Killer Croc did it. But there are no violent marks on the cop, nor signs of poisoning. Spoiler does her data scan while Batgirl probes witnesses around the area, leading to the details emerging about Dungeon being a corrupt cop who bounced around from precinct to precinct before ending up here.
With Jason hacking his phone and Nightwing suspecting it could be from natural causes, Spoiler gets the final piece of the puzzle with Dungeon being formerly married to someone named Cynthia Young. It's the same Cynthia Young, and the team departs, cornering the lawyer in an underground parking lot. Batman doesn't have much to do, however, as his crew reveals Cynthia was supposed to meet her ex, who wanted to extort money from her. Apparently, they killed a drug dealer years ago and Dungeon kept the evidence, pinning it on Nelson and blackmailing her for more money.
But as the conversation persists, it turns out Tim was right when Killer Croc suddenly emerges to attack them. But as they put Croc down, they rightfully surmise, Croc went to meet Dungeon instead of Cynthia, which caused the corrupt cop to die from shock. Together, the Bat-Family displayed brilliant teamwork, so much so Tim wants them to work together more often. By the end of the case, Batman makes it clear they're all his favorite in a sentimental moment when he calls them, "A fine bunch of detectives. Each and everyone one of you." This incident puts a rare smile on his face, indicating he's a proud father as he swings away into the night.