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Detective Comics #1062
- Writer:
- Ram V, Simon Spurrier
- Artist:
- Rafael Albuquerque, Dani
- Letterer:
- VC's Ariana Maher, Steve Wands
- Cover Artist:
- Evan Cagle
- Publisher:
- DC
- Price:
- $4.99
- Release Date:
- 2022-07-26
- Colorist:
- Dave Stewart
The darkness floods back into Gotham City in Detective Comics #1062. Batman gets back to his gothic roots in a story that's sure to delight those who prefer their Dark Knight drenched in the blackness of the night. The new issue features the first installment of "Gotham Nocturne Overture" written by Ram V, drawn by Rafael Albuquerque, colored by Dave Stewart, and lettered by Ariana Maher, as well as the first part of "The Coda" by Simon Spurrier, Dani, Stewart, and Steve Wands.
The main story, "Gotham Nocturne Overture," begins with Bruce Wayne missing a night at the opera to kick in skulls. While on patrol, he encounters Bruno Maroni, but something isn't quite right. Elsewhere, a certain family plans to rebuild their legacy in Gotham City, and it looks like Batman is on a collision course with a nefarious cast of characters.
From the get-go, it's clear that Ram V is working on something special. It might be early in this arc, but there are moments reminiscent of Grant Morrison's legendary Batman run. The writer strips apart the thematic aspects of Batman, adds two more teaspoons of broodiness, and reconstructs it in a way that harks back to the past without ignoring the character's recent history. The best kind of Bat books are the ones that get into Bruce's head, and Ram V does exactly that.
It should come as no surprise that Albuquerque proves to be the perfect collaborator for this series. He nails the gothic aesthetic of this book. Drawing inspiration from his frighteningly good work on American Vampire, combined with his tour de bat-force on All-Star Batman, there's a dark romanticism to the art that would feel right at home in an Anne Rice story. Yes, some of the imagery is scary, but it's grotesquely beautiful at the same time.
Stewart brings out the dark colors and shades to complement the tone of Detective Comics #1062. It's caliginous and broody, leaving the reader wondering what could be hiding in the shadows of Gotham City. Maher gets to play as well, especially in the dream sequences where the lettering evokes memories of gothic comics from decades past.
Spurrier, Dani, Stewart, and Wands' backup story "The Coda" is all hard-boiled noir, both in look and feel. As a grizzled and retired cop who has seen it all in a city of broken dreams, Jim Gordon's jadedness goes hand in hand with the genre. The story itself plays out like any classic noir tale where the mysterious, beautiful woman asks the grumpy lawman to investigate something important for her. But can this femme fatale be trusted?
After years of superhero dramatics, Batman finally turns off the light and gets back to the horror-thriller business in Detective Comics #1062. It isn't too difficult to imagine this brand-new arc being turned into an audio drama later on, especially with the musical and demonic aspects that would instantly translate well into other mediums. Ram V's Detective Comics debut is a return to form for Gotham's Dark Knight and a cause for celebration.