This is one of the best Detective issues since the New 52 began and it something you will not want to miss. Read Full Review

While I'm always hesitant to get started on another title, especially a Bat-title, I decided to give this one a whirl based on the talent involved and the characters present. John Layman, Jason Fabok, Penguin and Poison Ivy were enough to get me to check this book out. "Detective Comics" #14 was enough for me to lock in a return to this title with the next issue. Read Full Review

Great issue. I really enjoyed it and it's a must-read for fans of Poison Ivy for sure. If you liked the humor of last month's issue, that more talkative Batman is still here and there's an awful lot of action, excitement, and gorgeous artwork as well. I highly recommend you pick up the Digital Combo pack, the colors on Read Full Review

While the meat of the plot is still up in the air, and the back-up feels a bit superfluous, Layman offers a very different flavor of Batman, one you can appreciate among a whole stand of Batman titles. Read Full Review

It may not have the explosive audacity of Snyder and Capullo's Batman (Fabok's art in particular is solid and skillful rather than inspiring), but Detective Comics is delivering classic Batman in tone, character, and story. It's a welcome return to form for one of DC's flagship titles. Read Full Review

Continuing from last issue, Bruce Wayne needs to figure out how to survive without revealing his secret identity. The story quickly shifts to Batman having to deal with Poison Ivy. John Layman feels like he's completely settled in with the writing duties on the title. The confrontations Batman has with Penguin and Poison Ivy play out differently than how we've seen them happen so many times in the past. When it comes to Poison Ivy, Batman has to make a decision in how to handle the situation as well as try to fight her persuasive ways. There are many shifts in the timeline of the story. It mixes up the pace of the story but starts feeling like too much of a novelty. Layman is heating things up with the new direction he's taking the title. Layman's story is spiced up with the great art by Jason Fabok and Andy Clarke (in the back up). This is all great news for Batman fans but bad news for those hoping they wouldn't have another Batman title to keep on their pull lists. Read Full Review

There are a few hiccups here " Layman hasn't quite gotten Damian's snotty voice yet, and his "cure" for Poison Ivy's charms doesn't quite wow you in its explanation " but in terms of structure and plot, Detective Comics is easily DC's most improved book in its lineup today. Read Full Review

I won't say that if you only read one Bat-book, to make it Detective Comics. It isn't the strongest of that pack by any stretch. But it still has its definite strengths, and when it isn't forced to reference pointless bits of continuity, it succeeds at offering a nice standalone adventure with plenty of familiar faces. Read Full Review

Detective Comics #13 has a kick-ass main story, but an underwhelming backup story. I suggest that you buy this for the meat of the book, but not for the supplementary material. Read Full Review

John Layman's writing is something I didn't expect from a Bat-book: It's fun. The little asides between Bruce and Damian, even in a sequence that I didn't think was necessary, were insightful and clever, while the whole book reads very smoothly. Jason Fabok's art is polished, but not showy, giving us a clear picture, solid storytelling, and a very attractive Poison Ivy without having to make her completely naked. (The transformation of Ivy into pin-up stripper has always bothered me, and it is something which I blame entirely on JIm Lee's circa 2004 redesign of the character.) In short, Detective Comics #14 reads well, is easy to step into, even without having read last ish, and uses Batman well, earning 3.5 out of 5 stars overall. If nothing else, Layman's take uses Batman's greatest weakness (his humanity) and makes it a strength without beating us over the head with his awesomeness or making him essentially superhuman himself, something I wholeheartedly appreciate. Read Full Review

Layman and Fabok prove themselves capable of keeping Poison Ivy's characterization under control. Ivy is an easy character to overdo, either by hypersexualizing her or by leaning too heavily on her plant love and making her an eco-psycho. Layman's writing and Fabok's art are in step with making Pamela Isley a worthy antagonist for Batman. Ivy definitely has some alluring looks, but she's not a leaf-clad nude spouting love cliches. This Ivy has a black catsuit on under her vines and a somewhat sane head on her shoulders " sexy without being slutty, earth-loving without being weepy. Read Full Review

When I finished this issue I looked at my pull-list and thought for a few minutes about what to do with this title. Ultimately my decision boiled down to answering this question: will you ever read this story again? My answer became abundantly clear, no, and so I am choosing to drop this series (again.) If you answer “yes” to that same question, I would suggest to you that you either read too much, or aren't reading enough, this series is average at best, which is a real disappointment for those that can see how talented these individuals are. There may come a day where this title gets turned around, but it is not this day. Read Full Review

GOOD - Firstly, Jason Fabok & Scott Clarke's (backup) art was fantastic. Fabok's facial expressions were a little stiff at times but that's me being nit-picky. Poison Ivy looks hot. The cover is fantastic.

GOOD - The plot has potential, storytelling was pretty solid.

BAD - I thought the dialogue was a off at times, and it threw Batman a little out of character. I thought Bruce was slightly demeaning to Damien twice - treating him like a 9 year old, which is essentially the opposite of how he's been portrayed...pretty much ever.

BAD - Did anyone notice the lettering? The italicized words were at times superfluous, and it threw off the dialogue at several points. Also, the choice of words that were italicized seemed inconsistent as to how Layman intended for them to be read. do you know WHAT I mean? more