This story has two odd flaws. The first is that Bane is somehow capable of making new Venom-based henchmen with the same stuff he pumps into his veins. Huh…I guess? The second is he's made it his personal goal to stop the Court of Owls. Didn't Batman already do that? Bane is building an army to take them out, which is actually kind of cool as this means we'll get some kind of super villain gang war going soon, but I don't see how this story makes sense unless the Court of Owls are still strong in Gotham. Read Full Review

Action, a new and improved Bane, progress in Emperor Penguin's story, the first appearance of Man-Bat, and spectacular artwork. It's a book that gives you a lot to talk about. Read Full Review

Although the price was practically doubled this month it was definitely worth it. The solid storytelling and artwork throughout the issue makes it a must-read for any Batman fan. Read Full Review

If you follow this series, you'll be hopelessly lost without this book. Even if you don't, it's a fun, more or less self-contained Man-Bat arc mixed with a great Bane story and some interesting art throughout. Batman: Detective Comics #19 is a bat smorgasbord. Read Full Review

Overall, it's an interesting effort from Layman, and certainly a respectable one, but I'm not sure how much confidence I have in Detective Comics going forward. Read Full Review

This was a good celebration of 900 issues of Detective Comics! Of course, it would have been nice to see that numbering restored, but I'm okay with this kind of recognition. It literally drives me batty to see a comic go on for 10-20 issues, then get renumbered when a company thinks they can sell more copies by leaping back to the numbering they just left a few months back! Read Full Review

Detective Comics #19 offers enough bang to warrant the $7.99 price tag. While it doesn't feel as grand as you'd expect a 900th issue to feel, it offers more than enough extras to make it a worthy addition to your buy pile. There's a lot set up for the future of the Bat related books, so it will be interesting to see how it unfolds 4/5 Read Full Review

It'll be really interesting to see just how far the gang war between the Penguin and the Emperor Penguin goes in the pages of Detective Comics, but I for one am almost more excited to see Bane tackle the villains that even Batman couldn't beat in the upcoming issues of Talon. This issue was jam-packed with awesome, and even though it was pricey, it was well worth the cost. Read Full Review

Overall this was a brilliant issue, and although the stories weren't perfect they were all fitting, and went perfectly with the main story (besides War Council). They were however all very different styles of stories, as some were more fun than others, and some were more interesting, but overall they were all good, and although I'm not sure if this was a fitting issue to have for the 900th issue landmark (especially considering the price), it was however a good issue, and I'd highly recommend it, whether you're a Batman fan or not. Read Full Review

While all these stories flow well, there's still a hefty price tag. Eight dollars is really asking a lot, especially to readers who already have a tight budget. Yet if you can spare the change, Detective Comics 19 is the reason why you should be following this book. It may not be a stunning, game-changing book like Batman by Snyder and Capullo, but the book is a fun action story starring everyone's favorite caped crusader. Read Full Review

Those complaints do not ruin what is a very entertaining, VERY over-sized Detective Comics event. I haven't been keeping up with Detective, but had absolutely no trouble jumping into this issue with its great stand-alone story and the new characters/factions that are introduced are absolutely intriguing and I hope have plenty of stories planned for them. The book may not say 900 on it, but it certainly reads like it is. It's short on massive revelations or moments, but long on great plot setups and solid storytelling. Read Full Review

"Detective Comics" #19 works very well; I appreciated that three of the four back-up stories tied directly into the main feature, something you rarely see in anniversary issues of this size. More importantly, all of the stories here were fun. There are dark moments in most of them, sure, but Layman in particular never loses sight of the fact that you're supposed to be enjoying the experience of reading this comic, but disgusted. All in all, another victory for the new "Detective Comics" creative team, as well as all of the creative guest-stars. (And for those who like such things, there are even a bunch of bonus pin-ups included.) This is a nice way to turn 900. Read Full Review

Yet with bonus pinup pages by various artists " including some especially gorgeous work by Alex Maleev, Francesco Francavilla and Batman Incorporated's Chris Burnham " this is a fitting celebration of Batman's 900 issues as the world's greatest detective. Read Full Review

Overall, the issue is really good. As a 19th issue, it's solid, tieing together numerous plot points while paving the way for what comes next. Read Full Review

The other problem DC has to conquer with this book is the price " even at the top of their game, $7.99 is a lot to ask for for a 26-page main story. Ultimately, the backups are just optional, so it makes it harder to justify the overall purchase, especially when the ending of the main storyline is so abrupt. Still, there's a lot to like about Detective Comics, and with a creative team this consistent, it's nice to see a comic reach its golden years with such panache. Read Full Review

Readers of Layman & Fabok's Detective Comics will find some solid content in this 80 page issue, but other than the references to the 900 block of Gotham this issue has little in the way of Batman fanfare for people who aren't looking for content related to the current storyline. There may be some interesting storylines that come from this comic and the Layman/Fabok story is of extremely high quality, but sadly the rest of the issue left much to be desired. Read Full Review

Sixty pages of Batman for eight bucks isn't the best value in the world, but at least it was entertaining. Layman knows how to tell a good story and this issue is loaded with them. I'm not sure this was the big celebration I was expecting for the 900th issue and "900" mystery but I guess Layman will pick up the Emperor Penguin later on again. This was an entertaining and good read but nothing special. Read Full Review

Other stories involve Emperor Penguin's soldiers bilking Gotham out of millions, the Penguin planning his escape from prison and revenge against his former assistant, Mrs. Langstrom's plans to save her husband, and a disagreement between cops, one of whom was infected by the Man-Bat virus, over Batman's proper role in the city. For fans. Read Full Review

The quality is solid enough for a regular issue of Detective Comics, but for an oversized, celebratory issue that sets you back eight bucks, it leaves a lot to be desired. Read Full Review

Detective Comics #19 attempts to be a memorable anniversary issue, but ends up reading more like an 80-page advertisement for other series. The only saving graces are the decent artwork and the Mr. Combustible backup feature. Read Full Review

This is not the anniversary issue Detective Comics deserved, nor the one it needed. The main tale is a disappointing blend of poor pacing, questionable characterization, and a pointless retcon of the Batman/Man-Bat relationship. The rest of the stories and the art gallery don't do much to justify the $8 cover price. Even fans of Layman's run would be better off skipping this issue. Read Full Review

“Detective Comics” #19 is packed with content, and while there are a few diamonds in the rough, it's ultimately not worth the hefty price tag. The creative talent is there, but it seems DC intends for “Detective Comics” to act as little more than the gateway to other Batman books. This not only limits the ability of the creators to tell fresh and innovative stories, it also undermines the legacy of one of the oldest books in mainstream comics. Read Full Review

One thing can for sure be said about this title: Fabok's art is beautiful. I dare even say that it's on part with Capullo & Williams III for the best among current bat-titles. Amidst the insane level of high quality Bat-titles currently on the stands, this one tends to get lost in the background. But Detective Comics, with it's one-writer-one-artist team (Layman & Fabok), is pretty good right now. The story is never mind-blowing, but it's always consistently solid and fun. I do appreciate the short-handedness to the writing, although Layman could use a little work on issue plot resolution at times. Negatively, the title does serve as sort of an anchor for the other bat-books, with constant references to other Bat-goings-on, which can get annoying at times. more