That awkward moment when you realize you've said everything you'd like to say in the finale, in the "good" section. Well, whatever. The arc was closed out very nicely, with the exception of the rather quick mop up in that second fight. When all is said and done, I knew Jason Fabok was going to kill it on this series, but the question mark was John Layman, who I believe has done a great job with his first crack at Batman. I look forward to reading more and more Detective Comics from these two in the months to come. Read Full Review

Overall, Detective Comics #20 was a great finale to the Emperor Penguin story arc started by John Layman in Detective Comics #13. There were some fun twists and turns along the way to keep the reader wondering what will happen next. The art was equally impressive, and Jason Fabok has become one of my favorite Batman artists because of his work here. This is the Batman and Gotham that I like to see. I hope this creative team stays on this title for as long as they would like. I cant wait to see what the next issue brings! Read Full Review

I think we'll all look back at Emperor Penguin and consider it a successful introduction to a new villain. It's not often we can say that, and while he's a little too similar to Wrath for my tastes, he's got some interesting ties to three different entrenched Batman villains. His obsession with being the leader is also a unique trait writers will be able to fool around with for years. Read Full Review

Detective Comics #20 goes back to the basics of the first parts of Layman's run, and avoids the flaws made by his later issues. Well, most of them.  Read Full Review

Layman does his best, but you have the disappointed feeling that the issue could have gone a lot better, and he himself knows it. Read Full Review

The issue also includes a back-up story involving Ogilvy's transport to Blackgate Prison and look at his origins. The story also brutally foreshadows the fact that the new Bat-villain is only getting started. Worth a look. Read Full Review

The fight with Ogilvy could've lasted longer and you would think it only lasting one issue would make Ogilvy seem weak (it's kind of obvious who won). But even with a bland origin story, Ogilvy's character makes him seem like a strong character who I hope to see again soon. If you're interested in Ogilvy at all or the Penguin this is a good issue to check out. Ogilvy may not become a very famous member of Batman's Rogues Gallery but he's gotten his wish: even though he's a footnote in the Batman's universe, he is no longer a nobody. Read Full Review

The conclusion to the Emperor Penguin story, which has been building for the entirety of John Layman's run, came to a conclusion this issue. And though I have my reservations, this writer is slowly growing on me. Perhaps it's just that I'm always a little more lenient when it comes to my favorite character and his stories. Or perhaps it's because Jason Fabok's art is absolutely beautiful. And the backup stories are truly amazing every single issue. But one thing is for sure. Layman is going to be around for a while. And for the time being, I'm going to officially go on record with saying that I'm okay with that. Read Full Review

Great artwork, great epilogue, and great backup story but everything else fell way short of my expectations for an 8-part arc's conclusion. After all that wait I wanted something much more than this. To have the brilliant villain turn into a big blue monster who only wants a fist fight is underwhelming. And the constant intrusion of editor's notes in this comic was almost as annoying as Batman's brash actions. Where's the planning? The majority of the story is Batman getting his butt kicked because he waltzed right into an obvious trap and he only wins because he finally decides to do what really should've came naturally to him when the fisticuffs first began. Penguin himself comes out of this arc looking great, it was a solid story for that character and the backup makes Ogilvy's future look quite bright with a lot of possibilities. However, I'm very displeased with the handling of our hero. Read Full Review

This definitely doesn't read like the Detective Comics of even a few months ago. But regardless of the true culprit, the end result is a very disappointing Batman comic. Hopefully a fresh storyline will put this series back on track. Read Full Review

The series looks great even though the writing is beginning to disappoint. Hopefully a new storyline will help. Read Full Review