Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato have moved into Batman's territory and we all have reason to celebrate another great Batman comic. There is a different feel to this comic as readers are treated to a different sort of Batman comic. This is a great sign that we don't always have to have more of a good thing. We can have more but given in a different sort of way. Manapul and Buccellato are off to a great start and we can all hope they decide to stay in Gotham for as long, or longer, as their run on THE FLASH. These days, it's a good time to be a Batman fan. Read Full Review

Manapul and Booch don't, and won't, hold back. They won't take the easy way out and they won't conform to what people may want from, or expect from, them. They're going to put their blood, sweat and tears into every single panel and give comic fans a series they can be proud of and get giddy over month in and month out. They're fans, they're insanely talented creators and DC has given them the key to play in the world of their most popular character"what more could you ask for? Look out Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo, you've got some serious Bat-competition here. Read Full Review

I don't have any doubts about their ability to tell a good Batman story. So far the set up is familiar, but they're also playing Batman pretty straight. It feels like the way they treated The Flash, even with zany villains like the Rogues and Gorilla Grodd. I feel like they've set up a story that is starting off with a solid detective tale involving organized crime which is a part of the characters genesis, and a predominant theme that defined many of his earliest appearances throughout the 1940"s and 50"s. Some may dismiss it as "just another gangster story", but I think the first issue " the set up " was good. Read Full Review

Detective Comics #30 is one hell of a strong debut issue from a hot creative team that is firing on all cylinders. Detective has not been this strong in years, and anyone who is on the fence about picking up another Batman title, grab this one. Readers who enjoyed Manapul and Buccellato on The Flash, this series will be right up your alley as well. These storytellers are at the top of their game and this is a golden age to be a Batman reader. Read Full Review

While a bit shorter than one might like, Detective Comics #30 is a great start for this team. Given the cliffhanger and the ramifications of both it and Bruce's actions, it will be interesting to see what will happen next. Read Full Review

It's a solid start and a big part of that is how Manapul & Buccellato are approaching the Bat-title in a different way than most of the books I've reviewed over the past couple years. They've ditched the inner monologue, turned the focus away from the big name villains, made Gotham feel alive by giving the Gotham gangs and average citizens their due, and they're devoting just as much attention to Bruce as they are Batman. We don't see any detective work in this issue, but I think it's coming. Issue #30 is all about setting up the big mystery The Dark Knight will need to solve and while I'm not terribly excited about it being centered around a drug that makes people burst into flames, all of the other elements were very satisfying. Read Full Review

Overall, there just really isn't much not to like here. The only thing that I can really think of is that the dialogue between the “bad guys” didn't really feel very natural and came across as awkward. That, and the fact that this artwork is so unique feeling that if a substitute team is ever required to draw an issue, the difference may be jarring. Read Full Review

It's a promising start for a talented creative team that's taking the title in a fresh new direction. While Scott Snyder's Batman has been the go-to book for the titular character for two and a half years, Detective Comics looks to be an interesting alternative for those who want something different. It isn't quite perfect, but Detective Comics hasn't had an issue this good since "The Black Mirror" arc pre-New 52. Read Full Review

Detective Comics #30 is an amazing start for this new creative team. Not only is the artwork fantastic, but the storytelling is strong, the characters are great, and the new feel is intriguing. If you want to try a new Batman comic, this is the perfect chance to do so. Read Full Review

Well that was one hell of a way for Manapul, and Booch to make an entrance.  While I wasn't crazy about the art style when the story began, by the end I was fully on board.  This has been my favorite Batman title for awhile, and I'm glad that it can remain.  Hell this creative team made me care completely about a character you first meet in this issue, and I'm usually not of the caring variety.  So I welcome this new team with open arms, and can't wait to see what they bring us in the future.  Get on the trolley and buy this issue.9/10 Read Full Review

This issue shows a lot of potential for the arc to come and Manapul and Buccellatos run on the book as a whole. Between the prominence of gangsters and organized criminals throughout this one and the slightly crushing last scene, its seeming like this is going to be a story where the Worlds Greatest Detective actually lives up to that name. Im not afraid to say this one just might be a classic in the making so you might want to check this one out. Read Full Review

The action in Detective Comics is blisteringly cool. Batman is illustrated as an unstoppable cannonball as he crashes through barriers. Simultaneously, the creative team captures the almost impossible grace that Batman utilizes to get the job done. Lastly, the flawlessly composed color combination of purples, blues, blacks, and even pinks help to add to the distinguishing layers that lets you know there is a new creative force in town. Read Full Review

Manapul and Buccellato, who co-write the title, deliver a well paced and superbly written debut. With new characters, shocking twists, organized crime and street level thugs in the dark neighborhoods of Gotham like Chinatown and the Waterfront. Read Full Review

It may be too early to call Detective Comics a huge success for Manapul and Buccellato but that's inevitable if the rest of their run is as good as this first book. I'm certainly already digging this title and if you enjoyed The Flash as much as I did, then you're probably feeling the same way. If you haven't already picked up this book, you should! Detective Comics was not a book I read at all, but there's a lot of great potential that it'll be a must have for every DC fan. Read Full Review

Overall, this was a good solid issue that promises a lot of things and provides a nice enough twist at the end to bring the reader back for the next issue. Read Full Review

While this new creative team's first issue was a beauty and filled with promise, it was a bit rough around the edges with how the story flowed from scene to scene. Don't get me wrong, I didn't find anything that was introduced in this issue to actually be bad, I just thought there was a little too much too soon. Once we get a couple more issues of this arc and everything gets a bit more established, I'm confident things will smooth out, but quickly introducing everyone up front in a single issue left me feeling like this was a rough cut of a story with a lot of potential. Read Full Review

Even though the mention of Icarus seems to disappear from comic in the middle, it may just be another tool Manapul uses to continue with the theme of subtlety and allowing the book to rev up to it's peak and then dropping the bomb down on us which is never a bad thing. I look forward to the rest of this arc to see what Icarus is and why it seems to be very hush-hush. Read Full Review

It's great to see Manapul and Buccellato back. While some of their pacing on "The Flash" dragged out a bit too much, I'm finding myself excited all over again. This is a good start to their run, and if they can keep stories moving and wrapping up at appropriate times? Well, that spells good times for us. All in all, a strong debut for the pair on "Detective Comics." Read Full Review

For a story that deals in organized crime, white slavery, gangs, Bruce Wayne still mourning the loss of his son Damian, and the crime boss The Squid feeding one of his soldiers to his pet, Detective Comics #30 is less dark and gloomy than you might expect offering a nice mix of story and action to start of the pair's run on the title. Worth a look. Read Full Review

The opening issue of their run promises readers the title is in good hands with an exciting story to come. Read Full Review

“Detective Comics” #30 is a relatively routine debut for “Batman” under Manapul & Buccellato, but a surprisingly winning one for “Bruce Wayne.” Since super-heroics have tended to be this creative team's strong suit, it stands to reason that things will even themselves out over their opening arc. As of right now, “Detective Comics” looks to be a needed change of style & tone for a character that is crowding even himself in the ‘New 52′, while still referencing and staying true to what is making “Batman” such a strong comic property at this point in time. A strong debut with plenty of room to grow. Read Full Review

As mentioned above, the art works really well and is an exciting change to the character. Manapul makes Gotham dark, but not so dark as to feel depressing. The opening page welcomes you to Gotham with a view from a pier, with the sun shining and birds being fed. The next page is a beautiful two page spread with Batman swinging through the city with the caption, “It's a new start”. It does feel like a new start throughout this issue. It doesn't always work, but it's a fresh take on Detective Comics and I look forward to reading more. Read Full Review

It's a new and beautiful take on DC's namesake title, but readers looking to test the waters might be better off waiting for part two. Read Full Review

A new creative team is always a jarring experience. More often than not, the first issue from them is always the weakest as it takes time for the team to not only find a creative flow but also establish just what kind of story they want to tell. Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato are talented creative voices and while Detective Comics #30 stumbles more than it flies, I wouldn't be surprised if the next two or three issues right the ship and become some of their best work at DC. Manapul and Buccellato are certainly capable of delivering focused and singular work. It just isn't Detective Comics #30. Read Full Review

I want to believe in the team of Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato, and they are not without their strengths. As visual artists, they are at the top of DC's current stable, but as writers, they lack a strong point of view, or a vision outside of simply presenting a typical, expected version of the characters in their care. Detective Comics #30 may have a lot of the right moves, but in the end, it's just going through the motions. There's no voice to match the book's gorgeous looks, and its script cannot match the personality of its visual identity. Read Full Review

Disappointed Flash readers will now be disappointed Detective Comics readers; we, as comicophiles, are poorer as a result of this creative switch. Perhaps this is a case of style over substance? However, I'll temper my words with this " I was similarly disappointed by John Layman and Jason Fabok's run, therefore perhaps the kindest thing I can say is, 'it's not you, it's me'. Read Full Review

Great art, but its a little weak on the story side of things.

I love Manapul's style, but it's a strange fit for Batman. A little too pretty and sunny. The story is "meh." I'm hoping for an intriguing mystery in the future, so far we don't have one.