While many annuals are hit or miss as to whether they add anything to ongoing stories,Detective Comics Annual #3 is heavily related to the current storyline, acting like a missing puzzle piece it perfectly slips into place and lends clarity to the overall picture. Furthermore, it features several of the characters and expands upon their motivations and characterizations. Though it may not be necessary for readers ofDetective Comics to pick up this annual, it is strongly recommended. Read Full Review

All said and done, what on paper is a throw away bonus chapter of a larger story becomes worthwhile done in one story of its own right in Detective Comics Annual #3. It's a well realised and carefully planned narrative that knows when to pull its punches and delivers just enough big bags to excite as well as intrigue. It's a rare story that reads well a first time but better the second time when you can see all the characters in their various places. So without anything else to add; I'm off to go and read it again. Read Full Review

There is a whole lot of shit going on in Gotham!  This Annual being the prequel to the Icarus story arc gives us the lowdown on the events leading to Elena Aguila's death in a Pulp Fiction manner, jumping us around a single day in the lives of Batman and the scum of Gotham.  This story is a lot of fun as long as you make sure you take your cues from the time stamp on the page, because if you miss one you might get lost in the long run.  As far as prequels go this isn't bad and even though I usually hate anything that reminds me of Episodes 1-3 of Star Wars, I wouldn't mind seeing more stories that go this route of using Annuals as a precursor to a story.  Check it out so you too can have the whole story on Icarus. Read Full Review

Buccellato has shown himself to be an excellent story teller, both through his narrative and ability to create realistic characters whom we can relate to. If Detective Comics isn't part of your weekly subscription then you're really missing out on one of the best Detective runs the New52 has to offer. Read Full Review

For Detective Comics Annual #3 a brain trust, led by series writer Brian Buccellato, tackles an origin story of sorts that provides the colorful background for their ongoing Icarus storyline. Artists Kalisz, Loughridge and Proctor are all strong, individual talents but the transition between their work can feel jarring within the flow of the story. Read Full Review

Detective Comics Annual #3 proves to be the best in the series yet, not only being a terrific tie-in to the current Icarus story, but also an emotionally deep self contained tale. Highly recommended. Read Full Review

Annuals are hit or miss, but DETECTIVE COMICS ANNUAL #3 is a big hit. It feels like a great introduction to the on-going series and presents a ton of elements fans are familiar with. TEC ANNUAL gives fans a taste of the main book, while getting deeper into the Gotham criminal underground. Most importantly, to me, Calendar Man makes his mark in an actual comic and not just stuck in the back ads. Overall, this is a really fun issue and great annual. Read Full Review

This annual issue wasn't the most exciting or entertaining, but it did add some elements to the already progressing Icarus storyline. Detective Comics should be about the detective work and the smart, sophisticated stories that started this series in the first place, while the action should be left to the other Bat-titles. While this issue didn't have an abundance of detective work, it was a character-driven story that dealt with real world issues a lot of readers can understand. Batman's interactions with Aden and his father Julian Day (you hardcore Bat-fans know this guy) were the highlights of this issue, but at the end of the day this felt more like a filler issue for the main series. Read Full Review

Again, I'm not a HUGE fan of Annuals, but this one is definitely worth the buy,"especially if you're a Batman fan and especially if you're enjoying the storyline going on in Detective right now. Pick it up! Read Full Review

With how consistent Detective has been recently, this may be the story we deserve, but not necessarily the one we needed. Read Full Review

A feel good story, but why did it have to be the Calendar Man? Why not make up a new character? And why charge five bucks? This is a good read for those who aren't very familiar with any pre-New 52 Batman tales, but for die hards, it's probably a good one to skip over. Read Full Review

The latest Detective Comics Annual tells a side-story of sorts to Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato's "Icarus" storyline. But with Manapul out of the equation, a lot of that storyline's appeal is lost. Read Full Review

While it was nice to see Batman beat up an abusive parent (thus adding a touch of social commentary and reality to DC's world), this was not a good issue. Despite this, there is great significance in the issue itself. That is to say, Batman has been around for seventy-five years, and this is a celebration of that fact. Therefore, if you're a collector, you should probably pick it up. If not, you shouldn't waste your time. Read Full Review

As much as I overall applaud the return of the annuals at DC Comics when a five-Wednesday month rolls around, this feels like an addition to the lineup that needed a bit more work. The story just never quite comes together, and some of the pages are drawn in a style pretty far removed from everything else in the comic. In the end, it feels like a little more work needed to be performed in order to pull it all together. Read Full Review