This is far and away one of the best first issues in a story arc DC Comics has delivered all year. It's action-packed, filled with mysteries, and looks gorgeous doing it. Read Full Review

This is a very accessible tale that begins a new era in Batman's history, but it doesn't try to do anything more than tell a solid Batman story with some effective characterization in a classic mystery with familiar and likable characters. While the arc has a long way to go, it starts off on the right foot. Read Full Review

This is just what this series needed to start off after the landmark Issue #1000. This is a great Batman story and one heck of a mystery! Read Full Review

It's great. Tomasi really has been firing on all cylinders since he started writing this series and it's quite impressive. And I'm a huge Brad Walker fan. His art and storytelling at both tops. I have a feeling this storyline may end being a classic. Read Full Review

Yet again standing as the uncontested premiere Bat-title, Tomasi and Walker deliver a momentous introduction to the Dark Knights newest group of villains and show the amount of prep time needed to take out Batman himself. Read Full Review

Detective Comics #1001 kicks off the Arkham Knight's introduction with a dark mystery and ends with an action-packed confrontation that will undoubtedly have readers excited for whats to come! Read Full Review

It gives you just enough to build the story but keeps the wheels spinning of the guessing machine. You have to solve the mystery along with Bruce - hopefully this trend keeps up. Read Full Review

Brad Walker does some impressive art in this issue and everything looks beautifully detailed. Read Full Review

Peter J. Tomasi finally delivers something that doesn't feel like filler material. Read Full Review

This issue begins a new story arc for Detective Comics and reintroduces old characters. It's clear that The Arkham Knight intends to inflict major change in the Gotham landscape. It is yet to be revealed if he will succeed. This we know, with Tomasi at the helm, the story will be interesting and well-connected to the Batman we have known and love. I highly recommend this book for people who long to read a traditional Batman adventure book. Read Full Review

The majority of the issue focuses on Batman doing some investigating work after bats all around Gotham mysteriously end up dead, from the public parks to the colonies inhabiting the Batcave. Batman gets to show off his research, interpersonal, and combat skills, and it's a fun narrative of intrigue, even if it does take a minute for everything to truly spin up. Walker does a fantastic job illustrating the issue, between the bat vivisections, medieval outfits, and Gotham's urban centers and parks. Walker is definitely at his strongest when he gets to portray dynamic action sequences with contrails out of the moving entities to give it that extra oomph. Read Full Review

Final Verdict: 8.5" Batman is the night, but Peter Tomasi's take on the Arkham Knight brings the focus out into the light of day with a fresh new take on a character's introduction to the wider DC universe, aided in a great script with equally engrossing artwork, colors, and lettering. Read Full Review

The jury's still out on Arkham Knight, but so far the setup is compelling, and we're definitely sticking around to find out more. Read Full Review

The Arkham Knight and his army are truly forces to be reckoned with. Their futuristic technology, weapons and armor are a serious threat to Batman, and the issue ends on the type of cliff-hanger that I hate, yet truly appreciate. I'm really glad that this title's still on a two issue per month schedule! Still, this means that there are still 14 long (k)nights to sleep through before we get issue #1002. Read Full Review

Homie got his ass beat. And you know what I really liked about this issue? The contrast. Batman rode a Man-Bat through the darkness of Gotham like a boss, and when everything was illuminated he was rushed and taken down like a punk. I've got some issues with the way Arkham Knight looks, but this dude and his tactics are a real threat and I like it. And I thought the inking and coloring were particularly well done to make it feel like the light they produced wasn't natural. Read Full Review

This is a speedy read, in part because the art team is doing their jobs so well. It should always be this easy to read a comic. But it does highlight just how little Tomasi moves the plot. So while his character interactions are really fun, Tomasi fails to drive home the weight or the stakes of the story he's telling because he runs out of pages to do so. "Medieval" is off to an interesting start, albeit a slow one. Read Full Review

DETECTIVE COMICS #1001 pick up from Tomasi's story in the milestone issue #1,000. The storytelling is suspenseful, aside from a little bit in the middle that doesn't seem to drive the narrative as much. Tomasi's last several issues on the series were strong, and it looks like we're in good hands for this new story, too. Read Full Review

While the Arkham Knight himself is still a cypher, he's but one of several intriguing mysteries going on here. I really appreciate the pacing of this story, with scenes progressing logically from one another. Walker, Hennesy, and Fairbairn's art is positively gorgeous, and Tomasi's script is devoid of unnecessary exposition, with just enough information coming to light as needed. For the first time in a long time, Detective Comics feels like it has an actual mystery worth solving, and we're on the case right alongside Batman. Read Full Review

Batman being attacked by an army of armed cosplayers feels a bit cartoonish when in bright light, and as such the issue lacks the intensity it needs. A lot of this story will depend on the identity of the Arkham Knight, and so far it's a big blank slate. Read Full Review

Peter Tomasi wasted no time in introducing the Arkham Knight to the DC Universe with Detective Comics #1001. The fast pace of this issue was able to put over how the Arkham Knight and the Knights of the Sun are going to be major threats to Batman. At the same time, the quick pacing meant that their motivations did not have time to develop. With the battle between the Arkham Knight and Batman intensifies this is something that is hopefully improved on in future issues of Detective Comics. Read Full Review

This is only issue one of the arc, but this version of the Arkham Knight somehow feels like Batman: Arkham Knight‘s version of Azreal, but with the namesake of an other. While not every comic reader has played the Batman: Arkham Knight game, I would bet that most have, or at least know the character. In fact, it is hard to separate this new iteration with Rocksteady's version, especially since the designs are still so similar. Obviously, there is a lot more story to tell so the two could be linked but unfortunately, this is not the strongest start for the comic. Read Full Review

I feel this issue was a tad slow, but the first issue of every run has its problems because it is introducing so many different things. I am excited to see where this story is going. Read Full Review

Despite last months landmark Detective Comics #1,000, its business as usual for the Dark Knight" as it should be. The fact that Detective has reached one of the highestnumbers in comic book history does not elevate the stakes any higher than forany other title. Its objective " and the objective of any title " should be totell entertaining stories that engage the reader. Time will tell hop subsequentissues of Detective Comicsaccomplishes that. Read Full Review

Well, Tomasi is now 2-for-2 in extremely strong arc set-ups. This feels both exciting and accessible for brand new comic readers AND also appeals to fans of the game series. Walker brings a back-to-basics design to Gotham and Batman, with some of the colors being a little TOO much on the basic side (lacking midtones?). I'm in.

GREAT START! WHAT A TEAM, PETER J TOMASI AND BRAD WALKER!

really enjoyed this issue.
great dialog, fast paced story, plenty of action, and an intriguing mystery.

Tomasi really gets Bruce. his voice, his mannerisms, his ethics, how he handles himself in situations.
the interactions between Bruce and Gordon were short but effective. you could feel the weight between these two as brothers at arms.
the interactions between Bruce and Alfred were strong as well. two people faced with a conflict, handling themselves the best they can under the given situation.

the Arkham knight had a very strong entrance.
not much yet revealed, but very compelled to see where this goes.

one thing i was thrilled at was the removal of the new52's handling of the Man-Bat family.
this feels more true to the characters as first introduced.

the art was a real delight as well.
very animated cartoonish style, with just the right amount of detail.

good start to the second arc. more

"BURN BACK THE DARK!"

Fantastic start for the arc, i'm so happy that Tomasi is still on this book.

I really like where this is going. I'm already really interested in the Knights of the Sun and what thier goal is. We had a lot of action, the issue was filled with mysteries and the art was superb.

Can't wait to learn more about the Knights of the Sun and Arkham Knight. Definitely pick this one up.

I’m interested to see where this all goes, it seems cool!

This feels like a prelude to the rising of the Arkham Knight, it has reminded me Azrael from 90’, but Tomasi know that and he tries to differentiate these two characters.
He tries but the characters are still similar in some aspects.
But the writing and the story are both great.
The art is good but I personally prefer the Mahnke’s one.

This was a really fun read. I hope we don't have any more anthologies to screw up now.

Brad Walker isn't Doug Mahnke. I shouldn't hold that against him, but after Mahnke, everyone at DC outside of Hitch and Gleason seems a bit bland.

Otherwise, a good start to the new arc, if perhaps a bit too rushed and crowded.

Great start of this story, Tomasi is still going strong. Arkham Knight seems interesting, and I expect some huge things to happen in this arc.

"Perhaps they were tired of hanging around?"

I'll take Batman gliding through the city on a humanoid bat-creature any day, over whatever the hell is happening in that other book that shall not be named here. I also love the new logo on the cover of the book, it's really great and kinda old-school looking.

The issue opens up with a wonderful, yet very simple thing. Commissioner Jim Gordon has Batman on speed dial. Such a simple thing, yet for me, it sums up their relationship perfectly.
And Pete Tomasi, which really isn't a surprise at this point, has Bat-Butler banter figured out. Only Penny One can talk about bat's guano with a straight face.

As for the big bad, the Arkham Knight, we don't get that much from him, his knights are more prominent in this issue. We don't know his motivation other than wanting to rid Gotham off shadows, but one thing seems certain. Batman will not have an easy time with this guys. I'm trusting that Tomasi will be capable to deliver a good story. He did that with the previous arc, even though the ending was a tad disappointing.

Lastly, I want to mention the art. I like it. Characters look good, the action is clear and easy to follow. It does seem a bit rectangular at first, but it's easy to get used to.

"Burn bright..." more

So where we stand in Batbooks, this was better than Batman 68 and has a totally different feel than BatWhoLaughs. The story moved quick with what appeared to be a good display of inner dialogue with Bats. It’s nice to see the Commish in a story and working with Bats but not being kidnapped and beaten. My only hope is we didn’t jump the shark on a story by already introducing the knight too soon.

It feels kind of like Kane’s squad from the run earlier but medieval. I want detective comics to be more grounded like a detective. Too soon to give it a really bad score but kept me interested enough for the next issue. The play up with this at the end of 1000 to me at least was that this knight would be a big deal since it was page splash after page splash of Batman’s biggest villains. So again, to end 1000 with the Arkham Knight only to see him enter the story already, I hope it has a good payoff. more

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myconius - Apr 12, 2019

one of the things i've really been enjoying about this series since Tomasi took over is Batman's inner dialog. Bruce really feels like an actual detective again.

Darkseid24 - Apr 12, 2019

Agreed.

Dispatchdcu - Apr 12, 2019

Totally. Funny... making him more like a detective in this comic... what a new agey idea :) totally agree

Darkseid24 - Apr 12, 2019

Well he wasn’t for a very long time, so it’s special these days

Dispatchdcu - Apr 13, 2019

Oh yes you mean his detective said days with the first victim ( whoever the heck that was) fighting Kane’s army and large monsters.... yup he wasn’t the smartest guy in the room at that time

Darkseid24 - Apr 13, 2019

You are referring to Tynions Detective Comics run, right? That was so awful, I was so glad, when it was finally over. Didn’t make sense on so many levels.

Dispatchdcu - Apr 13, 2019

Yes I was referring to that run and I agree with you on that one too :)

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Well not 100% on the Arkham Knight story yet, that was probably the weakest part of the issue. Hopefully next issue we get more of him so I can get on board with this. Great art and good dialogue. It's great to actually see Batman be of a Detective. Something feel like we don't see too often.

Tomasi knows how to capture our attention and imagination, how to set a good mystery up, and establish a foe Batman will have to face in next issues. And even if secret cults aren't anything new to Batman (just to name The Sacred Order of Saint Dumas and The Court of Owls), it always is very interesting to see where do they come from, what motivates them, and what's their ultimate end goal. That's what I hope to see in this arc - not just a gimmick-fueled sect of baddies, but a more fleshed out organization with proper backstory and (brainwashed) methodology.

Good beginning - I hope the arc continues on this note.

THE GOOD:

-I'm not usually a fan of Brad Walker's art, and he's no Doug Mahnke, but I enjoyed the art this issue.

-All the dead bats around Gotham was neat and kinda creepy.

-Tomasi always seems to nail the banter between Batman and Alfred.

-Francine was a cool character this issue and her scenes were great.

-Tomasi writes Batman great.

-The action scenes were great and I enjoyed the layouts for those panels especially.

THE BAD:

-I'm still just not interested in Arkham Knight whatsoever. Who knows? Maybe I'll change my mind later.

-The artificial sun or whatever, was just… I dunno. Good idea, maybe, but the execution felt kinda cheesy.

-This issue just felt a little rushed. Don't get me wrong, I'd take all of these events happening in one issue over nothing happening in one issue any day, but I feel like this issue could improve with slower pacing. more

Having the game in mind this issue was kind of Meh for me. Making the Arkham Knight a canon character still seems quite pointless to me. Just like in the game he has an issue with Batman& he has his army. That’s it up until now. However in the game the Arkham Knight’s character was quite pale in comparison to Scarecrow.
The Arkham Knight being Jason was what made him a little interesting in the end. His character sucked in the game& I could only like him a little bit, because he turned out to be Jason. In Detective Comics the new Arkham Knight most likely won’t be Jason, because Jason already is Red Hood& Arkham Knight was the Under the Red Hood version of the Arkham games. Tomasi already tried to make AK his own character in the official AK comics& that’s one reason, why they were so bad& why they contradicted the game so much. A lot of potential was wasted there unfortunately.
So as a big fan of the game I can‘t read this story without thinking: Where’s Scarecrow? Where’s Jason? And I know that I will be disappointed at both ends in the end. However whether this story will be good or not depends on how much Tomasi manages to make Arkham Knight his own character & also an interesting villain, if he’s not Jason. What also leads to the question, why not simply creating a new character? Guess the name is already selling.
As for the story nothing that much happened yet. Bats are getting killed, Batman is investigating the case with Manbat‘s wife Francine. We also see the Arkham Knight. That’s it, but it’s just the start of the story, so I don’t criticize it much for it yet. There’s no connection to Detective Comics 1000 AK story though. I also already doubt that it can keep up with the story of the game.
As for the art, it’s great. Nothing to criticize here.
So overall I’m not that convinced of the idea yet, guess future issues will tell. more

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myconius - Apr 12, 2019

i've shut out all association of the Arkham Knight from the video game. what i'm hoping is that they've just taken the design and idea and have finally made a true brand new character as originally promised.

Darkseid24 - Apr 12, 2019

I can’t do that. Love the game too much& when he’s called AK I expect something with the character I already know. DC just should have created a new character. Jason was what made him a little bit interesting. Overall AK wasn’t needed in the game.

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As much as I liked the previous story,(#994-999) so much I do not like the beginning of this.
  Ticky-tacky drawing and painting. And the last pages of the comic are absolutely degrading for Batman.