The entire run so far has been a great journey, but this particular issue feels like a high standard to compete against. Read Full Review

Detective Comics #1073 provides the accelerando to Ram V's crescendo of tension, character development, and world-building of the series. V's libretto is masterful, delving into what makes Batman tick and providing narrative meat for the reader to sink their teeth into. As a result, this issue demands rereading. All of this is bolstered by expertly rendered sequences from the entire art team of Ivan Reis, Goran Sudzuka, Danny Miki, Brad Anderson, Stefano Raffaele, and Lee Loughridge. Unfortunately, due to the large number of artists involved, there is a lack of consistency between styles. As a result, each change in an artist can take you out of the moment. Read Full Review

As Gotham is dealt another destructive heartbreak, Detective Comics #1073 shows you its other heroes rising to the occasion. The Bat Family and supporting cast are given strong roles in the issue with well-rounded storytelling. Read Full Review

Reis and Sudzuka deliver some beautifully detailed and dramatic art throughout the issue. The visual styles work impressively well together to craft a great looking issue. Read Full Review

Ram V's run continues to be some of the creepiest Bat-material in a long time. Read Full Review

As bad as it is, Gotham Citys been through worse. Ram V is putting it through the usual kind of torture. Its fun to watch him go to work on it with a strange mix of horror, superhero conflict, and straight-ahead psychodrama. Theres nothing in the story that is specifically new in any practical way, but its pretty rare for a writer to dive this far into the psyche of Batman and still make it seem like its something at least vaguely new. Batmans been torn apart and reassembled so many times by so many authors that its truly rare to see Ram V manage something as interesting as Detective Comics #1073. Read Full Review

Detective Comics #1073 sets up a dangerous new Gotham, one that isolates Batman even further and whittles away his remaining allies, while placing the Orghams as a fundamental threat to the city and its populace. Read Full Review

Detective Comics showed some needed signs of improvement, but Ram V really needs to move the story forward beyond these minor skirmishes with Batman, his family and the Orghams. This at least was a step in the right direction. Read Full Review

Ram V and Dan Watters craft the tale of Batman vs. Prince Arzen expertly together, with strong (if sometimes mismatched) artwork. Read Full Review

Detective Comics #1073 was a solid issue in a quite long and drawn-out story. I'm hoping this is a turning point for this tale and we have more of the same going forward. Read Full Review

This issue of Detective Comics dives right back in where the last one left off, and explores the aftermath of the explosion of the Orgham's new building, while also forcing Batman to face off against the mastermind behind the whole catastrophe. While the energy is high, there are elements that don't quite work, like the narrative's insistence on telling readers and the characters they've lost, and the plot feeling muddled in just everything it is trying to do. There are pieces of the overall story here that I like, I just want to see the story more focused, rather than so stretched. Read Full Review

Detective Comics #1073 is a confusing, convoluted, bloated mess of a story that tries its darnedest to make the Orghams seem like masterminds but winds up making them look like inefficient idiots. The more Ram V's master plan comes to light, the less sense it makes, and the art is woefully uneven. Read Full Review

I think I'm in the minority on this, but I prefer Ram's existential horror take on Gotham in Detective vs the multiversal madness that's happening over in Chip's Batman. That being said, I think Ram V struggled a bit this issue with all of the plates he has spinning. We had to touch base with Batman vs Arzen, Jim Gordon, Babs, Nightwing, and more. It made for some awkward transitions between scenes and the book definitely felt overstuffed at times.

The issue picks up after the explosion at Orgham Tower in which Batman has sacrificed himself to save countless civilians. We see various members of the Bat Family checking in to provide updates on their individual tasks and then find Batman himself face to face with Arzen, battling underneath the wreckage.

After what turns out to be an ill-fated monologue by the Dark Knight, we find out that Batman has been outwitted and the (current) master plan was to create a groundswell of anti-Batman sentiment amongst Gotham’s citizens to take away one of his greatest powers — citizens believing in the need for a Batman.

The tension and plot bring up a philosophical debate as to what end Batman truly seeks for Gotham and for what purpose are his actions being done? While an intriguing thought, it’s something that feels redundant from a business perspective (DC isn’t going to let Gotham become free of crime) and a historical one (this has come up before and almost always ends the same way).

Ram V continues to show incremental (some may say glacial) movement in the “Gotham Nocturne” arc and I’m not sure if this issue is going to help or hurt in getting us to a resolution. On one hand I could see this issue being the impetus for a somewhat speedy resolution or, on the other hand, it could open up new corners to turn down that continue to draw out the conclusion. One of my biggest complaints about this current story is that it feels like a “one step forward, two step back” approach done ad nauseam. It might be interesting to see Batman be flawed and outsmarted periodically, but this arc has felt like it’s been used too often.

The backup story in this issue does shed more background on Arzen’s motivations and why he holds some of the worldviews that he does. It gives the character some much needed complexities to elevate him beyond a generic Batman villain but it ends up becoming a more interesting read than main story. I’ve said it in other reviews and I’ll say it again here, it’s always more entertaining to know why a character is doing something rather than just seeing their plans unfold.

Ivan Reis, Goran Sudzuka, Danny Miki, Brad Anderson, Stefano Raffaele, and Lee Loughridge provide beautiful art across the board — from the penciling to the colors, to the lettering — but it is very noticeable when pages jump from artist to artist within the timeline. It can take the reader out of the moment and wonder if they are experiencing a different timeline or story altogether.

Rating: 7/10 more

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Bats20832 - Jul 17, 2023

I think Ram V really doesn't want to write the story anymore. He has lost interest in it, but has been told to drag the arc out as long as possible to keep Batman comics sales coming in. DC believes glacial is good $$$ business for DC.

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This book is a mess. We started with such promise didn't we? What happened? At least it doesn't read like a child wrote it, it's just dull as hell.

See it's tough to date this series.

Is it a good story with good art. Yes

Is it a story I've read 7 times in the past 3 years with 7 different writers. Yes

Ram v is trying to put his own spin on it, but I'm really really tired of the villians " Batman is actually bad for the City and I'll save it shtick " just stop it.

There is no way possible in continuity for the city to flip flop on Batman this much and go from " he's our dark saviour " to " wait someone is trying to frame Batman for the 967th time, and we are dumb as sh!t so we fell for it again routine"

And the mad hatter rip off with a bunch of eyes is dumb, just plain dumb.

If this series existed in a vacuum where no other Batman series ever wrote about something like this. It would be good .

But it's now it's just the next version of the same story I've read that doesn't make sense, as a non black label boom anymore.

Get a better editorial dc. more

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Bats20832 - Jul 17, 2023

There was a time when Batman and Detective Comics dealt with real and relatable issues in fighting crime. Now afraid to do that, so hiding behind SciFi/Horror plots, to mask ability to have meaningful plot. We had a weekend with 80 people gunned down in USA. Now that is real HORROR. We need Batman to fight real crime.

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Enough Ram V on Detective Comics please.

We’re on a road to nowhere… This storyline has been going on for a year and there’s no end in sight. Does this book have an editor?

And poor Ivan Reis. One of the best artists DC has and he keeps getting shit assignments. What a waste.

In "Condemned" by horror writer Ram V, DC Detective Comics leads with MORE anti-Batman sentiment... as it drags out more of the horror/supernatural/demon nonsense plot... once again "some deranged plan"... with weirdo villainess Serpent and the mask of multiple eyes to brainwash Gotham's public... for the Orgham's plans... and the Azmer demon inside Batman's brain OK? So what else is new? I guess maybe I come back in 2024, and Ram V may have this (endless) "story arc" complete? In the meantime, DC Comics if you really HATE the Batman so much, why don't you simply sell him to another comics company? Let some other company that does not lividly despise the Batman write stories about his struggles and efforts to fight for Justice? There are so many REAL world stories that could be told. Instead the horror writers only focus on their supernatural and demon threats.

Send the Batman to Chicago to fight criminal gangs. Let the Batman actually do something relevant to why the character was created. And if you can't, then STOP, and write about something else. Maybe just write Nightwing or Cassie stories or something. Or your vampires. more

Not only is Ram V boring, but he obviously hates Batman and has no interest in writing Batman!