I don't think this is Ram V's best issuethere are too many things going on for it to have the focus of last issue's brilliant done-in-onebut the train keeps rolling on an utterly fascinating run. Read Full Review

Alexander delivers some great art in the issue. The visuals are dark and perfectly capture the tone of the story. Read Full Review

Detective Comics is an impressive book that balances dark intrigue and a story you'll hang on the edge of your seat to read. There's a theatrical nature to this tale that's unmistakable and sets it apart from most superhero comics. Read Full Review

This new arc seems like a sharp left turn from the dark operatic previous arc, which could be quite interesting. Read Full Review

Detective Comics #1076 felt different, which is a good thing. I was starting to be more enraged than entertained by this book, so a new direction and a few weird back up stories have brought me back in. Moving forward, I'll be reading this book as if it were an Elseworlds saga, just to enjoy the mad directions it takes us in. I suggest you do the same. Read Full Review

Detective Comics #1076is in many ways a transitory comic. Both the main story and the backups seemingly exist to wrap up the events of previous events, and set up what's to come. It's mostly all very well drawn and consists of individual scenes with good character moments, but there's a sense throughout that the story itself is incomplete. The series' pacing issues continue to plague the overall narrative. Read Full Review

Detective Comics #1076, under Ram V, takes the unprecedented step of presenting a coherent, purposeful plot when Selina and Batman's allies take measures to save Batman from a public hanging. All the uncertain questions surrounding the Orghams remain, but at least this issue shows direction. The elevated cover price signals the inclusion of three backup stories that are all, in one way or another, weird (but not in a good way). Read Full Review

An overly long, decompressed, though emotionally powerful and artistically impressive collection of four stories, this issue of Detective Comics is a bit of a tall order for the reader and his wallet. Batman, Outlaw part one continues to throw more and more questions at the reader (as well as Renee Montoya, pun intended), with no connections in sight. Read Full Review

The first entry into the five-issue “Batman: Outlaw” arc starts off with a bang from Ram V and Jason Shawn Alexander. I can’t imagine DC planned it this way, but it was quite a jarring experience reading this issue juxtaposed to Gotham War — Scorched Earth. Where that story failed in plot and character development, this issue succeeded in spades with Ram V’s script being exceptionally written with each character involved getting various levels of complex development. Catwoman shines in this story (unlike Howard’s version) and starts to assemble a team to break Batman out of his imprisonment. The artwork is also delightfully dark and twisted that provides for the perfect complement. For those who have questioned the pacing of the larger Orgham story, but you’d be hard to deny the operatic feel this arc has started with.

The traditional Detective Comics backup stories help to round this issue as a whole and includes a deeper look at some of the characters who were featured in the main storyline.

Rating: 9/10 more

The best issue of Detective in a while. I'd almost forgotten how cool a character Catwoman can be. It's nice to see her written well for a change. And any story by Dan Watters, even if it's a backup, gets my attention. Recommended.

Nice to have Ram writing Catwoman again.