Great stuff, building on the themes of the first arc and taking them global. Read Full Review

Detective Comics #1097 is only the beginning of this new thrilling detective story! So speed to your local comic book shop and grab a copy asap, you're not gonna want to miss this! Read Full Review

The mystery of Elixir forges an uneasy pairing in the name of justice. Taylor unwraps a hidden side of Harvey Bullock with superb writing. Garbett and Loughridge unlock the brooding past scars with their art. This all leads to a shocking twist that is sure to have fans talking on NCBD! Read Full Review

Detective Comics #1097 is as much its own tale as it is a brilliant continuation of the threads left open from the last arc. With art that rivals Mikel Janin and a strong voice for the wider Batman universe, it appears that Taylor will continue forward on this title with a unforeseen pacing restraint that allows his brilliance to shine past his decompressive tendencies. Read Full Review

With the direction of the other Batman titles it is refreshing to see Detective Comics #1097 live up to the name of its title. Tom Taylor leaning into the detective side of Batman makes all the interactions that are had even more engaging. Read Full Review

Following the murder of 10 juvenile delinquents at the hands of Asema, Harvey Bullock decides to conduct his own investigation, as the murders tie into an event from his past. Read Full Review

In terms of art, I'm not sure I like this style, but it is serviceable. Maybe it is the sleepy expressions or the harsh lighting highlights on the characters. On a positive note, the vehicles are the best illustrations on the page. Narratively, the private eye angle is creative and entertaining overall to have Bullock as the POV character. Perhaps, the retcons in his story or the general lameness of Elixir is holding this issue back for me, but it hasn't hooked me in yet. Just like the Designer and a fair bit of other villains, there's mercenaries coming, but Elixir isn't differentiating itself from anything we've seen before. Read Full Review

Detective Comics #1097 is a fairly good start to a detective noir story starring Harvey Bullock (?), where the recent damage caused by Elixir stirs up old memories. Tom Taylor's script is a mixed bag of solid execution surrounding an uninteresting mystery. Plus, guest artist Lee Garbett's visuals are on point. Read Full Review

I really enjoyed the issue on the surface but once you start really looking at the plot everything falls apart. Bruce not diving into this massive conspiracy himself, Bullock just happened to know of Elixir back when he was first on the job, etc. Taylor seems to have picked up this bad habit of late where he just changes the past and glosses over his own plot points to conveniently make his story work.

That said I really liked his writing of Bullock and the end reveal was great so I was able to shut my brain off and enjoy the read.

In terms of the art, this issue is huge step down from Janin. Garbett is solid though. What he lacks in expressive, attractive faces, he makes up for with his atmospheric scenery. It’s a good issue, I’m just not sure I’m that interested in the book without Mikel Janin.