Above all else, Detective Comics #858 proves that JH Williams is one of the most versatile, complete artists in comics. In addition to his flair for stunning page layouts and evocative designs, he's also a ridiculously talented nuts-and-bolts storyteller. Because he and Rucka are doing such stellar work with Batwoman in this series, I have a tough time being too hard on the lackluster Question back-ups, which remain oddly paced and unfulfilling each week. Read Full Review

Ignoring the backup, which I view as merely a "free" extra, the Batwoman part of this issue was absolutely stunning and a must read by any definition of the word. Read Full Review

Worth every damn cent. If you're turning this book down, you don't like comics. Read Full Review

This backup serial hasn't read all that well because the shorter nature of the segments has really messed with the flow. It's hard to remember what's come before. That being said, I found it interesting that the storytellers opt to take the new Question out of the suit-and-fedora look that we usually associate with the character, making the mask the entire costume. It seems to work with any clothes, and the track suit the protagonist dons in this chapter makes perfect, practical sense for someone who's expecting plenty of action. Some might be disappointed that the vigilante ends up relying on conventional authorities instead of saving the day on her own, but given the character's history as a cop, it makes sense that she'd go this route. Mind you, the scripts have been silent on her history throughout the serial. Read Full Review

Betrayal, scars, secrets, and never-healed wounds of loss have enriched and complicated Kate's backstory. Her prickly personality is becoming easier to understand--as is her driven need to wear the costume. Read Full Review

There's been a strange sort of imbalance to previous issues of this title, wherein the Batwoman portion of the book seems to be a little more engaging than the Question portion, but that imbalance is somewhat correction with this issue. Montoya's quest and her actions are much more decisive than before, while Kate Kane is tied up with issues of her past, giving us an issue that's mostly flashback. That's not necessarily a bad thing, as it fleshes out the character in wonderful ways. Part of me wants to make a snide remark about the "evil twin" subplot, but as a whole this book works for me, and even though the revelation of Alice came out of left field, it served more as a "What DO we know about this character?" moment rather than an "Everything you know is WRONG!" situation. Batwoman's traumatic past has been referenced before, but this issue's chilling explanation (made even more horrifying by the fact that we never actually SEE what happens, only the aftermath) makes Batman's trauma Read Full Review

Then, in the back-up story--"Pipeline" Chapter One, Part Five--The All-New Question's search for a missing woman comes to a happy and anticlimactic conclusion. Read Full Review

As ever, I bought this issue for the Batwoman story, and I wasnt disappointed. However, if the rumoured switch takes place, and future issues of Detective Comics present a lead story featuring the Question, followed by a Batwoman back-up, I dont think Ill be interested enough to keep buying the book--especially at $3.99 a pop. Read Full Review