Many writers and artists have worked with Batman over the years, defining the aesthetic and mythology of the Dark Knight to some degree. Few of them manage to leave their mark in a single issue, let alone their first one. However, this is precisely what Tom Taylor and Mikel Janin have done with their premiere on Detective Comics.
The first chapter of “Mercy of the Father,” Detective Comics #1090 spins four stories, spread across time. The first finds Batman facing an unseen villain, who claims to have killed many people for his sake. The second story, set decades earlier, finds Thomas Wayne pressured to let an abuser die on the operating table, for the sake of a mother and her newborn child.
The third story finds Batman chasing after a juvenile delinquent, who dies under mysterious circumstances indicating a serial killer at work. The final storyline centers on Bruce Wayne, who is made a stunning offer by a geneticist once employed by Wayne Enterprises. Precisely how these four subplots tie together remains to be seen, but each offers a unique and enticing mystery.
Batman’s origin is redefined
Tom Taylor made a name for himself writing stories that neatly exploit established continuity in unexpected ways. His recent run on Nightwing exemplifies this, giving Dick Grayson a new archenemy tied to both his lives and a half-sister. Detective Comics #1090 hints at a similar twist, which changes a key element of the Batman origin. More important than this, however, is what Taylor’s scripting keeps the same in terms of characterization.
Too many writers have attempted to shake up the Batman mythos by hinting at dark secrets in the Wayne family tree. Taylor, by contrast, shows both Thomas and Martha Wayne to be moral crusaders who tried to save their city. This adds an intense emotional resonance to the issue, showing how Bruce Wayne truly embraces his parents’ example. It also makes the issue’s uniting theme of unintended consequences hit all the harder.
That intense emotion is well conveyed through the issue’s art. Mikel Janin is one of the most underrated artists in the business, being a great visual storyteller who can produce panels that are detail-driven yet uncluttered. Janin is also an amazing colorist, who uses subtle tints to signal changes to time and location between scenes.
It is rare for a creative team to try and shake things up on an established comic book series with their first issue. It is even rarer for them to succeed so well as Taylor and Janin have here. Detective Comics #1090 is a must-read book for all Batman fans.
Grade: 5/5
Detective Comics #1090 arrives in comic shops everywhere on October 23, 2024.
