Written by Ram V & Simon Spurrier.
Art by Rafael Albuquerque; Dani; Dave Stewart; & Ariana Maher.
Collection Cover Art by Evan Cagle.
SUMMARY:
Released by DC Comics in 2023, this 152-page hardcover compiles 2022’s Detective Comics # 1062-1065. Approaching midnight at the Gotham City docks, Batman’s routine clash with a gang of thugs has him worried why his timing is now inexplicably off. Worse yet, he senses something ominous has descended upon Gotham City. Brief consultations with Nightwing and a reformed Harvey Dent don’t ease Bruce Wayne’s mind.
Beyond being slowed by a combination of age and accumulated injuries, Bruce Wayne is now haunted by his own terrifying inner demon: Bar-Ba-Tos. Its ongoing distraction risks costing Bruce his life.
Already rivals of Ra’s Al-Ghul’s League of Shadows, the Orghams, as foreign royalty, intend to stake its ancient claim upon Gotham City. First up is re-acquiring the decrepit remains of Arkham Asylum, which somehow has astronomical property value. Expecting the League’s ambush, the Orghams reciprocate with a vicious battle at the docks pinning down the outmatched police and media. Among the Orghams’ operatives is a psychopathic werewolf that even Talia’s fearsome bodyguard becomes easy prey for.
Having baited Batman twice, Talia’s enigmatic presence in Gotham doesn’t clarify if she comes as a friend or foe. Per a flashback, Talia reveals to young Damian Wayne their country’s ancient myth of the ‘Grim Soldier.’ Its outcome now impacts a present-day Gotham City’s bleak emergency mostly orchestrated by the Orghams.
Falling behind is a bewildered Dark Knight. No matter his weariness, Batman must quickly catch up on the rules of a deadly game commenced between the League of Shadows and the Orghams. With a cured Harvey Dent falling to the Orghams, Two-Face has resurfaced to take command of Gotham’s criminal underworld. Designed as a gothic opera, Gotham Nocturne: Overture ends with an unconscious Dark Knight sidelined. He is in no position to thwart the Orghams’ nefarious scheme.
Related is a three-part back-up story entitled “Coda,” with deliberately murky artwork. Now retired, an elderly James Gordon is prodded into searching Gotham City for a drug-addicted prostitute’s missing son. His investigation leads to a grisly discovery within the ruins of Arkham Asylum and a mysterious young man hiding there. Gordon’s arc later links with the Dark Knight’s subsequent return to the docks in Overture’s climax. More so, the ex-Commissioner’s face-off with the mysterious demons now plaguing Gotham City set up his next post-retirement phase.
Starring Harvey Dent, another three-part back-up tale begins entitled “A Tale of Three Halves.” Having been forcibly relapsed into his Two-Face persona, Dent’s tormented mind struggles with silencing his innocent psychiatrist at the Orghams’ behest.
Notes: Some sources inaccurately claim that this book is 232 pages; it is not – a manual tally confirms 152 pages. This title is also available digitally; its trade paperback’s release is scheduled for July 2024.
REVIEW:
Anchored by high-caliber visuals, writer Ram V’s opening salvo makes for a potentially intriguing read. Other than James Gordon, Two-Face, and cameos by Nightwing, Damian Wayne, and Renee Montoya, it’s quite noticeable that the Bat-Family and other supporting cast members aren’t included.
More so, with Bruce Wayne sidetracked by mental problems, the humorless Volume 1 focuses less on Batman and more on his multitude of current adversaries. To Ram V’s credit, he isn’t telegraphing future plot twists, but this storyline’s surplus of operatic self-indulgence can be grating on readers. Hence, its pretentious tone doesn’t necessarily make one want to seek out Volume 2.
Batman – Detective Comics, Volume 1: Gotham Nocturne – Overture clearly isn’t meant to engage casual readers. For die-hard adult Bat-fans, however, this first installment likely stirs the pot enough to keep them tuned in.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
In a full-page format preceding each story is a variant cover: # 1062 {1:25} (by Innhyuk Lee); # 1063 {1:25} (by Amano Yoshitaka, though it is credited within the story as ‘Martin Simmonds’); # 1064 {1:25} (by Martin Simmonds); and # 1065 {1:25} (by Simmonds).
Afterwards, in a full-page variant cover gallery, these covers appear:
- # 1062 (1. Lee Bermejo 2. Julian Totino Tedesco; 3. J.H. Williams III; and 4. {1:50} Williams III);
- # 1063 (1. Jim Lee, Scott Williams, & Alex Sinclair; 2. Lee (pencil sketch); and 3. Drew Zucker;
- # 1064 (1. Jay Anacleto & Arif Prianto {Harley Quinn 30th Anniversary}; 2. Williams III; and 3. Williams III {1:50 Foil};
- # 1065 (1. Lee, Williams, & Sinclair; and 2. Lee).
There is also a promotional two-page spread by Rafael Albuquerque, which is followed two pages of his character sketch designs. Then, there is a single page from Ram V’s script for Issue # 1062’s pages 4-5. Next is a single panel by Albuquerque and Dave Stewart, as it evolves through two additional stages into full color. The final extra are four logo designs by artist Darran Robinson.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 6 Stars
