“Shut Out The Light”
Artists: Brad Walker and Andrew Hennessy
Color Artist: Dave McCaig
Letterer: Rob Leigh
Review by Steve J. Ray
Wow. Detective Comics #1033 delivers on every, single level. Action, drama, surprises, all written and drawn perfectly. What a way to end an arc, and an amazing run!
Since Peter J. Tomasi took over writing reigns this book, Detective Comics has once again leapt to upper echelons of DCs best ongoing titles. The last 40 issues have been some of my favorites, and I haven’t missed a single one in close to 35 years. Tomasi’s take on the Batman/Robin relationship is fantastic, and his insights into the psyche of this amazing father/son team are beautiful. I have no doubt that, whether he ever decides to become Robin again or not, Damian will always be there for his father, and his brothers. The way things end between him and Bruce in this issue is grade A, first rate, fantastic.
Oh, and the action in this issue… Wow! The stunning opening page, the double splash that follows, and every page after are all beautiful. The fact that we see some real thought put into how someone like Hush can stand almost toe-to-toe with the Dark Knight in hand-to-hand combat, is genius. No, he hasn’t had the decades of training that Bruce has, but the fact that he’s a surgeon, and his intimate knowledge of human anatomy are brought into play, and that’s just genius writing.
One Door Closes…
Like I said, the art in this issue is simply first rate, from cover to cover. I’ve loved Brad Walker’s art for many years, but this issue stands amongst his best work ever. I love his pairing with Andrew Hennessy, as you can still see all of Brad’s style and flair, but it’s crisply, cleanly and beautifully finished with Andrew’s tight, high contrast inks. When I think about classic, vintage art that is pure comics, this is the kind of issue I think about. No painting, sculpture, or collages (though I love that stuff too), this is penciller, inker, color artist and letterer working in perfect harmony, and it’s joyful.
I love Mariko Tamaki and Dan Mora, but they have really big shoes to fill. Good luck, gang!
Yes, Dave McCaig and Rob Leigh also deliver masterful work in this issue… look at it! The way they show us decades of memories as flashbacks, as if they’re being projected onto the faces and bodies of Batman and Hush as they fight, is gorgeous. The crack of fist against flesh, the rage in Batman’s voice, and the way the letters follow the flow of the art… this is just lovely.
Conclusion
Yessir, Detective Comics #1033 delivers a fine end to one of my favorite ever runs on this legendary title. This is the longest running DC book, and the one that gives the publisher its name. Has it always been this great? No, it hasn’t… but like Batman himself, whenever it’s been down, it’s brushed itself off, got back up, and kept on fighting.
With a new team coming on, and Future state around the corner, things are going to get brutal. Let battle commence!
Images Courtesy of DC Entertainment