Detective Comics #856

I know I'm in the minority, but I'm extremely underwhelmed by this book.  The first issue was okay, the second issue I struggled to pay attention to.  I've decided I'll finish the arc and get the first issue of the next one (which i believe is an origin story) but if that doesn't wow me, I'm gone until Bruce is back.

Guys, with this and Batman & Robin, I may have a stroke from the sheer awesomeness. If I don't appear to be commenting after Wednesday, assume the worst.

If this series doesn't wow you I don't know what possibly could (at least art wise) The covers have been great too but, unfortunately, this one keeps reminding me of those bloody Wolf t-shirts. :D

And I'm glad we're going to see more of Kate's 'downtime' again, I really liked how it was handled in the first issue. I suppose now would be a good time to finally read the second Question feature.

I'm loving this series, this is a strong contender for my POTW. Even with Batman and Robin out this week.

I'm not sold yet on the "co-feature" (the phrase back-up feature suits it better, at least for now), but as long as the story and art for Batwoman continues I'll be reading this book. It's out again next week isn't it?

@Zeppo - Really?! Nice.

Batman & Robin is rather good, but I'm not nearly as enamoured as I am with this series. 

I though I'd better check, http://www.dccomics.com/dcu/comics/?cm=12845, it is indeed out next week as well.

I was worried this would mean we wouldn't get an issue for a while, but it looks like October and Novemeber's is up too.

I hope Kate Kane's era as Batwoman is a long one, I'm not fussed if she get's her own title or not, she can stay on Detective for years as far as I'm concerned.

@MacAoidh

The art's great, I just find the character and story extremely uninteresting.

I can understand being underwhelmed by the story.  

I'm a huge Rucka fan and I'd rate the story only about a 3. This will probably build nicely over the 12 issues. 

The Question is by far the best second feature DC has done yet.

For me best back up falls to either The Question or Manhunter. Overall this is a great package. Can't wait.

I really, really love this book. Worth the $4 easy. 

@ Zeppo...checked the dates on this.  Apparently, Detective Comics comes out this week, Sept 2 and then not again until October 28, then November 25...so it is almost a two month break.

In October they are swapping the artists around (JH will do the Question), I wonder how it will work. Will the Question's feature become the main one, and Batwoman get shorter?

@MacAoidh: Rucka talked about switching around the co-features, but I assumed it would be later, after the origina story. I guess we'll see soon enough.

Super pumped for this issue. Can't wait til wednesday!

I'm enjoying this but I found the ending of the Batwoman story a bit odd last issue.I was scratching my head about those things that appeared (would be specific but don't want to spoil).With no reference to them in any of what had come before they seemed rather random.I felt it was lazy storytelling but maybe I'm wrong....does anyone else have a clearer insight into them?

@Fugmo She was hallucinating.

My favourite book right now.

@slockhart  I think by law you are not allowed to say anything bad about this book.

that cover.... just damn....

Im not extremely wowed by the story. it's not bad but not pehnomenal either. the art on the other hand is the best i've seen in the last 5 years, by far. this deserves an oversized hardcover. PLEASE DC!

Conor's pick and Detective and Batman and Robin ship! The world maybe torn asunder, or at least Conor will be. How will he be able to choose between these two great bat books, it's like choosing Betty or Veronica......oh wait forget that. Good luck Conor you'll need it.

I wish we could get JH williams or Frank Quitely to draw every monthly issue of their respective books instead of this every other or every third arc, since they're both excellent and it's nice to have a stable writer and artist on a series. But I guess it takes time to draw like that and that's the price we pay.

I agree with Wad, currently my favorite book

Shit, this makes 2 $3.99 books now...

Best book in comics right now. I can't believe we're getting this and BATMAN & ROBIN on the same week, wow. This is going to be a hell of a week.

DC Comics has the next issue solicited for next week!

@robbydzwonar I think your $ key is going to fall off one of these days. ;-)

@Slockhart: I've liked the writing and the art in this Alice and that faceless guy in BFTC are some cool new batvillains.

I think the reason I don't like this book is because of Kate.  Everything about her is off putting.  In this issue, she came off as a 14 year old you'd expect to see hanging around a mall, outside Hot Topic, trying to act cool.

I was going to stay on through the first issue of the origin story, but it's just too hard.  I'll be back when Rucka's gone (Between this and Action, I don't think I'm a fan of his either.) 

@miyamotofreak: I saw that they're pushing the next one out next week too.  It's crazy, but I'm looking forward to it.

@PraxJarvin: I didn't get the sense they were hallucinations because Kate's previous hallucinations were done in a different art style, and all the other characters seemed to respond to the noises of the monsters. I guess the changed border offered a clue but threw me because again her previous hallucinations were marked by a different border. Well,minor quibbles aside I look forward to reading this issue tomorrow.

@Fugmo-I believe Prax was assuming you were talking about the hallucinations when she was running through the woods, not the animal peeps that appeared at the end of last issue.  That's where the confusion lies.

I don't know who those crazy ugly mutated people were, but I really don't care.  It was damn fine reading.  The dancing scene was fantastic.  I love how Williams can fool you into thinking the "Kate" parts will have a relatively simple structure and all of a sudden just blow you away with such an interesting and jaw-dropping scene.  I can't help but love this book.  And quiet enjoyed The Question as well.  It's got a special place in my heart.

Loved the music staff atop the the two page spread during the dance. Very classy.

As good as this is, it isn't turning my crank. It just makes me miss Vic Sage. I'm dropping.

Beautiful, beautiful stuff, but I'm just not feeling the story that much . . .

Least there's only a week til the cliff hanger is resolved.

Who is Abbott and the other morph things - are they explaining in the Crime Bible mini, the more I read this series the more I think I should have read that mini first.

Abbott (along with Whisper A'Daire) were both introduced early in Rucka's post-NML run on 'Tec. They were both (at the time) agents of Ra's al Ghul. Ra's gave them a serum for immortality and shapeshifting. They also had a brief appearance in 52 #11.

Being a big fan of Rucka and following most of his work, it is nice to see this writer get paired with an A-list artist. This isn't a knock on any of the artists that have worked with Rucka in the past (Jason Alexander on Q&C! Lark on Gotham Central! come to mind). Quality artists have been there for Rucka, but JH is in a class that so few ever reach. I would buy this book without any words printed in it. It is that good.

I'm surprised to see so much negativity surrounding this book. To me, as I said before, this is the best book coming out right now.

Rucka is one of the greats, and he's weaving quite the story here, and it's only the first arc. I can see how some wouldn't like Kate as a character, and I also understand there are some issues with new fans jumping on without having read Crime Bible, etc. but I find it all incredibly interesting. You've got a mainstream Bat Universe book featuring an off-kilter Bat character, mythology, and an Alice in Wonderland-themed villain.

The design and art here is also some of the best that's ever been done. As someone else mentioned before, the music notes about the ballroom scene were absolutely gorgeous, and the layouts of the pages are something that absolutely no one is touching right now. The art itself, character models, backgrounds, color choices, etc. is fantastic as well, but I think it's the layout and presentation that is going to stick in our minds as time goes on.

I don't mean to start any fights or arguments. Obviously everyone has a right to their opinion, and if you're not enjoying the book it doesn't make much sense to buy it. It just kind of confuses me. Still, it's great to get a mix of opinions here.

What does everyone think of the Question back-up?

To be honest, by the time I get to it, I just want to rush through it so I can go back to the main story and have my brain melt some more. It is not a bad co-feature. Its just that we enter back into the conventional type of storytelling after the JH 22-page ride. I'll take any Question stories I can. For 3.99, I feel this whole book is actually paying me.

I have to give this book a 5 just based on the art and style of the dancing scene.

Beautiful book and the story is finally matching up to the art. 5/5 for me. My favorite was the dusk-to-night two page spread. Though the entire ballroom scene was fantastic. I will say the book is a bit hard to follow if you haven't been reading Kate and Renne's stories from 52 and Lessons of Blood.

@PraxJarvin - I read 52, but not Lessons and had no real problem with it. However, I did read Revelations, so that may have contributed to my understanding.  I thought the backup was excellent and moved this from a 4 to a 5 for me.  Very enjoyable.

This is the issue that won me over, i loved the first two but damn was this good, not sure who said it but ill say it again that the story, while good before has caught up to the art. This was amazing.

4 Bat titles in on week . . . sheer awsomeness.  I am loving these stories.  The Question story may edge out the Batwoman story but I am really enjoying both.

The coloring on this book... holy shit ... that sure was pretty.

I'm loving this title, loving batman and robin,  wondering what you guys think about the batman and red robin books?

The dancing scene was the best part.  Also interesting to see it tie in to the Supeman books (you'd have to read the Secret Files one-shot to get that story).

I love it so much and pick of the week. Which is hard with Batman & Robin and Green Lantern also out.

Changed my mind. GL slightly beats this for POTW.

Very curious to find out Bette Kane's role here.

I'm dropping this book.  The art is spectacular and I want to read more of what this artist does but the story is not keeping my interest.  I feel like I need to read something else to understand this or I'm in the middle of an arc of a book that has multiple issues behind it.  Even though this is Batwoman's first real arc. 

The beauty of this book makes me wanna freakin' weep.

And Kate in a tux? AWESOME.