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cbrunner11 's review for:
Batman: Detective Comics, Volume 1: Faces of Death
by Tony S. Daniel
I have been a Batman fan since before I could read. Changes in my life had caused me to pull away from my comic addiction a few years ago so I have been a bit out of touch with the DC Universe lately. When I saw my library had this graphic novel I was as excited as a kid at Christmas time. I couldn't wait to step back into Gotham city and visit my ultimate hero. I knew going into this that things have changed in the DCU and the New 52 is basically a reboot of all the big series characters. This was not what I expected.
I was so excited to read this becuase I had heard bits and pieces about the story and thought it would be amazing, with Joker loosing his face and a new villain on the loose. The story seemed like it could have been so dark and, Batman would be pushed to his limits once again. Sadly the story and Batman fell flat for me. Batman is always a dark private character and that was expressed here, but throughout the whole book I felt like Batman was missing some aspect of his personality, and that he was really flat as a character. It was hard to like him or be excited about the action in this book. I know it has been awhile since I have read Batman, and even longer since Bruce Wayne has been back in the cape and cowl, but this seemed off.
The story had some real potential, but nothing really went anywhere. The joker story line only took up half the book and there was really no resolution. I understand stringing the reader along so they keep coming back, but when this ended I felt like "Is this really it?". Next we get a Penguin story, that is typical and really didn't impress me much. All it did was give Batman's current girlfriend a little more page time. The story wasn't very special at all and again I was left asking if that was it.
On to what I liked about this book. Tony Daniel is an amazing artist. I have loved his work on the Batman series and I hold him in such high esteem as I do Jim Lee who did amazing artwork for Batman Hush, and numerous other comic series. Mr. Daniel is also a very good story teller, I loved his series [b:Batman: Battle for the Cowl|6359290|Batman Battle for the Cowl|Tony S. Daniel|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320549431s/6359290.jpg|6546338], and I kind of expected a story worthy of that caliber. I think Tony Daniel is amazingly talented, but this book was not his best work. It happens to everyone so I will not hold it against him. I still gave this 3 stars because of the art work and the potential to be a great story line. Who knows, when Vol 2 is released I will pick that up and maybe learn more about the Joker situation and it will make this better.
I was so excited to read this becuase I had heard bits and pieces about the story and thought it would be amazing, with Joker loosing his face and a new villain on the loose. The story seemed like it could have been so dark and, Batman would be pushed to his limits once again. Sadly the story and Batman fell flat for me. Batman is always a dark private character and that was expressed here, but throughout the whole book I felt like Batman was missing some aspect of his personality, and that he was really flat as a character. It was hard to like him or be excited about the action in this book. I know it has been awhile since I have read Batman, and even longer since Bruce Wayne has been back in the cape and cowl, but this seemed off.
The story had some real potential, but nothing really went anywhere. The joker story line only took up half the book and there was really no resolution. I understand stringing the reader along so they keep coming back, but when this ended I felt like "Is this really it?". Next we get a Penguin story, that is typical and really didn't impress me much. All it did was give Batman's current girlfriend a little more page time. The story wasn't very special at all and again I was left asking if that was it.
On to what I liked about this book. Tony Daniel is an amazing artist. I have loved his work on the Batman series and I hold him in such high esteem as I do Jim Lee who did amazing artwork for Batman Hush, and numerous other comic series. Mr. Daniel is also a very good story teller, I loved his series [b:Batman: Battle for the Cowl|6359290|Batman Battle for the Cowl|Tony S. Daniel|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320549431s/6359290.jpg|6546338], and I kind of expected a story worthy of that caliber. I think Tony Daniel is amazingly talented, but this book was not his best work. It happens to everyone so I will not hold it against him. I still gave this 3 stars because of the art work and the potential to be a great story line. Who knows, when Vol 2 is released I will pick that up and maybe learn more about the Joker situation and it will make this better.