4. Batman: Detective Comics #27 by Various (DC)
Detective Comics #27 was Batman's first appearance in comics way back in May 1939 and with the reboot of their entire line in 2011, DC are able to relive that iconic issue in the year of Batman's 75th Anniversary with a new Detective Comics #27 featuring an all-star line-up of creators. Brad Meltzer and Bryan Hitch kick things off with a retelling of the very first Batman comic, The Case of the Criminal Syndicate. The same characters are used, the same situations (though the original Apex Chemicals is now ACE Chemicals) like when Batman is trapped in a glass gas chamber with a hostage, and the villain falling into the vat of acid at the end. Originally though it was implied the villain died though over the years it's been rewritten to become the origin of the Joker, as Meltzer shows in the final panel. The amazing Neal Adams draws yet another recent comic involving Batman dreaming (his Batman Black and White contribution featured a zombie Batman which Bruce dreamt up) with a decent story from Gregg Hurwitz that riffs on classic Batman stories, gently mocking the unsophisticated style in which they were written. In a Batman comic celebrating the Dark Knight, a couple of notable writers were absent: Grant Morrison and Frank Miller (I'd say Alan Moore but I don't think anybody expects Moore to work with DC ever again). A piece of Miller's Catwoman artwork was meant to be published in this issue but got dropped at the last minute, and his absence is definitely felt. That said, Peter Tomasi's contribution, about a 75 year old Bruce Wayne, unable to resist the call of the night and heads out to fight crime one last time, reads a lot like The Dark Knight Returns. The speech beginning "I'm in agony..." and ending with "...I love it so" is distinctly Miller-esque. Mike "Fear... the Reaper" Barr (of all people!) writes a fairly forgettable story that's been done many times before, this time with The Phantom Stranger showing Bruce what his life would've been like if his parents hadn't been shot in the alley that night. It's not a bad story but the best thing about it is the acknowledgement at the end of Batman's true creator, Bill Finger. Forget Bob Kane, the man was a hack - Bill Finger was the artist who came up with practically everything about Batman that has endured. Without him and Jerry Robinson, we wouldn't have the Batman we do today, and it's great to see Finger given that nod in this anniversary issue. John Layman and Jason Fabok's Gothtopia storyline is a bit confusing but enjoyable, presenting an alternate world where Batman is literally Gotham's White Knight whose sidekick is Catbird/Selina Kyle. A series of ordinary people with good lives are inexplicably committing suicide, and Bruce suspects something is going on with his perceptions as Gotham appears too idyllic to be true... It's been a while since I've seen Fabok's artwork so I was really impressed with this storyline for that alone. Layman's writing is excellent as ever, but Fabok's art has gotten better and better in the last couple of years. Scott Snyder's story Twenty-Seven is a pretty fun way to close out this epic, extra-long issue - it's basically Batman Year 200, with "Bruce" revealing to another "Bruce" how Batman continues to fight his war on crime, year after year, ad infinitum. Justice League 3000 launched recently and was utterly terrible - I would love to see this alternate future storyline written about instead. Giant Bat robots fighting giant Owl robots, sky-fighting heroes with new tech, and a bunch of great new characters - this short story shows a lot of potential for a spin-off Batman series. Detective Comics #27 is a pretty great anniversary issue with some fun stories and excellent art that's a must-read for every Batman fan. Here's to 75 more years of Batman!