Detective Comics #15 Review

By now it's a safe bet that any book featuring the Joker gatefold cover doesn't actually have much to do with the Death of the Family event. 95% of Detective Comics #15 is business as usual from writer John Layman. The remaining 5% offers up the typically pointless and shoe-horned ties to Scott Snyder's big story. Fortunately, that 5% isn't enough filler to derail Layman's momentum on the series.

Layman wraps up the conflict with Clayface and Poison Ivy this month. Readers learn the sad truth behind their new romance, a revelation that Batman seems surprisingly slow to pick up on. Layman overplays the idea of Batman being battle-worn and haggard in this issue, with much of the character's narration doing nothing more than reiterating that fact over and over. And again, the periodic references to Joker and Death of the Family are obnoxious, distracting, and ultimately fail to benefit this series.

However, in terms of recasting Clayface as a more sympathetic figure and playing up Ivy's shifting loyalties, this issue is more successful. It's a shame that their relationship isn't explored more before reaching its inevitable conclusion. But more interesting than either of those villains is Penguin's assistant Ogilvy, who really steps up in a major way this month. Ogilvy's scenes hint at a much larger conflict for the series that should enable Detective to stand out from the crowd more in the coming months.

Jason Fabok's artwork impresses once more with its moody tone and refined detail. Andy Clarke's darkly textured work in the backup feature is equally impressive. The backup story doesn't add much to the larger picture of this arc, but it does answer a few lingering questions and offers the final word on the Clayface/Ivy romance.

Detective Comics doesn't need a pointless event tie-in to stay relevant. Layman has reinvigorated the book with his first story arc, and I look forward to what he has in store next.

Jesse is a writer for various IGN channels. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter, or Kicksplode on MyIGN.

Source : ign[dot]com