DETECTIVE COMICS #0

[ DETECTIVE'S ARE US ] 

Oh look, here's a youngish Bruce Wayne! My God, doesn't he look very-very vein? It must be something in the air. Or maybe he does not care? About the lateness of the very next train! As Written by Gregg Hurwitz and James Tynion IV; Drawn by Tony S. Daniel and Henrik Jonsson; plus Published by DC Comics in October 2012. Or then again it might be someone else more closer to home? CHOO-CHOO!

So what’s the STORY morning glory?

Do you like Kung-Fu movies? Yeah! Me too. And I bet you anything that the guys and girls in this issue of Detective Comics -- entitled 'The Final Lesson' -- also like them as well. Mainly because of all that punching and kicking going on, HAI-YAI!

• Picture the scene if you a will, a couple of years ago a young Bruce Wayne travelled to the Himalayas to be taught by the legendary master, Shihan-Matsuda, how to control his own emotions.
• You know the sort of thing I'm sure. "Be Like water -- yadda-yadda-yadda". "Wax on; Wax-off -- blah-blah-blah". And generally all that type of thing to temper Bruce's resolve.
• However, how was Bruce supposed to know that he was going to fall for some oriental chick from a nearby village? Moreover, how was he also supposed to know that Shihan-Matsuda's wife, Matsuda-Sama, was more than she appeared to be as well?

Meanwhile, in the Alfred Pennyworth back-up feature, everybody's favourite Bat-Butler gets two surprises, one after the other. The first from a relative of Martha Wayne. And the second from Bruce himself. 

What is the most memorable SENTENCE OR CONVERSATION spoken in this issue?

There were two pieces of dialogue in this issue that I really did like reading a lot.

The first piece was when Shihan said to Bruce "You must be better than others. Intimacy is weakness. It is to be mortal, and to be mortal is to die. Love with erode your discipline. It will blind you. Guard yourself. Let no one in. Distrust everything and everyone. Only then will you be a warrior".

And the second piece was when Sama said to Bruce "The aim of medication is not to escape feeling. The aim is not to push others underground. You meditate to bear witness to your emotions without judgement. Only by knowing them can you avoid succumbing to them in way's that might hurt you or cause harm to others".

Now I liked these two paragraphs for three completely different reasons. Firstly, they completely contradicted each other. Secondly, in many ways these phrases ring true. And thirdly, once you have read the whole story you know that there is a reason why Sama said what she said.

Class act.

What was the BEST thing about this issue?

In all honesty this story was one of the best I've read since I read the last Gregg Hurwitz story. It was entertaining. There was a message behind it. And all in all the overall package was just so sublime, I want to impregnate it with my own man-juices.

Please note, I do not want to take anything way from James Tynion IV work. Oh no! I thought that his back-up tale really did aide the main feature, and threw up a number of questions I want answered about Martha Kane's relatives.

Who are they? And will we see more of them again in the future? As I hope so. Don't you?

What was the WORST thing about this issue?

Now... errr... there... errr... hmmm... huh... was... errrrrr? Oh, sh*t! I give up. I can't think of anything to write here. This story was brilliant. Amazing even. And I can not find a fault with it what so ever.

Hey! Wait a minute! Yes I can. It costs too much. There. I found something. Phew!

What was the most CREATIVE thing about this issue?

STORY: There were two hidden insinuations behind both tales which were very intriguing in hindsight. For example, does the conclusion of the main feature justify why Bruce doesn't like to get close to the opposite sex? Also, are the Kane's an up and coming enemy for Bruce, clarifying why they've not reared their corporate heads before?

Intriguing, right? Plus very creative as well.

ART:  In execution I found both the main and the back-up feature sharing many artistic traits aesthetically. They're both gritty, they're both clearly illustrated, and they were both nicely presented to boot. Like a painted water-color with a bit of weight and substance behind it.    

If you had to CAST TWO CHARACTERS in this comic book, who would they be and why?

SHIHAN: Alright, I know that he's been dead for quite some time now, but that does not give the original 'Beggar So', Siu Tien Yuen, the excuse of not being a stern teacher once again.

SAMA: Just look at her! Look at the queen of mean, Qiu Yuen, and tell me that she would not stab her own husband in the back, whilst smoking a cigarette in the front. You can't, can you?

If this issue had a MOVIE TAG LINE, what would it be?

Never Trust A Woman That Can Speak. Such Is The Way Of The Dragon. 

If this issue were a MOVIE, an OBJECT, or a piece of MUSIC, what would that be and why? 

Hands down, whilst reading this issue I could not help but recollect one of my all time favorite Jackie Chan films 'Drunken Master'. Granted, it's not exactly a perfect fit. But that is not to say that the essence of both stories don't blend in places. Here, check out this clip to see what I mean. 

FINAL thoughts...

Have I told you how much I love this issue yet? If not, I am going to now, OK? This issue was great, and managed to tell two independent stories which showed the promise of better things to come. Straight up, if you have not picked up this issue yet, please do so, because it's such an amazing read -- especially if you love Hong-Kong cinema, or a tale of times past. Did I say, HAI-YA!

HAI-YA!

MARKS out of 10? 9.3