Review: Detective Comics #1078

Ram V's Detective Comics run has been a polarizing one, with some praising the writer’s slow-burn, operatic approach and others finding it too meandering and never reaching the climactic heights of past runs. Detective Comics #1078 is likely to not change anyone’s minds with the issue heavily focused on exposition as Catwoman’s plan to save Batman unfolds.

On the one hand, the plot moves forward, with Catwoman and her hand-picked team enacting their daring rescue of Batman from the Orghams. It's a suspenseful sequence that sees Selina Kyle using all of her cunning and skill to infiltrate the Orgham’s inner circle, Cassandra Cain displaying the severity of her raw fighting, Mr. Freeze providing pragmatic rationale for his actions, and Azrael pontificating in all his religious grandeur. Major accolades go to V’s writing and Jason Shawn Alexander’s art for building palpable tension throughout the entire sequence. Alexander deserves specific applause for the variety of visual representation used for each individual character above. His use of shadows and darkness ties them all together and is particularly effective in creating a sense of danger and despair.

However, the issue is also bogged down by a lot of exposition, as V uses Selina’s inner dialogue to equate their plan with a game of poker . This exposition adds necessary context to the story, but it slows the pace down considerably and the payoff is a predictable cliffhanger.

Overall, Detective Comics #1078 is a mixed bag. It's a step forward for the series in terms of plot progression, but it's also hampered by its heavy reliance on explanation. Fans of V's slow-burn approach will likely enjoy this issue, but those looking for more action will likely continue to be disappointed.

Rating: 8/10