A trio than no saw forming. In Asema’s downfall, Batman’s attention has turned towards Elixir. The age-defying organization wants to make sure they stay out of the spotlight. Their actions have also crossed the paths of two unlikely parties. Harvey Bullock and the Penguin have vested interest in the group. Curiosity might not kill the Bat, but a bullet might find someone else.
DETECTIVE COMICS #1099 by Tom Taylor, Lee Garbett, Lee Loughridge, and Wes Abbott sees the Bat try finding a way to stop an immortal threat.
Let’s take a closer look at where events play out now.
DETECTIVE COMICS #1099 by Tom Taylor, Lee Garbett, Lee Loughridge, and Wes Abbott (DC COMICS)
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
Who would have thought these three characters could function as a group? Taylor defies logic and brings forth a sound but unstable challenge. Bullock’s wounds cause another wrench to be added into play. The result showcases Batman’s calm reactions to offset Penguin’s selfish goals. The contrast adds a nice touch into a very straight-forward story.
There are some elevated action scenes. One in particular is Batman evading missile strikes in the Bat Plane. It feels a bit off-center from the more grounded case at hand. Once that fades away, the book finds its’ strength. Seeing Bullock and Penguin interrogate is a fun sequence. It moves events along to a few key reveals in the case. Once the closing hits, it feels a touch telegraphed. For being a major player, the true threat is dealt very conveniently. The ending delivers a soft close. It wasn’t the strongest of landings but hit its’ key points before bowing out. The epilogue provides a steady compliment as the door closes on this chapter. Onward to the milestone issue.
Garbett and Loughridge conclude their run bringing the action. The opening page is a frantic scene. With bullets flying everywhere, the art shows Batman’s rising anger as Penguin cowers back. The contrast spills into a dramatic save for a wounded Bullock. This moves into a tense warning via Batman to elixir. The half page panel throws a jab before the hooks come in.
The air fight is great for what it is. Readers see the missile evasion in full view. The near full page showcases Batman’s aerial maneuvers while deceptively rolling into his partners’ actions. Penguin’s back and forth with Batman and Bullock is every bit as good as advertised. The coloring of the yellow shows off the sense of a fearful revelation. This transitions into the closing portion. A deadly execution is brought to life via a full page image. Readers find out quickly who is behind it. Another full page image answers a long looming question. Much like Bullock and Penguin’s reaction, it feels underwhelming. The art team gives one last full page image to conclude events on before a solid epilogue wraps it up. It works to clear the plate before issue #1100 is ready to drop on readers.
OVERALL GRADE: 8.3
The “Elixir” saga concludes on a steady but underwhelming note. Taylor’s writing brings out the best of his unlikely trio. Garbett and Loughridge take readers through the action into a dramatic finish. Once here, time finally runs out on Elixir’s powerful hold on the audience. Considering where it was, the ending felt too compact for where it was going.
Let me know in the comments below your thoughts on Detective Comics #1100. Thanks for reading!