Detective #823 (spoilers)

[JoeE]

MAN, Joe Benitez can draw Poison Ivy. Roooooooooowr. What a T&A wet dream. Also dug the little meta-commentary from Robin - "Cheesecake is a guilty little pleasure."

I've loved this run so far, and this issue did nothing to change that. Great dialogue and humor, the book earns the title Detective, and a new, almost Vertigo-esque villain too.

This issue is going to piss some people off though...Poison Ivy is basically back to being a straight villain here. Forget Rucka's orphan stuff. I'm not up to speed as much on Batman history as some of the people here, but I certainly don't remember her doing anything as awful as making snuff films.

Great issue.

[Ryan Elliott]

I think they weren't snuff films as much as they were her documents and recordings of the feedings.


But yeah, great issue.


Paul Dini is a sick but brilliant individual.

[Ray G.]

I love how Dini can switch styles so perfectly. This was one of the best mainstream horror comics I've ever seen.

[JoeE]

I think they weren't snuff films as much as they were her documents and recordings of the feedings.

She couldn't have fed the plants when the subjects were already dead? She stood by while the people suffered taunting them and putting on a show for the camera, and later described it as a guilty little pleasure. That's snuff, pure and simple.

[Donal DeLay]

I wish Benitez would settle down with the flashy layouts and focus that energy more on composition and storytelling.

He's a damn good artist, but those layouts create SO much negative space, and sometimes makes it hard to read.

[Ryan Elliott]

She couldn't have fed the plants when the subjects were already dead? She stood by while the people suffered taunting them and putting on a show for the camera, and later described it as a guilty little pleasure. That's snuff, pure and simple.



Well, maybe the plants NEEDED live, fresh subjects. Her taunting and teasing can be chalked up to her being bat-shit crazy.

[Beta_Ray_Bryan]

I have loved the Dini run of these stand alone stories. I wish this could keep going. Reminds me of the Batman comics from when I was a kid.

outstanding stuff!!

[Bandit Chimera]

yeah this issue was awesome...his whole run so far has been great. Batman's (well Detective comics) been one of the only "really great" books DC is putting on the shelfs since the crisis IMO

[JoeE]

Well, maybe the plants NEEDED live, fresh subjects. Her taunting and teasing can be chalked up to her being bat-shit crazy.

Carnivorous plants do not need their food to be live, only reasonably fresh; most digestion takes place after the prey is already dead. Even making a leap and assuming they do need live prey, however, she couldn't have drugged them so they didn't have to die horrible, slow deaths? She may have needed to do the feedings to keep the plants alive (but even then, why did she have to use humans rather than livestock), but the fact that she recorded them and stood there gleefully enjoying the act of murder makes it snuff.

[Ryan Elliott]

Carnivorous plants do not need their food to be live, only reasonably fresh; most digestion takes place after the prey is already dead. Even making a leap and assuming they do need live prey, however, she couldn't have drugged them so they didn't have to die horrible, slow deaths? She may have needed to do the feedings to keep the plants alive (but even then, why did she have to use humans rather than livestock), but the fact that she recorded them and stood there gleefully enjoying the act of murder makes it snuff.


Reading way too much into this.

Well, she's a scientist, and making documented recordings is an obvious thing for a scientist to do. Plus, she's completely insane and hates humans anyway for what they do to plants and forests. Why use livestock when people are so easily seduced by her?


Still don't see how it's a snuff film. It's her research documented on film.

[Jew Mafia]

this was the 1st issue of the dini run ive picked up. The cover caught my eye and i decided to give it a shot. fun issue and i enjoy the one and done. I got a question though, I havent followed batman in awhile, so can someone tell me why/when poison ivy turned green?

[Fake Pat]

all i can think of when i read detective now is "how much more awesome would this issue have been if jh williams had drawn it?". it's not to say that i don't like benitez, but that first issue was just unbelievable. following williams on a book must be a bummer of an assignment.

[Greenville 90210]

all i can think of when i read detective now is "how much more awesome would this issue have been if jh williams had drawn it?". it's not to say that i don't like benitez, but that first issue was just unbelievable. following williams on a book must be a bummer of an assignment.

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. I thought Williams was supossed to do the art on every issue. Was it just the first Dini ish?

[Fake Pat]

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. I thought Williams was supossed to do the art on every issue. Was it just the first Dini ish?

he was supposed to do a decent chunk of them i think, but all the rewrites and delays and morrison's seven soldiers #1 script meant he had to stop detective to finish that first. then he's supposed to come back for a few issues, and i will start buying this book again.

goddamn. that last ish of seven soldiers is gonna be mind-blowing.

[Ryan Elliott]

he was supposed to do a decent chunk of them i think, but all the rewrites and delays and morrison's seven soldiers #1 script meant he had to stop detective to finish that first. then he's supposed to come back for a few issues, adn i will start buying this book again.




So it's not really about the great stories or the pitch-perfect characterizations, it's just about the art?

[Fake Pat]

So it's not really about the great stories or the pitch-perfect characterizations, it's just about the art?

no, not at all. but last time i checked, the art was a pretty major part of a comic book.

[Ryan Elliott]

no, not at all. but last time i checked, the art was a pretty major part of a comic book.





And all the artists that have gone through Detective have been great.

[Fake Pat]

And all the artists that have gone through Detective have been great.

they've been ok. and maybe you should read my first post, where i said that benitez wasn't bad at all. i just prefer williams, and he was the one that was originally solicited for at least the first 2 issues. i'm just a little disappointed he couldn't stay on.

[Pat Loika]

I had remembered that Rags Morales was supposed to do the art, or that he and Williams will be switching every few issues.

P.

[Guy H]

I had remembered that Rags Morales was supposed to do the art, or that he and Williams will be switching every few issues.

P.


yea, it was supposed to be Rags with Dini.. But some personal stuff has led to Rags not being able to do it.

[Jef UK]

It's losing me. I don't think these done-in-ones are very remarkable at all. Williams is what made it. I'll only pick it up if I love the artist involved from here on out. Benitez is merely okay, as are the stories Dini is telling. I think the done-in-one is showing its weakness as a narrative structure in this run, at least without a single artist to give the stories a unity beyond the Riddler appearing on TV.

[Jef UK]

all i can think of when i read detective now is "how much more awesome would this issue have been if jh williams had drawn it?".

Me too.

[Ryan F]

It's losing me. I don't think these done-in-ones are very remarkable at all. Williams is what made it. I'll only pick it up if I love the artist involved from here on out. Benitez is merely okay, as are the stories Dini is telling. I think the done-in-one is showing its weakness as a narrative structure in this run, at least without a single artist to give the stories a unity beyond the Riddler appearing on TV.

I agree. I think the series has really hurt for a regular artist, especially after the double tease of Rags Morales and (even better!) JH Williams. They both would fit the mood of these stories much more than a Top Cow disciple.

Also, while I think done-in-one is a nice experiment, I prefer serial stories with cliffhangers that have more room to breathe.

Finally, unlike the first couple of issues, I wasn't even impressed with the plot of this one. Add in an annoying fill-in, and I think I'm done.

[Fake Pat]

I agree. I think the series has really hurt for a regular artist, especially after the double tease of Rags Morales and (even better!) JH Williams. They both would fit the mood of these stories much more than a Top Cow disciple.

Also, while I think done-in-one is a nice experiment, I prefer serial stories with cliffhangers and more room to breathe.

Finally, unlike the first couple of issues, I wasn't even impressed with the plot of this one. Add in an annoying fill-in, and I think I'm done.

that fact there's going to be a fill-in writer on an upcoming issue is pretty weak as well.

[Daryl Densmore]

I enjoyed the issue, but not as much as Dini's first two. This one just felt a little light weight. I liked Benitez's art although it seemed a little over the top at times with its sexuality.

Yes, this book is another example of how poorly DC has been operating lately. C'mon, a different artist each issue and already a fill in issue. They may be getting 52 out weekly, but it seems like so many of DC's books, especially the high selling ones (except for maybe Justice as it seems pretty timely on its bi-monthly schedule) have been riddled with delays and/or fill-in artists since the One Year Later books. It pisses me off all the more based on Didio's stance of wanting us picking up the issues monthly at the shop when he and his company can't seem to get them there consistently. My pull list has been shedding titles as a result.

[Jew Mafia]

this was the 1st issue of the dini run ive picked up. The cover caught my eye and i decided to give it a shot. fun issue and i enjoy the one and done. I got a question though, I havent followed batman in awhile, so can someone tell me why/when poison ivy turned green?

nobody?

[adamgreenberger]

I have really enjoyed this run...great stories...great art.

[adamgreenberger]

It's losing me. I don't think these done-in-ones are very remarkable at all. Williams is what made it. I'll only pick it up if I love the artist involved from here on out. Benitez is merely okay, as are the stories Dini is telling. I think the done-in-one is showing its weakness as a narrative structure in this run, at least without a single artist to give the stories a unity beyond the Riddler appearing on TV.

I remember reading somewhere that Dini has said that there is some sort of connection to all the stories and asked were they really all done-in-ones...might have been in Wizard.

[NickT]

It's losing me. I don't think these done-in-ones are very remarkable at all. Williams is what made it. I'll only pick it up if I love the artist involved from here on out. Benitez is merely okay, as are the stories Dini is telling. I think the done-in-one is showing its weakness as a narrative structure in this run, at least without a single artist to give the stories a unity beyond the Riddler appearing on TV.
Apparently, they link up later. Wether this is before or after the other writer comes on for an issue, I don't know.

[ds9]

This is one of the best books out right now.

[SteveFlack]

Eh. I loved the first issue, liked the second issue, and this issue was just 'meh.' The story had no real mystery, like the first two issues, and was just a standard creature tale. The lackluster art didn't help.

-Steve!

[skinnyrunaway]

I liked it a lot. It was fun, kinda disturbing, and the art was kinda Art Adams-esque but worse. But still not awful.

[Greenville 90210]

What has the artist done before?