Written by: Tom Taylor
Art by: Mikel Janín, Norm Rapmund
Colors by: Mikel Janín
Letters by: Wes Abbott
Cover art by: Mikel Janín
Cover price: $4.99
Release date: April 16, 2025
Detective Comics #1096, by DC Comics on 4/16/25, brings the Mercy of the Father arc to a close when Batman uncovers the killer's identity and sets things right.
Is Detective Comics #1096 Good?
Recap
When we last left the Dark Knight in Detective Comics #1095, Batman confronted Scarlett Scott about her father, but she appeared to not know his identity. However, Scarlett is deathly afraid that the organization behind Theromise Health is watching her and warns Batman to get away from her. The issue ended with the name of the shadowy group - Elixir.
Plot Synopsis
In Detective Comics #1096, all your questions will be answered... almost. Batman swings into action to get Scarlett out of the burning labs within Theromise Health. He asks if anyone is left in the offices, and Scarlett confirms Dr. Forster is still inside. Batman races back into the building, finds Dr. Forster and gets her out to an area away from Scarlett so he can speak with her privately. Batman confronts Dr. Forster and confirms what his research deduced - Dr. Forster is a de-aged Evelyn Scott, Scarlett's mother, and the killer known as Asema.
Evelyn doesn't put up a fight, but she tells Batman that all her troubles started with Joe Chill, so he's going to pay by burning to death in a locked room below the labs. Batman races to find Joe, but Evelyn offers to help because she wants Batman to be present when she kills Joe. Why? Because Evelyn knows Batman is Bruce Wayne, and she knows Joe is responsible for the deaths of Bruce's parents. After a verbal battle of moral philosophies and a quick physical tussle, Batman saves Joe Chill and arrests Evelyn.
Elsewhere, the Bat Family intercepts a group of armed men authorized to take the teenagers out of Faultless to drain their blood. It doesn't go well for the armed men, and Warden Slattery is arrested for his part in the crimes.
Later, Bruce meets with Scarlett to confirm Joe Chill is her father and that he's alive. Bruce explains he'll use his money and influence to shut down Faultless and open a new facility geared toward rehabilitating troubled teens. The issue ends with a member of Elixir paying Evelyn Scott a visit in prison to portend more trouble for Gotham City.
First Impressions
Sloppy. Tom Taylor's first arc on Detective Comics clumsily ties up the loose ends in a mystery that wasn't much of a mystery but leaves other loose ends flapping in the breeze. If this is the kind of detective work we can expect, Detective fans are in for a rough ride.
How’s the Art?
Mikel Janín puts forth a banger of a visual experience, depicting Batman doing all the miraculous things you'd expect Batman to do while keeping the figure work and action movements grounded. Janín's art style is cinematic to a fault, which helps to elevate this series.
What’s great about Detective Comics #1096?
There are a few points that show Tom Taylor is paying closer attention to his obligatory soapbox brand of storytelling. For example, Batman declares his "no killing" rule by showing instead of telling. Bruce's plan to shut down Faultless is immediately followed by an alternative plan to make things better. Plus, the seeds planted for Elixir have some intriguing merit.
What’s not great about Detective Comics #1096?
At the heart of this arc are two mysteries (and a third that comes in much later that carries over to the next arc or later) - Who is Asema, and why is Asema killing juvenile criminals? Tom Taylor eventually answers both in a series of off-panel developments and side plots that don't support the main mysteries while leaving larger questions unaddressed.
For example:
When did Batman do the research or discover the clues to figure out Dr. Forster was Evelyn Scott? When and how did Evelyn Scott get involved in a scheme to use teenage blood to create a de-aging process? Why would Elixir work with or enlist Evelyn Scott when, as far as we know, she has no expertise in medicine or medical research? Why was there an entire subplot about Joe Chill? Chill's presence makes things complicated, but if you replace Chill with a random, abusive spouse for Evelyn, nothing changes about her motivations. How did Scarlett work with Dr. Forster for months on end and not realize that Dr. Forster is actually her mother?
In short, Tom Taylor added a lot of filler, opened questions that have no answers, manufactured subplots that have no value, and ultimately ended the arc on a flat, unsatisfying note.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
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Final Thoughts
Detective Comics #1096 ends the Mercy of the Father arc on a flat, unsatisfying note. Mikel Janín's art looks great, and admittedly, Tom Taylor wraps up the major points of the mystery. That said, the arc is stuffed with pointless subplots, major questions without answers, and developments that happen off-panel.
5/10
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