Written by: Ram V
Art by: Guillem March
Colors by: Luis Guerrero
Letters by: Ariana Maher
Cover art by: Evan Cagle (cover A)
Cover price: $4.99
Release date: August 28, 2024
Detective Comics #1088, by DC Comics on 8/28/24, puts all the heroes and villains allied with Batman against the Orghams in a battle royale for the soul of Gotham City.
Is Detective Comics #1088 Good?
Well, if you're going to go out, you might as well go out with a bang. Ram V pulls out all the stops in the second successive issue that favors action, plot movement, purpose, and direction over drawn-out, flowery, pretentious narration that goes nowhere. Somebody at DC must have lit a fire under Ram V's butt because this is the type of storytelling this run has sorely been lacking, even if it comes too late for readers who tuned out long ago.
When last we left Batman and the dark forces of Gotham in Detective Comics #1087, their attempts to sabotage the Orghams' plans began to bear fruit. However, Batman raced to defend the Orghams' true target, Commissioner Montoya. After a pitched battle with Tenclaw, aided by the well-timed arrival of allies on both sides of the law, the issue concluded with Shadow Angel's public spectacle meeting an untimely end at the hands of Duela Dent.
In Detective Comics #1088, we pick up with Duela Dent using Shadow Angel's broadcast feed to explain how the city will benefit from a new game. Namely, explosives set around the city that will only affect the poor and downtrodden areas, giving the lower-class citizens of Gotham a choice - wait for heroes to disarm the bombs or rush into the rich, affluent areas of Gotham for safety.
It's a safe bet that nobody who reads this series could have seen this coming, including Ram V, who appears to be throwing everything plus the kitchen sink at this title to make the penultimate issue of this story and his run as action-packed and chaotic as possible. Does it make sense to throw this monkey wrench in right before the finale? No, but it probably doesn't matter at this point.
Elsewhere, the Orghams are none too pleased with Duela's wrinkle. Shavhod is supposed to be on her way to the broadcast station to get the feed under control, but she runs into resistance in the form of the Ten-Eyed Man, who gives Shavhod a taste of her own mind-warping medicine.
Well, if you're going to pit an ally against an Orgham, Ten-Eyed Man is as good a choice as you could make. Their battle is brief but effective. Frankly, it feels good to see another Orgham knocked down several pegs after a too-long run of dominance.
Back at the Orghams' headquarters, Batman sets off a series of diversions to infiltrate the command center, knockout communications and power, and give Oracle an opportunity to disrupt the computer systems. Meanwhile, Neang breaks free from his icy encasement to attack Mr. Freeze again. Neang thinks his freedom means Freeze isn't prepared, but he soon finds he's wrong. Back on the streets, Two-Face continues his battle with Tenclaw, which ends when Two-Face pumps himself full of silver bullets after Tenclaw locks him up in a bear hug.
The preceding montage of vignettes showcases how the myriad of villains who've chosen to side with Batman ultimately win out against their Orgham counterparts. In fairness to Ram V, the scenes are hard-hitting, direct, and satisfying.
The issue concludes with Batman fighting one last Orgam before reaching the Thelemus Engine device. Before he can save Gotham, the entire city must resist the activation of Scarecrow's mind within the Thelemus Engine's influence.
Overall, this is another fast-paced, action-heavy issue that ties up the plethora of loose ends in Ram V's unevenly-paced run. In and of itself, the penultimate issue is reasonably entertaining, so there's hope Ram V's departure will end on a semi-high note.
Backup
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 #1088 is another energetic, fast-paced, purposeful issue that shows Ram V is determined to throw every plot development at the wall, tie up every loose end with a sailor's knot, and toss in the kitchen sink for good measure to make up for months of treading water. It's unclear how the finale will turn out next month, but DC is pulling out all the action stops to get there.
7.8/10
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