David Hine continues his assault on all things comics this week, his fourth release this month. Along with Detective Comics, he's also currently the writer on Azrael, The Spirit, and Bulletproof Coffin. These are all books he'll continue to write at least until September, where he'll add another two to the list in miniseries for both Radical Comics, and Top Cow. So needless to say, he's a busy man.
Back to Detective Comics though. Hine kicks off a four-part arc entitled "Impostors." The idea of the arc is quite simple: A new drug hits the streets that has similar effects to Joker gas. The main difference is that the drug is not lethal, more just a recreational drug for a little fun. The problem is though that when the users get their high, they do so in large groups, causing mass chaos. Even though they don't kill anyone, the riots are a cause for concern seeing as to how they expect to take the streets for themselves.
The story is pretty straightforward, intriguing, and with a minute amount of mystery. Yet, even though I enjoyed the story, it seems kind of out of place with everything going on in the Bat-Universe now. This arc would be better suited if Bruce were back under the cowl, and it seems like Hine himself recognized that and wrote Batman likewise.
You can also tell from the writing that Hine was going for a darker toned story that would complement the mystery of it. But when you look at the art of Scott McDaniel, you never really get the vibe you should from the artist who may be a little to comical for his genre. Little ironic.
With all that said, if you've been missing the classic Batman tales without the Morrison twist and turns, then this ones for you. Batman vs. the Joker. Good vs. evil. Right vs. Wrong. Check back later for the more complex of Batman stories with a Return of Bruce Wayne review.
