Detective Comics #1093 Review: Batman’s World Is a Vampire

Readers are now roughly halfway through the first arc of writer Tom Taylor and artist Mikel Janin’s run on Detective Comics, which began as part of the DC All In initiative. It was an ostentatious debut, adding a significant new wrinkle to Batman’s origin story in its first issue and a guest appearance by Superman in the second. With those attention-grabbing scenes out of the way, Taylor and Janin have settled into a moodier mystery narrative befitting a comic book with “detective” in its title. While it relies on some familiar tropes, its presentation and philosophical core give it memorable substance and style.

“Mercy of the Father,” as the arc is called, traces the ramifications of Dr. Thomas Wayne having saved the life of one Joe Chill. Those familiar with the details of Batman’s origin story recognize the dramatic irony in the revelation that Dr. Wayne saved the life of the man who would years later kill both him and his wife in front of his young son Bruce, leading to the invention of Batman. But the dominos don’t stop falling there. At the time of Dr. Wayne’s intervention, Chill also had a pregnant teenage “girlfriend” whom Martha Wayne helped escape Chill’s orbit before she and her husband’s deaths. Now Chill’s daughter, Scarlett Martha Scott, has reentered Bruce Wayne’s life and become a person of interest in Batman’s latest case. 

In its opening flashback, Detective Comics #1093 reveals Bruce’s first meeting with Scarlett in the immediate aftermath of Thomas and Martha’s death. Unaware of their relation to his parents’ killer, they appear as one of the last in a line of pilgrims paying their respects to the deceased at the front gates of Wayne Manor, though Scarlett’s mother, Evelyn, soon becomes nearly manic, frantically grabbing at Bruce and apologizing before Alfred chases her away. It’s the moment the guilt, the regret, and the questions around the decision to save Joe Chill’s life begin to warp the lives of those he left behind.

Bruce and Scarlett get to know each other as Scarlett continues to benefit from the Waynes’ altruistic legacy via some of their charitable institutions. When Scarlett, who has become a brilliant scientist herself, develops a serum capable of reversing the effects of aging, she seeks out her old friend Bruce to become one of the early adopters. It’s a timely offer as Bruce has finally begun to lose a step as Batman as the wear and tear on his body begins to take its toll. He and Scarlett even enter a romantic relationship.

At the same time, a new villain also emerges on the scene, killing children recently released from juvenile detention. Longtime Batman readers know that whenever one of Bruce Wayne’s old friends suddenly reappears ready to catch up on old times at the same time the two are almost always related, if not the same person, doubly so if Bruce and the “old friend” in question spend a night together. This new villain happens to go by the moniker “Asema,” borrowing the name from a shapeshifting vampire in Caribbean folklore who appears elderly during the daytime. The name alone almost guarantees the villain is involved with the sinister organization backing Scarlett’s rejuvenation research, known as “Sangraal,” another name for the Holy Grail.

But while the big swings may be somewhat telegraphed  (Or not? We do not know the fate of Scarlett’s mother, nor whether Scarlett is herself Asema or if it is another of her cohort) the thematic strands tie together nicely. While not plainly stated, this issue implies that Sangraal preys on the young, especially those most vulnerable, to enliven the old, a clear metaphor for generational imbalance in power and wealth. But within that, there’s also the question of second chances, who deserves them, and who gets them. Would Bruce Wayne discourage his father from saving Joe Chill’s life with the knowledge of what would follow? How has that same cruel twist affected Scarlett? Is Bruce Wayne willing to continue his crusade against crime on a near-immortal basis if it costs the lives of several less fortunate children? These ideas swirl around and within each other, creating a tension that spills over into Batman’s aggression toward a deadbeat dad, stemming from his shame at previous failures to protect these children, perhaps brought on by the same aging he now seeks to abate.

This tension is similarly apparent in Janin’s visuals. While the flashback scenes are straightforward and muted, the night scenes in Gotham’s present are searing contrasts of harsh light against deep shadow. Many moments are framed with dramatic top-down angles, one page effectively taking on the classic noir long shot of an alley with two small figures casting long shadows. Panels are increasingly thrown off balance as the action intensifies. It’s an arresting style that makes it difficult for the reader to tear their eyes away from the page.

Whether the subtext rings true, Taylor and Janin have crafted a compelling mystery in the Batman mold. The villains feel appropriately arch, aloof, and dangerous enough to be worthy of Batman’s attention, and their victims are both sympathetic and relatively on personal and symbolic levels. If nothing else, Janin appears born to bask Gotham’s dingy streets in a grimy, neon glow, illuminating every violent secret it hides. Detective Comics is a finely packaged dose of grounded Batman storytelling at its best.

Published by: DC

On: January 22, 2025

Written by: Tom Taylor

Art by: Mikel Janin

Colors by: Mikel Janin

Letters by: Wes Abbott