The great detective is one of the most common and continually engaging character archetypes in all fiction.
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Sherlock Holmes is the best-known example and he has been making Deerhunter hats look cool since the Victorian Era. The character isn’t limited to this original era, though, as proven by the success of the hit modern British Sherlock television series.
Comic books have their fair share of great detectives, too. With Sherlock finally returning for its fourth season, we thought we’d take a look at which comic book detectives could rival the man from 221b Baker Street.
These are our picks for the greatest detectives in comics.
5. Detective Chimip
Bobo T. Chimpanzee, aka Detective Chimp, is a golden age character who debuted in Adventures of Rex the Wonder Dog and was largely forgotten for a time.
Detective Chimp began popping up again here and there around the turn of the century and had a major role to place in the Acts of Vengeance series leading up to Infinite Crisis and later formed the team called Shadowpact that had its own series.
Detective Chimp has a genius level intellect that would be enough to make him a fantastic detective on its own. In addition to that, he can also talk to any animal in their own “native language,” which gives him an extra advantage.
4. Jamie Madrox
Jamie Madrox the Multiple is a mutant who set up X-Factor Investigations with a team of friends and allies in the Marvel Universe Manhattan’s “Mutant Town.”
Madrox is called the Multiple Man because of his ability to duplicate himself on impact. The dupes created by his mutant power help Madrox with his detective work by allowing him to be in two or more places at once.
In addition, he can absorb the memories and experiences of his dupes when he absorbs their bodies back into his. Madrox sent out to several dupes to gain long term experiences living different lives and then return to him.
All of that experience allows Madrox to see problems from many different angles, though sometimes that backfires and makes him a bit indecisive.
3. The Question
Every mystery begins by asking the question, and know one knows that better than the Question himself.
Vic Sage was a television journalist who became a detective willing to follow any story, even one that branched off into conspiracy theory territory.
The Question has incredible focus and dedication to his craft. He’s a master of interrogation and hand-to-hand combat. All of that was brought to an extreme in the Watchmen character Rorschach, who was based on the Question.
Vic Sage also passed his knowledge in skills down by training former Gotham City Police detective Renee Montoya to become the new Question.
2. Jessica Jones
Jessica Jones didn’t set to be a private investigator. She didn’t set out to be a superhero either. A freak car accident that covered in chemicals changed all of that when it gave her super strength, durability, and flight.
Jessica became the superhero called Crystal and joined the Avengers. The traumatic experience of being mind controlled by the Purple Man soured her on the Avengers gig. She briefly became the vigilante Knightress, but after stopping a crime and finding one of the criminals had brought his kids on the job she was no longer comfortable with playing the role of “hero.”
Jessica set up Alias Investigations, which allowed her to operate more closely to the people she was trying to help. She didn’t mean to become a detective, but it turns out she’s very good at the job.
1. Batman
Some people fall into becoming a detective after pursuing other careers. Bruce Wayne trained for the job from a very young age.
There’s more to being Batman than just great deductive reasoning and interrogation skills. being a ninja helps too, but Batman is first and foremost a crime-fighter and that makes crime-solving a primary skill in his arsenal.
There’s a reason DC Comics has continually referred to Batman as “the world’s greatest detective.” He simply is, and many of the best Batman stories in and medium in the character’s long history are the ones that bring that side of him to the forefront.
