Detective Comics #1097 review

Detective Comics #1097 catapults into its next vicious arc, this time led by Harvey Bullock. In a wild twist of fate, Gordon and Bullock exchange roles, with Harvey flexing his prowess as a cynical P.I. Following the bloody Asema case, Batman and Harvey focus their efforts on investigating the mysterious Elixir organization. Yet, the deeper they seem to look, the wider the conspiracy seems to get. Let’s drown in that narrative sinkhole below!

Mysterious Agents

My knee-jerk reaction to ‘Elixir’ and their agents is that these guys are clearly vampires of some sort. Their lead agent Ambrose looks like a fusion of Blade and iVampire‘s Andrew Bennett. Nonetheless, this issue fleshes out some of their mysterious history and possible motivations. For one, they seem deeply connected to blood and immortality. They even speak of a dude named “Perpetuam,” which just screams vampire. When the issue begins, one of their agents named Dr. Burton tortures the corrupt warden from the previous chapter, seemingly closing whatever loose ends they can before disappearing altogether.

Of course, the meat and potatoes of the issue hinges on Bullock’s investigative abilities. Part of this includes Harvey asking around his network of Gotham know-it-alls. Strangely enough, no one seems to know anything about his quarry, not even Batman. This could perhaps be indicative of how thoroughly Elixir has been hiding, but maybe Bullock’s sources aren’t as good as he would like to believe. Considering how invisible other secret organizations are, I doubt any of them had any concrete information about groups like the Court of Owls either. Regardless, because of his connections, Batman chooses to hire Harvey to investigate in his place. In a way, it shows how much he trusts and respects his abilities, or at least feels sorry for him.

Past Mistake

In a huge cliché, Elixir ties directly into Bullock’s past on a personal level. Namely, somehow Bullock’s first case and first partner just so happened to involve a run-in with the organization. Bullock recounts coming face to face with Ambrose and Dr. Burton on his first routine wellness check, and immediately clocking how suspicious they seem. Initially, they use unconvincing badges and a horrible cover story, but eventually they simply just pay them to look the other way. In fact, his partner Sulley implies that Elixir has shown up in Gotham for a long time, and those who know about them go missing. While Harvey isn’t quite a dirty cop, this new retcon implies he begins his career apart of a grievous cover-up.

In present day, Sulley lives on a boat literally named after and bought with dirty money. When Bullock tracks him down for information, his old partner hasn’t changed very much. However, Sulley isn’t quite happy with how much he let go in his youth and chooses to help Bullock, albeit for a price. The rest of the issue focuses on Batman’s attempts to keep up with the developing investigation. Part of which leads him to Pokolistan, now popularized by the DCU animated series, Creature Commandos. More interestingly, Batman gives Bullock Oracle’s number and lets him send intel at any time.

Recommended If…

• You liked the previous arc of Tec’.
• Batman is your favorite hero in DC.
• Bored and needing a comic to flip through.

Overall

In terms of art, I’m not sure I like this style, but it is serviceable. Maybe it is the sleepy expressions or the harsh lighting highlights on the characters. On a positive note, the vehicles are the best illustrations on the page. Narratively, the private eye angle is creative and entertaining overall to have Bullock as the POV character. Perhaps, the retcons in his story or the general lameness of Elixir is holding this issue back for me, but it hasn’t hooked me in yet. Just like the Designer and a fair bit of other villains, there’s mercenaries coming, but Elixir isn’t differentiating itself from anything we’ve seen before.

Score: 6/10

DC Comics have provided advance copies of books for review.