It’s Christmas in Gotham and nevertheless, crime continues. The one that catches Batman’s eye though is ritualistic sacrifice of multiple people that seems to be Norse in nature. Minor spoilers for Detective Comics #1018 follow.
Even though it’s about a week too late to truly be topical for Christmas, this issue of Detective Comics sets up a great mystery for Batman. Peter J. Tomasi’s run on Detective Comics so far has been at its best when focusing on mysteries and not general superhero genre tropes, which is fitting given the name of the comic. This first issue of this newest storyline though seems to be combining both mystery and superhero tropes into what is a great start to a story.
Obviously, the most notable thing about this issue is its use of Nordic mythological ideas. Right now, they’re just being set up and presented with no answers given, which is okay. There’s much more to this story than just a simple murder mystery and even Batman realizes that. Throwing Batman into simple murder mysteries can be quite a bit of fun. However, by throwing in more wrinkles this can lead to some crazy, fun stuff which is what seems to be happening here. By bringing something Norse, which is often associated by Marvel, this sets up an interesting way forward for this story.
The other noticeable thing in this issue is the fact that Alfred isn’t there as this story takes place after “City of Bane.” While there will be probably be a further dive into future issues regarding Bruce’s mindset without Alfred, it’s only hinted at here. Breaking down while playing fetch with the dogs. Falling asleep with no one to wake him up. Having no one around to talk to (even though Selina should be somewhere around). Nothing’s the same without Alfred and it’s easy to see here.
As for the art, Scott Godlewski does a great job with this issue. His style is something of a mix of Tony S. Daniel and Francis Manapul, which effectively makes his art his own. He does a great job of pacing this issue, knowing exactly when to use a wide shot to give room to breathe. This happens in both action scenes and quieter moments in the issue, so it’s pretty consistent. He also manages to make Gotham feel cold by making the city constantly snow. The chill of the city jumps off the page, which decidedly helps bring you into the world while you’re reading.