Two-Face has returned, causing Batman to try and discern what is now motivating him. Spoilers for Detective Comics #1020 follow.
The past ten issues or so of Detective Comics haven’t really lived up to the first couple arcs since Peter J. Tomasi took over. None have been downright bad, but more, lackluster than anything. Not much has really popped. However, that changes with this issue as Brad Walker returns to the series for his second arc, this time starring Two-Face. This is a fantastic first issue to the arc and a great jumping-on point for anyone interested.
This issue really starts off strong, with an immediate feeling like this is a sequel to Tomasi and Patrick Gleason’s Batman & Robin story “The Big Burn.” You don’t need to read that story to understand what’s happening, but that’s definitely what it feels like, and that’s a good thing. Two-Face was excellent in that story and that continues here. Tomasi writes an excellent Two-Face and goes even deeper into the psyche of the character here. Truly in this issue, Two-Face feels like a horror villain. More Jekyll than Hyde. It’s obviously a dichotomy than has been seen before in the character, but the execution here is great, so that doesn’t matter.
Plus, there’s an actual good mystery in play here as well. Tomasi has done a great job of making Detective Comics live up to the “detective” part of its name and that continues here. It’s fun following Batman trying to discern Two-Face’s motives, as well as the intercutting with Two-Face’s continued murder spree. The most fascinating part of this issue though is the reveal that Two-Face is now basically a cult leader. This may crash and burn going forward, but for right now, it’s an interesting development and adds to the creepy, horror nature of this issue.
Brad Walker’s art in this issue is phenomenal as well. We’ve already seen that he can draw a great Batman, but his Two-Face art shines in this issue. Every panel with Harvey is unsettling and makes your skin crawl as you read. He knows exactly what to shown and when to create the maximum effect for the reader. The horror elements of this issue are accentuated by Andrew Hennessey’s heavy inks that really get across the almost classic Universal monster film stylings of this issue. Combine all of this with Brad Anderson’s colors and it’s a recipe for success.