Batman is on the hunt for Two-Face after seeing four men in similar kill themselves. Little does Batman know what Two-Face has been concocting though. Spoilers for Detective Comics #1021 follow.
After coming off several mediocre to bad issues, Detective Comics finally hit another home run with Detective Comics #1020. In what is a sequel to “The Big Burn” from Batman & Robin by Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason, Two-Face has returned in spectacular fashion. And, having just read all of “No Man’s Land,” it’s great to see such a pitch-perfect portrayal of the character appear again. Tomasi writes an excellent Two-Face and Brad Walker, Andrew Hennessy, and Brad Anderson bring the story to life incredibly well.
The main draw for this issue is the characterization of Two-Face in this story. Sure, this is a Batman book and he’s doing Batman things, but Two-Face is what makes the issue superb. The fact that he’s built is what is basically a death cult terrifying enough, but having no answers as to why as of yet? Truly unsettling. It’s something that one would never associate with Two-Face and yet, it works so fantastically here.
But getting down to it, the dichotomy of Two-Face and Harvey Dent is on full display in this issue. One of the most interesting things about Two-Face is the schizophrenia of the character. The literal Jekyll vs. Hyde nature of his existence, just with both sides existing at the same time. He’s not just the flip of a coin, he’s two distinct personalities and that’s what this issue shows incredibly well. The struggle of Harvey Dent to keep his secrets, and impulses, at bay being immediately counteracted by Two-Face’s murderous mindset. It’s enthralling to read and immediately makes you want to turn to the next page.
Beyond just the characterization though, the team of Brad Walker, Andrew Hennessy, and Brad Anderson truly make this issue pop off the page. Walker’s layouts and linework tell this story incredibly, bringing out small character details along the way. The character details, mainly Two-Face’s head wound helps break up the pacing of this issue as well, giving the audience at least one beat to breathe. This issue moves incredibly fast, too fast at times, but these moments help with that pacing while also effectively building character and probably story.
As for Hennessy’s inks and Anderson’s colors, the inks make every detail in this issue stand out. There is some phenomenal inking in this issue from him and it comes across on every page. Anderson’s colors also make every page just pop. The use of blues and reds in this issue really accentuate the dichotomy of Two-Face, creating quite an unsettling feeling, which was great.
CHECK OUT: Detective Comics #1020 Review: To Live or Die as Jekyll or Hyde
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