The current and former Batman meet with the Justice League, who are searching for someone with enough detective skills to solve a crime they have been baffled by. All the while, the current Batman is still trying to master being Gotham’s guardian angel.

Detective Comics #45 opens with a very gruesome water themed murder of a group of people in a luxury sweet at a Kings’ game, which is presumably cricket since they mention wickets. This is never built on further but, the brutal and mystical nature of the crime sets up an interesting mystery. The rest of the issue deals with the two Batman and their interactions with the Justice League. The Justice League is trying to see if there is any memory they can pull from the former Batman, Bruce Wayne, to see if he can help them with a case they are working. There is a lot of good characterization in this section, particularly Alfred, as you can see the pain he is in trying to allow Bruce to move on from Batman but, knowing the good he can do under the cowl. After this meeting, the League moves to the new Batman, James Gordon Jr., to seek his help with their dilemma. The dichotomy between the new and old Batman’s interaction with the Justice League is very well done. Bruce, even with his lost memory, is not intimidated or impressed by the Justice League. He treats them as if he was meeting an old friend. This is interesting and hints at his past memory still buried deep in his psyche. James on the other hand is completely star struck and feels almost unworthy to be working with them.

While the characterization is very strong, the narrative itself does drag in the middle. There is a story involving the Mad Hatter but, the urgency of the situation is so low and the resolution so quick and easy, it almost feels like filler so the story can continue to build the mystery of why the Justice League are here. Most of the second act of the comic feels little more than shoehorning in a recognizable Batman villain to meet the bad guy quota of the month.

The artwork is also hit or miss in parts. The action scenes are very solid and well paced. The backgrounds are also very detailed and the lighting accentuates the surroundings appropriately, adding a nice layer of atmosphere. The only real issue arises in certain slower scenes where faces become smudged at a distance. It looks as if a few times they were rushed, leading to some uneven facial proportions.

Overall, the issue a decent filler story to what is building to an interesting cross over between the new Batman and the Justice League. The mystery at the beginning, and the interesting tease at the end of what the Justice League are really trying to solve, keeps Detective Comic a worthy follow going forward. But, it is hard to justify a story where the beginning and end are the only highlights, making this issue a read at best.

Story: Peter J. Tomasi Art: Marcio Takara
Story: 6 Art: 7 Overall: 6.5 Recommendation: Read