If you ask me there is ONE too many Batman comics, but which one should get the ax? Batman? Detective Comics? Batman & Robin? Batman: The Dark Knight? Who knows, too soon to tell, but what I do know is that coming up with four different, fun, interesting reads month after must be a pain in the ass for the four writers involved in the Bat-verse.

The first writer up to the plate is Tony S Daniel. If you’ve been around awhile you have no doubt heard rumblings, or have done some of your own rumblings, about Mr. Daniel’s take on Batman over the years. I am going to hazard a guess that more then half of the readers dislike his style or writing – he gets more percentage on his art though, which can sometimes be rather fucking good. But back to the writing – his last run on the flagship Batman title left me cold and bored, and I don’t think I was alone in my gloom. Batman was just a comic that I spent 2.99 on and read last. I was just going through the motions of a collector – gotta have the complete series, can’t miss an issue because I’m a completest. You know what I’m talking about. After reading Batman I would immediately forget it about it and tuck it away in the long box, never to crack it’s spine again.

And now Tony S Daniel is taking over Detective Comics. Great, after an astonishing run by Scott Snyder this year, it is now going to be one of those comics I flip through once and never again. In fact, I had planned on not even getting this series (that 2.99 starts to add up my friends, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to waste it on a mediocre comic anymore). But I caved in because first issues are just fun to buy and read. So yesterday I got Detective Comics number 1 (first time in 70 years that’s been done), went home and read it. Then something odd happened that I didn’t expect – I read it again. What. The. Fuck? I double checked the credits on the splash page, yep, written by Tony S Daniel.

I liked it. I could read it a 3rd time, and probably will. Daniel’s new Detective Comics is a true BATMAN comic all the way. It is steeped in a what I can only call a “dread” that had me tense while reading. That is something that doesn’t happen often. Perhaps it was because at times I felt I was reading a lost chapter of Frank Millers “The Dark Knight Returns”. And really, that’s okay, I’ll take it over Daniels “Batman” run any goddamn day of the week. There is a passion in these pages now. Sure the writing gets a bit hooky at times with lines like, “I AM THE NIGHT!” but whatever, it’s a comic book. And it’s a fun comic book.

I’m glad DC is letting their writers go to town and do things to shake up the status quo, This a good thing. It is freeing up talent to do some of their best work, and freeing up that 2.99 from my wallet.

Ok, Tony S Daniel, you got my attention, let’s see what you can do.