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Detective Comics by Peter J. Tomasi #1-6
Batman: Detective Comics by Peter J. Tomasi Omnibus
Writer Peter J. Tomasi's prolific Detective Comics run raised the stakes for the Dark Knight's adventures in Gotham City. Together with artists Doug Mahnke, Brad Walker, Kyle Hotz, and others, Tomasi crafted numerous iconic storylines--such as Mythology, Medieval, and Cold Dark World--that pushed Batman and his rogues to the edge, blurring the lines between heroes and villains.
Who’s hunting those closest to Batman? Commissioner Gordon calls in the Dark Knight Detective when there’s a murder at the Gotham City Aquarium-staged to look exactly like Thomas and Martha Wayne’s crime scene, right down to the playbill and pearls.
How does this bizarre homicide tie into the shadowy monster that attacks Dr. Leslie Thompkins? This creature looks to wage a war on Batman—and it’s using Joker gas to do it! Don't miss a moment of this thrilling tale that includes Detective Comics #27, Detective Comics 994-1016, 1018-1033, Detective Comics Annual #2, Detective Comics Annual #3, Batman: Pennyworth R.I.P. #1.
Who’s hunting those closest to Batman? Commissioner Gordon calls in the Dark Knight Detective when there’s a murder at the Gotham City Aquarium-staged to look exactly like Thomas and Martha Wayne’s crime scene, right down to the playbill and pearls.
How does this bizarre homicide tie into the shadowy monster that attacks Dr. Leslie Thompkins? This creature looks to wage a war on Batman—and it’s using Joker gas to do it! Don't miss a moment of this thrilling tale that includes Detective Comics #27, Detective Comics 994-1016, 1018-1033, Detective Comics Annual #2, Detective Comics Annual #3, Batman: Pennyworth R.I.P. #1.
1016 pages, Hardcover
First published August 8, 2023
4 people are currently reading
73 people want to read
About the author
Peter J. Tomasi
1,394 books468 followersPeter J. Tomasi is an American comic book writer, best known for his work for DC Comics, such as Batman And Robin; Superman; Super Sons; Batman: Detective Comics; Green Lantern Corps; and Superman/Wonder Woman; as well as Batman: Arkham Knight; Brightest Day; Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors; Nightwing; Black Adam, and many more.
In the course of his staff career at DC Comics, Tomasi served as a group editor and ushered in new eras for Batman, Green Lantern, and the JSA, along with a host of special projects like Kingdom Come.
He is also the author of the creator-owned titles House Of Penance with artist Ian Bertram; Light Brigade with artist Peter Snejbjerg; The Mighty with Keith Champagne and Chris Samnee; and the critically acclaimed epic graphic novel The Bridge: How The Roeblings Connected Brooklyn To New York, illustrated by Sara DuVall and published by Abrams ComicArts.
In 2018 New York Times best-selling author Tomasi received the Inkpot Award for achievement in comics.
In the course of his staff career at DC Comics, Tomasi served as a group editor and ushered in new eras for Batman, Green Lantern, and the JSA, along with a host of special projects like Kingdom Come.
He is also the author of the creator-owned titles House Of Penance with artist Ian Bertram; Light Brigade with artist Peter Snejbjerg; The Mighty with Keith Champagne and Chris Samnee; and the critically acclaimed epic graphic novel The Bridge: How The Roeblings Connected Brooklyn To New York, illustrated by Sara DuVall and published by Abrams ComicArts.
In 2018 New York Times best-selling author Tomasi received the Inkpot Award for achievement in comics.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
June 5, 2024
I have been reading Tomasi's runs on titles since GL Corps, so A LOT, and I have loved all of them... except this one. It was even difficult to finish, at one point I had to put it down and read other things. There are some ideas that are cool, but how they pan out felt always kind of flat. Like it never delivered. The art is superb, Brad Walker is always a delight and his Batman is out of this world. But the writing wasn't there. I don't know, I still feel a little bit shocked that I didn't like it. It would be 2 stars but I give it 3 because of the art.
October 20, 2024
Was just a collection of stories, not an overarching theme or plot. It's good, it's bad, it's certainly not ugly though.
February 10, 2024
(Zero spoiler review) 2.25/5
Good lord, and I thought the Snyder omni's were shite. I guess modern Batman just isn't for me. Of course, modern comics aren't for me either, but when ol Batty boy can't even get my big nerdy heart a pumpin, then you know something is certainly rotten in Gotham... and DC... and I could continue.
In truth this may be marginally better than Snyder and Capullo's severely overhyped effort, but only due to the overall calibre of artists featured here being better than Greg Capullo, who I'm no great fan of. That said, the revolving door of artists featured here is a monumental misfire, with only the usual incoming quality of the next artist taking some of the sting away from seeing yet another quality artist get two issues before disappearing back into the shadows. This criticism extends to the very nature of the book itself. Creator centric books, especially when they feature such a broken run as Tomasi on Detective Comics are a doomed proposition from the outset. I mean, to call this thing disjointed is an understatement. A consistent, unbroken run of issues this is not. Don't get me wrong, Tomasi far from covered himself in glory here, although to have to write alongside Tom King's disgustingly disrespectful run is bound to be a burden. But hey, Tomasi cashed the cheques and his name is on the issues, so he has to lie in the bed of his own making, and boy did he shit it in here from time to time. The Mr. Freeze arc was so infuriatingly awful that had I not wanted to lose the resale value of this book, as well as put a hefty hole in my wall, I would have thrown this thing into said wall with as much force as I could muster, which would have been some throw, given how pissed I was. In fact, nothing in this book in the first three quarters is anything I would even dare to call average, let alone consider re-reading. The final quarter was decent, although that's far from a ringing endorsement.
Batman was one of the few characters I would break my no modern Marvel or DC rule for. Sadly, that rule is now enshrined in Wolverine levels of adamantium, and it's not being broken again. I expected better from Peter Tomasi. DC on the other hand... 2.25/5
OmniBen.
Good lord, and I thought the Snyder omni's were shite. I guess modern Batman just isn't for me. Of course, modern comics aren't for me either, but when ol Batty boy can't even get my big nerdy heart a pumpin, then you know something is certainly rotten in Gotham... and DC... and I could continue.
In truth this may be marginally better than Snyder and Capullo's severely overhyped effort, but only due to the overall calibre of artists featured here being better than Greg Capullo, who I'm no great fan of. That said, the revolving door of artists featured here is a monumental misfire, with only the usual incoming quality of the next artist taking some of the sting away from seeing yet another quality artist get two issues before disappearing back into the shadows. This criticism extends to the very nature of the book itself. Creator centric books, especially when they feature such a broken run as Tomasi on Detective Comics are a doomed proposition from the outset. I mean, to call this thing disjointed is an understatement. A consistent, unbroken run of issues this is not. Don't get me wrong, Tomasi far from covered himself in glory here, although to have to write alongside Tom King's disgustingly disrespectful run is bound to be a burden. But hey, Tomasi cashed the cheques and his name is on the issues, so he has to lie in the bed of his own making, and boy did he shit it in here from time to time. The Mr. Freeze arc was so infuriatingly awful that had I not wanted to lose the resale value of this book, as well as put a hefty hole in my wall, I would have thrown this thing into said wall with as much force as I could muster, which would have been some throw, given how pissed I was. In fact, nothing in this book in the first three quarters is anything I would even dare to call average, let alone consider re-reading. The final quarter was decent, although that's far from a ringing endorsement.
Batman was one of the few characters I would break my no modern Marvel or DC rule for. Sadly, that rule is now enshrined in Wolverine levels of adamantium, and it's not being broken again. I expected better from Peter Tomasi. DC on the other hand... 2.25/5
OmniBen.
March 24, 2025
Tomasi's run on Detective Comics is best understood as a series of unconnected stories. There is no overaching plot or storyline carrying the entire book. It almost felt like Tomasi was introducing a bunch of new toys for other writers to pick up later. This includes a comic book "Arkham Knight", the return of the Year Two Villian "The Reaper" (who now operates globally?), Nora Frost as a villian, and Killer Croc looking to build a Mutant Town in the sewers of Gotham (which I would love to see return).
Some elements of the story worked quite well. Like an issue taking of the Bat-family relaying stories of Alfred helping them over the years, or a story of Alfred's time working with MI6 and Batman bringing in a defector agent. I also enjoyed a plot concerning Two Face and his newly forged gang.
Other story arcs weren't quite so satisfying. The Arkham Knight plot and Nora Frost in particular didn't work for me.
I do think Tomasi writes Batman really well, having captured his voice writing Batman & Robin. Any interactions between Bruce and Damien are pure gold. But this isn't his best work. It did however include Titus and Ace, so I was pretty thrilled to see both Bat-Hounds represented!
The artwork was consistently beautiful no matter who was illustrating it. For that reason it gets 4 stars.
Some elements of the story worked quite well. Like an issue taking of the Bat-family relaying stories of Alfred helping them over the years, or a story of Alfred's time working with MI6 and Batman bringing in a defector agent. I also enjoyed a plot concerning Two Face and his newly forged gang.
Other story arcs weren't quite so satisfying. The Arkham Knight plot and Nora Frost in particular didn't work for me.
I do think Tomasi writes Batman really well, having captured his voice writing Batman & Robin. Any interactions between Bruce and Damien are pure gold. But this isn't his best work. It did however include Titus and Ace, so I was pretty thrilled to see both Bat-Hounds represented!
The artwork was consistently beautiful no matter who was illustrating it. For that reason it gets 4 stars.
August 27, 2023
None of this material is truly memorable or great. Perhaps, “RIP Alfred” was significant as Bane killed the poor chap after years of loyalty and service to Bruce and his minions. And truthfully, the stories just felt odd not having him around waiting for Bruce after a long night.
Nevertheless, the other material around that story line was decent at best. Nora, Freeze’s end all be all ended up backstabbing him once he finally gave her life again. The Joker is ever so annoying in this book. Hush wasn’t really necessary to dump into the storyline and killer croc, as usual insignificant. The two face issues were boring as well. I’ve yet to find a writer who can capture the essence and importance of the character where the arc seems captivating and refreshing.
I’d very much give this 2.5/5 stars but the book is beautifully designed. The end pages are a work of art, literally. This will forever look sexy on my shelf as I’ll never touch it to reread any of the material again.
Nevertheless, the other material around that story line was decent at best. Nora, Freeze’s end all be all ended up backstabbing him once he finally gave her life again. The Joker is ever so annoying in this book. Hush wasn’t really necessary to dump into the storyline and killer croc, as usual insignificant. The two face issues were boring as well. I’ve yet to find a writer who can capture the essence and importance of the character where the arc seems captivating and refreshing.
I’d very much give this 2.5/5 stars but the book is beautifully designed. The end pages are a work of art, literally. This will forever look sexy on my shelf as I’ll never touch it to reread any of the material again.
September 4, 2023
The series is good. Peter Tomasi is a good writer, but even he's not a good enough to save his premature exit from Detective Comics. There's a lot of interesting stuff such as the Mayoral election and Damian and Bruce have some good moments, but there's the debut of the Arkham Knight, a nonsensical plot, another attempt to teach Batman a lesson and as well as a guest appearance by most of the Bat-family that's not handled well. I really enjoyed this book a very good powerful storyline, heartbreaking in places and definitely shows the changes coming to Gotham though the previous omnibus by James Tynion IV was a better storyline overall.
November 23, 2023
Another Batman omnibus for the collection.
This one collecting Peter J. Tomasi's various stories on Detective Comics. This was a fun book, not the quality of the Batman and Robin he wrote, i really liked that one better, but not a bad story in here, just nothing mindblowing either. The first story is my favorite of the entire omnibus, Mythology is from Detective Comics 994, and is a detective story about a double murder, and they look like Bruce's parents and the same way the got killed... The artwork from artists like Doug Mahnke, Ian Bertram,Travis Moore, Eduardo Risso and Eddy Barrows, is very decent aswell.
This one collecting Peter J. Tomasi's various stories on Detective Comics. This was a fun book, not the quality of the Batman and Robin he wrote, i really liked that one better, but not a bad story in here, just nothing mindblowing either. The first story is my favorite of the entire omnibus, Mythology is from Detective Comics 994, and is a detective story about a double murder, and they look like Bruce's parents and the same way the got killed... The artwork from artists like Doug Mahnke, Ian Bertram,Travis Moore, Eduardo Risso and Eddy Barrows, is very decent aswell.
August 15, 2025
A decent run with some highs and almost no lows that accompanied the Tynion run perfectly
3.49 stars
3.49 stars
August 16, 2025
Early stories are pretty much standalone but enjoyable as the book progresses really gets into its stride and enjoyable
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews