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Batman: The Dark Knight Detective #8
Batman: The Dark Knight Detective, Vol. 8
The beloved Batman adventures from the 90s continue in the latest collection of Detective Comics !
Collecting stories from Detective Comics #644-653 and Detective Comics Annuals #4-5— The Dark Knight Detective Vol. 8 is a thrilling tale starting with Buzz Galvan heading to the electric chair...and surviving?! Of course, the next move is to take revenge on everyone who gathered to watch him suffer. It's up to Batman and Robin to stop him!
Collecting stories from Detective Comics #644-653 and Detective Comics Annuals #4-5— The Dark Knight Detective Vol. 8 is a thrilling tale starting with Buzz Galvan heading to the electric chair...and surviving?! Of course, the next move is to take revenge on everyone who gathered to watch him suffer. It's up to Batman and Robin to stop him!
360 pages, Paperback
First published November 28, 2023
3 people are currently reading
63 people want to read
About the author
Chuck Dixon
3,426 books1,029 followersCharles "Chuck" Dixon is an American comic book writer, perhaps best-known for long runs on Batman titles in the 1990s.
His earliest comics work was writing Evangeline first for Comico Comics in 1984 (then later for First Comics, who published the on-going series), on which he worked with his then-wife, the artist Judith Hunt. His big break came one year later, when editor Larry Hama hired him to write back-up stories for Marvel Comics' The Savage Sword of Conan.
In 1986, he began working for Eclipse Comics, writing Airboy with artist Tim Truman. Continuing to write for both Marvel and (mainly) Eclipse on these titles, as well as launching Strike! with artist Tom Lyle in August 1987 and Valkyrie with artist Paul Gulacy in October 1987, he began work on Carl Potts' Alien Legion series for Marvel's Epic Comics imprint, under editor Archie Goodwin. He also produced a three-issue adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit for Eclipse with artist David Wenzel between 1989 and 1990, and began writing Marc Spector: Moon Knight in June 1989.
His Punisher OGN Kingdom Gone (August, 1990) led to him working on the monthly The Punisher War Journal (and later, more monthly and occasional Punisher titles), and also brought him to the attention of DC Comics editor Denny O'Neil, who asked him to produce a Robin mini-series. The mini proved popular enough to spawn two sequels - The Joker's Wild (1991) and Cry of the Huntress (1992) - which led to both an ongoing monthly series (which Dixon wrote for 100 issues before leaving to work with CrossGen Comics), and to Dixon working on Detective Comics from #644-738 through the major Batman stories KnightFall & KnightsEnd (for which he helped create the key character of Bane), DC One Million , Contagion , Legacy , Cataclysm and No Man's Land . Much of his run was illustrated by Graham Nolan.
He was DC's most prolific Batman-writer in the mid-1990s (rivalled perhaps in history by Bill Finger and Dennis O'Neil) - in addition to writing Detective Comics he pioneered the individual series for Robin , Nightwing (which he wrote for 70 issues, and returned to briefly with 2005's #101) and Batgirl , as well as creating the team and book Birds of Prey .
While writing multiple Punisher and Batman comics (and October 1994's Punisher/Batman crossover), he also found time to launch Team 7 for Jim Lee's WildStorm/Image and Prophet for Rob Liefeld's Extreme Studios. He also wrote many issues of Catwoman and Green Arrow , regularly having about seven titles out each and every month between the years 1993 and 1998.
In March, 2002, Dixon turned his attention to CrossGen's output, salthough he co-wrote with Scott Beatty the origin of Barbara Gordon's Batgirl in 2003's Batgirl: Year One. For CrossGen he took over some of the comics of the out-going Mark Waid, taking over Sigil from #21, and Crux with #13. He launched Way of the Rat in June 2002, Brath (March '03), The Silken Ghost (June '03) and the pirate comic El Cazador (Oct '03), as well as editing Robert Rodi's non-Sigilverse The Crossovers. He also wrote the Ruse spin-off Archard's Agents one-shots in January and November '03 and April '04, the last released shortly before CrossGen's complete collapse forced the cancellation of all of its comics, before which Dixon wrote a single issue of Sojourn (May '04). Dixon's Way of the Rat #24, Brath #14 and El Cazador #6 were among the last comics released from the then-bankrupt publisher.
On June 10, 2008, Dixon announced on his forum that he was no longer "employed by DC Comics in any capacity."
His earliest comics work was writing Evangeline first for Comico Comics in 1984 (then later for First Comics, who published the on-going series), on which he worked with his then-wife, the artist Judith Hunt. His big break came one year later, when editor Larry Hama hired him to write back-up stories for Marvel Comics' The Savage Sword of Conan.
In 1986, he began working for Eclipse Comics, writing Airboy with artist Tim Truman. Continuing to write for both Marvel and (mainly) Eclipse on these titles, as well as launching Strike! with artist Tom Lyle in August 1987 and Valkyrie with artist Paul Gulacy in October 1987, he began work on Carl Potts' Alien Legion series for Marvel's Epic Comics imprint, under editor Archie Goodwin. He also produced a three-issue adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit for Eclipse with artist David Wenzel between 1989 and 1990, and began writing Marc Spector: Moon Knight in June 1989.
His Punisher OGN Kingdom Gone (August, 1990) led to him working on the monthly The Punisher War Journal (and later, more monthly and occasional Punisher titles), and also brought him to the attention of DC Comics editor Denny O'Neil, who asked him to produce a Robin mini-series. The mini proved popular enough to spawn two sequels - The Joker's Wild (1991) and Cry of the Huntress (1992) - which led to both an ongoing monthly series (which Dixon wrote for 100 issues before leaving to work with CrossGen Comics), and to Dixon working on Detective Comics from #644-738 through the major Batman stories KnightFall & KnightsEnd (for which he helped create the key character of Bane), DC One Million , Contagion , Legacy , Cataclysm and No Man's Land . Much of his run was illustrated by Graham Nolan.
He was DC's most prolific Batman-writer in the mid-1990s (rivalled perhaps in history by Bill Finger and Dennis O'Neil) - in addition to writing Detective Comics he pioneered the individual series for Robin , Nightwing (which he wrote for 70 issues, and returned to briefly with 2005's #101) and Batgirl , as well as creating the team and book Birds of Prey .
While writing multiple Punisher and Batman comics (and October 1994's Punisher/Batman crossover), he also found time to launch Team 7 for Jim Lee's WildStorm/Image and Prophet for Rob Liefeld's Extreme Studios. He also wrote many issues of Catwoman and Green Arrow , regularly having about seven titles out each and every month between the years 1993 and 1998.
In March, 2002, Dixon turned his attention to CrossGen's output, salthough he co-wrote with Scott Beatty the origin of Barbara Gordon's Batgirl in 2003's Batgirl: Year One. For CrossGen he took over some of the comics of the out-going Mark Waid, taking over Sigil from #21, and Crux with #13. He launched Way of the Rat in June 2002, Brath (March '03), The Silken Ghost (June '03) and the pirate comic El Cazador (Oct '03), as well as editing Robert Rodi's non-Sigilverse The Crossovers. He also wrote the Ruse spin-off Archard's Agents one-shots in January and November '03 and April '04, the last released shortly before CrossGen's complete collapse forced the cancellation of all of its comics, before which Dixon wrote a single issue of Sojourn (May '04). Dixon's Way of the Rat #24, Brath #14 and El Cazador #6 were among the last comics released from the then-bankrupt publisher.
On June 10, 2008, Dixon announced on his forum that he was no longer "employed by DC Comics in any capacity."
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 4, 2023
One of the best of the series. Plenty of room for other characters to get a look in - Robin, Alfred, cops Bullock and Montoya and Huntress. Chuck Dixon's writing is solid, alongside a couple of decent annual entries.
September 15, 2025
(I'm ignoring the boring as dirt Simonson annual that was reprinted here due to a page omission in the previous volume as I reviewed it that collection).
A strong conclusion to the period of Detective Comics between COIE and Knightfall. Dixon's debut on the title begins with a pulpy Lyle drawn two-parter about a death row inmate turned mobile "electrocutioner" seeking revenge on those who witnessed his botched execution. Grant, Wagner, and Mandrake produce a fun annual after this where a newly re-established Scarface carries out a plan to extort the Joker for the spoils of his last crime, only to find themselves embroiled in a conflict with the supernatural being Eclipso. A series of episodic character-driven Dixon stories follow, starting with an engaging plot about a newly introduced Spoiler trying to stop her dad (Cluemaster) from stealing millions of dollars from a charitable event. This is succeeded by the best story in the collection where a plot parodying Geraldo Rivera's televised broadcast of Al Capone's vault opening is interwoven with a subplot that sees Bat's assistant Harold lost in the bat cave trying to find his way out. The two plots humorously dove tail in the end, constructing a really pleasant little vignette with quality structure, levity, and character work. This trend continues with two further Dixon and Nolan stories; one centering around Harvey Bullock receiving threats against his life and a two-parter about Huntress returning to vigilantism to stop a dispute between two fueding Balkan subcultures in Gotham.
Having greatly enjoyed the Dixon & Nolan tec stories I've read post-Knightfall, it was a pleasure reading their work again here. While Dixon tends to embrace a less empathetic and often "otherist" flavor of villainy, his plotting is always engaging and the characterization of protagonists is full of heart. I found the earlier issues drawn by Lyle rather well pencilled even if I do prefer the less exaggerated proportions and lighter line work of Nolan.
A strong conclusion to the period of Detective Comics between COIE and Knightfall. Dixon's debut on the title begins with a pulpy Lyle drawn two-parter about a death row inmate turned mobile "electrocutioner" seeking revenge on those who witnessed his botched execution. Grant, Wagner, and Mandrake produce a fun annual after this where a newly re-established Scarface carries out a plan to extort the Joker for the spoils of his last crime, only to find themselves embroiled in a conflict with the supernatural being Eclipso. A series of episodic character-driven Dixon stories follow, starting with an engaging plot about a newly introduced Spoiler trying to stop her dad (Cluemaster) from stealing millions of dollars from a charitable event. This is succeeded by the best story in the collection where a plot parodying Geraldo Rivera's televised broadcast of Al Capone's vault opening is interwoven with a subplot that sees Bat's assistant Harold lost in the bat cave trying to find his way out. The two plots humorously dove tail in the end, constructing a really pleasant little vignette with quality structure, levity, and character work. This trend continues with two further Dixon and Nolan stories; one centering around Harvey Bullock receiving threats against his life and a two-parter about Huntress returning to vigilantism to stop a dispute between two fueding Balkan subcultures in Gotham.
Having greatly enjoyed the Dixon & Nolan tec stories I've read post-Knightfall, it was a pleasure reading their work again here. While Dixon tends to embrace a less empathetic and often "otherist" flavor of villainy, his plotting is always engaging and the characterization of protagonists is full of heart. I found the earlier issues drawn by Lyle rather well pencilled even if I do prefer the less exaggerated proportions and lighter line work of Nolan.
January 27, 2025
With Batman: The Dark Knight Detective (“DKD”), Vol. 8, DC has now completed the collection of all post-Crisis, pre-Knightfall Detective Comics stories (an omnibus is due). This volume also marks the beginning of Chuck Dixon’s run on Detective Comics and it is also one of my favorite DKD volumes. This volume is quite thick, partly because it reprints Detective Comics Annual 4, which was originally collected in DKD, Vol. 7 but was missing a page.
It also includes Detective Comics Annual 5, written by Alan Grant and John Wagner, with artwork by Tom Mandrake. This annual is a tie-in to the Eclipso: The Darkness Within event. It also features the return of Scarface and is where Ventriloquist’s real name, Arnold Wesker, is revealed. I like this Annual.
Other notable events in this book are the first appearances of Stephanie Brown, also known as Spoiler, along with her mother, and Armand Krol, a former district attorney who launches his mayoral campaign in this book. Harold also discovers the Batcave’s connection with Gotham’s old subway tunnels. This book also features an issue titled A Bullet for Bullock, whose plot was later adapted for Batman: The Animated Series. In this issue, a connection is starting to form between Harvey Bullock and Batman.
I also enjoyed the Gordon-Essen subplot in this book. Gordon tries to propose to Sarah but struggles to find the right moment, given what is happening in the story. These two really love each other. As for the art, I’m not really a fan of Tom Lyle’s style, but I found his work in this story to be very good. He was eventually replaced by Graham Nolan, whose art I love.
Collects Detective Comics (1937) 644-653 and Annual 5, plus a corrected printing of Annual 4.
My Batman Collected Editions Instagram page
It also includes Detective Comics Annual 5, written by Alan Grant and John Wagner, with artwork by Tom Mandrake. This annual is a tie-in to the Eclipso: The Darkness Within event. It also features the return of Scarface and is where Ventriloquist’s real name, Arnold Wesker, is revealed. I like this Annual.
Other notable events in this book are the first appearances of Stephanie Brown, also known as Spoiler, along with her mother, and Armand Krol, a former district attorney who launches his mayoral campaign in this book. Harold also discovers the Batcave’s connection with Gotham’s old subway tunnels. This book also features an issue titled A Bullet for Bullock, whose plot was later adapted for Batman: The Animated Series. In this issue, a connection is starting to form between Harvey Bullock and Batman.
I also enjoyed the Gordon-Essen subplot in this book. Gordon tries to propose to Sarah but struggles to find the right moment, given what is happening in the story. These two really love each other. As for the art, I’m not really a fan of Tom Lyle’s style, but I found his work in this story to be very good. He was eventually replaced by Graham Nolan, whose art I love.
Collects Detective Comics (1937) 644-653 and Annual 5, plus a corrected printing of Annual 4.
My Batman Collected Editions Instagram page
March 15, 2024
Another middling, but not terrible, collection of early-'90s issues of Detective Comics.
The volume contains two standalone annuals (one "Armageddon 2001" crossover that isn't very good, and one delightful "Eclipso" crossover written by Alan Grant, which brings back Scarface), but for the most part, this is the start of Chuck Dixon's run on the character... and Dixon is, ah, a little bit of a mixed bag for me.
On one hand, the man is a competent journeyman storyteller; his books are satisfyingly paced, well structured, and entertaining. He spends several of his issues focusing on supporting characters-- like Jim Gordon, the Huntress, Harold (remember him?), and Harvey Bullock (whose standalone story "A Bullet for Bullock" was turned into an episode of the '90s animated series). He also introduces Stephanie Brown, a.k.a. the Spoiler in this volume-- an enduringly popular character to this day!
... But, on the other hand, his worldview bends towards the reactionary. Criminals are frequently dehumanized and depicted as frothing, irrational monsters. Foreigners are "othered" and regarded with suspicion. Cops are valorized for their violent work-- there's even a scene of Robin being rescued from a knife-wielding henchman when a police sniper pumps FOUR BULLETS into the guy. Sure, this stuff isn't uncommon for media of the day, but it's just jarring and abrasive to see in 2024.
That said, this is still a sturdy, if insubstantial, collection of pulpy crime-fighting adventures. I've read better... but I've also read far, far worse.
The volume contains two standalone annuals (one "Armageddon 2001" crossover that isn't very good, and one delightful "Eclipso" crossover written by Alan Grant, which brings back Scarface), but for the most part, this is the start of Chuck Dixon's run on the character... and Dixon is, ah, a little bit of a mixed bag for me.
On one hand, the man is a competent journeyman storyteller; his books are satisfyingly paced, well structured, and entertaining. He spends several of his issues focusing on supporting characters-- like Jim Gordon, the Huntress, Harold (remember him?), and Harvey Bullock (whose standalone story "A Bullet for Bullock" was turned into an episode of the '90s animated series). He also introduces Stephanie Brown, a.k.a. the Spoiler in this volume-- an enduringly popular character to this day!
... But, on the other hand, his worldview bends towards the reactionary. Criminals are frequently dehumanized and depicted as frothing, irrational monsters. Foreigners are "othered" and regarded with suspicion. Cops are valorized for their violent work-- there's even a scene of Robin being rescued from a knife-wielding henchman when a police sniper pumps FOUR BULLETS into the guy. Sure, this stuff isn't uncommon for media of the day, but it's just jarring and abrasive to see in 2024.
That said, this is still a sturdy, if insubstantial, collection of pulpy crime-fighting adventures. I've read better... but I've also read far, far worse.
January 30, 2024
This was a very good nostalgic look at Batman in the early 90s. Chuck Dixon, who defined an era for the Bat books, does a really good job here dealing with Ventriloquist, Cluemaster, Huntress, a solid new antagonist (Buzz Galavan), and more. While probably not well remembered this was solid if not better. I enjoyed Batman's dealing with Robin, Spoiler, Huntress, and the GCPD. There some decent subplots with Sarah and Gotham political intrigue. The book's art was okay despite some terrible designs for Huntress and Buzz. Overall, a book that holds up much better than most of its time.
January 26, 2024
This was fun. Two annuals with tie-ins to Armageddon 2001 and Eclipso: The Darkness Within. Villains like Ra's al Ghul, Scarface and Cluemaster. The first appearance of Spoiler. A cool Huntress team-up. I love Tim Drake as Robin back in these days too. Good stuff. I hope DC keeps going with these.
January 21, 2024
90’s Batman and Robin having a blast.
June 6, 2024
This might be my favorite of the Dark Knight Detective series. Not a bad issue to be found throughout.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews