Batman: Detective Comics, Vol. 1: Mercy of the Father

Batman: Detective Comics by Tom Taylor

by Tom Taylor, Mikel Janín (Artist), Norm Rapmund (Inker)

Over the years, the Caped Crusader has faced down foes of all different shapes and sizes, from killer mutants to cosmic deities and everything in between. Now, however, he finds himself staring down an enemy like never before: The cold and uncaring march of time!

Batman confronts his own mortality and uncovers a far-reaching and deadly conspiracy in the process that threatens the very heart of Gotham City. How far will the Dark Knight go to ensure he is able to stand vigil over his home for decades to come? And what price will he have to pay?

Collects Detective Comics #1090-1096

Genres: Comics, Dc Comics, Batman, Graphic Novels, Superheroes, Comic Book, Graphic Novels Comics

184 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2025

About the author

Once a professional juggler and fire eater, Tom Taylor is a #1 New York Times Bestselling, multi-award-winning comic book writer, playwright and screenwriter.

Well known for his work with DC Comics and Marvel, Taylor is the co-creator of NEVERLANDERS from Penguin Random House, SEVEN SECRETS from Boom Studios and the Aurealis-Award-winning graphic novel series THE DEEP. Taylor is also the Head Writer and Executive Producer of The Deep animated series, four seasons of which is broadcast in over 140 countries.

He is perhaps best known for the DC Comics series, DCEASED (Shadow Awards Winner), NIGHTWING (nominated for 5 Eisner Awards), SUPERMAN: SON OF KAL-EL (GLAAD Award Nominee), INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US, SUICIDE SQUAD, EARTH 2 and BATMAN/SUPERMAN as well as Marvel's FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN, ALL NEW WOLVERINE, X-MEN: RED, DARK AGES and SUPERIOR IRON MAN. Taylor is also the writer of many Star Wars series, which include STAR WARS: INVASION and STAR WARS: BLOOD TIES (Stan Lee Excelsior Award winner). Taylor has written for Marvel, DC Comics, Dark Horse Comics, IDW Publishing, Boom Studios, Wildstorm, 2000 AD and Gestalt Comics.

He can be followed on twitter @TomTaylorMade.

Reviews

[Khurram · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. For me, it hit all the right notes. Calling into question Batman's vow not to kill. I also love the interaction of the Bat-family as well. Even turning the tables on Batman as well.

Years ago Thomas Wayne saved a life, but that decision came with a cost later. Now a serial killer is stalking the streets of Gotham but their targets are young criminals. The Bat-family will intervene and go undercover to learn the truth. However, there might be bigger plays than even they can consider. Also, how is this connected to Martha Wayne?

A great story full of moral dilemmas, and lots of action, very good artwork as well. This also seems to lead to repercussions from the future as well as from the past. The book finishes with a variant cover gallery.

[Mike Jorgensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is perfection in my mind. Great story with deep psychological and family ties for Bruce. Good use of the bat family. Cool new villain, great pacing and reveals. lots of really potent quotes. This is a Batman for 2025.

[Sam Quixote · Rating 2 out of 5]

Someone’s targeting young offenders straight outta juvie - their corpses found drained of blood! Batman’s gotta solve the case, etc.

Fresh from his success reinvigorating Nightwing, Tom Taylor’s taken over the iconic Detective Comics title for a run that starts underwhelmingly with Mercy of the Father.

This latest spate of Gotham murder is tied into Batman’s origins and how the actions of his dad, Thomas Wayne, led to his and Martha’s deaths at the hands of Joe Chill because ironic mercy - wah waaaah. Meanwhile, there be a sexy new tech startup in town that’s literally pumping new blood into rich, older folk to rejuvenate them - but what’s really going on behind the scenes, eh, rabble rabble…

Taylor writes Batman and Superman well - he nails both of their characters’ voices - it’s just the stories he puts them in are, like this one, just not interesting. The bad guy is simply bland, to the point where I don’t even recall their name, and their design looks like a dozen other throwaway villain characters that have appeared in Batman comics over the years. The villain’s motivation was really dumb - duuuurrr Doe Chill was baaaad derefore everbuddy who crimes is baaaad - nor was their threat to Batman all that convincing.

Damian undercover at the juvenile detention centre was a fun issue although later when the Bat family assembles to bring the evil doers to justice, there’s so much corniness in the conclusion with characters standing around posing and saying the equivalent of “You’re going to jail mister” while the bad guys quiver. It’s cringey crap like this that’s put me off of even attempting Taylor’s Titans series because I know it’ll be nothing but this the whole time.

Mikel Janin is an amazing artist who’s done fantastic work on the main Batman title during Tom King’s run and the comic looks great, as you’d expect. But disappointingly Tom Taylor doesn’t provide an inspired or engaging Batman mystery for his opening arc on Detective Comics. Batman: Detective Comics, Volume 1: Mercy of the Father is a dull, overlong and instantly forgettable addition to Batman’s canon.

[Kaden · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve never been a huge Batman fan. I’ve always gravitated towards characters representing the light, representing hope. Characters like Superman, Nightwing, and and the Flash have always been my favorite. But with how much I loved the Taylor runs of Nightwing, Titans, and Superman, I decided to give this run a shot and it immediately paid off. My professional and academic careers have centered around a belief that all people are more than their worst moments. That all people have the capacity for change and that we as a society have to provide the opportunity for that change to occur to have any hope for truly just and safe communities. My work as a librarian and my research as an academic have centered around helping prepare people returning from incarceration to be best positioned for reentry success. The prisons in the real world may not be as cartoonishly evil as those in this story, but they cause real harm and lead to more crime, not less. Seeing that reality play out in Batman, seeing Bruce’s commitment to believing in second chances and that all life is worth saving even when faced with his parents’ murderer, was one of the more impactful comic stories I’ve read. Something I’ve intentionally tried to wrestle with in writing my own superhero stories is the dichotomy between stopping crime from hurting people with the belief that every life has value and people aren’t ever just one thing. I think it’s something I’ve done well with, but it’s never far from my mind while writing. Stories like this and writers like Taylor make me love superhero stories even more because they have the courage to say that finding a better way to protect people than to dehumanize others who have made bad decisions is not only possible, is not only worth considering, but is necessary to truly do good.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.3 stars

This new run on Detective starts exceptionally well. I really wouldn’t have expected anything less from Tom Taylor, though, who is definitely on my I’ll-read-anything-they-write list. The artwork is pretty darned good, too, other than the colour scheme which was a little too dayglo for my tastes in places.

I’m not sure if it’s even collected in this book but, as I don’t know where it might turn up, I’ll just mention that the annual, written by Al Ewing, was also pretty great.

[Bill Riggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

The art and story are both too notch, this is what Batman stories should be - exciting, intriguing, and with ethical and moral value.

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

After Tom Taylor wrapped up his run on Nightwing, he took on Detective Comics, and it's clear he's trying to bring his A-game. The story centers around Bruce investigating a mysterious murderer targeting juvenile offenders who escape justice. The villain’s "no second chances" motto and her brutal approach to crime make for a chilling antagonist. It all ties back to Joe Chill, which offers a fresh way to revisit Bruce’s trauma.

The dynamic between Bruce and his new love interest is engaging, and I really appreciated seeing Batman stay true to his moral code while still fiercely protecting others. Damien also gets a chance to shine, embodying his father’s qualities more than ever before.

That said, the ending feels a bit too safe. This is a recurring theme in Taylor's mainstream work. While he excels at creating powerful character moments, I find myself wishing he'd take more risks, like he does in his Elseworlds stories. There's potential here, but I’d love to see Taylor push the boundaries a little more. Still really well paced and enjoyable, a 3.5 out of 5, I'll bump it to a 4.

[Franck Martini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Combien de coups de continuité rétroactive une série peut elle supporter ?
Donc encore un truc avec Joe Chill - l’avantage c’est que c’est Tom Taylor et qu’au moins ce sera bien écrit, relativement feel good et intelligent.
Les dessins sont splendides - la mise en couleur un peu too much Mai’s efficace.
L’histoire est assez bien construite même si la conclusion est sans surprise.
La caractérisation est excellente et quelques idées permettent de régler un problème avec le personnage - bien vu !

[Mattthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was really great. Tom Taylor tells a great story here and the artwork by Mikel Janín is really good as well.

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mercy of the Father honestly feels like a bit of a rehash of past storylines with previously unknown Thomas/Martha lore playing a key role, but Tom Taylor does his usual thing, keeping the pacing electric and the characters at the forefront. And, mercifully, there's far less world-building than whatever Ram V was attempting, as much as I occasionally enjoyed his take on Detective Comics. Mercy of the Father is smooth sailing, reading-wise.

There's a new serial killer in Gotham, targeting young hoodlums. At the same time, Bruce is feeling his age and, wouldn't ya know, there's a new biotech company in town with a miracle drug. Bruce signs up (without digging any deeper???), which of course leads to him striking up a relationship with the hottie running the joint (and also discovering surprise, surprise that maybe the miracle drug isn't on the up and up). The big twist of who is the villain is easy to spot ahead of time, but it's still fun to play along. And we get some new characters in the toybox to play with in the future, plus yet more backstory for Joe Chill. Cue: flashback sequence to Batman's childhood trauma... maybe next volume.

[Iain · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid Batman story, leaning on his origin story but adding a twist that is fresh enough to avoid too much repetition. Artwork is excellent and welcome cameos from Gotham's other heroes and villains and Superman.

[Frédéric · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5*

A somewhat disappointing pseudo-retcon. It's not particularly badly written and there are a few good sequences, but overall everything was easily predictable and the whole feels a bit bland. There is some reflection on the prison system, but it's not enough.

Very good graphics by Janin. The colour choices are sometimes bold, but I like it.

[Anna Quilter · Rating 4 out of 5]

it's a great story...that adds a few more layers to Batmans origin and a love interest fir Bruce.

[Alex Sarll]

Tom Taylor works in that currently fashionable style which can sometimes read as more concerned with producing shareable panels for the socials than coherent comics. He's better than many of its exponents, to be clear – hence my often finding his stuff fun albeit intermittently frustrating (Nightwing, Injustice) and only occasionally unreadable (DCeased). Still, someone with such an eye for fanservice, working on a character where I'm not a fan? Potential problem there. Except, bless him, he's come up with a retcon I absolutely love, albeit in a Nelson Muntz 'HA HA!' sense of the word. Turns out that Bruce Wayne picked up his absurd punctiliousness about saving lives – so, not just not killing the Joker, but bringing him back from death at least twice – from his dad, Doctor Thomas Wayne. Further, it turns out that against the advice of his colleagues, Thomas once saved the life of Joe Chill, already a known piece of shit, and the man who would soon afterwards murder Thomas and his wife Martha, thereby setting Bruce on this self-defeating path in the first place. Amazing.

Now, that in itself is hilarious, but not a story, so tied in with it is the fate of Chill's daughter, who along with her mother was rescued by Martha, more useful than her menfolk, and has since become a sort of Elizabeth Holmes if she hadn't been a charlatan, working on life extension technologies, which Bruce gets signed up to despite some qualms, because apparently the distinguishing feature of Detective these days is that it's the Batbook where he worries about his aches and pains and slowing down. Except, might this have something to do with a recent wave of killings of juvenile delinquents recently released from a private prison? Well, duh. And just wait until you hear what Batman finds out about bears, and the Pope! That said, the link isn't as neatly done as one might hope, and the iniquities of America's prison-industrial complex come across more as a supervillainous anomaly than the endemic horror they are. Granted, the Peter Thiel-style scientific vampirism plot at least makes something thematically appropriate of the current Gotham police commissioner being the immortal Vandal Savage, a development that's been merely baffling every other time I've seen it crop up. And it all looks great, especially when Mikel Janin is on art. But unlike the myth-infused Ram V run it follows, I'm not sure I'll be sticking with this.

[Burrvie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was good, but there is definitely an issue with the medium seeing as though I can't remember all the details in the first half due to it taking SEVEN WHOLE MONTHS TO CONCLUDE. Like there's just parts here and there I had to go and reread to remember. I might even start writing notes after I finish an issue as to what happened so I can quickly catch myself up again. Skull emoij.

This being said, I thought the story itself was really good. Everything with Bruce Wayne's parents always make an interesting story for me, and I love the whole "Martha's Vengeance" vs "Martha's Compassion" stuff, with Batman reaffirming his morals regarding Joe Chill. Just really compelling. I also really loved the prison stuff, just wish it started to come in earlier in the story, as it stands I think it felt a bit rushed by the end.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taylor surprised me with this; after years of mediocre, overrated runs on Jonathan Kent Superman & the super decompressed Nightwing …and a dire Titans run - Taylor somehow manages to focus himself to pause the fan baiting on social media and plot lines lifted directly from Twitter headlines of the day, long enough to script a compelling Batman mystery that is additive to cannon rather than destructive. Full of clever cliffhangers and finely tuned writing - Tom, I didn’t think you were capable of winding your neck in long enough to produce this sort of work any more. Keep it up.

Mikael Janin’s art and colours are also nothing short of breathtaking at times.

Great start to a run that I had very little hope for.

[Emmett Spain · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really solid Batman story by the always reliable Tom Taylor and the always outstanding Mikel Janin. Looking forward to more.

[J A SPONG · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the best Batman story I have read in years. Ram V's story got a bit boring so I hope the same doesn't happen to Tom Taylor's run but this is off to a fantastic start.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75/5

A neat take on the Joe Chill story that has Joe Chill being a patient of Thomas Wayne’s who he just happened to save from death a couple years before Chill then kills Thomas & Martha.

Years later, we find Bruce Wayne attending a party for a former employee, Scarlett Martha Scott (who happens to be Chill’s estranged daughter who doesn’t know he exists thanks to Martha Wayne helping his young, abused girlfriend Evelyn get away from him). Scarlett is heading up a company that helps (the super elite) people prolong their life and rejuvenate themselves.

Bruce, feeling old and beat up, takes her up on the offer… only to find out this procedure is weirdly mixed to with the killing of young teens being let out of the Faultless Juvenile Detention Centre.

I thought this was a good story on the whole but I did figure out quite early who was doing the killing - I felt like a better detective than Batman… but Bruce did let himself get a little sidetracked with some hanky panky with Scarlett (even if he then used that to get more intel).

I didn’t quite understand why Evelyn - in disguise - was killing the young men who were let out of Faultless. I assume it’s because she thought that young people up to no good were all like her ex, Joe Chill, but it wasn’t clearly explained.

I did like that idea that Thomas Wayne had saved the life of the man that ended up killing him, that was dark and perfect for a Batman story. I also liked Damian’s foray into Faultless.

On the whole not a bad story but I don’t know that I’m intrigued enough with this overarching “Elixir” company or Scarlett’s story enough to read the whole series.

Of course, I knew there was a good chance I’d like this since Tom Taylor wrote it, and I for sure did like it, but I’m not clamouring to know more about the secrets. I’ll still give the next one a shot when it’s out though.

I think what I liked best about it was the title - we learn a lot more about Batman/Bruce’s “Batman doesn’t kill” mentality and it comes from his father’s oath to always save people as a doctor. And even though that mercy ultimately killed his father, Bruce doesn’t let it (or his mother’s compassion) go - even when confronting Joe Chill. (That was one part that was odd to me coming from many years of mystery over who killed his parents - that he not only knows, but just keeps tabs on the guy and doesn’t do anything else… but his confrontation with him made it worthwhile).

[Total aside, but every time I looked at the cover all I could see was Kristin Kreuk in the drawing of Scarlett 😂]

[kesh · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is the comic that has encouraged me to get back on that bat-horse and read more batman

i finished it this morning during breakfast and it made me remember how much i love batman as a character and tom taylor as a writer

this features that classic taylor-charm where we see bruce's dynamic with the bat-family whilst at the same time calling to question moral dilemmas around batman's no-kill rule and everything he stands for - yep classic tom taylor. he thrives in creating stories that have so much heart that when disturbing story developments unfold, the impact is two-fold. even as the self-appointed president of the nightwing appreciation club, damian wayne's involvement held more emotional weight within the setting

i also love the convergence of bruce and batman in the actual detective work- although i ended up figuring it out before the end of the vol, it did not take away from the solid detective comics groundwork taylor had established

mikel janin's art really took this to the next level as well as lee loughridge's impeccable colouring. have to give a massive shout out to my goat bruno redondo's majestic variant covers and use my free will to let my digital footprint know that i deem myself a new ashley wood fanboy aussie aussie aussie oi oi oi

4/5

[AJ Easterday · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Tom Taylor doesn't miss! I can't believe I only just started reading Tom Taylor comics this year because he has already become one of my all-time favorite writers. Not only is he an amazing storyteller, but he tends to focus on themes that really resonate with me. This particular volume of Detective Comics is focused on the value of life, the importance of second chances, and that rehabilitation is possible. And to me, this is exactly what Batman is all about. His decision not to kill or use guns isn't just because he has a "code," but rather because saving/protecting lives is at the core of who he is. He wants to give bad people the chance to learn, grow, and reform. He believes in redemption more than any other superhero. All this and more is illustrated perfectly in this comic arc. In all seriousness, I think this is one of my favorite Batman stories I've ever read. It's got all the best of Batman, plus great moments with Damian, Barbara, Leslie Tompkins, and the rest of the Batfam too. It's such a good book! So excited to read more from Tom Taylor and Mikel Janín!

[Jamie King · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

Books that confront Batman's morality can be hit and miss, often focusing on dilemmas that boil his main rule down to something one note and dogmatic, rather than what it really is: profoundly compassionate.

The pace of the book was perfect, it was a slow burn detective story that felt like the kind of thing that would be performed in a whisper rather than a cry.

Bruce is forced to confront the faults of his own convictions, but in doing so the book manages to explore Batman as a character in a way that felt much deeper and more fundamental than I would have expected from a random volume of DC.

The art was superb, complimenting the story perfectly and doing the two things I ask for most from comic book art: be expressive with emotion, and be dynamic with action.

Above all else, this book really reminded me of just how much I love Batman, and why that's the case. I feel for some time I started to become a little jaded towards him, but when he's written by people who understand the real Batman, he's hard not to love.

[Danny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to start with Mikel Janín. Art is Batman at his best. Or at least the way i adore how looks. His 3-d model approach really works here and the way Batman looks and feels real is awe-inspiring.

Now Tom Taylor is a writer I've sadly haven't read much of before, if any (I'm getting old). But the story is well plotted and unique. It's almost an update on the venom storyline but this time used as a critique on the juvenile prison system. I'm completely on board. Taylor's dialogue works well for the characters, the turns are great but the main criticism are the twists. They were somewhat elementary.

Regardless a very fun read any Batman fan would enjoy.

[Maisie Dickson · Rating 4 out of 5]

i found everything solid, from the pacing, to the writing and the art in this collection. It was a great exploration of legacy and the things we take on from our parents, dead or living through the lens of Batman and Bruce Wayne.

Bruce unknowing dating the daughter of the man who killed his parents was unexpected. I'm a major CatBat fan so this was probably the only gripe i had but as a one shot for the themes of the story i got it. plus she was a great character herself and i really enjoyed her and her mother as their story merged with Bruces.

[Aidan]

This is one truly for the delicious Mikel Janin art and colors

A similar approach to Taylor’s Nightwing, but feels a bit more mature. Still has some of those flat crowd-pleasing team up moments that don’t do much for me, and a bit of a neolib solution despite progressive themes (the answer to prison profiteering is sending the profiteers to prison), but I was happy to see a continued characterization of Batman as aging, and Taylor allowing for some darker edges in here. Wish him and other writers would allow for more of that in the current slate of DC books.

[Nyx Cavalier · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 rounded down

I really enjoyed this! The art is stunning, with great uses of colour and scale to support the narrative. The writing itself was very smooth, with impactful but not in-your-face messages. I found the plot and characters a bit predictable; there was only one twist I didn't see coming. Then again, I don't mind a bit of predictability. All in all, I really enjoyed my time and hope to read more from these artists (writer and illustrator) soon.

[André Habet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dammit. I like this book. I like the Bat family dynamics and the investigation Batman undertakes here. Fun and with some poignancy. I wasn’t sure Taylor would manage the tonal shift to Batman well but he did it.

Gorgeous book too. Clear action and a diverse range of faces make the narrative easy to follow.

[Papa Jimbo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Batman defending the life of the man who killed his mother and father is a powerful finale to a great start for this creative team, and a real distillation of what the character is meant to be about.

[Zane Zwiernik · Rating 4 out of 5]

First Batman story I’ve enjoyed in a while. Great pacing and liked the theme of punishment vs reform with a focus on juvenile offenders.

[Roman · Rating 4 out of 5]

З початком ініціативи "All In" на серію прийшли сценарист Том Тейлор та художник Мікель Ханін. Тож давайте дізнаємося яким вийшов початок їхнього рану.

У Ґотемі відбувається серія вбивств підлітків, яких недавно випустили з колонії для неповнолітніх і Бетмен береться це розслідувати. Паралельно Брюс також розуміє, що він старіє, а його тіло сповнене травм отриманих під час боротьби зі злочинністю, однак він отримує пропозицію від своєї знайомої Скарлетт Марти Скотт, яка колись на нього працювала, прийняти ліки які не тільки допоможуть з цими травмами, але й значно подовжать його життя.

Сам сюжет триває сім номерів і я був приємно здивований наскільки вдало Тейлор балансує з більшістю ліній та вкидує, щось нове у мікс час від часу, частина з якого, на перший погляд, може здатися дещо крінжовою, якщо говорити поза контекстом, але на ділі виходить дуже навіть добре. Все читається досить цікаво та жваво. Також я був дуже задоволений роботою Тейлора з персонажем Бетса у цьому сюжеті, як, наприклад чому він не вбиває, те що він уже не молодий (жаль, що скоріш за все як і у випадку з раном Здарськи це досить швидко зникне) і деякими моментами його взаємодії з іншими персонажами. Єдине, що мене змушує закотити оці це чергова таємна організація, яка більшу частину часу маячить на задньому фоні і які, як я розумію, будуть головними поганцями впродовж рану Тейлора.

Щодо малюнку то тут загалом вийшов типовий хороший Ханін зі своїми 3д модельками.

Я дуже задоволений тим, якою вийшла перша арка Тейлора на ДК і однозначно постараюся поарково слідкувати за серію.