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Batman: The Dark Knight Detective #4
Batman: The Dark Knight Detective, Vol. 4
Batman's classic late 1980s adventures continue, with the Dark Knight against Clayface, the debut of Anaraky, and the funeral of the Penguin!
In 1989, Batmania ruled the world, thanks to Tim Burton's original Batman film! The Batman comics at the time were characterized by the high-stakes adventures from writer Alan Grant and artist Norm Breyfogle, who added a horror tinge to Gotham City! Batman: Dark Knight Detective Vol. 4 includes the four-part "The Mud Pack," a creepy story centered around the villainous Clayface, plus, Batman enlists the help of Etrigan, the Demon! Plus, a new vigilante named Anarky debuts, and Batman attends the funeral of...the Penguin? This volume also includes "Blood Secrets," a story co-written by comics superstar Mark Waid, with Batman taking on white supremacists.
Collects Detective Comics #601-611 and Detective Comics Annual #2.
In 1989, Batmania ruled the world, thanks to Tim Burton's original Batman film! The Batman comics at the time were characterized by the high-stakes adventures from writer Alan Grant and artist Norm Breyfogle, who added a horror tinge to Gotham City! Batman: Dark Knight Detective Vol. 4 includes the four-part "The Mud Pack," a creepy story centered around the villainous Clayface, plus, Batman enlists the help of Etrigan, the Demon! Plus, a new vigilante named Anarky debuts, and Batman attends the funeral of...the Penguin? This volume also includes "Blood Secrets," a story co-written by comics superstar Mark Waid, with Batman taking on white supremacists.
Collects Detective Comics #601-611 and Detective Comics Annual #2.
328 pages, Paperback
First published January 19, 2021
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99 people want to read
About the author
Alan Grant
1,714 books144 followersAlan Grant was a Scottish comic book writer known for writing Judge Dredd in 2000 AD as well as various Batman titles during the late 1980s and early 1990s. He is also the creator of the character Anarky.
Alan Grant first entered the comics industry in 1967 when he became an editor for D.C. Thomson before moving to London from Dundee in 1970 to work for IPC on various romance magazines. After going back to college and having a series of jobs, Grant found himself back in Dundee and living on Social Security. He then met John Wagner, another former D.C. Thompson editor, who was helping put together a new science fiction comic for IPC, 2000 A.D., and was unable to complete his other work. Wagner asked Grant if he could help him write the Tarzan comic he was working on; so began the Wagner/Grant writing partnership.
The pair eventually co-wrote Judge Dredd. They would work on other popular strips for the comic, including Robo-Hunter and Strontium Dog using the pseudonym T.B. Grover. Grant also worked on other people's stories, changing and adding dialogue, most notably Harry Twenty on the High Rock, written by Gerry Finley-Day. Judge Dredd would be Grant's main concern for much of the 1980s. Grant and Wagner had developed the strip into the most popular in 2000AD as well as creating lengthy epic storylines such as The Apocalypse War. Grant also wrote for other IPC comics such as the revamped Eagle.
By the late 1980s, Grant and Wagner were about to move into the American comic market. Their first title was a 12-issue miniseries called Outcasts for DC Comics. Although it wasn't a success, it paved the way for the pair to write Batman stories in Detective Comics from issue 583, largely with Norm Breyfogle on art duties across the various Batman titles Grant moved to. After a dozen issues, Wagner left Grant as sole writer. Grant was one of the main Batman writers until the late 1990s. The pair also created a four issue series for Epic Comics called The Last American. This series, as well as the Chopper storyline in Judge Dredd, is blamed for the breakup of the Wagner/Grant partnership. The pair split strips, with Wagner keeping Judge Dredd and Grant keeping Strontium Dog and Judge Anderson. Grant and Wagner continue to work together on special projects such as the Batman/Judge Dredd crossover Judgement on Gotham. During the late 1980s, Grant experienced a philosophical transformation and declared himself an anarchist. The creation of the supervillain Anarky was initially intended as a vehicle for exploring his political opinions through the comic medium. In the following years, he would continue to utilize the character in a similar fashion as his philosophy evolved.
Grant's projects at the start of the 90s included writing Detective Comics and Strontium Dog, but two projects in particular are especially notable. The first is The Bogie Man, a series co-written by Wagner which was the pair's first venture into independent publishing. The second is Lobo, a character created by Keith Giffen as a supporting character in The Omega Men. Lobo gained his own four issue mini series in 1990 which was drawn by Simon Bisley. This was a parody of the 'dark, gritty' comics of the time and proved hugely popular. After several other miniseries (all written by Grant, sometimes with Giffen as co-writer), Lobo received his own ongoing series. Grant was also writing L.E.G.I.O.N. (a Legion of Super-Heroes spin-off) and The Demon (a revival of Jack Kirby's charac
Alan Grant first entered the comics industry in 1967 when he became an editor for D.C. Thomson before moving to London from Dundee in 1970 to work for IPC on various romance magazines. After going back to college and having a series of jobs, Grant found himself back in Dundee and living on Social Security. He then met John Wagner, another former D.C. Thompson editor, who was helping put together a new science fiction comic for IPC, 2000 A.D., and was unable to complete his other work. Wagner asked Grant if he could help him write the Tarzan comic he was working on; so began the Wagner/Grant writing partnership.
The pair eventually co-wrote Judge Dredd. They would work on other popular strips for the comic, including Robo-Hunter and Strontium Dog using the pseudonym T.B. Grover. Grant also worked on other people's stories, changing and adding dialogue, most notably Harry Twenty on the High Rock, written by Gerry Finley-Day. Judge Dredd would be Grant's main concern for much of the 1980s. Grant and Wagner had developed the strip into the most popular in 2000AD as well as creating lengthy epic storylines such as The Apocalypse War. Grant also wrote for other IPC comics such as the revamped Eagle.
By the late 1980s, Grant and Wagner were about to move into the American comic market. Their first title was a 12-issue miniseries called Outcasts for DC Comics. Although it wasn't a success, it paved the way for the pair to write Batman stories in Detective Comics from issue 583, largely with Norm Breyfogle on art duties across the various Batman titles Grant moved to. After a dozen issues, Wagner left Grant as sole writer. Grant was one of the main Batman writers until the late 1990s. The pair also created a four issue series for Epic Comics called The Last American. This series, as well as the Chopper storyline in Judge Dredd, is blamed for the breakup of the Wagner/Grant partnership. The pair split strips, with Wagner keeping Judge Dredd and Grant keeping Strontium Dog and Judge Anderson. Grant and Wagner continue to work together on special projects such as the Batman/Judge Dredd crossover Judgement on Gotham. During the late 1980s, Grant experienced a philosophical transformation and declared himself an anarchist. The creation of the supervillain Anarky was initially intended as a vehicle for exploring his political opinions through the comic medium. In the following years, he would continue to utilize the character in a similar fashion as his philosophy evolved.
Grant's projects at the start of the 90s included writing Detective Comics and Strontium Dog, but two projects in particular are especially notable. The first is The Bogie Man, a series co-written by Wagner which was the pair's first venture into independent publishing. The second is Lobo, a character created by Keith Giffen as a supporting character in The Omega Men. Lobo gained his own four issue mini series in 1990 which was drawn by Simon Bisley. This was a parody of the 'dark, gritty' comics of the time and proved hugely popular. After several other miniseries (all written by Grant, sometimes with Giffen as co-writer), Lobo received his own ongoing series. Grant was also writing L.E.G.I.O.N. (a Legion of Super-Heroes spin-off) and The Demon (a revival of Jack Kirby's charac
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
February 5, 2021
Batman teams up with The Demon to take down a tulpa. Then Mark Waid and Brian Augustyn write a story from Bruce's early days training to be Batman. He heads to the South to train with a detective in a case dealing with white supremacists. Next up was The Mad Pack. The four Clayfaces team up to go after Batman. It also serves as an origin story for the current Clayface. Finally, Batman attends Penguin's funeral. There's some good stuff here. I thoroughly enjoy Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle's horror tinged run.
March 5, 2023
Anarky storyline had a solid payoff but both the Penguin storyline and the WAY too long 4 part clayface both lacked a decent punch to the storyline. Art was decent throughout.
August 9, 2024
A very average Detective Comics collection with no particular standouts if not for the popularity of Anarky, since this is his first appearance. But… it's Batman. So thoroughly enjoyable!
Tulpa is the first story and probably the worst in the collection, though it's by no means bad. I was enjoying it when Jason Blood/Etrigan entered the picture, but before that it seemed like every other Grant/Breyfogle tec issue without the creativity. 3.5 stars because of Etrigan.
Next is Blood Secrets, an unexpected Mark Waid annual about the KKK. Reading this concurrently with the release of the Batman: Caped Crusader show (with the 40’s setting I expected bigotry but it's surprisingly clean) has me wondering why a city as corrupt as Gotham doesn't have writers touching on racial tension more frequently. Not complaining, though. The story is good. Another story of Bruce Wayne traveling before he was Batman. 3.5 stars, maybe 4?
The Mud Pack is a decently sized 4-issue story of every (living) Clayface coming together to scheeeeme. I didn't find it overlong and breezed through it with enjoyment. It made the amount of Clayfaces a lot easier to visualize because I knew there were several but had no clue there were 4 or what their names were. In fact, I also thought Crisis retconned Basil Karlo out of existence. It's nice to see he's still around in post-crisis continuity. This one has an unexpectedly wholesome ending, too! 4 stars.
And then - Anarky! The most enjoyable out of every story in this collection, to me, and I'm glad to finally get to know this character after hearing a lot of discussion about him, but I fail to really understand why Batman can't tolerate his methods. Maybe I'm equating an edgier take on Batman that I've seen with Alan Grant's possibly more peaceful Batman, but he's surely reached Anarky's level of violence before. Although, that's generally a means to get a criminal into police custody, whereas Anarky's is simply an assault. So maybe that's the difference? Either way, good stuff. Another 4 star.
To finish things off, we have Snow and Ice, AKA the death of The Penguin! I wonder if anyone will ever bring back Kadaver, because after 3 or so stories, Alan Grant kind of forgot about him and nobody's attempted to follow up on it. At least I will soon be able to easily say I've read every appearance of Kadaver. I've had the first issue of this story framed on my wall for a while (bought solely as decoration when I realized I could frame comics for my wall) but didn't actually read it because I knew I'd get to it either way and didn't want to spoil any context for myself. I don't normally love Penguin stories but he's good in this. Maybe I'm warming up? 4 stars once again.
And from here on out it's all Batman stories with Tim in them! Cheers!
Tulpa is the first story and probably the worst in the collection, though it's by no means bad. I was enjoying it when Jason Blood/Etrigan entered the picture, but before that it seemed like every other Grant/Breyfogle tec issue without the creativity. 3.5 stars because of Etrigan.
Next is Blood Secrets, an unexpected Mark Waid annual about the KKK. Reading this concurrently with the release of the Batman: Caped Crusader show (with the 40’s setting I expected bigotry but it's surprisingly clean) has me wondering why a city as corrupt as Gotham doesn't have writers touching on racial tension more frequently. Not complaining, though. The story is good. Another story of Bruce Wayne traveling before he was Batman. 3.5 stars, maybe 4?
The Mud Pack is a decently sized 4-issue story of every (living) Clayface coming together to scheeeeme. I didn't find it overlong and breezed through it with enjoyment. It made the amount of Clayfaces a lot easier to visualize because I knew there were several but had no clue there were 4 or what their names were. In fact, I also thought Crisis retconned Basil Karlo out of existence. It's nice to see he's still around in post-crisis continuity. This one has an unexpectedly wholesome ending, too! 4 stars.
And then - Anarky! The most enjoyable out of every story in this collection, to me, and I'm glad to finally get to know this character after hearing a lot of discussion about him, but I fail to really understand why Batman can't tolerate his methods. Maybe I'm equating an edgier take on Batman that I've seen with Alan Grant's possibly more peaceful Batman, but he's surely reached Anarky's level of violence before. Although, that's generally a means to get a criminal into police custody, whereas Anarky's is simply an assault. So maybe that's the difference? Either way, good stuff. Another 4 star.
To finish things off, we have Snow and Ice, AKA the death of The Penguin! I wonder if anyone will ever bring back Kadaver, because after 3 or so stories, Alan Grant kind of forgot about him and nobody's attempted to follow up on it. At least I will soon be able to easily say I've read every appearance of Kadaver. I've had the first issue of this story framed on my wall for a while (bought solely as decoration when I realized I could frame comics for my wall) but didn't actually read it because I knew I'd get to it either way and didn't want to spoil any context for myself. I don't normally love Penguin stories but he's good in this. Maybe I'm warming up? 4 stars once again.
And from here on out it's all Batman stories with Tim in them! Cheers!
December 28, 2025
Is it just be but there’s some great stories with the late 1980s to early 1990 Batman Comics? They didn’t feel like fillers or formulaic. I appreciate that DC Comics has collected these older comics and have them in trade paperback form! This is the fourth volume of Batman: The Dark Knight Detective. This volume picks up where volume three left off (Detective comics #592-600), covering Detective Comics issues #601-611 and Detective Comics Annual 2. I read this book aloud to my kids every night after our family Bible study and they love going through these three hundred plus pages of comics and always wish to sleep later so that we can read more!
There are five stories in this volume. The first story takes place over three issues and is called “Tulpa” and it involves someone from a Tibetan background whose deceased father borrow money from criminal loan sharks who still demands the son pays back the interests; unbeknown to the criminals this young man has powers to make clones of himself and even more darker he can call up Mahakala a six armed monster who is bent on revenge and cannot be stop by ordinary natural means of fighting. Here the story is a bit more supernatural and involves others besides Batman to stop the monster. The second story is called “Blood Secrets” and is from Detective Comics Annual; it is one of those rare moments where there’s a murder mystery and the comics is truly a detective story! I love that this takes place away from Gotham but in a small town called Huntsville. It spans three different era, the present where a Batman meets with somebody from Huntsville, then the second era is when a young Bruce Wayne shows up to the town to learn the skills of being a detective from a fame detective. Finally there’s the era going back forty years ago involveing a Klan like group called the Paladins of the Cross. I really like this layered story that reveals more as the story goes along, excellent story telling. The third story is in four parts over four issues and is called “The Mud Pack” that involves four different Clayfaces that Batman and GCPD has to try to stop; there’s story of betrayal, of mental breakdown and one’s identity in this story. The next story spans two issues and involves an antihero name Anarky in Gotham City. Anarky is somewhat like Batman except he goes further in his vigilantism than Batman does; or does he? Anarky is in some sense a mirror of Batman. Great story here and thoughts for reflection. The last story is also in two parts; it is called “Snow and Ice” which involves allegedy Penguin being dead and buried. Or is he? Readers will find out what plot Penguin is trying to do while a suspicious Batman is on guard and fighting other crimes at the same time.
It was a lot of fun reading this volume; I recommend it!
There are five stories in this volume. The first story takes place over three issues and is called “Tulpa” and it involves someone from a Tibetan background whose deceased father borrow money from criminal loan sharks who still demands the son pays back the interests; unbeknown to the criminals this young man has powers to make clones of himself and even more darker he can call up Mahakala a six armed monster who is bent on revenge and cannot be stop by ordinary natural means of fighting. Here the story is a bit more supernatural and involves others besides Batman to stop the monster. The second story is called “Blood Secrets” and is from Detective Comics Annual; it is one of those rare moments where there’s a murder mystery and the comics is truly a detective story! I love that this takes place away from Gotham but in a small town called Huntsville. It spans three different era, the present where a Batman meets with somebody from Huntsville, then the second era is when a young Bruce Wayne shows up to the town to learn the skills of being a detective from a fame detective. Finally there’s the era going back forty years ago involveing a Klan like group called the Paladins of the Cross. I really like this layered story that reveals more as the story goes along, excellent story telling. The third story is in four parts over four issues and is called “The Mud Pack” that involves four different Clayfaces that Batman and GCPD has to try to stop; there’s story of betrayal, of mental breakdown and one’s identity in this story. The next story spans two issues and involves an antihero name Anarky in Gotham City. Anarky is somewhat like Batman except he goes further in his vigilantism than Batman does; or does he? Anarky is in some sense a mirror of Batman. Great story here and thoughts for reflection. The last story is also in two parts; it is called “Snow and Ice” which involves allegedy Penguin being dead and buried. Or is he? Readers will find out what plot Penguin is trying to do while a suspicious Batman is on guard and fighting other crimes at the same time.
It was a lot of fun reading this volume; I recommend it!
May 23, 2024
This was a fun volume and we get to see so many stories like the one with the tibetan monk who was getting harassed and him summoning a tulpa (demon like thing) and how its haunting people and Batman has to fight it along with Etrigan the demon and its a fun story, but a lot of stereotypes I didn't like here.
Then a story vs this guy who committed murder while Bruce was training under an English detective and its a fun one and done story and you get to see Batman still checking up on the guy who committed these murders and the case itself was so well done, lots of mysteries and the reveals and the whodunnit aspect of it was awesome.
The clay pack story was good and actually showcasing all the different Clayfaces and wow there were a lot of them and you see Basil emerging as the top ones and how they challenged Batman and the mystery/tension aspect of it was really good, I like how it plays with the mind of the characters and shows how diff. Clayfaces have diff. powers and also a cameo by Looker, an outsider member and you get to see the tragic life of Batman through her eyes which was cool and nice team-up plus Lady Clay gets a love interest haha!
The Anarchy story actually makes you think if that character or the idea of him was wrong and in the end even Batman was questioning it, so that was a fun intriguing story and maybe the best one. The Penguin one was okay, a mystery of his death but what it really was.. well you can guess for yourself.. its not bad.. just shows how crazy Gotham villains are but it had a fun villain in Kadaver who was just crazy lol, so yeah!
A fun volume and better than the last one, I like how it shows the crazy world of Batman and the detective mysteries here and how it challenges him and actually makes for a great read for the reader and I freaking love this period!!
Then a story vs this guy who committed murder while Bruce was training under an English detective and its a fun one and done story and you get to see Batman still checking up on the guy who committed these murders and the case itself was so well done, lots of mysteries and the reveals and the whodunnit aspect of it was awesome.
The clay pack story was good and actually showcasing all the different Clayfaces and wow there were a lot of them and you see Basil emerging as the top ones and how they challenged Batman and the mystery/tension aspect of it was really good, I like how it plays with the mind of the characters and shows how diff. Clayfaces have diff. powers and also a cameo by Looker, an outsider member and you get to see the tragic life of Batman through her eyes which was cool and nice team-up plus Lady Clay gets a love interest haha!
The Anarchy story actually makes you think if that character or the idea of him was wrong and in the end even Batman was questioning it, so that was a fun intriguing story and maybe the best one. The Penguin one was okay, a mystery of his death but what it really was.. well you can guess for yourself.. its not bad.. just shows how crazy Gotham villains are but it had a fun villain in Kadaver who was just crazy lol, so yeah!
A fun volume and better than the last one, I like how it shows the crazy world of Batman and the detective mysteries here and how it challenges him and actually makes for a great read for the reader and I freaking love this period!!
August 12, 2025
The initial two storylines of this collection had me worried the playful tone developed in the previous entry by Grant & Wagner had dissipated, as both narratives were relatively standard action schlock. One focuses on a young man who can summon doppelgangers trying to repay a mob debt, and the other on an Etrigan team up in efforts to banish another supernatural entity. Breyfogle's art did most of the heavy lifting but didn't provide much out of some fun demon character designs.
After that followed Waid's serviceably characterized but messily plotted annual revolving around a cold case when Bruce was a teen about a string of murders enacting revenge for a brutal KKK killing years prior. It was ok and less heavy handed then it sounds but still overly moralist without anything much new to say.
The rest of the volume however was very much my bag, and restored my faith that Grant indeed is still more than capable of executing that playful tone of the previous volume. Both the Clayface four parter and the following storyline about the penguin faking his own death are chocked full of humorous, intentional camp that still makes an effort to tell an engaging narrative. It's tonally very reminiscent of Dini's bat works and the Batman Adventures comics, but with even more tongue-and-cheek humor and I had a great time with its many yuks. Breyfogle's art also really gets to shine with the exaggerated characterization and over the top plots. Love his experimentation with panel structure as well, even if it's somewhat quaint by modern day standards (though still better than most modern Batman)
After that followed Waid's serviceably characterized but messily plotted annual revolving around a cold case when Bruce was a teen about a string of murders enacting revenge for a brutal KKK killing years prior. It was ok and less heavy handed then it sounds but still overly moralist without anything much new to say.
The rest of the volume however was very much my bag, and restored my faith that Grant indeed is still more than capable of executing that playful tone of the previous volume. Both the Clayface four parter and the following storyline about the penguin faking his own death are chocked full of humorous, intentional camp that still makes an effort to tell an engaging narrative. It's tonally very reminiscent of Dini's bat works and the Batman Adventures comics, but with even more tongue-and-cheek humor and I had a great time with its many yuks. Breyfogle's art also really gets to shine with the exaggerated characterization and over the top plots. Love his experimentation with panel structure as well, even if it's somewhat quaint by modern day standards (though still better than most modern Batman)
August 10, 2025
Quick question for you:
If you were a crimefighter, a world's greatest detective, some sort of batlike man, and you fought a giant 4-armed monster that was conjured from some other realm, and you barely managed to defeat it by hitting with a wrecking ball which you rode like Miley Cyrus, even though riding wrecking balls in a funny costume is not at all how wrecking balls work—if you did all that, and this beast is there on the ground passed out, and someone assures you he will dissipate into mist before too long, would you:
A) Tie it up with some rebar or something?
B) Maybe keep an eye on it?
C) Do what Batman did and kick the corpse into a very shallow ditch, dust your hands off, and be like, "That'll do 'er?"
This was an extremely un-Batman-like level of care and concern for the work.
If you were a crimefighter, a world's greatest detective, some sort of batlike man, and you fought a giant 4-armed monster that was conjured from some other realm, and you barely managed to defeat it by hitting with a wrecking ball which you rode like Miley Cyrus, even though riding wrecking balls in a funny costume is not at all how wrecking balls work—if you did all that, and this beast is there on the ground passed out, and someone assures you he will dissipate into mist before too long, would you:
A) Tie it up with some rebar or something?
B) Maybe keep an eye on it?
C) Do what Batman did and kick the corpse into a very shallow ditch, dust your hands off, and be like, "That'll do 'er?"
This was an extremely un-Batman-like level of care and concern for the work.
December 10, 2025
Such a good, nostalgia-filled read.
Detective Comics 601 was my first comic book, and the version of Batman we see under Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle will forever be MY Batman.
The art is great. The stories are very good for the time and the style of that era's Batman, but the nostalgia just can't be beat. I was, very literally, reading this while remembering EXACT PANELS and images from when I first read it as a kid.
Highly recommended for the nostalgia, and highly recommended for anyone who wants to see a formative Batman from a different era (along with introducing some major villains and secondary characters; really, an impressive number of them).
Detective Comics 601 was my first comic book, and the version of Batman we see under Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle will forever be MY Batman.
The art is great. The stories are very good for the time and the style of that era's Batman, but the nostalgia just can't be beat. I was, very literally, reading this while remembering EXACT PANELS and images from when I first read it as a kid.
Highly recommended for the nostalgia, and highly recommended for anyone who wants to see a formative Batman from a different era (along with introducing some major villains and secondary characters; really, an impressive number of them).
August 18, 2021
Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle's classic Detective Comics run continues here in this collection. The book holds up well. There is a fun story involving many Clayfaces, the debut of Anarky, and much more. The art is still the high point of the book. Truly classic. Overall, a good Bat book that all Bat-fans should read.
June 1, 2022
Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle defined the Batman for the generation that got into comics after tje 1989 film, and this collections of stories showcase their treatment of the world of the Dark Knight Detective. From street thugs to serial killers, to supervillains and paranormal beings, they stablished Batman as acreature of the night, with dynamic layouts that adapted to the mood of every story.
January 12, 2025
grant e breyfogle pra mim são a dupla que melhor explorou o personagem até hoje.
nas histórias deles, o batman é detetive, herói, bom, mau, carismatico, ranzinza, fraco e forte, urbano e fantasioso.
o subtexto social e político de suas histórias marcam uma audácia incrível ao meu ver
simplesmente geniais.
nas histórias deles, o batman é detetive, herói, bom, mau, carismatico, ranzinza, fraco e forte, urbano e fantasioso.
o subtexto social e político de suas histórias marcam uma audácia incrível ao meu ver
simplesmente geniais.
June 14, 2024
Detective 601-611, Annual 2. Stellar Breyfogle Art. Top notch bread and butter Batman. Team up with Etrigan to fight a tulpa, team up with Looker to fight all four Clayfaces, first tangle with Anarky, Penguin fakes his death to break out of Arkham.
March 7, 2021
A good collection of comics from the early 90s, featuring Clayface, Penguin and Anarky.
March 15, 2022
Clayfaces, Etrigan the Demon, Anarky, and the Penguin all tangle with the Dark Knight in another volume of 80’s awesome. Norm Breyfogle also draws one of my favourite renditions of the Batmobile.
July 25, 2022
Good 90's stand alone stories by masters Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle.
Also includes a very good Mark Waid story about Bruce Wayne taking on a KKK-like hate group.
Also includes a very good Mark Waid story about Bruce Wayne taking on a KKK-like hate group.
September 1, 2022
Great Batman stories from the late 80's
Read
September 8, 2023batman anarchist confirmed
December 24, 2025
1989 gems include Etrigan kisses Bat & Anarky tags him, Mud Pack forms, & Penguin shoots Kadaver
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 31, 2023
2.5 stars
Yeesh. The late 80s to early 90s were certainly not a renaissance of great plot for Detective Comics. The artwork was decent, but felt streamlined in a way that seemed averse to creative innovation. The art style lacked any real risk and with that, it read dated, even for the 80s.
The first storyline collected in this volume, entitled Tulpa, featured a series of supernatural robberies and had a guest appearance from Jason Blood and his demon alter-ego Etrigan. Detective Comics Annual 2 (Blood Secrets) is also included in vol. 4, which centered around a teenage Bruce who after his training on the Continent, sought to learn the art of deduction from Detective Harvey Harris. The duo take on a series of murders connected to a group of white supremacists.
The following 4-part plot, entitled the Mud Pack, which featured all iterations of Clayface and the plot was about as dull as one would expect with a trio of criminals with both the powers and personality of clay. The last two storylines included the first appearance of the vigilante Anarky and Penguin's funeral, the former a touch underwhelming (but now I know where Batman Beyond's Payback spawned from) and the latter arguably the better of the plots in this volume.
Yeesh. The late 80s to early 90s were certainly not a renaissance of great plot for Detective Comics. The artwork was decent, but felt streamlined in a way that seemed averse to creative innovation. The art style lacked any real risk and with that, it read dated, even for the 80s.
The first storyline collected in this volume, entitled Tulpa, featured a series of supernatural robberies and had a guest appearance from Jason Blood and his demon alter-ego Etrigan. Detective Comics Annual 2 (Blood Secrets) is also included in vol. 4, which centered around a teenage Bruce who after his training on the Continent, sought to learn the art of deduction from Detective Harvey Harris. The duo take on a series of murders connected to a group of white supremacists.
The following 4-part plot, entitled the Mud Pack, which featured all iterations of Clayface and the plot was about as dull as one would expect with a trio of criminals with both the powers and personality of clay. The last two storylines included the first appearance of the vigilante Anarky and Penguin's funeral, the former a touch underwhelming (but now I know where Batman Beyond's Payback spawned from) and the latter arguably the better of the plots in this volume.
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