Batman: The Dark Knight Detective, Vol. 6

Batman: The Dark Knight Detective #6

by Peter Milligan, Marv Wolfman, John Ostrander

The iconic Batman adventures we know and love from the 90s continue in the latest collection of Detective Comics!

Written by the legendary John Ostrander and Peter Milligan with art by Jim Aparo, investigate alongside Batman as he cracks cases from classic 90s comics.

Uncover the mysteries of which perpetrators are claiming to be Batman, bizarre disasters, persuasive killers, “The Golem of Gotham” story arc, and much more!

Featuring classic Gotham characters, the iconic Bat gadgets, a reprint of Bill Finger and Bob Kane’s “The Case of the Chemical Syndicate,” and even Bathound’s first appearance—this collection delivers on all fronts!

Collects: Detective Comics #622-633.

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

320 pages, Paperback

First published May 3, 2022

About the author

Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name

Peter Milligan is a British writer, best known for his work on X-Force / X-Statix, the X-Men, & the Vertigo series Human Target. He is also a scriptwriter.

He has been writing comics for some time and he has somewhat of a reputation for writing material that is highly outlandish, bizarre and/or absurd.

His highest profile projects to date include a run on X-Men, and his X-Force revamp that relaunched as X-Statix.

Many of Milligan's best works have been from DC Vertigo. These include: The Extremist (4 issues with artist Ted McKeever) The Minx (8 issues with artist Sean Phillips) Face (Prestige one-shot with artist Duncan Fegredo) The Eaters (Prestige one-shot with artist Dean Ormston) Vertigo Pop London (4 issues with artist Philip Bond) Enigma (8 issues with artist Duncan Fegredo) and Girl (3 issues with artist Duncan Fegredo).

Series:
* Human Target
* Greek Street
* X-Force / X-Statix

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

This volume is a novelty in that it's almost completing void of any of Batman's Rogues. The closest we get is 2 appearances by Abattoir, better known for when Jean-Paul Valley lets him die during his time as Batman in Knightfall. There is, however, a lot of great Jim Aparo art. Also, Michael Golden draws some terrific covers for most of this volume. There are several I would put on my wall.

[Iain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Highlights include 2 retellings of the 1st Batman story to celebrate 600 issues of Batman in Detective Comics, and a story linked to the treatment of Jews in WWII. Down side is the lack of any big hitter bad guys, or even big hitter sidekicks and colleagues.

[Sean · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another classic Batman collection that sadly doesn't hold up. There is a meta comic within a comic arc which is pretty lame, a bunch of stand alone tales that are forgettable, and a Golem tale that works better out of Gotham. The art is pretty classic but the story telling isn't. Overall, some unremarkable stories are collected for die-hards.

[James DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

First half I was pretty in. I really liked John Ostrander stuff. I think in general the guy just knows how to write compelling situations and plots for characters, even ones I don't care for as much. But the whole idea a crazy guy is taking the Batman and making it his own while another is writing a comic inside the universe is a lot of fun. Then we have a couple of decent one shots. Then we get into Milligan's stuff and honestly it bored me to death. I was not feeling that at all. A 2.5 out of 5.

[cloverina · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Batman Weeks 2024 read #3!)

There has never been a more "meh" Dark Knight Detective collection.

This collects some Marv Wolfman Batman and the first bit of Peter Milligan's short run on Batman, which I was really looking forward to after LOVING The Idiot Root. But, even in the Milligan stories (surprising for someone usually so fixated on the strange), things are just so unmemorable and street-level. Not a horrible thing, but I prefer my capes more colorful.

The first story is SO close to being incredible, but truth be told, I don't enjoy the looks into the fake comic book at all. The art is too ugly for me and the story is unnecessary. It's a shame since everything else in the story is INCREDIBLY strong, very intriguing and atmospheric. And Mike McKone draws a FLAWLESS Batman. 3.5 stars.

Abbatoir is the start of the Marv Wolfman issues and, although it's not bad, I've already forgotten about it for the most part. I kind of fail to care. 3 stars.

Return of the Electrocutioner was also solid, but the payoff is horrible. It ends abruptly with no resolution and it makes the entire story feel worthless. I also already forgot about this one. 3 stars.

Wolfman's take on "Case of the Chemical Syndicate" is where he shows off more talent, and I love how he remakes the story entirely into his own (and also weaves it into the canon). 4 stars, probably. Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle also come back for their iteration of the story, and I read a review on here that cites why the story is problematic that I can't shake... but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it, honestly. 4 stars as well. I miss this duo.

Hearts was yet another Abbatoir story and, again, I don't really care. 3 stars. Also, people are going to hate me for this, but I can't appreciate Jim Aparo as much now that I've read so many Breyfogle stories. He deserves serious props but his art doesn't have the fluidity or the grandeur that works so flawlessly for Batman stories.

The Hungry Grass, for the start of Milligan's run, was pretty mediocre. 3 stars.

And the Executioner Wore Stiletto Heels was a slight improvement, but I still don't have anything to say about it. 3.5 stars.

But Golem of Gotham... WOW. Very emotional, very Batman-y, and all around just super good. 4.5 stars, probably.

AND IDENTITY CRISIS?! WHAT AN ENDING! Expected it to go the B:TAS Perchance to Dream route (which it very obviously inspired) but it branched off from it in a way I like that's probably more Milligan-y. If THIS kind of quality keeps up, this next volume will be a fantastic one. 5 stars.

[Darik · Rating 4 out of 5]

A remarkably refreshing change of pace after four straight volumes of increasingly reactionary Alan Grant stories!

Dark Knight Detective vol. 6 opens strong with a three-part John Ostrander storyline metatextually critiquing the increasingly grim and horrific comic landscape of the '80s (which also has some interestingly nuanced, if somewhat problematic, exploration of media's relationship to real-life violence, and the shortcomings of social programs and mental health care in the U.S.). This is followed by a couple of deeply underwhelming Marv Wolfman issues* introducing the mediocre villain "Abattoir", and a 600-th issue celebration of Batman's first appearance-- featuring two re-tellings of "The Case of the Chemical Syndicate", one by Wolfman and one by Alan Grant. (The latter, gorgeously illustrated by Norm Breyfogle, unfortunately features the nauseating sight of Batman stuffing a gun into a criminal's mouth to coerce information from him. It also indulges in Grant's bizarre obsession with demonizing drug users, despite the fact that the main story has nothing to do with drugs. It's icky stuff.)

But for the last stretch of issues, Peter Milligan takes over the book... and delivers a series of clever, thoughtful, and politically engaged standalone stories, the best of which is the two-part tale "The Golem of Gotham" (which touches on contemporary hate crimes and the historical and personal legacies left behind by the Holocaust). Milligan's work is like a breath of fresh air: cleverly plotted, charmingly inventive, and surprisingly tense (Milligan's Batman can-- and does-- get seriously injured during adventures, making him into much more of an underdog figure as he battles clay monsters and magical apparitions). His issues elevate the whole volume-- even if it doesn't feature any iconic villains or colorful sidekicks.

I hope Milligan is in volume seven, too!

* - Between these issues and his run on Adventures of Superman, I'm starting to think that Marv Wolfman wasn't really any good at writing solo superhero books. Like, at ALL.

[JD Comics · Rating 4 out of 5]

I immediately picked up Batman: The Dark Knight Detective, Vol. 6, because it has several issues that are collected for the first time. The first story arc, written by John Ostrander, was interesting. It is like you are reading two different stories because one of the characters in this story is an author who wrote an unauthorized Batman comic book. So you are reading what is happening in the comic book. Mike McKone is the artist of the first story arc, while Flint Henry is the artist of the unauthorized Batman story.

This book does not have your typical Batman’s rogues gallery, but I like that it has the first appearance of Abattoir. He also appears in this book in another story arc. It makes more sense to read this book before Knightquest because it might give what happened to Abattoir more meaning. It was weird reading Knightquest and not knowing who Abattoir was. This book showed me that he’s quite a character.

This book also has the first appearance of the second Electrocutioner. I read Tales of the Batman: Marv Wolfman before reading this book, so I knew that this was not the Electrocutioner that Marv Wolfman introduced in 1981. Apparently, that Electrocutioner is dead, so Wolfman introduces a new Electrocutioner in this book.

An issue that I enjoyed is Detective Comics 627, which celebrated Batman’s 600th appearance in Detective Comics. This issue collects two retellings of Batman’s first story, Bill Finger’s “The Case of the Chemical Syndicate” (Detective Comics 27). One was written by Marv Wolfman and illustrated by Jim Aparo, while the other was written by Alan Grant and illustrated by Norm Breyfogle. I am not sure which story I prefer. As for the art, I usually say I like Aparo’s art more than Breyfogle’s, but Breyfogle’s art in this issue is insane.

Another thing I like about the book is the Michael Golden covers.

This book also collects the start of Peter Milligan’s run, which I am not a fan of, but his “And the Executioner Wore Stiletto Heels” was okay.

Collects Detective Comics (1937) 622-633.

My Batman Collected Editions Instagram page

[drown_like_its_1999 · Rating 3 out of 5]

A volume bookended by two of my favorite bat writers with Ostrander's pulpy comic-within-a-comic leading the collection, and a series of inventive tales by Milligan ending it. The interim has a few forgettable issues written largely by Wolfman that feel like reheated action romps. The #600 double-sized issue where Wolfman & Grant each take turns retelling Batman's first appearance "The Case of the Chemical Syndicate" was a fun exercise even if the adaptations weren't all that interesting. Now, onto the good stuff. Ostrander's lead story about a murderer inspired by an underground pulp Batman comic, where the bat is an agent of Satan sent to earth to redeem his sins, is damn engaging and full of some trippy ass art by Flint Henry. Milligan's closing stories are equally creative and high-concept though not as visually exceptional, even if Aparo's work was solid as ever. My favorite story of these was "The Hungry Grass", utilizing a myth in Irish Folklore where a patch of grass is cursed by those innocent who died of starvation upon it. The story has just the right amount of mysticism and social commentary layered into the plot, which combined with quality characterization, made for a memorable read. The kristalenacht inspired two-parter that follows it ("Golem of Gotham") strikes a similar balance, depicting an immigrant neighborhood in Gotham terrorized by a nationalist gang that motivates an elderly Holocaust survivor to summon a dangerous, supernatural protector. Outside of the novel plots, Milligan's prose is biting and clever with rich narration and dialogue that sell each narrative.

[Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read a few of these Batman volumes now and they’re pretty fun! Just east stand-alone stories that move quickly. Of course some are better than others (anything Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle is top tier) but its a decent enough read nonetheless. This volume starts strong with a storyline by John Ostrander about an outlaw cartoonist making his own demented batman comics which has some very cool art from Flint Henry. The middle stories are a bit so so and forgettable with Marv Wolfman and Jim Aparo at the wheel. Then you end with some Peter Milligan stories which are pretty good (the storyline about the Golem was the highlight). Like I said these books are just fun, light batman fare and to be honest that’s all you need sometimes!

[Samantha]

More batman. Smatterings of great art, fabulous covers by Michael Golden. Best stories were the golem of gotham (old rabbi makes a golem when his neighborhood is being terrorized by racists), the hungry grass (an innocent ex con uses supernatural Irish grass to bring the past of gotham to life), and the final story where a psychic merged with batman to find his secret identity. Hard to explain but its so strange!!

[Derek · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some mostly standalone Batman stories that feel very moody and murky. Though the issues collected here are from the very early '90s the stories themselves feel like they would have been right at home in the Batman books of the 1970s. You can see how editorial might have felt the need to shake things up with Knightfall and its subsequent events just a couple of years later.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit up and down, but for the most part these collections make for fun, nostalgic Batman reading.

🦇🦇🦇

[ISMOTU · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent collection. Superb art, gripping stories. A couple issues I actually had as a kid.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 . Some good, some bad, some forgettable. I did like how few of these stories featured the regular rogues.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Duck Sprang! Batman as underground indie comic within a comic! Crazy stuff.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Abattoir becomes the Sensational Character Find of 1991 despite competition from the new Electrocutioner, Pesticyde, Hungry Grass, Stiletto, Gotham Golem, & Synaptic Kid