By James LeBeau

It’s filler time for Bats in Detective #841 as we are graced with yet another quality, stand-alone issue from Mr. Paul Dini. Like Detective #837, that delectable little filler issue starring Harley Quinn and the Riddler that took place before the Resurrection of Ra’s Al Ghul story arc, this issue breaks from the norm with an interesting story featuring the Mad Hatter and introducing the Wonderland Gang.

If you’re looking for an issue that personifies how any Batman title should be, then look no farther, because here’s your template. You’ve got it all within these pages; ‘Playboy’ Bruce Wayne, Batman ‘the Detective’, and Batman ‘the Warrior’. Dini manages to masterfully blend every one of these aspects into a very well paced one-shot.

I will have to admit some reservations about this issue when I first picked it up. After the disappointing Resurrection arc and that positively dreadful epilogue in Detective #840, I was cringing a bit when I first picked this up. In fact, to be perfectly honest, I flipped through it the first time, grimaced, and shoved it to the bottom of my pile. But when I finally grabbed it, took a couple of deep breaths, and prepared for the worst, I was more than pleasantly surprised! So let this be a lesson for all of us, like any relationship there is going to be good days and bad ones….just don’t dwell too much on those bad ones or you’ll miss the others! (And this is your life lesson brought to you by Detective Comics…ha!)

So now, completely refreshed and with a renewed vigor for this title, I will eagerly await issue #842 as the creative crew behind this mag tackles the story behind that mysterious suit of armor given to Bats during the Resurrection story arc by Talia al Ghul.

Writer: Paul Dini
Pencils: Dustin Nguyen
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $2.99

CraveOnline Rating: 7 out of 10