Batman: Dear Detective (2022) #1 (Detective Comics (2016-))

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So don’t go into this expecting your normal comic, because it’s really not your average Batman one-shot. Only pick this up if you’re a massive fan of Lee Bermejo like I am, because there really isn’t that much to it. Despite being told that Lee Bermejo's art is being collected into a cohesive story told through his covers, this conceit doesn't hold up for long.

You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice. A collection of Lee Bermejo cover illustrations done for Batman comics cleverly presented as a story with interstitial pages of a letter to Batman from one of his enemies. After all, no matter what happens, the rogues always end up back out, nodding to Joker, Penguin, Clayface, etc. For example, on one page Batman is climbing up to a rooftop at night, the next he's on the roof in the middle of a rainstorm, the next he's jumping off the roof is a bright sunrise.Crime damaged him in the alley with his parents, and even outside the rogues, petty crime and that sinful mentality won't change due to humanity's selfish nature, making this quite a nihilistic read. In fact, the author teases they'll always own Gotham, and ensure that the city will make Bruce become what he hates most. And for whoever came up with the idea of releasing his covers in an oversized format with a somewhat story attached. It's a unique story, with riddles in between the covers, taunting the Bat to evoke the kind of haunting, tense mood fans saw recently in Matt Reeves' The Batman.

The colors were perfect and seeing other members of the Bat-family plus some iconic villains was awesome. One part prestige art book, one part compelling noir tale, this one-of-a-kind edition collects some of Lee Bermejo’s most jaw-dropping Batman covers woven together to tell a story that strikes right at the heart of the Dark Knight’s never-ending crusade. Lee Bermejo has collected some of his most stunning Batman covers and woven them together to tell a story that strikes right at the heart of the Dark Knight's never-ending crusade. Overall, I enjoyed how experimental Bermejo went in an effort to elevate and make this art book feel more cohesive, and I especially love the art showcased in it as I will be continuing to follow him for the rest of his artistic career.The letter deems Bruce a scared, lonely child, stating that he belongs in Arkham Asylum with all the other inmates he put there.

Later on we get images where Batman is fighting alongside various members of the family, and against different villains, and if these were just snapshots of his life that would be fine, but it's apparently one single narrative? The letter itself feels very gritty and tonally feels at home with Batman as it describes his greatest enemy.Upon reconciling this reveal with these interlocking images, the book reminds Bruce that despite the fight against his villains, Bruce won't ever be able to heal Gotham, or himself. This story's quite thought-provoking as the character teases how they're a "monster, thief, murderer and psychopath.