Detective Comics #823

Written by Paul Dini

Art by Joe Benitez and Victor Llamas

Cover by Simone Bianchi

            

How many issues in a row do you have to draw to be considered a book's "regular" artist? Because J.H. Williams III, the sensational artist announced as one-half of 'Tec's new all-star creative team that debuted in #821, has only drawn one issue so far, with the next two being handled by fill-in artists. When the fill-ins do as many issues as the regular artist, does that term even mean anything anymore?

 

Either way, at least DC has scrounged up some talented artists to fill in for Williams. This issue they pair Dini with penciler Joe Benitez, an accomplished cheesecake artist, and Dini has written a story perfect for his abilities—one featuring Batman's part vegetable, femme fatale Poison Ivy in various states of undress.

 

The story, entitled "Stalked" (get it?), deviates from Dini's mini-mystery pattern of the last few issues, but it's still a solid done-in-one story, with a beginning, middle and end. Anyone curious about Batman comics these days had best snap up one of the Dini-written issues of Detective; each is a perfect jumping on point.

 

Poison Ivy, safely imprisoned in Arkham Asylum ("Wait, isn't she dead," you say? Um, well, Superboy punch! No, New Earth continuity collapse!), suddenly finds herself the victim of the plant world. Vines, trees, roots and flowers burst out at her from every corner, tearing her clothes to shreds ("Now that's entertainment!" cell mate Harley Quinn sagely points out). The vines wind between her legs and around her breasts like Dini and Benitez were taking their clues from Japanese tentacle sex anime, rather than the Dini-produced Batman: The Animated Series.

 

She turns to Batman (who Benitez does a so-so version of) and Robin (who Benitez does an exceptional rendition of) for help, and they solve the mystery of what new villain is attacking Ivy and why, though they don't like the answer they get. Batman fans, however, should like what they get from this issue, and newcomers giving the title an OYL try might find themselves one step closer to becoming fans.

 

Rating – 8