In this review of Detective Comics #1100, four all-new short stories celebrate the Dark Knight and his profound impact on the people of Gotham City. This issue proves that both a fateful plunge amidst concrete canyons, and a wordless tale of hope can both take your breath away.
Detective Comics #1100 main cover by Mikel Janín (DC Comics)
DETECTIVE COMICS #1100
Written by TOM TAYLOR, GREG RUCKA, MARIKO TAMAKI, and DAN WATTERS
Art by MIKEL JANÍN, ÁLVARO MARTÍNEZ BUENO, AMANCAY NAHUELPAN, and BILL SIENKIEWICZ
Main Cover by MIKEL JANÍN
Variant Covers: JOCK, FRANK MILLER, BILL SIENKIEWICZ, BRUNO REDONDO, DAVE JOHNSON
Page Count: 56 pages
Release Date: August 20, 2025
This review has some spoilers
Detective Comics #1100 begins with the silent tale “Lost & Found” by current the ‘Tec creative team Tom Taylor and Mikel Janin, as a young deaf boy encounters Batman while posting flyers of his missing (stolen) dog, that Batman helps rescue (with a little canine assistance).
Taylor’s writing is all over the story, but there are no words needed in this thrilling and touching story as Janin’s art expertly hits every note from facial expressions, to body language, to background details and even ASL. Don’t worry, there are some cool action scenes too, although they aren’t needed to make this story especially memorable.
“Your Role in the Community” by the remarkable Mariko Tamaki and artist Amancay Nahuelpan jumps back and forth in time as an injured, (and tardy) Bruce Wayne attends a fundraising gala for local heroes (not Batman) and finds himself relentlessly prodded by an online journalist about what more he can do to help Gotham City.
Meanwhile, flashbacks detailing a brutal battle and subsequent motorcycle chase between Batman and the Joker across a rain-swept Gotham City lend subtext to Bruce’s night out.
In “The Knife and Gun Club”, legendary Batman scribe Greg Rucka, and artist Alvaro Martinez Bueno (The Nice House on the Lake) narrow their focus on a pair of nighttime emergency room doctors (presumably at Gotham General) during a rare quiet moment. The discussion turns to the new doctor’s concern over the growing number of patients with blunt force and laceration injuries (courtesy of Batman’s war on crime) as well as the fear of escalation.
The veteran physician explains that before Batman showed up on the scene the injuries sustained by patients were typically lethal (“the gun and knife club”), and while Batman’s methods were often harsh, both the victims and perpetrators often received a better outcome from his intervention. Bueno’s gorgeous art intersperses the important conversational scenes with the sporadic action-packed flashbacks to punctuate the story’s impact.
Finally, in “The Fall”, writer Dan Watters (Loki), and Bill Sienkiewicz (New Mutants), explore a story primarily from the Dark Knight’s point-of-view, and his observations, as he pursues a mass-murderer off of a tall building. As he hurtles earthward, Batman mentally assesses the variables in attempting to halt the killer’s plunge (before the sidewalk does).
Batman also remarkably works up a psychological profile and predictive behavioral algorithm of his quarry on the fly (literally). Sienkiewicz’s gritty art provides an array of dazzling (and dizzying) visuals that only enhance the tension.
Analysis
Although not quite the gala celebration of the 1000th installment (or even #1027), Detective Comics #1100 still provides a candid and compelling exploration of Batman’s connection to Gotham City, and the effect of his actions on its various citizens.
Whether with Batman’s inner monologue, or no dialogue at all, each story hits their mark. The stories paint a remarkable portrait of the Dark Knight from those who support him, tolerate him or fear him (although ironically there is precious little detective work found within these 48 pages).
Final Thoughts
Detective Comics #1100 celebrates another Dark Knight anniversary with a quartet of disparate, but equally affecting tales filled with suspense, drama, heart, humor and amazing art. Essential reading for any Batman fan.
