In this review of Detective Comics #1106, with the Courage virus already infecting its populace, Gotham is tearing itself apart, and an end stage Batman has one radical option left to save himself and his city.
Detective Comics #1106 main cover by Mikel Janín (DC Comics)
DETECTIVE COMICS #1106
Written by TOM TAYLOR
Art and Main Cover: MIKEL JANÍN
Variant Covers: GREG SMALLWOOD and STEVE SKROCE
Page Count: 32 pages
Release Date: 2/25/26
This review contains spoilers
Detective Comics #1106 begins as Leo (Aka “The Lion”) crows over his “saving” Gotham City from itself, by removing all fear from its citizens. The early results are positive as random people across the city find the courage to take a risk. Meanwhile Batman takes a huge risk of his own, adding Scarecrows fear gas to his special suit’s air supply. Batman’s fear returns and he welcomes it, battling and overpowering Leo (with a timely assist from the Batmobile).
Meanwhile, as one police precinct burns, a fed-up mob of fearless citizens march towards GCPD headquarters where Commissioner Vandal Savage orders his police to deploy lethal measures against the crowd if necessary. Officer Jim Gordon confronts Savage over his extreme measures and the pair come to blows.
With both groups feeling emboldened outside the GCPD, Batman gets Mister Terrific’s help in deploying the fear toxin city wide. When the gas cloud hits, both groups get spooked and run for cover. Batman gets Damian to safety after getting caught in booby trap earlier, and he finds a gift from Leo addressed to Bruce Wayne at the manor, a bottle of fine alcohol, which Terrific discovers has the cure to the Courage virus.
Detective Comics #1106 ends two weeks later as a recuperating Bruce Wayne visits Leo in Arkham Towers, as Bruce offers his appreciation for the gift. It turns out Leo held Bruce in high regard from years ago. Both men share the stories of their childhood loss as their images revert to their younger selves.
Did he just hit his boss…? (DC Comics)
Analysis
Detective Comics #1106 wraps up the story arc in grand fashion with an all out mix of action and a measure of catharsis. Writer Tom Taylor pushes the envelope for Batman in the final hours before the Dark Knight becomes fully consumed by the Courage virus. For Taylor, Batman is an indomitable force of will despite limitations of the body. Also having Batman infect himself with Scarecrow’s fear gas is a baller move and a clever fix (which Mister Terrific replicates for the rest of Gotham City).
The showdown between Leo and Batman is epic: Bats headbutting Leo was as unexpected as hitting him with the Batmobile. Taylor’s reveal of how various Gotham citizens respond to having “no fear” in their everyday lives is both encouraging and crushing, but quick fixes are never a long term solution even in comics. “Officer” Jim Gordon punching Commissioner Vandal Savage over authorizing lethal force against protestors is a desperate move, but more out of anger than fear.
The final twist of Leo sending Bruce Wayne a cure in a bottle of alcohol shows the bond Leo felt through being mentored by Bruce during his youth. The deus ex machina of that cure in a bottle is a forced streamlining of a needed resolution, allowing Mister Terrific to mass produce the cure for the entire city, while pumping fear gas across the city immediately provided a temporary solution which came as a relief and was unintentionally hilarious.
Taylor’s exploration of behavioral science is fascinating but short-lived. Leo’s motivations have been clear throughout the story arc, but that final conversation with Bruce Wayne, through their shared bond of childhood trauma illustrates how much Batman has in common with those he fights.
Artist Mikel Janin continues his stellar run with impressive action set pieces including the brutal Batman/Leo battle, Leo’s new “look” in Arkham Tower, Bruce Wayne’s battle-ravaged face, the Bat-armor, the Batmobile, Batman’s hallucinations and the Gotham City equivalent of Times Square. Janin’s color palette covers the pages in rich, hazy blues and greens for the “happy” hallucinations, and warm reds and orange for the flames and scary hallucinations.
Final Thoughts
Detective Comics #1106 wraps up the story arc with a wild, frenetic and satisfying finale with loads of action, a dose of humor, humanity and gorgeous art and color.
