In this review of Detective Comics #1107, only in comic books will you find two billionaires risking life and limb to protect the innocent and stamp out corruption without grandstanding or personally profiting from the effort. Oh yeah, Green Arrow is in Gotham City now.
Detective Comics #1107 main cover by Mikel Janín (DC Comics)
DETECTIVE COMICS #1107
Written by TOM TAYLOR
Art by PETE WOODS
Main Cover: MIKEL JANIN
Variant Covers: ESAD RIBI, OZGUR YILDIRIM, JORGE JIMENEZ
Page Count: 32 pages
Release Date: 3/25/26
This review contains spoilers
Detective Comics #1107 begins one week ago where a protected witness dies from apparently natural causes while surrounded by FBI agents in Gotham City. Cut to the present day where a sterling member of the GCPD violently shakes down a low-level street dealer only to be “apprehended” by Green Arrow (Oliver Queen). With the bad cop locked in the trunk of the Arrow Car (don’t laugh), Ollie checks on the victim only to discover it is Batman in disguise.
Batman has Ollie cut the crooked cop loose so Bruce can find a protected witness in a case against the Klep Corporation. With two other witnesses already dying under mysterious circumstances, Bruce is concerned Richard Klep is up to something. Klep is keeping himself busy these days as Ollie (and Dinah Lance) are in Gotham City on business, including fending off Klep’s hostile takeover of Queen Industries.
What is Green Arrow doing in Gotham City? (DC Comics)
Later at Wildcat’s gym, Dinah Lance addresses the Bat and Arrow families regarding Ted Grant’s recent death (JSA #6), and his bequeathing of his gym to her. Dinah and Bruce Wayne, two of Grant’s best students, spar in the ring and Dinah cleans Bruce’s clock (although the rules were no actual contact).
The next morning as Bruce, Dinah and Ollie gather at Gotham Cemetery to memorialize a nameless, fallen teammate on the anniversary of his death, the solemn moment is interrupted by a young girl who peppers them with questions about the mystery man (except for Bruce who has disappeared).
Detective Comics #1107 ends as the girl’s grandmother (and security) comes looking for her, which almost ends in a brawl. The older woman sizes up Dinah and Ollie for a moment, before departing. Bruce reappears, noting that at long last someone knows who their mysterious friend named Prion actually was.
Analysis
Detective Comics #1107 kicks off a brand-new story arc while acknowledging the damage from “The Courage that Kills” virus and how the events impacted the entire populace of Gotham City, (and nearly destroyed Batman). Series writer Tom Taylor continues adding new elements to the sprawling Bat mythos with yet another intriguing mystery which could easily be subtitled “The Brave and The Bold” given the featured guest stars.
Taylor riffs on current events from the tech world and the current corporate climate with his own addition. While Richard Klep is a new foil for both Bruce Wayne and Oliver Queen (and their alter egos), whether or not Klep has anything to do with the Prion subplot, he’s lucky that he’s not being targeted by the Absolute Green Arrow (I hear that guy is a new kind of ruthless).
The exchanges between Bruce and Oliver simultaneously highlight their similarities and differences within a few sentences. Bruce plays the long game while Oliver prefers swift justice. The events bringing Dinah Lance to Gotham allow both her and Oliver to follow their own story, rather than just being the other’s plus one. Detective Comics #1107 is also a Bruce Wayne story as Batman has less of a presence than even the new, all-electric Batmobile).
The brutal sparring match between Dinah Lance and Bruce Wayne, two of Ted Grant’s best students, is an impressive tour de force as Dinah displays her dominance in the ring, but there is only respect for her from Bruce.
If the mysterious deaths, a new corporate threat and Dinah’s acquisition of Wildcat’s Gym aren’t enough to maintain interest, Taylor throws in the mysterious “Prion” and his connection to a past covert team that included Batman, Green Arrow and Black Canary. Also, the older woman at the cemetery has to be Prion’s widow, right?
Veteran artist and colorist Pete Woods subs in on Detective Comics #1107, giving series artist Mikel Janin a well-deserved break after the epic, six-part “The Courage that Kills” story arc. Woods provides some impressive visuals and colors that suit the mood of the film noir plot, nailing both the brutal action scenes and the quieter scenes with ease. The impressive Dinah Lance/Bruce Wayne sparring match is a standout sequence.
Final Thoughts
Detective Comics #1107 introduces an enticing new mystery, and hints at a secret past for the Bruce, Oliver and Dinah. The writing informs and entertains, while the art enhances the dark and gritty crime noir inspired story.
