Review: Batman: Detective Comics, Vol. 1: Gotham Nocturne: Overture

Batman: Detective Comics, Vol. 1: Gotham Nocturne: Overture by Ram V.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A good start for a new series.

I've been out of the loop for the latest happenings in the Batman Mythology; and I here there were some major events.

So, it's refreshing to see the old characters you know and love, presented in a new light, having to grip with the reality of their changing city.

A major strength of the Batman mythos, I've always felt, was how the setting of Gotham, with its gothic architecture, dark crime ridden alleys, the coterie of villains, and the gamut of humanity running from good to bad to worse, offered up a wealth of stories, past and present to mine from.

One of the best examples for this from recent publication is the brilliantly written Batman, Volume 1: The Court of Owls (While I write this, I realize that the Court of Owls was published nearly 12 years ago; Damn I'm getting old).

I was looking forwards to what Ram V had to offer, after his atmospheric and impeccably built world in These Savage Shores, which encapsulated the south part of the Indian subcontinent, in all of its macabre mysterious glory. A land filled with Gods, Demons, Monsters, vestiges of a bygone era; it left much unsaid and much to imagination.

Volume 1 of Gotham Nocturne takes a slower approach; using much of its narrative panels, in setting up the players, the characters, as they deal with a changing Gotham. As well as new ones, who have arrived on 'These Savage Shores' (eh, eh), for their own mysterious purposes.

Nothing major appears to be revealed so far, but I'm looking forwards to how the story will progress in the future. As an additional visual treat, the volume has some sick panels, featuring Batman in all his grappling, bat gliding, jumping around, and jumping out of a moving plane glory. Along with other supporting characters, all of whom have some glorious John Wick-esque drip.

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