Best Shots review – Future State: Dark Detective #3 a strong new vision for a Bruce Wayne who is no longer Batman

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Mariko Tamaki and Dan Mora paint a quiet picture of a Bruce Wayne gathering intelligence without the power behind the Bat-signal in Future State: Dark Detective #3 (opens in new tab), a moody issue with a raucous chaser in Matthew Rosenberg and Carmine Di Giandomenico’s ‘Grifters.’

Future State: Dark Detective #3 credits

Written by Mariko Tamaki and Matthew Rosenberg
Art by Dan Mora, Jordie Bellaire, Carmine Di Giandomenico, and Antonio Fabela
Lettering by Aditya Bidikar and Andworld Design
Published by DC
‘Rama Rating: 8 out of 10

Tamaki continues her understated approach to a Batman who is not ‘The Batman,’ showing a Bruce who is quietly dedicated to reconnaissance and constantly undermined by Gotham’s choking new atmosphere. Mora and Jordie Bellaire bring this neon nightmare of buzzing drones and corrupt business vividly to life with sharp colors and characters that are rich in gesture and expression. There’s not much meat here, but as a mood piece, it works well.

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Rosenberg immediately cranks the tone from ‘quiet dread’ to ‘endless explosions’ in the final part of ‘Grifters.’ This is a snappily paced concluding installment, filled with bribery and back-stabbing. Rosenberg’s Grifter is likeably upbeat and optimistic, two traits in strong demand for ‘Future State’ era Gotham. Giandomenico’s background work is intricate, catching the eye with a realistic patchwork of cables, pipes, and brick. He can draw one heck of an explosion too, which comes in handy for the fiery finale. Antonio Fabela predominately colors in blues and oranges, missing some of the futuristic feel of ‘Future State’ Gotham but keeping to the bold character of the script.

This reviewer is turning around on Tamaki’s Dark Detective. Bruce Wayne as an isolated tech guy, collecting intel while working out of a dingy room with only a conspiracy theorist as company, comes together this issue as a strong new vision for the character. Let’s see if the finale sticks the landing.

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