Detective Comics #1034

May 2021 · DC · 4.99 USD

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★ 1st appearance — Deb Donovan★ 1st appearance — Hue Vile

About this Issue

Detective Comics #1034 marks the formal launch of Mariko Tamaki and Dan Mora's run on the title in the post-Future State 'Infinite Frontier' era, anchoring a new chapter of Batman storytelling built around a Bruce Wayne stripped of his wealth and mansion following the Joker War. The issue is historically notable for containing the first cameo appearance of Flatline — a character created by Joshua Williamson and Gleb Melnikov who would go on to become one of Damian Wayne's most significant supporting cast members in the 2021 Robin series — as well as the first Infinite Frontier-era appearance of Connor Hawke, restoring Oliver Queen's son to main DC continuity after a decade-long New 52 absence. Together, the two stories in this issue (Tamaki's 'The Neighborhood, Part 1' and Williamson's 'Demon or Detective? Part 2') served as a coordinated launchpad across the Batman family of titles, bridging directly into the new Robin ongoing.

In "The Neighborhood Part 1," Batman tracks a rogue gang known as the Party Crashers—residual players from the Joker War—using stolen Wayne Enterprises tech to hit a high-profile fundraiser for Mayor Nakano. As Bruce Wayne begins to settle into his new neighborhood, a sudden abduction shakes the quiet streets, pulling him deeper into a mystery that’s closer to home than he expected. Written by Mariko Tamaki and illustrated by Dan Mora, with colors by Jordie Bellaire and letters by Aditya Bidikar, the cover by Dan Mora captures the tension of a city at odds with itself.

Contains 2 stories

The Neighborhood Part 1

20 pp · Superhero

Neil Betterman (mayor's aide)Hue VileParty CrashersLydia WarrenSarah WorthSam TernDeb Donovan

In "The Neighborhood Part 1" from Detective Comics #1034, Batman tracks a gang of Party Crashers—mercenaries wielding stolen Wayne Enterprises tech—during a high-stakes fundraiser for Mayor Nakano. Soon after, Bruce Wayne steps into his new life as a neighbor, only to find one of them gone without a trace.

Demon or Detective? Part Two

10 pp · Superhero

Mr. Unknown (image on monitor)Constantine Drakon (image on monitor)Flatline (intro, image on monitor)Lady Vic (image on monitor)Raptor (image on monitor)

In "Demon or Detective? Part Two," Damian Wayne faces a choice between loyalty to Talia and his duty as Robin when a mystery in the shadows pulls him back into the fight. With the line between assassin and hero blurring, he must unravel the truth before it consumes them all.

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History

Tamaki and Mora arrived on Detective Comics fresh from their collaboration on the four-issue Future State: Dark Detective limited series, making this their first issue of the ongoing title. The issue was edited by Paul Kaminski with associate editor Dave Wielgosz and group editor Ben Abernathy, under editor-in-chief Marie Javins. Tamaki took over from Peter J. Tomasi, deliberately picking up plot threads Tomasi had set in motion — particularly the anti-vigilante political environment and Bruce Wayne's displacement from Wayne Manor — rather than rebooting the status quo. Colorist Jordie Bellaire and letterer Aditya Bidikar rounded out the main creative team, while Gleb Melnikov handled both art and colors on the Robin backup written by Joshua Williamson.

Trivia · 9 facts

Published March 23–24, 2021 (on-sale date March 23; indicia/cover date May 2021); 40 pages, rated Teen.
Main story 'The Neighborhood, Part 1' written by Mariko Tamaki, art by Dan Mora, colors by Jordie Bellaire, letters by Aditya Bidikar; cover by Dan Mora.
Robin backup 'Demon or Detective? Part 2' written by Joshua Williamson, art and colors by Gleb Melnikov; continues from Batman (Vol. 3) #106 and leads directly into Robin (Vol. 3) #1.
First cameo appearance of Flatline (Nika), a new metahuman character created by Joshua Williamson and Gleb Melnikov, who appears briefly on a monitor screen among League of Lazarus tournament fighters; her full debut follows in Robin #1.
First Infinite Frontier-era appearance of Connor Hawke (second Green Arrow, son of Oliver Queen), who had been absent from main DC continuity since the New 52 reboot in 2011; he is revealed on the final page as the League of Shadows' champion for the Lazarus Tournament.
First appearances of Hue Vile (Mayor Nakano's assistant and the arc's primary villain) and Deb Donovan (a Gotham reporter who becomes a recurring supporting character throughout Tamaki's run).
The issue received a second printing with a cover by Bryan Hitch, and a WonderCon 2021 silver foil variant with art by Lee Bermejo was also produced.
The Robin backup story 'Demon or Detective? Part 2' was later reprinted in the collected edition Batman vs. Robin: Road to War.
The full Tamaki run beginning with this issue was eventually collected in the Batman: Detective Comics by Mariko Tamaki Omnibus HC, featuring a new introduction by editor Paul Kaminski.