Detective Comics #1046

Feb 2022 · DC · 4.99 USD

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★ 1st appearance — Ana Vulsion

About this Issue

Detective Comics #1046 occupies a precise hinge point in Mariko Tamaki's run on the title, functioning as the last issue before DC converted Detective Comics into a twelve-part weekly event — 'Shadows of the Bat' — beginning with #1047 in January 2022. The issue marks Batman's formal departure from Gotham City in this title's continuity, deliberately passing stewardship of the city to the broader Bat-Family, a narrative move that would define the weekly run's entire premise. It also delivers two firm first appearances — new villain Ana Vulsion and Leo Nakano, son of Mayor Christopher Nakano — both of whom feed directly into the world Tamaki was constructing around Arkham Tower.

In "Out and Gone," Stephanie and Batman confront the dangerous Ana Vulsion after a brutal assault at a high-end apartment complex, while tensions rise in Gotham with the looming opening of Arkham Tower and Batwoman seeking counsel from Deb Donovan. Huntress grapples with unsettling visions of violence, and Batman prepares for an uncertain departure from the city. Mariko Tamaki and Dan Mora deliver a tense, character-driven story with Jordie Bellaire’s vivid colors and Aditya Bidikar’s sharp lettering, all framed by Dan Mora’s striking cover.

Contains 2 stories

Out and Gone

20 pp · Superhero

Sarah

In "Out and Gone," Stephanie confronts Ana Vulsion after a violent assault at a luxury apartment building, while Batman prepares to step away from Gotham. As Mayor Nakano weighs the opening of Arkham Tower with Dr. Meridan, Batwoman seeks counsel from Deb Donovan, and Huntress is haunted by visions of coming chaos—each thread pulling toward an uncertain future.

Foundations Finale

10 pp · Superhero

unidentified stranger (former Arkham patient)

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NM- $4.42 MINT $6.35 1:25 variant $9.99 NM · 1:25 variant $11 Variant $11.95 1:25 variant $12 NM · 1:25 variant $14.95 1:25 variant $14.99

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History

The issue was written by Mariko Tamaki (lead story, 'Out and Gone') and Stephanie Phillips (backup, 'Foundations, Finale'), with Dan Mora on pencils and colors by Jordie Bellaire for the main story, and David Lapham on art with Trish Mulvihill on colors for the backup — a dual-creative-team format the book had been using throughout Tamaki's run. It was published on December 28, 2021, with a cover-dated February 2022 indicia, making it DC's last Tuesday release of 2021. Editorial context is significant: DC had simultaneously placed a Tamaki interview in the back of all its core superhero books that same week as promotional material for the incoming 'Shadows of the Bat' event, signaling the company's investment in the storyline's launch.

Trivia · 8 facts

Cover date: February 2022; on-sale date: December 28, 2021 — DC Comics' final new release of calendar year 2021.
Lead story 'Out and Gone' written by Mariko Tamaki, with art by Dan Mora and colors by Jordie Bellaire; backup story 'Foundations, Finale' written by Stephanie Phillips, with art and inks by David Lapham and colors by Trish Mulvihill.
First appearance of Ana Vulsion, a serial killer re-released from custody and targeting Gotham City's organized crime community; she confronts Batgirl (Stephanie Brown) and Batman.
First appearance of Leo Nakano, the young son of Mayor Christopher Nakano and his wife Koyuki Nakano; confirmed by both DC Database and DCU Guide, with his next appearance indexed as Batman #153.
Batman formally announces his departure from Gotham in this issue — he is seen wearing his Batman, Inc. suit, tying directly into the concurrent storyline in the main Batman title — and tasks Dr. Chase Meridian with serving as his eyes and ears inside the new Arkham Tower during his absence.
The backup 'Foundations, Finale' concludes the multi-part Stephanie Phillips arc: Harley Quinn and Batman experience a fear-toxin hallucination (residual Hugo Strange stash) while confronting a former Arkham patient trying to destroy the under-construction Arkham Tower; the arc uses Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Fall of the House of Usher' as a structural motif.
Three cover variants were published: Cover A by Dan Mora (standard), Cover B by Lee Bermejo (card stock variant), and Cover C, a 1:25 retailer incentive by Stephen Segovia.
The issue was collected in Batman: Detective Comics Vol. 3: Arkham Rising (DC, 2022 hardcover / 2024 paperback) and later in the Mariko Tamaki Omnibus (2025 oversize hardcover); it was also reprinted in the Brazilian edition Batman (Panini Brasil) #71 (August 2022).