The Wayne Murder case is revisited, and not in a good way. It’s been recreated in exacting detail, luring Batman down a rabbit hole of investigation that tugs at some tightly knit psychological strings. Meanwhile, one of his oldest friends is in danger – but from what?

This issue reunites Peter J. Tomasi and Doug Mahnke, one of the most able of creative teams to work on the Caped Crusader in recent years. As such, it promises a strong narrative without a lot of hype to over-sell the story. Just good, capable storytelling.

Sharp-eyed readers might think Batman has slipped up more than once, as he comes dangerously close to revealing to Commissioner Gordon that Thomas and Martha Wayne were his parents. But I’ve always adhered to a theory first proposed back in the 1970s, that Gordon already knows Bruce Wayne is Batman. He just plays along for convenience.

This issue begins the countdown to Detective Comics #1,000 – a landmark for any comic book of the modern era. However, with so much touching upon Batman’s earliest days, I feel an artistic opportunity was missed in one scene. As Batman struggles to save his friend while battling a monster atop a rooftop, a not-so-veiled visual reference to the cover of Detective Comics #27 may have been in order. Oh, well, maybe next time.

Rating: 7/10