Writer: Tom Taylor
Artist & Colorist: Mikel Janín
Letterer: Wes Abbott
Cover Artists: Mikel Janín, Greg Smallwood, Davide Paratore & Stephanie Hans
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $4.99/$5.99
Release Date: October 22, 2025
After Batman rescued survivors from a damaged party boat, he visited the fishing vessel that caused the collision. Corpses littered the deck or floated nearby. As he studied the wounds, blisters, and swollen tissues, Batman noticed cameras recording his movements. He realizes someone watched these people die and did nothing to help them. Will Batman fall victim to the virus that filled these people with madness and apathy? And can he apprehend The Lion who wants to steal his victims' fear? Let’s grab our gasmasks, leap into Detective Comics #1102, and see!
Story
When Batman suspected a virus, he warned the authorities. But he wasn't in time to prevent the virus from infecting him. With so many of the dead showing signs of violence and madness, Batman knew he needed answers quickly. Mr Terrific analyzed his condition and confirmed Batman's suspicions. The villain who engineered the virus wants to kill a lot of people. And that fishing vessel was headed toward Gotham.
In Detective Comics #1102, Batman has thirty-four hours until he needs to move into isolation. That gives him a small window of time to investigate. Oracle helps him track a logo he found on the fishing vessel. Batman follows the trail to the country of Kasnia. Like James Bond in The World Is Not Enough, Bruce Wayne visits a casino. When a beautiful princess helps Bruce secure a private table, the proprietor is all too happy to join them.
As Batman faces a ticking clock in Tom Taylor’s story, he doesn’t have time to mess around. So while Bruce exhibits an air of ease and comfort, he seeks common ground with Louis King. Bruce suspects there's more to Louis' rags-to-riches story than he's letting on. What he doesn't expect is the comradeship that Louis King feels for him in Detective Comics #1102.
Art
As Batman stands in Mr Terrific’s lab, orange and black dominate the room. Beneath the surgical light panels, Batman's color gives way to that of his host's. The strength of these two colors casts a subtle shade of green on everything else. But when Batman pulls on his cape, his blue eyes shine until he puts on his blue mask. Oracle sits in a room cast in green as a face wearing a gas mask appears on a monitor. As Batman confers with her in the Batwing, the cockpit's red interior links him with Princess Caroline.
Mikel Janín transfers the orange, black, and green coloring to Louis King's private gambling room. The ornate interior design and crystal lighting fixtures lend the room an air of exclusivity. Yet green dominates the room. Unlike in Mr Terrific’s lab, there's nothing subtle about the color. After showcasing Batman's blue eyes, Mikel Janín closes in on Louis King's eyes. While Bruce’s black attire evokes mourning, Louis King’s white suit suggests rebirth in Detective Comics #1102.
Batman’s thoughts appear as white uppercase letters in gray narrative boxes. Wes Abbott fills white balloons with black uppercase dialogue, while Oracle’s off-camera dialogue appears as dark green words in green balloons. The cards appear in the air as the game commences, speaking a language of their own to the players. Large, white letters introduce settings and remind us that the clock is ticking on Bruce Wayne’s life. Sound effects emphasize the ruthlessness of a villain intent on ripping Gotham apart. Thanks to DC Comics for providing a review copy.
Now, let's take a look inside:
Final Thoughts
Whoever planted the fear virus on the fishing vessel intended it to reach Gotham. While he urges Mr Terrific to concoct a vaccine or a cure, Batman knows those take time. And even if they work, people will still contract the disease. So, in Detective Comics #1102, Batman searches for the source of the virus before the villain can disperse more of it. Batman knows he’s under the gun. He doesn’t want to die. But more importantly, Batman won't let what happened on the fishing vessel happen to Gotham.
Rating 9.8/10
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