Detective Comics #1114 Review

 

Detective Comics #1114: Bad Seeds Week 9 Part 4 Review

Writer: Tom Taylor

Artist: Clayton Henry

Colorist: Pedro Estouco

Letterer: Wes Abbott

Cover Artist: Mikel Janín

Variant Cover Artists: Dan Mora, Marguerite Sauvage, David Nakayama & Björn Barends

Editors: Jessica Berbey, Ben Meares & Rob Levin

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $4.99 US | Variant $5.99 US (Card Stock) | Variant $7.99 US (Foil)

Release Date: October 21, 2026

 

Verity Pennyworth may poke fun at her new employer. Batman endures the occasional jest to get along with his late friend's niece. Still, their relationship is nowhere near as difficult as Victor and Nora Fries. Batman finds the couple in the Kingdom of Cold after another domestic dispute. Batman doesn't know whether Mr Freeze will work with him. Still, the couple’s latest fight throws Batman’s plan to combat the superbloom into jeopardy.

 

Can Batman save Mr Freeze's life? And can they prevent Poison Ivy's prehistoric plants from spreading across the world? Let's leap into Detective Comics #1114 and see what happens!

 

Story

While Verity battled intruders in Pennyworth Manor, Victor and Nora fought in the Kingdom of Cold. Then, Poison Ivy’s plants erupted from the snow. In the process, they damaged Victor’s helmet. Batman found Nora cradling Victor. Now, she points a freeze gun at Batman, while he tries to save her husband.

 

After summarizing the couple's marital difficulties for Verity, Batman reminds himself of the crucial events that led to their contentious relationship in Detective Comics #1114. Just as he wants to protect Gotham, Batman wants to help the couple help themselves. Still, he is asking Mr Freeze to do something for him. The clock is ticking until plants extinguish all Human and animal life on Earth. Batman must bow to Mr Freeze’s authority and support the villain’s leadership if he wishes to save the world.

 

After Batman's brief look back in time, Tom Taylor's story remains in the present. While it primarily focuses on Batman, Mr Freeze and Nora demonstrate how their mission affects them. And before they can save the world, they must run the gauntlet of Poison Ivy's superbloom. Some people may accuse all vigilantes of being no better than villains. Yet as each tries to accomplish their mission, Batman reveals how different he is from the villains he occasionally allies with in Detective Comics #1114.

 

Art

Despite their earlier fight, Nora clutches Victor’s hand as she points her freeze gun at Batman. He meets her gaze, his gloved hands covering the fissure in Mr Freeze’s helmet. As Victor's life-supporting cold air vents through the glass like clouds, Batman allows Nora to choose how to respond. When he rises, Mr Freeze moves around to assess his Kingdom and the subjects he lost to Poison Ivy’s plants. Then, he brutally secures the equipment they will need to save the world.

 

As Clayton Henry begins Detective Comics #1114 with a nine-panel look back, Pedro Estouco adorns it with blues and browns. The blues and whites of Victor's Kingdom of Cold reinforce his hopes for a life with Nora. Yet the couple's red goggles and the red framing of Mr Freeze as he acts highlight the anger that often drives their actions. But then, red abounds on the surface. Amid the green vines and plants, red flowers evoke Poison Ivy's overwhelming love for the Green. As red fills the sky amid the fighting, one character realizes that anger may be inextricably bound with love.

 

As Clayton Henry and Pedro Estouco fill pages with scenes and line the bottom of epic visions with inset panels, Wes Abbott fills white balloons with black uppercase dialogue. Batman's white uppercase thoughts in charcoal gray boxes guide readers through the story. The spherical balloons deform, and dialogue swells as the stakes rise. Sound effects accompany Mr Freeze breaking ice, freeze guns, and the angry plants taking back the world from a species determined to control them. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story with us.

 

Final Thoughts

Despite Dr Victor Fries' love for his wife, the way he expressed it turned her against him. So, while he allies with villains to save the Earth, Batman shows why he has sacrificed the kind of future Dr Victor Fries wanted with Nora in Detective Comics #1114.

 

Rating 9.7/10

 

To look inside see Detective Comics #1114: Bad Seeds Week 9 Part 4 Preview. 

For more of the Bad Seeds Event, see:

 

Poison Ivy #47: A Batman: Bad Seeds Prelude: Preview 

 

Batman: Bad Seeds – Sunset #1 Preview 

 

Batman #13: Bad Seeds Week 2 Part 1 Preview 

 

Batgirl #23: Bad Seeds Week 2 Part 2: Preview 

 

Batman: Bad Seeds: Gotham Central #1--Bad Seeds Week 3 Part 1 Review 

 

Batwoman #7: Bad Seeds Week 4 Part 1 Review 

 

Detective Comics #1113: Bad Seeds Week 4 Part 2 Preview  

 

Catwoman #91: Week 4 Part 3 Preview 

 

Nightwing #142: Bad Seeds Week 4 Part 4 Preview  

 

Harley Quinn #66: Bad Seeds Week 5 Part 1 Preview  

Poison Ivy #48: Bad Seeds Week 6 Part 1 Review 

Batman #14 Bad Seeds Week 7 Part 1 Review 

Batgirl #23: Bad Seeds Week 7 Part 2: Preview

Batman: Bad Seeds -Gotham Central #2: Bad Seeds Week 8 Part 1 Preview 

Bad Seeds: Streets of Gotham #1: Bad Seeds Week 8 Part 2 Review 

Batwoman #8: Bad Seeds Week 9 Part 1 Review 

Catwoman #92: Bad Seeds Week 9 Part 2 Preview 

Nightwing #143: Bad Seeds Week 9 Part 3 Preview 

 

Detective Comics #1114 Preview

 

Verity Pennyworth may get a little testy with her new employer, but Batman is willing to endure the occasional jibe to get along with his late friend’s niece. Still, their relationship is nowhere near as difficult as Victor and Nora Fries. When Batman finds the couple in the Kingdom of Cold, Victor and Nora have had another domestic dispute. Batman didn't know if Mr Freeze would work with him. Nor does he know for sure that his plan would work. Still, the couple’s latest fight throws Batman’s plan to combat the superbloom into jeopardy.

 

Can Batman save Mr Freeze’s life? And can they prevent Poison Ivy’s prehistoric plants from spreading across the world?

 

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

 

 

Detective Comics #1114: Bad Seeds Week 9 Part 4 Preview

Writer: Tom Taylor

Artist: Jeff Spokes

Cover Artist: Mikel Janín

Variant Cover Artists: Dan Mora & Marguerite Sauvage

Bad Seeds Spot Foil Variant Cover Artist: David Nakayama

Clayface Movie Variant Cover Artist: Björn Barends

Publisher: DC Comics

Issue Length: 32 Pages

Price: $4.99 US | Variant $5.99 US (Card Stock) | Variant $7.99 US (Foil)

Release Date: October 21, 2026 

 

 

Batman & Freeze—Allies?!

A Batman: Bad Seeds Tie-In!

 

 

As dawn—& the imminent destruction that daylight will bring—approaches in Gotham City, Batman finds himself out of options. There is only one hope left to save his city, and it lies with the cold, calculating Mr. Freeze. Now, shoulder to (cold) shoulder with one of his greatest foes, the Caped Crusader must fight his way across Gotham in one last desperate attempt to save the city. This thrilling—and chilling—issue picks up right where Batman #14 left off as Gotham’s darkest night continues!

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

For more of the Bad Seeds Event, see

 

Poison Ivy #47: A Batman: Bad Seeds Prelude: Preview 

 

Batman: Bad Seeds – Sunset #1 Preview 

 

Batman #13: Bad Seeds Week 2 Part 1 Preview 

 

Batgirl #23: Bad Seeds Week 2 Part 2: Preview 

 

Batman: Bad Seeds: Gotham Central #1--Bad Seeds Week 3 Part 1 Review 

 

Batwoman #7: Bad Seeds Week 4 Part 1 Review 

 

Detective Comics #1113: Bad Seeds Week 4 Part 2 Preview  

 

Catwoman #91: Week 4 Part 3 Preview 

 

Nightwing #142: Bad Seeds Week 4 Part 4 Preview  

 

Harley Quinn #66: Bad Seeds Week 5 Part 1 Preview  

Poison Ivy #48: Bad Seeds Week 6 Part 1 Review 

Batman #14 Bad Seeds Week 7 Part 1 Review 

Batgirl #23: Bad Seeds Week 7 Part 2: Preview 

Batman: Bad Seeds -Gotham Central #2: Bad Seeds Week 8 Part 1 Preview 

Bad Seeds: Streets of Gotham #1: Bad Seeds Week 8 Part 2 Review 

 

Detective Comics #1113 Preview

 

A Prion isn’t just a bird. It’s also a folded protein that inflicts disease and death. But now, a hero's grave also has a name. His headstone bears an inscription: Ramon Reynoso. Perhaps in time, Batman, Black Canary, and Green Arrow will reform Flight Squadron Delta. But for now, Batman wants Green Arrow to know that he is welcome in his city.

 

After defeating Klep Corp’s takeover of Queen Industries, can Batman and his team find the killing touch to repel Mayor Isley’s hostile takeover of Gotham? And tackling the combined might of Vandal Savage's TUCO squads, will Batman take flight again to prevent the police commissioner from making an impossible situation worse?

 

Here's all the info from DC Connect: 

 

 

Detective Comics #1113: Bad Seeds Week 4 Part 2 Preview

Writer: Tom Taylor

Back-Up Story Writer: Dan Watters

Artist: Jeff Spokes

Cover Artist: Mikel Janín

Variant Cover Artists: Dan Mora And Paolo Pantalena

Bad Seeds Spot Foil Variant Cover Artist: Dan Panosian

Building Bad Variant Cover Artist: Jim Lee

Publisher: DC Comics

Issue Length: 32 Pages

Price: $4.99 US/Variant $5.99 US (Card Stock)/Variant $7.99 US (Foil)

Release Date: September 16, 2026

 

 

Tom Taylor and superstar guest artist Jeff Spokes 

continue Batman’s Journey through 

the epic Bad Seeds Event!

 

 

Spores, vines, and lumbering floronic monsters have invaded the Dark Knight’s city. Now, as chaos runs rampant in the streets Batman has sworn to protect, Batman finds that Vandal Savage and his TUCO squads may prove even more deadly than the prehistoric flora that has taken the city for its own. Can Batman save Gotham from this lethal convergence of human evil and verdant violence before it’s too late? Find out in this can’t-miss issue that continues directly where Batman #13 leaves off!

 

Also featuring a back-up story showcasing the winning villain design from the BUILDING BAD sweepstakes!

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

For how Flight Squadron Delta brought Klep Corp to its knees, see Detective Comics #1112 Preview. 

For what happened last time, see my review of Detective Comics #1111. 

For what happened last time, see my preview of Detective Comics #1110.  

For what happened last time, see my preview of Detective Comics #1109. 

For what happened before that, see my review of Detective Comics #1108. 

For how this story arc started, see my preview of Detective Comics #1107.  

Detective Comics #1112 Preview

 

Klep Corp wants to take over Queen Industries. The AI company can meet any price he demands. Yet, Oliver Queen dislikes what they represent. 

As he relocates to Gotham to defend his company, whistleblowers die of natural causes before they can testify against Klep Corp. While Batman, Black Canary, and Green Arrow protect the last surviving witness, they discover two people who kill quickly and without mercy. They are the mother and daughter of their fallen friend, Prion.

Have the remaining members of Flight Squadron Delta freed Rita Reynoso and her granddaughter Arabella? And how are they linked to Klep Corp?

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

 

Detective Comics #1112 Preview

Writer: Tom Taylor

Art & Cover Artist: Mikel Janín

Variant Cover Artists: Björn Barends & Cary Nord

Dark Knight Returns 40th Anniversary Variant Cover Artist: Andy Kubert

Publisher: DC Comics

Issue Length: 32 Pages

Price: $4.99 US/Variant $5.99 US (Card Stock)

Release Date: August 26, 2026

 

 

One Last Flight!

 

 

The sinister secrets of the Reynoso family have been revealed, and with these revelations come closure for a tragedy that befell Batman, Black Canary, and Green Arrow long ago. Now, with the shadowy secrets exposed, it’s up to our dynamic trio to save young Arabella from a decades-old conspiracy.

 

“Flight” concludes in this can’t-miss issue by the superstar team of Tom Taylor and Mikel Janín!

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

For what happened last time, see my review of Detective Comics #1111. 

For what happened last time, see my preview of Detective Comics #1110.  

For what happened last time, see my preview of Detective Comics #1109. 

For what happened before that, see my review of Detective Comics #1108. 

For how this story arc started, see my preview of Detective Comics #1107.  

 

 

Detective Comics 2026 Annual #1 Preview

 

Lobo is an indomitable force of nature. He'll take any bounty, no matter who his clientele want him to capture or kill. But when Lobo came up against Emperor Aquaman, that was one bounty he had to forego. Now, Lobo is coming after another member of the Justice League. But does the interstellar bounty hunter have what it takes to kill Batman? Or has Supergirl convinced Lobo to embrace a life of love and peace?

Here's all the info from DC Connect: 

 

Detective Comics 2026 Annual #1 Preview

Writers: Tom Taylor & Dave Wielgosz

Artists: Nicola Scott & Fran Mariscal

Cover Artist: Mikel Janín

Variant Cover Artists: Guillem March & Javi Fernández

Publisher: DC Comics

Issue Length: 48 Pages

Price: $5.99 US/Variant $6.99 US (Card Stock)

Release Date: July 29, 2026

 

 

Guest-Starring the Main Man himself, Lobo!

 

 

Batman has been falsely accused of a political assassination on a distant planet, and someone has been sent to track down the Dark Knight and bring him to justice—someone with a special talent for hunting. That’s right, Lobo’s come to Earth with a bounty on Batman! Now, in the clutches of the Main Man and being carted across the cosmos to be judged for a crime he did not commit, Batman must find a way to clear his name!

 

Tom Taylor and Nicola Scott bring you a thrilling tale of bounties, battles, and bastiches.

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

 

For recent events in Batman's life, see my review of Detective Comics #1111.

For Lobo's rehabilitation, see my review of Summer of Supergirl Special #1.  

Detective Comics #1111 Review

 

Detective Comics #1111 Review

Writer: Tom Taylor

Artist, Colorist & Cover Artist: Mikel Janín

Letterer: Wes Abbott

Variant Cover Artists: Declan Shalvey & Carmine Di Giandomenico

Editors: Jessica Berbey, Ben Meares & Rob Levin

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $4.99/$5.99

Release Date: July 22, 2026

 

Batman hasn't always been the indomitable Caped Crusader he is today. And anyone can get caught unawares. Over a decade ago, how Batman reacted to mortal danger helped Prion understand him better. The two men bonded over their desire to shield children from traumatic situations.

 

Now, after tracking Prion's daughter to her home, Batman confirms his suspicions. Arabella is a captive of people who use her as a weapon. Black Canary, no stranger to brainwashing, insists on sneaking inside the compound to rescue her. But will Arabella let her? Or will Black Canary's admission about how Arabella's father died doom the surviving members of Flight Squadron Delta? Let’s leap into Detective Comics #1111 and see!

 

Story

While Green Arrow’s masquerade mask helps Prion connect with him, Batman’s cowl shields his features more effectively. So, when Batman tracks Prion to his home, Prion admits he knows he’s Bruce Wayne. But after what he’s endured, Prion is fiercely independent. No matter how well-intentioned, Prion refuses to let someone else take care of him.

 

While Detective Comics #1111 reveals how closely knit the quartet had become, it also reveals how Prion died. Sadly, his choice of a superhero name proves more apt than Prion could have anticipated. Ever since his death, Prion's final words have haunted Bruce.

 

After providing a glimpse of the past, Tom Taylor returns readers to the present. Refusing to mislead Arabella, Black Canary explains how Prion died. But the girl’s grandmother reveals that this moment is not preserved in amber. Her organization can shield Arabella from this traumatic revelation, empowering the girl to utilize her exemplary skills.

 

Tom Taylor's story contrasts Batman, Green Arrow, and Black Canary's concern for others with Arabella's controllers. It casts light on the painful past that Prion sought to hide from his new friends. Yet it also points out that we are the summation of everything we've learned and experienced. Perhaps Batman was right to ask the boy on the train to look away when his death seemed certain. But not knowing the truth about their lives puts individuals under others' control in Detective Comics #1111.

 

Art

Batman finds Prion in a cabin, warming his hands over a fire in a metal bucket. The next day, Green Arrow shows Prion uniforms. While intended for all of them, the coloring most closely matches Prion's normal attire. Emblazoned on the front is a combined symbol of the members of Flight Squadron Delta. Sadly, the symbol will prove prophetic, but not in the way Batman intended.

 

As Mikel Janín fills pages with a variety of layout styles, the colors speak to the ideas Detective Comics #1111 raises. Blue dominates Prion’s cabin and will feature prominently on the team’s uniform. Yet when Batman insists that Prion doesn't have to struggle, the background turns green. The green color also links with Green Arrow, as Oliver Queen has strived to get drugs off the streets in Star City and Gotham. The yellow fire in the can reflects off Prion's uniform, as he speaks about what's holding him back. Combined with red, it seems a warning of how Prion will meet his end. Nonetheless, Batman strides boldly into red panels as the story reaches its climax.

 

Wes Abbott fills white balloons with uppercase dialogue in balloons and colored narrative boxes. The letters grow bold for intonation, shrink for lowered voices, and deform balloons when they swell. White lowercase letters locate the reader in time and space. Sound effects heighten the fighting, alarms, deploying ordinance, and a Canary Cry. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story with us.

 

Final Thoughts

When Prion told Batman that he didn't have a choice about the monster he used to be, Batman insisted that everyone always has a choice.

 

As Batman seeks to rescue a girl from the people who control her, he continues his investigation into the deaths of the informants slated to testify against Klep Corp. Experience has taught Batman that the world is more complex than he once imagined. Yet, even as he stares death in the face, Batman still insists that circumstances and other people will never determine his future in Detective Comics #1111.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

 

To look inside see my preview of Detective Comics #1111.

 

For what happened last time, see my preview of Detective Comics #1110. 

 

For what happened last time, see my preview of Detective Comics #1109. 

For what happened before that, see my review of Detective Comics #1108. 

For how this story arc started, see my preview of Detective Comics #1107.  

 

Detective Comics #1111 Preview

 

Batman hasn't always been the indomitable caped crusader he is today. And anyone can get caught unawares. How Batman reacted when he was in mortal danger helped Prion understand him better. The two men bonded over the need to protect children from traumatic situations. 

So when they track Prion's daughter to her home, Batman confirms his suspicions. Arabella is a captive of people who use her as a weapon. Black Canary, no stranger to brainwashing, opts to sneak inside the compound to rescue her. But will Arabella let her? Or will Black Canary's admission about how Arabella's father died doom the surviving members of Flight Squadron Delta? 

Here's all the info from DC Connect: 

Detective Comics #1111 Preview

Writer: Tom Taylor

Artist & Cover Artist: Mikel Janín

Variant Cover Artists: Declan Shalvey & TK

Publisher: DC Comics

Issue Length: 32 Pages

Price: $4.99 US/Variant $5.99 US (Card stock)

Release Date: July 22, 2026

 

 

Past and Present Collide!

 

 

Many years ago, during the early days of Batman’s tenure as Gotham’s Dark Knight, he trained alongside Green Arrow and Black Canary, learning the combat skills that have served them throughout their careers as crime-fighters. But there was another heroic hopeful in their ranks—a mysterious man known only as Prion—who suffered a tragic fate that still weighs upon the trio. Now, face-to-face with a young girl who goes by the same code name, they find the sins of their past coming back to haunt them.

 

Tom Taylor and Mikel Janín bring you the penultimate chapter of this history-shaking arc!

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

For what happened last time, see my preview of Detective Comics #1110.

For what happened before that, see my preview of Detective Comics #1109. 

For what happened even before that, see my review of Detective Comics #1108. 

For how this story arc started, see my preview of Detective Comics #1107.