Detective Comics #597 p.16
Artists: Eduardo Barreto (Penciller) , Steve Mitchell (Inker) , Todd Klein (Letterer)
11 Comments - 168 Views - 13 Likes
Additional Images:
colored published page
spinner rack
Artwork Details
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Description"Private Viewing"Batman has just taken down a criminal organization that specializes in violent snuff films. The Dark Knight Detective has assisted to bring the mastermind and all the patrons into police custody. Batman then takes them all to the hospital room of Arch Gaines, who had been severely beaten the night before during a videotaping (from the previous issue), and forces them to see the real life results of the videos they enjoy watching. Aside from a Power Record that my parents would have bought for me when I was very little, this issue of Detective Comics would be the first Batman comic I bought with my own money off the Quick Stop Spinner Rack. Definitely the first issue I ever bought of Detective Comics. I typically would get comics while my mom would get her nails and hair done at the beauty salon a few doors down from the Quick Stop. This was kind of an unofficial Invasion tie-in where they don't say it outright, but the Metagene bomb goes off in between the fight (and in between issues #596 and #597) between Batman and the big heavy of the book, Tonka. And Invasion, as I'm fond of saying, really opened me up to the wider DC Universe. It was a little delayed as Batman only had one tie-in a few months before this, but I finally caught up to Gotham City by issue #597. In hindsight, I think the art from Eduardo Barreto and Steve Mitchell is going for that David Mazzucchelli look from Batman: Year One. A simple but essential line. Detailed, but not the hyper-crazy speed lines you'd get in 90s art. Honoring the vibe of Year One - - at least atmospherically. Like the Dark Knight Returns, this was one of those crazy bridges for me between Adam West or Olan Soule to a grim and gritty street-tough 'gets his nose bloody' Batman. But it's still this crazy in between time, where Batman is still retaining that 'friend of the policeman' status. He can hang next to a squad car, he isn't getting shot at by Swat Teams that should be shooting the hell out of the Joker. But even though he's still got some recognizable Batman '66 and Silver Age carryover, the subject matter was snuff films. Some heavy $#%^ to read at a pre-teen age. Gotham City started to become a seedy place, filled with grime, drugs and pornography evoking Times Square of the day. Overall, reading something like this or Dark Knight Returns evoked a visceral tone that was quite impressive and left a lasting impression on young me. For more discussion on Detective Comics #597, listen to me discuss the issue on my podcast here! Social/Sharing |
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Comments on this Artwork
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John C 
Member Since 2014
1 - Posted on 3/30/2025
I'll tell you a secret about zip codes: they're meaningless.
Daryl R
Member Since 2015
1 - Posted on 3/30/2025
Great page Derek! I love Barreto's clean lines and use of shadows and his style fits this period of Batman art perfectly. I also love seeing you get pages from your spinner rack comics to add to your collection!
Lloyd White
Member Since 2007
1 - Posted on 3/30/2025
Great, dynamic page--love the high contrast and clean lines
Kavi H
Member Since 2018
1 - Posted on 3/30/2025
Baretto is so good! agree that he played off the Mazz Batman style in Year One a bit here, and the content of the story was certainly more adult. you're on a roll with adding art from your spinner rack / childhood nostalgia, most impressive! it may even warrant a "how do you even get these?" rhetorical question ;-p
Duke Fleed aka #1 Groo Fan
Member Since 2013
1 - Posted on 3/30/2025
I really enjoy Baretto's work and this is just a wonderful pick up!
Ruben DaCollector
Member Since 2008
1 - Posted on 3/30/2025
Cool, I once owned a page from this issue! The sequence with Batman forcing the criminals to confront the real consequences of their actions is such a powerful moment. Your comparison of Barreto and Mitchell’s art to Mazzucchelli’s Year One is spot on. Not stylistically in the line art, of course, but that grounded, moody atmosphere really set the tone for so many great Batman stories of the era. I love seeing appreciation for this run.
Marcus Wai
Member Since 2005
1 - Posted on 3/31/2025
Primo stuff! The Batman '89 frenzy was on as the first trailer came out December 1988 and this would have been on the stands in Jan 1989!
Michael Weigant
Member Since 2009
1 - Posted on 4/2/2025
Looks like Nostalgia time for you Derek and that's always a good thing ! The picture of the spinner rack really brings it all home," Ah those were the days my friend",lol.Is that your spinner rack Derek,because I could never find one of those !
Derek Crabbe
Member Since 2020
Posted on 4/2/2025
Michael Weigant wrote:
Looks like Nostalgia time for you Derek and that's always a good thing ! The picture of the spinner rack really brings it all home," Ah those were the days my friend",lol.Is that your spinner rack Derek,because I could never find one of those !
It is. I got it back in 2019 or so. Restocked it with comics I remember getting from the Spinner Rack like 'Tec #597.
M L
Member Since 2015
1 - Posted on 4/14/2025
I love the way thew artistic team put together the costume as distinct, separate elements. Great page and congrats on the meaningful pick-up!
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