Like many other Bat-fans, I’ve been waiting for this Wednesday to come for a long time! It’s the day that Detective Comics #1000 will hit the stands!
The stars have all aligned to make 2019 a big Bat-year, and this week will be a major one for me! For more info on this high-power comic, go to this link!
QUITE A MILESTONE!
It wasn’t that long ago that Action Comics #1000 hit the shops, and while that may take some of the luster off this big book, to fans of Batman like myself, the previous #1000 was the warm-up and this one is the main event!
I was one of those people who grieved when DC decided to reboot Action and Detective. It’s so rare to see a comic even reach 52 issues, so this one is another huge one for fans (and collectors) alike!
As far as the multiple covers, I’ll likely get two or three. I’m sure there will be an edition somewhere down the line that will feature all of them, but I’ll have to wait for that to happen. Until then, I’m getting the Frank Miller and Jim Lee ones for sure! When the day arrives, I may weaken and buy a few others, but we’ll see! I already have the big hardcover celebration book, which I will read at the same time as #1,000!
MOVING INTO THE FUTURE
When Action #1000 was on our doorstep, I wondered what DC would do after that. Would they go back to #1 or move onward with #1001? Turns out the latter was the case, and I really applaud them for doing that.
Since Action has set the stage for Detective, it’s certain that the same numbering will happen for this book. I’m already looking forward to #1001, seeing what the book will do in this rarified atmosphere! After all, I only have one other #1001—the aforementioned Action!
In an era where #1’s rule, it’s such a nice change of pace to see #1001! I couldn’t list all the numbering restarts I’ve seen, just in the past few years even! I wish the storytelling mattered more than the numbering, but I’m coming to face the facts. In many cases, collectors rule! (Of course, fans like #1’s too, so it’s not just collectors buying all those copies!)
THINKING BACK
Of course, it’s appropriate to look back at a time like this, and I remember the story that, during the Dark Knight’s darker sales days, Detective was on the chopping block. Perhaps someone else can fill in the details or correct me where I’m wrong, but the way I heard it, before Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns, in those awful days of Nocturna and red skies, a meeting was held at DC on a Friday afternoon to decide Detective’s fate. They were seriously considering canceling the title, but decided to take the weekend to reconsider. Over that time, they changed their minds (fortunately for us), so the comic continued on to this week’s accomplishment. Thank goodness!
Speaking of those dark days, this was actually a time when I didn’t buy any Bat-titles. I was at a shop that had an interesting subscription policy, and the owner said that if I added just two more titles, I’d get a bigger discount. I looked at the stand and saw Batman looking back at me. I decided to add both Batman and Detective to my pull list, and I swallowed hard. The next few months before Miller’s time on Batman were a tough slog for me when it came to reading (the Calculator, please!), but luckily I was on board with the Dark Knight when his star began to rise again.
GOOD FOR THE INDUSTRY
Like Action #1000, I believe that Detective #1000 is good for the comics industry. I’m seeing news outlets begin to cover this milestone, especially with local shops that are celebrating it big time. Some Bat-creators are also showing up on TV, and I expect Tuesday through this weekend to be a great time for the Dark Knight to get the spotlight, something I’m sure the character himself wouldn’t appreciate. But his fans love it!
See, comics have been an important part of pop culture for decades now, and the fact that TV shows and movies are based on comics characters is a massive deal! Not only are they great viewing, but they are also video commercials for comic books and local shops.
I’d love it if Batman’s star rose even higher in 2019, if that’s possible. I was talking with a store owner who glumly said, “They release a new Batman statue every month!” Hey, you make money when those sell, Buddy! Don’t bite the hand that feeds you!
If the Dark Knight gets a new actor to play the part (I’ll miss you, Ben Affleck!), that’ll get more press as well. If they could make that announcement when those millions of bats are being released, that would be excellent!
There have been the bad times when I wasn’t sure Batman could recover. There have also been the great times when I was sure he couldn’t fly any higher (like Batman: The Animated Series or the Snyder/Capullo run on Batman). But the Dark Knight keeps bouncing back or reaching new heights, which is something I as a Batman fan always appreciate! I’m optimistic about the days ahead, even though Tom King is leaving Batman. I’m sure DC will keep him soaring higher and higher, and I’m on board for all that, even after this week’s release of Detective Comics #1000!
What do you think? Are you looking forward to Detective Comics #1000’s release? What could DC do to help the Dark Knight become an even bigger star? What worries you about Batman’s future? Whatever your opinions, please be sure to share them in the space below!
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Wayne Hall creates the Wayne's Comics Podcast. He’s interviewed Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, John Layman, Kyle Higgins, Phil Hester, Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray, David Petersen, Christos Gage, Mike Grell, and Matt Kindt. On this site each week, he writes his "Comics Portal" column (general comics comments and previews) and reviews comics.