Detective Comics: Faces of Death (Comics) | Review

During the launch of New 52, entire DC universe got rebooted and Detective Comics series was handed to Tony S. Daniel (Damage: Out of Control, Deathstroke: God Killer) for writing and art duties. What we got was Faces of Death, a storyline that pushed boundaries harder than most readers expected from a flagship Batman title.

This opening arc has delivered visceral horror, introduced the Dollmaker as a major threat and set up one of the Joker's most disturbing transformations in recent memory. Body horror, surgical nightmares and permanent consequences drive the narrative forward.

Here's the thing about relaunches: they either play it safe or swing for shock value. Daniel chose the latter. The result delivers stunning visuals and memorable moments but stumbles on narrative cohesion. If you're looking for detective work, you'll walk away disappointed. If you want Batman punching through body horror, this hits.

The story opens with Batman tracking a brutal serial killer dubbed the Gotham Ripper, who's been carving up victims across the city for years without getting caught. The Ripper is revealed as the Joker, now responsible for at least 114 murders during Batman's career.

Bruce manages to capture him after their second violent encounter but what seems like a hard-won victory becomes something far more sinister and twisted. Inside Arkham Asylum, the Joker receives an unexpected visitor: the Dollmaker, a surgically skilled psychopath with dreads and a patchwork face covered in crude stitches.

In one of the arc's most infamous moments, Dollmaker removes the Joker's face at his request and pins the skin to the cell wall before helping him escape. This shocking conclusion to the first issue sent shockwaves through the Batman fanbase and directly set up events to come.

The narrative then shifts focus to the Dollmaker himself, whose real motivation involves revenge against Commissioner Gordon. Bruce Wayne's new girlfriend, journalist Charlotte Rivers, tries desperately to get his attention while covering the Gotham killings but Bruce remains distracted by the escalating body count.

The villain is revealed as the son of Wesley Mathis, a serial killer Gordon shot dead years ago. Now he's back with his family of disciples, seeking revenge by capturing Batman to sell his corpse as a twisted collector's item to underground buyers worldwide.

Batman gets lured to an abandoned hospital where Gordon is held hostage by the Dollmaker's twisted family of disciples. The Dark Knight is subdued, paralyzed down one side of his body and prepped for a live autopsy in front of paying spectators who've gathered to witness the brutal, gruesome death of Gotham's protector.

To prove Batman's identity before the auction, he's forced to fight a room full of Joker imposters while his body gives out. The resolution feels rushed and doesn't deliver the closure such a brutal setup deserves, leaving readers with more questions than satisfying answers.

Harvey Bullock emerges as one of the story's smartest and most competent characters, handled far better here than in other New 52 titles. His detective work and street-level perspective provide grounding that the main narrative desperately needs but rarely delivers throughout the arc's chaotic and disjointed narrative structure.

The second half introduces a three-part Penguin storyline that barely features Penguin at all, despite him appearing on every cover. What actually works is the Iceberg Lounge redesign as a sprawling casino empire but everything else falls flat and drags the collection down.

The connection to future events cannot be overstated here at all in any way possible. The Joker's face removal becomes the direct catalyst for the massive Death of the Family crossover event, where he returns wearing his own skin as a crude mask to terrorize Batman's entire network throughout Gotham and far beyond.

While reading Faces of Death isn't required to understand that later crossover, it provides essential context for why the Joker looks the way he does. His year-long absence from Gotham starts right here, making this arc foundational to understanding the New 52 Batman timeline.

Daniel's artwork is the book's undeniable strength and saving grace throughout the entire arc. His stylized Batman moves through meticulously designed pages that capture Gotham's grimier aspects with disturbing clarity and detail. The fight choreography is kinetic and easy to follow, even when the plot loses its way completely.

The Dollmaker's design is genuinely inspired. His patchwork face and dreadlocks create a villain who looks distinct in a rogues gallery packed with memorable designs. The body horror in the book is rendered with uncomfortable detail that makes shocking moments land hard.

Where Daniel struggles is in the writing department. Being a great artist doesn't translate to being a great writer and that becomes painfully apparent as the arc progresses. The first two chapters hook readers with gruesome imagery and jaw-dropping cliffhangers that exist for shock value rather than serving narrative purposes.

Character work suffers across the board. Charlotte Rivers comes across as smug and irritating, which makes the twist land with less impact than intended. The detective work is practically non-existent though, replaced by straightforward brawls and horror movie set-pieces.

Detective Comics: Faces of Death deserves credit for taking risks during DC's massive relaunch of their entire universe back in 2011. The first issue remains one of the most talked-about and controversial New 52 debuts and for good reason at the time. Daniel delivered a moment that fundamentally changed the Joker for years to come.

However, risks don't always pay off in execution. The writing never matches the quality of the art, relying on cheap thrills that wear thin after the initial shock fades away. The Dollmaker storyline had real potential that gets squandered by a rushed conclusion and narrative gaps.

The Penguin issues that follow represent some of the worst Batman content from the entire New 52 era without question or debate. If you're a completist who wants to understand the full New 52 Batman continuity or you're preparing to read Death of the Family crossover event, this volume provides the necessary context you'll need.

For everyone else, this is a hard sell. You're getting gorgeous artwork wrapped around a story that doesn't know what it wants to be. Worth a read if you're curious about the Joker's transformation or collect New 52 material but skip it if you want detective stories.

Detective Comics: Faces of Death collects issues #1-7 from DC's New 52 re-launch, written and illustrated by Tony S. Daniel. You can find it in trade paperback and hardcover through local comic-book stores and major online retailers. For digital readers, it's available on Apple Books, ComiXology, Kindle and DC Universe Infinite.