Paul Dini breaks from his “one and done” format on DETECTIVE COMICS and gives us a two-parter that commences in issue #843.

In this one, The Batman takes on The Penguin and Scarface with the good-looking blonde still, ahem, pulling the strings of the latter. Returning yet again to the pages of this title is Zatanna, last seen in DETECTIVE partnering with The Dark Knight in taking on The Joker.

Dini must really like using the new Ventriloquist and Zatanna, huh? Anyway….

The basic storyline of this issue deals with (former) mobster Johnny Sabatino who has hired Zatanna as his featured act to publicize the opening of his new Gotham nightclub. When Sabatino’s club is the victim of an “accident,” Batman figures that The Penguin is behind the sabotage since he surely wouldn’t want to be outshined by a new nightclub owner -- or any nightspot proprietor for that matter.

Of course, The Penguin is now “legitimate,” so he’s quite insulted by The Batman’s suspicions. In fact, Cobbelpott asks The Dark Knight how he could attack “…an honest tavern-keeper in his own home?”

Good stuff there. (Mr. Nolan, I’m sure I’m speaking for the Bat-Fan community in saying that we’d love to see your take on The Penguin. I‘m just sayin‘….)

In a kinda-sorta break in Bat-comic book continuity, Dini hints that a romantic relationship could be brewing between Batman and Zatanna. I don’t know, one would think that that Jezebel Jet chick (or Grant Morrison) might be a tad upset about that? (Let it be noted that I have no problem with DETECTIVE and BATMAN not walking hand-in-hand when it comes to continuity.)

This issue ends with a cliffhanger of sorts as I believe that we are finally about to discover the true identity of one particular Batman villain -- something that Dini has only given of hits of in the past. And it seems that this person has some sort of connection to Batman -- well, Bruce Wayne that is.

On the whole, pretty darn good issue (Much, MUCH better than last month's filler issue thank goodness!) and certainly worth picking up. If you’ve been enjoying Dini’s run on DETECTIVE (as well as the pencils by recent addition Dustin Nguyen), you certainly will not be disappointed.