Local fans of Madonna will become reacquainted with a long-absent face tonight, when the hometown icon hits Ford Field and heads into the homestretch of her U.S. tour.

It’s better late than never for those area devotees, who watched in dismay as the word “Michigan” failed to materialize on two previous tours – and again when this Sticky & Sweet tour schedule was released in the spring. It wasn’t until August, weeks after her shows elsewhere had gone on sale, that relief finally arrived with the Ford Field announcement.

Either way, this one’s a blockbuster: Madonna’s pop spectacle is only the second stadium concert on Detroit’s 2008 docket (Kenny Chesney played Ford Field in August), and it comes amid the latest round of jumbo buzz and gossip chatter for the Michigan-born celebrity.

Madonna’s camp has proclaimed this to be the biggest concert outing of her career, and while that kind of hype is to be expected, they’ve got a strong case. A quarter-century after the University of Michigan dropout emerged on the New York club scene on her way to international fame, Madonna continues to pile up superlatives and important numbers in her role as the queen of pop.

Click here for a glance at some highlights from the Detroit Free Press.