B
Batman: A Death In The Family
by Jim Starlin, Marv Wolfman & George Perez
(Art by George Perez, Jim Aparo, Tom Grummett, Mike DeCarlo and Bob McLeod)
Combining the two stories 'A Death in the Family' and 'A Lonely Place of Dying' into a single narrative (and yes, arguably this should be under 'Anthologies', but I feel it's coherent enough to go here), this book tells the story of the death of the second Robin, Jason Todd, at the hands of the Joker and of how a grieving Batman is convinced to take on a new sidekick, Tim Drake, to preserve the symbol that Robin represents.
The death of Jason Todd is somewhat infamous for being voted for by readers themselves, who were given the choice to save or doom the somewhat unpopular second Boy Wonder. There's a cold cynicism to this that taints the story but it has to be said that the event itself was handled pretty well. Here we see Jason becoming increasingly reckless and maladjusted before embarking on a desperate quest to find his real mother. This leads him into the path of the Joker who, in a shocking brutal scene, beats the boy nearly to death with a crowbar. It's one of the best scenes I've ever seen that showcases the Joker's gleeful malice and reminds us just why he's such an iconic antagonist.
Following Jason's murder Batman vows to kill the Joker but is prevented when the madman is granted diplomatic immunity as the new ambassador for Iran. This leads to another great scene in which the vengeful Batman is blocked by Superman, who has been asked to step in by the President. They're old friends but here they're very much on opposite sides at that moment, one serving the law and one out for justice.
The book then moves on to show how Batman, still grieving, becomes more reckless and violent himself, mirroring Jason's final days. He has to be pulled back from the brink by his first foster-son, Dick Grayson, and a young teenager who has used his own detective skills to discover their secret identities and who believes Robin is a symbol that must not die.
This is a really good book, showing us one of the Dark Knight's darkest moments and how it is Robin that ultimately brings him back towards the light.
4 out of 5
Batman: A Lonely Place Of Dying
by Marv Wolfman & George Perez
(Art by George Perez, Jim Aparo, Tom Grummett, Mike DeCarlo and Bob McLeod)
In the wake of the death of the second Robin, Jason Todd, Batman has become dangerously reckless. A boy named Tim Drake, seeing the symbol of the Dark Knight at risk, seeks out Nightwing to try to pull Batman back from the brink of self-destruction.
I've always found that the most interesting Batman stories are ones in which he begins to spiral into the psychological darkness that has always hovered on the edge of his psyche and I've also always enjoyed ones in which the extended Bat-family prove themselves to be Batman's most essential invention. This book does both of these things and does them both very well. Here we see a Batman who's abandoned detective work in favour of busting down doors and beating up perps, but who is then reminded of his true self not only by Nightwing but by a young man who idolises the very idea of Batman and Robin. I don't think it's a spoiler (after 30 years) to say that this very young man then goes on to become my favourite iteration of Robin (although I did have a soft spot for Stephanie Brown too...).
As well as all of the Batman-focused character stuff, there's also a nice exploration of one of Batman's oldest enemies. I won't spoil who it is, but we get to see them struggling with the psychotic compulsion to commit crimes in a themed way; a nice blending of the style of the Golden and Silver Age comics and the deconstruction ethos of 1980s comic books. It doesn't hurt that part of the psychosis featured also turns out to be triggered by another of Batman's old foes.
Overall this book surprised me with just how much I enjoyed it.
4 out of 5
Batman And Robin: Volume 3 - Death Of The Family
by Peter J. Tomasi & Scott Snyder
(Art by Patrick Gleason, Ardian Syaf, Greg Capullo, Mick Gray, Vicente Cifuentes, Keith Champagne and Jonathan Glapion)
Damian Wayne sends his father on an international scavenger hunt into the past of Bruce's parents, meanwhile taking to the streets of Gotham masquerading as the Batman. He then becomes embroiled in the Joker's plots to rid Batman of the Bat-family.
There are three main storylines in this book; the first one about the Wayne family scavenger hunt, the tie-in to the 'Death of the Family' storyline and a closing one in which we see the exhausted dreams of Damian, Bruce and Alfred. None of them are outright bad, but they all come with a distinct 'however...'. For the first story, the downside is simply that a) Bruce allows himself to be manipulated by the blatantly deceitful Damian and then b) totally forgives Damian for his deceit. It's a nice microcosm of why I hate Damian as Robin; he's a spoiled brat and everyone just lets him get away with it. The downside of the otherwise brilliant 'Death of the Family' storyline is that a big chunk of it here is simply made up of an entire issue of the 'Batman' run. It's necessary for the 'Death of...' storyline to have a cohesive conclusion but I literally just read it all in the main 'Death of the Family' graphic novel, so here it feel redundant. If you're only following 'Batman And Robin', then I guess you won't have that problem. The final story is just made up of a series of dream sequences (in some cases Inception-style dreams within dreams) which are fine in and of themselves but are totally tangential and pointless to the overall narrative.
Overall, a book with some really engaging elements (and the image of Joker wearing his severed face upside down will stay with you a loooong time) but with too many elements holding it back to be great.
3 out of 5
Batman: Bruce Wayne - The Road Home
by Fabian Nicieza, Mike W. Barr, Bryan Q. Miller, Derek Fridolfs, Adam Beechen & Marc Andreyko
(Art by Cliff Richards, Ramon Bachs, John Lucas, Javier Saltares, Rebecca Buchman, Walden Wong, Pere Perez, Peter Nguyen, Ryan Winn, Szymon Kudranski, Agustin Padilla, Scott McDaniel and Andy Owens)
Bruce Wayne has passed through death and resurrection and returns to Gotham. Keeping his return secret, even from his closest allies, he adopts the alias Insider and begins investigating the legacy he left behind as Batman. His mission becomes complicated when reporter Vicki Vale plans to print the truth of Batman's identity, making her a target for heroes and villains alike.
My biggest problem with this book is the premise and how that reflects on Bruce as a character. I'm not saying it's out of character for him to spy on all of his closest friends and put them through harsh, perhaps even cruel, tests but it does make it harder for you to get onboard with this story if you're constantly reminded when a bastard he is. Also, admittedly a product of the real-world way in which this book was originally published as a series of one-shots, it feels a little contrived the way that each chapter has him interacting with a single specific person from his past before moving on to the next one.
However, although the way it unfolds feels contrived, I have to say that this tour through the various members of the extended Bat-family was something I really liked. We get to see how each of these characters, some of whom have become A-listers themselves in the years since their introductions as side-characters for Batman, have coped not only with their personal loss at Bruce's death but also the loss of Batman as an icon. I particularly enjoyed the chapters about Catwoman and Oracle, both of whom are perhaps the ones that Bruce trusts and cares about the most, but who need him the least.
4 out of 5
Batman: Europa
by Matteo Casali & Brian Azzarello
(Art by Guiseppe Camuncoli, Jim Lee, Diego Latorre and Geral Parel)
Batman discovers that he is infected with the Colossus virus and has only a week to live. When it's revealed that Joker has also been infected, the two arch-enemies must form an alliance to follow clues across Europe in the hope of finding a cure.
The plot of this book is pretty contrived and at times the writing verges on nonsensical. This means that, as a story, this book feels fractured and lacking in the internal logic to propel the narrative and keep the reader engaged.
However, this book does have two things that redeem it from being a total disaster. The first is some genuinely gorgeous artwork and, from what I understand, it was Jim Lee's desire to work with some European comics artists that was the impetus behind this book in the first place. The other redeeming feature is some spot-on moments between Batman and the Joker which nicely reflect their complex relationship. There's a particularly gruesome scene where the Joker laps up Batman's blood with a "*SLUUURP* Hmm... You're delicious...", which I felt was a really dark but effective way of showing the Joker's almost lustful obsession with the Dark Knight.
2 out of 5
Batman: Knightfall Part One - Broken Bat
by Doug Moench & Chuck Dixon
(Art by Jim Aparo, Norm Breyfogle, Graham Nolan, Jim Balent, Scott Hanna, Tom Mandrake, Bob Wiacek, Joe Rubinstein and Dick Giordano)
The first part of what is probably the most important Batman storyline of the 1990s. The killer known as Bane causes a mass-breakout from Arkham Asylum, unleashing chaos upon Gotham. Batman, already not at his best, is then forced into a series of punishing encounters with some of his most dangerous enemies, weakening more and more with each battle.
This book's best element is the way in which it really nicely conveys Batman's ever-increasing exhaustion, allowing the reader to feel not only his physical weakness, but also the mental fatigue that each villain inflicts on him. There's also an important subplot in which Robin desperately tries to take up the slack as Batman's stamina begins to fail.
Also in this book's favour is it's stunning climax which I won't spoil for you, but suffice to say that it contains one of the most shocking scenes of Batman's career. If nothing else, you can't go wrong with a Bat-story whose antagonists include the likes of the Joker, the Riddler, Scarecrow, Mad Hatter, Killer Croc, Poison Ivy and the delightfully sinister Victor Zsasz.
4 out of 5
Batman: Knightfall Part Two - Who Rules The Night
by Doug Moench, Chuck Dixon & Alan Grant
(Art by Jim Aparo, Graham Nolan, Bret Blevins, Klaus Janson, Mike Manley, Scott Hanna, Steve George, Terry Austin, Rick Burchett and Dick Giordano)
With Bruce Wayne paralysed and in critical condition thanks to Bane, the mantle of the Bat falls to Jean Paul Valley, formerly Azrael. However, as he sets about dragging Gotham out of the crime spree Bane's rise has caused, this new Batman begins to sink to ever darker and more brutal levels, running the risk of becoming worse than the villains he's fighting.
Jean Paul's time as Batman is not well looked-upon by comics fans, but revisiting it for the first time in a couple of decades I realised that there's some pretty interesting stuff going on here. Sure, the new costume he makes for himself is so 90s that it's almost painful (what was with all the spikes in 90s comics?) but this book never sets out to proclaim this new Batman for the 90s as better than his predecessor. Instead, what we get here is an exploration of what Batman would be without such a rigid code of conduct for himself and an opportunity to appreciate in juxtaposition just how great Bruce Wayne's Batman is.
But this isn't just a shallow 'the replacement is awful, bring back the original' storyline, because we do get to see Jean Paul develop as a character and wrestle with the darker side of his psyche which was twisted by his brainwashing as Azrael. The book ends with him overcoming his murderous urges and genuinely, for a time at least, truly being the Batman.
4 out of 5
Batman: Knightquest - The Crusade: Volume 1
by Chuck Dixon, Alan Grant, Doug Moench & Jo Duffy
(Art by Graham Nolan, Tom Grummett, Vince Giarrano, Mike Manley, Barry Kitson, Jim Balent, Scott Hanna, Ray Kryssing, Josef Rubinstein, Eduardo Barreto and Dick Giordano)
Following on from the Knightfall storyline, this book sees Jean Paul Valley continuing his quest to eradicate crime in Gotham City. As the new Batman struggles with his murderous programming, Robin, Commissioner Gordon and Catwoman all becomes concerned at the nature of the man beneath the cowl.
Although I do continue to enjoy Valley's stint as Batman, with him both being a perfectly-trained warrior and simultaneously a complete rookie, it has to be said that there is something reassuring in knowing that it's only a temporary thing. With 90s comics being what they were, there was a potential danger that this much edgier, spikes-covered version of Batman could've been the new norm going forward, which ultimately would be pretty depressing. But knowing it's temporary allows you to enjoy it for what's here and, honestly, the costume is growing on me.
The big problem with this book, however, is that the writers (or possibly the DC editors of the time) seem reluctant to let the new Batman face any of old Batman's rogues gallery. This means that instead we see Spiky Batman take on a pair of long-lost twin brothers who dress as Wild West cowboys, a mercenary in a mech-suit called Mekros and a weird new villain called Tally Man. Now, some of these may well be part of Batman history or maybe went on to be significant villains, but I've read a lot of Batman comics and I've never heard of them before or since. So 'New flavour Batman takes down anonymous disposable villain' is what makes up the majority of this book. It is balanced slightly by the genuinely great interactions between him and Catwoman towards the end of the book however. The 'horny incel versus femme fatale who absolutely sees right through his BS' vibe worked pretty well.
3 out of 5
Batman: Knightquest -The Crusade: Volume 2
by Chuck Dixon, Alan Grant, Doug Moench & Peter David
(Art by Graham Nolan, Vince Giarrano, Mike Manley, Bret Blevins, Jim Balent, P. Craig Russell, Scott Hanna, Bob Wiacek, John Beatty, Josef Rubinstein, Frank McLaughlin, Bob Smith and Michael Gilbert)
Jean Paul Valley, the new Batman, continues his ruthless crusade to rid Gotham of crime. However, as his methods veer farther and farther away from those of his predecessor, the differences between them begin to get noticed by allies and enemies alike. Meanwhile his mind is assailed by visions of his father as the murderous Azrael and of St. Dumas, who struggle for control of his very soul.
This book sees Jean Paul truly struggling to find his true identity and worrying that he may become lost in the terrifying monster that his crusade has made him. It's one of the things that makes this edgier Batman compelling; the fact that's he self-aware enough to realise that he's losing his mind, as well as having him come to terms with the fact that Bruce Wayne may have been a better Batman. It would've been easy to make Jean Paul's fall into villainy be an easy descent into violence, but the writers are canny enough to have him desperately struggling against that descent, recognising it for the dark path it is.
This book also corrects an element that was one of my biggest criticisms about Volume 1; the fact that the new Batman doesn't get to face off against any big-name villains. This book features appearances by the Joker, the Penguin, Lady Clayface and Clayface Three (actually referred to in-universe as Clayface Three, by the way), who are all put on the back foot by the changes in the Caped Crusader. I particularly liked the fact that Joker and Penguin basically throw temper tantrums that they're not matching wits with the Batman they've always known.
The last third of the book takes a grim turn when the pursuit of the sadistic serial killer Abattoir leads Jean Paul to cross a line which Batman should never cross and puts things in place for the inevitable showdown with the one true Batman.
4 out of 5
Batman: KnightsEnd
by Chuck Dixon, Jo Duffy, Alan Grant, Doug Moench & Dennis O’Neil
(Art by Jim Balent, Bret Blevins, Rick Burchett, Dick Giordano, Tom Grummett, Scott Hanna, Barry Kitson, Ray Kryssing, Mike Manley, Ron McCain, Graham Nolan, Josef Rubinstein, Bob Smith and Ron Wagner)
The conclusion to the Knightfall Saga sees Bruce Wayne training under Lady Shiva to rebuild the skills needed to not only become Batman once more but also to wrest the mantle of the bat away from the increasingly-psychotic Jean Paul Valley.
It’s weird that once upon a time, this book was released as part of a trilogy with Parts One and Two of Knightfall, meaning that the entire Knightquest arc, in which Jean Paul Valley cements his hold on the title of Batman but also begins to descend deeper and deeper into violence and delusion, was missing. Without that crucial part of the story, this book would make little sense in relation to Knightfall and the tragedy of Jean Paul Valley would be totally lost. Because, for a time, he was a good Batman. Therefore it adds that element of tragedy to see him finally succumb to the subliminal programming he was exposed to as a child, which was by far what I liked most here.
Aside from that, my other favourite element was seeing Bruce struggling to become Batman once more. We’re so familiar with the character and so sure that he’ll eventually reclaim the title that it’s easy to forget that he’s a character who has gone through some major trauma at the hands of Bane. So whilst he’s regained much of his fighting prowess, which is largely based on memory and experience, it is the fear of jumping off of the rooftops of skyscrapers that is the real test of whether he’s ready or not.
Overall, this book largely pans out as it could be expected to but it has some good exploration of Bruce and Jean Paul, revealing why one is suitable to be the Batman and one is not. On a slightly weird note, however, at one point Jean Paul’s armour changes colour from blue and yellow to red and yellow for little or no reason. I mean, it was on fire before the change, but it’s never explained if the heat turns the blue paint red or what. Honestly, I wondered if it was a bit of a dig at Marvel because his armour in red and yellow bears a surprising resemblance to that of Tony Stark, who has long been compared with Bruce Wayne.
4 out of 5
Batman: Officer Down
by Greg Rucka, Ed Brubaker, Chuck Dixon, Bronwyn Carlton, Devin Grayson & Nunzio DeFilippis
(Art by Rick Burchett, Jacob & Arnold Pander, R. Steven Harris, Mike Lilly, Mike Collins, Rodney Ramos, John Nyberg, Wayne Faucher, Jesse Delperdang and Steve Bird)
When Commissioner Gordon is shot and critically wounded, the GCPD and Gotham's masked vigilantes all set out to track down and punish the one responsible. Batman, however, finds himself crippled by guilt and anger, pushing away even his closest friends in his grief.
What I liked about this Batman story is, perversely, that it is very light on the Batman. Whilst the Dark Knight wallows in his own fear and misery over the shooting of one of his oldest friends, it falls upon the so-called Bat-family and the detectives who served under Jim Gordon to solve the crime. It's a nice exploration of how Batman's apprentices, particularly Nightwing and Oracle, have largely outgrown their mentor, whilst simultaneously showing us that Gotham's police aren't incompetent and corrupt as they were before Gordon took over, when Batman was first starting out. In many ways it shows us that perhaps Gotham no-longer needs Commissioner Gordon and Batman.
For all that I liked the territory and themes it explored, I have to say that the quality of the artwork on offer here is far from consistant. Being made up of issues from half a dozen different ongoing series, it's a real mishmash of styles and some of it (the Pander brothers, in particular) is just not that good.
4 out of 5
Batman: The Collected Adventures - Volume 1
by Kelley Puckett & Martin Pasko
(Art by Ty Templeton, Brad Rader and Rick Burchett)
Set in the world and in the style of Batman: The Animated Series, this book sees Batman foiling robberies, mind control and murder as he faces off against some of his most notorious enemies, including Penguin, Catwoman, Joker and Scarecrow.
In the 90s there was a trend of having comic book tie-ins to animated series based on comic book characters (Spider-Man and X-Men among them) but Batman: TAS, with its tie-in 'The Batman Adventures', was the granddaddy of them all. I recently read 'Batman of the Future' (by Hilary J. Bader) which tied-in to Batman Beyond and was therefore expecting more of the same episodic but not terribly challenging narratives presented there.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that not only does this book include a couple of longer linked narrative arcs but that it captures all the depth and gothic sensibilities which made TAS so great. Honestly, it really captured the feel of watching the cartoon and I could hear the vocal talents of Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill in my head as I read the scenes between Batman and the Joker. There's also a surprising amount of subtlety to these stories, something often lacking in the other cartoon tie-in series.
A great book for anyone who, liked me, loved the 90s animated series.
4 out of 5
Batman: Volume 2 - The City Of Owls
by Scott Snyder & James Tynion IV
(Art by Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion, Rafael Albuquerque, Jason Fabok, Becky Cloonan, Andy Clarke and Sandu Florea)
A New 52 book. Batman has discovered the secret society known as the Court of Owls which pervades Gotham's elite but is unprepared when they unleash their Talon assassins to kill prominent figures across the city, himself among them.
Having not loved the three other New 52 books I've read so far, I was pleased that this turned out to be a much more enjoyable book all round. The idea of the Court of Owls, a wealthy elite who've secretly controlled the city for centuries, is a brilliant concept which punctures Bruce's belief that Batman is Gotham. Whilst having this crisis of identity, the Court catch him on the back foot and attack the whole city. I like the moment that he realises that on some level he has been preparing for this all along and calls in the Bat-family, but it's a shame that we don't get to see more of them in action.
The last-minute revelation of who's behind the Owls' activities this time is one that I imagine was divisive among fans. Personally I think this out-of-nowhere retcon, whilst contrived, was perfectly fine. We've seen far worse 'revelations' in comic books over the years.
The book winds down with two independent stories, both of which are good overall but one of which lets itself down at the very end. The first, 'Ghost in the Machine', is not only a nice bit of LGBT representation but also explores the idea of what Batman means to the ordinary people of Gotham. The second story, 'First Snow', reintroduces Mister Freeze, updating and expanding his backstory. This is the one that goes wrong, betraying what made Freeze a unique villain by having a totally unnecessary twist reveal about his relationship with Nora. It's clumsily done and feels like the writers simply trying to make their own mark on the future of the character, rather than writing something which makes the character better.
4 out of 5
Batman: Volume 3 - Death Of The Family
by Scott Snyder & James Tynion IV
(Art by Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion and Jock)
A New 52 book. After disappearing for a year the Joker returns to Gotham and begins his most brutal murder spree to date. However he has a more particular target in his sights and plans to prove his devotion to Batman by targeting and killing those closest to the Dark Knight.
I was initially ill-disposed towards this book, outraged at the idea that the upstart New 52 canon reboot would have the audacity to try to provide the definitive Joker story. On top of that, the whole 'Joker had his face cut off and then wears the rotting remains as a mask' just seemed too cynically vicious from a writing point of view, like the writers were desperately trying to prove how dark and edgy their version of the Bat mythos is.
But it's good. It's really, really good. For once my own cynicism was way off the mark and this story genuinely delivers on what it promises, making the Joker both a tangible and terrifying threat and delving into the undeniable connection between him and Batman. Honestly, the only time I've seen their relationship done better is in the 'Arkham' computer games, where Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill brought it so vividly to life. And the dinner scene with Nightwing, Robin, Red Robin and Batgirl is simply harrowing as it unfolds.
5 out of 5
Batman: War Crimes
by Andersen Gabrych, Devin Grayson, Bill Willingham, Bruce Jones & Will Pfeifer
(Art by Guiseppe Camuncoli, Pete Woods, Eddy Barrows, Ron Randall, Thomas Derenick, Bit, Sandra Hope, Jay Leisten and Ray Snyder)
A year on from the events of the War Games saga and new evidence comes to light suggesting that Stephanie Brown (AKA Spoiler and Robin) was deliberately allowed to die from her injuries.
Nightwing has disappeared, Robin and Batgirl have moved to Bludhaven, Oracle has gone into hiding and Batman finds himself alone once more. Worse, someone is framing him for Stephanie's murder and the media are having a field day. Batman has to work through the plots of the Black Mask and deal with the return of the Joker in order to uncover the person truly responsible for his protege's death.
Here we get to see Batman as his traditional detective self, but we also see him cutting loose. Freed from the responsibility of looking after the Bat-clan, he truly takes the fight to the criminals once more. Ultimately, the identity of Stephanie's killer adds a great deal of depth and subtlety to her already tragic story.
4 out of 5
Batman: War Drums
by Andersen Gabrych & Bill Willingham
(Art by Pete Woods, Damion Scott, Brad Walker, Cam Smith, Troy Nixey and Robert Campanella)
This book charts the slow but steady destabilisation of Gotham City in the build up to the epic 'War Games' event storyline. Batman aids Orpheus and Onyx in their attempts to gain control of gangland Gotham, in order to bring some degree of order to the area known as the hill. There's also plenty of action as Batman fights alongside characters such as Batgirl and the Tarantula.
Ultimately, however, this book's best element is the selection and training of the fourth Robin, a girl named Stephanie Brown. I really enjoyed the dynamic between her and Batman, as well as her amusing War Journal entries. In fact, it's a shame that her career as Robin ends so quickly, because I liked her far more than I've ever liked the Boys Wonder (or should that be 'Boy Wonders'?).
So, a good read that'll ease those who don't read much Batman (like me) into the 'War Games' plotline.
Followed by 'War Games Act One: Outbreak'.
4 out of 5
Batman: War Games Act One - Outbreak
by Ed Brubaker, Andersen Gabrych, Devin Grayson, Dylan Horrocks, A. J. Lieberman & Bill Willingham
(Art by Ramon Bachs, Al Barrionuevo, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Paul Gulacy, Kinsun, Mike Lilly, Sean Phillips, Brad Walker, Pete Woods, Raul Fernandez, Nathan Massengill, Troy Nixey, Andy Owens, Jimmy Palmiotti, Francis Portella, Rodney Ramos, Lorenzo Ruggiero and Aaron Sowd)
In an attempt to impress Batman, Stephanie Brown (AKA Spoiler and, for a time, Robin) puts one of the Dark Knight's war game scenarios, intended to bring organised crime to heel, into effect. However, Spoiler's incomplete understanding sends the plan out of control and many of Gotham's criminal leaders are killed.
As gang warfare errupts across the city Batman, Batgirl, Nightwing, Catwoman, Orpheus, Onyx and Tarantula desperately attempt to bring Gotham back from the edge of chaos. This is probably the best 'epic storyline' that I've seen in comics, made all the better for the tragedy of Spoiler's mistake. Gotham truly becomes a city of nightmares as all the simmering violence beneath it's surface breaks loose. This first stage of the story ends with a shooting in a school for which Batman, finally exposed to the media, is blamed.
Followed by 'War Games Act Two: Tides'.
5 out of 5
Batman: War Games Act Three - Endgame
by Ed Brubaker, Andersen Gabrych, Devin Grayson, Dylan Horrocks, A. J. Lieberman & Bill Willingham
(Art by Al Barrionuevo, Thomas Derenick, Paul Gulacy, Mike Huddleston, Kinsun, Sean Phillips, Brad Walker, Pete Woods, Robert Campanella, Adam Dekraker, Jesse Delperdang, Troy Nixey, Jimmy Palmiotti, Francis Portella, Rodney Ramos, Cam Smith and Aaron Sowd)
With relations between Batman and the Gotham police strained, the Dark Knight attempts to complete the sequence of the wargame which he created and which sparked gang warfare across the city. However, once more the plan goes horribly awry due to actions of Black Mask, disguised as Batman's agent Orpheus. Soon Batman and his allies find themselves facing an army of criminals as well as the new shoot-on-sight policy of the police.
Once more, it is the tragedy of Spoiler's story that provides the real emotional core to the book. Here she finally comes to understand that crimefighting isn't a game and, being a Batman story, you can bet that it doesn't have a happy ending.
A great book in every way, the icing on the cake is seeing Robin, Batgirl, Catwoman, Tarantula and Onyx team up to take on Scarecrow.
Followed by 'War Crimes'.
5 out of 5
Batman: War Games Act Two - Tides
by Ed Brubaker, Andersen Gabrych, Devin Grayson, Dylan Horrocks, A. J. Lieberman & Bill Willingham
(Art by Ramon Bachs, Al Barrionuevo, Paul Gulacy, Mike Huddleston, Kinsun, Mike Lilly, Jon Proctor, Brad Walker, Robert Campanella, Jesse Delperdang, Troy Nixey, Andy Owens, Jimmy Palmiotti, Francis Portella, Rodney Ramos, Aaron Sowd and Cam Smith)
Gotham is torn apart by gang warfare as the city's criminal elements seek revenge for the events of the previous book and carve out new territories. Batman, Nightwing, Batgirl, Catwoman, Orpheus, Onyx and Tarantula all find themselves in the front lines of the battle to save the innocent bystanders.
The story here, like the last one, is all good, but there are three elements which I really enjoyed. The first is Tim Drake's agonising decision to disobey his father's wishes and return to crimefighting as Robin. The second is Spoiler's desperate attempts to salvage the mess she caused, but which ultimately leads her into captivity and torture by the Black Mask. Thirdly, and most interestingly, is Batman's decision to attempt a takeover of the Gotham Police Department, believing (somewhat delusionally) that he alone can save the city.
I've not been into comics (other than Star Wars ones, of course) for a long time, but I made an excellent decision in picking up the five books of this story arc.
Followed by 'War Games Act Three: Endgame'
5 out of 5
Batman: Zero Year - Part 1
by Scott Snyder & James Tynion IV
(Art by Greg Capullo, Rafael Albuquerque and Danny Miki)
Part of the Legend of Batman collection, retelling Batman's early days as a vigilante in the rebooted New 52 canon. Determined to bring justice to Gotham, 25 year old Bruce Wayne, long thought dead, undertakes the task of confronting and defeating the Red Hood Gang which holds the city hostage. As he creates a fearsome new avatar for himself, he is then forced to confront deranged enemies such as The Riddler and Doctor Death.
Despite being opposed to the whole New 52 reboot on principle, I have to say that Scott Snyder largely impressed me with his take on the Bat mythos. Here, however, is where his run of success ends for me. We've all seen Batman's origins done a dozen different times in comics, movies and TV shows so any story trying to reinvent that particular wheel will always have an uphill struggle (and no, I'm not ashamed to mix metaphors). In this instance, the only thing that this book does which impressed me was to NOT rehash Bruce's parents getting shot. Everything else here is either derivative or simply less interesting than other versions seen before.
If you want the best versions of Bruce Wayne's early days as a crimefighter, then either read the iconic 'Batman: Year One' by Frank Miller or watch the movie 'Batman Begins'.
2 out of 5
Batman/Judge Dredd: Judgement On Gotham
by Alan Grant & John Wagner
(Art by Simon Bisley)
Whilst Judge Death is set loose in Gotham and forms an unholy alliance with the Scarecrow, Batman finds himself transported to Mega-City One, where he runs afoul of Judge Dredd. (NOTE: This story is also part of the collection 'The Batman/Judge Dredd Files', reviewed here).
Batman and Dredd are two of my all-time favourite comic book characters and their respective narrative tones compliment each other very well. That said, thanks to 2000AD legends Grant and Wagner, the overriding tone here is that of Dredd's world. There's a grimness to the violence and horror, whilst also maintaining a certain dark humour too. In fact, my favourite scene in the whole book is a perfect example; wherein Judge Death murders Scarecrow's henchman but is then subjected to fear gas which reveals his darkest fear to be cuddly, Disney-esque cartoon animals.
Don't get me wrong, this book is very short (you'd definitely be better off finding the collection mentioned above) but what there is of it is great fun to read. On top of that, Simon Bisley's artwork is always an absolute feast for the eyes.
4 out of 5
Beast: Amazing Adventures/Beyond The Border Lurks Death!
by Steve Englehart & Gerry Conway
(Art by Tom Sutton, Marie Severin, Frank Giacoia, John Tartag, Bob Brown, Syd Shores, Mike Ploog, Jim Mooney, John Tartaglione, Frank McLaughlin, Herb Trimpe and Sal Trapani)
Marvel's Mightiest Heroes Book 19. Choosing the leave the X-Men and strike out on his own, Hank McCoy creates a serum to transform himself into hairy creature in order to hide his secret identity whilst operating as the Beast. However, things go awry and Hank finds himself stuck in his further-mutated form, feared and hunted by all those who encounter him.
I like Beast, I really do (and have since watching the X-Men cartoons of the 90s), so it was huge disappointment to read this book. Perhaps its worst crime (apart from the terrible initial design of furry Beast) is the clearly conscious choice on the part of the writers to dumb-down the eloquent genius that is Hank McCoy. Quite aside from the obviously idiotic decision to drink a time-sensitive potion that turns him into a monster (not great science Henry) is the fact that it is established quickly that in his new form Beast is less erudite and loquacious for reasons that are beyond me and miss the point of the character altogether.
The other major failing of the stories presented here is that, once Hank's become furry and dumb, his story is functionally no different from that of the Incredible Hulk. People see his monstrous form, attack him, force him to fight back and seem more monstrous, and then he has to move on, hoping to find a solution to his transformation. Weirdly, the writers decide to highlight this exact derivative nature to Hank's story by actually having him go toe-to-toe with the Hulk towards the end of this book.
A final amusing thing to note, regarding the Hulk, is that whenever Marvel writers needed a story which didn't involve the government trying to shoot the Hulk with jets and tanks, they had him cross the border into Canada. If that's not a comment on the different attitudes to gun violence between the US and Canada, then it's an amusing coincidence.
1 out of 5
Belgarath The Sorcerer
by David & Leigh Eddings
One of the finest fantasy books I've ever read (and I have Berry Bloomberg, the oaf, to thank for recommending it!). The story is the sort of epic historical sweep that you see in books like Tolkien's 'The Silmarillion' but with the emotional hook of an immortal character who witnesses the history like Anne Rice's vampires.
Fans of The Belgariad and The Mallorean, as well as first-time readers will enjoy the tale, which leads from Belgarath's training under the god Aldur, through the first war against Torak, into the quest for the Orb and the founding of the Alorn kingdoms and onwards through the wars of Arendia and the beginnings of the storyline featured in The Belgariad.
Amongst this epic historical sweep there are several stories told in-depth to keep the narative thrilling, my favourites being Belgarath and the Alorn's reclaiming the Orb from Torak and the Battle of Vo Mimbre. The supporting characters are excellent, everyone from the Alorns to the Arendish nobles, with the other disciples of Aldur being worth a special mention for the unique relationships they each have with Belgarath.
And that brings me to the man himself; Belgarath is what truly makes this book great. He is an instantly likeable character with a dry sense of humour, a quick mind and the sort of vices (boozing and debauchery) that make him incredibly human despite his immortality and powers. The tension between him and Polgara also adds another level to his character as he struggles to be a parent to a girl who cannot stand him.
Brilliant in every way, I'd recommend this book even to people have never before nor will again read any Eddings.
5 out of 5
Black Widow: S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Most Wanted
by Mark Waid & Chris Samnee
(Art by Chris Samnee)
Black Widow's dark past is used to blackmail her into serving the mysterious Weeping Lion. She is then forced to steal from S.H.I.E.L.D. before going back to Russia to confront the controllers of the Red Room that trained her as an assassin.
'Super-spy goes rogue on the run from villains and goodguys alike' is somewhat cliche (hell, that's the plot of every single Mission Impossible movie) but can be satisfying when done well and, for most of this book, that's what we get. Alone and outgunned, Natasha has to use all of her skills to stay one step ahead of S.H.I.E.L.D., the Red Room, the Weeping Lion and even Iron Man himself.
Unfortunately this book has one massive drawback that prevents it from being one of the really good stories of its genre; the fact that there's little or no resolution here at all. Had this book had a proper ending than completed the story told within, it would've been an order of magnitude better than the 'To be continued...' feeling of the ending we actually get here. I'm confident that this was the first book of an ongoing series but, as someone who's unlikely to invest in the rest of the series, it was very disappointing to not get a complete narrative.
3 out of 5
Bored Of The Rings
by Henry N. Beard & Douglas C. Kenney
Tolkien purists beware! This book makes a mockery of LotR's most serious themes and scenes, as well as ridiculing many of Tolkien's conceits.
For the most part, the humour is of the toilet variety and, therefore, neither big nor clever. Then there are the irritating changes of Tolkien's place/character names into American product names like Frito and Spam. Generally speaking, this book is rather purile and unfunny.
However! Do not despair, because here there are also some insightful moments of comic genius that will undoubtably have you laughing out loud. Moments like when the Ringwraiths are stopped not by a flooding elven river, but instead by an expensive elven toll bridge! Also, some of the reworkings of LotR's characters are very funny, such as Arrowroot (Aragorn) being a complete coward and Goodgulf (Gandalf, obviously) who proves his great power by pulling rabbits out of his big blue hat and answers any insightful question about the quest with a heartfelt "Alas!".
If you want a deeply witty and satirical experience from beginning to end, look elsewhere. If you want a childish but periodically hilarious bit of light reading then, by all means, take a trip to the Zazu pits of Fordor!
4 out of 5