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Post by Deleted on Jul 24, 2016 10:49:30 GMT -5
His Hawkman:  This might have to become a new collecting goal for me. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 24, 2016 13:45:18 GMT -5
Some of Roger's other art. I was really underwhelmed by his artwork in the Silver Surfer series. He teamed up with Engelhart with this run, too. He did. I only read one or two issues. Never was a big fan of the Silver Surfer. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 24, 2016 13:50:09 GMT -5
I have the Strange Apparitions trade of this run. One of the best Batman runs ever. To me it's a lot like the Byrne/Stern Cap run--all too brief but hugely influential. I agree. After I do these reviews I would like to do the Stern/Byrne Capt America run. |
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Post by Icctrombone on Jul 24, 2016 13:51:04 GMT -5
I was really underwhelmed by his artwork in the Silver Surfer series. He teamed up with Engelhart with this run, too. He did. I only read one or two issues. Never was a big fan of the Silver Surfer. I have the entire run from 1-107. Rogers seemed out of his element with space opera. But, his Batman pages are very nice. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 26, 2016 8:05:12 GMT -5
 "The Laughing Fish" by Englehart, Rogers & Austin. I have already showed page one in a previous post. Dark, moody, great shot of Batman ready to enter a building...He knocks on the window of Silver's apartment! He enters & the tension is felt from the pages. She decides not to reveal to him that she knows he is Bruce under the mask. Batman is uncertain & his thoughts reveal his inner turmoil. He really does love her! Both recover their resolve & Silver tells him her date Bruce Wayne is due to arrive. Batman then leaves & Silver sags to the floor. Her thoughts "That was the Batman! A living legend! He's kept his true identity secret for years." " How could I look into those pale slits & say I've figured out your secret. I can see what others would never notice because I've spent so many evenings studying your jaw." Batman calls Silver from a pay phone to postpone their date. Silver decides to get away from Gotham so she can think how to handle this. Batman swings thru Gotham deep in thought on how he can handle this when he hears a call for help. He is confronted by a fisherman who shows Batman his basket of fish...they all have the face of the Joker on them! The next page shows that USA is affected not just Gotham. The Joker shows up at the copyright office in Gotham to talk to a Mr Francis about copyrighting fish so he gets a cut of every sale of fish. Mr Francis tells him he can't do that & the Joker tells him if he doesn't by midnight he (Francis) will die! As they leave the office one of the Joker's men asks him a question & the Joker tells him to "mind your own business" & shoves him in front of a truck which runs him over! Then we see Rupert Thorne who is a nervous wreck. He is in a public bathroom & The Joker confronts him. He tells Thorne he suspects Thorne of being behind Strange's disappearance. He also threatens Thorne not to try & find out Batman's ID. "The Joker must have the Batman. Nay the Joker deserves the Batman!". Thorne is stunned that the Joker is protecting Batman just like Hugo Strange did! As the Joker leaves Thorne snaps & runs to his car to get away from Gotham. At Francis' home Batman & the police go over the home to protect Francis. Batman is on edge worried about Silver, wondering what happened to Hugo Strange. Then at midnight gas shoots out of the heating vents & Francis dies with the Joker's horrible grin on his face. Batman realizes the Joker used a binary compound & exposed Francis to part of it at his office. That is why the rest of them did not die. The Joker then makes an announcement on TV that a second murder will occur at 3 AM if he is not given rights to his fish. Cut to Thorne picking up a hitch hiker...Silver St Cloud! as the storm clouds gather...to be continued. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 26, 2016 8:11:47 GMT -5
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Post by adamwarlock2099 on Jul 26, 2016 10:07:35 GMT -5
I'm going to read this tonight if I get a chance md. My favorite part of reading this is the Batman TAS episode playing inside my head while I read it. Because apart from random characters looking different, TAS episode was like a panel by panel come to life version of a lot of the comic.
Edit: I think only Harley and Silver were the differences in the two.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 26, 2016 10:37:22 GMT -5
I'm going to read this tonight if I get a chance md. My favorite part of reading this is the Batman TAS episode playing inside my head while I read it. Because apart from random characters looking different, TAS episode was like a panel by panel come to life version of a lot of the comic. Edit: I think only Harley and Silver were the differences in the two. 
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Post by Nowhere Man on Jul 26, 2016 10:42:54 GMT -5
I thought it was brilliant how BTAS combined thhis Englehart/Rogers story with the O'Neil/Adams story "Joker's Five Way Revenge."
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Post by Deleted on Jul 26, 2016 14:47:17 GMT -5
 "Sign of the Joker". 3 AM at the next victim's home. Everyone is tense. The victim's name is Jackson. His cat comes thru the pet door carrying a Joker fish. It has the Joker's grin on his face & the cat attacks Batman killing him. It is revealed that Jackson was dressed as Batman & Batman disguised himself as Jackson. Batman leaves the home angry. Out behind the house he runs into Strange's ghost. The Ghost leaves behind a meter that will pick up the chemicals sprayed on Thorne, The Penguin & The Joker by Strange in the theater back in #472. Cut to the Joker who worries people will stop eating fish...he then decides to drug cattle to make Joker burgers! Then we pick up Thorne & Silver in the car. Silver is thinking furiously about how to deal with Bruce being Batman. Thorne turns on the radio & there is news about the Batman/Joker. Thorne & Silver argue about the Batman. Thorne pulls over & kicks Silver out of the car. She then goes across a field to rent a small plane to fly her back to Gotham. Thorne continues on & is attacked by Strange's ghost. At the next victim's home the meter left behind by Strange's ghost detects the Joker disguised as one of the police. Batman chases the Joker outside into the storm on a fire escape. Silver arrives by taxi to see Batman & the Joker fighting across the roof tops of Gotham. They end up at a construction site. Batman dives off a steel beam as lightning strikes it hitting the Joker who falls to his apparent death in the river below. Silver approaches Batman & tells him even though she loves him she can't live with the life he leads. "I saw the man I love... fighting with a madman straddling a girder in the blinding lightning storm". She kisses him & runs away asking him to stay away. Batman stands there alone until Gordon runs up & tells him Thorne was found & he confessed everything. Batman is no longer wanted. Batman does not say anything but instead swings away as the sunrises over Gotham. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 26, 2016 14:51:43 GMT -5
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Post by Action Ace on Jul 26, 2016 15:15:24 GMT -5
I was fortunate enough to buy this two parter as a kid when it came out. It became my all time favorite Batman story then and it's still my favorite now.
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Post by Action Ace on Jul 26, 2016 15:30:43 GMT -5
If you want to know what happens next to the Joker, Steve Englehart wrote a two part story in Legends of the DC Universe #26 & 27 in 2000.   |
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Post by Action Ace on Jul 26, 2016 15:36:41 GMT -5
Englehart and Rogers would reunite for a sequel, Batman: Dark Detective, in 2006.  |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 26, 2016 18:05:43 GMT -5
Englehart and Rogers would reunite for a sequel, Batman: Dark Detective, in 2006. I did read it. Just wasn't as great as the first time... |
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