I don't mind "sketchy" art styles, even (god help me) Liefield's artwork doesn't bother me all that much. But there's a very clear line between "sketchy" and "out right sloppy"

To be fair, it sort of compliments (and maybe enhances) Jim Fern's craptastic work. It's almost like Steve Leialoha is trying to hide Fern's pencils as much as possible.

You work with the art you're given.

Excellent news, shax! I look forward to the new reviews.

Imgur. I'm currently working on restoring Teen Titans from the Beginning.

Batman #470



"Of Gods and Men"

script: Alan Grant
pencils: Norm Breyfogle
inks: Rick Burchett
colors: Adrienne Roy
letters: Todd Klein
asst. editor: Kelley Puckett
editor: Denny O'Neil
Batman creator: Bob Kane


Welcome back, Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle! Sorry we booted you off the title for four months in order to cash in further on some rookie creators who accidentally struck gold with the Robin Limited Series last summer. It's not like you've been working on Batman for half a decade at this point and deserve a little more respect than that. The good news is that you've come back in time for a forced company-wide event tie-in, and we know how much you love writing editorially mandated stories!

...It's really no wonder this issue blows. It's hard to see an issue of Batman with Norm Breyfogle on pencils, Adrienne Roy on colors, and Todd Klein on letters go to waste, but this story absolutely does.

We've got bad writing, with the new Robin everyone cares so much about serving as nothing more than a sounding board for Batman's inner thoughts, Batman being so Frank Miller excessively tough that he abuses a guy just for having heard something about a stolen artifact:



Keep in mind, THIS GUY HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE THEFT OR SALE OF THE ITEM.

And Batman then grimaces at the thunder and rain for no good reason while whining about a case just for not producing solid leads right away:




The world's greatest detective then goes on to survey the property of the crime boss who is supposed to have the artifact, somehow COMPLETELY missing this until the lights get turned on:



Even though, just moments before...




And even Breyfogle isn't beyond reproach here, drawing several action sequences that just don't work. I mean, Gotham must have the most unnecessarily strong flag poles in the entire Western world:



"ZWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

And they later leap down from those flagpoles, right into their Batmobile seats. Logistically...just think about how carefully they'd have to time sliding their legs under the dashboard or risk losing them entirely.


It just really really seemed like Grant and Breyfogle didn't give a f*** and didn't care who knew it. Really the only aspect of the story they appeared to put any heart into was their characterization of Maxie Zeus, the crime boss who believes he's a god, last seen in The Bronze Age, I believe. Nothing brilliant about his depiction, but Grant enjoys playing up the fact that he believes he's so godly he cannot catch a cold, and then does. That's the whole schtick right there.



IMPORTANT DETAILS:

Grant has been teasing the return of Killer Croc since Batman Annual #15, and he provides a more immediate hint that Croc is coming with this panel:



Of course, Grant has plans to characterize Croc differently in the Post-Crisis, as we see when Batman replies, "He doesn't have the brains to be involved in this." The Pre-Crisis Croc was a criminal genius.


HAROLD WATCH: He made "night-sights" for Batman and Robin this time around, though he is never seen in this issue.


plot synopsis: Batman and Robin are looking for The Themysciran Goblet in the hopes that it will end The War of the Gods. They trace it to villain Maxie Zeus and take him down. Batman then discovers he is on the goblet.


Grade: D+

Although Batman's attitude towards Wonder Woman really seemed off (well, at the time anyway) I don't see any problem with Batman's handling of that guy.  Whoever he is, he's obviously not the "legitimate businessman" he claims to be.  Rottweilers all over his yard, barbed wire encircling his home, armed gunman at the ready, no visible coasters in his bar - he's actually in the middle of sentence about finding a buyer for some merchandise he's uncomfortable being in possession of when Batman interrupts him.  In fact, Batman even tells him that he'll be let down by the police after he's informed them of the stolen gargoyles he's holding onto.  "How can I know anything about some stolen goblet when I was busy with these stolen gargoyles" isn't really going to earn you a "My Bad!" from Batman.

You know, given how many times we've seen Batman recover a spare Batman suit or Bat-Copter or whatever from some property purchased by Bruce Wayne, I can't help but wonder if he's donated money towards reinforcing flagpoles all over the city.  There's a Batman: Black and White tale in which we learn that as evidence of Bruce Wayne's eccentricities, the reclusive millionaire has donated funds towards preserving all those gargoyles scattered around Gotham.

Maxie Zeus is a little too ineffectual for me though he is nevertheless fun here.  There's a genuinely funny line where one of his henchmen asks "Who let him out of Arkham" and as an afterthought wonders aloud "And whose stupid idea was it to give him that taser?"  I can only imagine some orderly chasing after Zeus after he's left Arkham, "Mr. Zeus! Mr. Zeus! Just a moment - you forgot your taser shaped like a giant lightning bolt!"  Still, when he's so absent-mindedly waving it about that he's accidentally tasering his own men with it, you have to wonder where Batman's getting his "Maxie Zeus is nobody's fool" assessment from and how dumb the post-Crisis Killer Croc must be to pale in comparison to this guy.

Ugh.  Killer Croc was one of only foes that I can recall the pre-Crisis Batman ever admitting to be scared of (the other is Deathman from Batman 180) and that "Killer Croc and a guy dressed like Caesar are both on the loose?  hm.  What's the guy in the toga doing?  Shouting "Let there be light!" at the sky?  Croc can wait!" really doesn't whet the appetite for the next issue.

But you know, I enjoyed it at the time.  I was interested in Tim Drake as Robin and I genuinely appreciated how Robin was a tool to be used in reserve during Grant and Breyfogle's run.  There's a 'Get in, get out, and stay behind me' method to his crimefighting that I thought nicely showcased how Batman was still easing him into the role.  At the same time, there's still that scene with Robin swinging across that chasm and grabbing the goblet half a second before Zeus can destroy.  Beautifully rendered by Breyfogle and I remember being impressed with the fact that the new kid just managed to save the Earth (assuming that it was as important as Wonder Woman claimed it to be).

One other thing - Indelicato notes "You're a vigilante! You're illegal! I could arrest you anytime I choose!" when he feels Batman's getting a little too high and mighty for his tastes.  It's interesting to see it confirmed that Batman is an outlaw when until now I believe, the subject was treated as a grey area (not a deputized officer of the law, but people knowing he's out there was about as clear as it got).  I do recall a police officer contemplating how cool it would be to arrest Batman for speeding in a previous issue during their Tec run (I think it was during the Tulpa storyline) and Grant will have Judge Dredd arrest the Caped Crusader for vigilantism in MegaCity One, but it wasn't really until now that we got someone addressing the issue head on.  


Also, it's great to have you back Shaxper, I've missed seeing you around these parts!