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Post by shaxper on May 8, 2014 15:58:14 GMT -5
Batman #393
"The Dark Rider" writer: Doug Moench art: Paul Gulacy letters: John Costanza colors: Adrienne Roy editor: Len Wein
Grade: C+
Paul Gulacy fills in for Mandrake on this and the next issue, and boy is there a difference. That incredible cover was only the beginning of a story filled to the brim with breathtaking layouts and visuals. I've never heard of Gulacy before, but I will have to make a conscious effort to seek out more of his work now.
I should mention that Captain Jim covered this issue in his weekly "On sale this week" thread several weeks back. You can view the thread here.
It's become very obvious that Moench is going out of his way to come up with explanations for keeping Jason out of the book each issue now. Last time, two different excuses had to be given at two different points in the story for why he couldn't be brought in. This time, the CIA doesn't want Robin involved. Granted, these excuses all make sense, but they're given a little too freely and with suspicious regularity. It almost feels like Clark Kent firing off explanations to Lois for why he keeps missing it when Superman appears.
Going along with that, this issue continues to leave Jason out of the loop and, once again, avoids referencing any past continuity. My theory about Batman #392 being an intended reboot point for the series is still holding. Granted, it looks like Jason finally appears in the second part of this story, so we'll see whether or not that changes things when we get there.
On to the story itself. This is a Bond-inspired Cold War spy adventure, through and through. In fact, Batman seems quite out of place in it. I'm not a fan of the genre, so I'm not in the best of positions for judging this story, but I will say that it bored me. There were a lot of complicated turns of events that didn't seem interesting enough to justify the effort required to fully understand them. I just didn't care.
If it hadn't been for Gulacy's art, this story would have bored me to tears. I'm not looking forward to part 2.
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Post by shaxper on May 8, 2014 15:59:50 GMT -5
Detective Comics #560
"The Batman Nobody Knows" writer: Doug Moench pencils: Gene Colan inks: Bob Smith letters: John Workman colors: Adrienne Roy editor: Len Wein
Grade: B-
Well this is definitely going to help my theory that Batman #392 was the original demarcation line for the beginning of Batman's post crisis continuity.
1. We're given Batman's origin story for the first time since at least Batman #300 (when I started reading this run), as if being introduced to him for the first time. Why do this if all continuity was about to be reset anyway?
2. Batman refers to Jason as, "well on his way to becoming Robin" when he'd been a full-fledged Robin for at least several real-time months in the old continuity.
3. All throughout this issue, Jason's characterization is inexplicably rough around the edges and hostile. He uses slang a lot more in this issue, even using a word like "ain't" in ways he never did before, and he even mouths off to Alfred, sarcastically calling him "Jeeves." This goes well beyond hostility about Catwoman. The only reasonable explanation is that the character has been rewritten since we last saw him prior to Batman #392. This characterization is 100% in line with how Jason ends up being depicted post-Crisis.
Really the only flaw in my logic at this point is that Nocturna keeps getting mentioned as Jason's dead former mother in this issue. I suppose that could mean that this story really wasn't intended to be Post Crisis, but it could just as easily be Moench's attempt to get Nocturna's legacy carried over into the Post-Crisis continuity, maybe even leave himself leeway to bring her back and finally portray her correctly. After all, absolutely no specifics are given about Nocturna other than the fact that she was Jason's "mother" and died.
4. It's still absolutely suspicious that Wein has avoided adding ANY footnotes about past events since Batman #392 -- something he never shied away from before. This further supports my theory that the old continuity is being discarded and a new one is being attempted.
Again, later events may conflict with this but, at this point, it seems more than a little obvious that someone (Moench? Moench and Wein? Moench, Wein, and DC editorial?) is attempting to soft reboot the continuity with Batman #392.
On to the story itself. Batman is trying to get Catwoman and Robin to work together, but Jason resents Catwoman's moving in on his space, so Batman works it out that they answer the bat signal at the same time and end up working together, and they end up getting along...for the most part.
It was a good idea for a story, but I didn't find any of the characterization nor plot particularly interesting, and this is the worst I've seen Colan's art. It was particularly painful when, while retelling Batman's origin, he flubbed the panel where he finally appears at Batman. It looked ridiculous. That panel alone made me want to forget about this reboot and jump directly to Year One.
I also really didn't like Moench's attempt to employ bad metaphors again. Throughout the issue, some unknown speaker is talking about Batman trying to be a spider weaving a web in attempting to get Catwoman and Robin to work together, but it's hardly elaborate enough to be considered a web ("Hey Bullock, I'm going to stay at home. When they both show up, make them work together"), and I don't see Bruce as a spider planning to prey upon the characters (Selina and Jason) caught in his web. At the end, a bat rams through the web, which seems a little too silly to have really happened, even if it barely furthers the metaphor. It finally turns out that the speaker is the Bat aspect of Batman, wanting him to remain solo and solitary rather than letting others in. Didn't we already overcome this issue at the very beginning of Moench's run when he took Jason into his home?
5. Well, actually, if this is now post-Crisis, and Jason isn't the same Jason anymore, then this story and conflict actually make sense. Bruce hasn't fully let Jason into his life yet.
So really, I think it would be difficult to dispute that someone was attempting to soft reboot the Batman continuity at this point. The evidence all appears to be there. Assuming that all they knew about the post-crisis plans were that:
A. Jason will be rougher around the edges. His suspicious absence for the first three "post-continuity" issues may have been due to ambiguity over how the character would ultimately be presented. B. Batman will be darker C. Selina will remain a good guy
Then this all works. Really, the only reason it can't line up with post-crisis at this point is that Miller completely reinvented who Selina is, but (as I've said before) even her post Legends appearances up to the month before Year One depict her in this way, so that seems to have been a genuine miscommunication between Miller and the Bat Office, not evidence that the reboot hadn't happened yet.
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Post by shaxper on May 8, 2014 16:00:00 GMT -5
Batman #394
"At the Heart of Stone" writer: Doug Moench art: Paul Gulacy letters: John Costanza colors: Adrienne Roy editor: Len Wein
Grade: C+
Part 2 of the Dark Rider story, and I'm still not enjoying it. Gulacy's art is still breath-taking, and the Dark Rider makes for a semi-interesting psychotic villain at the end, covering himself with plutonium in order to jump in and pollute Gotham's drinking water, but I still couldn't really get into the story, especially the obnoxious back and forths between Batman and his KGB sponsored ally about whether or not America is terrible. The completely unearned resolution, in which the barbed Katia randomly concedes, "And now that it is over, Batman, I can confess that you have also touched me. A pity we must be divided by paranoid fools who could otherwise touch us as we have..." I saw nothing in the story to suggest that Batman did anything to 'touch' her other than save her life a few times (which was what he was there to do, after all).
Jason is still copping the post-Crisis-like attitude, making comments like, "Time to go pick up that snooty comrade of yours...and I wonder if all the chicks in Russia are such cold fish." No way that's the pre-Crisis Jason talking.
Still, if this is post-Crisis, then Moench really pushed it in this issue, giving us one arbitrary frame of Julia Pennyworth drinking potentially polluted tea. It really seems like Moench is trying to pull off a soft reboot while subtly inserting all of his failed characters into the mix (Nocturna in reference last issue, Julia in a single panel in this issue). Naturally, of course, no explanation is offered as to who Julia Pennyworth is; no past history is directly provided. She just seems to be there so as not to be erased/forgotten by the reboot.
So, again, didn't love the story, but the art was great. Still buying my own theory that the Bat Franchise was supposed to reboot with #392...
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Post by shaxper on May 8, 2014 16:00:11 GMT -5
Detective Comics #561
"Flying Hi"
writer: Doug Moench pencils: Gene Colan inks: Bob Smith letters: John Costanza colors: Adrienne Roy editor: Len Wein
Grade: B+
Well this was different. From the very first panel, Jason has lightened up tremendously from the past two issues. He's still edgy and more prone to using slang, and he's still a lot more independent than his pre-Crisis counterpart, but his respect for Batman and for absolute right and wrong are surprisingly unwavering here.
This is Jason's first ever solo story (pre or post Crisis), and (to the best of my knowledge) it's the first time a writer has ever tried to depict a Robin with a realistic social life. We see Jason at school, get a strong sense of his complicated relationships with his peers (accepted, but an outsider), and watch him struggle to deal with related issues of peer pressure and acceptance.
Essentially, I think Moench is trying to soften the editorial vision for a post-Crisis Jason and quickly cement it with this story before anyone can do otherwise. I wonder if it isn't because of stunts like these (referencing Nocturna two issues back, randomly showing and mentioning Julia last issue) that these plans for a soft reboot at Batman #392 (which I still insist happened!) may have ultimately been ignored/discarded in favor of starting things at Miller's Year One. As much as I can see the subtle differences in how Moench is writing the titles now, he's sneaking in too much from the pre-Crisis continuity, not leaving enough sense of change.
Still, I really LIKE this Jason Todd, neither as obnoxious as his post-Crisis counterpart nor as perfect and wide-eyed as his pre-Crisis counterpart. Let's call him pre-post-Crisis Jason.
As a result, I really like how this issue was handled. "Drugs are bad" stories involving teens are difficult to pull off well, but I found Jason's approach downright impressive, approaching and asking Bruce why he opposes drugs, approaching and asking a (supposed) user why she likes them, and then making a careful decision for himself. All the banter felt genuine and intelligent. The discussion was an honest one. Plus, Moench really made us fall in love with Jason's first crush, so his saving her from drugs and then seemingly getting her in the end was quite charming.
The plot is a simple one: Jason falls for the new girl, she invites him to get high with her, he explores his thoughts and feelings about this with Bruce and with her, she confesses that she's never used drugs but wants to, the pushers (classmates at school) get involved, Robin takes them down, and the girl is drug-free and seemingly still "into" Jason at the end.
Really, it read a lot better than it sounds. This felt like something out of Chuck Dixon's run on Robin more than a decade later.
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Post by shaxper on May 8, 2014 16:08:08 GMT -5
Well, here it is, guys. While technically not in continuity nor a part of the Batman/Detective titles, it's impossible to deny that Dark Knight Returns had a lasting impact upon the Batman franchise, so here's my review of part one, which would have been published concurrently with Batman #396 (two issues from now in this reviews thread).
The Dark Knight Returns, part 1
"The Dark Knight Returns" Writer: Frank Miller Pencils: Frank Miller Inks: Klaus Janson Colors: Lynn Varley letters: John Costanza
Grade: A+, but...
There are so many reasons why this is a nearly impossible review to write, and the two most obvious one are 1: Everyone and their hamster has read and reviewed this story, so I'm not sure I can add much that they haven't, and 2: This story shaped so much of the Batman franchise as we currently know it. It's hard to take a step back and see what Miller was adding for the first time.
So, for the purposes of this review thread, I'm going to try to discuss this solely in terms of what it changed about Batman. I'll do my best...
The first thing that stands out about this story is how rough the visuals are. Miller's rough penciling, Varley'ss sparse coloring, and the most erratic, yet composed, lettering I think I've ever seen, all give the sense that some demented kids drew this up in their basement. It's every bit as raw as Miller's Batman is.
And, let's be clear -- this isn't a new approach for Bruce. The story makes it very clear that he's doing things exactly the way he used to. Miller's Batman has always been a savage, driven by a compulsion more than any ideology or moral code. That's got to be the biggest divergence from Pre-Crisis Batman, here. Moench's Batman felt thoroughly real in every sense except for the basic premise. He took Batman's decision to fight crime in a Bat costume as a given and then added believable personality on top of it. Miller, on the other hand, went right back to the drawing board and re-thought what kind of a man would dress up as a bat and fight crime, and the answer came up being someone who was less than thoroughly sane.
From that stems most of the rest of what we know about Batman today. His is a dark obsession that threatens to consume him and feels thoroughly more real than his shallow alter ego (Moench's Batman and Bruce Wayne were both very real identities), and there's a firm right-wing message in there about not coddling criminals that seems to have clung to the character ever since, surfacing more under some writers' tenures than others. Certainly, this is the Batman who could turn into Bat-jerk, punch Superman, get into a fist fight with Guy Gardner, and develop Brother Eye to spy on his closest friends and associates. This is the Batman who is suddenly morally ambiguous by his very nature, nearly a demon as much as an angel.
There were the finer additions that Miller made to the franchise, as well. A few minor changes that stuck:
-Bruce was seeing Zorro with his family on the night they were killed. I'm reasonably sure this is the first time that's mentioned, and it stayed part of the origin story until at least the early 1990s. Not sure after that.
-Jason died, and his suit is in the glass display case. Of course, Miller implies here that Bruce gave up being Batman because of that death. Clearly, that didn't happen when Jason finally did die only a few short years from now.
-Alfred sarcastically acts as Bruce's super ego, constantly expressing concern about Bruce being Batman. Prior to this, I believe he's always acted as a willing accomplice.
-This is possibly the first ever mention of Gordan's wife, Sarah. A minor point.
-Whereas the pre-Crisis Batman had trained but still depended heavily upon improvisation and luck while fighting crime, this is where we first get a so extensively trained Batman that he can instantly assess a combat situation and see all the potential ways to disable his opponent (two minimal, two lethal, and one that hurts). This is now best-satirized by Midnighter of The Authority.
-While Moench subtly hit upon the idea that the Joker needed Batman, Miller takes this much further, suggesting that Batman's very existence draws weak-willed neurotics into becoming super villains in the first place. He clearly shows that Joker is only the Joker so long as there is a Batman.
It's funny. I first read this book ten years ago. At the time, I really, really liked it, and I thought it was the most important Batman story ever told. Now that I know far more about what Batman was prior to this mini-series/graphic novel, my opinions have flipped. I LOVE this story -- how shocking, original, clever, and stylistic it is, and I also think it's vastly overrated. This is a great one-time alternate take on who Batman is and why he does what he does, but I think this got the attention of too many people who hadn't been reading, or weren't paying attention to, all the brilliant work Wein, Conway, and Moench had been doing with the character over the past decade, and who didn't understand what a graphic novel was (after all, this was in many way the first), believing that any Batman story put to paper must be gospel. Whatever the case, I think it was mistake to base everything the post-Crisis Batman would be on this story, but that's exactly what was done.
Again, I want to echo my own theory that Batman #392 had been initially intended as the reboot point for Batman post-Crisis, but the loud reception to this shock and awe storyline made DC sniff where the real money and media attention lie. I believe that getting Batman all over the media circuit for the first time in years, as well as hearing tons of fanboys shouting, "that was cool!" is what led DC to take Miller's Year One (was it already in the works as a follow-up graphic novel? Did he produce it on the fly at DC's beck and call?) being printed in the pages of the Batman title and serving as the reset point for Batman post-Crisis.
More DKR reviews as soon as I get the chance, then back to the regular stuff...
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Post by shaxper on May 8, 2014 16:14:20 GMT -5
The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2
"The Dark Knight Triumphant" writer: Frank Miller pencils: Frank Miller inks: Klaus Janson colors: Lynn Varley letters: John Costanza
Grade: B-
This issue was published in the same month as Batman #397.
While the first part of DKR was fresh, original, and powerful, part 2 introduces that bat-sh*t crazy side of Miller that we saw so much of in All-Star Batman & Robin and in his proposal for Batman vs. Al Queda. The constant lashing out at aspects of society Miller doesn't like falls somewhere between Dave Sim and Rorshach. While some aspect of the constant jabs at liberals, at women, at the media, and at Reagan seem played for laughs, there's a seriousness at work too, especially in little moments like when Gordan seriously complains that the next police commissioner will be "A woman!". And, on some level, Miller expects us to revere the "man" that Batman is being in this touchy-feely future world of Gotham. And this "man" has gone from being an otherwise rational man with an obsession for justice to an over-the-top brawler who drives a fifteen foot tall war machine Batmobile and fires rubber bullets as hard as he can with a sick smile. Actually, I think the All-Star Batman & Robin incarnation was more sympathetic than this guy.
...But I digress.
Because this issue was so much more out there, it makes sense that it wouldn't play as big a role in impacting the Bat franchise long term. There are really only a few key contributions to the Bat continuity that I noticed here:
--Batman intimidating criminals by dangling them from great heights.
--Remembering Jason as "A good soldier"
--The mutant leader feels like a prototype for Bane. He poses the same kind of physical threat, even though he lacks Bane's intelligence.
--Batman as urban myth. It's stated that no one's ever even taken a picture of him, and some doubt he exists. I don't know if this was ever introduced prior to DKR, but it's certainly been a major aspect of the character many times since.
--Clearly the ideological divide between Superman and Batman is one of the most famous contributions to modern comics that Miller introduced in DKR, and it's first eluded to in this issue. Funny, then, that Lana Lang is Batman's most vocal supporter in the media.
In contrast to all of the contributions this issue of DKR makes to the franchise, Bruce's description of the bat that first gave him his identity as "surely the fiercest survivor...the purest warrior...glaring, hating..." feels like a straight theft of Man-Bat's ideology from one of Moench's very first Batman stories ("The Most Successful Species," Batman #361). I wonder if Miller read it, or if this was just a coincidence. Of course, the irony is that now it's the "hero" espousing this idea and not the raving maniac villain that Batman is trying to stop.
And, speaking of Batman thinking like a villain, I think the moment when I truly decided that this character was not and could not be Batman to me was when he took on the mutant leader at the end of the issue. Whether or not it was intended, the battle had strong parallels to Batman's (supposedly) climactic confrontation with Night Slayer in Batman #381. In both cases, the true purpose was to make the confrontation public, to sway the minds of on-lookers even more than to win the fight. The difference is that Moench's Batman used his head, planned it well, and did a minimum of fighting only when things went wrong. Miller's Batman planned too -- but his plan was all about HOW to beat the living hell out of his opponent. There's no detective and arguably no hero present -- just an over glorified wrestler who knows when it's advantageous to fight in the mud and where to hit in order to blind or numb the arm of your opponent. Really, that's how "Batman" has handled everything so far -- hurt them badly. I don't see anything Batman about this. It's a wholly new character that often gets confused for Batman by modern writers and readers alike. By all means, keep the revised origin, dabble with the obsession of being Batman, keep some of the other minor tweaks too, but this testosterone-crazed brawler is no Batman to me.
All in all, while I really enjoyed how refreshing the first part of DKR was, this installment was just too over the top for me. I wasn't feeling it, and I definitely wasn't rooting for Miller's "Batman". He's a little too much "Anti" and not enough "hero" for me here. Considering how few contributions of value this issue made to the franchise as a whole, there really wasn't much for me to love about it.
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Post by shaxper on May 8, 2014 16:14:32 GMT -5
The Dark Knight Returns, Part 3
"Hunt the Dark Knight" writer: Frank Miller pencils: Frank Miller inks: Klaus Janson colors: Lynn Varley letters: John Costanza
Grade: B
This issue was published in the same month as Batman #398.
So Frank Miller read Watchmen and sincerely hopes you won't. That seems to be the gist of this installment. A senate sub-committee hearing many years back that ran the superheroes out of business, one morally impeccable hero agreeing to fight for the government and, in waging wars for them, tarnishing himself without realizing it, while another hides and curses the society that has degraded before his eyes. Yeah. The only way the theft could have been more obvious would have been if Flash had taken a bullet and a four story nose dive at the beginning of the story, while Aquaman had an artificial alien attack downtown Metropolis. Okay, I definitely realize that this issue was published exactly one month before Watchmen #1 hit the stands, but whereas these concepts were integral to the entire premise of Watchmen, they seem thrown into this installment of DKR, almost as an after-thought. It truly feels like Miller saw the early scripts or overheard Alan Moore at an office party or something. The similarities are just too similar, and there's abundant evidence to suggest that the last two issues of DKR were rushed to make deadlines. I could easily see a desperate writer tossing in those ideas at the last moment, perhaps not even realizing where they came form.
Anyway, when it comes to adding to the franchise, here's the tally:
+1 Batman and Joker inspiring followers. It's been done several times since, most recently in a Detective Comics storyline by David Hine, and most famously in Batman Beyond, but I don't think it was ever done well...not even here.
+1 Selina Kyle as prostitute. I think Miller's the only writer who was ever attached to this idea, but it follows into Year One and is the basis for a seedier post-Crisis Selina Kyle, so I thought it was important to note.
+1 Batman wanting to kill the Joker and failing to do so. We saw Joker cross the line prior to Miller, but I don't think we ever saw Batman fantasize about crossing the line in response. I have to admit that I like this contribution to the franchise. I have to imagine that any justice-loving human in Batman's shoes would secretly feel the same way.
-1 Batman's relationship to Carrie Kelley is virtually identical to Batman's relationship with Jason Todd in Moench's run. Batman forbids him to get involved, Jason gets involved anyway, and Bruce is generally more impressed than angry. That's really the entire substance of his relationship with Carrie beyond his confused concern for her innocence while clearly taking it away from her.
So, all in all, this was a weaker installment; fun to read if you don't know the source material it appears to be robbing, but otherwise unimportant until that final twisted confrontation between Batman and Joker.
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Post by shaxper on May 8, 2014 16:14:43 GMT -5
A big whoops and an apology. I began my reviews of DKR when I did because I erroneously believed that DKR Part1 had been published in the same month as Batman #393 (which I had already passed in these reviews). Turns out I was off by four months, and I have yet to review the corresponding issues of Batman and Detective that were published in the same months as the DKR installments.
Sorry for the lack of tight chronology, here.
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Post by shaxper on May 8, 2014 16:21:17 GMT -5
The Dark Knight Returns, Part 4
"The Dark Knight Falls" writer: Frank Miller pencils: Frank Miller inks: Klaus Janson colors: Lynn Varley letters: John Costanza
Grade: B
This issue was published in the same month as Batman #399.
And here's where it's so frustrating that I got the timing off when reviewing these. DKR concluded exactly one month before Batman #400. I can't begin to imagine the excitement of finishing this weird, alternate take on Batman, saying goodbye to the classic, pre-Crisis Batman continuity one month later, and then plummeting ahead into a Miller-directed Post-Crisis Batman only four months after that. Could there have ever been a more exciting year to be a Batman fan (whether you approved of the changes or not)?
As for the issue itself, it's a nice wrap-up to the storyline, but it doesn't add much of anything to the Batman franchise. Again, there's a resemblance to Watchmen as the magnetic pulse bomb produces roughly the same effects that Veidt was going for with the fake alien attack. The after effects are different, but there was still a strong resemblance, or do we just chalk this one up to "everyone was thinking the same damn thing at this point in the Cold War"?
One place where I do give the issue credit is having Batman actually use his brain for once. His plan against Superman was an impressive one, but it seems like the smarter and more "classic Batman" plan would have been to do the exact opposite -- force Superman into a situation where he has to kill Batman (because he probably couldn't do it). It would undermine all his credibility with the government and possibly force him to rethink his allegiance, as well.
Of course, I don't know this Superman well enough to be sure he'd act that way. One of the faults with this climax to the story is that Miller has not spent enough time developing the conflict between Bruce and Clark. We get the basic outline, but we don't truly see their relationship and fully understand who they are in contrast to one another. I'm sure many would disagree with me here, but it's not a matter of quoting lines and reeling off facts -- it's a feeling. I don't feel Miller handled this conflict as well as he did the one between Bruce and Joker. That was a fitting ending to a conflict I fully understood.
No actual contributions to the Batman franchise in this story -- at least none that I could see. I'm just realizing now that I'm not sure Gordan's wife ever had a name (or was even mentioned) prior to DKR, but then that contribution belongs in my review of Part 1.
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Post by shaxper on May 8, 2014 22:11:00 GMT -5
Batman #395
"The Film Freak" writer: Doug Moench pencils/inks: Tom Mandrake letters: Workman & Costanza colors: Adrienne Roy editor: Len Wein
Grade: C
After three months of soft reboot (that's right. I'm sticking to the theory), Moench changes gears and brings back a ton of past continuity all in one issue. We've got a love triangle with Batman, Catwoman, and Nocturna (who may or may not be dead), Bullock checking in on the wife of the security guard who killed himself in Batman #391, new references to the fact that Bullock is obsessed with films and that Jason knows it and hasn't told anyone else, and even the long history between Vicki Vale and Julia Pennyworth is back (sigh). I don't know what changed, but the soft reboot concept appears to be dead as of this issue. Even Jason's abrupt change in personality since the Crisis is now explained away as stemming from puberty/hormones.
And so, with seeming knowledge that whatever he writes for the next few months is just going to get erased with someone else's reboot anyway, Moench devotes this and the next two issues to an abandoned story idea he had a few years back. How do I know?
Exhibit A: Dr. Fang was a waste of a crime boss who was initially clearly depicted as a former actor, though this was later largely ignored. In fact, in his first cameo appearance, it's outright stated that "Dr. Fang" is a role being played by an actor posing as a crime boss.
Exhibit B: "Film Freak" is a role being played by a former actor. He sees his crimes as an elaborate performance, not a money-making venture.
Exhibit C: Dr. Fang shaved his head and turned his collar up like Bela Lugosi's Dracula.
Exhibit D: Look at Film Freak's silhouette in the final panel and tell me it isn't the exact same character.
This is Moench's abandoned plan for Dr. Fang.
The story itself isn't anything special. My two least favorite teams return (Vicki and Julia, Jason and Bullock), we get that weird moment where Batman and Selina are making out in front of Gordan (sorry, I just can't see Bruce showing so little interest in his image/reputation), Film Freak can hold off Batman and Catwoman with no apparent skills/training, and Batman, Robin, Catwoman, Gordan, Bullock, Julia, and Vicki spend days devoting their entire attention to tracking down Film Freak for robbing nine houses and firing into a crowd. This seems like a massive overreaction.
On top of that, Mandrake's art has quite a few low points in this issue, whether it be lousy faces, weird proportions, or lines shooting out of Film Freak's face, which I can only assume were supposed to be dramatic but just end up looking like weird hairs. He looks like a Chia Head.
There's also a lettering mistake at one point, where Vicki and Julia swap lines as Film Freak opens fire on the crowd.
I'd give pages to indicate where all of this happens, but this issue contains no page numbers. I wonder why.
Oh, Jason's girlfriend from the previous issue of Detective is not mentioned in this one, even though we see Jason in school. Maybe she was just around for the convenience of that one story.
One cute minor moment in the story: While Bullock and Jason discuss an auction for rare movie memorabilia, Jason wonders if Burgess Meredith's putty nose will be there.
So I can't say I found much to enjoy about this story. Batman wasn't Batman, Jason still isn't Jason, my least favorite team-ups have returned, and the villain of the story is a formerly thrown away idea that causes a far bigger stir in Gotham than he should.
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Post by shaxper on May 8, 2014 22:11:16 GMT -5
Detective Comics #562
"Reeling" writer: Doug Moench pencils: Gene Colan inks: Bob Smith letters: John Costanza colors: Adrienne Roy editor: Len Wein
Grade: B-
It's amazing how much I've learned about comics by doing these reviews. When I first began (wow, it was only last June when I started!), I had very little appreciation for comic art, simply scanning the images quickly while paying close attention to the writing and plot. I noticed the truly awful stuff, but that was about it. Now, in reading this issue, it's plain as day to me how Colan makes this Film Freak storyline SO much more interesting than Mandrake did. He manages to truly make the Film Freak look menacing -- not as some unstoppable nemesis for Batman, but as an out of control maniac who is truly going to hurt other innocent people if Batman can't manage to stop him. His confrontations with both Julia and his ex-girlfriend in this issue were nearly terrifying, and it was all the art. Colan gave power to this villain, whereas Mandrake just drew funny lines coming out of his face.
That being said, it's still not a great storyline, but it does improve a tad this time around. For example, this time when Batman and Catwoman confront Film Freak, his escape makes more sense. He pulls a gun on Catwoman, and Batman, unwilling to risk her well-being, agrees to let him withdraw. It's hard to watch a scene like that right after reading about Steroid Batman in DKR who knows 5 ways to disable an enemy in any given situation, but I must remind myself that this is the same de-powered Batman we've had since the days of Frank Robinson, and these limitations can often make his conflicts all the more interesting. If Batman can be vulnerable and helpless when someone draws a gun, it creates greater challenges for him and requires him to use more skill and intelligence to win. I still doubt that Batman could ever fight crime in a city like Gotham if EVERY guy with a gun took multiple confrontations over a matter of weeks to take down, but I agree with the general principal.
The funny thing is, whereas Batman and Catwoman couldn't stop him TOGETHER last issue, Julia manages to disarm him with soap and a wash cloth in this issue. I'm still not buying that one. Maybe he just wasn't expecting her to fight back?
Still no page numbers in this issue. Maybe they're gone for good at this point? I can't imagine Mandrake and Colan both spontaneously decided to stop using them at the same time. Can anyone provide some insight on this subject?
Moench is still trying to explain away his drastic changes to Jason Todd in this issue. Whereas I still believe the changes were originally created because Moench thought this WAS the post-Crisis Batman universe, they were chalked up to "hormones" last issue, and the changes are now being explained away as being the result of losing Nocturna and of jealousy over Catwoman spending so much time with Batman. Moench has never been one to under-explain a change in characterization, so it reeks of suspicion that Jason was absent for several issues after the Crisis, came back with a drastically different attitude that didn't seem to surprise or draw the attention of anyone around him (they all responded as if this was normal), and now, this month, EVERYONE is suddenly surprised by it and creating different explanations for why it happened. I take this as further evidence that Batman #392 was supposed to be a soft reboot, and the plan was abandoned at the time of Batman #395.
I think I've made my case enough, so I'll drop it here.
It's nice to see the Batman/Catwoman team remaining a steady fixture after so many issues without any complications. Moench really seems intent on allowing them to remain an item, which I find impressive. I wonder how this would have played out if he'd remained on the book and there'd been no reboot. At this point, I respect the change, but I'm still not picking up on the relationship between them. Catwoman isn't exhibiting much of a personality at all. She's just an empty sidekick that Batman kisses.
The plot synopsis in one long sentence (I've been forgetting to do these lately): Film Freak attacks Julia in a hotel, replaying the shower scene from Psycho, Julia fights back, Vicki shows up at the last moment, Film Freak escapes (he couldn't have taken on both of them?), Robin and Bullock retrace Batman and Catwoman's steps in interviewing people about FF (and Robin is resentful of this the entire time), we get more characters espousing back story and motives for FF (I really don't care), Batman and Catwoman offer up lame explanations for Jason's complete personality change, FF attacks his ex-girlfriend for aiding all four heroes searching for him, Batman and Catwoman stop him, he escapes (again), Robin and Bullock discover that FF has been bugging Gordan's office, and when they break into his hideout, they find a tape from him with a clue about his next film-related crime. To be continued...
So, better than last issue (Colan's art really helped), but still nothing exceptional.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on May 8, 2014 22:12:12 GMT -5
Batman #396
"Box-Office Smash" writer: Doug Moench art: Tom Mandrake letters: John Costanza colors: Adrienne Roy editor: Len Wein
Grade: B-
The conclusion to the Film Freak storyline, and it still feels like Moench is stretching for ideas. The first three pages are wasted on recaps from last issue, the clues to the crimes are clumsy as heck, and I still can't accept that Film Freak only had a grudge against three people in the world after being so spiteful about his failed career. All throughout this issue, Batman, Robin, Catwoman, Bullock, and Gordan are so darn sure that the three people they tracked down from the Freak's past are the only three he could possibly be gunning for. It's just sloppy storytelling.
Mandrake's art is a lot more solid in this issue though, and that makes it more enjoyable. He gives Bullock some great startled expressions.
I'm getting tired of how unprofessional our heroes are behaving lately. The little spat in front of Gordan while lives hung in the balance was really embarrassing. I can see Jason making this error, but Catwoman plays right into it, and Batman doesn't try to get them back on track.
The story in one ridiculously long sentence: 3 pages of recaps, then Film Freak goes after his old friend who talked to Batman, and when Batman comes to check in on him, FF poses as the friend and misdirects Batman (pretty cool stunt stolen from "The List of Adrian Messenger"), while Bullock takes a blow-up still from FF's video message and is able to figure out which movies he'll imitate next by looking at the videos on his shelf, so then Gordan chews out Robin for treating this pursuit as a competition and then calls everyone together, a spat ensues, Gordan chews them all out, Bullock figures out FF's final clue, they break-up the debut of his former director's next film, Batman gets rid of the bomb at the premier at the last second, FF returns to attack Julia again, and Batman stops him.
Confusing? I wouldn't worry. A simpler synopsis would be: "they catch Film Freak." It's really all you need to know.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on May 8, 2014 22:12:22 GMT -5
Detective Comics #563
"Free Faces" writer: Doug Moench pencils: Gene Colan inks: Bob Smith letters: John Costanza colors: Adrienne Roy editor: Len Wein
Grade: A-
I have to admit that I had given up on Moench. That Film Freak storyline was the act of a desperate writer who was out of ideas, and so I assumed that Moench was just punching the clock until the hard reboot came. Fortunately, I seem to be wrong.
This issue begins an exciting storyline that makes clear attempts to join Moench's present work with his past stories and create something new and exciting in the process. We see the return of Jason's love interest, Rena, and his conflicts as an average teenager in a drug-infested school (previously depicted in Detective #561; I was afraid Moench was going to abandon this premise), we get extensive recaps on Black Mask, the False Face Society, Nocturna, Night Slayer, and virtually everything Moench accomplished in the two years prior to Crisis in only two pages, we see the return of Circe, Black Mask's mutilated and enigmatic former wife, allowing us to take an old successful plot line into new and exciting directions, and we get Two Face thrown into the mix to boot.
Really, we don't have a plot yet, so it's hard to evaluate what the story is or isn't, but the setup is fantastic and well rooted in the past continuity and momentum that Moench had tried so hard to work without for the past few issues.
Minor points --
1. What's with Batman and Catwoman only dating while on patrol? I can think of a number of good explanations, but isn't it about time Moench offered one? This has been going on for nearly five months now.
2. Odd error when Batman and Catwoman are in the tomb. Catwoman is behind him, but her dialogue bubble comes from in front of him.
The plot summary in one ridiculously long sentence: Alfred is noticing how obsessed Jason is with Rena, Jason and Rena are both sick of the druggie bullies at school, Harvey recaps his origin while finding a clever way to sneak out of Arkham (knocking out his lawyer and switching faces in a believable way), Rena clearly has a crush on Robin, which makes Jason so mad that he nearly tells her, but Alfred intervenes and stops him, Batman and Catwoman check out the old False Face hideout to see if there's any new activity, and someone mysteriously places a black wreath on the door while they are there, Moench clearly lets us know that Circe did it, and Robin tracks down the pusher selling drugs to kids in his school but (quite conveniently) Two Face busts in just then and robs and disfigures the guy.
All in all, this is a great start. Let's hope the rest of the storyline keeps up!
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on May 8, 2014 22:12:38 GMT -5
Batman #397
"Binary Brains" writer: Doug Moench art: Tom Mandrake letters: John Costanza colors: Adrienne Roy editor: Len Wein
Grade: A
So much to love about this issue, and so little to dislike.
One of the biggest attractions of this issue is it's characterization of Two-Face. Moench has clearly given him a lot of thought. As we saw last issue (though it's stated more explicitly here), when he flips his coin and gets the good side, that doesn't mean that he won't commit a crime. It means he'll commit a "good" crime against someone who deserves it. What a unique take that more clearly depicts a man who has fallen over the edge. Even Harvey's good side isn't all that good anymore. I felt this new characterization was summed up best by Harvey, himself:
Who do you think I am--the Riddler? This is no GAME I play! This is obsession!
I do what I do because of what fate has made of me--not because I enjoy "matching wits" with the Batman!
Nor do I particularly care to make his life Hell--as the Joker does!
Fate has cursed me with duality--and I decided long ago that it is my ugly, evil side which dominates! Similarly, Batman's fate-given destiny is to oppose evil and ugliness. I act and he reacts!
I also love the idea of Harvey stealing two experimental binary computers that exhibit personality traits akin to superego and id. What an updated and creepy way of conducting his affairs.
Catwoman's personality finally comes through a bit in this issue, and I like what I see. She enjoys being rough around the edges, threatening an informant by parking the front wheel of her bike between his legs and "allowing" Batman to find her by falling asleep in the Batmobile (I can only imagine what security systems she had to side-step to do that), yet there's a very serious, virtuous, and compassionate side of her that comes out while trying to talk Circe out of stripping.
And then there's Circe...wow. Her sultry strip-tease, her creepy hood and mask, and best yet, her response to Catwoman's question of why she sells her body instead of using her brain:
My brain is busy round the clock, Catwoman...thinking, scheming...dreaming endless scenes of revenge.
Mandrake's art just amps this up a thousand-fold. Circe is one incredibly intriguing character. I already hate the idea that she didn't survive the reboot.
Back to Catwoman: Last issue, I asked why she and Batman were only dating at night and on patrol. I'd forgotten that Wein had reversed his ruling on whether or not Catwoman knew his identity. This is the only way they can date if she doesn't know he's Bruce Wayne. Moench really should explain this somewhere.
I'm also starting to enjoy the idea of Robin as a solo character. He's growing on his own, which is something Dick was never able to do until he left Batman and started leading the Titans. Watching Robin do it in the same city, while working on the same cases, and reporting to the same home at night, is intriguing. I would have liked to have seen where this would have gone. Again though, everything gets rebooted in just a few more issues.
Lots more picking up of the old Pre-Crisis continuity in this issue, as well. Acting mayor Skowcraft is back in the plotline, and Lucius running against him as mayor is an intriguing idea. It's really unfair for Moench to start such a great new subplot at this point. Maybe he still doesn't know for sure that a reboot is coming?
I suppose that, if Miller's Year One only came into focus as a potential reboot point in response to all the acclaim that DKR received, then no decision may have been made about a post-crisis reboot at this point. DKR #1 hit stands just last month, so the feedback would only be starting to pour in at this point.
And, speaking of DKR, anyone else notice that Two Face uses the exact same diversion tactic here (two get away cars in different directions) as he did last month in DKR #1? Probably just a coincidence.
Random awesomeness: Robin having to sit on Catwoman's lap in the Batmobile. Hysterical.
Another minor strength of the issue: I love that Batman's first assumption about who placed the black wreathe last issue is incorrect. He logically assumes it's Black Mask, and he's broken out of prison. Circe only occurs to him as a second option. This is one instance in which the plot doesn't indulge in conveniences. Unfortunately, it does in several other places.
And now the minor problems...
Why is Two Face having a discussion about future crimes with his goons while standing in an alley? How is that not stupid to do in Batman's neighborhood?
I hate when characters give impossibly long monologues while performing an action that takes less than a second. In this case, Batman is leaping off the roof of police headquarters while practically delivering a sermon about Two Face to Gordan.
I mentioned earlier how Moench avoided absurd coincidences once earlier in the story, yet, later in the story, Harvey's plan depends upon obtaining a swipe card from the exact same deceased security guard who's wife is currently "seeing" Harvey Bullock. Sure enough, she just happened to be going through his things that evening, shows them to Harvey, they discuss the swipe card and how she should return it to the bank (why wouldn't they have deactivated the code??), and Two Face breaks in a half hour later. Just a little too convenient, especially after Two Face randomly showed up to shake down the very same drug dealer Robin was stalking last issue, and at the exact same time that Robin was stalking him.
Final random observation that has nothing to do with the story, itself: The inside cover ad is for a hand-held Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles video game. This is 1986. The first time I ever heard of TMNT was in '87, and I was ahead of most people. I had no idea that anyone other than indie comic lovers knew them at this point. I wonder if this ad ran anywhere else, or if it was specifically targeted for comic buyers.
Anyway, the plot synopsis in one ridiculously long sentence: Robin brings in the beaten drug dealer from last issue and tells Gordan that Two Face is on the loose, Gordan summons Batman and Catwoman, and they all discuss it, Two Face steals two experimental supercomputers with conflicting "personalities" to inform his criminal exploits, Catwoman pursues Circe to a strip club and has a powerful confrontation with her (why though? She hasn't given any indication of intent to commit a crime, and she has a clean record.), Bruce and Jason have a discussion about Harvey, and though Bruce remains hopeful, he's more realistic about the situation than he's ever been before, the supercomputers direct Two Face to knock off a bank, Lucius Fox informs Bruce that he may run for mayor, Bullock continues to see the widow of the dead security guard in spite of Gordan's advice that it's too soon, Two Face steals the dead security guard's swipe card and uses it to rob the bank, Batman and Robin show up, Two Face and most of his gang escape, and Two Face discovers that Circe wants to meet with him about giving him "a new face."
Great story overall. I just could have done without the amount of unnecessary prominence that random dead security guard is still getting.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on May 8, 2014 22:13:03 GMT -5
Detective Comics #564
"Double Crosses" writer: Doug Moench pencils: Gene Colan inks: Bob Smith letters: John Costanza colors: Adrienne Roy editor: Len Wein
Grade: C+
Just when I was starting to get excited about reading Moench again, we get this crummy installment.
One major problem with this issue was how confusing it was. For some reason, I found it nearly impossible to follow the logic of the plans being laid out by Circe, by Two Face, and by Batman in this issue. I had to read, re-read, and finally decide it just wasn't worth it. By the time Two Face flips his coin and decides the scarred side means he should work with Circe (even though her plan involves leading him to redemption), I just didn't see the point in trying anymore. To add to the problem, there were several times where it was confusing which dialogue balloons belonged to who, and I still have no idea what was happening when Two Face seemed to say to Circe, "Depending on the outcome, Two-Face, you could well be back in Arkham by Wednesday," followed by Circe saying, "Depending on the outcome, Two-Face, you could well be back in Arkham by Wednesday." Did anyone actually check over this issue before it went to press?
Beyond the mass confusion and excessive uncreative double crosses, what upset me most about this issue was how haphazardly it destroyed THREE of the best things this arc had going for it:
1. Jason no longer cares about being Robin. The only intriguing thing about his post-Crisis/pre-reboot identity has been his quest to find out what kind of a crime fighter he could be without Batman. He wanted his own identity so badly in order to spite Batman for constantly choosing Catwoman over him. Now, suddenly, he could suddenly care less just because he's in love. He's been in love for three months now!
2. Catwoman is jealous and angry over Batman working with Circe without her. For once, Moench gave Batman a SOLID relationship, and that was interesting. Now Catwoman is just another damn Vicki Vale, overreacting and fueled by paranoia for the sake of providing bad drama. I'm truly angry about this one. It's as if Moench spent one issue trying to give her a personality after all these months and then just decided that making her a jealous stereotype was easier.
3. He ruined Circe. She had so much potential as an enigmatic puller of puppet strings for two issues, and now she's laid bare and essentially working as a stooge for Batman. Yes, Moench hints that she might go the revenge route anyway, but her characterization is lost. She's not the mysterious shadow of an entity who leaves you to guess what she's up to next; she's just a piece on the chessboard -- maybe a pawn, maybe something slightly more unpredictable, but even turning on Batman at this point would happen in a predictable way. When Circe removed her mask for the first time in this issue, Moench laid bare a lot more than her appearance (though even this held more power as a mystery). He killed Circe's potential as a character.
The plot summary in one long sentence: Circe explains a nonsensical plan to Two Face about stealing an Egyptian mummy with the ability to restore his "good side" if he helps to kill Black Mask, but she's actually working for Batman and the entire plan is a ruse, Jason no longer cares about being Robin, Bruce barely cares that Jason doesn't care, Catwoman cares that Batman has been working solo with Circe and is jealous, Gordan randomly cares too much that Jason isn't showing up with Batman anymore (why? Just last issue he chewed Jason out twice for being unprofessional!), Batman tries to bust a Two Face scheme and falls into a trap, Circe rescues him, but it's actually Catwoman in disguise waiting for Batman to prove that he loves Circe (I guess), but he doesn't, and this somehow still makes her angry ("And don't even come near me, you...you TWO-TIMER!"), and Two-Face decides to go along with Circe's plan at the end.
Well there goes a perfectly good storyline setup. Yuck.
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