shaxper
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Post by shaxper on May 8, 2014 22:13:12 GMT -5
Batman #398
"About Faces"
writer: Doug Moench
art: Tom Mandrake
letters: John Costanza
colors: Adrienne Roy
editor: Len Wein
Grade: B-
The conclusion of the Two Face storyline, and while it pretty much goes the way you'd expect from the last disappointing installment, there is one nice twist.
First, what you'd expect: Catwoman is jealous and annoying, Batman is far more interested in pining over their relationship than fighting crime, and nothing endearing or likable about their relationship comes across in 6 pages of their discussing it. Additionally, Circe is thoroughly wasted in this story, vanishing at the end and leaving Batman and Catwoman to still wonder if she was on their side or not. They're free to wonder because she did absolutely nothing other than follow Batman's instructions in this issue. What a wasted character.
Now the nice twist: Moench made it clear from the start that Two-Face had changed; even his good side was no longer good. This storyline featured Batman's (self-admitted) lame attempt to cure him, and Moench does an excellent job of providing a climax to that struggle. Not only isn't Harvey cured; the failed attempt pushes him the other way, turning him completely evil and making him attempt to scar the good side of his face. He even takes mastery over his coin, choosing best out of 5 or 7 to get the scarred side result he wants. It was a powerful, powerful moment, but then Catwoman started waffling about her relationship with Batman again, they wondered together about Circe again, and the entire moment was upstaged. Still, it was awesome while it lasted.
Not sure a plot summary is really needed for this one, but: Catwoman and Batman talk things over for entirely too long, Jason goes on his date with Rena but is conflicted about not answering the Bat Signal, Batman and Circe implement their desperate plan to convert Two-Face, it fails, Batman and Catwoman intercede, Jason shows up at the wrong moment and smacks the door in Catwoman's face, Two-Face is stopped, Circe escapes, and Catwoman and Batman still can't figure out their damned love life.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on May 8, 2014 22:13:21 GMT -5
Detective Comics #565
"The Love Killing"
writer: Doug Moench
pencils: Gene Colan
inks: Bob Smith
letters: John Costanza
colors: Adrienne Roy
editor: Len Wein
Grade: D
For the first time in Moench's 40 issue run (80, approximately, if you count both titles), I seriously considered not finishing an issue. This was bad...very bad...so bad it hurts to even write about it.
sigh.
Okay, so there's this "Love Killer," really just a psychotic schmo who kills his ex-girlfriend and then shrinks her head like a voodoo shamen. Excited yet? Too bad. That's the most intriguing part of this story.
Most of the rest consists of Batman and Catwoman's stupid relationship problems, Jason and Rena making out a whole lot, and some truly truly terrible narration. Moench's "theme" for this issue is the idea that there's only a finite amount of love in the universe, "and if there is only so much love in the universe, where does it go when it's taken way?" So we see a boyfriend lose his girlfriend to her psycho ex, and we see Batman and Catwoman drift apart, and the answer to where that loves goes seems to be found on the last panel, as Catwoman hugs her new panther.
Yeah. That bad.
Oh, and we're back to Batman gazing longingly at the stupid stalagmite in the batcave that looks like a cat.
Also, there's some truly awful dialogue in this issue. Examples:
Batman: This Roy Spivey is hardly grief-stricken over Mona's death.
Catwoman: Doesn't make him guilty.
Batman: No--doesn't even make him human.
Catwoman: Maybe it'll hit later.
Batman: And maybe HE hit last night.
Beyond that, we see Batman being thoroughly illogical many times in the issue, jumping to conclusions about guilt and motives that are entirely unsubstantiated, staking out on a roof facing the suspect's apartment FOR A FULL MONTH because the guy never leaves his apartment. Really, Batman has nothing better to do? The guy MAY have committed one murder. Does that really warrant pulling Gotham's protector off the streets for a full month, and could he really have found no way in all that time to further the investigation?
There's also a great moment where the suspect sends a thug to attack Batman. He fails, of course, but when Batman tries to get him to confess who hired him and the thug won't talk, the thug shows no fear, stating:
"So take me in for lying...They'll add a slap on the wrist to the probation I'll get for attempted assault."
SO BATMAN LETS HIM GO!!
Seriously? THIS is Batman?? Sorry for all the caps, but I have no better way to express my utter shock at this. How in the world do you maintain a reputation that strikes fear into the hearts of criminals when you let a loud-mouthed braggart walk all over you like that and spend an entire month staked out on a single roof without your presence felt anywhere else?
Yikes. Moench clearly knows his days are numbered at the Bat Office at this point, and seems to just be punching the clock and collecting the check now.
Oh, another fun epic fail in this issue. Dramatic confusion is caused when one of two roommates, described as looking nearly identical from behind and even having the same colored hair, is murdered. The police don't know which one was killed. Small problem, though. They are drawn with completely different hair styles, and one is colored with brown hair while the other has red. Oops.
I'm not even going to waste your time with a plot synopsis. You don't want to read this one.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on May 8, 2014 22:13:31 GMT -5
Batman #399
"Strike Two"
writer: Doug Moench
art: Tom Mandrake
letters: John Costanza
colors: Adrienne Roy
editor: Len Wein
Grade: B-
I just had to push through for another issue. The next Detective and Batman #400 have been calling my name for a long time. I can't wait to get to them.
Fortunately, this was a MUCH better issue. I still don't like how flawed and impulsive Batman is in this issue, but he does much better detective work this time, and his final trap for the killer is absolutely classic. Even the drama with Catwoman gets toned down just a little, making it easier to ignore.
I also enjoyed Robin's reunion with Batman at the end of this issue. He FELT like pre-Crisis Jason again, and I think the same longing stirred in me at that moment as did in Batman. We all missed this Jason, and it's great to have him back for an issue or two before everything changes.
Another bonus is how good Mandrake's art gets in this issue. He's offered inconsistent work up to this point, but I really enjoyed what he did here, particularly Batman's high kick to the villain's head, and a haunting head shot of the villain, half his face eclipsed in shadow, the hidden eye twinkling like a terrifying star. I seriously wonder if Rob Liefield didn't steal from this image directly when he designed the look of Cable.
Really, Batman's relationship problems and impulsivity aside, the only thing I didn't like about this issue was how disturbingly similar it felt to the climax of the Film Freak storyline. A criminal who otherwise might have gotten away, runs out of ideas and returns to kill someone who talked about him to Batman. This inevitably leads to the climactic battle where, just as Batman is about to take the bad guy down, someone arrives at the door and causes an unfortunate distraction. It's like Moench was just desperate to keep the storyline going, and he repeated the exact same sad strategy this issue.
So yeah, I still feel that Moench is phoning it in, but this was a much more palletable half-assed effort.
Oh, the plot synopsis: After a two page recap, the murdered mails the shrunken head of his ex girlfriend to the guy that he thinks was her lover (he wasn't), Batman finally does some real detective work in the guy's apartment building and gathers a few useful clues, He, Gordan, and Bullock piece everything together but still lack the evidence to bring him in, Gordan allows Batman to wire-tap the guy, Jason begins to miss being Robin, Batman and Catwoman still can't get their romantic crap together, the dead girl's current boyfriend storms off to take down the killer, his friend who got the shrunken head mailed to him follows behind, the murdered returns to kill the victim's roommate, Batman shows up to stop him, the two guys show up at the door to stop him (creating a distraction for Batman), Catwoman and her panther show up to stop him, and they all succeed, while Batman and Catwoman make up, then don't, then do, then don't again, a funeral is held for the victim (more than a month later???), and Robin finally returns to duty at the end of the issue as Wein's narration box warns about the Rogues Gallery storyline coming up in the next Detective and solicits "Resurrection Night" in Batman #400. I'm excited.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on May 8, 2014 22:14:10 GMT -5
How weird. My wife bought me an awesome T-shirt from Target on Sunday, depicting this very comic book cover, and completely unaware that I was about to review this issue next. She didn't even know it was from the same run.
Detective Comics #566
"Know Your Foes"
writer: Doug Moench
pencils: Gene Colan
inks: Bob Smith
letters: Todd Klein
colors: Adrienne Roy
editor: Len Wein
Grade: B
Both an incredibly important and incredibly useless story at the same time, this one begins with Batman receiving a strange note warning him to "know your foes," (and if this feels too reminiscent of the mystery at the beginning of "The Untold Legend of the Batman," then I wouldn't hold your breath for the solution), and then spends the rest of the issue with Batman and Robin searching through the crime files, reviewing Batman's top villains in search of suspects. Of course, we could have guessed from the start that, without finger prints, unusual inks, or any kind of flamboyant calling card, this would be a pointless gesture, and one could easily question the need to provide such profiles for Batman's villains at the exact same time that Who's Who in the DC Universe? was being published (maybe this was, again, Moench's attempt to insert his read on these characters into the post-Crisis retcon), but the attempt was a nice review of the pre-Crisis Batman's rogues gallery; perhaps a farewell to all of the characters that wouldn't receive a bigger farewell in Batman #400 (though I'd be surprised if this was the pre-Crisis Joker's final exit).
As a minor note, it was tremendously frustrating that new letterer Todd Klein's "6"s look just like his "5"s. At first, I was surprised to see how short the Joker and Ras Al Ghul were.
Another minor note, the page numbers are back this issue.
As a final minor note, I would question why Batman would keep files like these. Clearly, the entire point was to provide us with the profiles, as they contained the most cursory information that Batman would never need to check his records to get, as well as unnecessary accompanying artwork.
On to the fine details:
Mad Hatter -- I hadn't realized until now that the mind control hats were regularly part of his M.O. pre-Crisis. Has he ever done this post-Crisis? It does seem a bit far fetched, but it's also the most compelling aspect of his character in many respects. I never really understood the point of the Mad Hatter until now, and (coming from a post-Crisis background) this is probably why.
Deadshot -- That is one lousy picture, Gene. Seriously, what's wrong with that targeting eye?
Ra's Al Ghul -- ARGH!! This was a truly humbling moment for me. Up to this point, I'd been under the impression that I've done a good job tracking Batman's progress from the end of the '70s up to this point, but when this entry eluded to Ra's being "burned to ashes up in that space station..." I nearly lost it. The last time I'd seen Ra's was at the conclusion of The Lazarus Affair. So (because Wein is no longer footnoting these references as of Batman #392), I scampered through all the Detective Comics issues I hadn't read prior to deciding to include them in these reviews, passed some awesome covers and stories that I'm now truly sorry I didn't read (you're welcome, Jim), and, not finding the referenced moment there, turned to the Batman Annuals (which I'd totally forgotten to include in these reviews!) and found the answer in Batman Annual #8 (which happens to look AMAZING!). This one little reference suddenly led me to realize all the awesome Batman material from this time frame that I DIDN'T read...just as all this continuity is about to become irrelevant. I could scream. Clearly, I have a lot more reading to return to eventually, but I can't stop everything now to go back and read old material. How frustrating!
Nocturna -- How odd that her crime file describes her as having "disappeared during recent 'cosmic crisis' ". First off, would Batman even be aware that there had been a cosmic crisis? I suppose so since this is still the pre-reboot Batman, but this begs all kinds of questions I won't get into. Second, I find it very odd that he doesn't mention her being stabbed (presumably to death) by Night-Slayer, even though the corresponding picture shows him standing over her (presumably dead) body with a knife. Is Batman being optimistic, or is Moench rewriting this to give Nocturna the opportunity to return? Either way, it doesn't seem that Colan got the memo when he drew the picture next to it.
Poison Ivy -- I was disappointed that Batman didn't include motives for her since I'm still trying to understand if her "love" for plants existed pre-Crisis. The few pre-Crisis appearances of hers that I read showed her using plants as a weapon, not necessarily caring for them. I was curious to see if that was an accurate assessment and if her eco-terrorist component was a post-Crisis invention.
Hugo Strange -- Where was he in these files? Granted, Moench made it clear that this was only a small sampling of the full list, but he even bothered to include Crazy Quilt and a musketeer guy that I'm not at all familiar with toward the end. Meanwhile, Strange was Batman's first villain, had a prominent story arc just prior to Moench coming onboard, and he appears in Batman Annual #10, which was written by Moench and in stores at the same time as this issue. Odd omission.
So there was no real story in this issue at all. The plot felt as obligatory as a flashback clip episode of your favorite TV show. Still, it was an interesting way to take a snap shot of the rogues gallery as it existed just prior to the reboot -- a testament to all that was, and perhaps a subtle plea for what would (or could) be.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on May 8, 2014 22:14:57 GMT -5
Well, here it is, folks, the end of three eras -- the end of the pre-Crisis Batman (although, in most respects, that Batman's world ended in Batman #391), the end of possibly the longest creator tenure on Batman at the time (84 consecutive issues of Batman, Detective Comics, and Batman Annuals, all by Doug Moench), and the end of arguably one of the most influential editor runs on Batman (Len Wein's) which gave the character continuity, continuing side-plots, stable supporting cast members, and sweeping story arcs for the first time.
I'm going to miss all of it.
Batman #400
"Resurrection Night"
writer: Doug Moench
art: Art Adams, Terry Austin, Brian Bolland, John Byrne, Paris Cullins, Karl Kesel, Joe Kubert, Steve Leialoha, Rick Leonardi, Steve Lightle, Larry Mahlstedt, Bruce D. Patterson, George Perez, Bill Sienkiewicz, Ken Steacy, Tom Sutton, & Rocardo Villagran.
letters: John Costanza
colors: Adrienne Roy
editor: Len Wein
Grade: A-
If you ever wondered who the first Batman writer to be influenced by Frank Miller was, the answer's right here. Only one month after the conclusion of DKR, even Stephen King's introduction is praising Miller's work as "probably the finest piece of comic art ever to be published in a popular edition," and "[assuring] Batman's continued success." Even though it completely ignored and flew in the face of everything Moench had been doing with Batman, he clearly steals from it in this issue, allowing Batman to become truly dark for the first time. We see Batman fly into a rage against Ra's Al Ghul, ripping a desk apart and flinging it at the giant penny, we see him get payback by blowing up Ra's' hideout without checking to see if anyone is inside, and we even see him remind the Joker that he never breaks a deal, make a deal with the Joker, and then double cross him while decking him across the face. Even the way her refers to Jason while saying, "Kid, I know it's a trap" just broadcasts a bat-load of attitude.
The big difference between Miller and Moench here being that Moench makes this attitude justified, and he still presents Batman as a moral character with internal conflicts about his mission and conduct while he does it. This Batman can be dark and gritty, occasionally cross the line, and still clearly be a hero. It's also this Batman that (I believe) sets the tone for what he will be post-Crisis -- a scaled down, unquestionably moral yet unstable and attitude-filled dark knight.
Think about it. DKR makes headlines and, the month after it ends, this giant anniversary issue comes out. I have to believe that a large chunk of the people who came back to comics (or approached them for the first time) for DKR went to this book next, and this more moderate interpretation that married their classic understanding of Batman with the excitement of Miller's take would have made sense to those readers. I really think this is the Batman that stuck in most readers', writers', and editors' minds as we moved into the post-Crisis universe.
And speaking of the far-reaching influences of this book, an evil mastermind blows all of Batman's enemies out of Arkham and prison with the express intent of driving Batman to his mental limits, and one villain promises to break Batman's back. Gee...where will we hear that again in ten more years?
So, the story itself...
Well, you have to notice the art in this one. Devoting every few pages to a new guest artist was a truly fun idea. Steve Lightle, Bill Sienkiewicz, Tom Sutton, Joe Kubert, and Brian Bolland were the high points for me, but the variety of styles all generally worked to complement the tone of their specific scenes. It was an odd, but successful experiment.
Plot wise, Moench tried to duplicate/outdo Conway's farewell story in Detective #526 where Batman and his allies had to fight his entire rogues gallery. Moench even references that story as he attempts to surpass it, providing a better and more interesting explanation for how all of the villains got out of prison, putting a more intriguing villain at the center, and then unexpectedly falling into the exact same trap Conway did in terms of not giving any of the villains time to shine:
R'as gets his time, of course, though it feels like a replay of the final act of The Lazarus Affair. No new territory, no greater likelihood that he's actually dead this time.
Joker gets a nice moment to himself, just as he did last time, this time refusing to play by the rules and screwing up the plan in order to indulge his own mad whims. Honestly, I would have cried foul if he hadn't.
Riddler gets off one riddle (which he doesn't even get to deliver) and then shows up and delivers obligatory background info to Batman without reeling off another riddle (isn't that supposed to be his COMPULSION?).
Two Face, Mr. Freeze, and a bunch of others take off at the first opportunity and never do anything in the story.
Scarecrow never even breaks out the fear gas or sonic skulls. He tries to attack with an axe(?) once and does absolutely nothing else, even though he appears two more times in the story.
Penguin and Mad Hatter could have been substituted with any other costumed villain. They further the plot and do nothing else.
Dagger and Calendar Man return and get attention in this issue. SERIOUSLY? The two biggest joke villains I've ever read in the pages of Batman, and they're only back because Moench created/resurrected them. I don't see him featuring Conway's Sportsmaster, after all. Truly, he could have extended himself to include a few more C villains from before his run instead of resorting to his own personal F list.
Poison Ivy was probably the only villain that was handled well in this issue. Moench really did something special with her when he gave her a 3 page chapter with Bullock. We saw her being devious, far more intelligent than she let on (we spend most of the chapter believing Bullock is duping her when it proves to be the exact opposite), and that post-Crisis eco-terrorist attitude comes across, perhaps for the first time, when she says, "Everything outside is dead, you see, and everything in [this greenhouse] is pathetically imprisoned." As I noted in my review of Detective #566, all the pre-Crisis Ivy stories I read showed her using plants as weapons, but never actually caring for them. Is this the first time that we see Ivy actually show concern for their well-being? Granted, her primary concern is still money, but this definitely felt like a new twist for the character--and one that gets picked up in a bigger way post-Crisis.
I have to say I really enjoyed watching Ivy, Riddler, and Scarecrow eating McDonalds food while holed up with the hostages. You never see the villains of a story stop to eat, and their idle, all-too-realistic chatter while they did so was immensely amusing as Ivy remarks on how fast food chains treat their vegetables and the Riddler reels off a riddle about a pickle.
One major problem with the logic of the story -- Ra's has the villains kidnap four people who mean a lot to Batman (Alfred, Julia, Vickie, and Bullock) and tells them this, but doesn't tell them what the connection is out of some sense of honor and respect for Batman and preserving his secret identity. With 13 of Batman's greatest villains all a part of this, how come not a single one of them can piece together the fact that Alfred, Julia, and Vicki's only likely connection to Batman is if he's Bruce Wayne? Furthermore, why not kidnap Catwoman, Gordan, or Jason? Don't they qualify as more important to Batman than Bullock?
Also, how exactly did that giant electrified net, capable of enveloping all of police headquarters, pop out of the bottom of Joker's helicopter? I need a physics major to help me with this one.
I could nitpick further, but for a story this long and important, it seems silly to do so. Instead, I'll say that I think the story succeeded overall, forcing the Batman to re-examine his purpose/mission as Batman, develop a darker side in working through his demons and obstacles, and arriving new and ready to re-emerge as a resurrected Batman at the end. No, the story makes no attempt to explain how Bruce will actually be recreated in his post-Crisis version by the Crisis on Infinite Earths, but it works on a more metaphorical level and sets a touching stage for the end of one era and the beginning of the next. It's less a farewell to the pre-Crisis Batman universe, and more just an acknowledgment that change is coming...yet it did this in a touching way, especially as that fallen giant penny is righted by the end of the story.
The plot in a nutshell (not that it matters): Ra's has broken all of Batman's enemies out of Arkham and jail, reinforcing Batman's doubts that he's done nothing to truly stop crime in his years as Batman and offering to kill the criminals if Batman joins him, but it's an empty offer that he knows Bruce will refuse and is just trying to break his spirits, Talia joins Batman to help stop her father, Robin and Catwoman join in as well, Ra's has the villains abduct the people closest to Batman, and Batman and his partners must work together to stop them and take down Ra's, which they do all while reaffirming the importance of Batman's mission and vision in the process.
In some respects, it's still not quite the powerful goodbye I would have hoped for (I'll still take Batman #391 for that one -- Moench's real goodbye to the pre-Crisis Batman universe), but this was definitely an entertaining and influential story that clearly shaped the hundred issues(and probably more) that followed it.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on May 8, 2014 22:16:12 GMT -5
Detective Comics #567
"The Night of Thanks, But No Thanks!"
writer: Harlan Ellison
pencils: Gene Colan
inks: Bob Smith
letters: John Costanza
colors: Adrienne Roy
editor: Len Wein
Grade: C+
Correction. Officially, this was Wein's final story as editor, but from what I know about Ellison, I doubt any critiques/suggestions were made or heard.
This is probably the only "filler" issue I've ever looked forward to in my life. I mean, it's Harlan Ellison! But the issue reads as little more than a joke Ellison had planned to tell for several years and finally got around to telling. It's a single repeating gag that shows precious little knowledge of or respect for the character of Batman and reflects none of Ellison's genius beyond his ability to quote great thinkers in order to back-handedly mock Batman. I wouldn't be surprised if the script was written in a single evening.
Now, don't get me wrong. It's not that I have a problem with making fun of Batman. A silly story on the cusp of serious transformations for the character was a great idea, but a good satire knows its subject well and mocks it in a way that leaves everyone saying "That's so true!" while roaring with laughter. This issue revealed no such knowledge about who Batman is.
For one thing, he talks like Spider-Man. Using the word "Jeez," playfully referring to himself as "the cavalry," muttering, "rassafrassin' peckalomer! Sagamuggin gruzzl criggin!" or sarcastically telling a 911 operator, "Yea, it's me again. Wanna make something of it?" all felt thoroughly inappropriate for Batman. Funny, yes, but far from genuine -- far from worthy satire.
Then there's the whole issue of how BAD a detective Batman is in this issue. He keeps sizing up the things he sees incorrectly and with very blind prejudices. After the first mistake, I was able to accurately size up every other situation he witnessed in this issue, even though he couldn't. Batman doesn't see a big ugly guy walking down the street and automatically assume, "My god, it's a golem with a candy bar. What a BRUTE...gotta be a nightstalking strangler!" To be fair, Batman was probably a bit desperate to make a good snap judgment after his other blunders, but this just didn't seem right at all for Batman. Once again, I would have bought this as a Spider-Man story. It smacked of someone younger and less experienced, even as one of Ellison's many insulting proverbs warns "Do not fall into the error of the artisan who boasts of twenty years experience in his craft while, in fact, he has had only one year of experience--twenty times." That's just never been even close to true for Batman. It's the antithesis of all he represents: the regular human who raised himself to the level of a superman out of sheer hard work and conviction. A guy who can be killed by a single bullet couldn't have survived this long on lazy routine and carelessness.
But, ultimately, what felt the most wrong was the basic premise of the joke -- Batman feels useless and irritated because everyone is solving their own problems without him. Maybe maybe maybe this gag would have worked well twenty years earlier, but just last issue, Batman's self-doubt and rage was devoted entirely to the fact that his many years of work hadn't made the world a demonstrably better place. The Batman that Wein, Wolfman, Conway, and Moench wrote (and probably Robbins, O'Neil, Barr, and Reed, as well), would have smiled at seeing this, sat back, and taken it as a personal compliment and permission for Bruce to enjoy himself for once. I'm inclined to believe that earlier Batman writers would have seen it the same way, though I haven't read enough of those earlier issues to be sure. The joke just doesn't work. Batman doesn't fight crime out of a need for purpose or excitement; he fights crime because his own brush with it, the very basis of his identity since 1939, led him to wage a war on all crime and bring it to its knees. I can't imagine that guy ever being disappointed that society got control of crime without him for an evening.
So I don't mean to be a downer. It's a damn funny joke if you don't know Batman. But this isn't Batman. It isn't even close to Batman. The moment in "Scooby-Doo Meets Batman" where Batman is able to pull a bat cookie out of his utility belt to satiate Shaggy and Scooby was better satire than this -- it made fun of its target in a knowledgeable way.
Sorry Harlan, but my enjoyment of this issue was probably directly proportionate to the amount of time you spent planning it.
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Post by shaxper on May 8, 2014 22:17:30 GMT -5
(Denny O'Neil begins as editor)
Batman #401
"A Bird in the Hand (Legends, chapter 1)"
writer: Barbara J. Randall
art: Trevor Von Eeden
letters: John Costanza
colors: Adrienne Roy
editor: Dennis O'Neil
Grade: B
First off, let's discuss this in terms of the post-Crisis reboot. It's been argued many times that this is the first appearance of the post-Crisis rebooted Batman and his universe. I've often disagreed in theory and now, reading this issue for the first time in more than twenty years, I firmly and completely disagree.
Sure, "Legends" was a crossover that occurred in the post-Crisis DC universe, and this story features a character that was introduced in the rebooted Superman's "Man of Steel" mini series, but this Batman and Robin are far more corny and uncomplicated than in anything that Moench, Conway, or Wein were writing. Robin provides the gags and side comments (and his diction is suddenly perfect and devoid of slang), and Batman is the sagely know it all who patiently explains how lasers work to both Robin and the reader as he uses a diamond to rescue the two of them from an impossible laser trap. This couldn't have been more of a throwback to the bright and uncomplicated hero of the Atom Age. In the end, when Magpie calls him a "horrible man," he even responds by saying "I am what I have to be. Let's go" suggesting a kind hearted man beneath the cloak who only gets tough with villains when has has to. Compare that to the dark hero who flung a desk at the giant penny in a moment of rage or clocked the Joker for no good reason last issue.
So I think Batman's journey through the Crisis and its confusing aftermath can be seen as follows:
Batman #391 -- Batman's pre-Crisis era ends.
Batman #392 to #400 -- the post-crisis/pre-reboot era. Moench wanders aimlessly through this uncertain era, initially attempting a soft reboot and later reverting to the pre-Crisis universe in the last few issues.
Batman #401 -- the post-rebooted universe, pre-rebooted Batman era begins. Some new editorial mandates are laid down for Batman, but the characters are not in place yet.
Batman #404 -- The rebooted Batman era begins with the Year One origin storyline.
So, onto those editorial mandates. Bruce Wayne is now a noted womanizer (though it's an act), and Batman only works at night. Both points were clearly made toward the beginning of the issue. Beyond that, this is a throwback Batman and Robin, which is even emphasized by Von Eeden's odd homage to Bob Kane's drawing style. I couldn't decide whether I really appreciated that or was distracted by it throughout the issue. Either way, it only helped to communicate a sense of classic timelessness to the Batman in this story, even as he moved into a new era. Moench's Batman was far far darker than this. I can only imagine what new readers to the book who came in because of DKR were thinking.
I've always been confused by why this isn't the beginning of the story. It's the first part of Legends (Legends #1 comes after), and yet it picks up in the middle of the story with Magpie having already committed two murders on this particular crime spree. I know she previously appeared in Man of Steel #3, but is this story continuing directly from that? How odd.
All in all, this was a clever story full of classic Batman contrivances. It was even amusing toward the end, especially when Robin accidentally pulls down Magpie's top and when Magpie is reduced to throwing a tantrum like a small child at the end. Batman's tenderness was touching at this point, even though it was hard to accept. If Batman feels this much pathos for so unapologetic a murderer, I can't imagine he'd survive long in his line of work. Inevitably, he'd have to be a little tougher and thicker skinned than this.
One random moment about the story that I loved and that was duplicated many times since. After speaking to someone who leaves his office, Gordan reveals that he's aware Batman has been there the entire time without even moving or changing his body language. I really like the depth of connection that moment reveals between the two characters.
Also, who is this David Estevez guy that Gordan is talking to? Does he also carry over from Man of Steel #3?
I'm hoping that G. Gordon Godfrey, the obnoxious religious zealot railing against Batman and other superheroes, will not be a mainstay in Randall's next two issues. The premise annoyed me and had already been carried as far as it could go by the last two pre-Crisis mayors of Gotham.
The plot summary in one ridiculously long sentence: Magpie is killing people by stealing bird-themed jewels and replacing them with lethal decoys, so Bruce Wayne holds a jewelery display social event in order to bait Magpie into a trap with the Gotham police force there to stop her, while a religious zealot rails on about how Batman is evil and destroying Gotham, but Magpie sneaks in as a waitress and gets the jewel/commits the murder anyway, so Batman and Robin chase her, get trapped in a room with lasers, break out using a diamond to refract the lasers, and then catch Magpie in the end.
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Post by shaxper on May 8, 2014 22:20:45 GMT -5
Detective Comics #568
"Eyre"
writer: Joey Cavalieri
art/colors: Klaus Janson
letters: John Costanza
editor: Denny O'Neil
Grade: B-
At first, I was horrified to see my least favorite B story team had been given the reigns on this issue. Maybe this was O'Neil's way of making it up to them that they were cancelling the Green Arrow back-up and, as of this issue, giving all 22 pages to Batman. Is this the first time that Detective devoted its entire length to Batman for a prolonged period of time?
Anyway, the reason I didn't end up minding too much is that this felt almost exactly the same as the last Batman issue by Barbara Randall. Once again, it's a simple story involving a simplistically good Batman and Boy Wonder, and Batman must real off series of facts he just happens to know about hawks while they work out a way to track and stop Penguin and his giant hawks. Simple nostalgia factor again. In fact, the return of Rev. Godfrey in this issue (took me a while to recognize him since Janson drew him COMPLETELY differently than Von Eeden), and a corny lecture by Batman about bystander safety to further affirm how thoroughly good-natured he is further suggests that O'Neil is responsible for the amazing similarities between these two stories and controlling them heavily. He clearly has his own vision for the title that is about to get completely blown out of the water once Miller jumps in. This Batman is so wholesome that it almost hurts.
A bit odd, then, that the letter column for this issue answers letters specifically written about DKR and then has Denny specifically describe the new post-reboot vision of Batman as "driven, tormented, obsessed, as dark in his way as the mean streets he prowls." In a sense, that's strong evidence for the idea that these storylines he's pushing are also intended to be placeholders, just as Moench's last sixteen issues were, fun stories invoking a classic depiction of Batman that is about to be wiped clean. In light of comments like this one from O'Neil, I doubt even he considers these stories post-reboot.
And I still don't understand how this and the previous story were Legends crossover chapters. The two stories have no plot threads in common and both seem to fully resolve themselves at the end. What about this story makes it a Legends tie-in?
The plot synopsis in one long sentence: Batman and Robin are secretly attending a rally by Rev. Godfrey against superheroes, Batman discusses his vision of working toward a world that one day won't need him with Robin, a bunch of giant hawks attack, the hawks lead Batman to discover that Penguin is stealing the hawks and destroying evidence of the experiment that created them (why were the hawks attacking people, then? Just as a plot convenience to bring Batman to Penguin?), Batman intervenes, Penguin escapes, Batman tracks Penguin down but falls into a trap, he and the kidnapped scientist who created the hawks turn the hawks against Penguin, and Batman catches Penguin in the end.
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Post by shaxper on May 8, 2014 22:21:10 GMT -5
And I still don't understand how this and the previous story were Legends crossover chapters. The two stories have no plot threads in common and both seem to fully resolve themselves at the end. What about this story makes it a Legends tie-in? Answered my own question with a little research. For those who don't know, Godfrey was actually a minion of Darkseid who was sent to turn humanity against Earth's heroes. That's the common link that ties these Batman issues into the Legends storyline. |
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Post by shaxper on May 8, 2014 22:21:22 GMT -5
Batman #402
(untitled)
writer: Max Collins
art: Jim Starlin
letters: John Costanza
colors: Daina Graziunas
editor: Denny O'Neil
Grade: A-
Well, it seems that Barbara Randall's writing credits on the previous issue were a one-shot anomaly. I did not realize that Max Collins actually began his tenure on Batman here, though his write-up at the end of the issue presents this as yet another one-shot filler opportunity ("...Denny O'Neil gave me the opportunity to script an issue of BATMAN." Still, it seems that he'll be brought back to continue this storyline (which appeared to end here) next issue. Apparently, O'Neil liked what he did and wanted more. I did too.
This issue does complicate my understanding of the Batman reboot process further. While you could still chalk this up to a filler storyline even though Collins will play a major part in the reboot after Year One, there's the little matter of Jason Todd. Immediately after Year One, Collins will give us the post-Crisis origin of Jason Todd and turn him into a troubled youth who was always in danger of going over the edge. He receives that exact same characterization in this issue (sans the backstory), questioning whether it's truly wrong to kill the bad guys. Now it seems as though Collins is just trying to use Jason as a sounding board for the issue being debated by nearly every character in this issue as Batman must take on a homicidal imposter of himself, but this feels very post-Crisis Jason. Similarly, Collins makes no attempt to present Batman as campy and as purely goodie goodie as Randall and Cavalari did in their two stories last month.
One could make the case that this is the first appearance of the rebooted Robin and, by extension, possibly even the first appearance of the rebooted Batman. However, considering that this storyline has absolutely no long-term reprecussions and the reboot origins for these characters begin in two more months, it seems easier to write these off as filler issues with great hints about where Collins would later take the series.
Anyway, this was a fantastic storyline. Batman has faced costumed imposters before, but Tommy Carma really put Batman's mission into perspective and even led me to reconsider Batman's code about not killing. The fact that we don't know Carma is an imposter for the first two pages was even more mind-blowing. We just read DKR, we knew Batman was about to change, and there he was, snapping potential murderer/rapists' necks. It was an insane ride, and the excitement didn't die down much when we realized it wasn't actually Batman.
Carma's back story was intriguing enough, the info was revealed slowly and intelligently, Collins kept tricking the reader in the coolest of ways (I loved when Gordan was filling in the reporter who we later discovered was Batman), and the moment where Tommy's drunk mother believes Batman was Tommy was so thoroughly depressing and moving. Oddly enough, the climactic battle between the two Batmen was probably the least compelling part of this issue.
Oh, and Starlin art. You gotta love the mid-'80s Bat nostalgia.
This issue marks the first appearance of "Barnes," an upstart after Gordan's job who is now taking the same tired role of trying to turn the public against Batman that rev. Godfrey was occupying just last issue.
Bullock is suspiciously absent. Either Collins didn't care about him, or he's out of continuity now. I know he eventually comes back, but I don't know how many months or years it will take to happen. Even then, I have a feeling he won't be the same character I loved so much under Moench.
The plot in one ridiculously long sentence: Batman stops and kills two rapists/muggers, he goes home, reflecting on how good it felt to finally cross the line, and when he removes his cowl, his hair is blonde, the real Batman shows up at police HQ and finds its a trap to arrest him for the murders, set up by "Barnes," somone on the police force (deputy commissioner?) who is after Gordan's job, Gordan is still on Batman's side, Batman and Gordan piece together the identity and motive for the bat imposter (Tommy Carma, an ex-detective who was too brutal in taking in bad guys and had his family killed by one of them), Batman feels bad for Tommy and doesn't really want to take him in, Robin questions whether Tommy is actually doing anything wrong in killing truly bad criminals who get out on technicalities, Batman goes to Tommy's home and is mistaken for him by his drunken mother, Batman realizes Tommy really thinks he is the Batman and thinks much like him, and Batman finally stops Tommy in the end.
GREAT issue. There's no way I understood and appreciated this issue this much when I first read it as an adolescent. Funny what that says about the quality of this story. I read the Barbara Randall Magpie story from last issue as a kid and got pretty much the same thing out of it that I did this time around.
It's really exciting to finally be working through the run that I read as a kid (beginning with #401). Can't wait to keep revisiting these!
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Post by shaxper on May 8, 2014 22:22:42 GMT -5
Detective Comics #569
"Catch as Catscan"
writer: Mike W. Barr
pencils: Alan Davis
inks: Paul Neary
letters: John Workman
colors: Adrienne Roy
editor: Denny O'Neil
Grade: A+
If the primary job of an editor is to paint a consistent picture of a character across titles, story arcs, and individual issues, then Denny O'Neil has already epic failed. If, however, an editor's primary job is to hire good talent and provide entertaining diversity, then we can already call O'Neil's time at the Bat Office a success. Sure, the entire point of the Crisis was to weed out inconsistencies in the DCU, but what the heck. This mess of a Bat Office is bringing in some fantastic talent.
Barr and Davis have given me the ultimate incarnation of the Batman and Robin team in this issue. It's cute, light-hearted, action-packed, intelligent, appropriately serious and intense at the climax, and absolutely full of rich character. While Jason is still the teen that Moench left him as in the Batman title, Barr and Davis have unapologetically made him even younger than he was when he first started under Conway/Moench. He's innocent and fun to the max. A pretty girl named Rena would never catch his eye, he has no angst, and he couldn't use a slang word if he tried. I'd imagine these were the stories that Judd Winnick was looking at when he wrote the flashback sequences for the Under the Hood movie, depicting Jason's early years as a sidekick to Bruce.
Davis' art is just perfect and beautiful -- a great balance of fun and darkness. I can't think of a better way to express how strongly I adore it.
Catwoman is still a good guy in this storyline, and yet Barr clearly isn't trying to match up with Moench's continuity. This time around, she has just recently disbanded and turned in her gang (when's the last time we saw her have a gang prior to this? The late '70s, I'd imagine), Batman (thankfully) objects to their mixing romance with work (no more making out in front of Gordon!), and Jason finds their little faltering romance amusing (rather than sulking about it for issue after issue), and when Bruce refers to screwing up past romances, absolutely no attempt is made to reference Vikki Vale or Julia Pennyworth (Thankyouthankyouthankyou!).
Catman is a useless wimp in this issue. It's funny, but this is clearly not the pre-Crisis character, unless he's that replacement Catman from Moench's run (though I strongly doubt Barr was thinking of this. I wonder if he even read Moench's run).
The Joker's characterization in this issue was positively PRICELESS, especially when he gives the exploding cigar to the scientist, and then the scientist attempts to return the favor. The sincerely earned laugh fest that ensues was beyond adorable. Possibly my favorite Joker moment ever. I mean it.
Catwoman purring on Gordon's office couch was similarly endearing.
And you've got to love Batman grabbing Jason and demanding that he "NEVER do that again!" in response to Jason commenting, "Holy Gutenberg!".
Check out that Batcave on page 9. We see all those old Batmobiles under drop cloths in the background, including the 1940s original. Clearly, Barr and Davis are doing whatever the heck they want and aren't concerning themselves with reboots and continuity. The Post-Crisis Batman wouldn't have been active in the 1940s, after all.
Page 14, top panel -- Batman, Robin, and Catwoman triumphantly swinging out of the shadows to take down Joker and his gang. I want a wall-sized poster of this.
Gordon is "Captain" Gordan in this issue. Was that some later abandoned post-crisis mandate from O'Neil? Oh, and we find out that "Barnes," the guy who was after Gordon's job in Batman #402, is the deputy mayor. Apparently, O'Neil is still pushing for some kind of continuity across these titles, even while missing the blatant inconsistencies, like Jason being 10 or 11 in Detective and 14 or 15 in Batman.
On page 20, we learn that "for a quarter-century I've [Batman has] trained my mind to be the master of my body." That's pretty much the only aspect of this issue that feels explicitly post-Crisis. I have to say that I really enjoyed the idea that this relatively light-hearted Batman has a serious enough side to have devoted that much energy and discipline to his training, literally meditating himself out of a trap at the most dire of moments. Even Davis' artwork took an entirely different, far more dramatic, tone here.
AWESOME issue. It's sad to see Barr and Davis coming in with a story like this at such a bad time, though. Clearly, the continuity reboot is going to wipe most aspects of this run clean and leave an otherwise brilliant body of work relatively forgotten.
I wonder if this was the best era ever to be reading Batman. Consider the diversity of awesomeness coming from the two core Batman titles at this point -- totally different interpretations of the character at opposite ends of the spectrum, but both valid and tremendously enjoyable.
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Post by shaxper on May 8, 2014 22:25:10 GMT -5
Batman #403
"One Batman too Many"
writer: Max Collins
pencils: Denys B. Cowan
inks: Greg Brooks
letters: John Costanza
colors: Adrienne Roy
editor: Denny O'Neil
Grade: A-
Let's begin with a little reboot watch. The big thing I've been attempting to monitor in these reviews as of late is exactly when the Post-Crisis Batman begins. As we've progressed, the waters have become a little less clear. Nevertheless, I felt this issue strongly backed my continuing theory that Batman's Post-Crisis reboot doesn't truly begin until Batman #404 (Year One).
For one thing, O'Neil's notes at the end clearly confess that he needed a filler writer for #402 and #403 until Year One could begin in #404. For another, he also confirms my suspicions that Max Collins was only supposed to write #402. This issue had been an afterthought. Of course, by the time this issue was published, arrangements had clearly been made for Collins to continue on the title after Year One. However, the ad for Batman #408 in this issue asks "Will Robin Die Tonight?" with a picture of Jason tied upside down, while also advertising that Collins will be writing it. So plans had already been made for Collins to come back as a regular writer by the time #403 was published, but did Collins knew this while writing #403, and, if so, does this story serve as any kind of beginning to his run's internal continuity?
I should also point out that, while O'Neil acknowledges that Barr and Davis are the new regular team on Detective, he also praises them for, "taking the Batman into all the darknesses there are." Clearly, he has little understanding of, or input in, what they're doing in that title. Add that to the facts that their early run does not match the post-Year One Batman depiction in terms of Jason, Selina, or the overall tone, and it becomes easy to question whether those those stories could be seen as "counting" post Year One either.
Anyway, back to the question of whether this issue counts toward Collins' later (clearly post-reboot) run -- it's a gray area. We do get some new understandings about Bruce/Batman's characterization in this issue. but nothing has really been introduced in this issue that could/should count later. I believe this is the last we'll ever see of Tommy Carma, and even Jason's one little moment last issue that felt very post-Crisis Jason Todd is long since forgotten; the kid seems like his pre-Crisis self again. Nothing about this issue seems important.
That being said, it was another GREAT issue.
First off, Cowan and Collins are a great team here. They work seamlessly to convey a tone, whether it be dramatic contrasts between Bruce and Carma (one very grounded, the other desperate and feral), or between Carma's delusional world and harsh reality. That moment early on where you discover the Two-Face and Joker he's just murdered were actually Arkham guards was powerful.
Surprisingly enough, they Cowan and Collins work well to subtly introduce some humor into this dark storyline, as well. When Batman noticed the Batmobile was missing and put his arms out while declaring, "where is it?," I nearly laughed out loud. I wondered if this had been a little gag on Cowan's part to lighten Collins' mood until we got to the point where Batman found the Batmobile again and told it "How I've missed you..." Completely underplayed hysteria brilliantly interspersed into an otherwise dark and serious storyline.
So, an awesome plot aside (which I'll recap shortly), the only other things that stood out in this issue were the depictions of Vicki Vale and Bruce Wayne.
Vicki Vale, thankfully, is completely retconned! The psycho stalker weight trainer from Moench's run has been reset to a confident young newspaper editor who has grown out of her affection for Batman and now has healthy skepticism/concerns about what he does. Whether this is trying to establish the premise that Batman will not be seen as a hero by most in O'Neil's post crisis office (this certainly wasn't suggested last issue when the general public seemed to feel it was okay for Batman to kill), or whether it's just setting up the potential for Vicki to pose as a threat to Batman later on, I found it interesting.
Bruce Wayne is fascinating in this issue. I'm assuming we're still going with the idea introduced in #401 that Bruce is now a notorious womanizer, but Collins clearly exposes it as a ruse when Bruce declines to go into Vicki's apartment with her. We also know, though, that there are two sides to Bruce's public persona. Vicki applauds him for using the Wayne Foundation to do so much good in the world, but both Gordan and the police captain seem to see Bruce as a meddling, ignorant, spoiled socialite. Finally, we get that interesting moment at the bottom of page six where Vicki lovingly holds Bruce's face in her hands and tells him that one thing she likes about him over Batman is that "you don't wear a mask." Collins and Cowan are both clearly suggesting that "Bruce Wayne" is a mask, an idea that was hinted at in Batman #401 and, as far as I know, was a totally new interpretation of Bruce/Batman's dual role at that point. It's also an interpretation that carries through to modern day, but let's be careful, here. While the general idea still continues, the specifics are more convoluted.
After all, Collins and Cowan never establish who the real person is behind that mask. Clearly, it's not the dark and obsessive personality we know today. That's clearly established when the calm of that moment is contrasted with the dark obsessive insanity of Tommy Carma in the next panel. They're clearly telling us that's not Batman. The Batman in these issues uses his alter ego to get mercy for his victims whenever possible, jokes with Robin about what happened to his car, and even gives another tender moment to Carma in the end, a near-carbon copy of the conclusion to the Magpie story in Batman #401, putting his arm around Carma and walking him into the distance while saying "Let's go, son. Let's get you some help."
So once again, O'Neil's vision of a compassionate Batman who just knows how to act tough is reaffirmed, and we can pretty much write off Barr and Davis' work (as much as I love it even more than what Collins is doing) as off the editorial vision radar. I guess the question becomes whether this vision of the compassionate-deep-down-Batman gets erased later on, or if Jason's death two years from now (and right after Collins' run) organically changes Batman into the more Miller-like Bat jerk that post-Crisis fans have come to expect. If that's the case (and I kinda' believe it is), then there is some basis for calling Batman #401 the beginning of the post-Crisis Batman in the sense that it captures some of the thematic elements of the post-Crisis Batman prior to his transformation into a darker figure, but let's not forget the excessive campiness of that issue (especially as Batman stopped to explain how lasers work before escaping from Magpie's trap, nor the fact that Jason was still clearly his pre-Crisis self).
Overall, though, while you can trace early aspects of the post-Crisis Batman persona in these issues, Batman #404 is still the clearest and most logical reboot point, and nothing important is lost by seeing it that way and disregarding the post-crisis issues that came before it. These stories should still be enjoyed in their own right (they're fantastic), but they still have only one foot in the future and at least half a foot in the past.
The plot synopsis in one long sentence: Tommy Carma breaks out of Arkham, more deluded and dangerous, and more convinced that he's the Batman than ever, he heads to the outskirts of town looking for Bruce Wayne since he sees Bruce as an ally for offering assistance during his trial, Tommy takes refuge from the rain by entering a small cave which ends up connecting to the Batcave, Tommy takes a real Batman costume and the batmobile, Bruce and Vicki go out on a date and discuss whether or not Batman is a hero, we get some recap on who Tommy Carma is (from last issue), Batman finds out that Tommy is after the gangster who killed his family, and Batman stops him right after Tommy kills the gangster.
Really my only complaint with this issue (which was far more entertaining than the recap sounds), was that the conclusion felt like a replay of last issue. Once Batman finally finds Tommy, it once again ends with a few punches. I suppose that's realistic, but I wanted a bigger climax this time. Such a desperate and insane man, once confronted with his delusion by seeing the real Batman, might resort to taking a wild risk or two instead of just fighting and failing again.
Anyway, I love it otherwise.
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Post by shaxper on May 8, 2014 22:25:20 GMT -5
Detective Comics #570
"The Last Laugh"
writer: Mike W. Barr
pencils: Alan Davis
inks: Paul Deary
colors: Adrienne Roy
editor: Denny O'Neil
Grade: A-
Post Crisis reboot watch: Here's the most obvious evidence yet that Barr meant for this storyline to be part of pre-Crisis continuity. the entire purpose of this issue was to turn Catwoman into a villain again. Heck, Barr even goes so far as to show how she is made to forget Batman's secret identity (and Wein and Moench went back and forth on whether or not the reformed Selina knew it). If this were a post-crisis story, why not just start with Catwoman being a villain? Why take such pains to acknowledge and undo that past continuity?
As for the issue, itself, this one was nearly as fun as the last and had some great laugh out loud moments, and man do I love Davis' art. This is still my ideal depiction of Batman and Robin, both in terms of writing and drawing. Heck, I even love how Batman could be so tough on the local thugs, yet know and almost seem to like each of them at the same time. He walks a careful and delightful line with them, almost like a teacher, comfortable with his ability to scare them into compliance and come down on them when necessary, yet appreciate them and socialize with them at the same time. He knows the names and faces, and actually seems interested in each of them as people. Rhonda and Moose were the true delights of this issue, especially when Moose pulled the untied shoelace gag on him. You know Batman could have taken him down with any number of more direct methods, but this was more fun and just a tad loving.
Profile, the Information Broker was fascinating to me. In recent year, I'd had the impression that Calculator and The Broker were the first of their kind in making a business out of providing information and resources to criminals, but I know this is a well regarded run (at least by writers), and so it's reasonable to assume that both characters were inspired by Profile. Incidentally, I really like that twisted, dark side of Batman that came out in order to get the info he needed from Profile, threatening to commit a crime and frame him for it. Wow.
And yet I felt that darkness went too far by the end of the issue. When Batman realizes he's lost Selina and then savagely starts beating Joker and threatening to finally kill him for it, was just too over the top, even in a story with a darker tone. It just came out of nowhere and felt far too big for what had happened. The fact that he snaps back to a smiling good guy only two panels later when Robin gets him back in check by pointing out that the victims were saved just made it all the more surreal. It's not the first time we saw Batman consider crossing that line (Moench already did it), but it was more savage, less called for, and far more random this time.
Another tidpit Barr stole from Moench which might seem bold and original here if you hadn't read it there -- Joker's confession that he'd never want to kill the Batman because he enjoys their relationship too much.
Oh, I should have probably mentioned Straight Line by now. He's the Joker's new assistant as of last issue, a dead panned older(?) man who is possibly just as unwell and flamboyant as Joker, himself. I doubt he'll ever appear outside of this run, but Barr and Davis are working hard to make us take note of him by referring to him constantly and always making sure his face is a secondary focus on panel.
All in all, this was another AMAZING romp, and I savored it thoroughly, but that over the top moment at the end truly bugged me. It was so out of place on so many levels. I really appreciate Barr trying to bring some darkness to these lighthearted stories, just as Collins and Cowan brought some lightheartedness to their dark story this month in Batman #403, but it just didn't jibe at all this time.
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Post by shaxper on May 8, 2014 22:25:36 GMT -5
Batman Annual #11
That's right. I finally remembered to include an annual in these reviews. Annual #11 would have been published in the same month as Batman #403 and Detective #570.
Post Crisis Reboot watch: "Mortal Clay" refers to Clayface II being behind bars and requesting a transfer to Arkham Asylum, but Clayface II was killed during Crisis on Infinite Earths. Therefore, this is a pre-reboot story. "Love Bird" is a little less obvious, but I don't recall Penguin's fiance ever being mentioned again after this storyline. That would seem to make it pre-reboot, as well.
"Mortal Clay"
writer: Alan Moore
art: George Freeman
letters: John Costanza
colors: Lovern Kindzierski
editor: Len Wein (<--- not a mistake!)
Grade: A+
I believe this is Moore's first work on Batman, aside from the minor role he had Batman and Robin play in "For the Man Who Has Everything". Though, to be fair, Batman plays almost as minor a role in this story as he did in that one. This is essentially a story about Preston Payne (aka Clayface III), and it's one of the finest things Moore has ever written. I'm not a tremendous Moore fan (I think some of his works are vastly overrated), but I definitely appreciate some of his works tremendously, and I'd personally rank this as my third favorite, with V for Vendetta at #1, and Swamp Thing's American Gothic at #2.
The beginning of the story is disorienting. Payne narrates, and the unreliable psychopathic narrator feels very reminiscent of something out of Poe. It's for that reason that I'm not sure whether or not we were supposed to be utterly confused by a half explained recap of the events of Detective Comics #478 from nine years earlier with absolutely no supplemental explanation from editor Len Wein (what's he doing back this issue? Was this a file story from a year back?). Thank God for Wikipedia, or I would have been utterly lost until halfway through the story when we finally break from Payne's narration and get an explanation from Batman and Gordan.
That disorientation aside, the story is utterly ingenious in its ability to make Payne's mad obsession with a mannequin so perfectly parallel most men's obsessions, joys, and darkest fears in the realm of romance and matrimony. Payne claims that all he ever wanted was an ordinary life and, somehow, he manages to make his thoroughly unique exploits feels so disturbingly ordinary and familiar to us. Weirdest yet are how his most intensely insane moments come in response to moments of near sanity when he begins to realize that his mannequin partner isn't talking or is looking off, unfocused, in the distance.
Odder still were the two disparate film sources the story seemed to be nodding to as Payne lived an idealized life with his partner in a department store at night -- Mannequin (1987), the silly comedy that had been in theaters only a year earlier, in which a man falls in love with a Mannequin that comes to life and the two share romantic exploits in a department store at night, and Modern Times (1936), the Charlie Chaplin masterpiece in which a homeless tramp and his girlfriend fulfill their touching dream of having an ordinary life by living in a department store at night. The presence of both films was clearly felt here.
George Freeman's art didn't seem up to the caliber Moore was striving for, and that proves to be a weakness to the story but, otherwise, I was so thoroughly moved and haunted by this. An amazing story that resurrected a forgotten villain with tremendous potential and resurrected him in time to fill the void left by the death of Clayface II.
One minor note of importance: Moore shows in this story that Payne's "need" to melt others is psychological and not primarily physical. Just as in his famous "Anatomy Lesson" story, Moore proves that superheroes and supervillains are fare more fascinating when the mind is the true cause of their physical manifestations.
The plot summary in one pretty short sentence this time: Preston Payne is unhappy with his love life (with his mannequin wife) and retells the story of how they were nearly torn apart by Batman, how he finally found her in a department store and lived a secret life of happiness with her there, how he began to suspect she was cheating with the security guard (and thus killed him) and then Batman (and thus tried to kill him), ultimately ending with Payne getting a room in Arkham with his mannequin, still not understanding that she hadn't actually cheated on him, and feeling like the love is gone.
"Love Bird"
writer: Max Allan Collins
art: Norm Breyfogle
letters: Albert Deguzman
colors: Adrienne Roy
editor: Denny O'Neil
Grade: B-
If there's any method to the unfocused schizophrenia of O'Neil's Bat Office, it would appear to be that diversity of tone is a fun idea. Collins' darkness in Batman contrasts nicely to Barr's light tone in Detective. Similarly, "Mortal Clay" was one heck of a dark story, while "Love Bird" is fun fluff. Interestingly enough though, this fun fluff is written by Max Collins, the resident "dark" guy at the Bat Office right now.
There really isn't much to this one -- It's an amusing story, but Collins doesn't do amusing anywhere near as well as Barr -- so I'll just jump right to the plot summary:
The plot summary in one long sentence: Penguin is up for parole, the board ignores Batman's plea to keep him locked up, it appears that Penguin is reforming because he found a girlfriend who is as obsessively passionate about birds as he is (they both use bird lingo in every single sentence), Batman is not convinced, Batman busts Penguin's new operation, it turns out to be a legitimate business and the only crime Penguin was covering up was breaking parole by hiring some old lackies and trying to give them honest jobs, so Batman again appears before the parole board (this time on Penguin's behalf) and gets ignored by them again, but at least Penguin still has his fiance visiting him in jail at the end.
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Post by shaxper on May 8, 2014 22:26:56 GMT -5
Batman #404
"Batman Year One, Chapter One: Who I Am, Who I Come to Be"
writer: Frank Miller
art: David Mazzucchelli
colors: (unknown)
letters: (unknown, GCD claims it's typeset)
grade: A+, but...
Well, here it is...potentially the most important issue in this run, potentially the most important single issue in modern Batman history, or maybe it isn't actually important at all.
I have to claim victory on a small detail here and admit defeat on a much bigger one.
You see, I've always approached Year One with the belief that it was the definitive modern age retelling of Batman's origin and thus the beginning of everything he became post-crisis. In some respects, that's true. No factual details provided in this issue are contradicted later on, and many of Miller's details are intentionally acknowledged later on. But, I've learned, that doesn't make this the true and definitive beginning of the post-crisis Batman.
What I'm right about...
Way back toward the end of Moench's run, I theorized that Year One hadn't originally been intended to be an "in-continuity" story. Everything about its graphic-novel style, the fact that the storyline had its own title (only The Lazarus Affair had ever done that prior to this), and especially that it was a Frank Miller work just after his amazing success with DKR, led me to believe that Year One had been intended as an out of continuity graphic novel just like DKR, but editors had decided to publish it into the actual Batman title after its initial conception.
There's a bit of evidence to support this:
1. The initial solicit for Year One (and Year Two) in the letter column of Detective #566 looks just like the earlier solicit for DKR and makes absolutely no mention of appearing in the Batman title. It's marketed as a stand alone story of some kind.
2. Miller has claimed that Year One, DKR, and All-Star Batman all occur within the same universe. Sure enough, everything about this character is in step with who he is in DKR (only less manic at this point), presenting Wayne as an emotionless sociopath of vengeance who is only concerned with the mission and never gives us an opportunity to empathize. Even in the replay of his parents' murder, there are never any tears or quiverings of the upper lip. His eyes instantly grow intense from the moment Thomas and Martha hit the ground. The point of all this being that DKR is not an in-continuity story, so if Miller says this is part of that same universe, and if the tone and characterization of this story seem to agree, then Year One isn't supposed to be "in continuity."
3. As further evidence that this is part of the same universe as DKR, please note that the third to last panel of this issue, in which Bruce remarks that "I have seen [the bat crashing through the window] before...somewhere" is referencing the moment in DKR when a young Bruce fell into the batcave and had that same bat charge him while the other bats scurried away.
It's entirely possible that Miller began this as an out of continuity story, but that O'Neil then planned to have the post-Crisis Batman tie directly into the continuity of DKR and Year One. A solicit for the new Wonder Woman reboot in this issue seems to support that notion, stating "First, the Dark Knight; Then, The Man of Steel; Now, DC does it again!" suggesting that DKR was Batman's reboot. Of course, nothing that followed Year One seemed to fit the vision that DKR was in the new continuity (especially once Jason Todd died and Bruce didn't retire in reaction). Also, based on what I've seen of O'Neil's Bat Office thus far, it seems more likely that O'Neil was just looking to pump awesome stories into his titles and wasn't giving continuity too much thought in the process. SURE this could be the same Batman that Barr and Davis are portraying, and SURE their Jason Todd can be the same one that Collins is about to write. Why not?
What I'm wrong about...
Well, if this story really is written to be in the same continuity as DKR, and if the post-crisis Batman isn't strictly a sociopath on a vengeance spree (and he doesn't appear to be until after Jason's death), then this shouldn't be considered the beginning of the post-Crisis rebooted Batman.
Crap.
Yeah, I've been arguing that for how long now? And if this isn't his start, and if #401 wasn't his start, yet #408 and the continuity that follows is borrowing heavily from all of these stories, then there really, really, really is no clear beginning for the post-crisis reboot. The best arguments I can make at this point are:
It's Batman #404, but Miller's tone/characterization get largely undone by the teams that follow, and Barr and Davis are just writing out in the La-La Land of Non-Continuity, or...
It's Batman #408, and the stuff that came before it just isn't continuity, even though it influences. This probably makes the most sense since Barr and Davis write Year Two at this point and take a darker tone in their stories as well (of course, if their Year Two is in continuity, it makes it a little harder to exclude Year One. Then again, Year Two did get retconned later. Argh! This all hurts my brain!).
However, going with #401 as the starting point is just too messy, especially when you look at how off the tone was in those stories.
So there really is no clear way to determine where the post-Crisis Batman begins, and I doubt O'Neil would have any further insight on this. I guess I'll argue for #408 from now on and hope that works out, but this reboot is an even bigger mess than I'd initially suspected.
Go ahead. Tell me you told me so.
On to the story. MAN, this thing looks so much better on newsprint, somehow. I'd always read it as a trade prior to this, and the crispness and recoloring of those pages belies what a shock it would have been to first read this in a Batman comic in 1986. Yes, we'd already had DKR...but this was darker and less outragious; far more grounded and believable. All of this could easily lead one to accept that this WAS Batman's new origin, and therein lies its greatest power. Whereas DKR left us with a, "wouldn't it be cool if Batman really was this intense?" feeling, Year One seems to tell us that "Yes. Batman really is this dark now." Maybe O'Neil understood that. Still, it's a little too sociopathic and lacking in heroism for me.
I love this tone; I hate this Batman.
I love the logic behind Batman's development -- the idea that someone doing Batman's job would have to be stronger, smarter, and better trained than he'd generally been depicted previously, as well as the fact that, even with all those skills, he couldn't become Batman overnight. Even as a boy, what always stayed with me the most about Year One was how thoroughly thrashed Bruce got on his first night out.
Only as an adult do I now also see the clear parallels between Gordan and Bruce, entering the city at the same time, drawing upon tremendous skills and training to fight back in their own ways, and meeting their own obstacles along the way. I particularly loved how Bruce's passing car inexplicably gave Gordan the strength he needed to fight back against Detective Flass. Fantastic.
It's interesting that, while in DKR, Bruce Wayne was somewhat a real person with a compulsion to be Batman, this Bruce Wayne seems like a total non-entity; the "mask" Collins eluded to last issue, that is yearning for a true identity in the form of Batman. Looking back, I suppose the Bruce Wayne in DKR may have been a shell as well, and I just failed to see it that way. In that sense, maybe Miller and DKR are entirely responsible for the modern day idea of Bruce Wayne being the act and Batman being the true identity.
Selina as a prostitute with a Sinead O'Connor hairdo. Yeah, did anyone think that was a good idea?
I'm also not pleased with turning Gordan into an anti-hero along with Bruce. The fact that he isn't sure he wants a kid, definitely doesn't want a girl, and seems to like his wife less and less as the series continues (I'm working from memory here. We haven't seen that yet) bums me out. What I always loved about the Batman/Gordan relationship was that Gordan was the walking embodiment of the law and the straight and narrow. So long as he approved of Batman, you knew Batman was on the side of good even when crossing into murky territory. Those few times when Gordan doubted Batman or outright called him out always bothered me for that reason. He was like an external embodiment of Batman's morality -- the good guy who needed a Batman to do what he couldn't, but who also held strict expectations for what Batman should and should not be. "Bat Jerk" could never happen in a universe with a strong James Gordan. Miller killed a lot of that here.
Mazzucchelli's art rocks. Miller's writing is far better than even in the beginning of DKR. Wish I could get the writing with someone else co plotting and keeping out the sociopathic tendencies and prostitute inklings.
I find it interesting that Miller goes out of his way to acknowledge former Batman creators in addition to the legally obligatory acknowledgement of Bob Kane. Bill Finger gets credit (when has that ever happened before) on the title page, as well as Jerry Robinson. Additionally, when Bruce takes his first walk through the streets of Gotham as an aspiring vigilante, we get streets named after Finger, Robinson, and even Dick Sprang, but nothing is named after Kane. Does Miller feel the same way I do about Kane taking credit for the hard work and vision of others working under and around him, or am I making too much out of this?
So...plot synopsis (for the two Batman fans who will ever read this post without having read Year One): Lieutenant James Gordan is transferred to Gotham City PD after some mishap that he feels terrible about but does not mention, Bruce Wayne returns home after twelve years away (it's later clearly implied that he spent all that time training), Gordan discovers that the police department is very corrupt and particularly resents his corrupt partner, Detective Flass, who eventually threatens and later savagely beats him for not being a team player, Bruce is fully trained but has no idea how he wants to start fighting crime, while Gordan undergoes his severe beating by Flass and other cops, Bruce goes out as a vigilante in plainclothes and face makeup, botches it, and nearly gets killed, Selina appears as a prostitute who outright says that she hates men and serves no other useful purpose in the story, Bruce barely gets home as Gordan goes after Flass and savagely beats him to finally get him off of his back, and the bat Bruce once saw as a child comes crashing through his window, prompting him to become "A Bat."
Important firsts for the Bat continuity:
The Waynes are once again returning from seeing Zorro when they are attacked. I believe this detail was first introduced in DKR.
Holly, Selina Kyle's protege, is first introduced as an aspiring child prostitute, and Bruce's first act as a vigilante is to fight her pimp, though Holly ends up assisting the pimp.
I believe this is the first time Alfred is mentioned as being a trained combat medic. It's also now established that Alfred was with Bruce prior to his becoming Batman, having been around for at least twelve years prior and taking care of the estate while Bruce was away.
That iconic image of the bat crashing through the window...correct me if I'm wrong, but hadn't the bat always flown through an open window prior to this retelling?
A minor interesting point. It's never outright explained that this is an origin story for Batman. The title implies it, but beyond that, the story makes no effort to tell you this. It's easy to take this for granted as a reader who has always known it to be the closest thing to a definitive Batman origin story, but I wonder if this caused any confusion for readers at the time. It would have made total sense as a stand alone graphic novel but, in the regular Batman title, I could imagine someone looking for a regular Batman adventure and being confused by what was happening.
Anyway, fantastic story, but I don't like what Miller is doing with Batman, which is pretty much exactly how I felt about DKR #1. Let's hope I enjoy the rest of this story more than I enjoyed the rest of that one.
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