Let's start off with the positives: I liked the art, and I likTW: Infant (view spoiler)[death. (hide spoiler)] FYI, very upsetting for parent readers.
Let's start off with the positives: I liked the art, and I liked Slam Bradley. It's always nice to follow/root for a good guy.
The rest of the book I didn't so much care for. Richard and Constance Wayne are two objectively unlikable characters, and the reveals (view spoiler)[of how Richard used/kidnapped his own daughter to extort money from his wife, and how he got the "Batman" idea/moniker (hide spoiler)] read like a let-down. I get it's supposed to be this whole thing about the dark inevitability of Batman (how the Waynes/Gotham have a deep-rooted sickness or some such), but it just read really convoluted and forced. Unfortunately. They (Richard & Constance) were both awful. (I did find the race issues/segregation in Gotham to be really interesting, especially with Bradley in the middle.)
Some things I wasn't sure about at the very end. 1. How does Bradley know Batman is Bruce Wayne? The story seems to take that for granted. 2. And, is Sam Bardley (view spoiler)[Bruce's Grandfather? Was he the "true" father of Thomas Wayne? I think that was the implication! (hide spoiler)]
Quite long. And, not bad, just not all that impactful. Especially since the end brings us right back to the beginning again.
Think of this as a mysterQuite long. And, not bad, just not all that impactful. Especially since the end brings us right back to the beginning again.
Think of this as a mystery for the sake of the mystery. Go in for the cast of characters and that's it.
Things I did like: I (surprisingly) didn't mind the collection of artists on this one. Overall, this is a fun book to look at. And Jim Gordon and Harvey Bullock are the stars of this show. Along with the Joker. I really enjoyed reading whenever they were on the page. (I did LOL at reading Joker call Batman "Arnold," and Batman thanking him for his help.)
Things I didn't: Everything else weighed the book/story down, and the end was a bit of a let-down. (Joker's reveal was good, but Cat's "comeuppance" was eh.) And the suspension of disbelief on this one was too much of a doozy, even for me; Gotham's craziest and most unstable Super Villains are being held in police detention together. Gordon is not that stupid. For real....more
My favorites from this book were: Episode 26: "TMI," about an accidental open com-links during a Bat/Cat rooftThis series continues to be very sweet.
My favorites from this book were: Episode 26: "TMI," about an accidental open com-links during a Bat/Cat rooftop flirt (LOL), Episode 34: "Recovery," where Batman needs to recover after an injury and the batfamily (+ Alfred <3) conspire to keep him in bed, Episode 35: "GCPD," a cute Robin montage over the years, and Episodes 36 & 37: "Belongings Parts One & Two" about Stephanie Brown & her need to prove herself (I'm generally not a Stephanie Brown fan, but this was a good spotlight on her character & her desire to be a part of the batfamily).
Notable mention goes to Damian for reading Pride and Prejudice for the first time, in Episode 31: "Dirty Little Secret," and loving it (same kid, same <3), the JL gossip mill in Episode 42: "Unbelievable," and the top of the head kiss Bruce gives Jason at the end of Episode 46: "Strong Enough Part Two"
P.s. I must have missed it. When did Tim become gay?...more
This volume read like an ode to Nightwing & I stan! <3
While the art in this book was all over the place, calling back to the previous series, most of This volume read like an ode to Nightwing & I stan! <3
While the art in this book was all over the place, calling back to the previous series, most of the art was pretty and was fun to read. With issue #100 being the most nostalgic, of course.
I loved the Imp issue, #98, which opened the volume (as a Part 2 to #97). It was VERY sweet and had bits of everything a good Nightwing story should have: dirty humor, an incredible bad guy, and the catchphrase, "Nightwing is awesome." ;)
Issue #99 with Zucco and The Hold was really interesting. It piqued my interest for sure & I hope Nightwing's box comes up in the future! (Also, strong ending with Melinda changing her last name from Zucco to Grayson-Lin.
Issue #100 is full of lots of good stuff, though I obviously missed something, since apparently the Hall of Justice was destroyed & Nightwing did something so well during "the crisis"(?), that Superman and Wonderwoman ask Dick here to lead the Justice League!!! Wow! But also, *head scratch.* I LOVED the moments in this issue between Bruce and Dick (at Alfred's grave). A lot of talking and connecting, ending with Dick saying, "I love you, dad." Which... (இ﹏இ`｡) And, the end of the issue brings (view spoiler)[the Titans to Blüdhaven! Ah! (hide spoiler)]
There's something Déjà vu-ish about Heartless's story in the Nightwing 2022 Annual. Maybe I read it elsewhere? Anyway, it's the Heartless origins story no one asked for, because Heartless is lame, but here it is anyway. He's the rich "Hush"-type sociopath foil to Bruce's upbringing (it should be Dick, but his father/son relationship with Gerald is quite similar to Bruce and Alfred.). I get that the editors are trying to push him as Blüdhaven's new big bag, but I'm still sore about Blockbuster. :( The next story Night Out was a cute Bitewing story. As was The Lesson with Nightwing teaching Jon how to not hurt bad guys (though he does have my permission to hurt bad guys. *shrug*), with flashbacks to Batman/Robin training. :)
All-in-all, a really fun read! And much better than the last two books IMO....more
I'm starting to associate Rosenberg with stories that highlight the worst of humanity and have depressing endings. It's bleak, but he does do it well.I'm starting to associate Rosenberg with stories that highlight the worst of humanity and have depressing endings. It's bleak, but he does do it well...
In Batman: Shadows of the Bat - House of Gotham we follow an (unnamed) boy after the brutal murder of his parents by the Joker. The book covers the events of the boy’s life over a few decades (all three Robins, Knightfall, and No Man’s Land), and at every bad turn, Batman/Bruce tries to help this boy but only succeeds in making his life worse. And worse. And worse. Until the end.
Summary: After the boy's parents are murdered and he reports that Batman did it (in cahoots with the Joker, because he saw them both at the scene...) the boy gets shunted off to Arkham Asylum (for lack of an available foster home placement?!). Bruce Wayne comes to take him out (and save him) by placing him at the Martha Wayne Orphanage, where he gets picked on and beaten up ceaselessly by the other children & has a bad run-in with Dr. Crane/Scarecrow. Back to Arkham he goes (after being an accessory to Scarecrow's crime & being poisoned by his fear gas)... where he then gets adopted by The Penguin to work in the Iceberg Lounge. Batman goes to check in on him after hearing an alarming report by Jason of Penguin's kids killing people... and the boy ends up arrested and straight back into Arkham. After the boy miraculously escapes Arkham in Bane's Knightfall destruction of the Asylum, Bruce asks Robin (Tim) to go find him and help him...which accidentally leads Azriel (Batman) to him, and as Azriel is hunting down Arkham escapees...it's more of the (bad) same.
The ending sees the boy, Batman, and the Joker back together in a well-written scene (Rosenberg writes the Joker really well). SPOILERS AHEAD. Batman (view spoiler)[convinces the boy not to kill the Joker, and as the boy walks off to join his people, he is shot by the Penguin in the Gotham reservoir, left alone in the sewer tunnels to bleed out. It is incredibly depressing, and I can't help but look back at the cover of this volume, of Batman cradling a sweet red-headed little boy, and understanding so fully how Batman and Gotham failed him this "boy" so horribly.
Ok, ok, I know he's a fictional character, but damn this was sad!
The very last page has dialogue from the Penguin: "You are just a minor character in other people's stories, boy." And while this story was "about" him, the boy never gets a name. Which is to say, this story was never really about him, but about Gotham and Batman, and all the people, like him, failed by one man in a bat costume and a whole city filled with evil. (hide spoiler)]
At first, I thought the number of villains in this story overwhelmed the plot (Joker, Dr. Quinzel, Clayface, Scarecrow, Penguin, Bane, and Killer Croc), but by the end, I understood what Rosenberg was trying to do here and ran with it. We have a full painting of Gotham and it's cast of characters and one little boy.
The story itself wasn't bad, it's just the way it's told... In that, Williamson presents Abyss like somPretty weak volume, which I'm inflating to a 3.
The story itself wasn't bad, it's just the way it's told... In that, Williamson presents Abyss like someone (a villain) I'm supposed to know... Brushing past details and hurtling forward through the book to get to the end. I.e. it's rushed.
Too much story in too short a time, IMO.
Things this volume did well: *The art overall was good, though varied. *I liked the focus on Batman being alone and not knowing how/with whom to celebrate a win (though it was really only the 1-2 pages in #118). It was very bittersweet and broody. *The dinner scene between Bruce and Lex was very well done! Visually, and character-wise. *The undercover mission reveal was a fun "duh" moment. *And issue #119, The Make Great Pets with Maps Mizoguchi, written by Karl Kerschl & drawn by Dave McCaig, was really fun (and creepy). I personally couldn't get through Gotham Academy, but maybe I'd give it another chance to read more of Maps. She's smart and spunky and I love seeing Batman partnered with a vulnerable young "Robin." I think it brings out the best in one-off stories, like this one. Lots of good character material with very little effort of having to fully introduce Maps to us. All around, a great issue!
Things this volume did less well: *The book starts off with a fight at a villain costume party, and while it should have been really fun (it was visually fun) it was totally unrelated to anything, and kinda a waste of space in the volume where a few extra pages would have done the Abyss plotline well. Just my two-cents. Though seeing Batman wear a Killer Croc costume for a sec was "fun." *Introducing Abyss *Clarifying Lex's motives. *The last issue, #124, With Detective Cayha. The art was fugly & the story was a little too action heavy to have the moral dilemma of to-avenge-or-not-to-avenge (i.e. Batman's no-killing ethos) take center at the end. I.e. it felt rushed....more
While this book 100% felt like a bridge book to Teen Titans: Starfire, -training montage and all lol- I did really enjoy the Damian and Dick relationsWhile this book 100% felt like a bridge book to Teen Titans: Starfire, -training montage and all lol- I did really enjoy the Damian and Dick relationship. (Though the "trials" montage was silly.) Dick is just the sweetest and most loyal older brother, and Damian is broody and immature. Pretty good character writing on Garcia's part lol.
Fun things in this volume: Max's mom is wonderfully supportive & I love that so much! Max's training & Mortimer the ("warrior") hamster. :) Dick showing up because he was worried. The "flashbacks" with Dick trying to be so supportive of Damian's training & fieldwork. (Interesting choice not to draw Bruce's face. He's just a back of a heaad to Damian/us...) Glimpses of Gar and Raven being sweet together.
I did find the kids "besting" Slade a little cartoonish though, and not much happens in this book (besides for training). So, consider this an inflated (but fun) 4 star read.
Looking forward to Starfire next. (Though if she and Dick get together -which we can sort of expect from the comics- I just may scream. Six kids, three couples? Nah. That's just too matchy. Even for me, who loves romance and comics.)...more
This was very simple and cute; a focus on the batfamily and their relationships with each other. No real baddies in this one, just familial content.
IThis was very simple and cute; a focus on the batfamily and their relationships with each other. No real baddies in this one, just familial content.
I especially liked Episode 3: "Eyes and Ears" in which Barbra recalls her day as Oracle, Episode 6: "Favoritism" where every member of the batfamily wears/reps memorabilia of their favorite Justice Leaguer and it pisses Batman off, lol, and Episode 23 & 24: "Opening Up Parts One & Two" which follows Damian as he tries to make friends at school! <3
Honorable mentions go out to Batcow in Episode 19: "Bat-Cow's Day Out," the cave's T-Rex in Episode 20: "Daydreaming," the chanukiah in Epsiode 21: "Holiday Spirit," and Jason, Dick, Tim, and Damian squished into the backseat of the Batmobile because no one could decide on shotgun in Episode 25: "Front Seat." LOL.
While overall very cute, I did find some of the characterizations to be off -with Bruce & Cassandra in particular. It came out the strongest in Episodes 15 & 16: "Family Ties, Parts One & Two" (where Bruce misses Cass's dance recital, and then has her perform it solo for him to make it up to her) and Episode 21: "Holiday Spirit" (where Bruce gives the batkids all a big hug for their charitable works/volunteerism on Christmas day). But overall, very sweet.
Really want to love this series, but I'm finding this storyline to be (sadly) pretty weak, and getting weaker. Dick's do-good project Haven is under aReally want to love this series, but I'm finding this storyline to be (sadly) pretty weak, and getting weaker. Dick's do-good project Haven is under attack, because...bad guys are bad. Which is depressingly 2 dimensional. And this comic did Blockbuster dirty, for real, and I'm just so disappointed.
Re, Blockbuster: This volume reads like they were running out of time & IMO the story suffered for it. The tension with Melinda in #94-95 had so much (story) potential but should have been drawn out past the few pages that it occupied, and the end with Electrocutioner and Brutale was (cheesy) dumb. And what should have been a HUGE reveal, (view spoiler)[Blockbuster get's Nightwing's mask off at the end of #95 & Dick is exposed! Ohno! But don't worry, because Blockbuster is literally killed off two seconds later at the end of the very next issue. Whomp whomp. Entirely too fast & wasteful.... ...What a waste of one of Nightwing's BEST villains. So disappointed we lost Roland Desmond to gain Heartless. Ba humbug. (hide spoiler)], ends with a sad fart sound.... . . . Things I did like: *The book opens up with a Robin flashback where Dick gets the snot kicked out of him and Alfred comes to the rescue. Literally, out of the proverbial fire, and figuratively between him and Bruce's anger. *The art continues to be gorgeous. *The Dick and Babs scene (view spoiler)[where she laughs in his face at wanting to break up to protect her (hide spoiler)] in issue #96 is literally quite perfect. <3
I'm a sucker for a good Superman & Batman team up, which this is. Waid writes a great story with a full cast of characters (The Doom Patrol, Superman,I'm a sucker for a good Superman & Batman team up, which this is. Waid writes a great story with a full cast of characters (The Doom Patrol, Superman, Supergirl, Batman, Robin, + many more!). What I found to be exceptional about this story is a wounded/ill Superman and an explicitly emotional Batman. <3 Waid aces all the character writing here & I can't wait for more! (Special shout-out to the hell scene in issue #3.)...more
Volume opens strong with chaos at Arkham (view spoiler)[Bane killed by Joker toxin! (hide spoiler)], but then it kind of loses me. There's a lot goingVolume opens strong with chaos at Arkham (view spoiler)[Bane killed by Joker toxin! (hide spoiler)], but then it kind of loses me. There's a lot going on in these few issues, but nothing all that gripping, and I got a little...bored? ( ་ ⍸ ་ )
There's some manipulative (bad guys) state-control martial law happening in Gotham, and we're supposed to root for the colorful anarchists (kids), and I don't know why, it just didn't grip me. (Though I do love a Matches cameo!) The rest is all action, and I think the ending has Batman in Scarecrow's pointy clutches.
I think the weakest Batman volumes (IMO) are the ones where Batman reads a bit like a side character, and I'm not sure why, but this one does.
The best part of the volume is one panel; Harley swinging in (with a baseball bat) with Batman against Peacekeeper (issue #111). "That's right you *******! You don't mess with the bat-family unless you wanna get hit with a ******** bat!" LOL
Hope the next one brings the focus back on Bats....more
Surprisingly good. Surprising, because I haven't loved a lot of the New 52 series I've read/tried and because this is my first solo Catwoman title,3.5
Surprisingly good. Surprising, because I haven't loved a lot of the New 52 series I've read/tried and because this is my first solo Catwoman title, and I really didn't expect much from it.
Selina's a hot mess (aren't we all, girl?) and pretty early on in the volume it gets violent and she loses someone close to her. :(
I really liked the scenes with Batman (I love Cat/Bat!!) (and with Bruce Wayne) & I look forward to seeing where Winick takes Selina's story for the rest of this run.
(I didn't love the way Selina was drawn here. A little too much of an angular short face, but otherwise, very few complaints on this one.)...more
Hmmm. Feels like I read this one before. Maybe it reminded me of The Joker War? Or City of Bane? Either one. Fear State reads like one of many (one aftHmmm. Feels like I read this one before. Maybe it reminded me of The Joker War? Or City of Bane? Either one. Fear State reads like one of many (one after the other after the other) big baddie events that try to destroy Gotham. (+ the introduction of Peacekeeper-01; the "enlightened" Batman-hating anti-hero.)
Even Ghost-Maker says it in #113! Ghost-Maker to Batman: "You know, it's remarkable! From the outside looking in, it seemed like every other month in Gotham there was some outrageous thing happening. But I just assumed it felt different on the ground. That it'd become ordinary after a time. But it really does just keep going and going."
I'm not sure what I didn't love. Maybe it was that Simon Saint, the architect of this whole fiasco, was barely present in his own story. Or maybe it was Peacekeeper-01, himself. This story had Scarecrow in it, I don't think this book needed to introduce another Batman villain into the lineup. This story could have been a lot stronger (and a lot scarier for Gotham) had Scarecrow poisoned all the peacekeepers, not just Sean Mahoney.
Anyway, I did appreciate this volume's inclusion of Batman: Fear State: Alpha #1 and Batman: Fear State: Omega #1. And even though I hated on Mahoney above, I did like Batman Secret Files: Peacekeeper-01 #1. It brought me back to a lot of the OG Batman I like, with crooked cops and Gotham corruption. It had good character writing from Ed Brisson and pretty art.
Batman: Fear State: Alpha #1 by Tynion, had beautiful art by Riccardo Federici, and colors by Chris Sotomayor. Obviously, Saint is an idiot for trusting Crane to begin with, but I was really unclear whether he was faking the panic or was actually panicked when Peacekeeper-01 went AWOL. I thought maybe that had been part of his plan? Becuse he couldn't have been that stupid to fully trust Scarecrow, and get immediately betrayed, right? But, no. He really just was that stupid. Oracle's corruption was so frustrating & well done. And the Unsanity collective in Ivy's underground garden was eh, ok. I thought that whole plot-line added to the book's business in a negative way.
LOVED the art & colors in Batman Secret Files: Peacekeeper-01 #1 by Ed Brisson. Art by Joshua Hixson and colors by Roman Stevens. And I enjoyed the story of not-a-great-guy Sean Mahoney and his crooked father. Good character writing in one issue.
Batman Secret Files: Mirical Molly #1, was interesting. I did not like the art & colors by Dani and Lee Loughridge. And while I appreciate Mary being unhappy and unfulfilled in her life that fact that she doesn't talk to her husband and just lays underneath him, unhappy, during sex (multiple panels of that) is just wild. And kind of cowardly, when she runs away. (Ok, she does accidentally kill her ex-boss, and probably needs to skedaddle...) But I am not impressed with the idea of erasing one's past.
And while the art & colors by Christian Ward in Batman Secret Files: The Gardener #1 were gorgeous (stunning!), I was like, who is this person? lol The book is so busy as it is. The pause for Gardener's story felt ill-placed and while the reveal of the second/separate Ivy was relevant to the plot, I didn't love this mini story's inclusion in the saga.
I don't have much to say outside of what I wrote above for Batman, issues 112-117. This story felt like just another big bad event after the last 10 big bad events. Chaotic and busy, with too many characters and introductions, and no real focus on Batman. :( The story ends with Mahoney escaping, of course. ...Ready to pop in at another time in another run... And Batman and Scarecrow have a weird/interesting conversation at the end. Feels like it was geared toward a progressive Gen Z readership. Am I reading too far into that? And at the very very end, Ghost-Maker takes Clownhunter (Bao) under his wing.
All-in-all, 3 stars.
P.s. 5 stars for Cass getting the drop on Batman in #112! ;)
Eh. Feels like I read this one before. Maybe it reminded me of The Joker War? Or City of Bane? Either one. Fear State reads like one of many (one afterEh. Feels like I read this one before. Maybe it reminded me of The Joker War? Or City of Bane? Either one. Fear State reads like one of many (one after the other after the other) big baddie events that try to destroy Gotham. (+ the introduction of Peacekeeper-01; the "enlightened" Batman-hating anti-hero.)
Even Ghost-Maker says it in #113! Ghost-Maker to Batman: "You know, it's remarkable! From the outside looking in, it seemed like every other month in Gotham there was some outrageous thing happening. But I just assumed it felt different on the ground. That it'd become ordinary after a time. But it really does just keep going and going."
I'm not sure what I didn't love. Maybe it was that Simon Saint, the architect of this whole fiasco, was barely present in his own story (and the way he got panicked and sick was so dumb -because he was so dumb). Or maybe it was Peacekeeper-01, himself. This story had Scarecrow in it, I don't think this book needed to introduce another Batman villain into the lineup. This story could have been a lot stronger (and a lot scarier for Gotham) had Scarecrow poisoned all the peacekeepers, not just Sean Mahoney. I wrote in my review for Batman, Vol. 4: The Cowardly Lot that to me, the weakest Batman volumes are the ones where he plays second fiddle to the story, and that was Fear State. Batman is in it, but he's only character #3 in a book with 35 other characters... And that makes for boring reading.
Anyway, I read Batman: Fear State Saga, and I think this volume lacked a bit from not having Batman: Fear State: Alpha #1 and Batman: Fear State: Omega #1 included in it. The Secret Files were extra (though I did like Batman Secret Files: Peacekeeper-01 #1), but Alpha & Omega did add to the story, including showing how Oracle's system was corrupted.
All-in-all, this story felt like just another big bad event after the last 10 big bad events. Chaotic and busy, with too many characters and introductions, and no real focus on Batman. :( I didn't love the Unsanity collective, or the Eden storyline with Ivy. And Scarcrow's sole focus on Peace-Keeper 01 (as opposed to all the Peacekeepers) underwhelmed me.
3 stars.
P.s. 5 stars for Cass getting the drop on Batman in #112, though! ;)...more
Absolutely obsessed with the art by Bruno Redondo in issue #87 -the "one continuously connected 22-page image" issue! Fun. Gorgeous. Novel. And a littAbsolutely obsessed with the art by Bruno Redondo in issue #87 -the "one continuously connected 22-page image" issue! Fun. Gorgeous. Novel. And a little silly, obviously (dog-napping, while inhuman, isn't really the stuff of superhero nightmares)...
Anyway, Redondo's art is beautiful in general and the next issues in this volume were as equally beautiful to read too.
Sadly for me, I felt this book was weaker than the last (two). So, a few points on this volume's weakness IMO: 1. Blockbuster is the bad guy, right? The book's villain. The big bad baddie. So, what *evil* is he doing besides for sending assassins after Dick Grayson? In the past, we'd see way more corruption and dead bodies at the forefront of the stories Blockbuster was in. In this run, so far, all the shady business has been...well, shady. In the background. (I think we've only seen the previous Mayor "go" in this run so far.) He's the villain because we know he's the villain. And that's kinda disappointing. (It feels like the stakes are low here.) 2. This one is small, but using the word "unhoused" to refer to the homeless is weird and pandering and felt out of touch. I know it's the "PC" way to say it (in some circles), but I ride the NYC Subway daily, and AT LEAST once if not two to three times A RIDE, a homeless person comes on my car to ask for money, and they always use the word "homeless." The fact that Dick says "unhoused" about the homeless youth in Bludhaven... It was just so clear to me that a bunch of "progressive" upper-middle-class DC editors made this decision in an LA boardroom somewhere. Made me want to roll my eyes. 3. I found Jon's inclusion to be really distracting here. Especially because I haven't read his new teen stuff yet. What is The Truth? And why for Pete's sake is it called The Truth?! Is Pravda and Trump's "Truth" not enough? Can we not find another name for a news blog? :-/
Anyway, the last two issues of the volume felt like "old Nightwing" to me, and was an easy and enjoyable read. Fun Nightwing/Flash team-up.
And while I think this volume was less strong as a whole, I did like the Titans & Flash Nightwing security detail. :) Not only was it sweet, but it just makes sense to have your superpowered BFFs back you up. <3 (And while I didn't love the inclusion of Jon in this volume, I did like the Batman smoke bomb/lollipop riff from issue #89, and Kelex at the foot of Dick's bed. (And Dick's Batman pajama pants lol.) )
Oh, I totally didn't realize this was the end of Tomasi's Batman Detective Comics runs. Aw.
I'm going to miss Tomasi's cool gadgets (like the super coOh, I totally didn't realize this was the end of Tomasi's Batman Detective Comics runs. Aw.
I'm going to miss Tomasi's cool gadgets (like the super cool portable X-Ray-ish Tablet thing he had in the graveyard in issue #1028, and the very cool pointy ear darts from his cowl (#1029) and costume powerwash thing in the cave, which is just so smart), and his emotionally immature Batman (he feels, he just doesn't know how to express).
The first story in this volume is a cool murder revenge plot that kills some dirty cops (and a DA?). We get to see Batman on a black horse, and it is majestic!
#1029 introduces us to The Mirror who is leading an anti-vigilante movement (more like an anti-bat movement) in Gotham. What's new, am I right? But this time, post-Joker Wars, there's a lot of traction in the populace for a no more mask movement. The mayoral candidate, Christopher Nakano, (the police officer we met at the end of Joker Wars) is now running for Mayor on a super anti-mask platform as well.
#1030 -everything in this issue (it apparently happened in Teen Titans) was new to me. Damian quitting being Robin, him punching Batman(!!), him going off the grid, all of it! I knew I hadn't seen him in a long while (since Alfred's "wake"), but I was so sad to learn all this! I really like Damian (Ever since Tomasi's "Batman & Robin" series) and my heart breaks that he is so alone and broken right now. Batman is on the hunt for Damian though, trying to find him after Damian snuck into the cave and stole Batman's Black Casebook (i.e. his book of unsolved crimes). There's a little batfamily reunion on a rooftop in Gotham and Batman asks everyone to let him know if they see Damian. (╯︵╰,) But! Uh-oh, none of the batfamily actually called the meeting. Their comm-link frequency was hacked and they were lured into a trap by The Mirror and his gang! Dun dun dun! (They're fine, don't worry!) And we see Damian's first unsolved Black Casebook case is... a contained period of a bunch of unsolved murder attempts on Bruce Wayne's life!
Issue #1031 has a cool Bat-loving citizens of Gotham vs. the Mirror et al. showdown. The Mirror: "And just what do you expect to achieve wearing those?" Citizen in a Batman mask: "To show that there's a large percentage of Gotham that knows how necessary heroes have been! The monsters they've kept at bay --the sheer number of souls they've saved over the years. We expect you to take a closer look at the good of what they've achieved --the service they've provided to those in danger --the crazies with masks and makeup they've kept off the streets. You say they have to go --we say they have to stay! And we'll happily raise our voices to show our support!" AW <3 <3 <3
We get the awful Batman/Damian showdown in #1032. There's a really weird scene where Christopher Nakano is literally about to get fitted for a fake eye and then smashes it on the ground when he hears it was bought for him by Bruce Wayne. Does he super hate Bruce Wayne, and I missed it before? Oh, and the whole Batfamily was kidnapped by Hush in the last issue.
Batman and Damian team up to go save the fam (#1033). LOVE the nod to Batman and Robin! Gosh, that was a good Tomasi series! Anyway, Hush is lame-o, as per usual. Complaining how his Mommy didn't die when he tried to kill her, blah blah blah. Damian saves the batfamily, and Batman knocks Hush out. They finally have their talk, though it is very abrivated, and more sad than angry.
The very end of the volume (#1033) is Bruce packing up the Batcow, dogs, cat, and finally Alfred's things, and moving them out of Wayne Manor (which is still a F*ing insane plot point to me). HOW in the world will Batman/Bruce live outside the manor? What if someone discovers the Batcave? How is this a good idea DC?!).
Altogether, this vol. gets a 3-star rating from me. Things happen, but in a little vacuum with lame-o villains and new mayor drama. Fine reading, but it def. suffered from last-volume-in-the-run vibes.
ONE TEENY-TINY COOL JEWISH THING at the end. On the last page, Bruce puts a stone on Alfred's grave before he leaves the manor, which is a Jewish custom (instead of flowers, which die, rocks/stones are placed on Jewish graves to symbolize the circle of life in a bit more of a permanent representation), and I just think that's so cool, even though it confuses me a little bit. (Is the nod to Bruce's Jewish fam on the Kane side? Is my fav, Alfred, Jewish?! Who knows!)
Luckily, this wasn't my first Knight & Squire team up, so I at least knew who Beryl was before we started. (view spoiler)[Thank God she survived the aLuckily, this wasn't my first Knight & Squire team up, so I at least knew who Beryl was before we started. (view spoiler)[Thank God she survived the attack!! I was not going to be OK with Taylor killing her off within the first few pages of this. (hide spoiler)]
The book starts off with Bruce brooding (of course) in Wayne Manor all by himself. Sheets cover the furniture & his inner monologue is going off about him being too old (fair), and nothing is keeping him in Gotham anymore(!!). Which is just too wild of a thought for me. Maybe because I grew up watching Batman Beyond, I can't imagine Bruce ever giving up on Gotham (and Batman). Even when that means calling in help. (Which actually comes up in this book...)
The writing: Overall, I really like Taylor's Batman. I feel like he gets his grumpy humor and it comes out really naturally. Like, Batman: "Is Knight out of the operating theater? Is she conscious?" Squire: "You could go see her?" Batman: "I intend to. I have questions." Squire: "I meant...to see how she is. But sure." LOL
And, Beryl: "You met Amina?" Batman: "Yes. She's young." Beryl: "You've put younger in the field. Did you impress the hell out of her?" Batman: "I don't know what you're talking about." Beryl: "Oh, come on." Batman smirks: "I punched a ghost." Beryl smiling: "There it is." LOL
Amina was a good new Squire (also funny); I liked the character of Henri Ducard (Anti-hero? Bad-good-guy for hire? Morally gray mentor?); and the overall plot device of a wackadoodle killing off everyone Batman has saved to create "equilibrium." It's totally unhinged and interesting enough motivation for a six-issue story, but no more. This was a perfect length IMO.
In addition, the reminders of Alfred were heartbreaking(ly sweet); I loved Batman's network, even though "the European Alliance of the Bat" is a doofy name; and I loved seeing Nightwing and Oracle guest star.
The last Batman save of the book was wild and I kinda wasn't expecting it, and the actual last page (view spoiler)[with Amina meeting her mom outside of prison was eh, just OK. (hide spoiler)]. But, overall, I found this to be an enjoyable Batman read. 4.5 stars...more
A good companion piece to Batman: Fear State Saga. I especially loved the Nightwing x Batman team up & the focus on all the Batkids. Where Fear StateA good companion piece to Batman: Fear State Saga. I especially loved the Nightwing x Batman team up & the focus on all the Batkids. Where Fear State read pretty removed from the Batfmily IMO (they were there, but barely got any focused page time. The book was all action/plot and not about the characters...), I felt like this book made up for that in a great way.
Into the meat of it... Tom Taylor is killing this Nightwing run. (I know this is only book 1.5 lol, but he's writing Dick so well! And kinda Spider-Man-ish, in the best way! Like, the book opens up with Dick eating pizza on a rooftop! Doubting himself! How much more Spidy can you get? Plus the 'can-they-make-it-work romance with a redhead!?! This is pure Peter Parker gold right here! Love it! Anyway...)
I did not love the (pointy-faced) art in issue #84 but I absolutely loved the Batman saves! Save 1: [image]
Save 2: [image]
Also, this heart-squeezy scene: [image] Sometimes I forget that Dick was actually adopted by Bruce, and hearing Batman call Dick his son is all a bit much for the feels. ♡⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡
In issue #85 Babs and Dick get dosed with fear toxin and they both see each other die. :'( (And then they unwittingly try to kill each other!) Luckily for them, Tim is there & saves them from each other --and his reaction to seeing Dick and Babs kiss after is very cute.
The issue ends on a cliffhanger/an explosion of the clock tower with both Batgirls inside!
The beginning of issue #86 is super emotional with Tim, Dick, and Babs frantically digging for Cas and Stephanie out of the rubble (view spoiler)[until they are found safe and sound away from the blast (hide spoiler)]. (view spoiler)[Their reaction to hearing about Dick & Barbra's kiss was cute too. (hide spoiler)]
The Nightwing 2021 Annual by Tom Taylor with Jason was really great. There were some flashbacks with (the new) Nightwing visiting the new Robin back at the "beginning." There was tension (little Jason had his own rage), but it was so sweet to see Dick & Jason be "brothers." Wish there were more team-ups of them to read. And, of course, seeing Alfred be wonderful, was wonderful. I also loved how Dick believed Jason right away & the reveal of (view spoiler)[Clayface. Preston Payne, not Basil Karlo. (hide spoiler)] as the perp. Also, the crowbar joke was dark! lol
I did not really like the Urban Legends #10 by Tini Howard, the last addition to this volume: 'The Bats of Christmas Past.' Maybe it was how whiny Babs was, or maybe it was Dick dragging his feet too much about going to a Batfamily Christmas (doesn't sound like Dick at all!)...But I wasn't feeling this one. + The Ghost of Christmas Future was super overdramatic! lol Because Nightwing wouldn't go to the Christmas party and stays out patrolling on his own, it becomes the night (view spoiler)[he dies & then no one wants to celebrate Christmas ever again! lol (hide spoiler)]
So, I could have done without the last issue, but overall, the volume was a real fun read!...more
I didn't love a lot about this book. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it. I really didn't dig the art and the Hardboiled detective feel. Reminded mI didn't love a lot about this book. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it. I really didn't dig the art and the Hardboiled detective feel. Reminded me of Jeph Loeb, or trying to be like Jeph Loeb... But I've never loved Jeph Loeb's Batman. *shrug*
Anyway, story wise, the book was OK, but no more than that. This mob guy's (Angel Lupo) sister (Liz Lupo) is killed and Batman is (poorly) chasing down this guy for the entire book as suspect #1. (Also, there's a kid who lost his parents to a shooting in an alleyway, maybe also killed by Angel?) He punches out Croc's teeth a lot, which looks gross on page & he makes his way through the Penguin and Scarface (who lost his B to G speech impediment here...huh). The Gross reveal: (view spoiler)[is that the Ventriloquist was the baby daddy of the mob sister, Liz Lupo. The Ventriloquist kills Angel, thinking he killed his sister Liz, but it was really Angel's girlfriend that did it... Also, that orphan? It was unclear to me, but apparently, the kid killed his own parents?! So... Angel was innocent of both crimes, but because Batman was chasing him, the whole city was after him, and got him in the end... Bummer. (hide spoiler)].
Also, Batman's internal monologue in this book is darrrrrk. Even for Batman. Page 2: "Now, lonely hearts and Sunday school teachers like to say that rain is the tears of God. But God doesn't bother to cry on Gotham. This rain? If it comes from Him... ...It's not his tears."
Damn, Batman! Damn!
Then, Page 3: "I have to confess, I think there's a little of me in God --a sense of humor, nobody gets. Though I can't imagine my life without it, I wouldn't cry for Gotham either. I did --once--a life ago--before I was what I am. Before I learned there is no pity in God. No place in heaven for me or Gotham City. ...And that the only time to cry is always too late."
Uh, OK Brian Azzarello. Who are you writing here, because that does not sound like Batman? I mean, I don't know about all the God stuff, but this is the most hopeless Batman I have ever read and I just don't know why. What kind of Batman is this?? Also, he's the worst Batman because (view spoiler)[he got Angel killed (hide spoiler)].
The one part of the book I did like was the beginning of Broken City Part Two where Bruce reimagines the shooting of his parents in Crime Alley in a few different ways. The first where Bruce & his father overtakes the shooter and they have a HEA is obviously bittersweet. The second, where Bruce is shot too, and he's with his parents again, is wow. Dark and sad.
P.s. Where is Alfred in this story? He's MIA. There's a whole page where Batman is sewing up his own stitches......more
Post Joker Wars. Batman is still doing Batman, but now he doesn't have the Wayne money. (Super unfair btw.) Lucius Fox won't give it back to him eitherPost Joker Wars. Batman is still doing Batman, but now he doesn't have the Wayne money. (Super unfair btw.) Lucius Fox won't give it back to him either because apparently, what's the point? The government (which is keeping a close eye on WI) won't let Bruce Wayne finance Batman, so why let Bruce have any of his money back? Hmm. (Also, how is Lucius OK here? Last I saw he was super dosed with Joker toxin.)
Anyway, Batman is reassessing his life post Joker Wars & he says the Joker was right...Ug. Wrong. He sends Selina away for a year so he can do his thing and "ground himself" or get back to basics, or whatever. Not sure why the editors made this choice, totally undoing everything Bruce/Selina learned from City of Bane... But here we are. Bat/Cat angst for the sake of it.
Subpar issue #101 to start the volume.
But, the book did get better for me from there. I found Ghost-Maker to be really kind of interesting, and I didn't hate his character, surprisingly. He was both a bit much & perfectly paired with Clownhunter in this volume, F*ing everything up in just the perfect way to make this storyline difficult for Batman. There's one exchange in #103 of Ghost-Maker trying to prove to Batman that he's the better crime fighter/the better vigilante for Gotham, and Batman just destroys him. Batman was purposefully waiting to get the drop on the bad guys. He wanted to take down the buyers, not just the sellers. Or, he was waiting for more evidence of burial places of a serial killer. Or, he finally explains, that arresting Clownhunter and throwing him in prison won't do anything to stop him; the guards would help him... Batman knows Gotham, and knows it well. All-in-all, I think this was a pretty good Batman storyline.
Also, I loved Harley. I loved her talking to "Ivy," I loved "ivy" helping the Batgirls find Harley at Arkham, I loved Harley's "speech" to Bao, I love that she's trying to do better, and I, of course, love that Batman believes her, obvs.
Batman to Ghost-Maker in #105: "Caring about people hasn't killed me yet."
P.s. Not sure when Spoiler became "Batgirl" here. Last I saw her a whole bunch of Batman Detective Comics ago, she quit...
Didn't like the art in Batman Annual #5, but it was a good Clownhunter/Batman/Dr. Leslie Thompkins story. It's Bao's origin story -we see how his parents get killed and how he gets his signature batarang. Leslie is great as well. LT: "I am never going to approve of the mission of Batman, but I will always be there to tend to the frightened, angry children broken by this city... until the day it stops making frightened, angry children." Batman: "I know you're talking about me." LT: "That's because you're smart." Batman smirks.
I also hated the art from Detective Comics #1027. It looked like a Tim Burton cartoon. But the story was good with Batman, Robin & Deadman. Even though it was about ghosts, it had a very sweet ending about Bruce's parents.
Art between #101 and #104 was all over the place IMO. Overall good, but I didn't like the narrow faces of Guillem March in #101 & the random anime faces in #104, not sure who drew them.
Overall, 3.5 volume. Maybe 4 if I inflate it....more
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