shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jul 22, 2014 10:04:12 GMT -5
Detective Comics #610
"Snow and Ice, Part One: Ode to a Penguin" writer: Alan Grant pencils: Norm Breyfogle inks: Steve Mitchell colors: Adrienne Roy letters: Albert De Guzman assoc. editor: Daniel Raspler editor: Dennis O'Neil with thanks to George Cordeiro created by Bob Kane
grade: B
Let's face it. At this point in time, Batman's rogues gallery had grown incredibly stale. In the entire span of this review thread (which has now covered more than ten years of Batman comics), I've seen two classic Batman rogues handled well (The Joker by Mike W. Barr and Catwoman by Len Wein). The Secret Origins Special focusing on the rogues gallery tried to cast the rest in a more compelling light, but it failed.
So now here are Grant and Breyfogle taking arguably the least interesting of Batman's classic rogues and recognizing within him his potential as a more grounded, realistic villain for Batman's increasingly grounded and realistic stories. This understanding of the character is a brilliant one, and so is their method for reintroducing him. Rather than show us the Penguin in action, they allow his absence to speak for him, as the issue begins with his presumed death. Here Penguin is depicted as a major crime boss in the Gotham Underworld, deeply conflicted with the mob families, and a constant thorn in both Batman and Gordon's minds. His extravagance, greed, and selfless love for birds are played up as well, painting a comprehensive portrait of a fully developed character, even without him uttering a word on panel throughout the issue. Very nice touch.
I love the depiction of Mortimer Kadaver here. I am new to the character, but his obsession with death is almost charming. Grant knows how to write his sickos.
It's also nice to see The Ventriloquist return, somehow orchestrating at least part of what is occurring in this story.
Ultimately though, this story confused me. I have no idea what was happening at the Penguin's wake with the snow, the ice, and the crime boss suddenly being so generous, and I have absolutely no idea what Batman's last line meant: "Snow...ice...and a penguin. Does it mean?" Did De Guzman leave out a "what" or a "..."?
My only minor squabble with this story -- I really can't see Batman throwing open the casket to inspect the body in the middle of the funeral service. Surely he would have inspected it beforehand in the mortuary when no one was around, and then he would have realized Penguin wasn't really dead.
Minor details:
-- The letter column for this issue is printed backwards.
-- The entire creative team has their names appearing on tombstones on the front cover. Creepy.
the plot synopsis in one ridiculously long sentence: Penguin is dead, Batman can't believe it, two thugs attempt to dig Penguin out and reanimate him with a specific phrase but it does not work, they break Kadaver out of prison while it's suggested that The Ventriloquist is somehow involved, Kadaver reveals that he placed Penguin in a trance and possesses the correct phrase to reanimate him, he does so, Batman and Gordon attend a wake for Penguin where snow and ice rain down as it's announced that Penguin left his money to organize a charity for penguins and he wants others to donate, a rival crime boss donates generously, and Batman is confused by all of this (as are we).
A pretty confusing story, but I really appreciate what Grant is trying to do for the Penguin's character.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jul 22, 2014 10:05:10 GMT -5
Legends of the Dark Knight #3
"Shaman, Book Three" writer: Dennis O'Neil pencils: Ed Hannigan inks: John Beatty letters: John Costanza colors: Richmond Lewis asst. editor: Kevin Dooley editor: Andrew Helfer Batman created by Bob Kane
grade: B-
There's a lot I liked about this issue and a little I didn't. Though I absolutely feel this story could have easily been told in two issues instead of five, O'Neil fills much of the space with rich banter between Bruce and Alfred, and Beatty and Lewis do some truly impressive work over Hannigan's pencils to at least make the void feel rich. I also give props to O'Neil for providing a situation in which Batman appears knocked unconscious until the absolute last second and explaining in totally rational terms why Batman does such a thing (not just for dramatic flair). Add to that the newly begun Batcave and Bruce gloating about new tricks he's figured out while out in the field, and there's an energy pertaining to new beginnings in this issue that seems to have been borrowed heavily by Batman Begins. As for O'Neil's message about how our culture corrupts indigenous tribes for profit, I still can't decide if it was a courageous decision or a tired cliche. Maybe it doesn't have to be either.
As for the drawbacks, how many frickin' times can someone get killed JUST as they're about to tell Bruce Wayne something? As excellent a job as this creative team does with filling the void, there most certainly is a void left in this issue because the pacing is far too slow, all while our murderer conveniently takes out informants each time so that Bruce can't move the pace ahead any quicker and resolve this thing in one or two issues.
And really, we know Spurlock was evil, just as we know the investment banker showing up in this issue and the reformed preacher from the previous one will both turn out to be involved somehow. The mystery here isn't particularly enticing. Instead, this story feels like waiting on a really long line to go somewhere you don't particularly care to go, but being given some pretty impressive entertainment while you wait.
minor details:
- On page 14, Bruce intends to force information out of Spurlock as Batman, but after being told to get sleep by Alfred, he instead visits him the next day as Bruce Wayne with a cover story as to why he needs the info. Surely, he could have waited until nightfall and confronted him as Batman the next day. This change of attack plan, instead, suggests a Batman who is less sure of himself by this point, unsure of which is the better path to take. I appreciate the subtlety of this portrayal.
- why do two seemingly related variables always have to be connected in the mind of this Bruce Wayne? An Inuit woman from Otter Ridge Alaska is the target of a killing and the Bat Mask from Otter Ridge Alaska shows up in Gotham at the same time, and Bruce decides that there has to be a connection. Sure, the coincidence is unlikely, but the point of origins aside, there really isn't anything suggesting that these two events are in any way related. A good detective should look further just in case, but asserting that there has to be a connection is a little much. Maybe O'Neil is attempting to portray how green Bruce still is at this point?
- Why is Bruce still questioning whether or not he should continue to be Batman?
- Why would he wonder why he'd even need to bring the costume with him to Alaska? Isn't the entire purpose to learn more about the gang and mysterious antagonist creating all this trouble in Gotham?
- Bruce gets off the plane and, on a beat, immediately sees the Shaman from the first issue. A bit much of a coincidence? In a story as badly decompressed as this one, couldn't he find him half a page later?
- How did Spurlock manage to westernize the entire tribe to the extent that they now have a small town and airstrip??? Certainly, he wasn't bringing enough people with him to warrant all that, and the tribe doesn't appear to have anything of value to outside traders.
- Probably the most notable aspect of this issue was the article written by EIC Jenette Kahn on the inside front cover explaining how she, O'Neil, Wolfman, and Grant met to plan out the coming Batman stories for the year. I suppose this was in reaction to the numerous instances of bad continuity occurring between books prior to this point, or possibly more specifically Grant ranting about the fact that he was trying to set up Anarky to be the next Robin while Wolfman and O'Neil were bringing in Tim Drake without his knowledge. Either way, I'm glad that there will be more careful and purposeful continuity between books in the future, as well as the fact that they apparently resisted the decision to create any more major story arcs or crossovers for the coming year, even while planning on the return of The Joker (which, if I recall, was planned incredibly well and even poured over into Wolfman's New Titans). There's also mention of them touching base with Warner Brothers in anticipation of future Batman films and, suddenly, out of left field, Kahn's assertion that they all feel Penguin is Batman's second greatest villain and will therefore "Eager to cast the new and formidable Penguin into a starring role, we agreed that he will be the centerpiece of at least five comics in 1990." Who are we kidding? They heard the pitch for Batman Returns and have been pressured by Warner to do this, going so far as to make his "recreation" the centerpiece of the Secret Origins Special a few months back.
The plot synopsis in one ridiculously long sentence:
Bruce is reintroduced to Carl Fisk (a little too similar to both the baseball player and Marvel's Kingpin), a banker looking to buy up some of Bruce's properties, Batman breaks up a drug deal but then narrowly escapes from a villain wearing the Shaman's bat mask, he tries to get some information out of Dr. Spurlock, but Spurlock is killed by the same villain at the last second, Bruce travels to Otter Ridge to learn more from the tribe that once nursed him back to health, but Spurlock has used tricks and drugs to Westernize the tribe and steal its secrets, leaving the Shaman to become a drunken fool and his daughter to resent Wayne for funding Spurlock, and just as he's about to learn from the daughter about what Spurlock's assistant was going to tell them, someone drives into their car, leaving them to drown in an adjacent river.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jul 22, 2014 10:06:16 GMT -5
Batman #444
"Crimesmith and Punishment" writer: Marv Wolfman pencils: Jim Aparo inks: Mike DeCarlo letters: John Costanza colors: Adrienne Roy assoc. editor: Dan Raspler editor: Denny O'Neil creator: Bob Kane
grade: A-
Once again, I feel that Wolfman is spending most of this storyline working to "rebuild" the post-Crisis Batman, attempting to define who he is and how he does what he does.
In terms of who he is, Wolfman is careful to define this character as being different from Frank Miller's sociopathic hero and having grown/healed since being the sadistic, vengeance driven character Starlin gave us. This is most apparent when we see Batman take his unintended role in the death of the criminal from the previous issue quite hard; so hard, in fact, that the detective who arrives on the scene feels the need to reassure him, and we're then given a panel of him simply standing and staring in the Batcave before the main action resumes. Finally, the clearest signal we're given that healing has begun for this character is that he starts taking an active role in training Tim, even going so far as to attempt to offer comfort after learning that Tim's parents are having marital difficulties. This is no longer the dark, hardened, aloof Batman we've been served for the past several years. Instead, just as with the new focus on Waynetech, Wolfman is taking Batman back to his Bronze Age roots, putting the character back where he arguably thrived best. Of course, DKR, Year One, and Lonely Place of Dying made a lot more waves and got a lot more attention than this story will, and so later writers will largely miss this revision and continue with the darker Batman on the edge approach. Oh well. I really enjoyed Wolfman's efforts here, just the same.
And, in terms of defining how Batman does what he does, I found this little narrative, taking us through Batman's preparations for going out on patrol, immensely rewarding:
"The shirt is reinforced with an armor plate sewn beneath the golden shield. He slips it on and feels at home now.
The cowl is both soft and solid to his touch, its crown and back reinforced, it's face form-fitting and tight.
He exhales smoothly as it fits into place and locks under his chin. His breathing quiets with anticipation.
The utility belt has its rope, medical kit and radio already in place. He studies the shelves to determine what else he might need.
The ritual is somber, never broken. Preparation must be thorough. There must not be a single mistake. And it is over.
He takes one long deep breath.
He's ready
Great snapshot of the character.
Beyond that, this was a fun issue, full of solid detective work, intense action that Batman must think his way through, and while the enemy ended up being the very same scientific consultant working for him (what a coincidence, as well as a disturbing replay of what's happening in Legends of the Dark Knight right now), I liked the surprise reversal of having his secretary/assistant be the true mastermind who was calling the shots.
Minor details:
- We now learn that Tim's parents are often away for long periods of time, but this doesn't explain how Alfred is able to continuously get Tim out of his boarding school without consent/knowledge from his parents.
- Wolfman gives such attention to Batman meticulously selecting what goes into his utility belt, but then where did that mirror come from that he used to deflect the lasers at the last moment? Surely, the evidence at hand never suggested that he'd be dealing with lasers on this mission, and the mirror was never mentioned nor shown (even from a distance) when Batman was equipping the belt.
- This is the first appearance of Detective Dana Hanrahan. No idea if she'll end up playing any kind of important role down the road.
- Roy's use of color on page 11 is striking. Bathing Batman in muted purples to capture darkness illuminated by faint lighting is gorgeous.
- On the other hand, Aparo's depiction of a mad Bruce Wayne on page 9 looks ridiculous. Who uses lines coming out of someone's head to depict shock in 1990?
- Great letter published in the letter column this month:
"Dear Batman,
I love you. I wish that I can see you in real life. I saw you in the movie. I think that you are cute. I had a dream of you. It was when you were my dad and you came back from a place and hugged me. I could not marry you because I'm only 8.
Love, Sarah Heller
I seriously want to look this girl up and meet her now.
Plot synopsis in one ridiculously long sentence: Batman gets a wallet from the criminal who spontaneously exploded last issue while feeling responsible for his death, Detective Hanrahan tells him it's not his fault, Jeffrey Fraser is hired as the media consultant to Wayne Tech, the GCPD crime lab determines that the spontaneous combustion was caused by a remote trigger in the criminal's neck and that it only could have been developed by someone adept in explosives, micro-circuitry, chemistry, and physics, Bruce spends some time training Tim, they pull up a list of scientists capable of having created the remote explosive and find Jeffrey Fraser on the list, Bruce compares a map generated by the Crimesmith that was in the criminal's wallet to a printout Fraser gave to Bruce Wayne and finds the same smearing/ink laserjet ink signature on both papers, he becomes Batman and goes after the Crimesmith, the Crimesmith ends up being both Fraser and Maya, his assistant, who also turns out to be his cold-hearted lover, as it becomes clear that Batman is going to capture them, Maya runs to save herself and shoots Fraser dead before he can give up any information; she gets away for the time being.
All in all, another solid issue with its priorities in the right place in terms of establishing Batman's persona and premise for the post-Crisis readership. Unfortunately, in spite of all his efforts, it won't be enough to turn Batman away from the path that the fans are craving -- dark anti-hero teetering on the edge.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jul 22, 2014 10:06:57 GMT -5
Detective Comics #611
"Snow and Ice, Part Two: Bird of Ill Omen" writer: Alan Grant pencils: Norm Breyfogle inks: Steve Mitchell letters: Todd Klein colors: Adrienne Roy assoc editor: Dan Raspler editor: Denny O'Neil creator: Bob Kane
grade: B
A generally satisfying conclusion to this short storyline with Kadaver getting in a lot more fun characterization before being killed (WHY??? He had such potential!), the Penguin proving to be a formidable rival (both mentally and physically), and (of course) solid Breyfogle art.
However, I'm ultimately disappointed with the direction Grant took with Penguin, making him view his crimes more as a form of art than a business transaction, and thus feeling compelled to leave Batman clues. This is the kind of Silver Age nonsense I thought we were finally doing away with. Secret Origins Special (also written by Grant) worked hard to establish the Penguin as a more grounded, believable antagonist, and here he is pulling cliche Batman rogues gallery stunts all over again. Could a criminal so obsessed with helping his pursuer ever successfully run an underground criminal empire as Penguin is said to have done post-Crisis? And, quite honestly, the "Snow and Ice" clue wasn't all that clever. Sure, cocaine and diamonds, but when, where, and how?
This issue marks the first appearance of "Otto," the Penguin's umbrella and equipment maker, and apparently a former Nazi in hiding. Not sure whether Otto will be brought back after this. If memory serves, we'll be meeting Harold the Hunchback pretty soon, and I recall him serving pretty much the same role for Penguin.
This is also the first time we clearly see the hologram guarding the entrance to the Batcave, though Breyfogle has shown us the same basic area before (I swear one of the signs used to say "Poison Ivy Keep Off" as opposed to "Keep Off Poison Ivy" -- the first makes a more obvious double meaning).
I still find it interesting that Grant has Scarface/The Ventriloquist orchestrating the cocaine business from prison. He's clearly committed to making the character stick around. I wonder if this is the first time Batman's put away a crime boss who has proven to remain dangerous and at large from behind bars. In real life, you'd expect that to be the case more often, but Batman tends to put these guys away, and suddenly you never hear about them again.
minor details:
- I wonder if this is the first time DC has ever depicted a character on the toilet. Granted, Penguin is still fully clothed, but still. Even just the acknowledgment that a DC character might need to use the bathroom from time to time seems shocking.
- We're reminded that Penguin is in deceptively good shape and is dangerous in one-on-one combat.
- In the letter column, Dan Raspler (or whoever answers these things) explains that the primary reason DC is not considering doing a new Brave and the Bold series at this time is out of concern for how to police continuity in a cross-over title. Wait -- DC is concerned about the logistics of overseeing continuity? Then what the heck has been happening in the Batman titles for the past three years?!
Plot synopsis in one ridiculously long sentence: Kadaver suddenly wants a share of Penguin's new crime spree, Penguin attempts to kill him, Kadaver proves that he has planted a subconscious suggestion in Penguin's mind that he can activate with a whispered phrase, turning the Penguin seemingly dead again, Penguin begrudgingly cuts Kadaver into the action, we meet Otto, Penguin's equipment man, Penguin's men intercept a drug sale for the Ventriloquist's gang, they rob a museum of rare diamonds yet and misdirect Batman for a few moments, Penguin sneaks off to a bathroom to stuff his ears with toilet paper so that he can't hear Kadaver and then kills him, Batman intercepts Penguin, they fight one on one, and Batman (obviously) wins.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jul 22, 2014 10:07:22 GMT -5
Legends of the Dark Knight #4
"Shaman, Book Four" writer: Dennis O'Neil pencils: Edward Hannigan inks: John Beatty letters: John Costanza colors: Richmond Lewis asst. editor: Kevin Dooley editor: Andrew Helfer Batman created by Bob Kane
grade: C-
I've gotten to a point where I just don't care. When I last had the patience to put up with a chapter in this story (two and a half months ago), I noted that it felt like a massive orgy of decompression, obnoxiously stretching a one or two part story into five chapters. This is still the case, but, worse yet, we're now starting to see that the basic story, itself, isn't all that well done.
This is the chapter in which Bruce starts connecting all the dots and unraveling all the mysteries, and it's pretty disappointing. We knew the key details two issues ago -- who the true bad guy would be and how the story would end. But, as the minor connections are worked out in this issue, they are 1)confusing and 2)arbitrary/impossible for anyone (including Bruce) to have deducted. For example, Bruce is told that one person other than he heard the story of the Bat two years back, and he automatically deducts that it MUST have been the killer he'd been tracking at the time (who must have survived his fall off the mountain, and even the story describes this as a "one in a million chance") and that said killer MUST have assisted the true bad guy of this story (Dr. Spurlock) and MUST have turned against him to become the mysterious assassin killing him and his associates.
So what's revealed is pretty absurd, we called the ending ages ago, and (let's not forget) the chief antagonist has been dead since the third chapter; all that's left is a random crazy guy thinking he can kill Batman, and I think we all know where that's going, especially as he so obviously misjudges Bruce at the end of the issue, assuming he's ignorant to the murderer's presence and will obliviously walk up to the front door.
All that's keeping this book going at this point is the stunning art (great use of the Baxter Paper format) and O'Neil's amusing characterization of Alfred. Beyond that, this story has grown both tedious and stupid at this point.
minor details: Why did Batman go through the elaborate ruse of getting himself caught in the banker's office so that he could return to infiltrate the office as a security specialist the next day? HE WAS ALREADY IN THE OFFICE undetected; now the banker is more likely to suspect the security specialist that he never hired!
minor details:
Bruce references the training he received by both Willie Doggett (LotDK #1) and Harvey Harris (Detective Comics Annual #2). O'Neil seems dead set on continuing to give attention to this aspect of Batman's post-crisis continuity, even while so much of the rest of his continuity (including time frames, as complicated by the Year 3 storyline) remains in shambles.
plot synopsis in one ridiculously long sentence: Bruce survives the car crash and rescues the shaman and his daughter, the shaman tells him that he must tell the girl the story of the bat in order to save her, he does so and somehow finds new purpose/identity by wearing the Batman cowl as he does so, he visits the daughter in the hospital and quickly/arbitrarily pieces together the details of the mystery, we learn that the guy who ran them off the road last issue was just a reckless driver (who is arbitrarily given far too much attention in this issue), Bruce visits an office presumably belonging to the banker we met in an earlier chapter (this is intentionally kept obnoxiously vague), finds their secret hiding space where he keeps the shaman costume (revealing that this is presumably the leader of the Santa Prisca drug cartel), gets himself caught so that he can return disguised as a security expert, sabotages the costume, visits the random careless driver from earlier in the issue and scares him into confessing, reflects on how lonely he is around Christmas time, and comes home, fully aware that the insane guy who's been killing everyone is inside with Alfred tied up at knife point, presuming to catch Bruce unaware.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jul 22, 2014 10:07:58 GMT -5
Suicide Squad #38
plotter: John Ostrander scripter: Robert Greenberger layouts: Luke McDonnell finishes: Geof Isherwood letters: Todd Klein colors: Carl Gafford editor: Dan Raspler
grade: n/a
note: this issue is included in this thread solely because it contains one page that is not a part of the main plot and that provides a significant development in Batman continuity. This review will discuss the relevant page, and not the story as a whole.
The mysterious character of "Oracle" was first introduced a year earlier in Suicide Squad #23. Initially implied to be an artificial intelligence, it seems understood, by this point, that Oracle is, in fact, a person, though the identity of that person has remained a mystery until this moment...kind of.
On page 11 of this story that is otherwise irrelevant to Batman continuity, Oracle is informed by Amanda Waller that Flo has died, and the scene then cuts to a red headed woman in a wheelchair crying at the keyboard, a Batgirl doll on her desk in secondary focus. This should be the big reveal that Oracle is, in fact, Barbara Gordon (paralyzed during the events of The Killing Joke).
...except that it isn't.
In Batman Annual #13, published 10 months prior to this issue, the Who's Who section in the back provides an entry on Batgirl which outright indicates that Barbara Gordon is now operating as Oracle.
Was this an error? Did anyone catch it at the time? Was this common knowledge for some reason, though not yet revealed on the comic book page? I can't reconcile the big reveal in this issue with the fact that the beans were so unceremoniously spilled ten months earlier. What the heck?
Anyway, if a reader hadn't caught the spoiler back then, this would have been one powerful page. McDonnel and Isherwood do a great job of executing the reveal with powerful emotion and solid pacing, all without offering a single word of explanation, and giving just enough of a hint that you know who this is without being hit over the head with it.
Excellent work.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jul 22, 2014 10:13:06 GMT -5
Batman #445
"When the Earth DIES! Chapter One: Red Square! Bloody Square!" writer: Marv Wolfman pencils: Jim Aparo inks: Mike DeCarlo letters: John Costanza colors: Adrienne Roy assoc. editor: Dan Raspler editor: Denny O'Neil creator: Bob Kane
grade: B
It seems that there were at least three good reasons to tell this story, which is essentially a sequel to the Ten Nights of the Beast storyline depicted in Batman #417-420:
1. Though it's easy to forget now, all eyes were on the USSR back in 1990. A series of revolutions had recently toppled most of the Eastern European Communist nations, and we saw increasing reforms towards a more democratic approach in the country (Vicki Vale even mentions glasnost in this issue) leading us to wonder if the Cold War might be coming to a close after half a century of hostilities. It would be hard for a socially/politically conscious writer like Wolfman to ignore such a subect.
2. Ten Nights of the Beast was one of the more popular Batman stories in recent history, partially because it was well written and surprisingly enmeshed in real-world politics, and partially because it was one of the first multi-part Batman stories that O'Neil named and created cool cover logos for, making it look more important.
3. Ten Nights of the Beast was a hot collector's item at the time, being a major Batman story arc that had been published just before everyone and their mom started buying Batman comics after Jason Todd's death and the 1989 film. As a result, a lot of very stupid kids that O'Neil was explicitly marketing to (including myself) rushed out to buy this follow-up series, assuming it would be equally collectible.
So, did we really need another "Batman enters the Cold War" story? Probably not, but Wolfman still does an excellent job with it. Once again, he makes me wish that he'd been the one to first write Batman's post-crisis adventures since what he's essentially doing here is finally constructing the post-crisis Batman mythos in a way that's more thorough and more respectful to Batman's past than what has been done before. So, while Batman is clearly focused on his present mission in this issue, we're also learning more about the multi-facets of Bruce Wayne, seeing the reintroduction of Viki Vale (not utilized since Max Allen Collins' largely ignored run), and watching Wolfman try to do more with Tim Drake than just throw him into a Robin costume and pretend it's Dick Grayson again.
The Bruce Wayne aspect is what fascinates me most. In the previous Crimesmith storyline, Wolfman spent time reintroducing us to WayneTech and Bruce Wayne's work life. But, whereas the Bronze Age Batman stories largely stopped there, with Bruce Wayne as a socially conscious captain of industry, Wolfman attempts to marry this idea with the more traditional perception of Bruce Wayne as the careless socialite, creating a more complex alter-ego that attempts to promote justice through WayneTech as well as through Batman, but who does so with a careful facade of carelessness, keeping him beyond suspicion and also adding more dimensions to the character. If even Bruce Wayne is a dual identity, who IS Batman?
As for Tim Drake, Wolfman is suddenly casting suspicions on his parents being out of the country so often, and he also attempts to depict Tim's life at school, away from Wayne Manor (though this attempt ends up feeling lame and entirely unnecessary). I still don't like Tim yet, but I'm glad to see Wolfman trying to get away from the Gary Stu approach he originally took in Year 3.
And, speaking of Year 3, Nightwing explicitly told us in Batman #437 that the KGBeast had escaped from the trap Batman left him to die in at the end of Ten Nights of the Beast, so why isn't Wolfman using that excuse to bring The Beast back? I assumed that was why Wolfman wrote that information into that story (beyond just preventing Batman from becoming a de facto killer). Will The Beast make a surprise return at the end of this storyline, or does Wolfman feel he has something new to say with this NKVDemon replacing him in this story?
Artwise, I feel Aparo slipping in this issue. The penciling is mostly solid, but the layouts are clumsy, with several odd jumps in time that are not depicted in the art at all. At one point, Bruce is on the other side of a crowded airport corridor and turned away from a woman and, in the next, is in mid conversation with her. At another, they are in one restaurant dining and then apparently in another, though the visuals indicate no movement/change. He also makes Batman look waaay too cowardly in the final moments of this story, though Batman knows the trap is about to be sprung on The Demon. I suppose this might have been at Wolfman's request, who also felt the need to make Batman so desperate that he kneed the Demon in the crotch. Definitely not a level of desperation I'm happy watching Batman resort to, particularly in a scenerio that he planned!
Minor Details:
- Bruce explains that he and Vicki met "a year or so ago when she took some photographs of my home." Certainly, more than a year of time has gone by in Post-Crisis continuity by this point, and yet we never saw their first meeting. Also, if the "on-and-off" relationship between them described in the Who's Who section of Batman Annual #13 is still in continuity, when has Bruce had time for this? The last time he saw Vicki at all in this comic was Batman #411, which almost certainly took place more than a year ago at this point (we know from the continuity I pieced together that a year of time spanned between Batman #408 and #416, and let's not forget that Jason continued to be Robin for anywhere between several months and three years after that point, and that several months have passed since his death.) This is almost certainly a continuity glitch unless we're all-out ignoring Max Allen Collins' run at this point, which is fine since Starlin totally ignored/revised the most significant aspects of it in his run anyway.
- When Batman meets with the Soviet Chief of Police, the Chief tells him:
"Hmmm, yes, there are those you might be able to PERSUADE. We police are sometimes...restrained by, eh, procedure."
This is delivered without any sense of irony on Wolfman's part, and yet it sounds disturbingly like the very same kind of policies that we were trying so hard to overturn in the Soviet Union (and that the man Batman was seeking would have supported).
- No idea what the title of this story is about.
plot synopsis in one ridiculously long sentence: Batman takes down a villain named "The Slashes" in Gotham, the Soviets are tracking a murderer with a list much like that of the KGBeast, their Chief of Police comes to Gotham to ask Gordon to send Batman to help them once again, he explains that the NKVDemon is the desciple of the KGBeast, Bruce mentions to Alfred that he's suspicious of Tim's parents before leaving, Bruce is shadowed by two people from the office of Economic Development while in Russia, he runs into Vikki Vale and is happy to see her, we randomly get a snapshot of Tim's exciting life at boarding school (which includes telling a young girl she's in the wrong building and our seeing two severely lame looking kids walking down the hallway -- what the heck was the point of this?), Tim grows suspicious of his parents' activities too, Batman lures the NKVDemon into a trap, and The Demon gets out.
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Post by shaxper on Jul 22, 2014 10:14:39 GMT -5
Detective Comics #612 writer: Alan Grant pencils: Norm Breyfogle inks: Steve Mitchell letters: Todd Klein colors: Adrienne Roy assoc. editor: Dan Raspler editor: Denny O'Neil creator: Bob Kane
grade: B-
A mostly clumsily executed done-in-one that has a pretty amusing pay-off (this felt a bit like the more lighthearted Barr/Davis stories from three years earlier) and accomplishes a few things in terms of continuity.
Contributions to Continuity:
This is the first post-crisis appearance of Catman, as well as (I believe) the first post-crisis appearance of Catwoman in modern day (only seen in Year One and her self-titled mini-series elaborating upon her origin prior to this point). It's not hard to guess why Grant, who preferred creating his own street-level villains, would reintroduce this classic rogues gallery member only one issue after doing the same for The Penguin (hint: it had everything to do with Warner Communications and a film sequel slated for release the following summer).
Catman is very different from his pre-Crisis counterpart. Gone is any mention of his cloak/costume having lucky properties. Instead, he appears to be a Batman wanna-be, complete with grappling hook and roof-top swinging abilities, as well as a lover of big cats. In that case, how is he any different from Catwoman? This feels redundant. Also odd is how his identity is public and yet he keeps a large tiger in plain sight on private property without anyone suspecting he lives there. Certainly, animal rights groups would be inquiring as to who owns the giant caged tiger in a Gotham backyard. And don't tell me the wall marked "private" keeps the tiger out of sight. Gotham has helicopters and tall buildings. And, should I point out the fact that Catman is seemingly entirely without motivation in this issue, first trying to find his escaped tiger, and then randomly trying to kill Batman after years of inactivity ((this is stated, and I presume that his last activity would have been prior to Batman #416, the moment when Batman's post-crisis current day continuity begins).
Catwoman is quite similar to what we saw in Year One and the Catwoman Mini Series, removing any likelihood that she had changed/evolved into a more familiar pre-crisis like Catwoman over the years. It was still possible to argue that the first Barr/Davis storyline, featuring a traditionally costumed Catwoman who, at least at first, had turned good and was in love with Batman, was in continuity up to this point, but this issue pretty much removes that possibility. O'Neil is looking to milk the hottest Batman stories in every way possible, calling for a sequel to Ten Nights of the Beast in the Batman title, creating an informal sequel to Year One in Legends of the Dark Knight, and (I'm sure) asking Grant to make further clear connections to Year One in this story via Catwoman's characterization. You've got to love that, while Batman and Jim Gordon have done quite a bit of growing in the 14+ years since that story, Catwoman is depicted as exactly the same and, in fact, is presented as if she were still a new phenomenon in Gotham ("I have heard it suggested that the mysterious CATWOMAN who was in the news a while back may be involved...?"). Sure doesn't sound like a way of describing an established villain who's been active for a decade and a half.
The Amusing Pay-Off:
Catwoman jumps out at the reporter who's been trying to connect her to the maulings, procaliming "I do not eat people!" while Batman has to explain that the police will find the escaped tiger on the Hottin roof ("No. That is NOT a joke!"). Very funny, though the clumsy editorially mandated story that proceeded it barely made the pay-off worthwhile.
Art:
You can tell that Breyfogle's heart wasn't in this story anymore than Grant's was. There's a lot of clumsy/unclear visuals, and very little that stirs the senses in the way that Breyfogle's art usually does.
Minor details:
- It seems to have become tradition by this point for writers to homage past Batman talents by naming sections of Gotham after them that no later writers ever remember to use again. In this case, we have "Robinson Park," which is named several times throughout the issue just so that you don't miss it. Is "Elliot Street" named after someone I don't recognize, as well?
- The issue begins with a statue of the Mad-Hatter's tea party from Alice in Wonderland in secondary focus. Is this a signal that Grant and Breyfogle intend to use the character in the near future?
- The letter column promises "we're now initiating cross-continuity between BATMAN and DETECTIVE. Let us know what you think!" Wait -- in the post-crisis-continuity-is-everything DC Universe, in which the extremely talented writer/editor team of Moench and Wein were thrown off the book in order to start with a new continuity, you weren't even TRYING to do this until now? What the f**k is wrong with this Bat Office?
plot synopsis in one ridiculously long sentence: While attempting to stop some muggers, Batman discovers a man partially eaten alive by a large animal, Thomas Blake realizes his large animal has escaped and becomes Catman to find it, reporter Sara Dulman tries to pin the murder on Catwoman, some random guys are rounding up stray cats for laboratory testing while chatting about how useless cats are, Batman and Catman both intercept the true murderer on a rooftop at the same time, it proves to be a tiger, Blake ties Batman's leg to the roof so that he'll have to fight the tiger for no apparent reason, Catwoman shows up, snares Catman's leg, and sends him falling off the roof and onto the van of the cat collectors, Batman defeats the tiger, the cat collectors are freaked out and promise never to round up cats again, Catwoman assaults the reporter who's been going after her on national television, and she goes home to watch TV with her cats while feeling quite satisfied.
Not a great story, almost certainly due to O'Neil's stifling involvement whereas he once completely ignored Grant and Breyfogle's work (for better or worse). I certainly know how I'd feel if, one day, O'Neil couldn't care whether you lived or died, even absent-mindedly nodding along with your pitch to bring in a new and different Robin and then telling you at the apex of that story (the Anarchy storyline) that he has another writer introducing a new Robin, and then getting so involved in your work that he's telling you who to use in your stories and how they should be depicted.
At least the ending was cute.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jul 22, 2014 10:16:01 GMT -5
Legends of the Dark #5
"Shaman, Book Five" writer: Dennis O'Neil pencils: Edward Hannigan inks: John Beatty letters: John Costanza colors: Richmond Lewis assist editor: Kevin Dooley editor: Andrew Heffer Batman created by Bob Kane special thanks to Dick Giordano
grade: B+
To be fair, this story ended a lot better than it should have. The action was well paced, the developments were intelligent, and the theme resolved neatly, with Bruce gaining a greater understanding of who he must be as The Batman. Really, the biggest problem was how O'Neil decompressed the story. Carl Fisk, for example, who appeared exactly ONCE previously in this story, is now the main antagonist who needs to be brought down. Prior to this issue, both Fisk and the drug cartel he was apparently leading were background noise in this story, not a central focus.
And the whole reintroduction of Tom Woodley as the assassin trying to kill Wayne ended up being for naught. His struggle with Bruce was relatively uninteresting, and when Bruce finds him again later, he's already defeated, dying from a knife wound he accidentally received during their struggle. This character served absolutely no purpose beyond stretching out the story.
So what was the true focus of this story -- the question of what Spurlock had done with the secrets of the Native American tribe, or the Santa Prisca drug cartel? As much as O'Neil tried to connect the two in the previous issue (Fisk was inspired to pose as a shaman after reading about Spurlock's expedition) there truly is no connection between the two plot lines. These are two unrelated conflicts that O'Neil fails to connect on even a thematic level. We're essentially just thrown those two conflicts, as well as the whole Tom Woodley subplot, while two Native Americans get to comment on Bruce's second identity from the sidelines in a religious context. Not great storytelling by any stretch, even if this wrap-up to the Santa Prisca conflict (the Spurlock one essentially ended two issues ago) was quite satisfying.
The problem, really, is that O'Neil thinks he's god's gift to writing. Really -- how full of yourself do you have to be to make yourself the writer of the five part storyline launching the first new Batman non-team-up title since 1940? Better yet, he goes on to usurp the most famous Batman story in recent history (Year One), rewriting it, the characterization of Bruce Wayne, the most famous moment in that story (the bat crashing through the window), and Batman's origin in general in order to have his own mark on all three. Best yet, we get this little blurb in the letter column that pretty much says it all:
"We have resolved to have only the best writers and artists on BATMAN: LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT telling the most unusual and captivating stories. Please do not send creative team suggestions. We have things tentatively planned through 1992 (at least every other story will be scripted by Mr. O'Neil)."
And my point, really, is that O'Neil isn't GOOD ENOUGH to be given such privileged access to the character. He was a solid Batman writer back in the day and is actually too good at selling Batman like a used car to the readers of the 1990s, but that doesn't mean he should be given total control in writing these self-indulgent multi-part stories, checked only by some puppet editor I've never heard of before who ultimately answers back to him.
minor details / aka -- lots of little reasons why O'Neil isn't God's gift to writing:
- O'Neil's narration in the second panel outright tells us that Bruce is "unaware that the renegade Indian Tom Woodley waits" which is a misleading lie, designed to create suspense where there really isn't any. That's a dirty cheat.
- If Woodley is looking out the window while Bruce is going up the walk-way, how does he NOT see him go around to the back of the mansion?
- Bruce's entire reason for sneaking around back was that Alfred hadn't picked up the phone AND hadn't left the house? Maybe he's enjoying a nice bath or an extra good read while on the toilet?
- While fighting Woodley, an insane hunter/tracker with no stated combat training, Bruce gets stabbed three times and saved only by the padding he happened to be wearing from his stint in the previous issue. I think O'Neil is trying to make the points that 1) Bruce is still new at this and 2) he's going to have to win with his mind more than impossible physical stunts, but this just comes off as sloppy convenience writing and, besides, according to the training continuity that O'Neil himself pushed writers to implement, Bruce has already completed all of his training by this point, having studied under at least five combat specialists at the top of their field, including three martial arts masters, one of whom even taught him the "vibrating palm."
- Alfred calls Bruce "Bruce" on page 7. I think O'Neil was going for intimacy there, but it absolutely rubbed me the wrong way, especially as Alfred is talking about the need to recover his dignity. His formality is a critical part of who he is as a character, not some socially-imposed barricade that distances him from Bruce.
- On the one hand, this story attempts to make its readers respect tribal culture more. On the other, it positively delights in having Batman pose as a tribal god to an entire group of believers. Will we see a follow-up story in which Batman impersonates Jesus in front of a bunch of Catholics?
- Batman tells Gordon where Fisk hid all his evidence, and Gordon passes this on to his police force. If I were a well-paid lawyer representing a wealthy banker on trial, I'd pose the question of how Gordon can be sure Batman didn't plant that evidence? After all, this is still one of Batman's first cases. He's hardly won the public's trust by this point.
- So are we to believe that every time Bruce ever puts on the mask and becomes Batman, he is inspired by and thinking of this story we just read? Wow, O'Neil. Get over yourself.
Nice quote from the end of this issue:
"Something marked you, wounded you, when you were a child. You have a choice...either let go of it or use it...it means BECOMING the mask. But the choice was made years ago. You know that."
Very good issue, but not a very good story, and not a writer/editor who should be left unchecked to do whatever he feels like doing to further aggrandize himself within the Batman pop culture franchise.
plot synopsis in one ridiculously long sentence; Bruce fights Tom Weedley, Woodley escapes, Alfred feels humiliated by having been captured, Bruce reveals he knows it's Fisk (the banker) who is the shaman leading the Santa Prisca drug cartel, he executes his plan against Fisk, making himself look like a superior god to the Santa Prisca followers, he makes Fisk confess and passes the info to Gordon, he finds Woodley already dying, he flies back to the daughter of the shaman (he has died since the previous issue), and she tells him he must become the bat.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jul 22, 2014 10:16:25 GMT -5
Secret Origins tpb "The Man Who Falls" writer: Dennis O'Neil art: Dick Giordano letters: John Costanza colors: Tom McCraw editor: Mark Waid Batman created by: Bob Kane grade: C As an immediate follow-up to the conclusion of the "Shaman" storyline from Legends of the Dark Knight, O'Neil churns out this new origin story for Batman, the lead feature of what appeared to be a very rushed Secret Origins tpb, in order to cement in all the changes he's JUST introduced to Bruce's origin over the past four months in Legends of the Dark Knight. It also brings back the unfavorable portrayal of Thomas Wayne as an angry/abusive (alcoholic?) father, and clarifies the training timeline for Batman that O'Neil had been sprinkling into other writers' stories since Batman #431 (my previous best efforts to piece together that timeline can be found here). Most prominent in all of this is the return of the idea introduced in "Shaman" that, from the moment his parents were killed, Bruce was "marked" and destined to live this tragic life as The Batman. Interesting how this issue avoids mentioning/showing Leslie Thompkins at all, even as we watch Bruce working from what is presumably her home at the age of fourteen. Is O'Neil trying to get her out of continuity? As a side note, this is one of the first times I've seen someone other than Adrienne Roy color Batman in the traditional four color benday dot medium, and it looks terrible. Truly, a story like this makes you appreciate just how important a colorist's work can be to a story. A new, constructed timeline of both Bruce's training and Bruce's post-crisis continuity will follow this post...
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Post by shaxper on Jul 22, 2014 10:19:02 GMT -5
The Post-Crisis Batman Continuity (as of Secret Origins tpb [1990])
Please note: Denny O'Neil was not the most vigilant of continuity editors, and so this list attempts to resolve a number of seeming contradictions, most notably made in Year 3, at which point O'Neil seemed to be intentionally making changes to continuity.
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22-28 years prior to Year 1 -- Bruce Wayne is born to Thomas and Martha Wayne (Secret Origins tpb indicates he is 8 years old when his parents died, Detective Comics #578 and Batman #404 indicate his parents died 18 to 20 years prior to Year 1, Secret Origins tpb also includes the problematic detail that he is "in his early twenties" when he concludes his training and returns to Gotham prior to Year 1 -- thus the range of years in which this event could have occurred. Based on the other events shown/listed in the Secret Origins tpb, Bruce had to be at least 22 when he became Batman, having begun his training at 20, studied under Kirigi for almost a year, studied with Ducard for six months (Detective Comics #600) and sought out at least 16 other mentors in that time(various sources, all compiled here).
19-25 years prior to Year 1 -- A young Bruce Wayne falls through a hole into a cave on the Wayne Manor property (presumed, Bruce is at least three years old here and his parents have not yet died (Secret Origins tpb) (they die when he is 8, and that was 19 years prior to Year One, as stated in Batman #404).
19 years prior to Year 1 -- The Reaper retires after a career of protecting Gotham through murderous vigilantism (stated as having occurred 20 years prior to Year 2 in Detective Comics #575).
18-19 years prior to Year 1 -- Alfred Pennyworth's father dies; Alfred takes his place as butler to the Waynes (all immediately prior to the deaths of Thomas and Martha Wayne, Batman Annual #13). Thomas and Martha Wayne are murdered (20 years prior to Year 2, as stated in Detective Comics #578, 18 years prior to Year 1, as stated in Batman #404). Bruce is 8 years old (Secret Origins tpb)(1). Bruce is taken in by Dr. Leslie Thompson. Alfred watches over Wayne manor and remains involved in Bruce's upbringing (Detective Comics #574 and Batman Annual #13).
12 to 13 Years prior to Year 1 -- Bruce attends various colleges from ages 14 to 20, in search of information to aid him in his war against crime (Detective Comics #574 and Secret Origins tpb).
6 to 7 Years prior to Year 1 -- Bruce begins his training.(2)
Just prior to Year 1 -- Bruce studies under his final trainer (Willy Doggett), is nearly killed while pursuing a murderer in the Alaskan wilderness, and is saved by a Shaman who tells him the story of The Bat (Legends of the Dark Knight #1, Secret Origins tpb).
Year 1 -- Bruce Wayne returns to Gotham. Jim Gordon moves to Gotham and rises to the rank of Captain. Batman begins his career. James Gordon Jr. is born. Catwoman begins her career. Batman forms informal partnerships/friendships with Gordon and Harvey Dent. (Batman #404-407).
Between Year 1 and Year 2 -- The events of the "Shaman" storyline (Legends of the Dark Knight #1-5)
Between Year 1 and Year 2-- Batman switches to the yellow chest symbol (Presumed since he has it in Detective Comics #575, the beginning of Year 2). The Joker begins his career (presumed from the end of Year One in Batman #408, though this jibes uneasily with the events of Year 2, which suggest the Reaper is Batman's first major villain) after falling into a vat of chemicals while pursued by Batman as The Red Hood (assuming the Joker is telling the truth in The Killing Joke, though even he casts doubts on this). Jim Gordon is promoted to commissioner (Batman #575).
Sometime after Year 1 -- Jim Gordon begins to foster his niece, Barbara Gordon, after her parents die. Jim Gordon's wife divorces him and moves to Chicago with James Jr. at some point afterward (Secret Origins #20).
Year 2 -- The Wayne Foundation building is constructed. Batman fights The Reaper, who is implied to be the first major villain he has fought (Detective Comics #575-578).
Between Year 2 and 3 -- Batman returns to the original chest symbol, at least temporarily (as seen in flashback in Batman #436).
Year 3 -- Dick Grayson's parents are murdered by Anthony Zucco. He is initially sent to St. Jude's orphanage under the care of Sister Mary Elizabeth (Batman #426). He is taken in by Bruce at age 12, becomes Robin at age 13 (presumed, working backwards from Batman #416). Tim Drake witnesses the death of Dick Grayson's parents at the age of 2 and follows Batman and Robin's adventures from that point forward (Batman #441).
Year 3-8 -- Most of Batman's rogues gallery is active for some time prior to Dick's retirement, but presumably not until after the events of Year Two (since it's implied that Reaper is Batman's first majro villain), including Two Face, Penguin, and Joker (Batman #408 and Detective comics #575-578)
Year 8 -- The first Robin is retired at age 19 and presumed dead by the general public (assuming Year 3 counts as a full first year when Dick tells Bruce he fought by his side for six years in Batman #416).
Year 9 -- Bruce takes in Jason Todd. Dick attends one year of college, leads the Teen Titans, drops out, becomes Nightwing, and "started a new life as leader of" the New Teen Titans (presumed from the timeline provided in Batman #416, which seems to imply that Dick formed the New Teen Titans after becoming Nightwing and never led it as Robin, yet Batman Annual #13 indicates that he did initially lead it as Robin).
Year 9.5 -- Jason becomes Robin six months after Bruce takes him in (Dick confronts Batman about Jason being the new Robin 18 months after his retirement in Batman #416; the preface for Death in the Family states that Jason became Robin 18 months after Dick retired). The general public believes it's the return of the same Robin (Batman Annual #13).
Between Years 9.5 and 10.5 - The Mike W. Barr run, featuring a younger, less jaded/impulsive Jason Todd (Presumed, though it is debatable whether this run counts in Post-Crisis continuity at all, especially since it includes a clearly pre-crisis Catwoman)
Year 10.5 -- the events of Batman #416 (takes place one year after the confrontation between Dick and Bruce over Jason becoming Robin, which occurred 18 months after Dick retired), the events of "The Cult" (indicates that Batman has been active for 10 years, presumably takes place after Batman #416).
Between Years 10.5 and 14 - Never revealed, presumed to occur between Batman #416 and #425(3)
Year 14 - Batgirl retires and is paralyzed by the Joker (occurred in The Killing Joke prior to Jason Todd's death in Batman #426), Jason Todd is killed, the present day events of Year 3 occur only a few weeks later (Batman #436 occurred ten years after Year 3, Nightwing indicates Jason has only been dead a few weeks). A Lonely Place of Dying. (Tim Drake is 13 and confirms he was 2 during Year 3 in Batman #441) Depending upon how you interpret some conflicting information provided in the Secret Origins tpb and Batman #404, Bruce is anywhere from 35 to 42 years old at this point.
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(1) According to the Secret Origins tpb, Bruce is 8 when his parents died. According to Batman #404, this occurred 18 years prior to year one (making Bruce 26 in Year One). Yet the Secret Origins tpb also shows that Bruce was "in his early twenties" when his training concluded, and we know from Legends of the Dark #1 that Bruce became Batman a very short time after. Thus, the idea that Bruce was 8 years old when his parents were murdered AND that this took place 18-19 years prior to Year 1 is up for debate. However, much of the timeline I have constructed is based upon this assumption.
(2) Batman #431 stated that Bruce began his training ten years prior to Batman #431, and Batman #433-435 seemed to concur, indicating that he'd done all of his training in one year, but Detective Comics #600 stated that he'd trained for more than ten years before becoming Batman. None of these statements appear to be correct. However, the final assertion is close to true if you count college.
(3) At no point is it suggested that a gap of time has occurred between Batman #416 and #425. However, references to time in Year 3 indicate that an extra 3.5 years occurred somewhere, and this is pretty much the only place those 3.5 years could go without conflicting with previous references made to the post-crisis timeline. Meanwhile, "The Cult," written by Starlin at the same time, MUST occur in Year 10 because it mentions that Batman has been active for ten years within it. At the time, O'Neil had intended the present day to be Year 10, which is why this mention was made, but Year 3 later required the present day to be changed to Year 14; thus "The Cult" remains in Year 10 while Starlin's regular run advances to Year 14.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jul 22, 2014 10:21:17 GMT -5
The (updated) full list of people who have trained Batman (as of Batman #451) in presumed order:
(bold indicates that I am certain this event is in the right order/sequence)
Please note: Denny O'Neil was not the most vigilant of continuity editors, and so this list attempts to resolve some conflicts that I doubt O'Neil was even aware of (see notes at the bottom of the list).
Bruce Wayne begins his training at the age of fourteen
Various colleges from ages 14 to 20 -- general academic information and (presumably) criminology and law ("The Man Who Falls," Secret Origins tpb) ? -- commercial pilot's license by the time he was 18 (Legends of the Dark Knight #5) ? -- jet pilot training when he was 19 (Legends of the Dark Knight #5) FBI -- nothing of value to him ("The Man Who Falls," Secret Origins tpb) Kirigi -- martial arts, including "The Vibrating Palm" (Batman #431, "The Man Who Falls," Secret Origins tpb) Henry Ducard -- brutality, deception, cunning (Detective #600, "The Man Who Falls," Secret Origins tpb)(1 2) Chu Chin Li -- martial arts and pain management (Detective #599) Tsunetomo -- ability to alter body functions, sense of time, and more martial arts (Detective #599) Harvey Harris -- detective work, emotional restraint (Detective Comics Annual #2)(3) Mark Jenner -- high speed driving (Batman #434) Frederick Stone -- explosives (Batman #434) ? Kingsley -- chemistry (Batman #434) ? La Salle -- Body Building (Batman #434) Peter Allison -- Acting (Batman #434) Mina and Aurelius Boch -- toxicology (Batman #435) Raphael DiGiorda -- bowmanship (Batman #435) ? Shastri -- snakes ((Batman #435) ? Campbell -- electricity (?) (Batman #435) ? Weber -- acids (?) (Batman #435) (unnamed/never shown) -- daggers or ritualistic sacrifices(?) (Batman #435) (unknown) -- photographic memory (the ability is mentioned in Batman #451; I'm assuming it was learned as opposed to innate) Willy Doggett -- tracking (Legends of the Dark Knight #1) Alfred -- make-up, acting the role of Bruce Wayne, altering his voice as Batman (Batman Annual #13)
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(1) Note, in Detective Comics #600, Bruce was said to have already trained for ten years prior to working with Ducard. Technically, this is almost true if you count the years studying at colleges. (2) Note, in Detective Comics #599, Bruce trained with Ducard after training with Chu Chin Li and Tsunetomo, but in "The Man Who Falls" from the Secret Origins tpb, Ducard was the second expert Bruce trained under, and Kirigi was still the first. (3) Note, in Detective Comics Annual #2, we learn that Bruce was 17 when he trained under Harvey Harris and that this was after he trained with Chu Chin Li. Yet "The Man Who Falls" from the Secret Origins tpb determines that Bruce did not study under his first expert (Kirigi) until he was 20.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jul 22, 2014 10:38:54 GMT -5
Batman: Digital Justice
Plot and art: Pepe Moreno dialogue: Doug Murray additional design: Javier Romero art assistant: Bob Fingerman editor: Denny O'Neil asst. editor: Dan Raspler
grade: D+
I can clearly remember seeing ads for this volume at the age of nine and, even then, being smart enough to realize there was going to be no content. Denny O'Neil had already built an editorial empire upon overselling mediocre concepts, and if all that could be said in advance of this volume was that it would be using state of the art computer graphics, then you pretty much knew what to expect from the story. Sure enough, Digital Justice proves to be an impressive feat in software application, but there's little else worthy of note here.
The Art
Not quite the harbinger of the future of comics that it was supposed to be (if you bother to read the introduction), but the merging of software and art at this early early stage is both jarring and impressive, all at the same time. It's hard to tell when Moreno is trying to give things a more bumpy digitized look and when this is actually a limitation of the medium back in 1989, but I'd say the visuals are still more impressive to look at than not if you consider the historical context. Beyond that, really, all that makes this comic anything more than an F in my book is the rich tone generated by the visuals. Moreno clearly gave primary attention to the tone of this work, and so a fun, moody homage to Blade Runner and other such Dystopian future punk/noir works (along with a hint of Tron) is clearly exuded from the page. But don't expect any particularly striking images nor visual concepts foretelling the future (either real or imagined). This is definitely Sci-Fi Lite, with no true visual substance to it beyond the borrowed tone.
The Writing
Yikes. Not only is the story insultingly simple and almost entirely devoid of character, but it's barely a Batman story. By that, I don't just mean that Batman doesn't even appear until the very last panel of the second of four chapters, but rather that there's nothing particularly Batman about that Batman. Sure enough, it seems like Moreno has only the most basic understanding of any of the characters, and so we see Batman, Joker, a new Robin, a descendant of Jim Gordon, and a new Catwoman, but we don't truly recognize any of them other than in name. One could actually argue that the Batman depicted in this work more closely resembles V for Vendetta than any incarnation of the Dark Knight.
The Legacy
Beyond the fact that, through some odd twist of fate, the character of "Gata" bears a striking resemblance to Lady "Gaga," in her influence and visual style (and no, I don't think she as closely resembles Madonna, the 1980s equivalent of Gaga), I can only find two aspects of this comic that may have been influential upon anything that followed this volume:
1. Batman having retired and yet having made preparations to aid a new Batman in the not so distant future is the basic premise of the Batman Beyond animated series (and, later, comic book), though none of the details are the same.
2. In a few panels, Robin's wild "future" hair seems like a prototype for Tim Drake's distinct hair style in the '90s (and, if you'll recall, his hair was still looking pretty traditional and boring in the pages of Batman at this point).
Beyond that, this was a pretty forgettable story, more noteworthy for its experimentation with technology than for anything inherent in its quality. Very skippable.
plot synopsis: In a dystopian future, a virus created by the Joker has taken over the net and used society's governing structures to oppress mankind, Jim Gordan's grandson gets wise to some of this and tries to fight against it, he is ultimately aided by software created by Batman before he died so that the two can work in conjunction as a virtual and physical Batman-Batman team to take society back, there's a new Robin, a wanna-be Lady Gaga turned Catwoman gets in the way, and the rest is just pretty damn forgettable.
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Post by shaxper on Jul 22, 2014 10:39:44 GMT -5
Batman #446
"When the Earth Dies, Chapter Two: Underworlds" writer: Marv Wolfman pencils: Jim Aparo inks: Mike DeCarlo letters: John Costanza colors: Adrienne Roy assoc. editor: Dan Raspler editor: Denny O'Neil creator: Bob Kane
grade: B
The title of this storyline is finally beginning to make sense. Late in the issue, we hear a speech given by this "softer" Russian government the NKVDemon is trying to dismantle about saving the environment. It seems likely that the final conflict will somehow be fought over the environment? Certainly, with DC working hard to promote Earth Day in a house ad at the back of this very issue, it seems that this is the way in which "The Earth Dies" in this story.
Still, even with the main title of this storyline presumably making sense, I'm at a loss for the title of this chapter. What underworlds? There's no mention of any criminal underworlds in this issue, nor is there any subterranean action.
As for the story itself, not bad. Wolfman's writing is captivating as ever, Aparo's pencils are strong, DeCarlo does a fair job on inks, and Roy is always a pleasure when coloring Batman. I've been away from this creative team for too long now, and it was nice to come back to it today. I'd hesitate to say I found anything exceptional about this installment, though. Whereas the first part made great strides in developing the life of Bruce Wayne, as well as complicating Tim Drake's identity and back story, this issue just feels like a tired replay of Ten Nights of the Beast, with the NKVDemon even commenting on the similarity of the story's cliffhanger.
There's still some genuine excitement in watching Batman and the Russian police work furiously to figure out who the NKVDemon will be, as well as what the heck Batman's going to do with him once he finds him, but that's about it. Nothing particularly memorable otherwise.
Minor Details:
- How does no one, especially Russian intelligence, put together the fact that both Bruce Wayne and Batman are in the same city in the USSR at the same time, especially when Bruce Wayne fails to show at the ceremony while Batman is there?
- I get the desire to "de-power" Batman a bit in the Post-Crisis, but seriously, how does willfully jumping off of a moving train end up nearly killing him? He pulled that off as clumsily as if I had tried it.
- The doctors make note that Batman's body appears to shut down in order to heal himself. I don't recall if we've seen this earlier on, but it's mentioned again at other points in the Post-Crisis as having come from some of his martial arts training, most likely Tsunetomo, who taught Bruce the ability to alter his body functions and sense of time (shown in Detective #599).
- The Russian government officials on the NKVDemon's list do not appear to have been real people. Google searches of the names only refer back to these issues.
- How in the heck did Batman and The Demon change back into costume on page 20? I get the idea that Wolfman wanted them in costume for the big face-off, but the disguises they were wearing a page earlier could not have been concealing their masks, nor would they have the time to put those masks on while facing off against each other.
A decent issue but, again, nothing memorable, and I seriously doubt Batman will be falling to his death in the beginning of the next issue (as the cliffhanger suggests).
Plot synopsis in one ridiculously long sentence: Batman fails again to stop the Demon from taking down another government official on his list, they face off on a train at which point Batman is nearly killed by being forced to jump off while the train is in motion, he recovers and attempts to stop the Demon again at a major diplomatic event, at which point the Demon gains the upper hand and has Batman hanging from a catwalk high above the ground, about to fall to his death.
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shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,812
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Post by shaxper on Jul 22, 2014 10:45:21 GMT -5
Detective Comics #613
"Trash" writer: Alan Grant pencils: Norm Breyfogle inks: Steve Mitchell letters: Todd Klein colors: Adrienne Roy editor: Denny O'Neil associate editor: Dan Raspler creator: Bob Kane
grade: B
I'm beginning to think that the only reason Norm Breyfogle isn't my favorite Batman artist of all time is an unfair one; it's that he only does Alan Grant stories, and therefore has rarely brought to life with his pencils a story I actually enjoyed. I'm beginning to wonder if the reverse of this problem helps to explain why there's so much acclaim for Grant out there -- those Breyfogle images made people love his stories, regardless of their innate quality.
No, I'm not calling Grant a bad writer -- not even an average writer, but he isn't good enough for Batman, nor for Breyfogle, at this point. I really enjoyed the brief run where he was second writer to John Wagner but, when Wagner jumped off and kept his name on the book, it was obvious to me, and I don't think the quality has really come back since that time.
This issue is a perfect example of that. It seems obvious that Grant and Breyfogle were particularly passionate about this issue, but while Breyfogle turned in some of his best art ever in this issue (more on that later), Grant turned this into a textbook example of what happens when you throw too much into one issue and make a half-assed attempt to connect it all together at the end.
Is this issue about...
1. America's trash problem and the need to do something about it? We're certainly given this message, over and over, but aside from some weak attempts to draw similarities between Batman and garbage collectors, the story really does nothing to further this message, even when it gets the final panel of the issue.
2. Organized crime moving in on the trash industry? Surely, Grant went there, but it was really just a conflict for the story and never tied into anything thematically. And, by the way, while this was a REAL problem in metropolitan areas in the 1980s, Grant gives it no more believe-ability than armed guerrillas robbing jewelry stores in broad daylight. Rival garbage men jump right to physically pushing around the garbage collector in broad daylight on a populated street. I sincerely doubt the take-over of the trash industry in real world cities ever resorted to physical intimidation and, if it did so, this would only happen as an absolute last resort. Had Grant really committed to telling this story, he could have arrived at the same ending with a much more convincing and gradual escalation.
3. Batman struggling to have a life while being a crime fighter? It's there, and Breyfogle certainly has fun with it on that centerfold page, desperately making me wish he'd been around for Moench's run, which battled with this constantly. Still, Grant gives it little time and utterly forgets it by the close.
4. Crime going over the line? <spoiler alert> Certainly the final fate of the young boy with whom young readers were supposed to identify should have sent some kind of strong message about this, but instead Grant somehow tries to use the tragedy to deliver a final message about the garbage problem (see #1) that absolutely does not fit. Since the boy's fate had nothing to do with his passion for this message, the whole martyr route really doesn't work here at all. </spoiler alert>
5. Batman going over the line? Batman's instinctual reaction to the actions of the criminals, semi-accidentally causing their gruesome deaths, is right out of the early Starlin stories, but Grant doesn't seem to want to give any further attention to this idea, either.
Meanwhile, as noted earlier, this might be Breyfogle's finest work on Batman yet. The gorgeous title page, two exquisite depictions of Batman in motion (one, the centerfold, depicted in glorious details, while the second, page 15, is contrasted in its simplicity), and the brilliant two page climax. In fact, as an adolescent who really had no appreciation for comic book art, I firmly recall copying and copying Breyfogle's depiction of the Batmobile on page 10, with it's headlights bursting out into the stars. To this day, I suspect I could draw it from memory if I tried.
So a very mixed issue with a lot of great stuff battling for attention, but ultimately delivering an absolute mess of a thematic resolution by the close. This could have a been a very powerful story, especially at the close, but it just wasn't because, even in that final panel, it tries to accomplish far too much.
Minor details:
- The Bat office was having a lot of fun teasing us about Tim Drake at the time. Was it Breyfogle's idea to put a Robin action figure on the front cover, flying out of the trash pouring over Batman? As an adolescent, I remember being sure this was a sign of something to come with the same fervor that Beatles fans once clamored over the clues left in the album art. Of course Tim was going to become Robin, but this cover teased us that it would happen far sooner than it actually did.
- Breyfogle's Gotham is far more dilapidated than I recall ever having seen it before, with graffiti strewn right on the walls of a classy restaurant Bruce Wayne and Vicki Vale are dining at, and a nudy bar on the same block.
- Nice acknowledgement of the NKVDemon story happening in the Batman title, provided in passing on page 6. Certainly, with a three part story placing Batman and Vicki in Russia, it was helpful to explain how this fit into the continuity of this story, in which both of them are in Gotham. Apparently, the NKVDemon story happened first. Are O'Neil and Raspler FINALLY paying attention to inter-title continuity??
Plot synopsis in one ridiculously long sentence:
Mike Dell (no relation to the computer mogul) is a kid doing a report on the trash problem in America, his father (who owns a small trash company) is taking him out on his run for the report, Bruce has a date with Vicki Vale in which he is constantly distracted by thinking he sees crimes happening out on the street, a crime boss is threatening Mike's dad to give up his route so that the crime boss's garbage company can move in, and Batman manages to stop them from killing Mike's dad, but not before Mike intervenes and gets killed, himself.
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