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Detective Comics #851 [Review]

Posted on December 14, 2008 by Walt

Batman: Last Rites – Last Days of Gotham part 1 of 2

Writer: Denny O’Neil
Art: Guillem March
Letters: Jared K. Fletcher
Assistant Editor: Janelle Siegel
Editor: Mike Marts
Covers: Guillem March & Tony Daniel
Publisher: DC Comics

This issue seems to introduce a new character–at the least, I am unfamiliar with this character, not having read this title much in a lotta years. This character has elements dating back to the Gotham Earthquake (Batman: Cataclysm), and also has Two Face back in action, even as a doppleganger apparently is running around using his name. As the last guy to really deal with Two Face and with Bruce missing, Nightwing answers the call of duty and goes into action.

There’s something to the art in this issue that makes me think it’s got some manga influence, as the visual style puts me in mind both of that and some sort of adaptation of some cartoon I can’t think of. The art’s far from bad, though it being a bit stylized turns me off to it somewhat. Characters that I believe are intended to be recognizeable are, while other characters seem to look as they should based on what I get from the story’s context.

The story itself is something I really wanted to like, given this brief return by Denny O’Neil. Unfortunately, this issue just didn’t work for me, and I found myself having to force myself to read each page instead of skimming over to get to more interesting stuff. This feels like a fill-in; whether it is or not I don’t pretend to know; though the fact that it’s to be continued in an upcoming issue of Batman is rather telling. If you’re a longtime fan of O’Neil and steeped in Bat-lore from around the Cataclysm stuff and are a fan of Two Face, you’ll probably enjoy this. I came in as someone fresh off Batman: RIP interested in seeing the impact the absence of Batman himself has on everyone, and just was not engaged by the story.

All in all, a fairly disappointing issue for me, though I hope I’ve contextualized that above. The cover is what I must credit with drawing me in, combined with realizing O’Neil was penning the story–this cover image would make a great poster, I think.

Story: 7/10
Art: 6/10
Whole: 6.5/10

Filed under: Comic Reviews 2008, DC, DC Universe, Detective Comics | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Batman #682 [Review]

Posted on December 7, 2008 by Walt

Batman: The Butler Did It

Writer: Grant Morrison
Penciller: Lee Garbett
Inker: Trevor Scott
Colorist: Guy Major
Letterer: Jared K. Fletcher
Asst. Editor: Janelle Siegel
Editor: Mike Marts
Cover: Alex Ross (variant by Tony Daniel)
Publisher: DC Comics

There’s not much to this issue, it seems. Bruce and Alfred have a conversation about his having chosen to become “a bat” and how events throughout his career have shaped who/what he is. We’re treated to images from throughout the Batman’s history, as if every Batman comic you’ve ever read has a place in the current Batman’s life.

The art by Garbett isn’t bad–it’s certainly a depature from the RIP arc, but it works well enough here. I don’t recognize the name, so am not sure if I’ve seen this artist’s work elsewhere, but in this issue, I have no problem with it in and of itself.

Story-wise, I feel rather lost and disappointed. RIP was vastly over-hyped, and where I expected some brilliant swerve that would serve to explain 2+ years’ worth of Batman stories in a satisfactory manner, I found the closing of that story anti-climactic. And a mere ONE week later to have the next issue and have no reference to RIP or any “death” of Batman is a letdown in itself. That I can hardly follow this issue’s narrative–I have read Batman for 19 1/2 years, comics for 20 years, and have delved even further back in my reading through the years–and this issue feels choppy and “trippy.” Is Bruce hallucinating? Is that what RIP was? Is this what he saw while drugged out by the Black Glove? Or is this Alfred’s recollection of events? If so, WHEN was this? Is this before or after RIP? Is someone musing to themselves, “talking” to Bruce, or is Bruce actually there?

Honestly, I’d be hard-pressed to recommend this issue. I almost feel suckered–after all, perhaps it’s important since it was rushed out THE VERY FIRST WEEK after RIP ended. If you’ve actually enjoyed the ending of RIP, perhaps you’ll enjoy this–perhaps you actualy “get” Mr. Morrison’s style here.

As for me…this is a trainwreck. I don’t want to look, but some part of me can’t help but look, and grouse at what I wind up seeing.

Story: 5/10
Art: 7/10
Whole: 6/10

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Batman #681 [Review]

Posted on November 28, 2008 by Walt

R.I.P. the conclusion: Hearts in Darkness

Writer: Grant Morrison
Penciller: Tony Daniel
Inker: Sandu Florea
Colorist: Guy Major
Letterer: Jared K. Fletcher
Asst. Editor: Janelle Siegel
Editor: Mike Marts
Covers: Alex Ross and Tony Daniel
Publisher: DC Comics

This is an issue I’ve been looking forward to for awhile. While the opening of the arc left me rather cold, I figured it would all come to a satisfying conclusion that would explain my confusions away–especially when I picked up the Batman & Son hardcover and noticed a reference to “Zur-en-arrh” in the earliest pages of that story.

As this issue opens, we find Batman in a straightjacket in a coffin buried alive. While flashbacks show us how he’s prepared even for this situation, for facing death itself, we see Black Glove & Co. celebrate their victory with plans made to further degrade our hero, with speculation as to exhuming him still alive but brain-damaged from lack of oxygen. The Joker continues to be a wild card, not playing by the rules he was expected to adhere to, which complicates things when Batman pulls a Spider-Man Fearful Symmetry/Kraven’s Last Hunt and enters a final battle with Black Glove, with Nightwing and Robin backing him up. At battle’s end, we have seeds planted for upcoming arcs and major changes and questions for the Batman status quo.

The best thing about this issue is the art. Tony Daniel does a great Batman (backed by inker Sandu Florea and colorist Guy Major to complete the image). The full page of Batman standing over his supposed grave is poster-worthy, and we get a number of other great images (including Nightwing holding the cape-and-cowl, another poster-worthy image). There’s a realism to the images which–while realistic–stays within the bounds of “comic book art,” doing a very effective job of conveying what’s going on.

The writing–and the story’s ending–is a definite “miss” for me. Those hopes of a satisfying conclusion and confusions explained away were not realized. I found the main event toward the end of the issue extremely anti-climactic and reminiscent of a scene from A Death in the Family. While there is some decent imagery worked in by way of epilogue, I really don’t know what this story, in the end, was about. I don’t know who the Black Glove is supposed to really be, and we’re given no clear conclusion to the smear-campaign against Thomas and Martha Wayne. Leaving that unresolved is far more of a disappointment to me than any engaging ongoing plot point.

If you’re not totally steeped in Morrison’s Batman run, and this core Batman: R.I.P. arc, I don’t see this issue making a good read at all–and if you’re online reading this review, you’re just as well served to find a spoiler review or read wikipedia to catch up, and check out other titles as available if the follow-up stories sound interesting.

Story: 4/10
Art: 8/10
Whole: 6/10

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