.jpg "Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #3 (of 6)")
Bruce Wayne’s epic journey through time continues in THE RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE #3. Having narrowly survived the perils of both prehistoric and puritanical Gotham, Bruce now finds himself thrust into a pirate adventure worthy of a Robert Louis Stevenson novel.
This issue opens with a FINAL CRISIS flashback to the moment when Batman fires a God-wounding bullet into Darkseid in an effort to save the world from anti-life enslavement. As a consequence, Bruce himself is hit with the Apokoliptian Omega Effect which traps him in a series of harrowing periods in history. In the following pages, Bruce struggles to remember who and what he is. This won’t be an easy task for the time-lost hero who is immediately confronted by a band of surly pirates who have already taken a young man, who identifies himself as Jack Loggins, hostage at knife-point. It seems Bruce has been mistaken for the legendary Black Pirate, captain of the Black Rose. Naturally, the villainous Blackbeard is after an Indian treasure hoard hidden deep within the Gotham County catacombs. A treasure whose whereabouts are known only to the Black Pirate.
As the pirates and captives begin their journey into the caves of Gotham, the young man taken hostage begins to impart his knowledge of the cave’s booby traps to the group. Solely on the names of the obstacles, Bruce is able to instinctively escape their mortal danger.
The story abruptly cuts to current day continuity and the discovery of Batman’s cape and cowl deep within Bludhaven’s Command D. This would appear to be a direct nod to BATMAN #701-2 where Grant Morrison and Tony Daniel re-team to tell the exciting 2-part, untold tale of Bruce Wayne and his adventures between BATMAN R.I.P. and FINAL CRISIS. This scene also references Superman following Bruce to the “end of time,” which we saw in issue #2 of this series. If one were interested, the further adventure of time-traveling Superman can be followed in a “companion” limited series to THE RETURN in July called TIME MASTERS: VANISHING POINT. In which a group of DC’s heroes accompanies Superman on a mission to find Batman.
Eventually, Jack Loggins reveals himself to Bruce as the mythical Black Pirate and presents Bruce with his signature cloak. Bruce is able to momentarily escape and with the aid of his new cloak, some bats, and the remaining Miagani tribesman living within the caves, kick some serious pirate booty. The revelation that the Miagani have preserved Batman’s costume sparks some memories within Bruce. He is becoming more aware of his past and what to expect in the future. He also imparts this knowledge on the young Jack Loggins who will eventually place his transcribed memories into a small casket adorned with a bat symbol. This is a reoccurring story thread that will surely play a significant part in future issues.
As in the previous two issues of the series, the book closes with a glimpse into what the immediate future has in store for Bruce Wayne. It appears as though he’ll be facing off with DC Comics’ iconic bounty hunter Jonah Hex. The final page features a Batman riding horseback and donning his signature utility belt. And most importantly, true to his staunch beliefs…no sidearm.
The only negative mark against this issue is a quick comment from Damien to the “new” Batman…”Don’t we need to get back to the Joker?” My guess is that the confusion this line caused me is a result of scheduling. With the Joker laying low since BATMAN R.I.P., I have to assume that this is related to BATMAN AND ROBIN #13 which has been delayed in shipping. But it’s clear that the genius mind of Grant Morrison has created a hearty circulatory system of stories that runs throughout BATMAN R.I.P., FINAL CRISIS, BATMAN AND ROBIN and THE RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE resulting in an epic tale with a life of its own.
The illustrations featured in this book are simply stunning. Andy Kubert unquestionably continues his mastery of the cover art duties in this series with aplomb. His image of a swashbuckling Batman is not only suitable for framing but worthy of mounting on human flesh and worshiping en masse. Often in comics, an awesome cover can castrate interior artwork and render it underwhelming. Not in this case however. I haven’t seen Yanick Paquette’s outstanding artwork since he last teamed with Grant Morrison on SEVEN SOLDIERS OF VICTORY. But perhaps that is just because he’s been working on THIS book ever since then. Paquette creates a hyper-detailed world of high-adventure that makes me wonder if artists working on subsequent issues will be able to measure up. Apparently, Dark Horse Comics’ artist Georges Jeanty has been named as a last-minute replacement penciler for long-time Morrison collaborator Cameron Stewart. I’m not familiar with Jeanty’s work, but a truncated work schedule combined with the high bar set by Paquette has my expectations for a Wild West Batman a little low.
Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #3:
Reviewed by Hayesstronaut
For a man who needs no introduction in our little world, we would expect nothing but the best in-between our old favorite comic book’s pages or at least a hint of the quality this man has bequeathed upon the Batman franchise consistently for so long. The man I’m talking about is of course Dennis O’Neil. O’Neil’s return to Detective Comics for a stand alone issue does not disappoint whatsoever. While I was initially hesitant on the fact that he wasn’t writing Bruce Wayne’s Batman and the fact that I thought he would mix up Dick with Bruce, all of those thoughts were immediately erased upon learning that Dick was narrating his own personal story starting from an incident that happened back in his old Robin days. To say that Dennis O’Neil hit the nail on the head when it came to Dick’s voice is an understatement. He not only nailed it, he took a monolith of a building, where it once was unsteady and swaying, and built a solid foundation upon which Dick thrives and becomes the Batman. Dick is no longer just putting on a cape and cowl and chasing down bad guys. He becomes the legend. He becomes Batman’s true calling. He fills in every little gap where once it was empty. Dick is now Batman, it‘s his personal story, in his voice, and his Batman. There is not much that’s wrong here. O’Neil is a master and he just proved that he knows more than any other writer who has ever touched a Batman book all the while weaving a great story all in a single issue.
What singles this issue out, besides what I’ve already mentioned, is that it flashes back to Dick’s old day’s as Robin teamed up with Bruce’s Batman as they are on their way to investigate an art gallery robbery. The art shifts from Dustin Nguyen’s newer pencils to the older days of Batman, it does this seamlessly and does not interrupt or rudely distract, it matches the story perfectly and lends to the story while pushing it forward and making it clear as day that we are in a certain time period and in a certain context which puts us (the reader) in the right mind set to experience what’s being presented. Nguyen’s pencils are spot on as always. David Baron’s colors are gentle and relaxing when we see Batman flying around in the Gotham Night, but intense when there is a need for it. The art overall is at its best here and doesn’t fail to impress.
Our story starts off with Batman getting into a fight with three men who he ran into while trying to find a medallion in an old abandoned house. Batman falls through the floor and finds the medallion under some dirt thus triggering a flashback to the old days. The Joker is in front of the house we’ve just seen, but in this instance it’s a grand and sweeping mansion. The Joker kills the guard at the front gates and in the mansion steals a medallion but before he can leave a man wielding a sword stops him. Meanwhile Batman and Robin, now Bruce and Dick, are cruising the town looking for trouble when an old woman rushes up to them and frantically tells them that there is a dead man lying on the sidewalk. Batman tells Robin to wait in the car while he goes and investigates. In the mansion The Joker makes his exit while the sword wielding man’s attention is focused on the recently arrived Batman. The two fight and Batman of course, ends up victorious. While the fight is going on Robin is shadowing the Joker as he bumps into a man named Loomis secretly pulling the chain from the medallion in Loomis’ pocket. Robin takes the Joker down and the Police arrests the Joker, Loomis, and the man with the sword. While riding in the back of the police van the man with the sword triggers a bomb he had hidden in his pants and the Joker and Loomis run off into the night. Later on Loomis is caught and put on trial for murder. As evidence, the district attorney at the time who we all know is Harvey Dent, presents the chain the Joker had slipped into Loomis’ pocket when they bumped into each other. Loomis is found guilty and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. For good behavior he is released early though he is now an old dying man. One night he is visited by Batman and questioned about the night he was arrested along with the Joker. Although Dick was shadowing the Joker from the mansion till he was arrested, he never saw The Joker toss the medallion, as the only thing that was recovered was the chain. So Dick, using his detective skills, surmises that the Joker ditched it in the mansion and thus we are brought back to the beginning of the issue with Dick fighting the three men and finding the medallion. The issue ends with Dick going back to Loomis’ house and while exhausted, thinks he catches a glimpse of the Joker leaving Loomis’ apartment. Upon entering, Dick states that he has found evidence that will clear Loomis of all charges and clear his name only to find out that the Joker was in fact there and that he killed Loomis with his laughing gas.
While it is truly a great issue I really hated that this issue ended and that it was final. I feel that what was great about this particular issue will be forgotten and Detective Comics will go back to what we were presented with before O’Neil did this stand-alone. I wonder if and hope that David Hine will take into consideration and continue what has been done here but as evidenced in his previous work mainly on the Azrael book it honestly isn’t something to be truly excited for. But I have my hopes. Also I think it’s about time we get an honest Batman and Joker story where they both pull the right punches and are constantly out doing each other. It has been two years since the release of The Dark Knight and Heath Ledger’s Joker, that now it’s appropriate to have another Joker story instead of these hints as evidence in Grant Morrison’s Batman #700, this issue and various other appearances. But I must commend O’Neil’s treatment of the Joker, there is a great separation from Ledger’s Joker and the Joker presented here. While Ledger’s Joker is dark, sinister, brooding and psychotic the Joker presented here is a lighter version going back to the days where he wasn’t dark and brooding but a maniacal laughing stock busting out joke after joke while doing all the things that Ledger’s Joker hinted towards and in some cases matched. But the highlight here is the Dick Grayson Batman as I’ve said before. He is fully formed and distinct, and very beautifully written. Whereas before it was the constant reminder that this is Dick and not Bruce, O’Neil makes the distinction, gets into Dick’s brain and settles there while pumping out dialogue that feels free, flowing, and natural and is what I personally think Dick would say, act, and react like. Like Bruce before, O’Neil gives Dick’s Batman a good amount of humanity, clarity, and overall character progression, he sticks to the image of The Dark Knight as we know it while creating a distinct incarnation of Dick both as a human being and as Batman. I feel closer to Dick Grayson than I ever have before whether it was Nightwing or Robin the only thing that comes close for me is Dick’s Origin story and that has been done over and over again, this issue brings forth a new Dick Grayson and refreshing all that‘s been done before. This story makes huge leaps and bounds in the psyche of Dick Grayson and Batman as a whole and it’s brevity only adds to it, it’s only a glimpse or taste, it leaves us wanting more though we know we probably wont get any more and in that way among better, greater things is what makes this issue the most memorable issue I have read in a very very long time.
Detective Comics #866:
Reviewed by Dane
Red Robin #13 is a book I want to love. Is it the fact that Marcus To is slowly becoming one of my favorite consistent artists at DC, and making me feel like a proud parent watching their child grow up before their eyes. Because let’s be honest, his first few issues of this title, weren’t that great to look at. But now, it seems like we are starting to see how awesome Marcus To can be. Sadly that is not the reason I enjoyed this book. The reason is, foreshadowing by Nicieza.
In this issue, Tim is starting to grow up, trying to find his own place, create his own rogues gallery, and it is really a turning point for the character. We are seeing character progression; Tim wants to make it in the world on his own, which will sadly lead to his downfall. In this issue, we are given the seeds of what can, if done right, be a fantastic character defining event for Tim as Red Robin, he is set to make a serious mistake at the end of this comic, and I cannot wait to see what happens next.
The writing for the most part is Nicieza trying to relearn how Tim works, but also try and reorganize him in his new role. It’s a fun thing to read, however only for one issue. If it goes any further than this, I will get bored of the book very easily. As stated before, this is a set up issue, but it’s the right kind of set up issue. This is different of what we received from the Yost era, where things just randomly came together. Nicieza seems to have a big master plan going for the adventures of Red Robin. Like I said already, something is going to happen in this book. Tim is finally growing up and not being the whiny brat that made me want to punch him last month.
Art by To is the best it’s been so far in this book, and I can only see him getting better. To has finally been given a writer who is giving him interesting sequences to draw. In a fun way, I found myself putting this book down and not giving my usual response of “God damn you, Chris Yost” I instead found myself saying “I can’t wait to see what happens next.” And I truly can’t.
In this day and age, it takes a lot more to actually look forward to the next issue of a book with anticipation for what comes next, and Red Robin is becoming one of those books.
Now if only there was some way I could pretend the entire Christ Yost run never happened, I would be a happy man.
Red Robin #13:
Reviewed by Suavestar
When I think of Azrael, I think of Micheal Lane kicking the tar outta some random thug with his duel swords, and maybe a good story to go with it. This issue fails in just about most of that criteria. Not to mention the terrible art, but moving past that lets hop into the story:
You see we open up with a badly drawn flashback of Micheal Lane asking a priest about the power of faith. Then we go to present day were an unmasked Azrael is at the mercy of The Seven Deadly Sins. They quickly turn Micheal into the raw embodiment of pure faith or the 8th deadly sin. Micheal puts on what looks like a skull mask and says that he is ready to do what the cult wants, just then an agent for Ra's Al Ghul: White Ghost breaks through the window and begins to fight with Azrael and the other seven members, but is easily taken out. White Ghost awakes on an airplane where he is told that the cult ordered Azrael to kill the Pope due to his influence surrounding faith. However, before Micheal can kill the Pope, White Ghost stops him and tries to explain the power of faith and how it is worth fighting for. Micheal denies this and proceeds to fight some more with White Ghost.
Eventually White Ghost convinces Micheal to remove the skull thus it's control over him and proceeds to talk to him about how Ra's can help Micheal. Once Micheal is free from the skull's power White Ghost convinces him that they should find his mask. So the two go and kill, no mutilate, The Seven Deadly Sins (but again the art really destroys the whole mood of it). Eventually he gets it, and places it back on. White Ghost tries one more time to try to convince Azrael to go to Ra's, but he denies and leaves stating that he still has faith.
Now on to the actual review, all I have to say about the art is: Wow, Ramon Bachs, just wow. You really know how to take a moderately interesting story and run in through the mud. None off the characters look good, as they all look like blocks of color. I mean I understand Azrael isn't you know Batman and Robin, but can't we get a decent artist to do this? On to the story, it was okay I guess. I mean he didn't really do anything cool the whole issue and I can't really accept that Azrael would just fold to the power of the cult. I mean he's suppose to be a very strong-willed individual Not, to mention the point-less flashbacks and undeveloped characters. I may be asking too much from a two- part-er, but I'd like to see at least some motivations. Overall this was a really disappointing issue.
Azrael #9:
Reviewed by Wes
After the dark, threatening close to Batgirl #10 this, the third of the four part 'The Flood' story-arc, opens with quite a different tone, and it's immediately clear not everything is as it at first seems …
Barbara Gordon wakes from her nights sleep with a bit of a start and sits up in her bed as Dick Grayson enters the room, gives her a kiss and urges her to get up and dressed. As her extended family relax, Barbara is racing around the kitchen preparing what appears to be a Thanksgiving dinner, accompanied by the sound of a complaining young Damian Wayne and the loving words and embrace of her father.
Throughout these scenes of happy family life Babs questions to herself what she's seeing, what she's feeling and as happy as she is she knows something is wrong. Moments later she's reminded of her friend Stephanie Brown and there's a somewhat familiar visitor to her front door …
Cutting to the Calculators compound, deep in Slaughter Swamp, we witness the motionless body of Barbara, laid out on an examination table, with the Calculator sat alongside her talking to the decomposing body of his late son Marvin.
Appreciating that Barbara may be the key to some of his unanswered questions, Calculator plugs himself into his own laboratory equipment that is in turn connected to Barbara with the intention of seeing or reading Babs thoughts.
Over at the Gotham Port Authority Stephanie Brown – Batgirl – has evaded capture by the massed ranks of Calculator's zombies and has been pursued by an equally 'possessed' Man-Bat. Out-running her assailant Steph takes a minute to catch her breath, only to find herself snagged by another familiar adversary – and this time it's Catwoman.
Acutely aware that her priority has to be to help Barbara and that time is not on their side, Steph draws on her inner strength, fights back and with a swift blow sends her opponent to the ground. As one 'zombie' danger is averted another appears – Huntress, or as Stephanie herself acknowledges '… questionable-morals-action-Huntress'!
As her next challenger steps forward Steph gets an unexpected incoming message over her comm unit – Wendy Harris, who we saw trapped at Firewall in the previous issue. While continuing to combat Huntress, Steph and Wendy clumsily, awkwardly, introduce one-another before we get a possible glimpse of Wendy's future as the young woman activates the surveillance functionality of the Firewall's computer, attempts to guide Steph to safety and then in turn traces Calculator's location.
While Wendy considers what else, if anything, she can do to help rescue Oracle, Stephanie has more immediate problems on her hands – she's been tracked by Man-Bat … surely she can't escape this time?
While Stephanie fights for her own safety we return to Barbara who is engaged in a fight of her own as she is confronted by the thoughts of Calculator. Set in a library housing Barbara's memories and experiences she fights to keep her intruder at a distance.
Returning to … well, returning to reality and as the rain gets heavier and the sky is lit by lightning and the sound of thunder we see the silhouette of Batgirl and Man-Bat fighting high above Gotham Harbor. Realizing that perhaps she's more than met her match on this occasion Stephanie looks for an escape when, again, the voice of Wendy Harris echos across the comm link. As Steph looks down on an airfield runway she's taken aback to see The Ricochet – a vehicle she's more than familiar with of course – piloted by none other than Wendy herself.
Having freed herself from the clutches of Man-Bat, Steph jumps to the ground where she's met by Wendy – and with hoards of zombies closing in on them Stephanie realizes they have only one option is they are to ensure their own safety and rescue Barbara …
Despite limited appearances throughout this issue, for me Barbara was undoubtedly the star of Batgirl #11. A real highlight in this issue were the Barbara 'dream' or 'thought' sequences – I find them difficult to describe so fully appreciate Bryan Q. Miller's vision and imagination to conceive and write these – particularly the chapter of this tale where Babs and Calculator fight over her thoughts and memories which I thought was possibly some of the best writing we've seen in this series to date.
What's absolutely clear to me is that Miller 'gets' Barbara – or perhaps I should say the Barbara he writes rings true for me: her strengths, her weaknesses, her fears, her ambitions and her regrets – as I say, some of the best writing I feel we've seen so far.
Personally I found the 'Batgirl versus Catwoman versus Huntress versus Man-Bat' scenes just a little drawn out although I concede that this gave us an opportunity to see Wendy Harris come to the fore and possibly give us a taste of things to come. To this point she's felt somewhat redundant amongst the supporting cast and, on the basis that the character is likely to around for a while I welcomed seeing her particular role developed.
On artwork duties we've again been spoiled to have such a talented team on the book. As I feel we saw with an earlier issue of Batgirl, having more than one artist work on an issue doesn't necessarily work but the respective styles of Lee Garbett and Pere Perez are uniquely different (if I'm right in suggesting that Garbett drew the first half of the book up to the Babs 'thoughts' sequence) and yet at the same time complementary. If indeed Perez is taking on art duties when Garbett moves on then I believe the book, and it's readers, are in safe hands. Returning to the 'dream' sequences for a moment, again credit must go to the artists for their respective interpretations – I particularly enjoyed Perez's portrayal of Babs in the library scene.
Furthermore, an acknowledgment is due also to Walden Wong for his bold sharp inks throughout the first half of the book and likewise to Guy Major for his sensitive coloring – most definitely a feature of his time on Batgirl. With another eye-catching, if in places little busy, cover from Stanley 'Artgerm' Lau creation of this book is truly a team effort.
Another hugely enjoyable adventure from the Batgirl creative team – this issue felt a little like the calm before the storm (no pun intended) that I'm expecting with the final part of this story-arc.
Batgirl #11:
Reviewed by Zaius
The 700 Issue Feat
700 Issues for Batman’s main title. Obviously not taking into account the Issue # 0 (during the 1994 Zero Hour event), Issue # 1,000,000 (during the DC One Million event in 1998), all the annuals, specials, cover variants (oh the 90's through today, how you annoy collectors so) and whatnot that are included in the “Batman” magazine category, which according to Mike’s Amazing World Of DC Comics brings the total, including the regular and two variant covers of #700 itself, of Batman issues 774. Regardless, 700 is a large number, no matter how you slice it.
Also hitting the stands in June will be the 700th issue of The Big Blue Boy Scout’s titular title, although the title has seen a couple of name changes on its way to the 700 mark. Starting off a little less than a year before Batman came out in his own title in the spring of 1939, “Superman” would be the name of the title through issue 423 in June of 1986. With the John Byrne Post-Crisis reboot of the character, Byrne was given his own “Superman” title, along with Action Comics, which would have a brand spanking new #1 issue. Rather than seeing the 423 issue old title go away, DC rechristened the book “Adventures Of Superman” once Byrne’s Man Of Steel mini series wrapped up and the reboot of the character was underway. Things went smoothly for about 20 years, until Infinite Crisis came along in 2006, and once again plans were made to revamp the character, in the same way they did with the Byrne reboot. Unfortunately it took about half a decade for the revamp origin to finally be told, and it appears we are finally going to see the conclusion of said story in August! Well anyway, "Adventures Of" was on the title until issue 649 in February of 2006, and it was removed as soon as # 650 hit the stand the next month, and the previous adjective-less Superman title was canned after 20 years and 226 issues.
Of course the two big Icons of the DC Universe did not start in their very own title. But both pretty much own their debut titles since their respective debuts, and those magazines are still chugging along to this day.
We begin with a magazine that in mint condition, if you can find one, can fetch upwards of a million bucks today! That would be one Action Comics #1 in the early summer of 1938, featuring Superman’s first stories and first cover appearance. On June 30th of this year issue #890 is set to hit the newsstands.
Now, we get to the title that would eventually lend the company its official name! Detective Comics, starting publication in March of 1937, but issue #27 which hit stands in the spring of 1939 is probably the most famous issue of the publication as The Batman is first seen swinging into action on the cover and in stories in the book. On the 23rd of June, issue #866 will be hitting the stands (Action Comics went weekly for about a year in 1988, which is how it managed to surpass Detective). Now, it is interesting to point out that during the first 26 issues of the title a character named Slam Bradley was featured. Later, after Gotham was officially named as a city Bradley was said to have worked in Gotham. So, it can be said then that all 866 issues of Detective Comics have featured characters from the Batman Universe!
So, that is it when it comes to DC. Just the big four of Action, Detective, Batman and Superman. Now, moving over to the Grand Comics Database shows that a book published by Dell from the 1930s through the late 1960s called Four Color, an anthology book featuring licensed characters ran for 1,354 issues. Give or take due to numbering skips and re-issues, but still Action and Detective trail it for the most prolific published book in American comic publication history. It also should be noted that a book titled “Walt Disney’s Comics And Stories,” an anthology book based on the Disney characters, has been published by one publisher or another, (currently at Boom! Studios since 2009, no word yet about Disney’s intentions with possible moving the licenses over to Marvel) since 1940, and have just put out issue #707. Now it hasn’t been put out consistently, but the publishers have kept the numbering system on the title.
So, it is quite a feat for Batman, and here is to the next 700 issues!
Posted by SteveJRogers
First off, let me state that I think that every Batman fan reading this that hasn’t read this issue yet should go out to their local comic shop and pick this issue up before they read this review because HEY, IT’S THE 700th ISSUE and it is quite the achievement, and for such a momentous occasion you shouldn’t read about it in a review and have it spoiled and thrown away on a quick read through on your computer screen. You need to hold the book in your hands, read it, soak in every word and panel presented, truly treasure the occasion and reflect on your own personal experience after it is done. So with that out of the way I will state that I will not spoil anything for you here, but I beg of you to PLEASE go out, buy it, and read it before you read this review. But what I will do here is give you a little insight to what is to be expected in these pages.
Messy is an understatement. Grant Morrison’s work on Batman #700, is what it is. A messy, garbled story of which we have no clue to what’s going on, but at the same time and in old Grant Morrison style it leaves the story up to the visual side of a complete and unquestioned whole that makes up what we love to read. But that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. All the hype about this specific issue aside, there is a coherent story there (of course) that begins, climaxes and ends all in one issue it transcends everything that I have expected and more. While sticking to a storyline, I can't help but feel that there is something more to this story. First, we start off with Bruce and Dick in the first story called “Yesterday” as Batman and Robin strapped to chairs in a maybe machine, a machine used to see what would happen if things turned out differently. We then see them surrounded by the Riddler, Mad Hatter, Cat Woman, and none other than the Joker. We then see Dick and Damian in the second story called “Today” taking up the positions previously stated, trying to stop an underground auction that is auctioning off weapons and other things. Finally we see Damian as Batman in the third story called “ Tomorrow” trying to stop a criminal named January from killing all the citizens of Gotham using an old yet familiar gas that makes people laugh. The end is the real kicker and will only be revealed when you read it.
I know, it sounds like none of these stories connect to each other, but they do through time travel and the consequences of actions which I must say weaves perfectly through a single twist of continuity and fate. While this issue and its content both visually and text wise offer a valuable story, I was expecting a little more from these pages action and story-wise even though the idea is there and makes it a wonderful read. Maybe it’s because DC, other Batman related websites and news stories hyped the hell out of it or because it falls short of the holy grail of content we’ve grown to expect from Grant Morrison. But I can’t help but feel that this issue would have been better if it was a one-shot. Which in a sense is somewhat true, the story could have been fleshed out a little more and it would not have been plagued by what had become a problem for Tony Daniels when he was the writer for the Batman series. While this issue is numbered within the Batman comic series, it is presented as a one-shot or something like it. Although I’m not quite sure if the events in this story will have any effect on other series such as Batman & Robin, I will state that I would like to see some of what is presented here in future issues or maybe a one-shot with the maybe machine being used again and acting as a plot device. This story/one-shot/whatever you want to call it takes us back to the past, to the current day and to the future….. Then further on in the future, and back to current day which like I‘ve said is pulled off and presented wonderfully, and most importantly in a smart, innovative way all the way to the end.
At the end of the issue there is bonus material in the form of artwork by artists that have worked on Batman in the past, while it is a hit or miss, Guillem March’s Joker art is something to be reckoned with, while Philip Tan’s Batman is also quite extraordinary and both I would recommend you take a peek at. The story, art, and bonus material is not only presented great here, but it also rings in and applauds the momentous occasion for what it is. This issue is the definition of a comic book and if there is any kind of redemption in this world, the 700th issue is it.
Like I’ve said before I think this story is much more than a typical run of the mill story. I think (besides the obvious examples that have been told in past issues) it’s a “passing of the torch or cowl” sort of story. With Bruce to Dick to Damian and so on and so forth. It’s an action or tragedy on a son who becomes a father who passes it on to his adopted son to another son to the future bearers kind of story. Because we don’t know who the future Batmen are and what their relationships are to who we already know I also think (while not directly stated or presumed) it’s a Father/Son story about those talks you had with your Father when you were a kid, and after all those years you look back and realize what your father was telling you, it was knowledge learned that we use to protect ourselves to fight for what we think is right, for what we think NEEDS to be right, to stand up for justice and the righteousness of what you think is the right thing to do . Everyone plays the part of the Batman no matter where you come from, no matter how you were raised, no matter what happened in your past. It’s a final confirmation that Batman is bigger than anything we can hold in our hands or that one person can fully grasp within a lifetime or perhaps will never be fully understood by any one human. Thus, there is a universal need for a wearer of the cowl to try to understand all the craziness and absurdity in this world to put together what it is that makes what’s right, right, and what’s wrong, wrong, and for the symbolic nature of an idea or philosophy to show all of humanity that there is some sort of greatness in every single thing we do, that there is goodness in the human soul, and finally but most importantly that there is hope in despair (all the while not fully understanding it at all), which in the end is what Batman stands for.
Overall, a great issue is all I can say. This is what I have been personally waiting for and Morrison delivers. As for the art Finch’s cover kind of echoes (dare I say) Jim Lee’s work. On the inside Tony Daniel’s pencils are top notch as they should be while Ian Hannin’s colors bring a grimness to an already grim scene. The other artists most notably Frank Quitely are all on par to deliver a great book. There are great things to look forward to in the future with the Batman series. With Morrison at the writers helm , who knows where we’re going?
Batman #700:
Reviewed by Dane
Before we get started on this issue, let’s do a little history of the future lesson.
Following the end of The New Adventures of Batman & Robin, or Gotham Knights as the series is sometimes called, Alan Burnett, Bruce Timm, Paul Dini and crew came up with a new series to continue their successful run with both Batman and Superman. That series was Batman Beyond, and it debuted in January of 1999. The setting of the series would be in the not too-distant future of Gotham City, or Neo-Gotham as it is called in the time period. The two-part pilot episode, simply called “Rebirth,” starts in the year 2019. Bruce Wayne is aged but still fighting the good fight and in a newly designed suit to fit the times. Unfortunately, while mixing it up with some thugs, Bruce is felled by a weak heart, and is forced to wave a gun in a thug’s face in order to save his bacon. Disgusted by his actions, Bruce hangs up the cowl for the last time and vows never to don the costumes again.
Flash forward about 20 years, Bruce is an old recluse, but events bring teenage Terry McGinnis into his life. McGinnis finds out who Wayne is, takes the redesigned suit out to seek revenge for his father’s murder, and after acquitting himself well and because the incident was tied into Wayne’s company, Terry McGinnis finds himself in employment by Bruce Wayne, and the new Batman.
The series would last three seasons, through the end of 2001, and includes a Direct To Video movie in 2000 called Return Of The Joker, which naturally deals with the return of Bruce’s old foe. Also in a 2005 episode of Justice League Unlimited, the second season finale of that show, tries to solidify McGinnis’ “claim” to the Batman/Bruce Wayne legacy.
Now, there were comic book tie-ins as well, as with just about all televised versions of DC properties; A six issue mini-series in 1999, written by series writer Hilary J. Bader when the series first came on the air, a 24 regular series running from 1999 through 2001 and a one-shot Return Of The Joker adaptation in 2000.
For those who are interesting in getting to know the series, besides watching the episodes by various means (all three seasons are now on DVD, as well as available for download on iTunes), check out the Earth-2.net’s World’s Finest Podcast (a blow-by-blow, episode by episode look at the Timm/Burnett/Dini “DC Animated Universe” of Batman The Animated Series, Superman The Animated Series, Gotham Knights, Batman Beyond, The Zeta Project, Static Shock, Justice League, Teen Titans and Justice League Unlimited) episodes 39 through 50 for a complete and exhaustive look at the series and the movie Return Of The Joker.
In the series’ third season, there is a two part episode called “The Call,” which will be referenced in this book. Terry is recruited by Superman to join the Justice League Unlimited, and to weed out a possible traitor in the league. It turns out to be Superman himself, whom was controlled by Starro The Conqueror, a space starfish whom Superman had in a preserve in his fortress. This was Superman’s lone appearance in the Batman Beyond time frame.
And so we come to a few years ago where rumblings of Terry McGinnis being inserted into the DCU comics proper started to be heard. It started with an appearance in an alternate universe in, funny enough, an issue of Superman/Batman (#22), getting an Earth designation during Countdown, and now this year Adam Beechen will be penning and Dustin Nguyen will be drawing a 6-part miniseries on Terry’s world. And that miniseries looks to be spinning out of Superman/Batman Annual #4 which is written by current Superman/Batman artist Paul Levitz and art by Renato Guedes and the story is titled “A Time Beyond Hope.”
We start with Terry in midst of taking on some thugs with Bruce in his customary role as voice in Terry’s head from the Bat-Cave, much like Barbra Gordon’s role with Stephanie Brown’s Batgirl in the current Batgirl book. Terry finds out the thugs are the latest in a stream of thugs whom have come from Metropolis, and spooked by something they call “The Ghost.” Doing some more sleuthing, Terry finds that Metallo has come to Gotham with the intention of pushing some new drugs, and after beating Metallo, Terry takes the drugs back to the cave, and realizes it has been laced with Kryptonite.
We find out that this issue takes place just after the end of the series as the events of The Call are mentioned, and as a reason for Superman apparently quitting the superhero business and pretty much going into hiding. In Superman’s absence, Metropolis has gone to hell and Lex Luthor was made “mayor for life.”
In trying to trace where the drugs are coming from, it is learned that Superman has even taken Clark Kent off the grid, but apparently is still leaving flowers at the grave of Lois Lane. We then see Superman hovering over Terry at Lois’ grave site, and through, well I guess at this point he is more Kal-El than either Superman or Clark Kent, so Kal inner monologues the fact that Luthor had been working hard while Superman was controlled by Starro to the point where one of the things to neutralize Superman was to get Kryptonite into residents’ blood in order to make it tough for Superman to even exist in Metropolis without some pain.
We then see that Terry has infiltrated a major drug ring, and after a skirmish with “The Ghost” he is put on assignment to get something from Superman’s fortress. Again “The Ghost” shows up at the Fortress Of Solitude, leaving Terry as one of the few “survivors” of a vanishing trick it does. This leads to Terry meeting the boss, which of course turns out to be Luthor; who was pulling the strings to have one more confrontation with “The Ghost”, aka Kal-El; who was also pulling Terry’s strings in order to get inside Luthor’s fortress.
Terry and Kal wind up fighting a foot soldier turned into a “Superman for a new generation” super soldier thanks to a solar collector. Terry figures out that the chair Luthor was in was stored with Kryptonite, so Terry manages to get Luthor out of the chair and destroys the chair, eliminating the Kryptonite. Kal then makes short work of the soldier and shows Terry exactly what “The Ghost” was doing when “zapping” thugs. It actually is a Phantom Zone projector, and Luthor gets sent to the Phantom Zone. Kal presents Terry with the projector and tells him to be the “warden” and that now that he is sure Metropolis can be back on the road to recovery that it is time to leave Earth. And he does just that, and tells Terry to call him if he needs any help via a signal watch, and that he’ll be watching Terry in the stars.
Whew. That’s a story alright! Definitely had a comic book feel to it rather than a TV show feel, which is good. And it appears Levitz was mixing some elements from the mainstream DC lore into the mix as well. For instance, Terry mentions the Robins dying, yet there was no death of a Robin in the DCAU; Dick Grayson became Nightwing, the Tim Drake character was an amalgamation of Jason Todd and the comics Tim Drake, but he wasn’t killed. It also appears Terry was “handed” the role as opposed to stealing the suit and “proving” himself worthy and bringing Bruce out of retirement. There is an appearance of and interaction between Zod and Mon-El inside the Phantom Zone, neither character ever appeared in a DCAU cartoon, it is possible that Levitz is referencing the events of the War Of The Superman event where Zod was trapped in the Phantom Zone, and Mon-El went in there as one of the wardens of the Zoners. And finally there is the ultimate fate of the DCAU’s Lex Luthor. In the final episode of Justice League Unlimited, “Destroyer” it appears that Luthor and Darkseid vanished into an anti-life equation Source Wall thing, and while of course this is comic books we are talking about, it did seem finite and Luthor never does appear, or is mentioned of, in Batman Beyond.
Those things are just nitpicky things though, just brought up for comparison purposes, and probably in a way to help the world of Batman Beyond “fit” into a DC Universe rather than picking up entirely in the DCAU’s continuity. There is one thing though that is a bit off putting, and that is Guedes’s art. For the most part its pretty great. Both Terry and Bruce appear to be comic book versions of their Batman Beyond selves, its just that for Superman, it seems Guedes has adopted the style that seems to be more and more prevalent of making Superman look exactly like Christopher Reeve. While its one thing for Clark to look like the actor who brought him to the big screen, its another thing entirely when everything else, right down to the costume displays in the Bat-Cave, is modeled after the cartoon design to see something from another medium. Especially considering Superman in the DCAU, including The Call, had his own distinctive look. It was nice though to see several different “designs” for Superman in a Fortress display case, we saw the black suit from the Return of storyline, normal Superman, the “current” Superman, Kingdom Come Superman and Electric Blue Superman.
Overall this does seem like a nice introduction to the Adam Beechen mini-series, and hopefully a long stay for Terry McGinnis in the DCU proper.
Superman/Batman Annual #4:
Reviewed by SteveJRogers
When this issue came out I have to admit I wasn’t exactly ripping the bag open and whipping through the pages. In fact I wasn’t even thinking about reading it until I had read through the rest of my pull list twice! The reason being I was just not too interested in the story. The first part (Detective Comics #864) was alright we got to see Jeremiah Arkham as the twisted maniac that he is, but I just wasn’t pulled into the story. So when it was time to read this current issue I was not too excited. But Batman is Batman and I’ll read it regardless.
Our story begins where Detective Comics #864 left off, with Dr. Jeremiah Arkham slaughtering the beauties, which we learn that like everyone else in his messed up family, he hallucinated them. But Arkham wasn’t always crazy, he was slowly poisoned by Dr. Hugo Strange and the Joker using one of Strange’s toxins (which was delivered via a marionette that was given to him by the Joker), and to top it all off, when Dr. Arkham (who was under the influence of the toxin) conducted sessions with Strange, Strange used subliminal messages to create multiple personalities for the Doctor which he promptly set up a mental block for.
Meanwhile Conrad Leblanc (the man with the bomb in his chest) has successfully canceled all of the deals he had arranged to bring down all of Gotham’s finance institutions, while Arkham, now recovering from the exposure to the toxin has finally come to his “moral” senses and tells Batman the code to de-activate the bomb. Turns out Arkham had given Batman the wrong code so the bomb explodes (in a rather violent scene) and Conrad is killed instantly. Meanwhile Batman visits Gordon who, when posed with the question of why Sinner was promoted to the Director position at Arkham, says that he abstained his vote only to be out ruled by the majority vote. Batman leaves saying he’ll keep an eye on Sinner to see whether she’s a murderer or not. Back in Arkham’s cell in solitary confinement, Alyce Sinner, after she confirms that Arkham gave Batman the wrong code, tells him that Victor Zsasz is next door. While she walks past Zsasz’s room she unlocks it and in the next scene we see Zsasz at the entrance to Arkham’s room wielding what looks to be a scalpel saying he’s going to put Arkham’s name on the inside of his eyelids. Arkham manhandles Zsasz and does it for him as Batman breaks the door down to the room. Later we see Alyce in Arkham’s room saying he’ll probably have to stay in solitary confinement. He reveals that Alyce sent Zsasz to see if Arkham was the same old weak, boring, timid Jeremiah, the man she hates or Black Mask, the man she loves. They embrace and kiss, the last page shows them cuddling by a mirror in the reflection we see Arkham as the Black Mask.
This story arc as a whole wasn’t that great and to be honest I’m kind of sick with the whole Black Mask thing. There isn’t a lot of action in this story which up to a point is a good thing. But when every other scene is either a monologue of how smart Jeremiah Arkham thinks he is, a flashback to how he was poisoned, or became what he is besides that fact that there are very little Batman scenes and quick easy conclusions, it above all things gets more than a little boring. Is the Black Mask that much of a dollar sign for DC that the only reason this story exists is to stretch it out just a little farther? Granted, it has its moments of pure, deep story and thought, but it’s slow pace and failure to deliver any sort of meaningful content that pushes forth the legacy of the idea of Detective Comics masks that. What we are left with is the basis of what DC has built up to that point with the Black Mask that only moves it’s story forward a centimeter, if not even that.
The artwork on this issue and the previous issue is visually stunning. Jeremy Haun definitely knows how to approach the concept of the villain. Whether it’s his work on the Mortician cuddling up with his zombie parents or the Joker fooling Arkham, it is great and disturbing along with David Baron’s gory and demanding colors.
Overall, where this issue fails, it fails. And where it succeeds, it succeeds. Although it’s brevity, sluggishness and banal nature is what continually brings it back down to a forgetful arc. I think there is some redeeming qualities in its pages and for that it should be paid some attention to.
Detective Comics #865:
Reviewed by Dane
Editor's Note: This was sent in before the release of Batman #700. We were just able to post it.
So, we’re almost there. To Batman #700 I mean. Issue #700 has been touted by DC and other Bat-fan’s as Grant Morrison’s grand return to the Batman comic that comes along with a sweeping story that features Batmen from different generations all starring in one single over sized issue priced at $4.99!!!!! But wait, hold on, this review isn’t about #700 because at the time of this writing it hasn’t come out yet!!!! With all the hype surrounding issue #700 there are the people especially on the internet who complain that #699 was rushed, that Tony Daniel’s story was cut short and not fleshed out and as a one-sided theory, it is true.
This issue begins where the last issue left off, Batman finds Edward Nigma under the influence of the Joker’s laughing gas which is later revealed to be a generic knock off of the real thing, Batman however still needs to search for the killer of issue # 698. While I will not spoil anything completely for you in the two issue story arc I will agree with the facts, being that the story was rushed and cut short. There are questions that are left unanswered and it is incredibly fast-paced even with Dick’s inner monologue, which is one of the things Daniel got perfect, not to mention the ending which just left another huge question about what is going to happen. I just felt that this story could have been more than what was presented in the actual book. While it had a great story , beginning in Batman #698 and concluding with this issue, Daniel had too much to work with and not enough time or pages/issues to create a better story considering the return of Grant Morrison in the landmark 700th issue. If he had had the time maybe we would’ve got a better story. But maybe it’s Daniels fault with the fact that he could have condensed the story and re-worked it with consideration to the issue number and the number of pages he was allowed. Maybe he was just overwhelmed and distracted with other things. No one knows except for him and we can't truly blame anyone at this point. Saying that it was Daniel's fault or DC’s fault or even Grant Morrison’s fault is the elusive one-sided theory.
But overall we can only assume what we are led to believe (until we get all the information) which is the fact that it was just poor planning on both sides. Whether it was in fact the number of issues or some other unseen reason. Anyways, all the negativity aside I can commend the artwork by Guillem March. Even though he has been heavily critiqued in the past, is one of the best artists in the game with his visually stunning style and overall scope, depth, and understanding of the medium pulls you into the world of the long forgotten world of true artistic statement. I can also commend the story up to a certain point. I see the depth that Daniel wanted to take it to with the addition of Edward Nigma to his story and the overall sense of where the story was going, it truly would have been great. The inner monologue with Dick as Batman was truly the highlight of the story because I finally pictured Dick as Batman and was no longer haunted by the image of Robin and Nightwing when I see him as the Batman, his inner monologue was some of the most eloquent writing I have read in a long time. But the story just doesn’t cut it, it just reads way too fast, it was too rushed, and finally there are things that are supposedly happening when truly nothing is going on ? Maybe I am wrong, maybe what we were presented with was what Daniel wrote and he just had a bad run? Like the ending it leaves us in the universe’s waiting room with a bag full of future possibility. We all have our bad days thus we are forgiven. I’m sure with the proper situation this could have been a great swan song for Daniel. And like any person that has had a bad day, I will forgive.
Overall, the presentation is there with Guillem March’s art and Daniel's story but sadly it falls short almost to the point where March’s artwork cannot redeem it. But what I am hoping is that all the questions that weren’t answered and the cliffhanger at the end of Issue #699 with the question/possibility it hold will be revealed in future issues. But I can only hope.
Batman #699:
Reviewed by Dane
A Look at 700 Issues of Batman
Despite the title, we are not going to look at all 700 issues of Batman. Today marks a very rare occasion in comics. A comic book series makes it to seven hundred issues. Very few series can last that long, much less the character still stay interesting. Batman is obviously one of the more popular characters no matter what company's comics you read. Batman also has the current longest running series with Detective Comics. I want to take a look at some of the covers for issues over the years and give you a little history lesson.
Batman #1 came out in May 1940. At the time Batman was published quarterly. Batman was appearing in not only Detective Comics, but also his in a series named after himself. This cover has been copied and reimagined over time. The latest issue that paid homage to this was Batman #686 by Andy Kubert.
Batman #100 was released in June 1956. At this point the book was now bi-monthly. This issue is only a collection of the various issues that preceded it.
Batman #200 was released in March 1968. The issue again used a college of covers to celebrate the "Smash" issue. The issues were now coming out monthly and would continue to do so.
Batman #300, from June 1978, steps away from the group of covers to a unique cover that deals with a special story. Can the world survive without Batman? This is one of my personal favorite stories, because it takes the future of what could happen and let the readers believe what is possible. It gives the readers an idea of what lies ahead for our favorite characters that have had very little life changes over the past thirty years.
Batman #400 came out in October 1986. Comics were starting to become mainstream in the media. With the Superman films coming out years before, people were starting to pay more attention to the little books that they read as children. 1986 was a big year for Batman comics. It was only months after Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns was released. Batman: Year One was months away from coming out within the pages of Batman. A group of the biggest names in comic art were featured in the issue. It even had a introduction by Stephen King.
Batman #500 came out during the peak of comic collecting, October 1993. The Death of Superman came out and everyone was buying comics. It didn't matter if there were five different covers came out, you bought them all. Above is the special foil double cover. Foil covers were also huge at the time. Coincidently, this cover was drawn by the future head of Marvel, Joe Quesada. This issue took place in the middle of the Knightfall storyline, but they were still able to celebrate the achievement of five hundred issues.
Batman #600 was released in April 2002. This issue makes me a little upset. At the time, the story arc crossing the various titles was Bruce Wayne: Fugitive. Instead of even making it aware that it was a special issue, they pretended as if it was a normal accomplishment for comics to get to six hundred issues. The cover is nothing more than what we would find on a normal number issue.
Finally, we come to Batman #700. There will in fact be one cover, but also a variant for every 25 copies of the normal cover. The variant cover was drawn by Mike Mignola and is modeled off of Detective Comics #168. The normal cover was drawn by David Finch. DC takes us back to the time of anniversary issues with the over-sized issue. We will see all three Batmen that we have grown to know over time; Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, and Damian Wayne.
So whatever, anniversary issue you are most familiar with, be sure to head to the comic shops today and pick up the latest issue of Batman.
Posted by Dustin
The State of Comic Book Films
“I am Iron Man. Think you are the only superhero in the world? Mr. Stark, you’ve become part of a bigger universe, but you just don’t know it yet,” Nick Fury, director of SHIELD. “I’m here to talk to you about the Avengers Initiative.”
Those words, spoken by Samuel L. Jackson at the end of 2008’s Iron Man are words that may have shaken up the way comic book movies are made. On its own Iron Man was a great comic book superhero-based film. It had just about everything you could have asked for in a thrilling, smart, and at times comedic popcorn entertainment action flick. But, those words were the lynch-pin of what Marvel Studio hoped would be the next evolution of comic book movie storytelling. Essentially taking the idea of a fully fledged “universe” and transform that into film.
For years of course comic book character films have been presented as if the characters spotlighted were the only heroes in their world. Oh sure Metropolis got named dropped in Batman Forever, and there is the “This is why Superman works ALONE” quip in Batman & Robin, but in every movie, and even live action television, for the most part (after the series ended, the Incredible Hulk TV show came back in TV movie form a couple of times featuring both Thor and Daredevil, and Smallville has the Green Arrow as a cast member, as well as appearances by other non-Superman supporting characters), done featuring a comic book character whom is part of a bigger comic book universe, it is apparent that for that movie or TV program they are the ONLY super hero on the scene.
Marvel Studios was set to change all of that, and it started in that summer of 2008. Shortly after it appeared Iron Man was a big hit, its sequels were green-lit and pre-production was full steam ahead for other projects that would all go into what will be the first Avengers movie in 2012. The plans were further cemented in that summer’s Incredible Hulk, which included a cameo by Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark telling General Ross that he and a “team” that was being formed could help with the Hulk problem. And now Iron Man 2 has given the Mighty Marvel Movie Society even more steam by being a blockbusting success, and setting the stage for next summer’s Thor film. Oh, and next summer Captain America is set to shake off the aftertaste of the 1990 flop as well.
With Ant-Man, another Iron Man film and The Avengers coming down the pipeline as well, it seems things are running smoothly in terms of Marvel Studios creating a “Movie Universe.” Even with its biggest heavyweights; Spider-Man, the X-Men and Fantastic Four, as well as Daredevil still tied up with other studios as Disney seems content with honoring pre-existing deals.
And DC? Well, there is the follow up to The Dark Knight slated for 2012. As well as the next Superman project which is being “Godfathered” by Batman Begins and The Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan. Oh, and Green Lantern is coming out next year.
While one can expect the third, and Nolan’s final, Batman flick to be a success, maybe not as wild as The Dark Knight as one could chalk a good percentage of its popularity to the “morbid curiosity” surrounding Heath Ledger’s passing, the fact that it will be the final Nolan directed film in the series should trouble a DC movie fan. Where will the Bat-Franchise go from here? Logic would dictate that the next director could pick up where Nolan leaves off, but hey this is Hollywood, and there is enough of a chance of Warner Brothers rebooting the whole darn thing as there are as them letting the next guy continue what Nolan started.
But where does this leave the various projects that have been speculated, and in some cases even gone through the pre-production stage, only to be shut down like the JLA movie? Good question. The hope is that the Green Lantern film becomes as wild of a success as the first Iron Man was. The proof will be in the pudding of course, but at the same time it was clear that Marvel had all its ducks in a row when Iron Man came out. Right now DC/WB is looking at a Batman movie universe where Batman is the only known costumed hero, and Nolan has gone on record as saying he’d like the Superman movie universe to be the same. Okay, so how are you going to rectify that with a possible JLA film? Oh sure movie audiences aren’t that stupid to realize the Batman in a JLA film isn’t the same as Christian Bale’s Batman, or even Adam West’s, Michael Keaton’s, Val Kilmer’s, George Clooney, or heck even Kevin Conroy’s and Diedrich Bader’s. But the fact is, it’s hard to sell two different continuities going on at the same time. Heck, it’s hard even for DC to sell multiple continuities in comic books! Say what you will about Batman Confidential and Superman/Batman, they probably aren’t selling nearly as much as the other Bat-Titles because they are OOC books while all the others are.
Well, that is the current state of affairs with comic book movies. While the next Batman film should bring in the dough that will make Warner very, very happy, and despite the critical responses to Superman Returns one can still say Superman is still a very profitable on-screen franchise, it does seem that DC is still light years behind Marvel in terms of innovation in crafting big screen storytelling. In some cases it might be fine, as DC still holds arguably the two most popular super heroes of all-time in its arsenal, but if Marvel is able to completely pull of what it hopes to with the Marvel Movie Universe, DC will have to change its game plan in terms of how their properties are treated by Hollywood.
Posted by SteveJRogers
The story begins with a tribe of cavemen who go by the name of The Deer Tribe and who upon discovering a space vehicle crashed wonder if its part of the sky that fell. They then notice a trail of footsteps leading from the capsule to a cave nearby. They wonder if the tracks belong to one of the “Shining Ones.” One of the cavemen says that if the Shining Ones come again then it is some sort of end. As they make their way to the cave one of them throw a rock into the cave causing bats to fly out from the cave. We then see Bruce Wayne emerge. The cavemen all speak in a form of broken English and Bruce talks in sentences where words are combined into one word.
One of the cavemen introduces himself as “Man” son of the “Old Man” and the youngest caveman is “Boy” the grandson of “Old Man” and the son of “Man” who is learning to be a Young Man. There is of course one caveman who is called Joker. Man, Boy, and Joker walk into the cave and find Old Man dead, as Bruce is walking out, utility belt in hand, to the space vehicle where he finds Superman’s cape, he then proceeds back to the cave.
Later on in the night, The Blood Mob attacks with their leader Vandal Savage. Bruce who acts on his pure instinct grabs Boy and hides him while he goes and fights. Both Man and Joker are killed while Bruce is captured and named “Man-God” by Savage. At the Blood Mob village Savage proclaims that he’s brought his village gifts from the forbidden land that he took from the Shining Ones and claims that he has defeated the Man-God just like he defeated a large bat beast as we see a cloak and bat head. Savage then says he will eat the Man-God as soon as the sun rises on the Man-God’s suffering. We then see Boy in a mask and wearing Bruce’s utility belt wielding a shield with a large bat symbol on it, he cuts Bruce from his restraints. Savage then wakes up and Bruce attacks using all of his gadgets to defeat him. As the mob runs after them Bruce and Boy jump off of a cliff and into a river.
We then cut to Superman, Hal Jordan, and Booster Gold next to the time sphere, Superman says that they just missed Bruce, as Hal says Bruce has no memory of who he is or what happened to him, while Booster Gold says that no one, not even Bruce could survive this. Superman replies by pointing out that that’s what Bruce does, Survive, while commenting that if Bruce survives this and makes his way back to the 21st Century on his own then everyone dies.
We then see Bruce in the water (Boy is gone), in a new era with a huge water monster behind him as a nameless woman says “Master Demon. Whatever you are. What horse is this you rode in on?”. Bruce holds a sword as the monster rises up.
With the Return of Bruce Wayne I have to admit I was hesitant to pick it up, one because I didn’t know how this time traveling thing would play out and two because I had been reading Batman & Robin (also by Grant Morrison) and I think Dick and Damian do a good job in their current respective roles. So when the first issue of The Return of Bruce Wayne had hit the stands I resisted it for 3 days. But curiosity got the best of me and I caved in and bought it.
When I got home I immediately started reading it. After my first read through I found it hard to read. It was confusing and served no purpose in telling the story of Bruce’s return, with a minor exception for the end. So I re-read it. Still didn’t get it. So I re-read it. Nothing. By the time I was about to start my fourth read through I had grown so frustrated with the content that I had to close the book, stand up and take a deep breath while I cleared my mind. Then out of nowhere I realized that the problem wasn’t the content or Grant Morrison’s writing, it was me. I had been thinking about what I know and what SHOULD happen in the strict terms of this story.
The foundation of this issue isn’t the basis for anything except your own mind. Bruce Wayne/Batman as a whole or absolute system or as we know him isn’t what we think he will be after all of our readership. All these thoughts and ideas we have created for him in our own minds that bring him to a whole is subtly broken down and laid on the floor in front of us as we open to the first page of this issue. By that I mean (now strictly hypothetically speaking), Grant Morrison’s Bruce Wayne/Batman is a brand new forging, forged not by him but by us. There is no need to refer to our Year One’s or whatever back issue you want to throw out there that defined Batman as you, yourself know him, it is already within you stirring and mixing the old and the new in your mind as you read these brand new pages. Morrison creates this “new” Batman by starting off in the middle of nowhere, with no back-story as to how we got here, erasing Bruce’s memory, by breaking our understanding of the English language, and most importantly by letting the pictures tell the story. The pictures serve as an emotional narrative that we use to forge our new memories of the Dark Knight. We can refer to our memories as children or as adults reading our eyes out gathering all this random information to (in our minds) not have these random pieces of information scattered all about but to put these pieces together to create Batman as we see him in our minds eye. What Grant Morrison does is break down this Batman and scatter all these pieces of information so that its laid out in front of you as brand new thoughts and ideas, but as he does this He’s building a new Batman using our memories. Batman will never be the same as we let go of the old one and let in the new one as you now see him. Grant Morrison not only helped break down and rebuild our image of Batman, he started anew, building the Dark Knight from the ground up not by forcing his hand or convincing us or saying this is your Batman, this is your ideas, and thoughts, and feelings but by simply showing us the door.
All in all, great issue. The art looked like a throwback to the older days of Batman while hinting at a new style or direction which only enhances the experience. Not really recommended to the newer reader but highly recommended to all of us who have been with Batman for all these years.
Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #1:
Reviewed by Dane
Batman finally makes his return in the second issue of the “First Wave” series along side Doc Savage and the Spirit. And for all his fame and notoriety he gets one panel. That’s’ right, one panel. Oh, and no dialog. We finally see Batman as he wraps up a would be mugger in his cape making quick work of the bad guy. But that’s it. Make no mistake about it, “First Wave” is a Doc Savage vehicle and through the first two issues he is sharing the limelight with The Spirit as comedic relief. I guess I should mention the Blackhawks get plenty of face time too.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m digging this book. I love the noir feel to the story narrative. Moonlit nights, large limos with their headlights cutting the darkness, blackened alley ways, cemeteries and most importantly, gritty dialog befitting a George V. Higgins novel.
It’s just that a little more Batman would be nice.
We got our first look at the “First Wave” Batman in November of 2009 when DC presented us with a one shot called the “Batman-Doc Savage Special, the First Wave begins.” Batman got plenty of ink in that issue and if you read the book you’ll remember that Batman was portrayed as a young brash playboy. Untested and inexperienced, this Batman was willing to make mistakes and take his lumps in order to ply his trade. He’s not the brooding angry dark avenger that we are accustomed to. He’s cocky and brash. He’s having fun.
Brian Azzarello is the writer for this series, as he was in the one shot. Phil Noto was the artist for the one shot and his effort lent itself more to a Sunday morning comic’s type of feel. This time Rags Morales takes over the art work and he is ably assisted by Nei Ruffino. Their combined effort lends itself more readily to the noir feel of the book as they understand the use of shadow and perspective that is so important to this style.
Azzarello is weaving a dense, multi-faceted storyline that involves some the most iconic heroes of the golden age. Doc Savage, his crew, the Spirit, the Blackhawks, Justice Inc and we haven’t even seen Black Canary yet. And Batman too. For one panel. But fear not, I have a feeling we’ll be seeing plenty of the Bat, and sooner rather than later. There is a lot of gray area in this series. The good guys work in and outside the law, everyone has their own agendas that intersect for better or worse and a mysterious darkness looms fueled by greed and revenge. The type of story that is begging for a Dark Knight.
I’m giving this book a four out of five Bat-a-rangs for where I believe this story is taking us. And I’ll get into some in depth analysis of the plot itself once Batman and his guns (yes, I said guns) makes their full time appearance. I’ll be seeing you soon for “First Wave” issue three of six.
First Wave #2:
Reviewed by Dark Knight Dave
A Bat-Bulletin about
Supporting a Cause
Being that this is an editorial section, this gives the platform for many different things. One of the things that came to my attention is an online petition. Being that you may venture outside the world of The Batman Universe to find some other sources of Batman goodness, you may have come across Batgirl to Oracle: The Barbara Gordon Podcast. The podcast follows everything related to Batgirl, and gives fans of Barbara Gordon a place to learn even more about the character. They of course have a website where they also post up news bits about things related to Batgirl.
One of these recent news items that they posted up was about the cancellation of a Batgirl direct-to-video film that was being produced. This is a quote from Bruce Timm when asked about the likely-hood of more female lead characters in the DC animated film universe.
"'Wonder Woman’s' sales started out extremely slow and then over time were eventually able to catch up to probably 'Justice League: New Frontier. The Exec’s decided because it wasn’t able to sell quickly right away, whereas 'Justice League' was, that there wouldn’t be any more female super hero films right now. We were developing and hoping to get started on a 'Batgirl' film based on 'Year One,' but because of 'Wonder Woman’s' slow sales start, that won’t be happening now."
So because of a slow start to sales, we won't be seeing a Batgirl film? That seems ridicolous since we got Superman/Batman, which wasn't even a film in my opinion. We all know that WB is a company that needs to make a profit. But if they put out one of the animated films a year that is a sure bet that it will sell well, that should give space for films that they may doubt. I for one think a Batgirl: Year One film would be awesome. This just doesn't stop at Batgirl. There are other female characters that could have films that could be good too. Birds of Prey is another example. And we know that they are tied to The Batman Universe.
Stella, the founder of Batgirl to Oracle, has started a petition to get as many signatures as possible to support the Batgirl DTV. You can find it here. We signed it, and you should take the two seconds to sign it too. WB has been known to sometimes listen to fans, we need to make sure that they know that The Batman Universe is listening and cares about the decisions that they make. Leave comments below to let us know that you support the cause.
Posted by Dustin