Welcome once again, my bat brothers and sisters to Creator Spotlight. Zach here as usual, and this time I will be admiring the prolific and underrated career of the writer Alan Grant. So join me as we take a trip down memory lane and look back at the Scotsman’s career. Enjoy:
Alan Grant is a long time comic book writer, who surprisingly is often mentioned when talking about some of the “great” Batman writers of the last 25 years. Other than Batman, Grant has also worked on a number of other characters including; Judge Dredd, the Demon, Lobo, L.E.G.I.O.N, and many strips in the 2000AD line. Grant’s Batman work is often heralded by fans, but often forgotten by others. Grant’s key Batman works consists of storylines such as; The Last Arkham, Batman: Anarky, and Batman: The Scottish Connection. Additionally, Grant has often co-written several Batman main events; The Knightfall Saga, Batman: Contagion, Batman: Cataclysm, and Batman: Prodigal. Grant has also co-created several Batman villains, who appear in the comics today. These characters include; Victor Zsasz, the Ventriloquist (Arnold Wesker), Anarky, Jeremiah Arkham, Cornelius Stirk, the Ratcatcher, Legs, and the unforgettable Amygdala. Alan Grant is often linked with longtime friends, creators John Wagner and artist Norm Breyfogle.
Alan Grant broke into comics in 1967, when he was hired as an editor for the publisher, DC Thompson. Grant left DC Thompson in 1970 after moving and going back to college. It was here that Grant would meet writer, John Wagner. The two formed an instant friendship and began co-writing Tarzan, and later, Judge Dredd in the weekly magazine; 2000AD. The pair continued to write together for much of the 1980s. After much success in the European market, the two decided to try out American comics. They quickly found themselves working at DC Comics and began writing a 12-issue series titled, The Outcasts. The two gentlemen found themselves working on Detective Comics. This title also marked the beginning of Grant’s often collaborator, the vibrant artist, Norm Breyfogle. The trifecta began with issue #583, a story title; Fever. Issue #583 would also mark the first appearance of the Ventriloquist. Wagner would later leave the title, giving Grant the lead. Together, Grant and Breyfogle would take the Batman Universe by storm.
While on Detective Comics, Grant and Breyfogle would continue to electrify fans until #597, where Grant would leave the title for a short time. Breyfogle had already departed following issue #594. However, the pair would return shortly with issue #601. They would continue to work on the title until #621. Throughout their run on Detective Comics, many unforgettable storylines were written and penciled, including; The Mud Pack, Anarky, and Rite of Passage. Grant and Breyfogle would later return to the title, but not together. All together, Grant wrote 39 issues of Detective Comics. 
Following the success of Grant’s work on Detective Comics, Grant and Breyfogle would once again reunite to launch a new Batman title; Batman: Shadow of the Bat. It would be here within the pages of the first issue, that Grant would introduce one of the most mentally deranged characters into the Batman’s Rogues Gallery, Victor Zsasz. Along with Zsasz, Grant would also introduce Jeremiah Arkham in the four-part story arc titled; The Last Arkham. Grant would leave the title, but would frequently return to Shadow of the Bat. Grant would have a hand in writing the Batman: Cataclysm storyline that would also appear in the title. Shadow of the Bat would run for 96 issues and Grant wrote a total of 36 of them.
Unfortunately, Grant was never given the opportunity to work on the main Batman title, but he often appeared in other various Batman related comics. Grant also wrote a collection of various Batman one-shots that include; Batman/Phantom Stranger, Batman/Judge Dredd Files, Batman-Lobo, Batman/Daredevil: King of New York, and the Batman of Arkham, among others. I think it is safe to say that Alan Grant was the “Batman” writer of the 1990s. He made major contributions to the mythos and should be greatly acclaimed for his work. In my opinion, Grant seemed to be ahead of his time. The characters that he created seem to be more frequently used today then they were back then. He wrote grounded stories that were rooted in the realism of Batman.
Well bat-fans, I hope you enjoyed a watered down look at the enormous career of Alan Grant. Be sure to look out for the next Creator Spotlight, which will focus on Grant’s often partner in crime, Norm Breyfogle. Tune in next time, Same Bat-Time, Same Bat-Blog.
Posted by Zach
Batman in the JLA
In this, the second entry of my “Year of the Batmen” series, I am going to discuss the Dick Grayson Batman and the dynamic of his entry into the newly reconstituted Justice League of America.
For the longest time the JLA was led by the holy trinity of the DC pantheon, Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. The Batman character, specifically embodied by Bruce Wayne, was often seen as the intellectual leader of the JLA and for the most part its chief tactician. The Wayne Batman was renowned for planning for every contingency, for being several steps ahead his foes and for never being caught off guard. This served him well in the JLA as that unit was often comprised by disparate heroes, some with much less experience than Wayne but often possessing much more physical power and or abilities.
Because Wayne often dealt with these heroes of different or greater qualities, who were used to pursuing causes of their own, he often clashed with them as they chafed under his authority. And because this Batman did not suffer fools well and was often harsh and impatient he often clashed with his team mates off times coming to physical blows. The most distinct rivalry often came from Hal Jordan, the Green Lantern, who was essentially an inter-galactic policeman and who quite often resented taking orders from Batman who basically was the guardian just of one city.
As most readers know now the Bruce Wayne Batman is no longer on the scene. He has been succeeded by his foremost protege, Dick Grayson. For years Dick toiled under the shadow of the Bat as Robin and is only now getting up to speed as Gotham’s premier crime fighter. In the JLA, as written by James Robinson, we see a different personality to the Batman. It’s something I call the “Winick Model” after Judd Winick, who took up the writing for the Batman series as Grayson became Batman. This particular take on Batman found the caped crusader to be more open and visible. No more lurking in the shadows or avoiding the spotlight. He even smiles.
Fortunately, Dick Grayson is no neophyte when it comes to the team concept. Something the original could not claim. As Nightwing he fought along side the Teen Titans some of which now comprise this new JLA. The Teen Titans however could be seen, unfairly or otherwise, as a second tier unit. What’s different now are the expectations of being the Batman and serving in the JLA which has historically been seen as Earth’s mightiest heroes and its foremost protectors. So how does Robinson integrate this new Batman into this new progression? By having Grayson coordinate his first major action with the team.
In JLA #42 the team is confronted with a rogue Atlas and it takes all the group members to bring him down. Each heroic character is allowed an internal dialog that speaks to the reader on how they feel it is to be part of the team. Grayson comes off as a bit callow. He seems surprised to be even included. He says, “My league, me as Batman” as if he can’t quite comprehend that he is there. Something the Wayne Batman would not think even to himself. As the battle rages Dick also has to deal with the fact that two of his team mates have had an intimate relationship with him. Something the Wayne Batman would certainly sneer at. Grayson calls out instructions to Donna Troy and Starfire and they execute his plan perfectly and when the coup de grace has to be applied, it is Dick who orders Green Lantern into play. Jordan thinks it is “weird” taking orders from Dick as does Grayson giving orders to the Green Lantern.
So that part of the dynamic stays true. Batman calls the shots while the others follow, trusting that Batman will know what is best for the team and the consummation of the outcome to be without flaw. The major difference is the hint of doubt we see from each principle even though it does not affect their performance. At least for now.
Additionally, let’s study how this particular Batman is drawn for this story. Mark Bagley does the pencils. Inks by Hunter, Rapmund, and Glapion with colors by Pete Pantazis. This new JLA Batman is not very threatening. He wears the blue and gray costume as opposed to the more Gothic black and gray as drawn by Tony Daniel. Therefore this Batman is depicted to less of a loner and more of a team player. Even the cowl as drawn by Bagley has a less threatening look to it as the ears are minimized and therefore less frightening. This Batman will not threaten the team dynamic with arrogance or force of will and is drawn to reflect that.
As constituted now the new JLA Batman is a bit green behind those nominal ears. Unsure, untested in his new team dynamic. Will he be allowed to grow in this new structure? Will doubt set in if his next plan goes awry? The original Batman led without question. Will the Grayson version be allowed the same luxury? And what of the return of Bruce Wayne? As Dick becomes more comfortable in this role will he want to let it go? There are many questions to be answered as the Dick Grayson Batman not only fills out the most iconic of roles but also steps into the rarefied air of the holiest of trinities of the DC pantheon.
Next up for the Year of the Batmen, a sneak peek into the art of the Batmen as drawn by Daniel, Gary Frank, Rags Morales and Frank Quitely amongst others.
Posted by Dark Knight Dave
The DC DTV animated movie series has had its fair share of ups and downs. It has put out awesome movies, like Green Lantern, or Wonder Woman, and it has put out very bad movies, like Superman Batman: Public Enemies. So where does JL: CTE, the latest film in this series, sit? Well, it’s at the top. This movie was fantastic!
Before I actually review it though, I want to go into the history of the film. It originally was supposed to be Justice League: Worlds Collide, and was going to be part of the DCAU. The film was intended to be released between Justice League and Justice League Unlimited. It would have served as a bridge between the two series. However, the film never got made, and Justice League Unlimited began, albeit, bridge-less. Now, many years later, the film has finally been released, but rewritten as Crisis on Two Earths. Even though The Film has been rewritten, not much has changed. We get to see the League building the new Watchtower, how the expanded roster came about, and even how Wonder Woman got her Invisible Jet. The only actual difference is that Green Lantern is Hal Jordan, not John Stewart. Other than that, CTE fits nicely into the DCAU, and perfectly fills the gap between JL and JLU.
The story is simple enough, a good version of Lex Luthor, from an alternate earth, comes to the Justice Leagues world, asking the league to help him defeat the Crime Syndicate of America, super powered criminals who have the country’s crime under their thumbs. The League goes to Luthor’s earth to take down the Syndicate, but soon discover a more sinister plot to destroy all of reality. The story is not to complex, but excellent nonetheless. Though the movie is made primarily of action sequences (awesome action sequences), it has some nice character development, especially a subplot involving John Jonzz. Dwayne McDuffie delivers one his best scripts with this movie.
The animation is absolutely top notch. The fight sequences are brutal, and exciting, and just look great all-around. The character designs are very good too. They seem to take some inspiration from Frank Quitley’s artwork on the JLA Earth 2 graphic novel written by Grant Morrison. I particularly liked Batman’s fight with Owlman at the end of the movie. It was one of the coolest animated fight scenes I have seen in a while. I won’t talk about it though; you just have to see it.
One of the things that makes the movie so good is the flawless voice cast. Everyone involved is great, there is no weakness in the cast (can we expect less from Andrea Romano though?) In the Justice league we have Mark Harmon as Superman, William Baldwin as Batman, Josh Keaton as Flash (he was awesome, and had the perfect voice for The Flash), Vanessa Marshall as Wonder Woman, Jonathan Adams as Martian Manhunter, and Nolan North as Green Lantern. From the Crime Syndicate we have James Woods as Owlman, Gina Torres as Superwoman, Brian Bloom as Ultraman, and James Patrick Stuart as Johnny Quick. Also from the Crime Syndicate world is Chris Noth as Lex Luthor. Focusing on Batman for a minute; William Baldwin was great! At first I was a little jarred by his voice, it’s definitely different from Kevin Conroy’s DCAU portrayal. However, as the film progressed, I liked his performance more and more. He is actually really good, and I would like him to return to the role. His last line to Owlman is awesome! Speaking of Owlman, James Woods’ performance is one of the highlights of the film. He was the perfect actor for the role, and it shows! His performance alone makes the movie worth watching!
Also, one more thing I loved; the music. The film is scored by James L. Venable, and though he is new to me, I hope I hear more of him soon. His score was very good, and had a big budget cinematic feel.
So all in all, I can’t say enough good things about his movie. It’s certainly the best of the DC DTVs, and I highly recommend that you see it.
Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths:
Reviewed by TheCapedCrusader
We loyal followers of the Dark Knight are in for a treat this year. No, not just a treat, a singular event. Perhaps something that many of us will only experience once in a lifetime. This year DC comics will not only follow the adventures of one Batman but as many as four, or quite possibly seven!
In 2010 in what I call “The Year of the Batmen” I will endeavor to chronicle these various manifestations of Batman and discuss the dynamic of having their respective storylines running concurrently. Even as they exist in different “universes”, alternate realities or as parallel plotlines that remain apart but eventually come together.
How will these Batmen compare? How will the media and readership accept or reject them? Whose storyline will succeed while another may fail? Will the various writers and artists vie for supremacy or just engage in a little friendly competition. Is it possible for all of these incarnations to exist at the same time and avoid saturation? Or will we embrace all of them and insist they continue for years to come? Perhaps multiple readership factions will arise and insist their Batman is the one true Caped Crusader.
As we all know Dick Grayson has picked up the mantle of the Bat in the absence of Bruce Wayne. This particular arc has been admirably filled out by the likes of Morrison, Daniel and Winick. How will the eventual return of Bruce Wayne (written by Morrison) effect Grayson? Will he give up the cape and cowl and go quietly into the night or will there be conflict? Will Bruce actually want it all back?
What of the iteration of the “First Wave” Batman? Brian Azzarello has promised a young Bruce Wayne one that is a, “millionaire playboy; brash, cocky and fully relishing life.” This Batman is inexperienced and makes mistakes that extract “the cost of fighting crime.” Stir in a healthy dose of Doc Savage and the Spirit and we have a whole new Dark Knight. 
Speaking of re-imagining the tale of the Dark Knight how will Geoff Johns’ interpretation compare to Azzarello’s? Johns tells us his Earth One Batman will “break the restraints of any continuity and focus on two things: character and story.” Certainly, what we have seen of artists Gary Frank’s Earth One Batman is in sharp contrast to the First Wave Batman as penciled by Rags Morales. Frank’s take looks indomitable and steadfast while Morales looks more sinewy and athletic.
But I am getting ahead of myself. There are several other incarnations that are worthy of discussion. The ghoulish Black Lantern Batman from the Blackest Night. The “undead” Batman resurrected from a Lazarus pool by Dick Grayson. And what of the Batman that exists in “Superman/Batman” comics or in Batman Confidential? Not to mention the JLA Batman that is both teammate and leader as embodied by Dick Grayson written by James Robinson.
There will be much to discuss and I am eager to get at it. Throughout this massive effort I will seek your input. Comments are welcome. The impressions from you the reader will add fuel to the fire as we discuss and dissect one of the most iconic figures in comic book history. It all comes together in 2010, “The Year of the Batmen”.
Written by Dark Knight Dave
Once again, the DC Comics solicits have lead us astray. No you say? Unfortunately, yes. While we all could have expected the latest issue of Streets of Gotham to be the second part of Mike Benson’s two part arc, the solicits said otherwise. The previews stated that Paul Dini would be returning to the title, however, he didn’t. None the less, Benson pens the conclusion to the “Hardcore Nights” storyline.
Some fans may be disappointed with issue number nine, but not me. Benson doesn’t present the reader with a major villain and the Commissioner Gordon plays a major role. Basically, issue nine is just a downright good Batman crime story. However, while I thoroughly enjoyed this issue, Dick Grayson’s characterization is completely out of whack. First off, I get the strange feeling that Benson initially wrote this with Bruce Wayne as Batman; the dialogue that Dick speaks is very “Bruce like”. Dick displayed a very dark and less optimistic personality, qualities that fit the Bruce Wayne personality. The only other problem I had with issue nine is that the antagonist is revealed rather sudden and everything just comes to a end to quickly and conveniently. This is just my opinion, why don’t you decide after reading the issue summary:
The issue opens where issue eight left off; Dick and the escort are in the penthouse when the armed man busts through the door. Benson pulls a classic trick; issue eight led us to believe that the armed man was the jealous boyfriend. However, Dick soon learns that this is not the boyfriend, but someone completely random. The hunter smacks the escort and demands Dick’s wallet. Throughout this sequence, Dick is studying the man’s movements. The hunter keeps a gun pointed on Dick the entire time when the escort makes a remark distracting him. This gives Dick just enough time to land a knee right to the man’s face. The hunter becomes completely disoriented and eventually becomes unconscious. The escort quickly exits the room and makes her way out of the building. As she is running, the doorman, Anthony asks her if everything is ok. Remember Anthony because he plays a much larger role, later in the issue. Anyway, at police headquarters, the hunter, whose name is Sal, is being questioned by Commissioner Gordon and Batman. Sal is hesitant to talk at first, but soon Batman “persuades” him into singing. Batman and Gordon then bring in the escort, Sophia. We learn that Sophia and Sal have been blackmailing the same men who have been found murdered. Sophia would take them back to the room and then Sal would barge in and scare them. They accuse her of killing the men but she pleads her innocence. Gordon demands a name from her, and she gives the name of her ex-boyfriend, Roland Davis. Batman knows she is innocent and tells Gordon to let her go. Reluctantly, Gordon agrees, but there is a twist. Sophia is dropped off back at the penthouse and then heads back to work. She runs into him in the club and is shaken up by this. She heads home and upon entering in the elevator, Roland enters and begs her to take him back. Anthony then enters and takes control of the situation. Roland learns of the set up and seems to feel differently about Sophia now. Gordon enters the elevator and arrests Roland. In the interrogation room, Roland receives some tough love from Gordon and Batman, but maintains his innocence. Gordon and Batman know they can’t hold Roland for long and decide to take another crack at a set up, with a twist. Back at the night club, we see Sophia sitting with another man, who remains hidden. They leave the club and then head for the penthouse. Two hours later, the man exits the penthouse alone. He begins walking down the sidewalk when we see a large figure approach him. The man turns down an alley and sees the dead body of Roland Davis. The man is shocked by this and we learn that it is none other then Gordon. Gordon then is confronted by Anthony with a knife in hand. Anthony attacks Gordon but Batman is there to moderate the situation. Anthony turns out to be the killer, SHOCKER! Gordon informs Sophia that it is over. Gordon takes Sophia to the bus station, buys her a bus ticket, and tells her to leave and begin a new life. And that’s where the issue ends.
The Manhunter co-feature opens with Manhunter beating the snot out of a low level thug looking for answers she knows he doesn’t have. The issue then cuts to the court room, twelve hours earlier. Dent asks for a bench trial because of his horrid facial features. This leads to Kate asking the judge the relieve himself of the case. This upsets the judge and grants Harvey his request. Court is adjourned and rescheduled for Thursday. Back in Los Angeles, Kate’s son, Ramsey, has decided to head to Gotham to help his mother and is riding in the boxcar on a train. We then cut back to when Manhunter is beating up the thug when she is confronted by Huntress. Huntress offers Manhunter her help in finding something to bring Dent down. We cut to Thursday, back in the courtroom. In the courtroom, Harvey is outwitting Kate and then Commissioner Gordon is called onto the witness stand. Dent asks Gordon why he would have kept him alive if Gordon knew that Dent killed the district attorney. This upsets Gordon, and Kate knows she is in for a roller coaster ride. To be continued…
This past story arc impressed me. I think Mike Benson is a writer with a strong future in comics. He seems to have that gritty style that I so often enjoy. However, how obvious is it that Anthony is the killer? Once he is introduced, the reader automatically knows that he has a major role. None the less, I could dismiss this simple storytelling method. What I could not dismiss, was the poor characterization of Dick Grayson. It wasn’t that Batman was portrayed poorly; it was that this was written to be the Bruce Wayne Batman. This becomes very apparent in the interrogation scenes; Batman is threatening and isn’t planning on taking any prisoners. Dick isn’t Bruce, which is something that, I guess Benson doesn’t understand. However, issues eight and nine are exactly what I want from Streets of Gotham. Good stories that don’t always have to contain a large number of characters. I thought it was great to see Gordon take such a larger role in a story, it seems that recently; Gordon has taken a back seat in the other titles. It’s always good to see a writer stress the importance of Gordon’s character. Bravo, Mike Benson!
Of course, Dustin Nguyen remains to be impeccable and always impressive. I will say that Nguyen surprised me with his ability to pencil such a grim and gritty story so effectively. Derek Fridolfs is consistent as always. Fridolfs seems to be lost in the shuffle sometimes and I think he is just as important to this title as Dustin Nguyen is. But the art is great as always and leaves me with no complaints.
The Manhunter co-feature I found to be a little disappointing. This story felt like filler and not much progressed in the storyline. When you have so few pages to tell a story, Andreyko needs to keep the ball rolling. Needless to say, I am still interested to see where this is all going and I expect a better performance from Andreyko in the upcoming issue. Jeremy Haun is much like Dustin Nguyen, perfect. He art works so well with the Manhunter character and he maintains his consistency.
Overall, I found Streets of Gotham number nine to be an enjoyable read from front to back. While the issue felt a little rushed, I must say I am not missing Paul Dini and hope Mike Benson is giving some more batman-related work in the near future. The book’s art remains candy for the eye and is about the most consistent of any of the bat-books. In the end, if you enjoyed issue eight, you will not be disappointed with issue nine.
Batman: Streets of Gotham #9:
Reviewed by Zfactor
We received a copy of the DVD version of Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths a little while ago and it releases today in stores. Should you head to the store and buy this right now? Well, I am going to let you know.
At first glance, this film seems like another quick story to expand the animated DC Universe, yet something feels strangely familiar. We have the Justice League battling villains in order to save the world. Does that remind you of something? Perhaps, Justice League Unlimited. Well, when this film was announced, that is exactly what I thought it was. In the podcast that you will hear on Friday, I referred to the announcement seeming as if it was another Superman/Batman mishap. Everything seemed to line up as what we saw before. The story originated from Dwayne McDuffie, who wrote many episodes of Justice League Unlimited. All of the characters that were in the film we had seen in the show. So why would you think that this was any different than the many multi-part stories we saw in episodic form for the show? Well, let me tell you why.
The basic plot of the film is that the Justice League of our earth battles the Crime Syndicate from a parallel earth. In this parallel earth, things are different. Despite the Syndicate being an obvious group of villains, they are treated with a level of respect. The heroes on this "Earth" are led by Lex Luthor. Their "Justice League" has been taken out one by one by the Crime Syndicate. We even see The Jester (a parallel version of The Joker) give his life to try and stop the Crime Syndicate. Lex Luthor travels to our universe to enlist the help of the Justice League to help him take down the Syndicate. The Justice League travels to the alternate earth to take them out. Batman stays behind, as he believes that there are enough problems in their universe. Owlman (the parallel version of Batman) is pretty much the main villain. He has created a bomb that will take out not only the the earth of his universe, but destroy Earth Prime, hence eliminating all "Earths." Batman of course comes and faces Owlman head on leading to climatic ending.
Overall, this film was a surprise to me. As I said, because it was first announced as a series of episodes that McDuffie wrote for Justice League Unlimited, I was concerned that it would have a feel of episodes put together as a film. But, it did not have that feel at all. The pace was very quick. It did not feel at any point that there was meant to be a break between acts. It had a more mature feel with the obvious violence. It wasn't overdone. We got more than we would have if this had ever aired on Cartoon Network. I applaud McDuffie for this. He took what was supposed to be a cartoon and made it a film.
On the Batman front, William Baldwin did a decent job at voicing Batman. It isn't the best job, but it fit with the feel of the film. Batman did take a back seat to the first half of the film. Although we see that while he wasn't around, he had a recruitment drive to have more heroes join the league. That kind of seemed out of place. Then again we have seen stranger things in the DC animated films. Batman not only saves the day in the end, but also proves to be smarter than most of the Justice League within the final scene with the Crime Syndicate.
For the special features, there were some interesting ones. The main feature was a piece about the various "crisises" that have happened in the DC Universe. They did a very good job getting many of the main creators that were involved in everything from Identity Crisis to Final Crisis. There was also a preview of the next DCAU film, which we know will be Batman: Under the Red Hood. There wasn't any footage from the film, but we did see the voice cast as well as some storyboards.
Also in this release, was the first DC Showcase film. It featured The Spectre. A good story that laid out his origin and told an interesting story in a very short amount of time. This was maybe even better than the main film. I look forward to more of these.
Overall, the film was good. I would not place it in the top three of DCAU films, but it was definitely better than I expected. One thing that many do not know is that the film will be released at Best Buy with an exclusive Owlman figure. This will be in limited quantities and only be with the Blu-ray and 2-disc DVD version. So you may want to get that right away and not wait until the end of the week to pick it up. I think if you are questioning it, rent it on iTunes or at your local video store. You will see that the film is worth adding to your collection of DC films.
Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths:
Reviewed by Dustin
Tony Daniel’s current arc on Batman has been solid, to say the least. As the story is beginning to wrap up, we are getting ever closer to finding out the identity of the Black Mask.
Last time we saw Batman, he had fallen into a trap set by the Penguin and the Mad Hatter at an abandoned amusement park. This issue basically picks up the story an unspecified time later. Batman is washed up on the shore in Gotham Harbor, and is found by Damian. Dick is seen to be beaten up pretty badly when he is discovered, and is wearing a broken mask that the Black Mask has been giving to the “false faces.”
Now throughout the book, Batman continuously goes in and out of consciousness. At the same time, the story is going back and forth between the present time, and flashbacks of the previous nine hours that are running through Dick’s mind. Going back nine hours, we see that Batman is under the control of the Penguin, following his orders by way of the altered gas mask. Damian has already figured this out, but just hasn’t figured out whose orders Dick had been following. We see that the Penguin had sent Batman to break into the Mayor’s office where he takes two tubes of the antidote to Black Mask’s mind control toxin. As Batman is beginning to gain consciousness again in the present, he blacks out once more and the story goes to Catwoman and Kitrina Falcone who are going after Black Mask as well. Catwoman saves Kitrina from the third member of their group who was about to kill Kitrina. Batman shows up, still under Penguin’s control and takes them down, but goes with Kitrina to Devil’s Square, which has attracted both the National Guard and the Marines due to the Black Mask and his followers.
While going through all of the flashbacks in his mind, Dick is slowly beginning to remember what happened. We see that he had confronted Black Mask and his inner circle of Fright and Dr. Hugo Strange. They fight and Batman had gained the advantage until Black Mask pulled a gun, and shot Batman in the chest, who proceeded to fall out a window, off a cliff, and into the ocean below. And that is where he reaches the point at the beginning of the book. It ends with a now fully aware Batman telling Babs that he thinks he may know who Black Mask really is.
I enjoyed this book, despite its non-linear timeline. I think Tony Daniel did a good job pulling it off, though I will acknowledge that I am not a huge fan of this style. The reason he was able to keep the story from being too confusing or choppy was the fact that the main focus was in the flashbacks, with no action in the present. That’s the trap that many writers fall into, but Daniel avoided. The actual story started off great, with Damian doing all the talking. That first scene gives the reader a reminder that even though he may think of himself as an adult, Damian is still just a kid. I got a small chuckle out of the first line when he saw Dick lying on the beach and yelled out, “Epic Fail!”
The one issue I had with this book was the absence of Dick’s thought process during the fight scenes. This was obviously because he was being manipulated, but maybe it would have been a little cooler if we saw conflicting views between the Penguin and Dick’s thoughts. Either way, Daniel’s doing a good job, and his art has been excellent as well. It’s nice to get a break from the seemingly never ending Blackest Night with a good Batman story (I’m sure I’ll get some flak from that).
Batman #696:
Reviewed by RiddleMeThis
Superman/Batman 69 starts off where the last issue took place, with Superman staring down NRG-X who actually is that Bronze Age villain, Grant Haskill, (this is shown in a flashback as a shadowy man, Anderson Gaines, is asking for the hit on Clark Kent) I mentioned in the last review. They fight, have some exposition dialogue and Superman is left wondering who would want him killed.
Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne while at a function gets to meet Gaines, afterward. After Gaines unwittingly gives Bruce a DNA sample, contacts Clark and the two convene at the JLA Watchtower.
While Gaines is going back to his penthouse apartment we learn why we’ve never heard of this character before. Gaines is in fact one of the shape shifting alien terrorists from the Kryptonian ship that Superman and Batman found in issue 64. Currently the ship is still on the dark side of the Moon and is shown on the last page of the issue. Gaines also reveals his Durlan form and it does look interesting. It’s a nice grouping of all these green tentacles coming out. We then end with Batman telling Superman that instead of taking on Gaines head on, that they’ll have to do it guerrilla warfare style.
Well, it’s moving the story well, which is a good thing of course. But at the same time the story is still leaving me wondering what is the need for it to be set after “Our Worlds At War.”
It does seem that Joe Casey had this idea, the editors were saying “Yeah okay, but just so you know, when the Blackest Night crossover is over, the book is getting an overhaul. So can you do your thing around it?” So it’s like we are getting two stories; this Durlan vs Krypton story that Casey started back in issue #64 and the aftermath of Our Worlds At War, which is getting the “shoehorned in because I have to drop references” treatment. At some point I’d like to know if there is a reason that the time of this story had to be where it is, and not say after “Legends” or “Invasion.” Actually Invasion would have been a more intriguing setting as that would have been just before Superman literally went into his self-imposed “Exile” (that was the name of the storyline). Whatever results from this story could have added to the reasons Superman just left Earth for a time.
But the story Casey is telling is still an intriguing one, and I am interested in seeing where this is going. I’m going to drop the rating a bit though, because it still has a run-of-the mill feel to it, as opposed to an epic feel that an aftermath tale should be.
Superman/Batman #69:
Reviewed by SteveJRogers
Yesterday, we got a somewhat amusing image from Cameron Stewart over on his Twitter page.
Rejected cover sketch for Batman & Robin #9
Posted by Dustin
Reviewing this title each month is becoming increasingly difficult – I'm finding there are only so many ways to say 'good story', 'great dialogue', 'fun characters', 'superb art', 'striking covers' … but I'm enjoying the challenge nonetheless as Batgirl continues to be my most looked-forward-to book each month.
This issue, the third and final part of the Batgirl Rising: Core Requirements story-arc, picks-up just where the last issue left-off: Batman is in trouble, Batgirl and Robin are rushing to his aid before his hunters – Roxy Rocket, Riot, and Doctor Phosphorus, each fuelled by a mix of infamy and Roulette's wealth – can kill him.
As Stephanie and Damian race across the roof-tops of Gotham City the bickering – such an enjoyable feature of recent issues – continues: 'What the hell is wrong with you?' asks Stephanie as Damian charges ahead refusing, as he sees it, to be hampered by his companion – 'And you swing like a girl' he counters before disappearing, quite literally, in a puff of smoke to pick up his motorbike.
At the Batcave Barbara Gordon is monitoring the web-feed of Roulette's performance as she tries to locate the source of the broadcast. Aware that Dick is injured and that he needs BOTH Stephanie and Damian if he is going to survive she directs Steph to her private garage, where she's been saving something for a 'special occasion' – and Batman's plight certainly qualifies as just such a special occasion.
As we see Damian, now on his bike, weaving in and out of the Gotham traffic we catch sight of Stephanie advancing rapidly in her own vehicle that's not quite a car, not quite a motorbike … as we find out later on in the story!
Meanwhile, back in Devil's Square, Batman – weak but not yet beaten – is barely one-step ahead of Phosphorus with Roxy Rocket not far behind. Stephanie and Damian, join forces and work together as Dick, now close to being overwhelmed, sees that help from his young companions is just moments away. Wrestling himself free from his assailant Dick jumps to safety as Damian leaps from his bike … moments before it impacts on Phosphorus.
With Phosphorus temporarily out of the picture Roxy Rocket sees her opportunity and swoops low for an attack – as she does Stephanie positions herself beneath Roxy's rocket, hits her vehicle's 'eject' button and fires herself skyward towards Roxy, where the two women fight for control of the aircraft.
With Riot – several Riots in fact – now beating on Dick, Damian positions Phosphorus for a very painful meeting with Roxy. Two down, one to go. As Stephanie leads Dick to safety the young boy – 'little Lord Fauntleroy' – confidently confronts around a dozen Riots … and it soon becomes obvious that he's out of depth: Batgirl to the rescue!
Much later, having put an end to Roulette's plans, Dick, Damian, and Stephanie join Barbara back at the Batcave. As the two youngsters eat, and recommence their bickering that had been largely abandoned while they worked as a team, Barbara and Dick take time-out to talk about where they've come from, where they are, and where they are going – and, perhaps more importantly, why they are going there.
When discussing 'creativity' I'm always quick to acknowledge there's no such thing as good or bad, rather something that is to my personal tastes or otherwise. The Batgirl title very much falls into the former category.
Throughout the series so far the stories themselves have been largely uncomplicated and beautifully told through strong narration and some great dialogue – and this issue continues that tradition. As regular readers will know I'm enjoying the lighthearted bickering between Stephanie and Damian but it wouldn't take much for this fun relationship to cross the line into silly: it's credit to Brian Q. Miller's writing that I'm confident that particular pitfall will be avoided.
I've long-since been a fan of Lee Garbett's art and feel his work gets better with each passing issue – as I've said before, this clean, sharp, confident style of artwork is VERY much to my personal taste and therefore credit also goes to Trevor Scott and Guy Major for their inks and colours.
As the concluding issue of a story-arc featuring no less than four villains, it would have been easy for this issue to have turned into nothing more than a 22-page 'chase-and-fight.' Needless to say, it didn't, as moments of high drama were interspersed with moments of quiet reflection, none more so than the scene, late in the issue, with Barbara and Dick in the Batcave. I was genuinely touched as the two discussed their past – and their futures – and I have a feeling that in time we'll look back to these five panels as something of a turning-point for the two characters.
While I'm not saying the Batgirl title is perfect, I can't, in all honesty, identify any flaws and I'm not sure what else I'm looking for to consider it perfect – it makes me smile, at times it makes me feel a little sad, it makes me think. It makes me want to read and then re-read the issue and makes me look forward to the next.
Batgirl #7:
Reviewed by Zaius
The roller coaster ride continues! DC wasted no time in releasing the second part of Morrison and Stewart’s story arc. After an excellent, yet confusing issue in number seven, we receive the answer to the question; who is the resurrected Batman? In a fast-paced and wonderfully scripted issue, Morrison continues to provide us with the freshest approach to Batman that we haven’t seen for years. And I haven’t even mentioned Cameron Stewart yet!
Let me start off by saying that any doubts that you may have had after issue seven; forget about them. Morrison approaches issue eight with a much more cinematic style of story telling. He also clears up the mysteries behind all of these Batman corpses. He does a fantastic job of pacing and structuring the issue, a slight problem with issue seven. He incorporates flashbacks and references to R.I.P and Final Crisis, and they make perfect sense. However, to fully understand what is going on, if you haven’t read any of the titles previously mentioned, you might want to go check those out. The issue reads quickly and forces the reader to keep up, but these qualities provide the reader with a very exceptional reading experience.
The issue begins with Batwoman explaining her predicament and how she exactly ended up in a coffin, like she was in issue seven. As she is explaining, alongside Batman, Squire, and Cyril the Knight, they all wait for the rising of the Batman from the Lazarus Pit. Of course, when this Batman comes face to face with the group of heroes, he is rather uncontrollable to say the least. He quickly begins to attack the group and we then learn who this Batman truly is. Tying back into R.I.P and Final Crisis, we learn that this is the one remaining clone of Bruce Wayne. Returning to present time, the crew is having quite a bit of difficulty bringing the clone of Wayne down. Outside of the mine, King Coal’s men escape and return to King Coal himself. They tell him of the masks inside and he then proceeds to detonate a bomb. The roof of the mine explodes, separating Dick from Cyril and Squire and the clone. However, Dick manages to find Batwoman beneath all the rubble. The clone finds the exit and begins to leave. We then see Alfred accessing the sealed vault that Dick removed the body from, and he learns of Dick’s horrible mistake. The clone commandeers the bat-plane and heads for the plane back to Gotham City. Back in Gotham, Alfred meets an injured, but heeled Damian at the top of Wayne Tower. In the mine, Dick comforts Kate but she then explains she has to die, and does. The plane arrives back home, and the clone makes quick work of a curious Alfred. While Damien is researching Dick’s recent actions, he is confronted by the cloned Batman and believes him to be his father. To be continued…
Like I said, this issue reads fast! But Morrison does a great job of knitting it so tightly together. I also thought the issues cliffhanger leaves the reader with some interesting predictions. Morrison continues his fun and action-packed ride that I just cannot get enough of.
While Morrison remains on top of his game, Cameron Stewart is the true hero in this issue. Stewart’s artwork is much more refined and his style and lines remain very strong. In some very difficult panels, he makes a clear distinction between Dick and the cloned Batman during their fighting scenes. Readers should no longer question the reasoning for his presences on this title. Truly genius!
Overall, I found this issue to be an absolute blast. It left me wanting more and I will have a difficult time waiting for the next issue. Luckily, the break is only two weeks. Morrison and Stewart make their collaboration a very memorable one with issue eight. Morrison does a fantastic job of tying all of his previous work together, to form a rather logical story. Morrison’s stamp on the character continues to get larger and larger…
Batman and Robin #8:
Reviewed by Zfactor
With a recent slew of old titles being brought back to tie into Blackest Night, you’re probably wondering if they are really worth picking up. And let me tell you, The Question number thirty seven is definitely worth the purchase.
The Question number thirty seven sees the return of legendary Question writer Denny O’ Neil, who co-writes the issue with the great Greg Rucka. Both known for their previous work on the Question title. The issue also sees the return of former series artist, Denys Cowan. If you are a fan of Vic Sage and the previous work on the Question, this issue is definitely for you. While Sage returns as a Black Lantern, the issue doesn’t feel like it is a part of Blackest Night, but rather a closing chapter on the previous work.
The plot of the issue is fairly straight forward. The issue opens with a brief recap of the eventual death of Vic Sage (the original Question). We then learn that due to the recent events of Blackest Night, Professor Rodor, also known as “Tot”, is attempting to revive Sage with the use of a black ring. Rodor is doing because he wants to know the answers that separate life from death. Meanwhile, Lady Shiva appears and challenges Renee to a fight. While the two are knee deep in combat, Sage rises from the dead as a Black Lantern. When Lady Shiva and Renee are confronted by Sage, we learn that Shiva actually came because she was expecting this. While Tot is trying to get answers from Sage, the two women are set out to destroy him. They eventually learn how to defeat the lantern; Shiva realizes that Sage can only see them through their feelings, so to speak. She tells Renee to keep herself from feeling anything and they will become invisible to Sage. Shiva, Renee, and Tot are able to remain composed and Sage eventually exits. The issue ends with Renee suiting up in her Question outfit, and making her way after the Black Lantern Vic Sage.
First of all, I thought the pairing of the two writers, who have such tremendous respect for the character, was an excellent move on DC’s part. I think the core concepts from the original series are all here. I also thought that having Lady Shiva appear was a real plus. This provided the issue with some of the important characters to arrive and allowed for more action to occur within the panels. I thought the story was very original and I felt like I wasn’t reading a Blackest Night tie-in, which I think is the real secret to making a tie-in successful.
O’Neil and Rucka do a superb job as usual, but the real treat of the issue is being able to Denys Cowan pencil a Question issue once again. Cowan really brought the book to life originally with his grim and somewhat gritty style. In this issue, it is no different. He remains sharp as ever when penciling the fast-paced fight sequences that were always wonderful to look at. This issue also features Bill Sienkiewicz doing the inks. With the two teaming up, we are brought back to the dark and violent panels that made the Question what it was in the past.
Overall, a wonderful issue that made me come to a realization. I realized that the Question co-feature in the back of Detective Comics really isn’t that good. This issue reminded me of what the Question should always be. The Question should always be about strong characterizations and almost hopeless storylines. With well paced and sharp dialogue, terrific artwork, issue number thirty seven is a real knockout.
The Question #37:
Reviewed by Zfactor
Welcome back bat-believers to “Creator Spotlight”. Zach here again, and this time I will be tackling a further look into the career of a true architect of comics, the unforgettable artist, Jim Aparo.
Jim Aparo is one of those artists that will never be forgotten. He was truly a master at his craft. There is no debate over the man’s talent, but his influence on the character of Batman is absolutely astounding.
Jim Aparo began his career around 1966 at Charlton Comics. While at Charlton Comics, Aparo was distinctly remembered for being extremely versatile and working in many different genres. Aparo was also recognized to be one of the few artists who would pencil, ink, and letter all of his own work. After several years at Charlton, former editor of Charlton Comics, Dick Giordano offered Aparo a job and DC Comics. Aparo’s early DC work included such titles as Aquaman and Phantom Stranger. A few years later, Aparo was handed the gig to do the artwork on The Brave and the Bold, in which he began at issue one-hundred. Aparo worked consistently on the title until issue two-hundred, which was the final issue of the series due to cancellation. While working on The Brave and the Bold, Aparo also worked on several other DC titles including a brief time on Detective Comics. However, Aparo’s unforgettable Batman work was yet to come.
Following the cancellation of The Brave and the Bold series in 1983, Aparo and writer Mike W. Barr (future creator spotlight) co-creator what would be called the series, Batman and the Outsiders. Many of the Outsiders that we see in today’s comics, originated from this series. The series initially ran 47 issues from 1983 to 1987. However, Batman left the title after issue 32 and the name was changed to Adventures of the Outsiders. Of course, the Outsiders would later return to comics and receive their own title. During Aparo’s run on the book, Batman played a significant role. Batman even revealed his true identity to the Outsiders during the Aparo run. The stories often revolved themselves around Batman and the team globe-trotting around the world on rescue missions. While the stories were often quite quirky, these remain extremely enjoyable and presented the reader with Batman stories that were quite different from the others at the time. It is also important to note that Aparo worked on the title consistently up until issue 21, with brief absences.
With Outsiders wrapping up, Aparo return to the bat-verse and began working on the titles Batman and Detective Comics once again. By this point in Aparo’s career, he had stopped inking all of his penciled work and, most of Aparo’s work was inked by Mike DeCarlo from this point forward. Aparo worked on Detective Comics consistently from issue 518 to issue 522. However, Aparo would return and work on issue 627 of Detective Comics, which marked the 600th appearance of Batman in the title. He would also work on his final issues of Detective Comics, which would be issues 641 and 716.
During his entire career, Aparo ended up working on a total of 35 issues of Detective Comics from 1972 to 1997.
As I mentioned earlier, and as you all know, Aparo worked on the Batman main series often from 1977 to 1998. Aparo made some major contributions to some major storylines including; The Knightfall Saga, A Lonely Place of Dying, and A Death in the Family.
Many consider A Death in the Family to be Aparo’s most recognized work. The storyline appeared in the issues of Batman from 426 to 429. The story was written by Jim Starlin and revolves around Batman and Robin, then Jason Todd, finding out who Jason’s mother is, and hunting down the Joker in the Middle East. This is also the story in which the Joker beats Jason to death with a crowbar. This storyline would change Batman comics forever. Aparo stands out in this storyline because his pencils appear to be absolutely matchless.
The thing that I will always remember about Jim Aparo was the raw energy that he brought to his pages that so many other artists were and are unable to do. During A Death in the Family, he is able to take one of the most gruesome moments in comics and transform it into a beautifully rendered page. His characters seemed alive and in constant motion. His pages were also perfectly detailed; the backgrounds were never left untouched. He was a master of creating depth within a panel.
Unfortunately, Mr. Aparo passed away in July of 2005. While he has gone, his impact on the comics industry has and never will leave. He will be truly missed.
And that concludes our second installment of Creator Spotlight, which was on the truly unbelievable Jim Aparo. He was truly a master of the craft. Check out the blog for the next Creator Spotlight which will be on Alan Grant. Tune in next time, Same Bat-Time, Same Bat-Blog.
Posted by Zach
Red Robin #9, written by Chris Yost, art by Marcus To, not Ramon Bachs who is on the cover of the comic as artist, but following the many screw ups in the DC office with soliciting Paul to be writing books, which he’s not actually doing, I can let that slide for now.
This issue sees Red Robin come back to Gotham, to take down Ra’s, who has now sworn to destroy everything Bruce Wayne made.The story is mixed with Red Robin getting back to grips with how Gotham works, by taking down Killer Moth, in a sequence that is the most enjoyable in the book. Tim, instead of whining about how Bruce is alive, is now just doing what I want this comic to do, be in the middle of a fight, with a second tier villain.
The rest of the comic has Tim meeting his old friends, like Conner Kent, who Tim has a heartfelt moment with, referencing a sequence in a comic that I didn’t read. That comic was Adventure Comics #4. What is Yost’s obsession with making the reader have to read other comics to understand just what Tim is talking about? I’m sure the DC editors love that Yost is doing this, but I, as a reader, am just left feeling lost.
Next we have a sequence with Tim and Ra’s, with Ra’s reminding Tim, that although you are in a boring comic that really is a filler issue at best, you still have to face the league.
Following this revelation, Tim realizes that he needs help, in the form of the bat-family, and who does he find in the cave, smiling? Stephanie Brown as Batgirl, and she says “Well, I’m not spoiler anymore tee hee…” Yes, that’s where we end this comic, with a shock ending, that was given away in solicitations three months ago.
The art in this comic, as usual with Red Robin at this point, is average at best. It does look good in places, but as with Red Robin itself, just when you start to enjoy it, the creative team pulls it away from you. The page that bothers me the most, is the final page, with Batgirl. She seems so posed on that page and is in complete contrast with what she is saying. So, overall, acceptable art, that could be better.
Chris Yost’s writing is his usual work here, it is serviceable. But like the art, it is nothing special. Red Robin seems to be that little comic that just can’t get to where it wants to go, and for that reason, I still remain disappointed with the comic.
Red Robin #9:
Reviewed by Suavestar
Yesterday, we were treated by another preview from Jock. Again he posted it on his Twitter page.
the mighty David Baron bringing the colours, from DETECTIVE COMICS
Posted by Dustin