Batman Books - Page 4

Batman: Going Sane

J.M. Dematteis

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Love Hurts 4 out of 5 stars.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful.

What would the Joker do if Batman no longer existed? Would he actually do the unimaginable, go straight, or as the title alludes to, go sane? According to J. M. DeMatteis, he would do exactly that. While under the assumption that he had killed the Dark Knight, thus losing his muse, mojo, and mirth combined in one fateful evening, he indeed joins the ranks of the everyday masses and in the process finds love. Meanwhile Batman, having suffered near fatal injuries due to the aforementioned incident, is under the care of a female doctor at her personal residence outside of Gotham and experiencing his own pangs of affection. At this point the message becomes abundantly clear. Since the appearance of Batman on the scene initially created the Joker, can his presumed permanent disappearance therefore uncreate him? An intriguing if not necessarily original premise, but other questions do arise. If the Joker can let go of Batman, can Batman let go of the Joker, and can they both find normalcy and happiness apart and leave their troubled alter egos behind? For Batman at least, the answer is no, with his obsession over the Joker, or any villain for that matter, being stronger than any love of a woman. His return to health and Gotham subsequently triggers the return of the equal obsession that the Joker has for him, thus ending his romance as well. They both need each other and their kinky kinship above all else. Certainly a scary thought, and one psychiatrists would love to analyze, but make room on that couch, since we are just as guilty of savoring the perverse pleasure of wanting their sordid situation to continue. As far as the two lovelorn ladies forsaken by these recidivist rascals, classify them under star crossed lovers, because anybody involved in a relationship with these two never stood a chance. No one said love was easy.

Showcase Presents: Batman, Vol. 3

Various

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Strictly for kids 2 out of 5 stars.
6 of 14 people found this review helpful.

Certainly, with the success of the movie Dark Knight, there is an interest in all things Batman. I've been a fan of the superhero for a while, always preferring the darker versions of Bruce Wayne's alter-ego to the campier ones most prominent during the 1960s, when the Comics Code was at its peak and the Batman TV show was popular. Creatively, this was not a good time for DC; while Marvel was beginning to flourish with its relatively complex characters and continuity, DC remained mired in the past.

When I ordered Volume 3 of Showcase Presents Batman, I had been led to believe that this was material from a better era of Batman's history. The (misleading) cover illustration on the Amazon site has Batman looking over an empty grave and - though I could be mistaken - I associated this cover with when the character evolved beyond simple children's fare (particularly, I was thinking of when Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams took over). Unfortunately, that issue is nowhere in this volume, which features late 1960s issues from Batman and Detective Comics; instead, these are issues where Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder are engaged in adventures that would not appeal to anyone beyond the age of 10.

For the most part, the stories in this Showcase collection are single issue stories with virtually no continuity to other issues in the set. The villains are often familiar enough: the Penguin, the Riddler, Catwoman, Mr. Freeze and the Scarecrow, though the Joker is confined to supporting villainy roles. Most villains are incapable of committing crimes without somehow telegraphing exactly what they're going to do with clever puzzles (the Riddler, of course, is most famous for this). Around the only thing of any significance in this set is the premiere of Barbara Gordon as Batgirl.

Whether you're a kid or an adult, you can enjoy the Fantastic Four or Spiderman from this era; but these Batman stories are truly second-rate. Yes, children might find these stories okay, but why expose them to this material when there's better stuff out there?

JLA Vol. 7: Tower of Babel

Mark Waid

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 25 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

conspriacy theory 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Excellent depiction of batman's preparedness. Good story, unlike any graphic novel I have read before.

Graphic SF Reader 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Batman's ex-lover Talia rips his heart out, by infiltrating the Justice League Watchtower. She knows him better than his friends, as what she is after is his secret files on how to defeat his own teammates if it becomes necessary.

Of course, she uses them against the League, and this forms a rift that is the very long beginning of the end for the JLA.

My hero 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I bought this book because Batman was the central charater. I like the other characters, but let's face it, Batman rocks! You shoud definately buy this book.

One of Best JLA Stories 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This book contains four stories of which the main one, Tower of Babel is definitely the best of all four stories and possibly one of the best stories ever told.

It is about Batman and discovering that he kept a record of weaknesses and traps for all the Leaguers in case something happened to them that made them turn against humanity. The discovery was only made after these records fell on an enemy's hand and he was using them against them. It is interesting to see everyone's weaknesses since we always see the invincible side of each Leaguer. It is also interesting to see if they can conquer these traps and what they will do to Batman afterwards.

The first short story is basically a JLA incredible shrinking man story where they are shrunk to battle disease in a sick boy's body. It is somewhat interesting but not a whole lot.

The third story is possibly the weakest one where Batman tries to find out if Superman is quilty of murder. Starts out strong but ends very quick and disappointedly.

The fourth is the shortest story of all where we find out a secret Aquaman has been hiding.

The Dark Knight Batman (Big Best Book to Color)

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Batman: Harley and Ivy

Paul Dini, Judd Winick

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Harley and Ivy remain a hot duo 3 out of 5 stars.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful.

So if you couldn't already tell from the title, this trade contains 3 stories starring the ditsy, Joker loving, Harley Quinn, and the irresistible protector of plants, Poison Ivy.

Writer and Harley creator, Dini, writes two of the stories in here. The first is a short story taking place in Arkham where the girls in adjacent cells start a bet to see who can kiss the most guards. Batman and Joker make brief cameos. Nothing too spectacular about it, just a silly story.

The second story is written by Judd Winnick and painted by Joe Chiodo. The story isn't too bad. Harley tries to pull off a big heist in order to get back in the Joker's good graces with the help of Ivy. My biggest complaints here are while the painted artwork is good, it's a little too cartoony in places, and Batman is completely out of character here, with his dialogue and his facial expressions when he's spewing out lines like, "Hey! That tickles!". Surprising, since Winnick wrote a much better interpretation in Under the Hood, albeit with better artwork.

The last and best story is also written by Dini and illustrated by Bruce Timm, both producers on the fantastic animated series. Dini, of course, is the best Harley writer and her personality rings true with every word. Timm's art isn't the best ever, but it works really well with Dini's writing, especially since he draws it in the animated series style (which is based off his concept art) and here he is able to get away with drawing the girls half naked and quite sexy which would never make it past television censors.

The story is spread out over three parts, with Ivy trying to create slaves with the help of an ancient zombie root and Harley accidentally foiling their plans. The story takes them to a rain forest in Costa Mesa and eventually Hollywood where they attempt to halt production on a movie based on them. Once again, Batman only plays a minor role but the girls keep things moving and you hardly even notice his absence because you're too busy checking out Harley and Ivy in the prison shower at Arkham.

Overall there's nothing groundbreaking in these pages, but that's not the intention. If you're looking for a Batman story, you won't find it here. This is a quick, fun read and a must for fans of the title characters.

Editorial Review:

The sexy, madcap super-villain duo of Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy plan to take down Batman once and for all in this uproariously funny volume. But first, Harley has to convince Ivy that she has what it takes to be a villain in Gotham City!
This volume features a fantastic 3-chapter story written by Paul Dini and illustrated by Bruce Timm, the award-winning producers of Batman: The Animated Series, plus a story by superstars talents Judd Winick and Joe Chiodo.

Batmobile Owner's Manual

Mike McAvennie

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Not what I hoped it would be. 2 out of 5 stars.
6 of 7 people found this review helpful.

For years I've been hoping for a book on the many Batmobiles in print and film. I have long collected articles and models of/on Batmobiles. I took a chance on this one, not knowing what it was about. I guess I should have waited until I saw it first. I have no clue as to what Batmobile is in this book. It's not one that I recognize. It appears the author dreamt up his own version, and wrote a book on it. Not there's anything wrong with that, per se, but I think potential buyers should know up front that they won't recognize this particular Batmobile. If you, like me, are waiting for a book that covers the many TV, film, and comic book Batmobiles, you'll have to wait a little longer.

Editorial Review:

This incredible new format puts Batman fans behind the wheel and under the hood of the coolest car ever imagined! Fabulous photos, illustrations, and diagrams of Jim Lee's Batmobile fill the pages of this super-guide to every Batman fan-and grease monkey-out there.

BATMAN and all related characters and elements are trademarks of DC Comics (c) 2008

The Batman: The Book Of Crooks: The Book Of Crooks

Michael Anthony Steele

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Great for Batman Fans 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

My sons (ages 3 and 4) love this book! They enjoy reading about the bad guys, looking at their pictures, and learning about Batman's special equipment. This continues to be a favorite one for us to read together at nap or bedtime. It's also one my husband can enjoy reading with them, too. I'd given it all five stars if there was some educational value, but they do like it enough to read it again and again.

Editorial Review:

In the first THE BATMAN handbook, the supervillians take center stage, as Batman presents all his carefully-collected case file information on each of his arch-enemies.

The Journey of the Bat (Batman Begins) (Batman Begins)

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Batman: Black & White, Vol. 2

Paul Dini, Warren Ellis, Chris Claremont, Brian Azzarello

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

A Black and White World View 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

Batman: Black and White vol. 2 is a work of passion and dedication to a character by the artists and authors represented in the book, and their love and fire for Batman shows in every detail. Originally printed as back up stories in Gotham Knights #1-16, these stories which are between 6-8 pages are entirely in black, white, and gray. They encompass a vast variety of the aspects of the Batman, and decades. Almost every classic Batman villain makes an appearance at some point in the graphic, and there is a story to suit almost any taste, from grim and gritty to bright and cheerful.

This is the perfect gift for anyone into Batman in any way, and the perfect thing to buy yourself if you've ever liked Batman in the least. You'll be bowled over by the brilliance of this book.

Highest recommendations to everyone!

Editorial Review:

In 1996, DC Comics published the groundbreaking miniseries Batman: Black and White, which featured a powerful selection of short stories written and illustrated by some of the top names in comics. These tales have been collected in a handsome hardcover with black ribbon book mark, inset colour cover painting, and a tipped-in plate of artwork.

Batman: Strange Apparitions

Steve Englehart, Len Wein, Marshall Rogers

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 18 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Bats in the belfry 2 out of 5 stars.
4 of 10 people found this review helpful.

A reviewer here correctly stated that every Bat-fan will have his or her own idea of what constitues "definitive" Batman: Caped Crusader? Master Detective? Dark Knight? Heck, I even know someone who didn't care much for the excellent (and, in my mind, an example of definitive) movie Batman Begins because he thought "It wasn't funny enough." He apparently prefers the high camp of Adam West's Batman. So it is that I, sadly, have to diagree with those who enjoyed this book. I had high hopes, based on the reviews here, but I ended up agreeing with the person who said this collection simply hasn't aged well. It's not all bad... I think the art is excellent for its time, especially that of the late Marshall Rogers. His work can certainly be described as definitive in that helped shape the look of Batman for years to come. It's more straightforward, and "old school" by today's standards, but it's still a classic look, and not just for Bats (Silver St. Cloud is SEXY). That's great.

My problems are with the writing. I can certainly tell that the roots of the (mostly) wonderful Batman: The Animated Series were planted here (I'd always wondered where Rupert Thorne came from), but the writing just pales compared to what I expect today. Each storyline with a particular villain (aside from Thorne) seems rushed, and then that villain is whisked away and it's on to the next one (I would have liked more development of both Dr. Phosphorus and Clayface). And the dialogue? In a word: HOKEY. The book is loaded with all that stilted, old-fashioned "comic"-speak that doesn't come to close to sounding how people talk in real life. One example of this is the annoying trait of having characters speak their thoughts aloud, even if no one else is there. It really bogs this book down. It's something that both the animated Batman of the 90's and the comics today (thankfully) fixed.

The plots leave a lot to be desired too. We see Bruce and Silver speak a lot about how deep their relationship has become, but why don't we see any of that? I'm not sure when they spent all their time together, because there's very little of that in these pages. As much as liked the St. Cloud character, this just wasn't believable. And why does Penguin leave such blatant clues, allowing Batman to easily figure out what he's up to? Isn't that Riddler's M.O.? Again, it's weak and rushed. Also disappointing was the fate of Hugo Strange. I liked him in the animated series, and in the recent "Batman and the Monster Men" collection. He's one of Batman's earliest villains, but his death was a surprise. He's the "Strange" apparition of this book, but why wasn't any of this explained? His ghost appears, and starts haunting Thorne. Was it real or imagined? This book doesn't bother to explain it, and I don't know if it ever was explained... It sure makes the final story in the collection (the Clayface one) seem tacked on and not really fitting in with the rest, aside from mentions of Silver and Thorne. Has Strange ever returned after that? I could've sworn he had (who honestly stays dead in comics?), but I may have to go back through my comic collection and see.

There's a certain nostalgic quality to this collection, like all those editors notes that the bottom of a panel (another thing I'm glad the comics of today have largely done away with), as well the use of an omniscient narrator. How many times could they say "Batman does not reply!" in one book? I lost count. If this the kind of comic storytelling you grew up with -- where a guy can make a RUBBER MASK of someone he's impersonating and actually fool people -- then you might really enjoy this. Count me amongst those who enjoys the later, darker, edgier Batman tales however: Dark Knight Returns, Year One, Killing Joke, The Cult, Blind Justice, Hush, The Long Halloween, and plenty of other more recent gems I could name.

Oh, and what's with the cover? It's nice, but there's no scene with a gravestone for Bruce Wayne in any of the collected stories. Very misleading.