Kelly Jones was born to be the artist on this story, and unlike Gotham After Midnight, he has a decent writer, Doug Moench. The ending ... makes my right eye twitch... but over all... it was a good read. The story is complete in these 5 issues. I doubt if it will be considered part of the continuity of the regular Batman(Bruce Wayne) mythology.
I'm not particularly... a Kelly Jones fan, but I did love gazing at his art in this story. He has a flare for drawing a dramatic and moody Batman that I doubt any other artist can match.
The writer, Doug Moench seems to understand Jones' style and is able to write for it. The two have been teamed up many times before on various Batman projects. What I find interesting with Moench, at least to me, is that Moench style of writing has matured since the publication of Batman: Book of the Dead (1993), and I like the flow a whole lot better. He kept me wanting more and looking forward to the next issue, where the older story was a little meh...to read.
STORY SPOILERS and the ending that makes my eye twitch don't go past this point if you don't want to know:
Black Mask finds one of the scientist, Dr Nigel Glass, that has been fired by Wayne Industries, and funds his research of Invisibility. Dr Nigel uses himself as a ginea pig. The panels with only his skin invisible which his organs and bones showing, I found cool, but the syrum is driving him crazy mad. When he finally succeeds with full invisibility...he goes on a rampage, killing all the people who did him wrong. Batman needs to track him down and stop him. I found all this stuff cool..., until Issue 5. As you can see from the cover...Bruce (rolleyes) drinks the syrum to turn invisible so that he can have a even chance with Dr Niger....
SAY WHAT?...
The highly intellegent...highly trained ...can fight in the dark while blind folded....Batman (Bruce Wayne) needs invisibility to beat this mad scientist. I have trouble seeing Bruce have any trouble with this guy what-so-ever...the guy has to take his clothes off to be truely be invisible....
WHY not use...
Smoke to make him visible...
Infrarade googles to see the heat from his body....
HELL... just throw some paint on the guy.
BUT he wears his cowl and gloves... while...invisible.
My son...who is 7 years old...went "Why does he wear his gloves and cape if he wants to be invisible?"
If you like Kelly Jones art you'll enjoy the story but if asked ...I wouldn't recommend it as a great Batman story because it turned too ....stupid.
Just think about it...
To be invisible, you have to be naked..and so
<--this is a naked Bruce with only a Cowl and Gloves.
BATMAN: Unseen #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 TPB
Writer: Doug Moench
Artist: Kelly Jones
Colorist: Michelle madsen
Letterer: Pat Brosseau
Publisher: DC Comics
Nov Dec 2009 Jan Feb 2010
may chaeck it out at barnes and noble if i can find i may read it first lol are you reading any of the new Batman and Robin or Red Robin? The Kevin Smith minis i thought were really good
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't buy Unseen new, wait... and get it out of the cheap bins. If you haven't read anything with Kelly Jones art, it may be a little off-putting. He has a very unique style.
ReplyDeleteI liked Kevin Smith's Cacophony, and I really like the bad guy, Onomonopia, BUT hated... Widening Gyre. I just don't like his portrayal of women and I don't like Bruce being the butt of jokes, and never getting a good line himself.
I could go on ... and on ... and on...
My husband liked it (rolleyes...-tt-.. Men!)
I haven't read the Green Arrow or Hornet.
I started getting these issues when they were coming out. I had to stop after #3. I really liked the story up to that point. I have been wanting to get this trade so I will take your advise and wait to find a used copy.
ReplyDeleteI like the parts were he was only half invisible too. I found the art to be fitting to this story too. Its good to have a Bruce story with Bruce being gone in all the other titles.
I did enjoy the mini until... the last issue.
ReplyDeleteIt was the ending that I just can't get past...
I can't get over Bruce not being smarter then that,and it makes me think the story was just to get to draw a Batman like that. Even if it looks cool, it puts me off on characterization.
I found my issues on Ebay. I got the whole set for $7(including shipping) and feel I got my monies worth.