BATMAN: Book of the Dead TPB Part 1 & part 2 Review

RATING: 2.5 out of 5

A disappointment. I was excited when I got them, but the storyline really turned out lame and I quickly lost interest. It is a full storyline in two trade paperbacks. It has a Elseworld's trademark, of which I'm glad, not really because of the Batman portion but because of the Egyption history portion of the story.





FULL REVIEW with SpOiLeRs:

What was I expecting!? Well let's see...

Maybe ...a BOOK OF THE DEAD. After all, that's n the title.. right?

Necronomicon from Army of Darkness and The Book of the Dead from The Mummy (1999)

Examples of really cool books of the dead that I've seen in the past... are from the Army of Darkness and The Mummy (1999).   I bet some of you recognize them.

BUT these TPB's had NO....book of the dead. Not a single page.

Which...yes...takes away from the coolness of these TPB's.


There WAS a lid of the dead, which was a Mayan lid to a sarcophagus.  Did I say Mayan? Yes I did....and so did Dr. Sheila Ramsey for EIGHT pages as she lectured Bruce, and me, on Mayan theories of the end of the world.



 
Her discovery...the symbol of a Bat-god, when you take a mirror image of the sarcophagus and turn it upside down etc...AND this led her to there being an unknown Bat-God in Egypt... etc etc... she thinks there is a hidden room under the Sphinx etc etc etc...holds the mystery of the next world wide catastrophic event.

NOW for the Elseworlds portion:

Bruces parents were killed because they had a clue to a ancient puzzle (have no problem with this because  the reason of their death changes with the writer)

BUT, then there are flashbacks of the far... far... past (28000yrs ago).
There were Aliens who helped the Humans to become a civilization. These beings were called gods.
Osiris
Isis
Horus
Seth
Nekhrun -Bat God


I know that you may think of Hawkman and Hawkgirl, but no....not them. A different set of aliens...but same old...old story. Seth being jealous of Osiris because of Isis, putting a kink in their plans of saving the Human race in 28,000 years by killing Osiris.

Nekhrun (Bat-god) dies trying to make sure that the knowledge to save the human race is entombed under the Sphinx, so that it can be discovered when humans are ready for the knowledge.

Bruce (Batman), in the present, risks his life by working through a maze (avoids the traps) to the treasure of knowledge.  There are others who want the treasure, of course he takes care of them.


THERE is a short glimpse of a mummy, but it is only Osiris being brought back to life (Stargate style with a sarcophagus).

I wouldn't suggest this TPB, but someone else may like it, especially now... that you know ...there is NO Book of the Dead, maybe... a Book of knowledge (except it's not a book either... but the cylinder thingy in Batman's hand on the cover of 2).

Another reviewer said that if you were a fan of Raiders of the Lost Ark you may like it, but he didn't. I loved that movie... and I thought this story was dry.  Maybe ...if there was more mystery... and maybe... if Bruce didn't have such a easy time with the maze, like a few traps he had to maneuver, to make it exciting( or maybe...a Book of the Dead)

I'd be glad to know what others have thought of the story. Maybe I was expecting too much.

AND on a high note ...
"KLAATU BARADA Nmmmumtmo!"
Damn...still didn't make these books any better when I opened them.

BATMAN: Book of the Dead

Writer: Doug Moench

Penciller: Barry Kitson

Inker: Ray McCarthy

Letters: Kurt Hathaway

Colors: Dave Stewart

Publisher: DC Comics

June/July 1999

BATMAN : Shadow of the BAT : The Last Arkham #1 #2 #3 #4 Review TPB

RATING 4.5 out 5

Fantastic. This is a  very good straight forward Batman story. It dives in the world of Arkham Asylum and Breyfogle's art is a wonderful fit to this story.  Alan Grant introduces two new characters that tickle the imagination of future writers and have a fan following of their own, Jeremiah Arkham and Mr Zsasz.  A complete story in four issues. It shows Batman at his best. A smooth fighter and great Detective, who will go to any length to stop the lunatics that roam Gotham's streets.


SPOILERS (The TPB is over 10 years old so I'll give quite a bit) and Review :

At 16 yrs old, Jeremiah Arkham, faced down a escaped Patient from Arkham Asylum, and at that moment he decided to follow in his Uncle Amadeus Arkham's footsteps.  He had the nack, or talent, of reading people, and he knew how to push their buttons.

The first issue introduces a newly remodeled  asylum, designed by Jeremiah, and it introduces us to some of it's more well known inmates: Cornelius Stirk, Everad Mallitt, The Scarcrow (Professor Johanthan Crane), Mr Zsasz,... AND lastly THE BATMAN.

   Batman has gone off the deep end, lost his mind, and killed a cop. Gordon himself had him taken to Arkham Asylum.  MY first thoughts, are.. NOOOOOOOO it's not him, or he has been framed or or or or...something else.

The orderlies want to unmask The Batman, which is not going to be a easy task. Jeremiah intercedes saying, "I will learn his secret identity. He himself will Tell me...When he 's good and ready. On the day he is cured. And when he Hands me that cowl...There will be NO MORE Batman."  This is where I slap my forehead with the palm of my hand and utter, 'Of course ...they won't remove the mask.'

How did Batman end up in Arkham Asylum?
Issue 2 tells what lead up to Batman's incarceration, and it has to do with Zsasz.

A lunatic had killed a family by slitting their throats then arranged them in a family setting.  This is the M.O. of  Mr Zsasz.  Gordon and Batman take a tour of the Arkham Asylum guided by Jeremiah, to see how Zsasz could have possibly got out.  Alan Grant gives us a grim picture of  Zsasz as he laughs coldly at Batman and shows him that he has no new tally marks on his body. What I find strange... is that the killer, is wearing a top hat and tails, and I had thought Zsasz was a Skin Head
    After leaving the asylum in a bad mood from the meeting with Zsasz, Gordon and Batman are called to yet another gruesome crime scene with the same M.O. as before.  A lieutenant makes a bad joke at the scene and Batman beats him up, causing his death.

AND so... Batman is in Arkham.

WHERE is Robin and Nightwing in all of this?
Batman tells Robin to stay out of it.
So... Robin tells... Nightwing, 
WHO doesn't believe what happened and goes to break into Arkham to breakout Batman.

This leads to  my favorite fun scene in the storyline.

Nightwing breaking into Arkham, worming  his way through the air ducts, to find Batman doing the same.
(I've cut and paste, to show the scene as best I can.)  

Batman lets Nightwing know that being committed to Arkham was his idea, so that he could get inside and find out how Zsasz got out. Gordon and the Lieutenant( who isn't dead) were in on the scheme.


This is where I sum up my review and leave you hanging, because you need to buy it for yourself.

Grant and Breyfogle have Bruce getting out of one situation after another, from the subtle, with Bruce calmly cuffing a smart ass officer with his own cuffs, to the grandiose of Bruce taking on the whole rogues gallery of lunatics at the asylum. It's a Great Batman story and it also introduces yet another sadistic killer, "Mr Zsasz", to Gotham's cast of characters.
  
The trade paperback (Batman: The Last Arkham) is out of print and costs a arm and a leg(About $60), but the single issues you can get cheap on ebay(About $15 or less).



BATMAN: Shadow of the BAT: The Last ARKHAM Issues #1, #2, #3, #4
Writer: Alan Grant
Artist: Norm Breyfogle
Letterer: Todd Klein
Colorist: Adrienne Roy
Cover Painting: Brian Stelfreeze

Publisher: DC Comics
June, Jul, Aug, Sep, 1992

BATMAN ODYSSEY #2 Review

RATING 3 out of 5

The dialog is very repetitive and at times very unnecessary. This becomes distracting and takes away from the over all appeal of this issue, but the story line is intriguing and entertaining, which makes me want more. So.... I'm sticking with the mini and will be getting the next issue.

Full REview with spoilers.

This is a faaasst paced book. Action covers almost every page. The dialog almost gives me a feeling that Bruce has had too many cups of coffee, then there are the  double captions talking about the same thing.  More and more dialog.  I think it's the hardest part to accept about the issue,  that Bruce would talk so damn.. much, or think... so so much. 
But in truth, WHY wouldn't he?

 Batman, is the world's greatest detective, and known to be prepared for every contingency,  So ...WHY wouldn't he have a running dialog and thought balloons for everything that he is doing. It kinda makes sense..., but doesn't work well for a comic.

 Neal Adams pencils are amazing and brings the action alive and pulls you into the story, but then the dialog throws you back out.

  

  Bruce is still retelling a story within a story in this issue.  In issue 1, he had passed the time while waiting for information from Man-Bat, by telling a story to Robin. The story he told to Robin, was about when he first started as Batman and was carrying guns.   
    Now ... in Issue 2, we find out that Bruce not only didn't finish the story, but wasn't telling the whole story to Robin

During a fight at the piers he is knocked unconscious and he has flashbacks of that story he was telling Robin, the REAL story.

 MY favorite part of the issue was Bruce saving the little old "Ruthie Diels". It won me over for the whole issue. Those few panels made me say "Aw...he saved Ruthie."


I also loved the large two-page spread of the train engine blowing apart. BAWHOOM .. he he he, I like bigga badda booms.

SO Yeah...I'm gonna get the next issue.  The story is very intriguing and entertaining.  I liked the issue  more on the second read, because I already knew the dialog.

BATMAN ODYSSEY: #2 

Story and Art: Neal Adams

Color: Continuity Stodios

Letters: Ken Lopez

Assistant Editor: Janelle Siegel

Associate Editor: Rachel Gluckstern

Editors: Marts & Carlin

Publisher: Dc Comics

Oct 2010

ACTION comics #891 The Black Ring: Part 2

RATING 3.3 out of 5

This issue doesn't rank high on action, but... what did I expect with Lex Luther as the main character. It's not a "Wow" kind of book, more of a comedy.  I'm not a fan of the character of Lex Luthor, but I still enjoyed the story and plan to get the next issue.

Full REview, spoilers.

Paul Cornell is able to keep the character of Lex Luthor true to form, but this issue seems to be a bit  off course from the main storyline started in the previous issue, which was Luthor searching for a way to build his own power ring from the Black Lantern rings that disappeared.

This issue seemed a little slow to me. Even though I see the humor of going into Lex Luthor's mind and seeing his fantasies, it just wasn't my type of action packed comic.
 

The storyline starts with Luthor, as a caveman, stealing "Fire" from the gods to bring to mankind. The gods looking suspiciously like The Trinity (superman, Wonder woman, and Batman.)

We find out ....that Lex's antagonist... the adorable  "Mr Mind", is trying to gain information from Lex, by having him live through his fantasies (I don't get it, but a plots a plot).

AND personally, I believe Lex's antagonist needs to be bottled up and sold to promote the acceptance of cute caterpillars everywhere.

He is....Just so ...adorable.(see panel to the left)

What is the  information that Lex has in his mind for Mr Mind to find? Whatever it is ...Mr Mind himself doesn't know. (So cute...I could just pinch those cheeks...ah... if he had any.) Mr Mind seems to be afraid of someone else, who he thinks is watching him. This "mysterious" someone... wasn't clear on what Mr Mind was to extract from Lex's mind.

I might have made it a bit more complicated then the story  really is, so lets try again: Lex's mind...controlled by Mr Mind .... looking to find ...information undefined...for someone not inclined...to become a headline.

Lex creatively gets free of Mr Mind and gives him "The boot", then decides to get extra muscle to help him on his quest for higher power, Deathstroke. 

I would say that you could skip this issue if you want, but the story was cute and humerus.

I'm looking forward to the next issue. Deathstroke is one of my favorite bad guys, plus he's hunk..in a evil...one eyed... katana swinging way.  If I have a choice between a cute evil caterpillar, and bad ass hunk, bad ass hunk will win in my book every time.

ACTION COMICS #891
Writer:  Paul Cornell
Pencillers: Pete Woods & Cafu
Inkers: Woods & BIT
Colorist: Brad Anderson
Letterer: Rob Leigh
Cover: David Finch, Batt & Peter Steigerwald

ZATANNA #1 #2 #3 Review

RATING 4 out 5 

I love it when a story exceeds my expectations.  Zatanna, by writer Paul Dini ...is wonderful, and I can't wait to get into the next storyline.

REVIEW some SPOILERS
   
I actually didn't know what to expect. I've not read any other Zatanna comic (I'm not sure if there are any), and  what I know of her character... is from her interaction with the rest of the DC universe, specifically Batman and the Justice League.

The first thing I noticed...in this series, was that Zatanna was...um ..bigger... in certain areas... than I.. remember.  It was like whoa... "Za...Tan ..Na, PUT those away before you put a eye out."

There were some serious[smile]  discussions on forums, pertaining to, if she exceeded the norm, or not.  I had to go to the resident expert...my husband.  He confirmed, without biased, that Zatanna has had those... large ...boots... since she was first introduced.  Lets just face it, some people are just ...jealous... of other people's well drawn... boots.[wink]

Getting pass the discussions on attire ...and onto the story, Paul Dini is a story-telling expert. 

 In the first issue, he does a setup of the characters that surround Zatanna, without being a boring recite.   He gets us emotionally vested in these new characters, from Zatanna's crew on her magic show, to the Detective who is investigating a bizarre crime.  Dini also gives us a truly evil bad guy, called Brother Night. "He wants to expand his crime empire to include the human world."

Having Zatanna on his heals, Brother Blood sends a demon named Fuseli.
Fuseli travels by dream to dream causing each dreamer to have nightmares, using their insecurities against them, until he lands into Zatanna's dreamworld. He is one nasty little meanie.


The third issue is the final showdown between Zatanna and  Brother Night with his underlings, Ronalithi (Transforms victims by touch), Ember(Buns up victims), and Teddy (likes to share his pets). Dini really knows his characters, and the ending is great.

I highly suggest these issues for a fun read.  I love the teasing art, of the sexy sorceress, and  I can't wait to see her in action in the next issue.

ZATANNA:
Issue 1 title: there's no title shown.
Issue 2 title: Fuseli's Nightmare
Issue 3 title: Night on Devil Mountain
Writer : Paul Dini
Penciller: Stephane Roux
Inker: Karl Story/Stephane Roux
Letterer: Pat Brosseau
Colorist: John Kalisz

Publisher: DC Comics
Jul Aug Sep 2010

NEXT ISSUES

ISSUE 4:
Intel from DC website

Zatanna loves Vegas, and Vegas loves her – but should Zee be wary of the attentions of a handsome, well-connected casino owner? She can hold her own against the most ridiculous Royal Flush Gang ever assembled, and she can just about cope with her cousin Zachary's immature antics, but she'd better watch out for the sultry fire demons that are hot on her heels!

ISSUE 5:
Intel from DC website

Zatanna and her cousin Zachary might have their differences – okay, they drive each other crazy – but if they don't stick together, they'll be taken to the cleaners by one of Hell's most powerful demons! He's betting it all on a chance to claim Zatanna's soul, and in Vegas, the house always wins!

ISSUE 6:
Intel from DC website

Zatanna has been taken captive by the demon who intends to steal her soul – and it's up to her playboy gadabout of a cousin, Zach Zatara, to free her!

The TPB is not out till March 2011

ADVENTURE COMICS # 516 Review

RATING 2 out of 5

SPOILERS FOR THE STORIES

Feature story>
Superboy and the LEGION of super-Heroes: The early years:
Brande Speaks
This is a re-telling of how R J Brande became R J Brande.  Mostly captions by R J Brande. I didn't know that much about R J, now I know more then I wanted. Yawn...
It is... a complete story in this one issue.
Co Feature>
The Atom: Nucleus: Part 1 
 Title: Splitting the Atom
This is a continuation from The Atom: Brightest Day special(One shot, ah ha hahahahah)  featuring Ray Palmer as The Atom. Only 8 pages.

Mostly Captions.... again.  The color of the captions makes it hard to read.  The Atom's father is in the hospital, without much hope of recovery. He knows that someone is after him, and he finds the guy that was hired to do the planning, "The Calculator." (This contradicts what happened in the Batgirl 12 where Calculator was put out of the way  for awhile.) It has a cliff hanger continuation into the next Adventure Comics #517, but I'm not on the edge of my seat.  It was a meh... kind of a story. Maybe if there were more pages to give more story to it,  or maybe I'm just tired of seeing Calculator... but I'm not interested in the story.



Adventure Comics #516 Credits:

Feature Title: BRANDE SPEAKS
Writer: Paul Levitz
Penciller: Kevin Sharpe
Inker: Marlo Alquiza
Letterer: Travis lanham
Colorist :Blond
Cover : Scott Clark and David Beaty


Co-Feature: The Atom: Nucleus  part 1 Splitting the Atom
Writer: Jeff Lemire
Penciller: Mahmud Asrar
Inker: John Del
Letterer: Sal Cipriano
Colorist: Pete Pantazis

BATGIRL RISING TPB :Review BATGIRL #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 2009

RATING 4.5 out of 5

This series just gets better and better with every issue. Stephanie Brown, as the new Batgirl, was the best move that DC has made in a long time. The series reminds me so...much of the original Batgirl, when she first appeared in the comics.  Barbara Gordon as Batgirl, wasn't always confident, and sometimes acted before she thought, and her detective skills increased as time went along, but most important she had excitement for what she was doing. I see all these things when I read the new Batgirl with Stephanie Brown. This storyline is complete within the TPB of issues 1-7, but I have a feeling, that once you  read it, you will be as hooked as I am with this series and want more.

Full Review, some Spoilers:

When this series started, the Batfans didn't like Stephanie Browns character for the choice of Batgirl, and was critical of everything.  I wasn't a fan of Steph's either, but I thought I'd gave the series a try.  The first two issues were building on Stephanie and the interaction with Oracle, Barbara Gordon who was the original Batgirl, they were solid issues but didn't "wow" me.
 The third issue..., Oh it hooked me, and.... I'm convinced that Stephanie was the perfect choice. 

The title, Batgirl Rising,  does rightly describe these issues. It is a uplifting story of an underdog becoming the hero.



 To help with the enjoyment for the series it might help to know about...

SPOILER, but it's not necessary.  If you already know about Spoiler you can skip this paragraph.

 Before this series, Stephanie was a crime fighter called Spoiler (picture on the cover to the right).  Her father was a bad guy called The Cluemaster. She got the name Spoiler because she would spoil her fathers plans. Every time her father escaped from prison, she would don the costume, and find ways to help police, and Robin, to capture him.  She decided she liked being a heroine and started following Robin around. 

Several adventures followed:

She had a baby that she gave up for adoption, 

She trained with Batgirl(Cassandra Cain) and with Batman,

She became Robin when Tim Drake quit.

She was raped and tortured by Black Mask and Dr Leslie Tompkins faked her death,

She came back sometime later as Spoiler and under Batman's orders helped the villains of Gotham make Tim a better Robin, 

Tim felt he couldn't trust her anymore and Ordered her to never put on the Spoiler costume again.  

This is where you start in issue #1, Stephanie is seen in the Cassandra Cain's  Batgirl costume.  In a really nice flashback, Cassandra Cain as Batgirl, fights side by side with Spoiler against some Bad guys.    Steph admits she shouldn't be in the Spoiler costume because of a promise.  Cass says, "That symbol...his crest, his fight, I fought for HIM. But no more. Now the fight is yours."  Then Cass disappears leaving behind the Batgirl costume.  

Oracle, Barbara Gordan, is also doing her own soul searching. She has a lot of pent up anger because she will never walk again.  Her father says, "It's like you don't want to be Happy." 

Batman/Dick Grayson, gives her a call, and tells her of seeing Stephanie wearing the Batgirl costume.  When Steph sees Barbara in her kitchen, she knows it's not good.  Barbara is pissed that Stephanie would dare ...wear that costume, with the Batgirl name, her Batgirl name.

In issue 2, a confrontation in the kitchen, and later in the issue Barbara has a caption, “And just like that, I suddenly realize I’m trying to break her on purpose.  And so does she.”

In issue 3, (the issue that converted me) it all comes together, in a scene where Scarecrow has Stephenie beaten and broken on the floor.  She pulls herself up, and turns the tables on Scarecrow and by the end of it, I'm crying, and Barbara's crying, because she was monitoring Batgirl from the Batcave, and Stephanie has earned being called Batgirl.  At the end of the issue Barbara has a new Batgirl suit to give  to Stephanie.

In issue 4, Barb and Steph start working together as a team, instead of against each other, becoming friends.

Issue 5,6,7.... I'll just sum these up...because I don't want to spoil everything, but Stephanie proves herself to Batman/Dick Grayson and Robin/Damian as they go up against Roulette. The interaction in these three issues is awesome.  A panel from issue 5 is to the right, and shows the confrontation between Dick and Barbara,  BUT by the end of issue 7, there is another misty eyed moment  as Barbara and Dick reconcile. Damian is his typical bratty self,  these issues are really fun.

I highly recommend these issues, or the TPB.  They are great and they leave you with a uplifting feeling, and a reason to shout, "Yea! You ...Go... Girl!









BATGIRL: Issues 1-7
TPB Title: Batgirl Rising 
Issues Title:
1-3: Point of New Origin
4: Field Test
5-7: Core Requirements
Writer:Bryan Q. Miller
Pencillers: Tim Levins & Trevor Scott & Lee Garbett
Inker: Trevor Scott, Dan Davis, Aaron Sowd, Sandra Hope, & Oliver Nome
Colorist: Guy Major
Letterer: John J Hill
Covers: Phil Moto

Publisher: DC Comics
2009-2010






 
 

BRIGHTEST DAY: THE ATOM SPECIAL 2010 Review

RATING 2.5 out of 5

Why does this issue have the Brightest Day banner? Why is called a One Shot? Why... oh why... does this issue have "Special" in the  title? This story continues in Adventure comics #516 as a.... C0-Feature, if it wasn't just a co-feature, I wouldn't buy AC 516 after reading this issue.

Full Review:

This story gets mired down in the past history of how Ray Palmer became the Atom, and not even creatively told. It has lots of captions(in a color blend that is hard to focus on).

It did show Ray Palmer being a better fighter then Ryan Choi.  If Ryan had fought like Ray,  Deathstoke (and company) wouldn't have touched him. I agree with other posters that it would have been nice if Ray had at least acknowledge Ryan's death, but who knows where in the time line this issue is supposedly happening.

I'm  having trouble with DC putting the Brightest Day banner on this issue, because Ray wasn't resurrected. He never died. He became a Indigo tribesman, but that was not mentioned or even hinted at in this issue.


Anyway... in this issue The Atom finds a mystery about his uncle, who he had idolized as a child, and thought was dead. 


BRIGHTEST DAY: THE ATOM SPECIAL
Writter: Jeff Lemire
Penciller: mahmud Asrar
Inker: John Dell
Colorist: Pete Pantazis
Letterer: Sal Cipriano
Cover: Gary Frank and Brad Anderson

BATMAN ODYSSEY #1 Review

RATING 3.9 out of 5

Neal Adams...what else do I need to say?
Awesome Neal Adams... also comes to mind.
This is a twelve issue storyline. I love this first issue and hope the others live up to my expectations.

FULL REVIEW some Spoilers

When  reading this issue, you've got to think YOUNG.  Bruce Wayne is so...so...Young.  He reminds me of how Nightwing use to be, except a little more serious and more focused.  Those first few pages is a reflection to back when he first tried the Bat costume, and it is a story that he is recounting to Robin (Dick Grayson), so he is even younger.




Neal Adams addresses Batman carrying a gun, right in the beginning of the issue.  Why wouldn't Batman carry a gun, so many other crimefighters,  from The Phantom to the Lone Ranger... have chosen the gun.  A gun surely would be more efficient... then a boomerang, and Bruce being the smart man that he is, has to see that.

In the story, before the fight, Bruce has serious doubts about the costume, but the gun he didn't have any doubts about, and the gun was the first thing he pulled out to use.  When he confronted the bad guys,  the costume worked, it terrified and confused them.  The Bat costume needed adjustments to make sure it stayed on, but nevertheless worked. The batarang test model number 37, also worked "like a charm."



The gun? It was in the way.  Bruce says, "...now I have to climb with one hand...stupid."
...and when it was needed the most, when there was a train full of lives at stake, when his life was at stake, when his identity was at stake..., he couldn't pull the trigger... to kill the one life that was a threat to so many.  The gun was useless.   As the under cover agent in the story said, "You should not pretend to be what you are not... You are not a killer."

The rest of the issue reminds me a little of All Star Batman and Robin, without the crudeness and the harsh craziness.  Batman is trying to teach Robin, to become better, to out think their opponent, the Riddler.  Kirk Langstrom as Man-Bat is trying to warn Batman of something but can't seem to get it across.
There is a mystery that started on the train, yet at this point, Bruce has no ideal what the mystery was, or that it would cause his world to come crashing down.

My favorite parts of the issue .. were the Gadgets. I love gadgets, especially the four wheeled kind... that is ..the sleek...Fast... sexy...and ...cool four wheeled kind.  Yes ...I'm a girl...and it's all about...the car ... and I wouldn't be caught dead in the current flying reverse ladybug, but this one...um um um...mama like.  This one flies too..AND turns into a boat, but with style.
BUT I wouldn't mind if it was just... a little bigger.


I really enjoyed this issue and highly recommend it. I hope the rest doesn't disappoint...What am I talking about? This is NEAL ADAMS...the AWESOME NEAL ADAMS.





PS:
Note that the Blue Narrator Dialog is in current time with the first page, and is a recount of what is happening in the whole issue, it is not Bruce's thoughts during the story.  It is recounting about the time he told Dick, as a child, about the Train car.  So this Narrator Dialog is not part of the story, even when it looks like the story is back to current day where Bruce and Dick take off to get Riddler.  It is still coming from Bruce's recount from the first page.


Questions came up on the forum on Man-bat and I thought I would help with answers and maybe the enjoyment of the book.

Why did Man-bat have access to the cave?
Man-Bat was created by Neal Adams and Frank Robbins, it really shouldn't be a surprise to see him in the  mini.
Man-Bat use to have access to the cave, in the good ol' days, and knew Bruce's identity. In bat form the sensors see him as just another bat so the security measures don't activate. He is also a member of the support of the Bat-Family network.
Also... another reason for him to be there is that Bruce asked him to analyze something. Bruce asks, "Have you verified my suspicions Kirk?"
When Man-Bat is in human form he is Kirk Langstrom a brilliant scientist (he developed the bat-serum), in which, and at times, Batman  relies on his expertise. This is not the first time that Bruce has asked for his expert advise. Unfortunately Kirk is not nearly as smart in Bat-form.

Who is the big Man-bat with the earrings? I don't know. But since he is a BAT the sensors won't detect him either.


BATMAN ODYSSEY Part One.
Writter: NEAL ADAMS
Penciller: NEAL ADAMS
Inking: Neal Adams with
Inking Associate pp 19 and 20: Michael Golden
Color: Continuity Studios
Letters: Rob Leigh

Publisher: DC Comics
Sep 2010


WHAT'S NEXT

BATMAN ODYSSEY Part 2
Intel from DCcomics.com >

The Caped Crusader slowly but surely loses control. A dark presence lurking in the background begins pulling Bruce's strings...who is responsible? This second chapter is a tour de force of action as the greatest crime fighter on earth displays his vicious combat skills. What else can you expect? Adams's art at its best!

BATMAN ODYSSEY  Part 3

Intel from DCcomics.com >

In the third chapter of Adams's epic Batman tale, Bruce Wayne and Alfred strategize the next steps on The Dark Knight's odyssey…but appearances by both The Riddler and Talia al Ghul might spoil their plans!

BATMAN ODYSSEY  Part 4
Intel from DCcomics.com >

The fourth chapter of Neal Adams' epic Batman tale sees Bruce Wayne confronted with a terrible moment that harks back to his origin. Will this shocking episode derail Batman from his Odyssey? Guest-starring Aquaman, Deadman, Talia and Man-Bat! 

SECRET SIX #23 review

RATING 4 out 5

I was a little leery that Gail Simone wasn't writing the script for Secret Six #23, but she should be proud... because John Ostrander was able to deliver, and in one issue too. Yes.... a story...all contained...in one issue (...hear William Shatner in my voice?).  It's unbelievable that DC actually makes those anymore.

FULL REVIEW Some Spoilers.

Did I say "Delivery"? or was that "Carry Out"?
What I meant to say is Ostrander "Handed Out" a Whuppn'.

For the first few pages of the issue, I was a little put off, because I didn't know what was going on.  Yeah...I was slow on the up take, but once I got to the main Secret Six, it was smooth sailing.  Ostrander really knows the voices of the Secret Six, he had them all down pat.  I didn't care much for the art, but it didn't detract from the story.

The Bad Guys were wealthy nerds that wanted to have a little fun at the Secret Six's expense.  They just wanted to play tag using bullets..., that's all..., what could be the problem with that... he he he.

I actually think "the bad guys" would have a better chance if they had fought the six together, rather then separate them. They are more balanced when they are together. Instead of the really... unbalanced individuals that they are capable of being.


OKAY...Everybody SING!
WHat do we Do with a BENdy sailor, WHAT do We do with a BENdy sailor, whAT do wE do with aH benDY sailor..., Earl-y in the Morning!

SECRET SIX #23
Title: Predators
Writer: John Ostrander
Penciller: RB Silva
Inker: Alandre Palamaro
Colorist: Jason Wright
Letterer: Travis Lanham
Cover: Daneil Luvisi
Publisher: DC Comics
Sep 2010

BATMAN: THE DESTROYER: Batman 474 Legends of the Dark Knight 27 Detective 641

RATING 3.5 out 5

I was doing a little research into Solomon Wayne, and pulled these three issues out of my boxes.  Some interesting points are in these issues to be made about Solomon Wayne AND the buildings of Gotham City, so I decided to share my findings.  They were written by Alan Grant and Dennis O'Nell, who made a entertaining and interesting story.

Grant Morrison may have gotten the ideal for the panels on the right from these issues. These panels are part of the RIP storyline where Batman fights the devil.
Batman 679 (Batman/Zur-en-arrh hallucinating and seeing Gotham City as a grid that created Batman, the talking gargoyles were a nice touch)



This is not a review as munch pointing out some interesting points in the story.

There are SPOILERS for the story "The Destroyer"

PART 1: Batman 474: Title: A Tale of Two Cities
This first issue is setup for the rest of the story, with Batman's, Bruce Wayne's, detective work on what is happening.

After solving the crime of a Art forgery, Batman finds the answers to another crime in which someone is expertly demolishing whole buildings.  He sees that the old architecture of older buildings are revealed after the more modern yet run down buildings are demolished. He comes to the improbable conclusion that the crime was being done for Art.

Looking at the background of the overs you can see some of the architecture that was revealed.


Batman goes to the Wayne Foundation to look up the architectural histories that are too old to be in any computer records. 

PART  2: Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight 27: Title: Solomon

This issue is where most of the background information on Solomon and the buildings of Gotham is contained.

At the Wayne Foundation, Batman finds files that show the beginnings of  Gotham into a City, back during the Civil War Era.

Batman says;

"Judge Solomon Z Wayne, my great great grandfather...with a Harvard degree, and appointment of the judgeship and a reputation for cussedness."

Judge Solomon Wayne carried a Law book in one hand and a Bible in another. See the page below, and you can get a taste of  Solomon's nature.

Solomon was a true ...Bible Thumper... and a Whumper.
Solomon said,  "The bible and the Laws of the land--Between them, they leave no problem unsolved."  

Solomon  meets Cyrus Pinkney, the guy in glasses.  Cyrus is a architect and Solomon asks him about his sketches.  After seeing the sketches, Solomon sees them as his life's calling to bring Gotham up to parallel other great cities.

Solomon  makes a speech to the property holder's association;
"For what is a city, gentlemen? A Sanctuary! A stronghold! A fortress! A bulwark against the godlessness of the wilds..."

Most of others who looked at the sketches saw the architecture as ugly, and once it was built, the world agreed that they were ugly.


After returning to the Batcave, Bruce uses the Bat-computer to access private military records, while commenting that "Solomon Wayne would have me Hung" for doing something illegal.
Batman finds a ex- navy seal, Andre Sinclair, to be the likely suspect.

This issue shows Andre Sinclair looking at a modern building.   Captions  read; "Evil. A Devil's Building,"  because it is blocking one of Pinkney's designs.

Bruce visits Dean Freeberg of the Gotham State institute of Architecture and asks him about Sinclair.
Dean Freeberg said, "...he had some kind of mystical experience while he was with the military in asia. Says he realized that, the buildings, are what keep the demons at bay..."


There is an extra chapter in the back of part 2:Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight 27:
Handcarts and Hellholes: A Brief History of Gotham City by Dennis O'Nell.
This mentions that Judge Solomon Zebediah Wayne started a dozen businesses including Gotham Buggy Whip Works. He became Gotham's leading citizen and its most Prosperous, and died at 104 years old.


He writes to a uncle in Boston,  "...Indeed, at times I feel that Evil seeps into our precincts from the areas of Godless Nature which surround us, That the Dark One rides the winds that waft through our lanes from the corruption of the woodlands, depositing lodes of Malice in our eaves and crannies."

On his death bed Solomon said, "I wished to lock evil out of men's neighborhoods and hearts. I fear that instead I have given it the means to be locked in."

 Part 3: Detective 641: Title: A Dream Is Forever

The building that Sinclair was looking at was the Gotham Police Department. It is not a abandoned building like the others that were demolished.  It is packed with people. Who can save the day?!

Anyway... back to Pinkney.
Sinclair finds Pinkney's original notes.
Sinclair says;

"Pinkney was inspired by his religious beliefs. He saw Gotham as a organic whole-- Almost as a living being that would itself fight against Evil" 

 Below is the splash page at the end of the issue.
The captions read:

Cyrus Pinkney's Gotham... Gargolyes to frighten people onto the path of righteousness.  Rounded Edges to Confuse the malevolent beings. Thick walls to lock in virtue.

BATMAN : THE DESTROYER
I don't believe that these are collected  in a TPB, as yet.


Part 1: Batman 474: Title: A Tale of Two Cities
Script: Alan Grant
Art:Norm Breyfogle
Colors:Adriene Roy
Leters: Todd Klein
Editor: Dennis O'Neal
Published: Feb 1992

Part 2: Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight 27: Title: Solomon
Writer: Denny O'Neil
Pencils: Chris Sprouse
Inks: Bruce Patterson
Letters: John Costanza
Colors: Steve Oliff
Editor: Archie Goodwin
Pinkey Buildings Design: Anton Furst
Published: Feb 1992

Part 3: Detective 641: Title: A Dream Is Forever
Writter: Alan Grant
Pencils: Jim Aparo
Inks: Mike Decarlo
Colors: Adrienne Roy
Letters: John Costanza
Editor: Dennis O'Nell
Published: Feb 1992


Publisher: DC Comics

WONDER WOMAN #600 REVIEW

RATING: 2.9 out of 5

The only thing that I liked about the issue were the pin up posters, because they gave me a walk through memory lane, which made the issue worth the price.  The stories, seemed really lack luster..., at best.

FULL REVIEW: Some Spoilers

This was  a milestone issue, and with the caliber of talent that was involved,  this..is... all... they can come up with.  This book should have knocked my socks off, but didn't, and I was disappointed.  If these creators were within reach when I read it, I would have flipped the back of their heads. 

They had one of the most gorgeous, sexy, SMART, powerful, exotic, independent, and recognizable W-O-M-A-N in comics, or the world, and I thought this was the most pitiful bunch of stories to be put in a Milestone issue.

I'm a woman, a married mother of three, and when I was a kid, I looked up to Wonder Woman.  I had a Wonder Woman doll. I absolutely loved that doll, because I felt more in tune with that doll, then I did with any of my Barbies.  Wonder Woman stood STRONG in a man's world and I wanted to be just... like... her.  

I've learned from her that I could take care of myself as a woman.  I didn't need a man to make me feel pretty, or to take care of me, or to make me happy, or to succeed as a woman.

I love my husband, and I love men (especially nicely drawn men).  I like being treated like a lady and being put on a pedestal, BUT I've learned from Wonder Woman... that I can make that damn... pedestal myself.  I don't need someone else to do things for me, and I've learned to accept.. nothing less... then to be treated as I should be treated, with respect.

The first story, Valedictorian, by Gail Simone, was great in the beginning with Wonder Woman leading a team in battle, but then I realized it was a all female team. Yes, I understood that the story premise was that the men couldn't be involved, but I felt that the whole ideal was placating to male readers, who think that the only time a woman can be in charge is when it is a female only group, AND what do they fight, Fembots.  Fembots being the villains, on top of it being a all girl team... pissed me off. 

Then Simone's story just got worse because it became boring.  Wonder Woman was being idealized by the other heroines in the group, who looked up at her with googly eyes, which didn't describe those individual characters very well.  Gail Simone is one of my favorite writers, and it pains me to say this,  but this sucked for a Wonder Woman story in a Milestone issue, or any issue.

The second story, Fuzzy Logic,  by Amanda Conner, was amusing, and Power Girl was at least able to talk to her as equals, but the subject matter of a... cat, that had problems, was a little lame.  I didn't know Wonder Woman ever had a cat to even be able to help Power Girl with hers. This would be a good story as a co-feature to a regular issue. But for a Milestone issue? not so much.

At least Wonder Woman,...who can't lead men, ...or fight men in the previous story with Simone, has another talent given to her by Conner... Everyone needs a back up plan.  She can give advice on ...pets, kind of ah "Pet Whisperer".  Perhaps Bruce can ask Diana about his dog,  Ace, when he chews the furniture or chews Robin's homework.

The third story, Firepower, by Louise Simonson, was a better fit for a Milestone #600 issue.  In this story, Wonder Woman stands on the same level as Superman.  They are fighting together as partners and as equals. She saved the pilots of the plane, who were grateful to be alive, and Superman saved a arm load of stewardesses(that did make me smile).  The story showed that Superman, a man, and colleague, had a lot of respect for her.  It was a charming read.

 The fourth story, 

The Sensational Wonder Woman, by Geoff Johns, was really a good story, but there needed to be more of it. 

It seemed rushed, and I guess it was because it was a lead into J.Michael Straczynski's story, ODYSSEY.  The last  line in John's story was "Let the ODYSSEY of Wonder Woman BEGIN." but his story was the only story in the book that made me want more, even though it wasn't meant to be more then it was.

The last section of the issue, ODYSSEY: Prologue: Couture Shock, by J. Michael Straczynski.

I guess the title has something to do with the makeover/redesign of Wonder Woman. 

Couture means custom clothing, or hand made clothing, or the redesign of the outside wrapper not changing the inside, which all could describe what  DC and Straczynski is trying to do with Wonder Woman.

The prologue was okay, until she was shown trudging through a sewer drain(EeeeU) with the stoic bald headed ladies dressed in gray, who were a little creepy. 

Then we meet, who I've termed "Chatty Cathy", or who Straczynski calls "Oracle".  I think she is Athena, but at this point, I'm really not interested and he's lost me as a reader. 

BUT.... I've got to say that I'm a fan of the TV series  Babylon 5, which was largely written by Straczynski,  and even though that first movie that started the Babylon 5 series, was bone braking boring, the TV series itself was awesome, so I may check in later on this story to see what's going on.

So there you have it, the MILESTONE issue, feels like a pebble in your shoe.