BATMAN: A Celebration of 75 Years Official Review

Batman has been officially 75 years old since 2014, and to commemorate this turning point in the history of the character's legacy, DC released an anthology of stories for most of their DC characters, most notable examples include Superman, Wonder Woman, Shazam, the Joker, etc. Batman: A Celebration of 75 Years is just the first part of the goodies DC has bequeathed long-time readers and avid fans. There is also the Visual History almanac of the character (and I own both hefty copies), which served as a chronological catalog to Batman's seventy-five reign, including a varied list of landmark issues, most coveted issues, and recent works in memory. This anthology, however, collects specific comics issues that readers can enjoy for themselves. The stories were divided into specific categories of era. We have the 40's, the 50's-60's, the 70's-80's, the 90's and the 2000's-present.

Originally, I was supposed to write a multi-part review for each Bat-era category, but I have other obligations in real life that cannot be put aside to make more time to do that, and now I opted instead to write one official review for the entire collection itself. I regret to say that this wouldn't be as nuanced and in-depth as I wanted it to be, or what readers of my Bat-blog has come to expect from a lot of my reviews, but nevertheless I'll discuss as much as I could about this collection in case some of you have yet to possess a copy of this, and therefore are curious to know what it has to offer or if it's even worth buying.

On a surface level, Batman: A Celebration of 75 Years is a must-have anthology. After all, it collects DC Comics' certifiable choice cuts of Batman comics throughout the seven and a half decades everybody's favorite caped crusader has graced us with. Batman has captured so many readers' imagination and sense of danger and intrigue, and this is supposed to highlight exactly why his fictional exploits have lasted for so long and are so heavily ingrained in his fanbase's hearts and minds. In my own personal opinion, however, this collection is a mixed bag of goods. If you're a first-time reader of anything comics, this anthology may not be my first choice for you to get to know Batman with. In both an objective and subjective sense, Batman: A Celebration of 75 Years is not an advisable route to start with because there are a few valuable graphic novels I think newbies have to experience first if this is truly going to be the first time they will encounter Batman in said medium. This anthology in question is far too varied with its sample stories that newbies who are only familiar with the recent Batman adaptations (read the dark, gritty approach to the character) and hence they may find most of these issues jarring and bizarre, particularly the earlier eras of Batman. 

For example, did you guys know about Batman Of Tomorrow? Here is a sample page:

To those who are more than familiar with the character's earlier years, Batman: A Celebration of 75 Years is a collection worthy of purchase, primarily for reasons that have something to do with nostalgia. I'm not saying that readers of my generation will be forever incapable of appreciating old-school Batman, but chances are these readers may already have fixed tastes of how they want their Batman to be served to them and so the categories dating back in the 40's, 50's, 60's and some material back in the 70's which this anthology touches upon may not resonate as meaningfully as more recent works have in the 80's to the present which portray Batman in a more serious manner that really focuses on the Dark Knight aspect of his lore. Everyone has a version of Batman they know and love well. Mine was Bruce Timm and Paul Dini's Batman: The Animated Series. To the oldest of fans, Adam West's TV series in 1966 was a childhood favorite, while others prefer the Tim Burton films a lot more, cinematically-speaking. A great number of fans now, however, subscribe to Christopher Nolan's trilogy whose tonality and themes might have influenced their reading choices. It's not to say that these same fans will not enjoy this anthology as much if they do purchase it, but a lot of its earlier material will go over their heads and shock them because it's a complete dissonance to what they know about Batman as a superhero. That being said, early-era Batman is a bottle of laughs and hijinks, IMHO! If you're my age (twenties) and was able to fall in love with Adam West's version of the character later on even if you also still prefer your Batsy dark and brooding, then being able to read these early issues will be an effortless thrill! 

In Batman: A Celebration of 75 Years, the earliest eras portrayed his character in less darker shades than the contemporaries. Batman is a lot more light-hearted in a way you would not believe unless you're over forty and have read the run of these fun titles back in the day. A lot of the material chosen for this anthology are first or memorable appearances of characters such as Barbara Gordon as Batgirl, Catwoman, Poison Ivy, and a few of Bruce Wayne's girlfriends like Vicki Vale and Silver St. Cloud. Some issues also have the most ridiculous plot-lines imaginable that showcases Batman's penchant for over-the-top gadgets and often also involve the mind-boggling schemes of one-note villains who don't belong to the top-shelf Rogues' Gallery. The titles range from the titular Batman, Detective Comics, Batman and Robin, World's Finest, DC Special Series and so on. 

The breadth of this collection is satisfactory yet a little challenging in some places. The varied styles of narrative can be an acquired taste, particularly for those more accustomed to the way comics are drawn and written in these days. Early-era comics tends to tell more rather than show action sequences, relying on the writer's narrative boxes that have a tendency to be indulgent in both speech and character dialogues. Fortunately enough, the choice cuts in Batman: A Celebration of 75 Years have stories where such a narration style works well enough to keep readers interested. My favorite part of this entire anthology were the recent works, of course, starting with BTAS writer Paul Dini's contribution. And yes, this also includes the re-printing of the original first Batman issue of The Case of the Chemical Syndicate which include Batman's origin story at the end.

BEHOLD HOW BEAUTIFUL IT IS! I may or may not have started kissing the pages repeatedly after reading them.

In a nutshell, Batman: A Celebration of 75 Years is generally a highly recommended work that long-time fans should have in their shelves, but I wouldn't consider it as something I would readily recommend to newbies and more contemporary-inclined fans of Batman who haven't read much about him in comics just yet. That being said, I can't really stop you if you still want to buy this, perhaps either because of posterity reasons or because you want to challenge yourself to get to know old-school Batman. If that is the case, then more power to you! I maintain that to love a fictional character means to explore everything there is to know about him or her, and Batman: A Celebration of 75 Years is the best place to start that quest, if nothing else. If you're interested to know which Bat-titles and story arcs to start with as a newb, then check out my IF YOU WANT TO START READING BATMAN rec list.

RECOMMENDED: 8/10

[Best of Batman] Dark Victory by Jeph Loeb

So, okay then. This is the sequel to The Long Halloween which I was not the biggest fan of to begin with. Still, on the enjoyment scale, this one was better. That was until I got to the last two issues. Ironically enough, while The Long Halloween had a rough start but a nonetheless merciful albeit incomplete resolution, Dark Victory managed to get a stronger and more concise beginning but a more frustrating and pointless ending. I don't understand this travesty. The Knightfall series is honestly more better written. Well, Loeb's stories should be fundamentally incomparable to Knightfall since the latter after all was written by multiple writers across different Bat-titles. The sole reason I compare them is becauase I was also quite lukewarm towards Knightfall but I would pick the omnibus series over either of Loeb's work any day.

I don't want to get into details about Dark Victory. Ultimately it's a Batman story that brought no joy or appreciation for me. I thought I could like any kind of Bat-story out there (I eventually did warm up to Greg Hurwitz in his writing for New 52 The Dark Knight run) but Jeph Loeb had officially made me question that reality. I can state from here on out that I don't enjoy the way he writes Batman. There were a few areas that have potentials, most notably for Dark Victory. The central murder mystery story had a better foundation; a series of cop kilings with the murderer pinning notes on the corpses depicting the child's game Hangman as secret messages. At least the victims were sympathetic people and not criminals who are a tad more irredeemable. But the holiday-themed murders were needlessly overplayed like the torture horror of the SAW franchise.

Next, both Batman and Commissioner Gordon show remorse and guilt over the loss of Harvey Dent. Batman spent most of the time blaming himself in his inner monologues about Dent's transformation to Two Face. This would have been acceptable except that I never really saw a friendship developed in the prequel among these three to make the drama and internal conflict believable enough for me to care about. And then there's the women. The female characterizations were easily  appalling and cheap as far as stereotypes and pigeonholing goes. Every woman is given the roles among grieving spouses, easily manipulated girlfriends and whimsical seductresses--and with little to no clarification for motivation or pay-off to their arcs whatsoever.  I love Bruce and Selina's relationship in general but Loeb had accomplished the impossible feat: he made me hate them together. I couldn't stand their stupid dance of coquettish nonsense, especially so in Dark Victory. Aside from the badly drawn costume, Catwoman had a weak arc for both Loeb stories and therefore her usual morally ambiguous actions were not as promising or as riveting to see unfold. The only two women who are at least trying to break the mold were gangster Sofia Falcone and possible sociopath Gilda Dent who have interesting characterizations from the start but were sadly overlooked and underdeveloped midway through both stories.

I don't even want to acknowledge the wasteful space female District Attorney Porter took up for Dark Victory. What a pathetic and unbelievable character. And goddamn Dick Grayson who is featured in the Absolute Dark Victory cover prominently doesn't even have a major contribution to the storyline. All he did here was sulk and look morose. He isn't Jason Todd or Damian Wayne, dammit. Where's the sparkling personality I've always loved about the first Boy Wonder? Overall--yeah, fuck it. I don't have any parting words. But I will rate this one star higher than fucking Long Halloween just because.

RECOMMENDED: 7/10

[Best of Batman] The Long Halloween by Jeph Loeb

I won't lie. I had high hopes for this story. After all, it has been consistently placed in the Best Batman Stories lists, either as part of the Top 10 or Top 5 graphic novels you have to read. Comprised of thirteen issues, Jeph Loeb's The Long Halloween had great promise. It had all the right ingredients. We got Bruce Wayne just starting out his early years as Batman, and his partnerships with Commissioner Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent. We got the Falcone and Maroni crime families in the spotlight, and a serial killer hunting the mobsters down using holidays as the common theme of this string of murders (hence earning him the name of the Holiday Killer). As a bonus, we also get appearances of the rogues gallery like the Joker, Scarecrow, Mad Hatter, Poison Ivy and Catwoman.

However, that great promise I mentioned dwindled to unrealized potentials the closer I get to the supposed climax. Also, its commendable traits from the beginning such as the Batman-Gordon-Dent triad, mob involvement, serial killer murder mystery and rogues' gallery participation, look good in theory but REALISTICALLY SPEAKING the actual execution of all these elements together fell short. Being served by so many samplings in one sitting could cause indigestion, no matter how potentially good each serving should be.

And that's mainly my problem with The Long Halloween. Much like Jeph Loeb's later work HUSH (which, granted, was more enjoyable in its approach than this one), this story suffers with putting so much material in its scope that it was pretty much inevitable for some of its parts to collapse under the pressure of the multiple baggage it struggles to carry along. I don't necessarily think this was a bad story, period. I believe that if you take each individual parts and separate them from the convoluted mess of its sum then what we get are compelling subplots that might have deserved their own separate arc altogether. But instead we get them all squeezed into one dragged-out arc that was unable to flesh out its main characters particularly Harvey Dent whom I did not connect with in any way, let alone be emotionally invested enough on his moral struggle and dissociation that his transformation as Two Face became meaningful to mourn about. Seeing this story having high ratings in Goodreads and scintillating reviews from common friends (save a noticeably one-star review from the mix) is a real head-scratcher for me at first especially when I was stuck in the seventh issue and found myself getting increasingly annoyed withe everything already. But after finishing it and thinking about what to write for twenty minutes or so, I realized that The Long Halloween is still a work that I suppose deserves its place in the top Batman stories because of the fact that it gave us Two Face's origin story, and that we were able to get the organized crime aspect of Gotham City explored and its enforcers like Carmine Falcone which Batman is also supposed to butt heads with, and not just duke it out with the likes of the Joker, etc. But those merits alone for me are really not enough to encourage newbie Bat-fans to pick this up at least not as a must-read. Maybe only as a passing suggestion. And that's a weak 'maybe'.

The trouble is that, because of so many elements put together, everything is half-baked. The mob families are goddamn one-dimensional. I did not care if they get killed at all which defeats the purpose of whatever the vendetta the serial killer has in disposing , and why readers should look forward to solving these crimes. Batman feels the same, apparently, since it took the Holiday killer so close to completing his holiday-themed killing spree for either Batman and Gordon to solve it. Only it doesn't get solved, not really. In the most baffling twist, it turns out that there are THREE KILLERS with each one's motive more unbelievable than the next. The more I examine each thread of this story, the more nonsensical it gets. And not laughably so, like HUSH, which I actually had fun reading even if most of the reason is because it's so dumb at times.

This was one, however, is just disappointing. The appearance of the rogues gallery could honestly just get cut and it won't affect anything. They were completely unnecessary and interrupted the flow of the narrative (if there even is one, sorta up to debate for me). I wished they focused more on the serial killer story because the holiday-themed covers were amazing to look at and that key feature to the killings was pretty impressive. Sadly, since there are three killers, the chilling aspect and the mind-fuckery of the method were diluted. As for the visuals themselves…Tim Sale has a surreal style but his illustrations have made certain scenes so incomprehensible that I have to stare at some panels over and over just to make sense of what I am looking at. Much like Loeb was with the writing of this story, the art could have been realized better.

I don't know have anything else to say now other than I have nothing more eloquent to offer in my piece. Just rehashing the entire story of The Long Halloween here has gotten me a little bit depressed because I thought I was going to like this story but after unloading all of these complaints I realized I wish I could just forget what I read. Not even the two volumes of Knightfall made me this sorely disappointed. But I still have Dark Victory to finish which is a sequel to this fucking thing. I will keep an open mind and give it the benefit of the doubt. Originally, I was going to review The Long Halloween tomorrow but it occurred to me that I want to get it over with as quickly as possible so I forced myself to come up with this and I hope it was sufficient enough.

KINDDA RECOMMENDED but feel free to skip: 6/ 10

[Best of Batman] Gates of Gotham

"How can you hope to deal with Gotham's future when you know so little about its past?"

Current Batman series writer Scott Snyder used to write for Detective Comics back when Dick Grayson took the mantle of Bruce Wayne as Batman. Final Crisis complications and whatnot demanded such a change in heroes; much like for today's post-Convergence event whete Bruce Wayne is once more a goner. You just have to be there to understand. In any case, this is the second major story arc collected in as a graphic novel that I've read from Snyder's Detective Comics run with Grayson as the Dark Knight. The first one is The Black Mirror which you better believe is worth the trouble. I cannot stress how much I recommend the bejesus out of it. 

In contrast Gates of Gotham is a thinner compilation with a story that ran only for six issues. The two stories are fundamentally different but just as enjoyable for the same reason which would be Synder's uncanny skill to weave together compelling murder mysteries/conspiracy tales. After all, this story does come straight out of the Detective Comics line so that's something that should be a given. While The Black Mirror is more of a psychological thriller, Gates of Gotham is an action-suspense pseudo-steampunk narrative concerning a forgotten pillar of Gotham and his deranged journey to destroy the city--or at least that's what he fancies himself to be: a revolutionist who felt deprived and abused by Gotham, particularly by its elite and felt the need to get even.

And by its elite I mean the Kanes, Cobblepots, Elliots and the Waynes. These are the four founding families who have respective skeletons in their closets and demons to contend with. Grayson is Batman now while Bruce is busy with this global vigilante organization (Batman Incorporated) so he had to do this alone but not without the support and assistance of Tim Drake (Red Robin), Hong Kong operative Black Bat and the arrogant Damian Wayne who is still a prickly and insecure pre-teen who is always disagreeable just for the sake of it. I say this with all the love and affection I have for his Peter J. Tomasi counterpart in the recent comics. 

"Like it or not, Gotham has royalty and they stretch back to the origins of the city. She protects her own but if you don't belong here, she'll never keep you."

I really loved reading Gates of Gotham because it was briskly-paced and wasted no time with the finer details; it packed and threw some serious punches. Each installment propelled you to keel reading, to look forward to the resolution and pay-off of the mystery surrounding the villain known as the Architect. Once again, Snyder, together with co-writer Kyle Higgins, employed Gotham city not just as a setting piece but as a participatory character itself. This was established through the flashback sequences concerning the city during its humble beginnings that also tied back to the villain's own arc and whatever motivated his nefarious actions in the present. The transition between past and present was seamless and suspenseful, and I could definitely see readers waiting in anticipation back then when Gates of Gotham was only released as a monthly issue during its run.

Gates of Gotham was reminiscent of the tonality and approach of his Owls saga in New 52 particularly the concept of secrets from the past and the historical style of storytelling. Unlike Owls, however, this was a brief exploration about one madman's quest to avenge a perceived wrongdoing which actually helped it because it wasn't unnecessarily drawn out. The confrontation between Batman and the Architect was an impressive display of how perception especially a narrow-minded and hateful one can destroy oneself and his connections with the present which was what the Architect wholly represents.

"Gotham doesn't change you. She just reveals things, whether you like them or not. And today she showed me that I can be Batman." ~Dick Grayson

On the other side of the coin, Dick Grayson also gets some insight concerning his role as the new Batman and why he has more than lived up to the code of the Dark Knight while also not losing himself in the process. While The Black Mirror story arc has already tackled the tricky disadvantage of becoming the mask you wear, Gates of Gotham reveals what lurks under that mask and why we can only wear it for so long until it rots away our real face and erases who we are.

Scott Snyder and Kyle Higgins' Gates of Gotham may only be less than 200 pages but it's a purchase you will never forget. I can easily see a well-adapted animation film for it. There are great action and narrative panels within its pages that are just begging to be realized on screen. The collection also has a bonus story about Bat-Inc's Muslim operative the Nightrunner as written by Kyle Higgins. Other supplements include the variant covers by Dustin Nguyen which werr as awesome as Trevor McCarthy's published ones. This is a highly-stylized action-adventure meant to be picked up by anyone and sooner rather than later.

RECOMMENDED: 8/10

[Best of Batman] A Death in the Family by Jim Starlin

I first knew about Jason Todd through the story Under the Hood written by Judd Winick which turned out to be his resurrection story. I watched the animation film with Supernatural's Jensen Ackles as Todd's voice actor and then I read the collected edition a few months after. 

To explain briefly, Jason Todd was the second Robin who succeeded Dick Grayson shortly after the latter quit and then joined the Teen Titans instead. Bruce Wayne first met Jason in the infamous Crime Alley when he was on patrol as Batman and he found the boy dismantling his batmobile to steal his gears which understandably annoyed Bruce but he nevertheless felt sorry for the boy when he realized that he was an orphan, living off the streets.

A part of him also connected strongly to the boy upon discovering that his father was brutally murdered. Determined to help the boy and because he needed a partner, Bruce then recruited Jason and started training him to become the new Robin. Jason was a fast learner but he was highly temperamental and definitely have anger and ego issues. He is impulsive when it comes to handling criminals, often driven by rage during fights. Still, Bruce thought it will pass. Later on, Bruce realized that it was the villain Two Face who murdered Jason's father. Upon confrontation, Jason opted not to kill Two Face which made Bruce proud but he would soon see that the boy is far damaged than he could ever anticipated.

In A Death in the Family, we explore the extent of Jason Todd's emotional issues and the strained relationship he has with Bruce. The idea of killing the second Robin sprang from the publication's marketing move where readers themselves were asked through survey as to whether or not they still want Jason around as Batman's partner. Surprisingly enough, the people voted for Jason's death so DC had writer Jim Starlin conceptualize and deliver the story. I suppose many readers are just not too fond of Jason and may also think he is not as likable as Dick Grayson whom Bruce had a better chemistry and rapport with.

The story itself was composed of issues Batman #426-429 and it was a compelling closer look at Jason Todd's final moments leading to his death in the hands of no other than the Joker. This was published in 1988 which was also around the time when the entire Batman line-up of stories for DC took on a grittier tone. The narrative for A Death in the Family was straightforward and serious enough as it explored the growing distance between Bruce and Jason as Bruce decided that Jason needs to take a sabbatical from crime-fighting as Robin. Bruce does not exactly have the parenting skills to make Jason understand his point of view and have the boy open up to him. Since Jason also refuses to talk about it, he became further withdrawn and completely shuts out Bruce from there on. One day, as he was walking around his old neighborhood reminiscing about the happy past with his parents, a friend of his mother called to him and gave him his old stuff from his previous home. This is where Jason found out a shocking truth: that the woman who raised him was just his stepmother and his biological mother is alive and still out there. 

Aided only by three names in his father's notebook of contacts, he researched the three possible women who could be his missing mother. Naturally, he didn't ask for Bruce's help as he boarded a plane to go to his destination. Meanwhile, the Joker is loose and is looking for a way to finance his criminal activities so he basically decided to get into international terrorism. Batman has to stop him and coincidentally, both the Joker and Jason are heading for the same place.

What follows is a series of more convenient coincidences where each of the three women have some thin connection to the Joker's schemes if not entirely related to it. It became unavoidable for Bruce and Jason to meet and Bruce had no other choice but to help Jason alongside trying to apprehend the Joker with his latest nefarious schemes. It has to be said that it's pretty grim and humorous at the same time that the candidates for Jason's biological mother are a spy, a mercenary and a volunteer doctor for a relief expedition (the last one is the only optimistic choice).

I liked this story. It was an important installment concerning a character who eventually becomes a fan-favorite once he grew out of his Robin costume and became his own brand of vigilante. I have an ongoing love-hate relationship with Jason Todd. I softened on him only quite recently. A Death in the Family was the first time we see a Robin die and where Bruce has to grieve over the loss his partner. I thought the story was enjoyable although everything felt like a set-up especially the coincidences where the Joker is tied with the search for Jason's missing mother so it easy for Bruce and Jason to still be Batman and Robin and fight him while having that personal side-mission on the side.

Jason's death, I think, was only upsetting because it was an abrupt dramatic irony. He wasn't well-liked by the readers that much and the circumstances leading to his death could have been avoided if only Bruce was perceptive enough to communicate and open himself up to Jason since the boy doesn't even know that Bruce himself had a similar childhood trauma. I think if he was honest from the very start then Jason would have trusted him and listened to him more. But alas, it's not meant to be and Bruce ended up carrying a badly wounded Jason in his arms which became an iconic image in itself.

A Death in the Family is a prelude to the more superior follow-up Under the Hood. I suggest you read these two stories back-to-back to really get the sense of the drama, action and conflict that encompasses the entire character arc of Jason Todd when he died as a Robin and was revived as the Red Hood. 

RECOMMENDED: 8/10

[Best of Batman] Knightfall by Dixon, Moench & Grant volume 2

Deciding to make yet another Knightfall installment as the graphic novel to mark the end of my second wave of Batman comics diet has more or less solidified my growing suspicion that I have this neurotic tendency not to make things easy for me every now and then when it comes to reading a story. I deserve a goddamn break from difficult-to-swallow-and-digest sort of comics from a Batman title, do I not? How could I ever allow myself to spend the last two weeks of December reading a 600-plus-paged omnibus concerning a Batman who is not Bruce Wayne underneath the cowl at all? I could never figure out the answer for myself until I managed to finish the said damn thing and write this review at almost four o'clock on a Tuesday morning.

Truth be told, I think the Knightfall series is an important historical artifact that deserves a place in the Batman comics legacy but the three massive volumes are no happy strolls in the park especially when that park is located in Gotham and the caped crusader supposedly guarding said city and its streets is just as mentally unstable as the next Arkham Asylum patient. The most disheartening piece of information I could give to you if you ever want to read this is that the first volume features Bane who is a character you will either like or despise, and that Bruce Wayne suffers a serious spinal injury courtesy of aforementioned jackass.

And then he assigns the Batman title to a man named Jean Paul Valley who was a pretty cool guy at first when he was just playing second fiddle as Azrael. However, as soon as he puts on the Bat-cowl, something immediately feels off. Suddenly, you're reading about a Batman who is utterly, selfishly and holyjesusfuck insane and extreme on his methods and overall modus operandi as the new sheriff in godforsaken Gotham City. The only good thing that ever came from Jean Paul becoming the new Batman is the fact that he was able to beat the crap out of Bane but the readers merely traded one devil for another. Tim Drake as Robin is justifiable with his concerns regarding Jean Paul's painfully slow descent to madness but Bruce and Alfred have to go to another country so he could get heal and recuperate so Tim's on his own about that. Sorry, bro. Every Robin needs his own cavalry.

Meanwhile, Jean Paul Valley continues his run as the Batman, putting the dark on the Dark Knight and turning the knight part into a symbol of horror. His costume also becomes a full-metal one that is regularly maintained like a well-polished nightmare. It's worth noting that the more he upgrades it, the crazier he also seems to get. BECAUSE IT'S A METAPHOR OF IRONY SYMBOLIC OF HIS OWN MENTAL AND MORAL DECAY, YO. But there's no keeper for Jean Paul Valley--unless you count the two delusions in his head called Saint Dumas and his abusive father who take turns having arguments concerning ethics and the holy mission Jean Paul must fulfill (did I mention that they both only exist in Jean Paul's head?). But it's not a party yet. Oh, no. Throw some mob strife and rampaging low-class criminals into the mix as the city's asshole mayor and Commissioner Gordon with the rest of GCPD having little disagreements of their own and you got yourself an un-fun orgy that breed the most exquisite hellish scenarios. With, of course, regular doses of Catwoman, the Joker and Clayface just to make it extra special.

The heap of steaming bullshit you just read is covered by this second volume.

And you know what? I still encourage you to read everything. Oh, yes. There are unavoidable troubling moments when you'd feel as if you're being punished for reading through this mess but your attention span and patience will be later rewarded once you do encounter the Catwoman and the Joker stories which for me are the strongest and most entertaining of the omnibus itself. I hated Jean Paul Valley at first instinct myself but found him becoming more complex, conflicted and multi-layered issue after issue that I find my hatred lessening, and my sympathy...still lacking. I pity the bastard but I will never, ever forgive him for his actions. But I understood his pain more than anything which is why I think I'm a little afraid of this version of Batman. As disgusted as I am with Jean Paul Valley roaming around wearing a symbol of the childhood hero I've always looked up to when he doesn't deserve that honor, there are those brief glimpses readers are offered into his humanity, scarce as it may be at this point, and they do make a tiny portion of my soul ache. I will maintain that Jean Paul Valley is one of the most detestable, sickening and pitiful characters you will ever encounter, but he is also one of the most nuanced and fascinating anti-heroes you will never stop reading even if your only goal is to see his downfall unfold. Oh, that time of reckoning will happen, so you will pick up the third volume right after this like I would because you have officially become a part of the wreckage, so you might as well see it all the way to the end.

Knightquest: The Crusade is absurdly compelling. Comprised of seventeen issues ranging from the Batman, Shadow of the Bat, Catwoman and Detective Comics titles, it's guarantee to kill something inside you while you read about the daily struggles and ridiculously violent and condescendingly moral ways of a man who is so starkly different from Bruce Wayne as Batman, and yet he is also arguably a better fit for Gotham's criminal atmosphere. I may not agree with his methods. I may want to punch him in the brain, but he's the devil that I know and cannot un-know after this. I think both Knightfall: Broken Bat, the first volume, and this one are a mixed bag. They both have flaws and redeeming qualities. Tonality-wise, they're vastly different but they both concern two characters that are polarizing and challenging to have any sort of sympathy for. As collected works, they'll make you queasy and rage-quit a few times if your heart is simply not in it, but I advise you to stick around and just have fun with it. There were a few awesome character moments in between that can be funny (Jean Paul's hilarious pent-up sexual anger towards Catwoman; the Joker making a movie about the death of Batman) and downright chilling (that storyline about mothers from distant countries selling their babies to be adopted by Gotham-based parents; Gordon's confrontation with Jean Paul Valley as he demonstrates just how deeply he believes in Batman as symbol of hope for the city he loves; and how utterly betrayed he is to find out that this is not the partner he had worked and built a relationship with anymore).

In a nutshell, I struggled with this volume but when all is said and done, I thought that Knightquest: The Crusade was a remarkably eye-opening experience even if it darkened a space in my head a little. Jean Paul Valley as the central figure of this collection was consistently enthralling even when I outright hated his stupid face. He has allowed me to contemplate about my own belief system and set of values. He has further enhanced my love for Bruce Wayne as Batman. The writers who handled Jean Paul's characterization (Doug Moench, Chuck Dixon, and Alan Grant) deserve all the applause in the world--as well as a light slap in each of their cheeks for making me undergo a reading experience so rife with annoyances, grievances and holyjesusfuck moments.

Pick this up at your own risk. You have been sufficiently forewarned.

RECOMMENDED: 7/10

[Best of Batman] Batman Incorporated Vol. 2 by Grant Morrison

Grant Morrison's epic saga Batman Incorporated was seven years in the making, going back as far as Batman and Son where he introduced Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul's love child Damian, and continuing on with his run for Batman and Robin where Damian becomes the new Robin to Dick Grayson's Batman, as well as touching upon other Morrison Bat-stories like Batman 666 and Batman R.I.P. Its scope was that far-reaching; an accumulation of years of careful planning that aimed to unify and tie up every plot thread that Morrison created separately in each of the Bat-stories aforementioned. What the readers were imparted with in the end was a comic book series that is rich, diverse and resonant in all the right places possible.

Divided into a 2010 run and a New 52 sequel, there were a total of twenty-two issues for this series which I individually reviewed as dutifully as I could manage this year. Most of them have been spectacular; decisive, creative and well-nuanced tales about extraordinary people caught up in high-stakes events; while a few (that were mostly present in this volume) could have been improved upon. Nonetheless, I can guarantee that Batman Incorporated remains as an enduring, respectable work that deserves a place in the Batman legacy.

The premise for Batman Incorporated was simple enough: in the aftermath of Bruce Wayne's return from the dead, he finances a franchise that would recruit aspiring and noble vigilantes across the globe and turn them into heroes that bore the brand of Batman. Consequently, a criminal organization known as the Leviathan has taken root for years, and has freely infested many countries in the world. An inevitable clash between these distinct forces will definitely occur at the most opportune time, and Morrison and co. built an impressive setting for Batman Incorporated that served as the perfect landscape for the espionage caped adventures of the Bat-Inc crusaders. Meanwhile, the set pieces established about the Leviathan as an encompassing criminal entity might as well be Morrison's own brand of conspiracy saga which he almost turned into an art form.

The 2010-2011 run composed of nine issues focused more on the Batman's search for these promising recruits as well as the side missions in between that take him and his new team closer to the Leviathan by cornering and unravelling their criminal activities scattered among continents. By the time New 52 rolled around, Morrison has produced thirteen issues that took us right at the heart of the beast, and this creature is known as the Demon Star and operates for a singular purpose. It was at this time that Batman Incorporated was turned into a beguiling and elegant family soap opera, cinematic in scale, where Bruce Wayne's main nemesis was the woman he loved long ago who bore him his son Damian (now the current Robin to his Batman).

The same woman is no other than Ra's al Ghul's daughter, the cunning and driven Talia who spent almost a decade creating and distributing an image and reputation for Leviathan. This was all prove to her father and her beloved detective and child that she is not to be underestimated. Heiress to an empire of blood and ashes, Talia will stop at nothing to convince Bruce that her son is meant to rule by her side. In a chilling confrontation, Talia asked Bruce to choose between his beloved city Gotham or Damian and whichever he chooses, the other one shall die.

This volume entitled Gotham's Most Wanted was the second and last part of the series. Comprised of issues #7-13 plus a special, this is where Morrison ends it all. To be honest, it wasn't the punchline I was looking for especially when I felt that this series as a whole deserved more. The conclusion was a bit underwhelming and incomprehensibly unsatisfying for me. All the wonderful build-up, symbolic, biblical and mythological references that were weaved into the narrative, plots and characters for Batman Incorporated led up to a resolution that barely justified or lived up to the journey itself. The destination just lacked something I still could not figure out even as I write this review. I also complained about the fact that this series never should have been labeled as a New 52 story because the general inconsistencies in details and timelines eventually became too hard to ignore as you go on, especially if you read this alongside other New 52 Bat-titles, so I advise that you don't, and treat this as its own breed of animal.

However, I think the real drawback for the later part of the series was when Damian Wayne finally dies in issue #8 which was truly the high critical point of everything this series stood for. Morrison has written Damian Wayne's character specifically and arguably only to die once Bat-Inc gets closer to its grand finish. It was the catalyst that will guarantee Talia and Batman's confrontation by the last issue. Unfortunately, it was after this show-stopping demise that also killed the momentum and excitement of the things that happened in its wake. The next issues (#9-#13) just didn't keep the ball rolling. I felt that they slowly became less engrossing as the series neared the thankful end. The story didn't deteriorate completely, of course. The said issues are still serviceable but quite average when you compare it to the grand scheme of Batman Incorporated, that's all.

I can look back at this series as a work that's relentlessly creative, oddly endearing and shockingly well-layered, however. It's a comic book series you should pick up if you ever dare call yourself a long-time and avid Batman fan. Grant Morrison has created something special here and perhaps in time and with age, I could re-read this series again and appreciate it better somewhere down the road. I suggest that you pick up Batman and Son, Batman 666, Batman R.I.P and Batman and Robin which were all penned by Morrison before you dig into this. Perhaps starting from where it all began would give you a more nuanced perspective of how this saga has evolved since. Though not always readily accessible to newbies, Batman Incorporated as an epic adventure and drama is enjoyable if you're patient enough to see it through. It has distinguished itself as yet another Grant Morrison work that earns a spot as a contemporary classic in the comic book medium.

RECOMMENDED: 8/10

[Best of Batman] Batman Incorporated Vol. 1 by Grant Morrison

Batman is fundamentally the lone caped crusader of justice, a creature of the night engulfed in the blackest of shadows whose aim is to deplete the criminal population in his beloved city Gotham. He's badass cool because he's also a billionaire playboy by day and can afford the most awesome martials arts and combat training, as well as make his own set of awesomely fangasmic gadgets. For those reasons, every comic book fanboy wants to be Batman even just for an hour.

Batman has been around for 75 years, adapted into a lot of visual mediums, and anything with his symbol stamped on it will consistently guarantee an excited audience. Even the most sheltered and non-superhero fan has an inkling of understanding of how Batman operates: he's a distant and aloof anti-hero who only has a butler and a teenage boy as a sidekick plus the company of a string of socialites to keep up appearances in public. Batman has always been alone since the night his parents were brutally murdered in front of him. But as far as clichés go, certainly no man is an island, and writer Grant Morrison's collected issues for his series Batman Incorporated challenge and question that age-old belief that Batman is meant to be alone.

The zero issue even starts with Batman making an official announcement that he was never supposed to be alone. While almost all other Bat-titles utilize the existential solitude that has defined Batman for generations, Morrison decided to do something radical just to shake things up which explains the very premise of Batman Incorporated: in the aftermath of the Final Crisis events where Bruce Wayne was presumed dead, former first Boy Wonder Dick Grayson took up the cowl with Bruce's illegitimate son Damian as his new Robin. Some time later Bruce comes back with a new platform against crime, and decides to create a vigilante franchise that recruits potential crime fighters across the globe. From Japan to Argentina, to England and Australia, these skilled men and women pledge their service and allegiance to the unending symbol of Batman. This was an intriguing concept since it puts Batman in the context of a teamwork situations which we never often see him enough (outside of Justice League, that is). However, anyone who's been reading him in comics should know better; Batman does work and cooperate with many other costumed heroes--but it's been unanimously agreed upon that he is better off doing things by himself. It just feels right.

This is why, initially, the idea of a Bat-Inc. is uncomfortable for most long-time readers. Personally, though I found the concept a fresh and exciting one, but I wasn't too keen on the execution. I previously reviewed the original 2010 run of this series back in July, and that volume collects nine issues plus a special. When DC comics revamped as New 52, they decided to keep this title which actually became a tad bit problematic if you're reading this alongside other New 52 Bat-material. Essentially, this should have been credited as an old-continuity series because some of its major plots ring more true to what was established from the previous continuity. Now this volume Demon Star, which was composed of six amazing and tantalizing issues illustrated by Chris Burnham, is definitely the height of Morrison's painstakingly tedious plot-building since the conceptual work of this series started seven years ago. Ultimately, it was worth it because it has garnered a well-earned phenomenal success with the finished product. When I say that this was seven-years-in-the-making, I meant it. You have to go back as far as Morrison's Batman and Son and Batman RIP. The plot thread continues to his run for Batman and Robin. To truly appreciate the effort he has put into this series, you also need these previous works to compare with since in them you will find the seeds of what was going to flourish eventually as Batman Incorporated. The series is often peppered with callbacks and references to Morrison's established canon subplots found in those works. All the more reason why I insist for you to view this as a part of the old continuity and New 52...

...but therein lies the complication. But this is only the first volume. I might discuss the implication of the paradox Batman Incorporated presents next week when I do reach issue #8 where a significant event has happened and therefore affected other Bat-titles for New 52. In the meantime, Demon Star is a crowd pleaser if you don't have any strong negative bias against Morrison as a writer. Sure, he's been known to be quite dick-ish and evasive but the quality of his work has never disappointed me. I admit that his tonality and approach to Batman might be an acquired taste, but his experimental flair keeps his stories interesting because he has a unique perspective on how to write Batman than most of his contemporaries. With a Batman-Morrison story, you will always have an adventure you can sink your teeth into. Demon Star attests to that. Here we get a very well-nuanced character arc for Talia al Ghul who is the main villain at play for Batman Incorporated. Batman's relationship with his son and partner Damian was also explored in an angsty level, and the Leviathan is probably a more real and tangible threat than Synder's Court of Owls (after a year-long introspection, I realized I never really bought the concept of the Court of Owls). A lot of savory things are also happening in the background that you might miss out on if you're not versed enough with the old continuity material from way back.

I made a claim once that Morrison's works for Batman are not readily accessible or newbie-friendly and Batman Incorporated will certainly seem that way in the surface--at first. If you take comics reading seriously and actually find time to research parts you don't comprehend (or, even better, read previous continuity stuff as well), then I can assure you that Batman Incorporated will be one of the most dynamic, diverse and memorable comics you will ever read these days.

RECOMMENDED: 9/10

Batman and Robin by Peter J. Tomasi volume 5

When Villains Month rolled around, Peter J. Tomasi had the wonderful opportunity to write a decent Two Face story. Harvey Dent is one of the A-listers in Batman's rogues gallery--and Tomasi has certainly delivered. It was remarkably written and paced, with enough gore and lechery that balanced the entire piece beautifully. This five-issued Two Face storyline is called The Big Burn, and I was admittedly nervous as all hell. Tomasi created one decent villain so far, and that was NoBody at the beginning of the first eight issues of Batman and Robin. Can he handle writing something for a well-established A-lister Bat-villain? I think I finally have a better understanding of how Tomasi writes Batman stories. He always builds up a good premise and then the next issues will either be decent follow-ups or shaky ones. But he always sticks the landing when it comes to the endings of his arcs (except perhaps with trash like Terminus and zombies).

For his writing for the new origin story for one of the Bat-villain A-listers Two Face, The Big Burn certainly ended as a phenomenal albeit an essentially incomplete story.

With the first installment of this Two Face story entitled First Strike, there is more potential here that one who is a stickler for the old continuity (srsly, better calm those balls) should not overlook or undermine. The introduction of the villainess Erin McKinell is astute in scope. I kindda like that we get an Irish mob presence in Gotham City and that it's a woman who is taking those reigns. One thing that's lacking in New 52 Batman is the mob families in Gotham City which is also an integral part of that mythos. Gotham is an infested nest of all kinds of vermin which is the reason Batman is badly needed by the average citizen. We don't only have the rogues gallery threatening the status quo, but also your organized crime. Here we finally get that mob presence, and, impressively enough, an actually competent series of actions from GCPD led by Commissioner Gordon. Honestly, this issue is such a promising premise as long as you're not hang-up on the origin story being changed.

By the second issue named Sparks, the story starts having a natural progression of events, as well as very compelling character exposition all throughout, particularly on Tomasi's villainness Erin McKinell who is starting to become a very fleshed-out character of her own right, not only because she was the one responsible for scarring Harvey Dent and thus unleashing Two-Face to the world; but also because she's also a childhood friend of Bruce Wayne (which would be too on-the-nose in theory but was something I actually think would enable Batman to have a more personal investment on this case like never before as well, seeing as he both had relationships with Dent, and now McKinell in a distant past). I quite liked that McKinell sought Bruce's help and yet antagonized him for his outright refusal like the bitch she truly is. There's a strong set of teeth on this woman and she is neither likable or sympathetic so far, but I'm quite curious and intrigued by her importance to the plot nevertheless.

No one likes to change something that's been established quite amazingly, and Jeph Loeb's writing on The Long Halloween pertaining to Harvey Dent's transformation into Two Face was greatly done. But DC launched New 52 for a reason and one of those reasons is to re-imagine many of their stories, and therefore improve their characters along the way based on the dynamic trends for today's comic book reader--and this may include the origin stories, more or less, since it probably helps the new blood to get to know these heroes and villains better by not having to dig up old issues (which is a tedious task), and instead focus on what is current on the comics line-up these days, and hopefully--if we are lucky--it would offer something smart and refreshing as well. Does that sound like I'm defending DC for their New 52 launching? Not necessarily, but as a fan of their comics especially Batman, I just find myself more inclined to give them a chance and see things in their perspective. So far, I've gotten extraordinary and beautiful stories out of my Batman for this new continuity, though I am still wary when some writers do not meet expectations. Hell, my relationship with Tomasi's work for Batman and Robin has been schizophrenic at best, but his five-issued Tw Face story arc is unquestionably one of his finest for me.

By the third installment of Peter J. Tomasi's entitled Ignition, a complete revamp of Two Face's origin story, I can honestly say that it is starting to shape itself into one of the best arcs Tomasi has to offer yet in his B&R run. We don't have a new Robin ready so it's a useful and excellent way of making most of his time writing a story that is villain-centered--though which villain is in focus is quite debatable at this point. Though the titular one, Two Face is hardly ever in an intimate focus here; it's Erin McKillen who really manages to steal the spotlight. Not that I have a problem with that because Tomasi is writing her quite entertainingly and with unexpected depth, but this is supposed to be Two-Face's origin story and yet Tomasi seems to pay more attention to his villainess and the effect of scarring Harvey Dent has on her instead of the other way around. But that complaint, a very miniscule nitpick, was the one I had in the first two issues of this arc, but Tomasi finally brings forth Two-Face into the fold by this point in the game.

The grand finale Inferno is so good in pacing, execution and artistic style that you simply lose yourself in the pages therein. Readers are provided with the right balance of action and dramatic elements, even if we are still haunted by Tomasi's failure to characterize Harvey Dent as a White Knight in the flashback sequences from the last issue which I discussed in detail here. I also talked about how I believed Tomasi did not want any comparisons with his work here and with that of Nolan's film The Dark Knight when it comes to how he interpreted the trinity relationship of Batman, Gordon and Dent. However, that line "You were the best of us" was unmistakably a callback to said movie. But as I've expressed in my review of the last issue, this was not the case, is it? Harvey Dent was not that of a stand-up guy to begin with, it may seem, seeing as he was a criminal defense lawyer for the Irish mob family McKillens, and that his run for the distruct attorney's office felt like a self-serving move because he had no other options left. So that line did not have the kind of impact Tomasi expect it might have because his Harvey Dent was a callous and pragmatic man of law as opposed to the idyllic and optimistic one we have seen in the Nolan film.

But this is not where my criticisms end, though I'm not sure if my next one should even be considered a critique, since it's the most wonderful highlight of this five-issued arc, to be honest, and that is no other than Tomasi's original creation of the villainess Erin McKillen who is the dark horse that certainly won a place as a formidable foe (that I have a feeling could appear in other issue of the B&R run soon enough). I really enjoyed her. I enjoyed her relationship with Bruce Wayne. I enjoyed her sadomasochistic tango with Harvey Dent/Two Face. And I enjoyed her personal backstory. She was the one who truly shone in this story--which defeats the purpose of the title. As great as the Irish rose was, The Big Burn shouldn't be more about her, but Two-Face. That growing unevenness between their character's appearances was the most confusing development for me because on one hand I like reading about Erin; but on the other I really wish we're focusing on Two Face because this is his damn comic book in the first place.

And when we do zero-in on him, it's by this last installment which are rife with great character interaction moments between him and Batman as well. The top-notch illustrations of Gleason, Gray and Kalisz should pique your interest since I personally think that they can rival those of Capullo, Miki and FCO from Synder's Batman: Zero Year. I'm constantly pleased by how much Gleason is surprising me as an artist. His artwork has come far since Born To Kill, first volume of B&R. He has finally learned to be more expressive in his details of character's faces and the action panels. So his artwork for this issue may earn the biggest share of my rating for it overall.

Peter J. Tomasi's The Big Burn was definitely one of his strongest arcs (which is saying something because we were served by his weakest before), and that fucking ending will thankfully be resolved soon enough. I'm also looking forward for whatever larger role Erin McKillen will take to what I assume will be the Gotham's mob rise to relevance in the New 52 Batman storylines.

RECOMMENDED: 8/10

[Best of Batman] Batman and Robin by Grant Morrison vol.2

Amusingly disjointed, irresponsibly fun and outrageous, and atrociously silly--these are the foremost adjectives I would describe Grant Morrison's story arcs entitled Blackest Knight and Batman vs. Robin which this second volume was composed of.

I was a massive fan of the first volume Batman Reborn because those six issues are probably the most insanely crafted storylines I have ever read in a Batman series, and yet they were also able to impart something resonant when it comes to characterizations and thematic conflicts. I originally intended to only read the first volume this year but since I have a week to spare before I get started on my December list, I decided to just jump right into the next six issues and I was glad I did because it was the most fun I had, particularly when everything about the stories just clicks with me easily.

There wasn't anything of notable depth for this volume. In fact, most of the plot ideas are plain silly but it's the kind of silly that entertains. Morrison was not pretentious in delivering these action-packed tales which I quite appreciated because it kept everything light-hearted and exciting for me to follow. I don't even notice that it's not Bruce Wayne underneath that cowl but Dick Grayson.

This is set after the events of Final Crisis where Bruce Wayne was presumed dead. It's in this volume when it was revealed that he is very much alive and was merely transported by Darkseid to some alternate dimension, and it's up to Dick, Damian and Alfred to find and retrieve him, but not without complications and the other more important missions to face as the Dynamic Duo.

The inarguable bonus for me in picking up this series was the fact that I'm able to enjoy Damian Wayne as Robin again after the months of heartache I experienced when he was tragically killed by Morrison himself (something I'm slowly forgiving him for these days) in Batman Incorporated. Due to his year-long absence and death in the New 52 continuity, I tried my best to avoid any material that included him for a while. Choosing to read him again in the comic book pages is honestly an act of courage, and a step towards accepting him back in my life as a beloved favorite character. I know this all sounds laughable to you, but I love Damian Wayne in a way I never thought was possible (because it was unexpected!) so losing him was like losing my own family. That's not an exaggerated sentiment. That's how it felt like when I watched him die. I had to grieve him alongside Batman and the rest of his friends as I read and reviewed Tomasi issues as dutifully as I could six months ago. That wasn't an easy task to do. It was a very masochistic endeavor. I even cried a lot.

Now I was absolutely torn about him coming back in Tomasi's run but reading him here in Morrison's own version has made me realize how much I've missed him after all, and that I do look forward to reading him again in New 52. This volume's last issue (#12) provided a very insightful and brutally honest look at Damian's relationship wit his mother Talia al Ghul. I've talked about it in this review, so I won't repeat myself. You can just read it by clicking the link. Overall, if you are a Damian Wayne fan yourself, then I recommend Morrison's Batman and Robin. It's fun, comedic and surprisingly sweet in some ways. This one was illustrated by two artists, Cameron Stewart and Andy Clarke for the respective two story arcs. There is a lot of dynamic and tantalizing panels and action sequences in their artwork which I guarantee will keep you engrossed as you turn the pages.

I am ready for more Batman and Robin stories both from the old and new continuity!

RECOMMENDED: 8/10

[Best of Batman] Strange Apparitions by Steve Englehart & Len Wein

First off, I would like to state that I'm very torn about my rating for this graphic novel. On one hand I can acknowledge the influence and impact it has on the Tim Burton movie adaptations and  the initial conceptual work for Batman: The Animated Series (which I am both a big fan of, most particularly of the latter). On another, I don't think the tonality and composition style of the Batman stories herein really appeal to my sensibilities, and that's mostly because I've been soaked with so much New 52 stuff this year that it's probably the only version of Batman that resonates with me at this point. I'm not saying it's a good thing, however, because there are a few major criticisms that I have for New 52 about some of its long-game decisions, especially when it comes to their treatment of Batman villains and tropes.

Still, if you'll make me choose, I'd still go for the most current material and continuity. I don't think that this 70's era Batman is also something I can recommend to everyone (even if a lot of quintessential Batman elements are present here), let alone to a novice whose primary recognition of Batman might come alone from the Christopher Nolan franchise. That being said, the eleven stories featured in this collaborative work of Steve Englehart and Len Wein for Strange Apparitions is a fun-filled adventure that makes use of a roster of villains such as Dr. Phosphorous, Hugo Strange, Penguin, the Joker and Clayface. This collection also gives us Bruce Wayne's girlfriend Silver St. Cloud who I consider to be a well-written female character even if she's still subjected to certain glaring gender stereotypes back when this comic book was published.

Upon reading the first two issues of this volume, I was immensely entertained even when the narrative boxes are self-aware and cheesy in a lot of ways. I just pretend that there is an old-timey voice speaking in my head as I read. But as I progressed on, this linguistic style started to irritate me that I have to consciously block it out in order to invest myself in the stories themselves. If you don't take the prose into consideration, the stories can be very riveting, especially the way Batman does his investigative work and deduces the motivations and process of the crimes that were committed. Too often we became used to Batsy using state-of-the-art gadgetry and beating up the bad guys to a pulp. It's nice to see Batman be a detective since this is after all issues taken from Detective Comics. Another thing I liked about these stories is the way the villains are written which is thankfully composed of the right amount of sass, theatrics and snarling attitude. I will always despise Hugo Strange but his appearances for this collection didn't bother me as much as I expected.

My favorite story of the volume has to be the Joker-centered ones. If any of you read my review of The Man Who Laughs by Ed Brubaker last week, I made a startling confession there that I've been so sick to death with Jokermania. However, the story The Laughing Fish, which I first watched in Paul Dini's Batman: The Animated Series as an episode, was simply hilarious that I started to remember why the Joker is such an entertainingly diabolical villain in the first place. But my favorite aspect of Strange Apparitions has to be the character subplot concerning Silver St. Cloud and Bruce Wayne whose relationship problems were reflective and interesting enough for me to pay attention to. I like that Bruce back then can still have time for romantic relationships even if he has to put the woman he loves at arm length's. I also like that Silver is shrewd enough to figure out that Bruce Wayne is Batman; and that she's torn about telling him that she knows or keeping it all to herself and just wait for him to come around and tell her himself. Sadly, this was only a very small subplot and if an issue further tackling this plot thread was explored, it was never included for this volume. I should also mention that Dick Grayson is still Robin here although he's definitely a grown man now so seeing him in that Boy Wonder costume is pretty dorky (especially when he and Bruce started wrestling in the bat-cave like a couple of nerdy chums). You will NEVER SEE New 52, post-Nolan Bruce EVER DOING THAT so it's quite a gem to be provided by that here.

It's worth noting that 70's era Batman comics was still experiencing the aftershocks of the 60's era when the Adam West and Burt Ward show was a national phenomenon which explains the tendency for campiness in this volume. But there is depth and maturity in the stories themselves as well if you consider the content alone; yet I consider the structure and delivery to be the reason why they can be grating in some moments. However, I think I'm going to be less generous with my rating and base it on my own personal preferences. In general, if we consider its objective importance to the Bat-verse, Strange Apparitions will be a solid 8. But I will remove one star in my final verdict because it's my own prerogative to do so. This is also something I cannot recommend to novices right away but should be explored for posterity's sake no less.

RECOMMENDED: 7/10