Batman (1940 Series) #628

June 22, 2004

Quick Rating: Good
Title: Scary Monsters (As the Crow Flies Part Three)

As Jonathan Crane continues his work for the Penguin, a horrifying new Scarecrow terrorizes Gotham City’s underworld.

Writer: Judd Winick
Pencils: Dustin Nguyen
Inks: Richard Friend
Colors: Alex Sinclair
Letters: Clem Robins
Editor: Bob Schreck
Cover Art: Matt Wagner
Publisher: DC Comics

I didn’t expect Judd Winick to spend so much of his Batman tenure focusing on the villains, but that’s just what he’s doing, and it’s working well. For a long time now, the Penguin has been portrayed as a sort of bumbling snake oil salesman, at best a washed-up kingpin who’s unable to reclaim his past glories. Here he finally feels like a mob boss, like a nasty bad guy to be reckoned with.

The Scarecrow, meanwhile, is a man who is both confused and torn. He seems to have a real emotional attachment with his assistant, Linda, and truly disdains being in the Penguin’s employ. Still, he has a warped duty to perform, and he keeps going.

Our heroes aren’t absent, of course. Batman sends Robin (Tim Drake, this clearly takes place before Robin #125) off for his regularly-scheduled weekend with the Teen Titans, clearly glad to get his young partner out of harm’s way, and then sets out to find the creature that’s driving mobsters insane. There seems to be a fairly obvious culprit in the creation of this nightmarish Scarecrow substitute, and I’m hoping Winick is either fooling me by looking in the wrong direction or has a really original backstory that is yet to be revealed.

Nguyen and Friend have a wonderful style in this series. They have a fine traditional rendition of Batman and a great big, nasty monster. The creature comes out like something out of L. Frank Baum’s nightmares, a real Scarecrow from hell.

The Winick/Nguyen Batman may not go down in history as the greatest run of all time, but it’s a good, solid run that should be satisfying any mainstream Batman fan. If the mystery turns out to have more to it than it seems, it’ll be better than solid. I’ll just enjoy it while it lasts.

Rating: 7/10

Green Arrow (2001 Series) #51

June 7, 2005

Quick Rating: Fair
Title: Anarky in the USA

When a bomber hits Star City, Green Arrow comes face-to-face with Anarky.

Writer: James Peaty
Pencils: Eric Battle
Inks: Jack Purcell
Colors: Guy Major
Letters: Phil Balsman
Editor: Bob Schreck
Cover Art: James Jean
Publisher: DC Comics

Is this fill-in week at DC? First Gotham Central, then this one-off story where none of the regular creators chime in and none of the regular storylines are progressed.

When a highly-populated arts plaza is blown up, the clues point to the vigilante named Anarky, and Green Arrow sets off to bring him in. Once he’s convinced that the young man is being framed, however, the two set off on a tenuous partnership to bring in the real bombers.

It’s a decent enough team-up story, as far as they go, but the main premise is kind of hard to swallow. First, that Green Arrow would suddenly decide that Anarky is innocent not based on any evidence but just on a “feeling,” and second, that he would work with a known terrorist, whether he shares many of his anti-establishment viewpoints or not.

Eric Battle’s artwork is pretty good this issue. He handles the two main characters fairly well, at least in costume, but for some reason the expressions on Anarky’s face whenever he’s unmasked make him look like he isn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer, if you know what I mean.

In the end, things are done up a bit too quickly and things settled a bit too neatly. And again, Green Arrow seems way too comfortable with his impromptu partner.

I can’t really recommend this issue, but I won’t tear it apart either. It’s all right, but the plot holes are things that really could have been patched up very easily, and that’s a big problem.

Rating: 6/10

Batman #627

May 8, 2004

Quick Rating: Good
Title: Partners in Crime (As the Crow Flies Part Two)

The Penguin and the Scarecrow make their schemes as Batman tries to track them down.

Writer: Judd Winick
Pencils: Dustin Nguyen
Inks: Richard Friend
Colors: Alex Sinclair
Letters: Clem Robins
Editor: Bob Schreck
Cover Art: Matt Wagner
Publisher: DC Comics

Didn’t the last issue of Batman ship just two weeks ago? One hopes DC isn’t going to follow Marvel’s lead when it comes to double shipping or skewing release schedules – there’s enough of that going on already. But at least we get a solid issue of Batman this week.

Mobsters in Gotham City are going nuts, killing indiscriminately and usually ending up dead themselves, and the Batman wants to know why. The readers already know the answer, however – the whole thing is a plot concocted by the Penguin and the Scarecrow, who is forced into a subservient role even though it is his biochemical genius making the plan possible.

This is a pretty good study of the characters, showing how meek the Scarecrow really is when not amped up on his chemicals or his own self-importance. The Penguin also comes across as more brutal and dangerous than he has appeared in recent years, and quite the joke he frequently appears to be.

We’re also introduced to a new character this issue, the Scarecrow’s lab assistant, Linda Friitawa. Linda is a true albino, with pale skin, white hair and pink eyes – and a sensitivity to light that makes her as much a creature of the night as the Batman. She has an odd affection for the Scarecrow, something that promises to add a dimension to the old villain who sometimes feels like he has no stories left to tell. It’s a nice little twist that Winick adds, and one that is welcome.

Dustin Nguyen is a really good Batman artist. He and inker Richard Friend do a fine job casting the Dark Knight in the shadows, and bring out the grotesqueries of the Penguin and the spindly weirdness of the Scarecrow very well. The final monster that appears on the last few pages looks especially good, like something out of L. Frank Baum’s nightmares.

Winick is serving up a good old-fashioned Batman tale – nothing spectacular, nothing groundbreaking, but entertaining and a lot of fun. I’m enjoying this story arc, and I expect I’ll keep enjoying it through to the end.

Rating: 7/10

Batman #626

April 24, 2004

Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: Visions (As the Crow Flies)

One of the lords of Gotham’s underworld goes nuts – can Batman figure out why?

Writer: Judd Winick
Pencils: Dustin Nguyen
Inks: Richard Friend
Colors: Alex Sinclair
Letters: Clem Robins
Editor: Bob Schreck
Cover Art: Matt Wagner
Publisher: DC Comics

In the interests of full disclosure, I suppose I should mention that I’m predisposed towards enjoying this issue for two reasons – one, I didn’t care for Brian Azzarello’s “Broken City” arc, and two, Judd Winick appears to be using one of my favorite Batman villains in his run. So keep that in mind when I tell you that I thought this was a rather enjoyable issue. Thomas Alliaotto, alias Big Tommy A, one of the seemingly endless ganglords that calls Gotham City home, goes nuts before this issue even opens, pulling a gun and opening fire on what he sees as a room full of demons. Batman discovers him to be amped up on some sort of hallucinogenic drug, massively powerful and incredibly dangerous. (This info, given to us in the first few pages, is probably enough for most Bat-fans to figure out the last-page villain. If that isn’t, the fact that he’s on the cover of an issue a couple of months from now that’s already been solicited all over the internet should be).

Even though the identity of the villain isn’t new, his old tricks are amplified and altered in this issue. That’s not exactly anything new, but the way it’s played up is pretty original. Winick has shown a surprising talent for a good crime drama in his Caper series, and some of that skill definitely shows in this issue. He also does a good job with the supporting cast, including a great sequence with Alfred and a disguised Robin that’s slightly ironic considering upcoming events in that character’s own title.

Dustin Nguyen and Richard Friend do a fine job on the art chores, with a very classical-looking Batman as he leaps out of the shadows and a beautiful job on the architecture of the city. For lighter scenes the colors of Alex Sinclair sell the book, giving us a Batman that exists in shades of gray. It’s a look that really works for this title.

Given my disappointment in the last few months of the book, it’s probably inevitable that I would enjoy this story considerably more. I honestly don’t think it’s just me, though, I think this is a good, solid, old-school Batman story. Check it out yourself and see if you agree.

Rating: 8/10

Batman #625

March 30, 2004

Quick Rating: Below Average
Title: Broken City Part Six

Azzarello and Risso leave Batman with a cap to the mystery of Angel Lupo.

Writer: Brian Azzarello
Art: Eduardo Risso
Colors: Patricia Mulvihill
Letters: Clem Robins
Editor: Will Dennis and Bob Schreck
Cover Art: Eduardo Risso
Publisher: DC Comics

And the “Broken City” arc comes to its conclusion, with some fans sorry to see it end and others, myself included, relieved that another creative team will be taking over this title with the next issue. I’m sorry, folks, but “Broken City” just didn’t deliver for me. This issue gives us a clichéd cap to a clichéd “hardboiled” mystery, an inexplicable appearance by the Joker (this isn’t a spoiler, he’s right there on the cover) and an overwhelming feeling that I’m just glad its done.

Aside from the fact that the mystery of the arc never really grabbed me, the sudden inclusion of the Joker feels entirely superfluous, as though he’s only there so that Azzarello can say he wrote a Joker story. Plus, with him running around on the loose over in Batman: Gotham Knights but laced up in Arkham here, it’s no wonder some fans feel intimidated by so many bat-books. I don’t mean we should necessarily keep a chart somewhere showing where villains are at all times, but especially in the Batman books I don’t feel like there’s any effort at reason with them at all anymore – a villain is incarcerated when the writer needs him to be and on the loose when he needs him to be, rarely if ever showing him escape and rarely if ever showing him actually getting captured. There’s no sense there.

Risso for all the skill he’s shown in 100 Bullets, sacrifices more and more of his style to a Frank Miller pastiche in this issue. From body type to facial structure to the weird “chapped lips” look Batman has in come panels, it’s like looking at something Miller drew 20 years ago instead of something Risso drew in the here and now.

I’m sorry to the fans who enjoyed this run, but I simply don’t see what the appeal was. “Broken City” never felt fresh or original to me, it felt like a halfhearted attempt to pay homage to the Miller days and never quite lived up to it.

But at least we’ve probably seen the last of the Killer Croc’s ‘fro.

Rating: 4/10

Mystery in Space (2006 Series) #1

September 2, 2006

Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: Eschatology & Revivification

Captain Comet is dead! Long live Captain Comet! Plus… the return of The Weird!

Writer: Jim Starlin
Pencils: Shane Davis & Jim Starlin
Inks: Matt “Batt” Banning & Al Milgrom
Colors: Jeromy Cox & Jim Starlin
Letters: Phil Balsman & Jared K. Fletcher
Editor: Bob Schreck
Cover Art: Shane Davis & Matt Banning
Publisher: DC Comics

Think it’s just DC’s big guns that are getting a facelift these days? Mystery in Space is just the first in a series of miniseries intended to breathe new life into characters from across the DC Universe, and the focus of this new space-spanning series is DC’s first mutant character, Captain Comet.

Who, yes, is dead. Ish.

As this issue begins, a young man bearing a striking resemblance to the 70something superhero finds himself under attack by a group of powerful telepaths. As he fights, we go into not one, but two flashback sequences – one with Comet’s friends mourning his death and one featuring the death itself, and its very unexpected aftermath. People afraid that this would just be another example of a classic hero getting killed off and replaced with a new character (I was one of them, I admit) will be pleasantly surprised, I think. The three timelines presented in this issue flow in and out of each other pretty capriciously, but never in a confusing manner. By the end of the story, we’re quite clear as to what happened, although we don’t yet know what started the chain of events, and we’re excited to see what happens next. We also get a quick primer on who Captain Comet is, for those who may be unfamiliar with the character.

Davis and Banning do a really good job focusing on the cosmic aspects of this character. There’s a lot of outer-space stuff here, a lot of science fiction art that blends seamlessly with the superhero aspects. A great read and great artwork.

“Revivification,” the back-up story in this series, actually picks up on a story beat from Captain Comet’s tale to begin the resurrection of a mostly-forgotten character from the 80s, the Weird, this one written, penciled and colored by Starlin himself. The Weird was another cosmic character that briefly ran into the Justice League and worked with them to save the world before dying himself. He’s back, though, and begins an examination of self this issue. More than the main story, the back-up is purely set-up. There are some interesting ideas, but it’ll take another chapter or two to determine how well it’ll hold my interest.

The main story is enough to keep me on board, though. Seeing such a classic character get this kind of treatment really appeals to me, and I can’t wait to see what happens next to Captain Comet.

Rating: 8/10

Detective Comics #798

August 31, 2004

Quick Rating: Great
Title: Undertow (War Games Act Two Part One) & Low Part Two

Gotham has calmed from the mob war – but is it only the eye of the storm?

Writers: Andersen Gabrych & Shane McCarthy
Pencils: Pete Woods & Tommy Castillo
Inks: Cam Smith & Rodney Ramos
Colors: Jason Wright & Tony Avina
Letters: Pat Brosseau
Editors: Bob Schreck & Michael Wright
Cover Art: Jock
Publisher: DC Comics

Compared to the tumultuous events that defined the first act of “War Games,” Act Two begins in a positively subdued fashion as the city tries to pick itself up from the bloody mob war and the horrific events at Lewis E. Grieve Memorial High School. But Batman knows the calm cannot last. The mobs are regrouping during the day, and mob boss Henry Alquista wants retribution for the shooting of his daughter, Darla.

We spend a little time with many members of our cast this issue, seeing how each of them prepares for what will certainly be another night of violence. Batman approaches Commissioner Akins with a proposal to save the city, Onyx heals up from her injuries last month and both Oracle and Tim Drake are torn by the fact that they can’t be on the streets helping to put things right. For an issue that is virtually all set-up, putting the gamepieces in place for the battle to begin anew, Andersen Gabrych manages to build up an incredible amount of tension and suspense, all leading up to a last page which, while not terribly surprising, is triumphant nonetheless.

I almost feel bad for McCarthy and Castillo – it’s hard to imagine their back-up story, “Low,” will get much notice in the midst of all this, and it’s really quite good. The Riddler has been lured into Poison Ivy’s lair, and he’s not in the best position to slip out. The story is good and the artwork is great, including some fantastic colors by Tony Avina, but in all the hubbub over “War Games,” it’s bound to get lost.

Some people shy away from crossovers. Those people are missing out. This is the best storyline to hit the Batman family in years, and this is another great installment.

Rating: 9/10

Batman #624

February 23, 2004

Quick Rating: Below Average
Title: Broken City Part Five

Batman finally finds Angel Lupo… but will it do any good?

Writer: Brian Azzarello
Art: Eduardo Risso
Colors: Patricia Mulvihill
Letters: Clem Robins
Editor: Will Dennis & Bob Schreck
Cover Art: Dave Johnson
Publisher: DC Comics

With only one issue remaining in the “Broken City” story arc, try as I might, I just can’t find it in me to care about the overriding mystery. I don’t care about Angel Lupo and Margo seems just another stereotypical femme fatale. To tell a good mystery, you’ve got to have the audience engrossed, wondering, yearning to know the outcome. I’m just yearning for the next story arc to begin.

Batman has a little chat with the Penguin that leads to another confrontation with Fatman and Little Boy, who turn out to be far more brutal and effective in this issue than we’ve been given any reason to expect. The fight scene seems to exist solely to pad the issue.

Even the artwork, which has thus far been the high point of the “Broken City” arc, suffers in this issue. Eduardo Risso wants to be Frank Miller so badly it hurts, and any style of his own gets lost in this issue. Whether you’re a fan of Miller’s style or not, I’d still prefer to see Risso develop and evolve on his own rather than just ape someone who did his best Batman work almost 20 years ago.

There’s only one issue left for this title to wrap things up in a satisfying fashion. It seems less and less likely that will actually happen, but if you’ve been disappointed in this storyline, you can at least take heart in the fact that it’s almost over.

Rating: 4/10

Caper #3

December 29, 2003

Quick Rating: Good
Title: Market Street Part Three

The Weiss brothers launch their plan of revenge against Boss Cohen.

Writer: Judd Winick
Art: Farel Dalrymple
Colors: Guy Major
Letters: Rob Leigh
Editor: Bob Schreck
Cover Art: Farel Dalrymple
Publisher: DC Comics

Judd Winick’s Jewish mafia drama approaches the end of its first story arc as Izzy and Jacob Weiss launch their plot against their own mob boss. Last issue, Boss Cohen murdered the woman Jacob loved. The brothers vow to strike back (Jacob claims it is not about revenge, but about right and wrong, but the reader knows better) – but know that attempting to conquer him head-on would be tantamount to suicide. Their solution? Precipitate a gang war.

After reading the first issue of this series I thought Winick needed to come up with some new twist to differentiate this title from the hundreds of other crime dramas out there. I think he’s done it with this issue. In most stories, this would have been the issue where the Weiss boys start their bloody killing spree, moving their way up the ranks until they killed Cohen himself. Instead, they think their plan out, killing just the right people and putting just the right pieces in motion to allow Cohen’s mob to crumble around him. It’s a smart, crafty movie that makes this story stand out a bit from the rest of the pack.

Dalrymple continues to impress with this story. His artwork has a gritty, angular style that makes the entire story read like it takes place in a world of anger and despair. I don’t know what else he’s capable of, never having seen any of his work before. This isn’t a style that would fit a mainstream title, a superhero or science fiction book or anything like that, but Dalrymple could definitely have a future illustrating these sorts of smaller, darker tales.

The only real complaint about the issue is how often the characters lapse into what I must assume is Yiddish (since I don’t speak it). I don’t have a problem with this in and of itself, but I do wish we could get a translation or a glossary, because in many of the angriest scenes in the comic, I’m left trying to pick out the conversation by context.

Now that Winick is beginning to pull this story in a new direction, I’m much more interested in seeing where it goes. With only one issue left in this story arc but nine issues left in the series, there are many, many directions this tale could take, and it will be intriguing to discover which ones the writer chooses.

Rating: 7/10

Detective Comics #797

August 3, 2004

Quick Rating: Good
Title: Flashpoint (War Games Act 1, Part 1) & Low Part One

The war has erupted – can Batman’s family keep Gotham whole?

Writer: Andersen Gabrych & Shane McCarthy
Pencils: Pete Woods & Tommy Castillo
Inks: Nathan Massengill & Rodney Ramos
Colors: Jason Wright & Tony Avina
Letters: Pat Brosseau & Ken Lopez
Editor: Bob Schreck & Michael Wright
Cover Art: Jock
Publisher: DC Comics

This is going to be a very difficult issue to review because, first of all, thanks to its “advance” status I haven’t read the first part of the storyline in this week’s Batman: The 12-Cent Adventure, and second, because I’ll have to try to avoid spoiling the events of that issue.

Here’s what I can tell you – Gotham City is in serious trouble. A gang war has erupted, threatening to consume the streets, and only Batman’s family has a chance to get things under control. I know that a lot of people are put off by crossovers like this one, but when they’re done well, I’m a big fan. This issue does everything you really need out of a crossover chapter – it advances the main storyline, and it quickly recaps the events of the other Batman titles to allow people who haven’t been reading every title to jump right in. It manages to do this, however, without dragging down the story or boring regular readers.

Pete Woods, whose work I last saw over in Robin, is a natural for the Batman family. Each hero, even satellite characters like Orpheus, get to shine a bit here. He manages to capture the lunacy and chaos that Gotham is in, but doesn’t make things so chaotic that you don’t know what’s going on.

Most readers have made up their minds – they’re either going to get all of the “War Games” chapters or none at all. If you’re going to read, I think you’ll find yourself satisfied with this issue. If you aren’t, then I’d urge you to give it a try – based solely on this issue, I think this will be a good one.

“Low,” the backup story by McCarthy and Castillo, is okay, but seems a bit superfluous. The Riddler finds his way into Poison Ivy’s lair, only to find himself up to his neck in trouble. So-so story, but Castillo, Ramos and Avina do a very nice job on the artistic side. I’d like to see this art team take on a bat-book full time, Robin for instance.

Rating: 7/10