He Died

Sorry for the long hiatus, I was busy this week. While I was away, I read “Whatever Happened To The Caped Crusader?”, and decided to do a review of the book. I was interested in reading the comic ever since I heard of it, and it did not disappoint. The premise of Batman attending his own funeral with many different versions of his allies and villains was very interesting, and was written well. Catwoman and Alfred’s tales were both interesting takes on the Batman mythology, as were the smaller mentions to Batman’s various deaths. I enjoyed seeing how the Animated Series versions of Harley Quinn and Joker appeared, as well as the ’60s version of Riddler. I personally found the art phenomenal, and though that the drawings of the characters resembling their original or classic incarnations was a nice touch. I am slightly disappointed that we didn’t see Gordon’s eulogy, but I did love Ra’s al Ghul’s story, which seems to be very similar to the storyline used in Arrow for Season 3. The story had many funny in-jokes, such as Robin talking about how Batman was “holy,” or Martha Wayne saying that Death wasn’t a person when one of Neil Gaiman’s earlier works proved the exact opposite, and Catwoman’s costume in her story changing from her original costume to one of her classic looks. The ending, where Martha Wayne reveals herself, was good, though it seemed like it dragged on very long and left little room for the funeral, which I found the best part. Really, pacing was the main problem with the story, and Neil Gaiman should have been given more than just two issues to write the “last Batman story.” The reveal that when Batman dies, he is reborn as a new Batman on an alternate universe is interesting, and should have had more time to be discussed. The main two eulogies, Alfred’s tale and the Golden Age Catwoman’s tale (No pun intended), were both interesting, but I much preferred Alfred’s story. Catwoman’s story really seemed the same as Batman and Catwoman’s normal relationship, except the end, which seemed out of character for Catwoman. However, Alfred’s tale was a strange but well-written story, and had a memorable ending. I was a bit confused by how much of Batman was fake in the story. Alfred reveals that there is no Arkham, but it seems strange that a great detective wouldn’t eventually realize that the asylum he’s sending all his enemies to didn’t exist. I mean, it’s sort of hard to miss an asylum, isn’t it? Other than that, there was no major discrepancies, and I really did like this story. Neil Gaiman’s writing is paralleled only by Andy Kubert’s art, and the various eulogies were well-written and interesting takes of Batman’s mythology, with some fun in-jokes and references.

Verdict

All in all, this was a fantastic comic, with interesting writing and great artwork. I give it a 9/10. Soon, I’ll be doing a review of Green Arrow Year One.

Year One

This week I read Green Arrow: Year One and Batman: Year One. Both were good, and I’ve decided to write reviews for them. I’m starting off with Batman: Year One

Batman: Year One

Batman: Year One was one of the best comics I’ve read in a while. I enjoyed seeing Batman’s origin, as well as a tougher, younger Jim Gordon than the one we’re all used too. While Frank Miller’s later work is atrocious, this and Dark Knight Returns are amazing comics. Seeing the beginnings of Batman, Gordon, Catwoman, and even Joker (Kind of) was very interesting. The comic was written well, and I believe that this is what the Gotham TV show should have been about, showing a good cop trying to fight crime in a corrupt city, instead of jam-packing every possible reference to the future of Batman and his villains down out throats 24/7. Seeing Gordon as a great fighter was surprising, but done in a good way, but on the other hand, I think it was odd seeing Batman defeated by a 12-year old girl. Even if Batman is only at the start of his career, the years he spent training would make him stronger than he was shown to be. Actually, Batman was my least favorite part of the book, though I did love the scene where he tells a banquet full of the rich and corrupt that none of them are safe. Really, this felt like Gordon’s story more than Batman’s, and I personally believed that is should have been more about Gordon than Batman. No matter how good Batman’s scenes are, Gordon beating up Flass was a great scene, and felt satisfying to me, as I hated Flass and like seeing him get his comeuppance. The fact that this was set in the same universe as Dark Knight Returns was fun for me, as I liked seeing how relationships started after watching them end, and it was interesting to see all the little connections, such as the appearance of the Bat that burst through the window, and Selina Kyle’s career choices. I thought Gordon was written well, and it was interesting seeing his black and white mentality slowly fall apart. At the start, he thought cops were good, because they’re the law, and Batman’s bad because he breaks laws, but he slowly realizes that it isn’t that simple. The cops are greedy, cruel, and violent, and Batman saves old woman and cats. This character development was well-written, and made Gordon a very interesting character, as did his affair with Sarah Essen, which essentially (See what I did there?) represented Gordon’s thoughts on Batman and the GCPD changing, as he saw that good and bad can be quite similar, and easily confused. Knowing that Gordon is married to Sarah Essen in the more recent comics before her death at the hands of the Joker, I was surprised that Gordon ended up still married to Barbara, and with Sarah transferred to a different city. Speaking of Sarah, I now wish that I read this before Dark Knight Returns, as I would have better appreciated the connections, and I would have felt more invested in scenes in DKR like when Sarah is thought by Jim to be dead if I read about the start of their relationship first. I’m planning to read both back to back later today, and I’m surely it will enhance the experience of reading both comics.

Verdict

A well-written and interesting take on the Batman mythology, with a very engaging Jim Gordon and many nods and references the Dark Knight Returns, I give Batman: Year One a 9/10. Later today, or tomorrow, I will write a review of Green Arrow: Year One, another retold origin of a famous hero, similar in some ways to Batman: Year One, but different in many others. For now, though, I’ll leave you with an Excelsior!