BatWatch Review: Legends of the Dark Knight #48

Unlucky Thirteen

I've heard bad things about this issue. It's a simple one shot written by Tim Seeley (former writer of Devil's Due's Hack and Slash: The Series and current writer of Legends of the Dark Knight, IDW's Neverwinter Tales and G.I. Joe/Transformers, Top Cow's Witchblade and Image's Revival) with art by Freddie E. Williams II. (former artist of Robin and current artist for Legends of the Dark Knight, The Movement and Dark Horse's Dark Horse Presents) I do not even recall the criticisms I've heard on this issue, but I know I heard bad reviews. I wish I didn't have that tainting my judgment, but it's too late now. I know Williams II from his work on Robin which I quite enjoyed, but I don't think I've ever come across Seeley though I have heard of him. With nothing other than the title, Unlucky Thirteen, it's hard to know what to expect from this issue.

Is this a lucky day for fans of Legends of the Dark Knight or has Legends luck completely run out?

In this issue, Batman comes across a punk with bad luck who goes by the street name Thirteen.

Fun Times

Since I'm running way behind, I'll keep it very short and sweet. I thought the criticism for this issue was misplaced. This issue was a lot of fun.

I suppose I can see how someone who wanted a serious take on Batman might be disappointed, but as long as you are willing to share in a more light hearted narrative, I don't see any reason not to enjoy yourself with this one. Thirteen is a lovable loser who partners with the Dark Knight for his own protection, and in the ensuing chaos, we get a little discussion about the philosophy of luck. It's a fun story, pure and simple.

Bat Droppings

1. It was nice to see Freddie E. Williams at work again. It took me a few seconds, but pretty soon I was getting a nostalgic buzz as I recalled his work on Robin.

(Spoilers until Conclusion)

2. The story was not perfect by any stretch of the imagination. For instance, a metahuman named Polar Joe was in the story, and his odd appearance felt like it needed to be addressed. Also, Batman immediately deduces what happened when Thirteen begins blowing gas out his mouth. I can see Bruce figuring that out quickly, but that was a little too quick.

Conclusion 8/10

As long as you are in the mood for something kind of funny and off beat, then you'll enjoy this issue.

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Legends of the Dark Knight #45 - #47

Without Sin

I've noticed a lot of people searching the Legends of the Dark Knight review page, and it occurs to me that people might be looking for a review of “Legends of the Dark Knight: Jim Aparo Volume 2” the recent trade that came out collecting many of the old The Brave and the Bold issues. I have not read this, and I'm afraid I'm swamped with other reviews, but it just so happens that I've read a couple of these individual issues. Specifically, I read the issue where Batman teamed up with Plastic Man and Metamorpho and the issue where he teamed up with Hawkman. I can tell you that this generation of Brave and the Bold was great fun, and if you like Silver Age Batman, you will definitely love this collection. However, the price seems a bit much. Fifty bucks for about twenty-five issues that are nearly forty years old? It's not the best deal in the world. Still, if you are a big fan of this type of story, it might be worth the price.

Now on to regularly scheduled programing.

Legends is always a surprise bringing something new each week...except for these six weeks which have oddly been set apart for one, by Legends standards, incredibly long story arc. This six parter started off well in the first half by bringing Batman into an area he rarely visits, the world of religion. In the first three parts of Without Sin, a priest is murdered and Two-Face is blamed, yet Harvey Dent claims to be trying to turn over a new leaf at least until his rage at being falsely accused sends him back over the edge. The priesthood seems to have its own share of secrets. One priest is willing and capable of throwing down in the dirtiest of bar room brawls, and it is not yet clear if this jaded priest is an ally or opponent of the truth though he appears to be loyal to the Bat. At the same time, a horde of other members of the cloth are torn between loyalties to God, the church, and justice. Christians are rarely painted with any depth in comics, and church politics are almost never explored, so this arc holds great promise.

Does Without Sin manage to seamlessly blend religious drama, investigative procedural, and superhero vigilantism into one satisfying package or is this issue an unholy mess?

In these issues, Batman takes on Two-Face, but Batman's meddling might have made things worse.

Batman Goes to Church

I really enjoyed this issue, and a large part of my enjoyment came simply from the fact that it showcased Batman interacting with religion without religion being a big fraud as it is often portrayed in comics. It's not as if Bruce became a Christian at the end of the story, but it's nice just to see some depth of character to the priesthood. I'm on shaky ground with God at the moment, and I grew up a fundamental Baptist which is probably about as far away from Catholicism as you can be while still calling yourself Christian, so it's not like this issue was pandering to me, but what makes Legends so appealing is that we are able to see Batman in new ways, and though this is not exactly a game changer for Bruce, it does put him in a context rarely visited in a meaningful way in comics.

It was also nice to see Bruce screw something up, and that worked nicely into the issues theme of imperfection and forgiveness. Personally, I get tired of seeing the Batgod, and it was interesting to see Bruce humble himself and admit he is flawed. Granted, Alfred is basically Bruce's priest and spiritual advisor, so he does not really need a man of the cloth, but as a passing story, this was fun.

Plodding Procedural?

My only real complaint with the first half of this arc was that it's pacing was a bit slow for a superhero comic. There was definitely some action in the mix, but compared to the usual rush from fight to interrogation to revelation, the more meandering investigation laid out the facts at a slightly more plodding pace that left things feeling a bit slow. For the die hard mystery fans, it was probably all necessary, but for me, it was a bit much.

The second half of Without Sin does not suffer with the pacing issue. Things are a tad more focused on investigation than the average Bat comic, but the information comes quickly enough to leave the reader satisfied, and a brief flurry of action is never too far away.

The Spirit and the Flesh

Two-Face is represented well in this story though you have to let go to continuity to truly enjoy it. Bruce tries some tricks in this issue that have worked many times in previous Two-Face stories, yet they nearly send Two-Face into even greater psychosis here. The idea behind Two-Face's dual nature and the role of the coin are also tweaked to fit the needs of the story, but I'm all about seeing new takes on the mythos in a non-cannon series.

Bat Droppings

1. There were a bit too many suspects for this investigation to really be satisfying to me on a mystery level. Perhaps big mystery fans will be able to keep track, but personally, I need more development time for suspects to stand out in my brain.

2. I've often wondered how Batman's rope batarangs always perfectly lock on themselves. I wonder if this is something that could actually be done consistently in real life or if it is just comic book nonsense.

3. The cathedral in this issue is called St. Dismas. St. Dismas is the Catholic name for the repentant thief who Christ pardoned on the cross. Again, the idea of repentance and forgiveness is sewn into the plot, and the good thief also plays in to Two-Face's role in this story considering he did some good with stolen goods in this issue.

4. People, both Christians and non-Christians, seem to think that the Bible teaches against killing when nothing could be further from the truth. Old Testament law actually endorsed the death penalty and killing in self-defense. Heck, the Old Testament endorsed killing for adultery and a host of other sins that almost nobody would now think worthy of death these days. God specifically ordered the Israelites to kill other people. King David, the man after God's own heart, was a notorious killer. Jesus never said anything specifically about killing, but he was hardly a pacifist taking up whips to drive out money changers from the temple, and the Apostle Paul wrote that the government, “does not bear the sword in vain” which many construe as a New Testament endorsement of the death penalty. Anyway, sermon over. That's the old youth pastor coming out in me.

5. The art may not be for everybody. There are definitely some questionable panels, but for me, they were good enough to carry the story, and at times they were even quite striking.

Spoilers until Conclusion

6. The final conflict of this arc is way more convoluted and drawn out than it needed to be. Batman should have been able to stop Two-Face at almost any time, and yet he draws out the conflict and risks lives and for what? Flair? Suspense? It was a rather transparent, if still effective, way to create more tension in the final scene.

Conclusion 8/10

This whole arc was really good from a, “Let's see something new,” perspective, but at the same time, there is nothing that really pushes it up to the level of amazing. Still, it's a safe purchase for any fans of the series or anybody who finds the premise of this arc intriguing. People who have been longing for a more positive treatment of the church in comics should be thrilled.

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Legends of the Dark Knight #42 - #44

Without Sin

I love some good quality Legends of the Dark Knight, but this one has thrown me for a loop before I even read a page. This story spans six issues? I thought the whole point of Legends was to tell brief stories about Batman? This story may be good, but I feel this is kind of missing the whole point of the series. Dan Mishkin (former writer of Advanced Dungeons and Dragons and current writer of Legends of the Dark Knight) and Tom Mandrake (former artist for Batman and The Spectere and current artist of Legends of the Dark Knight) deliver this tale. Do these two use their extra long story to tell an amazing in depth tale or was this arc too long by the first page?

In this issue, a priest is murdered and Two-Face is the prime suspect, but Batman is on the case.

Batman Finds Religion

Batman does not find Jesus in this story, or at least he has not thus far, but it's interesting to see an actual in depth look at a religious institution in comics. Usually, comics tend to breeze right by anything religious. They might have a brief reference to God or a cross, but the philosophy and politics of various religious institutions are almost never visited. The murder of the priest and interlocking mysteries of the church, however, gives a perfect opportunity to explore this.

It's no secret that comics often give religious people a bad rap in comics. Even Gail Simone, an atheist, has said they are characterized poorly, so I've been watching this story with a cynical eye for any negative religious stereotypes, but thus far, it's been all good. The particular church in question is Catholic, and there seems to be a good mix of different characters none of which are flat or caricatures. One of the priests will probably be revealed to be a murderer just because the Two-Face angle is so obvious, (more on that later) but I don't mind as long as the priesthood is treated like a group of actual people and not generic douches with collars.

Batman: Law and Order

I am enjoying the story, but it's different than most comic stories in that it has taken a rather procedural tone. Honestly, you could put a police detective in the place of Batman, and the story would still make sense with only minor tweaks. It makes the whole thing feel like a television procedural which is not necessarily a bad thing if you like procedurals, but for my money, it's a tiny bit too slow to be ideal.

Bat Droppings

1. The first five or six pages of this arc seem different in artistic style than the rest of the pages. I actually thought it was a shift in artists at first, and I tried to see if there was a fill in a artist, but there was none, and I think I can see the similarities in art style now that I've looked at it a bit longer, but the first few pages seemed much more detailed and smooth. Regardless, the art is nice through all the issues. Mandrake is not the most detailed of artist, but his style is good in its own way, and he had a good eye for framing the panels in interesting ways. I'm quite enjoying him.

2. Apparently, cops are anti-Bat in this universe which is fine except a little clarification would be nice. One of the cool things about Legends though is how everybody gets to make their own version of the Bat mythos.

3. We are getting a little of Batman's religious philosophy in this book, and there are some good themes floating around, but I'm curious if these things will actually be resolved in any real way or if they are just passing observations.

(Spoilers until Conclusion)

4. A man of the cloth who can kick butt is always pretty cool.

5. As soon as Harvey said, “Don't they have eyes. Can't they see it!” I saw it. Too bad they already revealed it or I could have looked super smart in predicting it, or maybe everybody saw it already and I'm the slow kid in the class.

Conclusion 8/10

It's a good Batman story though it is a little TV procedural for my tastes, but there are no significant flaws in it. If you like Batman and this sounds interesting, pick it up. If you love Batman and cop procedurals, you will probably love this issue. Oh yeah, this story is not done. I'm just reviewing the first three issues, so it's always possible it will take a huge turn for the better or worse, but at the moment, I'm really enjoying it.

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Review: Legends of the Dark Knight #41

Tap, Tap

Well, I've let myself get a little behind on the digital first comics, so it is time for me to start getting caught up. This week features a bizarre sounding story with a recycled cover. I say it is bizarre because it is apparently a one shot starring Batman, yet the cover shows Scarecrow and the solicit claims that it features Catwoman. I suppose you could say they might have just thrown in a random cover, but the title, “Tap, Tap” reminds me of the Raven, and that sound like something that would be right up Crane's alley. Three moving parts are a lot to handle for such a short story, but perhaps it can be done. Handling the task is the writer Ray Fawkes (former writer of Vertigo's Mnemovore and Batgirl and current writer for Constantine) which some might recognize from his recently finished two-issue stint on Batgirl. Handling art is a name new to me, Stephane Roux. (former artist for Birds of Prey and Batman Confidential and current cover artist on New Avengers, Star Wars: Agent of the Empire – Hard Targets and Boom's Grace Randolph's Supurbia and Freelancers) Just having looked at several of his covers, I can say he has a nice style.

Do these two team up together for an unforgettable issue, or will readers forget this issue before they even close the last page?

In this issue, Batman tries to stop a break in at a house with some serious defense measures. To make matters worse, Catwoman is the one trying to pull off the heist.

Bat Droppings

1. Holy crap! Roux's art is amazing. I knew it looked good on his cover art, but this is even better. We need this guy to do some more work for the Bat Family.

2. I can confirm that this issue has nothing to do with Scarecrow. Why DC did not recycle one of the many covers without a specific villain on it, I have no idea. In fact, why not use something from an older comic like from the original Legends? I'm just saying, DC, there are other options which make things more interesting for fans.

3. Page one features a demon lady and demon man...frolicking...I'm going to hope. The thing is, the location of the water spout is a bit ambiguous. I'm guessing it is kind of a baday fountain spraying up on the gir but if not, then the dripping, gushing liquid all over the lady demon is...hmmm.

4. This issue encouraged me to look up a new and interesting word, darknet. I look up new words all the time, but most of them do not fascinate me conceptually. If you do not know the term, darknet is basically, as I understand it, a private network which does not register IP addresses where you can trade information freely with little fear of being tracked.

5. I like Batman's portrayal in this. His inner monologue reflects on the fact that the house is nice which indicates that Bats does have something other than justice on his mind. He also wants to bring Catwoman to justice which is a nice change from his, “She's hot so she gets a pass,” policy that seems to be in effect in mainstream continuity.

6. The device Selina uses to reflect the beam does not make sense because by virtue of its design it would have to break the beam before the beam reached the mirror.

7. There is a light weapon mentioned in this issue that Batman recognizes, but he never identifies it. This is annoying.

Spoilers until the End

8. This version of Selina is so much better than what we see in her own title these days. She is careful and intelligent. She is charming without being slutty. She's devious yet with a smidge of goodness. This is the way the criminal Selina should be.

9. I'm a bit fuzzy on the security camera guns. The first time we see Selina, the guns appear to be shooting at her, yet her suit is supposed to hide her from them. The system she has in place is supposed to deactivate them, yet at times it seems to activate them. I can think of possible reasons for all this, but the story should have made it clear.

Conclusion 9/10

This is one of those rare cases where, even if the plot sucked, I would still have recommended this issue because the art is just that good. It would not have been a high recommendation if it had a bad plot, but I still would have given it a nod because this Roux guy has really impressed me. Thankfully, we also get a good plot along with the amazing art. Yeah, it could use a teeny, tiny bit of ironing out, but it still gives a much better version of the relationship between Batman and Catwoman than what we have seen in the entire DCNU. If you are a Batman or Catwoman fan, this is a definite buy.

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Review: Legends of the Dark Knight #39-#40

I Hate It when He Does That...

Again, I'm running behind on reviews, I should already be in bed, and I really want to be caught up before I get another pile of comics dumped in my “To Review” file manana, so I'm going to try to keep this brief even though I have to admit that I really suck at keeping things short. In that spirit of trying to be brief, I will be doing the review Bat Droppings style, but first, the intro.

Two weeks before Scott Snyder announced his next big Batman project looking at the early career of Batman, Joshua Williamson started this arc which focused on the same thing...in a sense. Whereas Snyder's run appears as if it will deal with an adult Bruce, this story is squarely focused on a very young Bruce either per-pubescent or right on the cusp of puberty. Last issue, Bruce was in Thailand learning various arts of combat with his trusted butler as his guide.

As cool as this sounds in concept, I was not impressed by the first issue of this three part arc. Most of my concerns came from the weird portrayal of Alfred and Bruce's relationship. Quite frankly, I just can't picture Alfred ever knowingly allowing Bruce to get into so much trouble. I also found the dialogue to be a bit stiff. Still, we never know what the following issues might hold. Does this story deliver a thrilling tale in an untold area of Bruce's life, or is it just a cluttered mess that adds nothing to the Legend of the Bat?

In this issue, Bruce and Alfred spring a rebel Thai girl from jail.

Bat Droppings

1. I do enjoy the art style. It's simple, but it works well for the story and gives it a classic look reminiscent, to me at least, of an old cartoon like Johnny Quest.

2. Does everybody in Thailand wear sunglasses because they conveniently do so in the opening scene in order to give Bruce a chance to blend in with the Asian populace?

3. There is an extremely odd set of dialogue that turns into inner monologue. The though conveyed through the dialogue/monologue is one continuous thought, yet at the time the dialogue begins, the knowledge conveyed in the monologues is unknown which means that the character is essentially saying what he will do in the future which could work if the character in question, Bruce, were making a plan, but he is instead describing a set of future realizations that he will make. If that was difficult to follow, please entrust that it made no more sense in the comic.

4. I do not believe that one group of fighters would ever refer to their rival as “The Freedom Fighter with the Heart of Gold” unless it was truly a sarcastic statement. If it was truly sarcastic, that essentially means that Bruce is aiding the truly bad people in this story which undercuts the entire piece. Though it is really more relevant later in the story, I suppose this is a good time to mention that Bruce never really verifies who is good and who is bad before inserting himself into foreign affairs. That makes sense for a stupid kid, but Alfred should no better.

5. It is interesting to see Bruce at this age. He is very Damian-esque at moments, but he seems like a sweeter kid with less antisocial tendencies. It's not a bad portrayal for a young Bruce.

6. Alfred goes from being very irresponsible to completely insane in letting Bruce try to a rescue attempt on this girl. What did he think would happen? Everything would go swimmingly?

Technically Spoilers Past This Point, but really, I don't think you will lose anything by reading.

7. Another awkward line as the girl runs away from a hail of gunfire with Bruce, “Best first date ever!” Really? Is that what is going through your head? I know I'm being extra cynical at the moment, but I don't think so.

8. How did the good guys get the bad guy out of the police station?

9. That bad guy would be dead if a freedom fighter's daughter had anything to say about it.

10. Bruce is revealed to have played Alfred towards the end of the story, and I have mixed feelings about that. On one hand, it is cool to see Bruce is already a calculator. On the other hand, this undermines the bond between Alfred and Bruce. Does grown up Bruce even lie to Alfred?

11. I do not think Alfred is such a sap.

12. I do not like Bruce's disappearing act to be a supernatural ability which it would have to be to act as shown.

13. The story comes back to the present at the end, and sure enough, Mekhala is the thief, but she has no real point for her actions. However, her sneaking up on Bruce was really cool.

14. The story still did not answer how Bruce disappears.

Conclusion 4/10

I cannot really find anything redeeming in this story. It had a few cool moments, and the art is pretty good if you like this kind of style, bur there were more annoying parts to the story than there were enjoyable parts. If you can turn your brain off and ignore little problems like I point out, then you are still left with a pretty generic Batman story.

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Review: Legends of the Dark Knight #38

I Hate It when He Does That...

I greatly enjoyed the last issue of Legends, so lets see what this issue holds in store. This arc is written by Joshua Williamson, former writer of DC's Voodoo and current writer for Monkeybrain's Masks and Mobsters. I can't say that Voodoo inspires much confidence considering it was canceled before it managed much of a run, but Masks and Mobsters sounds really cool for whatever that is worth. The art is handled by Wes Craig. (former artist for the 2008 volume of Guardians of the Galaxy and the '96 volume of Nightwing) Does this team deliver on Batman greatness, or is this a massive disappointment?

In this issue, Commissioner Gordon explains a recent theft to Batman in the present, while in the past, readers are treated to a view of Bruce and Alfred on an adventure where Bruce is still but a young teenager.

Alfred Is Off

I love the concept of this issue. In fact, I love most of the happenings in this issue, but I do not like the delivery.

I love the idea of Bruce and Alfred working together as Bruce trains to become the world's best crime fighter. I believer (and I could be wrong) that generally accepted cannon says Bruce was gone most of his formative years in boarding schools overseas where he trained himself away from Alfred. This has always bugged me for I feel that Alfred needs to be a part of Bruce's life, at least during his teen years, for their father/son bond to truly be established. Having been away from Alfred all that time and then returning and letting him be Bruce's most trusted confidant does not track.

However, I do not believe that Alfred would ever let a young Bruce run over him as he does in this issue. Alfred is letting thirteen year old Bruce go wild through through the streets of Thailand. Also, Alfred seems fully informed about Bruce's intentions to become a crime fighter, and again, I don't think Alfred would have let Bruce do that.

I know what you are thinking, Alfred allowed the Robins to do that, but that was after Batman already proved that a human superhero could work, Batman sort of adopted the Robins without Alfred's approval (in many cases. It depends on the telling) and the Robins usually knew Batman's secret, so it sort of forced Alfred's hands. Even so, Alfred was reluctant in many tellings of the stories to allow such a young person to fight crime, so do I really think Alfred is going to let his semi-trained, freshly victimized, strangely obsessed charge enter the worst hives of scum and villainy to become a crime fighter? No! No, I do not.

I know this is a different universe, and I do like different interpretations of characters, but this one does not work for me.

Sadly, I have a least one more negative of the issue. The dialogue felt off to me. I can't put my finger one why, but page one struck me as wrong. “The Moon Diamond was one of the Museum's recent additions. Not to mention valuable.” I cannot pinpoint it, but those two sentences just do not feel like they should go back to back. Here is another one. “We just did this a couple days ago. You caught me, and I escaped. Doesn't this bore you?” That just feels wrong to me. None of these lines feel like something people would actually say.

Other Thoughts

On the positive side, the art looks really great. In addition to the pencils from Craig, Lee Loughridge (former colorer for Vertigo's Hellblazer and Batman: Gotham Adventures and current colorer for Vertigo's Fables) does a great job on the colors giving the book a very distinctive feel.

Like I said, I like the concept of this issue, and other than Alfred being too lenient with Bruce, I liked all the stuff that happened in this issue. It was fun other than the dialogue.

Another positive is that we get five extra pages in this issue which is a nice bonus.

Finally, it is painfully obvious that the thief will be the girl from Thailand.

Conclusion 6/10

I'm being generous for the sake of my general enjoyment of this series, fondness for the basic concept of this arc, and the hope that it will develop nicely. Heck, if this arc will just explain how Bruce randomly disappears as the title kind of implies it will, then that would be worth a couple of points right there. However, the dialogue really hurts this issue, and I feel this is a poor portrayal of Alfred, so I can only suggest this issue for those who are big Legends fans and are not pinching pennies. Oh, and to be clear, this is just the first issue of a three parter, so you might want to wait until the final issue is in.

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Legends of the Dark Knight #38

Review: Legends of the Dark Knight #37

Return of the Batman...

I've been really enjoying this story arc of Legends of the Dark Knight. It has explored the role that technology plays in Batman's life and the way Bruce has come to rely too much on his toys. Now that Wayne Industries has started hurting on its bottom line, Batman's arsenal is depleted, and Bruce now has to stop Ra's without the benefits of his tech. Unfortunately, something went wrong with the production of this story arc, and the final issue was delayed for an entire week, so I am just now getting to read the conclusion. Honestly, I remember the basic events of the story, but I forget where in the story we were. I keep picturing Batman downed by some attackers and appearing on the cusp of a beating, but I'm not sure that is correct. (it was not) Regardless, it is the moment of truth for this story. Will Batman finish strong, or will he be an ugly, battered mess by the end?

In this issue, Ra's Al Ghul is planning on releasing a chemical attack and Batman must stop him.

Finish Strong!

I do not have a whole lot to say about the substance of this issue. If you read everything up to this point, then you know the direction in which the narrative was flowing, and the story basically just finished strong. I suppose I'll offer a few thoughts Bat Dropping Style.

Bat Droppings

1. The police officer on page 1 either has a very long body or he is wearing his pants ghetto style.

2. Commissioner Gordon mentions that the toxin does more damage if it can bond with carbon monoxide and that is why Ra's released the toxin indoors, but carbon monoxide is not more present indoors, so this made me wonder if the author was mixing up monoxide with dioxide, but the rest of the story fit the monoxide theory, so I'm not sure what to make of this.

3. It's nice to see Bruce come back to basics on the detective front.

4. Do cities like New York really have specific daily predictions on where smog will be thickest? Perhaps they do, but that seems odd to me. I mean, you have to go where you have to go, so what good would this information do?

5. The parrot seems out of place. I let it pass in previous issues, but it keeps talking intelligently which means it is either sentient or just happens to repeat random phrases at just the right moment. Either way, it's kind of campy, and I'm willing to let it slide a little because this is a different universe and I want to see different versions of the Batman verse, but still, this is a questionable call.

6. The end of page seventeen has an interesting observation about Batman.

7. There was a nice final note for the story.

Warning! Brief Political Diatribe

Ra's and the guy he had tied up hit a political nerve with me, so I'm going to explore it. Ra's is planning on killing humanity for destroying the planet as usual, and the guy tied up says, “Carbon monoxide is an unpleasant byproduct of progress.” Thank you! I have no idea if this writer actually has sense on environmental issues,(the fact that the character is later killed off makes me think perhaps not) but at least he included a reasonable thought in this issue. Is carbon monoxide a bad thing? Yeah, its poisonous, but holy crap, look at everything we get in exchange for it! You realize that before we learned how to harness fossil fuels, the entire human race was dropping like flies? Without all that fossil fuels bring us, we could not have clean reliable sources of water, easily accessible food, indoor plumbing, electric light, any sort of significant medical knowledge or technology, reasonable means of transportation, entertainment, nice clothes, the music industry, radio, computers, cars, the internet, air conditioning, electricity, and the list goes on and on! Everything we have today is based on fossil fuel technology. If you want to get rid of that, then realize you are talking about going back to the 1800's.

What about Green technology, you say? Great thought. The issue is that green technology is not yet developed. If the tech was developed, we would all be driving electric cars and using solar panels, but the technology is currently unsustainable. The Obama administration has funneled billions of dollars to green energy companies who have since gone under even with those handouts because their technology sucks!

We will develop emission free energy sources one day, but let it be done in the same way we have had all our current progress, through the free market. When a better technology is established, we will go to it automatically because it is superior. Stop trying to steer us towards technology which is not yet sustainable, government by spending money that the nation does not have. Until science does manage to wrangle up this new tech, I will gladly, happily, elatedly take air which is slightly tainted in exchange for every life saving, society building, people uplifting advance we have gained in the last two hundred years.

Finally, to Ra's and the very real, very evil people like him who believe the planet it overcrowded and needs to be saved from the scourge of humanity, I only ask that you start with you vision of progress by being mentally consistent with your ambitions. If the Earth can really be saved by eliminating people, then please start by killing yourself.

Conclusion 9/10

This was a really good story, and my few nitpicks notwithstanding, I liked it a lot. It even stimulated some real world thought from me, and it is always nice when comics are able to speak to the world beyond the fiction universe. I think your purchase of this arc would be money very well spent.

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Legends of the Dark Knight #37

Legends of the Dark Knight #38

Review: Legends of the Dark Knight #35-36

Return of Batman

For only the second time since starting BatWatch, I've managed to get over a week behind on reviews. I'm sorry about that. I had an illness that took me out of commission for most of this week, so I was unable to get caught up.

Honestly, I don't remember in the slightest what was going on in the last issue, so let me read my own review on it real quick to get caught up. It seems I generally liked it. Oh wait, it's come to me without having to look it up.

Last week, we had the first story of a four part arc which appears as if it will be focused on the threats of Ra's Al Ghul and Batman's own decaying technology. I thought that was a pretty cool idea. Bruce always has all this fancy tech which was taken to an extreme in the last issue, but due to Wayne Enterprises' hard fiscal times, Bruce was skimping out on the maintaining his gear, and that cost him when equipment failure (if I am remembering correctly) caused him to crash his latest transport. Now, suffering potentially serious injuries and broken tech, Bruce will presumably have to take on Ra's.

In this issue, Batman learns that he no longer has what it takes to wage his war on crime without all his fancy toys.

Well, This Is Gratifying

I guess it would be presumptuous of me to say I know exactly what writer Peter Milligan is thinking by writing this story, so I'll refrain from making that claim, but I can say that it seems as if his feelings mirror my own regarding Batman's recent reliance on technology. I hate how Snyder's Batman, fun though it is, frequently has exactly the right tool in his utility belt for every occasion. Prep and tech is certainly a part of the Batman mythos, but when you run into a lava monster and just so happen to have a lava monster cooling gel in your left pocket, that's a bit too convenient. Now that might sound ridiculous, but Batman was shown just in his latest issue to have the perfect water absorbing pellets to thwart a Joker deathtrap that he could not have possibly have predicted. Also, when Batman got backed into a corner by talons during the Night of the Owls, Bruce strapped on a super mega Iron Man Megazord to kick their tails. At least that case makes sense since Bruce was in the cave where he had access to most of his tech, but it still means that Bruce the man could not win. Bruce the guy with billions of dollars to spend won.

Other Batman writers are guilty of the same thing, and it undermines the lore of Batman in my view. Bruce can have toys, but the focus should be on the man, and sometimes, I think that gets lost.

This arc is very much focused on that issue. In this alternate reality, (and I'm grateful Legends is finally taking advantage of its non-cannon status) Bruce is no longer a warrior but a technician. He has a gallery of toys to save the day, and without them, he feels useless. It's a very cool idea which is explored well in this issue, and there is something poetic about the way Bruce's search for perfection led him to be more vulnerable than ever.

Also in this arc, there is a little manic depressive streak we briefly see which sadly cannot get enough development based on the short nature of the story. Still, it's nice to see a different take on Bruce.

We All Got Problems

There were a few problems with this issue. First up, there is an action scene at the beginning of issue 35 which is not well conveyed. The actions themselves are okay, but the movement of characters in the room is not clear. Ra's is immediately upon Bats, yet I don't recall him being in Bruce's immediate vicinity at the end of the last issue. That could be explained as a time lapse, but then in the middle of this fight, another thug pops up from nowhere. Then, Bruce appears to get the upper hand, but Ra's is talking about letting Batman escape which makes no sense until you realize that Bruce apparently used his moment of advantage to hide or retreat. That's fine from a scripting standpoint, but it wasn't made clear in the panels. Then Bruce appears to be switching between standing and laying on the ground between panels. Its very awkward, and I think part of the confusion was that there was not any background through much of this scene. Perhaps background would have made people's movements in through this scene clear.

The art is something I can take or leave in this book. It's not bad, and I can see how many might like it, but it doesn't always sit right with me. In particular, there is one panel where Alfred squints with one eye which looks a little too exaggerated for my taste. However, it's not bad; it's just a style of which I'm not overly keen.

The dialogue also feels off at times, and at first I thought this was a problem, but then I remembered that we are seeing a different universe since the main universe Batman, though still over reliant on technology, is still well, well capable of taking care of himself. In fact, his fighting abilities are really too developed, but that's a different discussion. Anyway, its fair game to give characters a slightly different vernacular and dynamic when dealing with a tweaked universe.

Outside of Comics

I think another reason I enjoyed this issue was that it made me think a lot about problems our nation faces in real life. The nation is living well. Poor people in our country have clean water, plumbing, air conditioning, televisions, (wealth unheard of a lifetime ago) and usually a car or two, video game systems, and a smart phone. (which ranks the poor of the United States well above the majority of the world) We, as a people, have it really nice.

Yet we want more, and there is nothing wrong with wanting more as long as you are willing to pay for it, but most people feel that they should have all their desires met as soon as they desire rather than having to wait, save or sacrifice to buy something even better in the future, so most people charge the payment to the future. They get a loan, a cash advance or even a credit card to buy those things that they cannot afford. Then when hard times come, they fall on their face broke or look for somebody else to bail them out of trouble, or at best, they end up paying for it down the road depriving them selves of future larger benefits for current smaller benefit.

To make matters worse, many people think that the government exists to fulfill their desires rather than to protect their freedoms, so they want more and more “free” programs to help them with their day to day life. There are a lot of problems with that, but one of them is that the United States simply does not have the money for the programs it has already built. However, people scream, “We're in trouble. We need help!” so the government spends more money it does not have. (17 trillion plus to date) We have now spent more money as a nation than we could realistically expect to pay back in thirty years if we stopped overspending today, but just like the shortsighted people with their credit car, the country continues to go further into debt. Greece did the same thing; it spent money it did not have to provide programs for “the public good,” and now their nation is going bankrupt, yet many seem to think it cannot happen to the United States. Sure. The rules do not apply to us.

Anyway, this story reminded me of that. Bruce Wayne is trying to spend money on things that he wants. Some of it might be extravagant, but the vast majority of it is for the common good. He hears that he is in financial trouble, but he ignores Alfred and continues to spend until the breaking point comes, and then all of a sudden, he realizes he has nothing left, and he, as a person, finds out he no longer has the strength to stand without all his toys.

Conclusion 9/10

These issues have a few problems, but the strengths greatly outweigh the weaknesses for me. I greatly enjoyed it.

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Legends of the Dark Knight #35-36

Legends of the Dark Knight #34

Return of Batman

I used to say that Legends of the Dark Knight was one of my favorite series, but then it went on a less than stellar run which used Abattoir II and a weird cryptotaxidermist as villains. That is not to say that those stories were bad, but I would not accuse either of extremely high quality. Perhaps more importantly, neither of them took advantage of Legends unique nature as a non-cannon title by exploring new aspects of the Batman mythos or presenting Bruce in a new light. Thankfully, last issue shook things up with a glorious one shot (I mistakingly thought it was a multi-part story and reviewed it as such last week. My mistake) which showed a possible version of Bruce Wayne in his twilight years. Now we get a new arch with Peter Milligan (former writer of Rebellion comic 2000 AD, current writer for Vertigo comic Hellblazer) handling the writing and Riccardo Burchielli (former artist for Vertigo comic DMZ and Arkham Unhinged) handling the art. Does this new arch also bring something new to the table, or is it standard fare for a Batman story?

In this issue, Batman chases down a stolen helicopter with some fancy tech, but will Wayne Enterprises plummeting stock lead to Batman falling to his doom?

A Different Kind of Hero

I asked for a different interpretation for the Bat, and that is exactly what we get with this issue. Batman has something he calls his Bat-Wing in this issue which is significantly different than any sort of vehicles I've ever seen him employ in the past. Picture the illegitimate offspring of Iron Man and an X-Wing, and you might end up with something like this. It has shields, an interactive hologram touchscreen interface, and lot of other doohickeys and whirlybobs. It looks really cool, and I like the way Bruce uses his tech in this issue, but at the same time, I hate that Batman often uses his tech to get out of tight situations. As I've mentioned many times before, Batman often has the exact right tool for any given job, and that is just too convenient.

Based on the revelations we have later on in the story, my objection to Batman being too reliant may or may not interfere with my enjoyment of this arch. The tech is definitely going to play a major role, but there are several different directions the writer could take the story some of which would play into the annoying plot device nature of the Bat equipment, and some that would fly in the face of it. It's just a bit too early to tell.

Bruce's personality is also altered a bit in this issue. He is a little bit snarky in his inner monologue and his conversation with Alfred. He is a tad dismissive and cocky which is not his usual mannerism.

As far as the story itself, it kept me guessing the entire time; I never knew what was coming around the next corner, and that is a good thing in my view; I like to be kept on my toes. Batman's actions all seemed fitting to the situation, and the issue broke off at a good point to make readers eager to learn what happens next.

Conclusion 9/10

I'm not comfortable giving this issue a rating because the arch could easily go either good or bad depending on future issues, but the writer, Milligan, kept me guessing through this whole issue, and he brought up an interesting new way of looking at Batman's relationship with technology, so

I'm giving Milligan the benefit of the doubt that he is going somewhere cool with all this.

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Legends of the Dark Knight #33

Adaption

The latest arch of Legends of the Dark Knight was pretty good, but despite the arch's strong points, it ended with a bit of a fizzle that left a sour taste in my mouth. Now, we have a new arch with a new creative team, and I'm a little excited about this issue for several reasons. First, the cover is intriguing showing a Batman who appears to be wounded and on the verge of defeat which is an usual pose for a Legends of the Dark Knight cover. Second, the writing and most of the art is done by Rafael Albuquerque (former artist on Blue Beetle [2006] and Superman/Batman and current artist on American Vampire) who has a good reputation for quality work. On the flip side, Albuquerque is primarily an artist, and things sometimes go awry when artists put the pen to paper and write words. Still, I am intrigued. Is this a new vision of Batman that will thrill and chill you, or does this comic just leave you high and dry?

In this issue, Batman tracks down a shadowy figure to a circus only to come face to face with his entire rogues gallery.

Albuquerque

My first thought upon opening the issue is that I can understand exactly why this guy has earned a good reputation, and even if the story were complete crap, it might still be worth the recommendation just to see this art style. Now, it might not be for everyone, so keep that in mind, but for my money, it's really good. Style wreaks from every corner of this issue as a twisted vision of Gotham takes shape in these pages. Everything feels kind of gross in this issue which is no doubt exactly the effect desired.

Then again, maybe I being too bold in my judgment because mixed in with the harsh brutality and grime of this issue are some stunningly beautiful shots of the circus, the city, and one character portrait of Two-Face which was so good, Albuquerque signed it right in the middle of the issue...and not subtly either. In my mind, that kind of boasts of an ego, but I can't deny that it appears to be a well deserved one.

There was one thing that annoyed me about the art, and that was the first panel of page 2 where Batman grits his teeth. For some reason, Albuquerque did not draw the individual teeth on Batman's lower row of teeth even though he did do the upper row. To me, this gave the panel the appearance that Bruce was wearing fake teeth. Other than that, the art is stunningly well done.

What's Happenin'?

There is a twist halfway through this issue, so read no further unless you want the dirt.

(Spoiler) The story appears to leap forward to the end of Bruce's life where he is a dried up old man who gave up the mantle a long time ago. There are hints about what might have caused Bruce to end up in this sad state of loneliness and neurosis, but so far, there is no clear answer. Presumably, it ties in to the events at the circus, but the events in both present and future were interesting to me, so as long as the arch answers these mysteries by the end of the run, I don't mind being kept in the dark.

(Spoiler) I hope we actually get to see events play out at the end of Bruce's life, but I suspect we will not. Supposedly, Legends is set outside of continuity, so it would be awesome to see various takes on Batman in his elderly years, or Batman married, or Batman with a cyborg body. Anything to change it up a little would be cool, but I suspect this is a false future we are seeing. Clearly, Bruce was going a little loopy before the leap forward unless a dozen of Batman's greatest foes actually came together for this plot. More likely, the weird cherub midget who bit Bruce poisoned him in the process, and this is all some sort of hallucination.

Conclusion 9/10

It is always difficult to judge a story this early on, but so far so good. I think this is a safe bet for any Batman fan; even if the plot ends up crapping out, you will still get great art.

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Review: Legends of the Dark Knight #32

What Happened Was...

I greatly enjoyed the last two issues of Legends of the Dark Knight which examined the events of an attack at a Gotham Knights game from various perspectives. We have already seen the point of view of various members of the audience and the perpetrator, Calendar Man, but the last issue left us with the tease that we will finally get the true story from Batman's perspective. Are the missing puzzle pieces finally revealed, or is the big reveal not all that revealing?

In this issue, events are replayed from Batman's perspective.

And the Revelation Is...Nothing!

Admittedly, the story never promised any big surprise at the end of this story, but when a plot structure is built around giving different pieces of information from different perspectives and the perspective of the hero is saved for last, it would make sense to me that the heroes' perspective would carry some sort of revelation. Not so.

We pretty much get the same story as we got the last go around. Sure, there are a few changes, but they were all predictable variations of what Calender Man said last issue. Basically, you see things from Bruce's perspective, and the credits role. There are two minor additions to the story which partially redeem this issue, but it was still a bit disappointing.

(Spoiler) There were two elements towards the end of this issue I did enjoy. First, Calender Man messed up his dates. True, this could be seen as a fault, but Calendar Man has always been a bit of a joke, so I have no problem seeing him fail. Second, Batman gave detective Kelly records of his interaction with Day, and I had never really considered this simple solution for clarifying events.

Conclusion 7/10

This is an okay finish to the story, but it feels as if it needed something more.W

Review: Legends of the Dark Knight #31

What Happened Was...

The last issue of Legends of the Dark Knight was a solid beginning to a three part story which relayed a Batman tale from various unreliable narrators. All we really know is that Batman and Calendar Man had a conflict at a stadium which caused an explosion. Now, a detective has to pick up the pieces and figure out what really happened. At the end of the last issue, the detective's inquiries were about to turn towards Calendar Man himself. Should you save the date for this issue, or should you save your money instead?

In this issue, Detective Kelly interviews Calendar Man, and the Man of the Day spins a tale of Batman's heartless actions.

Spin, Spin, Spin

I found this a rather humorous little issue. I've never taken the time to consider what super villains might say when questioned by police since they seem dead to rights most of the time. However, that would actually be less clear if you were a detective rather than a reader. After all, we, as the audience, get to see every sinister move of the villain, but detectives have to work off the aftermath of the crimes.

Calendar Man spins an interesting yarn, and it is fun to see how he tries to portray himself as an upstanding citizen and how Batman is an unfeeling menace. Underlying the humor is the very real violence of the tale (which happens off panel) and the sinister thought that Batman could actually use his power in such a ruthless way if he so chose. I find myself thinking about the moral ambiguity that must surround Commissioner Gordon for encouraging his men to take Batman at his word. What if Batman really was a bad guy?

The art looks really good in this issue. Like that one panel in the last issue, the final panel has a stupid looking white outline around Batman, but beyond that, the art looks magnificent, and since the last panel's focus is more on the stadium than Batman, I almost didn't even notice.

Conclusion 9/10

This is not a particularly deep Batman story, but it is a good. Unless it really falls apart in the last act, which they sometimes do, this should be well worth your purchase.

Review: Legends of the Dark Knight #30

What Happened Was...

Legends of the Dark Knight is back to deliver a brand new story with a brand new creative team. Off the heels of the solid three part “Off the Menu” story arc, new writer Paul Jenkins brings us yet another three part story. Does this one deliver a satisfying meal, or will this story turn your stomach?

In this issue, Detective Brian Kelly must uncover the events that led up to a tragedy at a Knight ballgame by talking to those that witnessed the devastation. It does not take him long to discover that the crime had something to do with Batman and Calendar Man.

Pretty Words Spoken by Action Figures

The dialogue on this issue felt exactly right. There were quite a few characters in this brief section of story, yet through each only had a few lines of dialogue a piece, they all felt imbued with individual personalities. It takes talent to capture that as a writer.

The overall plot also seems solid though it is always difficult to call the quality of a story so early on. The next two installments might be horrible, but I am intrigued by this issue. As you might have suspected from my issue summary, this story is going to use the “Vantage Point” style technique of telling the same events from different angles, but unlike Vantage Point, I suspect the author is going to unravel the yarn in such a way that the story does not become too repetitive.

The artwork which struck me as odd in some respects. Something about the presentation of characters made me think of them as action figures, but I cannot quite identity what gave me that impression. Part of it is definitely the slightly stiff body language and awkward hand positions, but there is also something about the coloring which reminds me of the plastic finish of toys. Another odd artistic idiosyncrasy was displayed when Batman swooped down from the night's sky from his plane. The artist outlined Batman and the plane in white lines presumably to make him stand out against the starless night, but I would have preferred them to leave the image unaltered with Batman blending in to the darkness.

All this might make it sound as if I hated the art, but that is not the case at all. The book looks quite nice in general, but I just found these elements questionable.

Conclusion 8/10

Altogether, this is a very solid first chapter for this arch. The art is not my favorite, but it is not bad and probably appeals to some. More importantly, the plot is good.

Legends of the Dark Knight #29

Off the Menu

Though Legends of the Dark Knight is one of my favorite series, it was less than stellar lass issue with an apparent plot hole and some questionable choices. Still, it was not a complete loss with a potentially fascinating cannibal as the lead villain. Does this new Abattoir live up the bloody and brutal legacy that name holds, or is this merely one more villain with a dime store superpower and a gimmick?

The Man in the Suit

Last issue ended with Bruce Wayne being subdued by Abattoir, and despite the poor choice to end the issue withthe “Tastes like chicken” line, I was curious to see how Bruce would manage to escape this situation. After all, he usually uses some sort of gadget hidden in his armor to escape so how would Bruce the escape artist manage to worm his way out this gruesome situation?

As it turns out, quite cleverly. Bruce had stashed a diamond fiber line underneath his fingernail which he used to cut through the line. I was curious if this was really feasible, but after putting my arms in a similar position, I concluded that you could actually manipulate your wrists and fingers in such a way as to apply enough pressure to cut yourself free if the bonds allowed for just a little slack. It appears that somebody might have actually done research into actual escape artist tricks.

Bruce’s performance after cutting himself free was equally impressive, and I enjoyed how he waited until Abattoir freed his legs before making him move. That would have taken nerve.

Bruce does something excessively brutal if effective in this issue, but the rumor is that Legends of the Dark Knight is not supposed to be cannon, so if that is the case, I actually wish Bruce would do this sort of thing more often. Why not see different possible iterations of the Bat?

This issue kind of ends on an odd note with a humorous bit between Alfred and Bruce. I enjoyed the interaction, but it seemed to clash with the tone of the rest of the comic.

Conclusion 8/10

This was a much better issue than the last. Looking at the last three issues as a total, I would say this is a solid story worth purchasing. 

Review: Legends of the Dark Knight #28

Off the Menu

Legends is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re going to get. Last week had a good intro to the story featuring a gourmet cannibal who hears voices in his head. Does this week’s issue prove to be a feast for the senses, or is this one meal you should just skip?

In this issue, Bruce theorizes on the psyche of the cannibal and the cannibal remembers past lives. The cannibal soon meets the caped crusader, but our hero is wearing the guise of Bruce Wayne rather than Batman.

Shakes Head in Disappointment

I actually enjoyed this issue until the final panel at which point the writer unleashed a line so predictably stupid that it made me reconsider the whole issue, and upon a second reading, I found a lot of problems.

The first hiccup was the way the creative team decided to follow up a particularly good scene which explored the way the cannibal, named Abattoir, dreamed other people’s memories after ingesting them. Though the scene itself did a good job of convening a trippy vibe, it was undermined when Abattoir was seen belching in his sleep. We got it. He ate somebody. I didn’t need the reminder that he was full and gross.

Next up, Bruce Wayne confronts the killer at his business, but I could find nothing which explains how Bruce discovered the identity of the villain. Does he just happen to show up there, or was there something leading Bruce here which was not clearly explained?

Then, we have a scene with Commissioner Gordon which seems completely irrelevant to the main story. In this scene, the victim is named Anthony even though the body is clearly wearing fishnet stockings and heels. If this was supposed to be a cross dresser, then you would think that would deserve an explanation in the story, but I am more inclined to believe that something got lost between the writer and artist.

Finally, we have Bruce’s confrontation with the killer which is good except that Bruce’s face looks a bit more ragged than he is usually pictured. Oh, but then there is that lousy line to close the issue.

In the Other Column

On the other side, we have good dialogue throughout the issue. (except for the end) The story takes the time of explaining a neat little trick Batman uses to keep Bats from nesting on his equipment which I appreciated. The art looks really good except for Bruce’s face, and even the face does not look bad per say; it just looks wrong for the character. The hook for the villain is actually pretty interesting calling to mind Sylar from Heroes, and Bruce’s questioning of Abattoir was a neat little tango in an interesting setting.

Conclusion 6/10

If you haven’t shelled out money for the first issue yet, you might want to hold out until the final part of this arc comes a calling since the story as a whole is difficult to call at the moment. Hopefully, the last issue will deliver a satisfying end to this piece. 

Review: Legends of the Dark Knight #27

Off the Menu

Legends of the Dark Knight and Batwoman are constantly at war in my mind for the title of best Batman related comic book. Both of them have me brimming with excitement and sitting on the edge of my seat each issue, but they deliver that level of anticipation for different reasons. With Batwoman, I always know I will have a good story and mind blowing art. With Legends, it is all about the adventure. Whereas you can usually see the next Batman story arc shaping up in the distance in most of his titles, I never know what to expect when I start a new arc of Legends of the Dark Knight. Last issue concluded an excellent two part Scarecrow story. Does this new arc live up to that same quality, or does it prove  that Batwoman should hold my top spot?

In this issue, Batman discovers that someone is cooking up the Gotham elite as a culinary delicacy. Also, a predator stalks his prey.

Succulent

This is one of those cases where the quality of this issue is difficult to separate from the rest of the story arc. Whether this issue is typical or superb really depends on how the next leg of the story develops because what we saw here was mostly surface interaction between Batman and his enemy. The quality of this issue will only be completely clear when the next issue either develops our antagonist as a fascinatingly disturbed cretin or uses him the typical killer with a gimmick.

That being said, I really enjoyed this issue. The art team seems really focused on bringing out the shadowy nature of Batman. Many of his scenes show his form as more darkness than detail, but the penciler definitely knows his craft for he does render really superb detail on many panels such as the disturbingly fascinating panel on page eight.

The writing also seems solid. Bruce’s interactions with Alfred took on more levity than usual, but that is not necessarily out of character. The monologue boxes seem to be talking in third person rather than first which is an interesting change. I’m curious why the writer chose to use that. The villain may or may not be interesting. It’s a bit early to tell.

Prediction

Here is what I think is happening. (Spolier) I think this crazy cook is trying to take on others abilities by ingesting parts of their bodies. The idea of gaining someone’s power by eating their organs has been a feature of many pagan religions. For whatever reason, it appears that the killer is retaining the personalities of his victims after he ingests them which explain why he is arguing with himself. It’s a potentially interesting hook.

Conclusion 9/10

I’m not convinced that this whole arc will be high quality, but this is a good start to the story, and I have high hopes given Legends’ strong track record.

Review: Legends of the Dark Knight #26

Dreaming He Is a Butterfly

Legends of the Dark Knight has produced some of the best Batman stories coming out in comics, but it is not always the greatest comic on the market. A constantly changing creative team necessitates at least a little shift of quality from arc to arc, and the last two arcs have been varying degrees of disappointing. However, the last issue was an excellent introduction to a two part Scarecrow story, and it was of much greater quality than the excruciatingly trite and canned Scarecrow story being featured in the current issues of The Dark Knight. Does the second half of this story prove this to be the superior Scarecrow arc, or was the first issue nothing more than a frightening illusion?

In this issue, Bruce Wayne, though maimed beyond hope, uses his intellect to help Commissioner Gordon stop crime.

Crippled with Fear

This is a somewhat sad story, but it is excellent. Seeing Bruce Wayne portrayed in a more realistic fashion is both refreshing and frightening. It hurts to see a hero brought so low in a way that seems to reach across the fictional divide and bring actual distress to my heart. Silly, I know, but it is difficult to read a story about someone who tried so hard to do the right thing only to be defeated by his own frailty.

This issue reminds me of the soldiers who have sacrificed limbs defending freedom and killing monsters without complaint. It reminds of the elderly who die slowly and painfully in nursing homes because their bodies simply cannot sustain them any longer. It reminds me of the cold, harsh reality that death is a part of life, and in many ways, it is what defines our lives.

Perhaps I am being a little overly sensitive at the moment for I am sympathizing with my girlfriend whose best friend will be having major brain surgery for the second time in the last few years due to brain cancer. She is only about thirty years old, and even though it is a common story, it is painful to see someone fight off cancer for years only to have it remerge once more. Hopefully, all will go well tomorrow.

Regardless of how my personal feelings might be heightened because of my current circumstances, I believe this story is still powerful in its own right. It concludes in a way which is not unexpected, but it is still reasonable, entertaining and intriguing.

Conclusion 10/10

This is a great issue. Not an overly happy issue but still excellent.

Review: Legends of the Dark Knight #25

Dreaming He Is a Butterfly

Legends of the Dark Knight is one of my favorite Batman series, but it has been in a bit of a slump lately with the truly bad “Carved” and the mediocre “Unnatural Selection.” Does this issue straighten up the series, or does it cause Legends to collapse?

In this issue, Bruce Wayne dreams that he is fighting Scarecrow in a graveyard, but when he is exposed to a new brand of Scarecrow toxin, he awakes to find himself in Wayne Manor as a bed-ridden cripple.

The Batman Gotham Deserves

In many ways, I feel like this is the true story of Batman. In issue after issue, we see Batman sustain serious injuries on what must be a weekly basis, yet without fail, Bruce rises again to fight the good fight with only a few days to recuperate from the most shattering of blows.

Not so in the this story. Bruce has been brought low by his many encounters, and it is painful to see, but at the same time, it felt right. It felt true. Here is a man who has fought for justice and had the sense beaten out of him. He has given his very being for his cause, and he is left with nothing.

Alfred’s response seems poignant as well. We see a little anger from him, but that is understandable.

No doubt this will prove to be a ploy by Scarecrow, but this vision of the Dark Knight’s fear is far worse than what we usually see from Scarecrow's antics. In this one brief half on an issue, we get more horror from Scarecrow than several full length issues of The Dark Knight.

Conclusion 10/10

This is a sad but excellent story. Pick it up.

Legends of the Dark Knight #24

Unnatural Selection

Last week's Legends of the Dark Knight featured a bizarre tour of the world of cryptotaxidermy and a creature born out of the mind of a SyFy horror movie director. This week features the conclusion of this two part tale. Is it a monster movie smash, or a B-movie flop?

In this issue, Bruce tracks down the location of the Barghest and discovers that Garfield the taxidermist has learned how to bring mystical creatures to life.

A Still Beating Heart

This issue works better than the last in part because it has an emotional aspect to it. I did not really expect anything tender in this issue, but that is just what we get. Do not get me wrong, you will not be shedding any tears, but there are several sad moments at the end of the issue.

There are other good elements. Garfield is a somewhat interesting nemesis though it is disappointing that he was not given more time to develop. The action is a tad better, but it still feels a little clunky compared to the quite fluid drawings found in most comics. Somehow, the artist, Sandoval, fails to convey motion very well. His still shots are excellent; Batman's entrance into the work room at the abandoned school was especially nice, but movement just feels a bit rough.

The only part of the story I would say is definitively bad is the coloring. Almost everything has a blue tint to it, and I find it very dull. A few panels have red overlays which is no doubt meant to convey especially powerful moments, but it failed as far as I am concerned.

Conclusion 8/10

This story is worth reading. It is not the best Legends has to offer, but it is a solid addition to its library.

Legends of the Dark Knight #23

Unnatural Selection

Legends is one of the best Batman comics on the market, but it had its first massive failure last week with a lousy tale about a stone carver that made no sense. This week, we have a brand new creative team bringing us the two-part story, "Unnatural Selection." Is this issue the right choice for you, or should you stay away from this monstrosity?

In this issue, Batman investigates a bizarre animal attack which leads him to a collector with some abnormal taxidermy.

Cryptotaxidermy

This issue involves the real life phenomenon of people who collect spliced together animals which has come to be known as cryptotaxidermy. I have heard of this sort of thing, but I had forgotten it until this issue. Here are some pictures of it if you are curious. Real weird stuff.

The mixed animal aesthetic works quite well for the Batman universe. After all, Batman is basically a blend of human and bat. It definitely created suspense and a creepy vibe which was aided by the dark artwork of this story.

The Raptahipodile

Though the book did do a decent job of building up tension, it was released in an unsatisfying manner when the creature was revealed. Quite frankly, it looked stupid, and though I am sure such a creature would be a threat just by virtue of its size alone, it just did not manage to be menacing. This is further aided when Batman's brief battle with the creature was poorly illustrated. The creature hits Batman. Batman hits the creature. It's kind of boring.

Conclusion 7/10

This issue contains a pretty good buildup coupled with a pretty bad conclusion. Still, this was just the end of part 1, so I am interested in seeing how it finishes. If the basic concept interests you, then give it a try, but stronger artwork would go a long way to making the story better.