Batman Comic Review
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This is the Back-Issue Review of all the Batman comics which has a listing of all the artists
and writers as well as a 1-5 grade for each of the three catagories. 1) Necessity How necessary the story is to the unfolding of the Batman universe and how much the comic contirbutes to the entire story line. 2) True to Form How true is the story to the Batman Universe and is it "believable" with regards to what we believe would "really happen" in Gotham City. 3) Over All Enjoyment / Readablity How much we like the comic and how much we suggest you go out and buy it. |
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Batman 573 Jan 2000 - Shellgame 1 - Gambits NML is no longer part of the country. Lexcorp starts rebuilding Gotham. Robin keeps tabs on Huntress & Pettit (who is going off the deep end) while Batman "greets" Lex while The Joker feels like he doesn't get any respect. Mercy, Lex's tough & sexy body guard, watches over Lex whilst he sleeps, is quickly knocked out by Batman who reminds Lex who is in charge of Gotham. Bruce contacts Lucius Fox (from "Barbados") & sicks him on Lex, who is buying up NML property like mad. Something is brewing... and Joker cuts loose on Lexcorp. Continued in Detective Comics #740. Writer: Greg Rucka - Penciler: Sergio Cariello - Inker: Mark Pennington No Mans Land Series Rating: 4 / 5 / 4. Ave. 4 A good read. Nice to see the contrast of Batman portraying a playboy. |
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Batman 537 Dec 1996 - ManBat - Part Two Pursuit There were 20 sightings of the Man-Bat while Batman searches, holding onto Dr. Langstroms antidote. Scientists discover a large icicle at the North Pole which houses the Man-Bat that has followed their Energy Harmonics equipment. The team reports on their find, which is garbled in transmission, giving the impression that they are in danger. Gordon informs Batman of the find at the Pole & that a Monster Hunter team has been dispatched. The Batman stows away on their helicpter. At the same time, the Man-Bat actually awakes from his frozen sleep... and kills. Batman tries to subdue the Man-Bat, while stopping the Monster Hunter team from killing Langstrom.... Next Issue Predemption Writer: Doug Moench - Penciler: Kelly Jones - Inker: John Beatty Rating: 4 / 4 / 4. Ave. 4 I enjoyed it, but Kelly Jones does wierd art! |
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Batman 500 Oct. 1993 - Dark Angel Special double cardstock cover. Jean Paul relies on "the system" (the programming he underwent as Azreal) to radically re-develop the Batman outfit. Bruce is in a wheel chair in Santa Prisca while Jean Paul darkens, is at odds with Robin and obsesses on destroying Bane, who is frantically searching for more Venom. Pumped on Venom, Bane challenges the newly armored Batman. A vicious fight unfolds that in the end, leaves Bane thoroughly defeated & Jean Paul lost in a clouded realm of dark, self righteous anger. Writer: Doug Moench - Artists: Jim Aparo, Terry Austin, Mike Manley KNIGHTFALL Series #19 Rating: 4 / 4 / 4. Ave. 4.0 |
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Batman 497 July 1993 - The Broken Bat Bruce enters the manor exhausted only to find Bane standing over an unconscious Alfred. This story will make you wince at every page turn. This is THE penultimate point in the career of The Batman. Bane, fully pumped on Venom, dishes out a ferocious beating to Bruce in the Batcave. There is no recovery for The Batman, he is completely exhausted, drained of energy with no sleep. He is defeated in his own home even before the fighting has begun. Unfortunately, we all know what happens in the end. Writer: Doug Moench - Artists: Jim Aparo, KNIGHTFALL Series #11 Rating: 5 / 5 / 4. Ave. 4.6 This is a Must Have Comic! |
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Batman 464 July 1991 Spirit Of The Beast. Part Three - Sacrifice Batman tracks the Indians' truck while the old man tells his story of how Manitou made The Bat was his protector. Two Hearts has about a dozen white people tied up, all decendants of the soldiers who killed their ancestor and forced the tribe to eat him. All ready to be sacrificed. The old man challenges Two Hearts with Batman as his champion. Two Hearts throws some halucinagenic powder at Batman... Script: Alan Grant - Penciler: Norm Breyfogle - Inker: Steve Mitchell Rating: 2.5 / 2.9 / 2.8 Ave. 2.7 |
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Batman 463 June 1991 Spirit Of The Beast. Part Two - Ghost Racing through Death Valley to save an old man, Batman follows the old mans dog (that has an image of a bat on his fur), leading him through the desert. Batman rescues the old man who claims that the Manitou has sent "The Bat" to save him. He tells of how in 1863 the white men killed his grandfather, making the tribe eat his cooked flesh and that Two Hearts is going to kill the decendants of these white men. Batman treks to Vegas with the Old Man & his dog to stop Two Hearts. Bruce Wayne then follows two Indians from a casino who are likely to lead him to Two Hearts... to be continued. Script: Alan Grant - Penciler: Norm Breyfogle - Inker: Steve Mitchell Rating: 2.5 / 2.8 / 2.6 Ave. 2.6 |
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Batman 441 1989 A Lonely Place Of Dying. Chapter 3 of 5 - Parallel Lines Two Face and The Batman are obsessively alternating between each other throughout the story, trying to figure out how best to trap each other and put an end to the others deeds. Two Face actually contemplates destroying the Twin Towers! At the same time the reader sees the unfolding of Tim Drake and how he begins to awaken the idea of becoming the third Robin, following the death of Jason Todd!. Writer: Marv Wolfman - Penciler: Jim Aparo - Inker: Mike Decarlo cont. from The New Titans #60 Rating: 4 / 4 / 3. Ave. 3.66 |
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Batman 440 1989 A Lonely Place Of Dying. Chapter 1 of 5 - Suspects The Ravager and batman are in a viscious knife fight on a dam. Ravager falls into the foaming water as Batman watches... and as an unseen someone takes a picture. Someone on a kine...who also knows that it was Bruce on the Dam. Two Face is batteling his other half which talks to him through an old style radio. Bruce is ailing with a fever and sickness, while the "picture taker" looks at old pics of Batman, thinking about 'Robin's death'. Alfred hints at his dissappointment at Bruce's fanatical acts as Batman after Jason's death. Batman works on the Two Face case, while the unknown photographer meets with 'Starfire' Robins girlfriend. Writer: Marv Wolfman - Penciler: Jim Aparo - Inker: Mike Decarlo Next Issue..The New Titans #60, Two Face Strikes Rating: 3.3 / 3. / 3. Ave. 3.1 |
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Batman 399 Sept 1986 - Strike Two A flight attendant is killed by an ex-boyfriend...chopped off her head w/an axe, shrunk it and stored it in a bucket in the basement. Batman is trying to pin it on Spivey the ex-boyfriend, while a rift grows between him & Catwoman, thinking she has a new lover, but really it's just a black panther. Spivey sends the shrunken head to the dead girl's roomie's boyfriend gift wrapped, while Lucius is contemplating running for mayor & Batman bugs Spivey's place. This gets complicated... George, the dead girls boyfriend, goes nuts & goes after Spivey, with Nancy's boyfriend Jim chasing him, leaving Nancy, (the dead girl's roomie), all alone. Spivey busts through the window with his new axe, and tries to chop off Nancy's head but is foiled by Catwomans Panther who was guarding Nancy for just such a reason. Spivey runs home, with a clawed face, to find Mona's shrunken head in his medicine cabnet, hidden there by Batman who stole it from Commisioner Gordon. Spivey admits everything to the shrunken head, screams & goes nuts & Batman got it all on tape & then proceeds to confront the madman who is still holding an axe. But the Batman is distracted by the pounding on the door which is crazy George & Jim, allowing Spivey to take an axe swing at Batman & careens past George & Jim & is stopped by Catwoman & clocked by Batman. This comic sucks! Writer: Doug Moench - Artist: Tom Mandrake Rating: 0 / 0 / 1. Ave. .3 Save your money, what the hell was Moench thinking? |
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Batman 398 Aug 1986 - About Faces Catwoman contemplates her future as Batmans partner and lover. (Pu-Lease!) Batman admits his...love for Catwoman while the Bat Signal shines in the background. All while Jason mopes in jelousy. The Red Witch & Two Face break into Gotham Museum to steal "Ankh-Es-Anon" a dead Pharaoh of Egypt. Of course it's a trap with Batman & Catwoman trailing them, with Bullock in tow. The Witch tries to hypnotise Two face to turn him into Harvey Dent, the plan fails, a fight ensues, Robin accidentally cocks Catwoman in the face and Two Face ends up out cold. Writer: Doug Moench - Artist: Tom Mandrake Rating: 2 / 1 / 2. Ave. 1.6 Thank god the stories have gotten better. |
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Batman 397 July 1986 - The Triumph of Two Face - Binary Brains Robin drags an unconscious dope peddler into police HQ & informs Gordon that Two Face has escaped Arkham. Gordon calls on Batman, who arrives with Catwoman in tow. Catwoman searches for a Red Witch, who turns out to be a stripper with a mask, while Two Face "buys/steals" a two computer "Double Binary Brains" LAN system from a nerd. Robin sits in Catwomans lap, since the Batmobile doesn't seat three, & Two Face asks the Binary Brains which heist he should do. He ends up robbing the Twin Towers Bank and gets away with $200,000 only to find that a stripper Red Witch is looking for him. Writer: Doug Moench - Artist: Tom Mandrake Rating: 2 / 2 / 3. Ave. 2.3 A very silly plot. Cont. Detective Comics #564 |
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Batman 383 May 1985 - Just As Night Follows Day Batman has been active for four nights straight. All Bruce wants now is to get some sleep. However what awaits him are the house contractors, Jason needing a ride to school, a meeting with the principal, a flat tire, an inpromptu meeting with Lucius Fox, a proposition from Julia, a surprise visit from Vicki Vale wanting marriage, more construction, picking Jason up from school, a 5 hour meeting with Jasons caseworker, a hold up at a convenience store, a serial rapist, a burgler, arsonist & a mugger. Batman finally catches sleep on a gargoyle. Writer: Doug Moench - Art: Gene Colan & Alfredo Alcala Rating: 2 / 3 / 3. Ave. 2.66 A light, non-traditional, interesting read. |
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Batman 378 May 1984 - One Hat Madder The Mad Hatter is tenatiously looking for the lost look of Sturges Hellstrom/Nightshade. The only way to get the information is from Nocturna who happens to know who The Batman is and is also given custody of adopting Jason Todd (Robin #2). The Mad Hatter uses a wireless laptop that, through the use of a hat, can read, record & control Natalia to disclose where Nightshade's money is. Natalia visciously attacks The Batman while Robin takes on The Hatter & his monkey. In the end Natalia calls Batman & Robin by their true names. Writer: Doug Moench - Art: Don Newton & Alfredo Alcala Rating: 2 / 2 / 2. Ave. 2 Mildly entertaining... could be better. |
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Batman 275 May 1976 - The Ferry Blows At Midnight The final quarter's underway with the 'Underworld '76 Olymipics and the North American Crime Team has to finish their task on a midnight ferry that doesn't run anymore. Dressed as The Village People they rob a mob group, that poses as a flower shop, of one million dollars, then donate the money to the mayor to get the ferry running again, steal the key to the city, a soccor ball, and an antique horse drawn fire carriage, while being persued by Batman in a "WhirlyBat". They hijack the ferry & plan on ramming it into a mined buoy. Story: David V. Reed - Art: Ernie Chua & Tex Blaisdell Rating: 1 / 1 / 1. Ave. 1 It doesn't get much worse than this folks. |
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