5 comments about Batman: Dark Victory.

1. I anticipated this to be awesome, and as always I wasn't disappointing. The Jeph/Loeb team up is on point, like always.
   but I'll warn you, you should definitely read "The Long Halloween" first, considering this one picks up where Halloween left off.
   the only reason I gave it four stars is because Robin is a bitch.
   I'm sorry,let me rephrase that. I know Robin to be a bitch.
   I really have no room to complain about this book besides my own personal issues with Robin.
   In conclusion, the art is sick, the story is even better, but Long Halloween gets read first.
   trust me.



2. ***If you haven't read "Batman: Year One" and "Batman: The Long Halloween", then this won't mean much to you (also, read "Catwoman: When in Rome (Batman)").***
   
   Following the phenomenon of TLH, Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale return with a masterful sequel that closes the history of organized crime in Gotham City, the rise of the 'freaks', and the beginnings of the Dynamic Duo.
   Alberto Falcone was discovered to have been the mysterious serial killer Holiday from TLH, and is set to be released from Arkham Asylum at the behest of Gotham's new D.A. Janice Porter. Newcomer Mario Falcone (presumably the middle child of the family) returns from exile to serve as his brother's keeper and to try to legitimize his family name and business. Sofia Falcone survives her supposedly fatal final appearance in TLH and returns as a crippled fanatic Hell-bent on maintaining her dead father's criminal empire against the rising threat of the 'freaks', and most of all is out for the blood of his killer. Captain James Gordon has become the new GCPD Commissioner and continues to work with the Batman to rid Gotham of crime; a monumental task with enemies inside the department, and he tries to win back his wife and son who've left him and Gotham. Harvey Dent was transformed into the villainous Two-Face and has rallied every freak in the city (the Joker, the Scarecrow, the Mad Hatter, Poison Ivy, Solomon Grundy, the Penguin, Mr. Freeze, the Riddler, and the Calendar Man) to his as yet unknown cause. And back to her usual tricks is the fence-straddling Catwoman with an agenda all her own. Gotham is primed for a war that may well plunge it into chaos.
   Now a new player has entered the game: a mysterious serial-cop-killer dubbed the Hangman, after the way in which they kill their victims and by notes left pinned to the bodies reminiscent of the children's game and written on documents related to Harvey Dent. The Hangman's identity is one of many mysteries in this story, one that grows more complicated as the story progresses. Is it Alberto Falcone back to his old tricks with new victims, or is it the Calendar Man who's now taken up murder as his M.O.? (all the murders occur on holidays). Is it Two-Face, owing to the fact of the Hangman notes are written on documents relevant to Harvey Dent? Is it Catwoman, who's purpose is the most mysterious of all throughout the story? Is it a conspiracy by the other organized crime families to destroy the Roman Empire? Why are all the victims cops? What is the hidden clue that links them together? Who is the Hangman?
   With all this going on, the Batman has decided that after what happened to his former ally Harvey Dent, he can't risk involving anyone else in his war against crime; the fight must be his and his alone. Until a fateful day at Haly's Circus when a young boy is orphaned as a consequence of the broader mob war, and how his entering into Bruce Wayne/Batman's life will profoundly change it forever.
   DV is an excellent story that never fails to deliver on all the points that made its predecessor so spectacular. The only thing that really feels out of place is the small role of Catwoman (her intentions are not fully explained until the closing pages of the story and are further elaborated upon in "Catwoman: When in Rome"), but this is not a big enough issue to give this review less than 5 stars. Get this comic, you'll not regret it.



3. Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale reunite for another run at the Batman in Dark Victory. This is a sequel to Long Halloween and packs a lot of the old noir feeling of the early Batman comics into the story and pacing. The time frame is just after Harvey Dent has been scarred forever and turned psychotic, emerging as the villainous Two-Face. Batman and Jim Gordon are struggling to accept their friend's loss, as well as figure out whether Dent can be saved from his madness.
   
   I really liked the overall thread of Two-Face's possible salvation in this one. Dent has so long been one of those characters that was possible to root for or at least understand to a degree. However, on the flip side - and yes that was a joke dependent on his infamous two-headed coin - Two-Face has always been one of the most deadly villains Batman has ever encountered.
   
   Tim Sale's art is fabulous. The darkness on the pages seems contagious and feels like it might leak off and infect everything that touches it. He does a lot with angles and points of view that are clever and cinematic, and the pacing of the story benefits by the way the action is often broken down. Although there are a tremendous amount of characters in this graphic novel, Sale does a good job at individual rendering. He also does a good job depicting all of Batman's rogue's gallery that's on scene in the story.
   
   The see-saw ripple of personal lives is one of the best aspects of Dark Victory. Jim Gordon's estranged wife returns to him at a time when he's desolate and alone, especially while trapped in the corrupt Gotham City Police Department.
   
   At the same time, Bruce Wayne is trying to figure out how to have a relationship with Selina Kyle (Catwoman) and dealing with the fact that he's in love with her.
   
   The thing I loved most about the graphic novel is how the overall mystery of the Hangman is played out. The deaths of police officers on holidays of every month are grisly and filled with action, but it's the word games that really hooked me in. I figured the sayings out before they were revealed, but that was only part of the fun. Trying to figure out what the context was turned out to be something else.
   
   The fact that Batman and Jim Gordon were trying to find out who the real killer was instead of allowing everyone to blame the murders on Two-Face was awesome. It was made even more dangerous by the fact that Two-Face was playing his own game and wouldn't hesitate to kill either of them.
   
   I really liked the way Loeb spun the story into Dick Grayson's origin story as well. And true Bat-fans have known there was always something that bound Robin and Two-Face, and this is the story that gives us that spin.
   
   Dark Victory is one of those well-done graphic novels that fans will read again and again. It also has to be read slowly to grasp all the nuances of the twisting plot and follow the devious turns. This is one of the stories that shows Batman at his detective best.



4. Great story, incredible artwork, all your favorite villains and of course Batman. Nice little added bonus is the addition of Robin to the story line. I love the continuation of The Long Halloween and the refrences to Batman:Year One. You should definitley check out those two books before reading this one.



5. It's an outstanding masterpiece that every dark knight friend has to read it. It defines the hero and shows the beginning of a wonderful relationship with Dick Grayson, the first Robin. One of his worst enemies emerges, that is Two-Face of course, while his friendship with Commissioner Gordon is tested. It's a must for every fan, for it's a pure pleasure. So, what are you waiting for? I'll definitely go for the other two that complete the trilogy.

5 comments about Green Lantern: Agent Orange.

1. `Agent Orange' picks up right where `Rage of the Red Lanterns' left off with Hal Jordan having a green ring on one hand and a blue one on the other. Geoff Johns has been expanding the Lantern universe at a blistering pace and in this compilation he introduces Larfleeze, the Orange Lantern. Don't let the silly name fool you; Larfleeze is instantly one of the most powerful characters in the DC Universe having the power of an entire corps. The orange ring, powered by avarice, seems like an homage to the Ring of Doom from Lord of the Rings with Larfleeze playing the part of Gollum. Instead of `My Precious' we get `Mine Mine Mine'. The orange ring is an extraordinarily potent weapon that controls the wearer by instilling within him an insatiable greed. When he sees Jordan with a shiny blue ring Larfleeze is completely unable to control his desire to own it. As was shown in the previous volume the blue rings are phenomenally powerful but can only work in conjunction with a green ring (hope needs will) but Hal is having problems getting the two rings to work together.
   
   I found it a little odd that Geoff Johns spent so much time introducing the Red Lanterns only to have them completely absent from this volume. It's like he has so many ideas in his head that he can't complete one before moving on to another. In this case I forgive him because Larfleeze is a great new addition to the Lantern pantheon. The explanation for how such a powerful being could remained unmentioned until now is a restriction on Green Lanterns entering the Vega system. In fact the entire ban on entering the Vega system was initiated just to avoid a conflict with Larfleeze, a being the Guardians claim is as big a threat as Parallax. Unlike the other colored rings the orange ring has but one wearer (thanks to the avarice). Whenever Larfleeze kills he then creates a ring bearing `avatar' of the deceased in order fill out his own lantern corps subject to his will. After the Controllers have an ill advised encounter with Larfleeze he gets a bit riled up and the Guardians decide it's time to deal with this threat once and for all. A task easier said than done.
   
   Geoff Jones often writes like someone with attention deficit disorder jumping from one idea to another. In my opinion his tenure writing the JSA was not good, with so many things happening it became a total mess and I abandoned the series. Legion of Three Worlds was also a mess but in the end succeeded more than failed (although that's open to debate). His time writing Green Lantern has been likewise spastic but here it works very well. How can I put this without sounding like a horrible put down? He reminds me of Rob Liefeld if Liefeld actually had any talent. I imagine Liefeld desperately trying to come up with super cool, awesome characters. Johns is probably the same way except the characters he develops are actually legitimately interesting.
   
   Philip Tan continues to deliver on the visuals and they look fantastic with all the purples, greens, blues and oranges. I enjoyed some of the experimentation he does including one frame where the background is blurred creating a sense of depth to the image. It's a pretty neat effect that I'd love to see more of. Besides his spectacular technical proficiency Tan is also a very creative artist and he really lets it all hang out in drawing the avatars of the orange lantern corps. The book includes some extra sketches done by Philip Tan of various alien life forms and they look absolutely spectacular. In addition there are some nice full page layouts (not drawn by Tan) of the various lantern corps including their most important members. I feel that these kinds of extras should be mandatory for compilations. Without them it's like buying a movie on DVD with no special features, disappointing.
   
   I almost didn't buy this compilation because it wasn't getting as good of a buzz as `Rage of the Red Lanterns' from the professional reviews but in the end I really enjoyed it and it is the bridge to Darkest Night. In fact I believe this is the first appearance of the black lantern. The book even includes a layout for the black lantern corps including its leader Black Hand. If you enjoyed Johns previous work on Green Lantern I see no reason not to pick up this one.



2. The concept of the Green Lantern Corps is one of the genuinely genius ideas in comics. Superficially similar in nature to the Jedi Knights of Star Wars, the Green Lantern Corps are essentially space police, and their tales chronicle the exploits of sentient representatives from various solar systems around various galaxies, given immensely powerful green rings that are powered by will. Lanterns know no fear, or are at least able to overcome it.
   
   The ongoing Green Lantern series chronicles the adventures of Earth's greatest Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, a smart, tough, not-big-into-planning test pilot with a healthy scepticism of authority, a certain talent with women and an indomitable will. Green Lantern: Agent Orange, collects issues 39-42 of the ongoing series, and parts of Blackest Night 0, as well as sections of the Tales of the Green Lantern Corps mini-series, and is one of the best single Green Lantern or comic stories you'll read all year, and there are a lot by Geoff Johns. To be enjoyed to its fullest though, I would recommend also buying the previous volume in this series, "Rage of the Red Lanterns" which is fantastic. This is not essential, but will greatly enhance the reading experience.
   
   (If you're new to Green Lantern and can't afford to start from the first volume "Rebirth," then I would suggest at least going as far back as Green Lantern Secret Origin. That triumvirate of collections should be enough to give you the sweep and scope of the characters and the worlds involved.)
   
   The story pits Hal against one of the most intriguing "villains" to come out of comics in a while, and is a sly allegory on Geoff Johns' part for the obsessive comic fan (at one point, the character declares, in response to Hal grabbing his Lantern, "Don't you dare dent it. It's in mint condition.") Larfleeze, (a combination of "lard" and "sleeze"), is an upright boar crossed with a muppet; with long spindly arms and legs, constantly drooling mouth and a head perpetually ablaze with the orange light of avarice. (Green was taken!) He wields the orange lantern of greed, and is the sole living embodiment of that power, although, he manifests an entire corps of "orange lanterns" from the spirits of creatures he has killed or consumed.
   
   Hidden secretly away in the star system Vega for millenia, Larfleeze is finally disturbed by foolhardly "Controllers," immensely powerful beings related to the Guardians of the Universe, founders of the peacekeeping Green Lantern Corps. Larfleeze had entered into a secret pact with the Guardians, a pact which has now been disturbed by the entrance of the Controllers, and aims to keep his promises no more. He threatens the Guardians with retaliation at their "betrayal" and the Guardians go to the Vega system to investigate. Hal, who is currently suffering from having both a green ring (powered by will) and a blue one (powered by hope) cancelling the other out, gets taken along with the Guardians on this errand. (The background to this development can be found in Rage of the Red Lanterns, the previous volume in the series.) Mayhem, adventure, some horror and much humour ensues, and the reader is delighted every step of the way.
   
   The writing by Geoff Johns here is excellent and represents the best in graphic storytelling in the space opera genre currently being published. While the inherently silly concept of various colored lanterns powered by different emotions, and represented by a different color of the spectrum, would seem childish in lesser hands, Johns manages to bring a level of sophistication and gravitas to the concept that sells it well. Phillip Tan does an admirable job in the early chapters bringing the exploits of Larfleeze to life, but obvious difficulty with keeping a monthly schedule results in sometimes muddy results in the final two issues, and he has to be helped out by the equally capable Eddy Barrows, whose art style is similar enough that the transition between the two is nearly imperceptible. Tan does an excellent job of designing most of the characters in this volume though, and his lush and detailed pencils provides an air of claustrophia to the story that helps ground it and counterbalance its more fantastic elements. The characters and worlds he draws have texture, and his Larfleeze is at once fascinating and disgusting to watch on the page. Some pages though suffer from insufficiently clear panel layout, and like most young artists working today, clarity of storytelling is not always the main priority. Thankfully, there's more to admire here than to dislike, and the art overall on Agent Orange is actually pretty good.
   
   With Green Lantern: Agent Orange, Geoff Johns builds yet another intriguing pillar in this massive and epic tale about the prophesied "war of light," between the various factions of the emotional spectrum. With Larfleeze, he has managed to create one of the single most intriguing, original and exciting characters to come out of the Green Lantern mythos in a while. The four chapters plus a few extra pages of story here seem a little slight if you're looking for a chunky, meaty cosmic saga to sink your teeth into. But on its own, the volume is completely entertaining and satisfying as a significant chapter in the overall Blackest Night saga Johns is working towards.
   
   I highly recommend this!



3. Yes Green Lantern is one the best books right now, and the quality of this book is great (the art by Tan and the story by Johns are really top-nocht) BUT I can't shake the feeling that I have been cheated by DC. The cause of this is that the whole book it's supposed to be 128 pages, but actually it's merely 96, all the other pages are concept art etc. Don't get me wrong I really liked it but it should be .... bigger



4. Coming off the pages of the Red Hot: Rage of the Red Lanterns, this book has a much more relaxed feel. Additionally, the titular character, Larfleeze (Agent Orange) is kind of dropped on us w/o an all encompassing backstory until the volume is almost at an end. While to some his powers might seem intriguing, you'll have to wait for an upcoming "Blackest Night" tie-in to get the true nature of his corps.
   
   Across the board "Orange" is hated on, and while it's not "green lantern at its best", it and Larfleeze, are both necessary evils in getting us to arrive at the pages of Blackest Night.
   
   Since many people are picking up these books based on "how does it relate to BN?" this is the one. From start to finish, you will arrive at the beginning of "Blackest Night"



5. Quite the entertaining story, Agent Orange is filled with terrific art work creating amazing images. Larlfleeze as Agent Orange is definitely one of the most interesting and entertaining characters in comics that I've seen in a while. It was a great read that I wish could have been longer, especially into Agent Orange's origin and that of his constructs. Otherwise, I anxiously await the Blackest Night to premiere in tpb.

5 comments about Batman: Battle for the Cowl.

1. As the title says, this limited series is about Who'll be the new Batman.
   
   The first book kick off with Time Drake and Squire chasing three armed suspects. By the time Drake and Squire reach the armed suspects are already dealt with someone else who happens to leave a note that reads "I'm Batman". I thought that was a pretty good kick-off.
   
   But soon as I read through the first book i realized the remaining books in this series might not be as good. The reason being 1) it is quite obvious who'll be the next Batman 2) they introduce too many characters, Dick Grayson, Time Drake, Squire, Blackmask and all the villans he broke out to name a few 3) plus, there is a talk about phony Batman....and rivalry between Two-Face and the Penguin which apparently consumes much of the remaining series. Don't get me wrong though, the first issue itself was pretty solid but i can't say the same about the rest not so much.
   
   the remaining issue is pretty much bombs and explosions. A building gets blown up there, another one gets blown up here. Phony batman is unmasked but his actions aren't justified. Why is he wearing the Batman costume, more importantly why has he gone nuts, killing people and all that? The penguin and two-face are being played by black mask but the story is left over in between. The story reveals catwoman made sure black mask was dead, in that case, who is this new black mask? I'm not too bothered about it though, afterall this is a small series and i believe they'll be answering those questions in upcoming issues.
   
   Overall, I think this is a fair series. I can see this series is starting multiple follow-up storyline like who's the new villan in town, how'll the new Batman do? If anything good comes from those storylines, you might look back in this series someday.
   
   P.S. the art is pretty good.



2. Tony Daniel didn't exactly have creative freedom when writing 'Battle for the Cowl'. It was already predetermined who would become the next Batman, before he was even chosen for the project. However, excuses aren't enough to make up for this over-ambitious and lackluster story arc.
   
   It's silly for DC to have ever thought they could surprise readers with Batman's replacement. It's incredibly obvious who Bruce's #1 protege is, and besides Daniel spilled the beans during the mini-event in a blog. Daniel attempts to make 'Battle for the Cowl' as epic as possible, but the plot is messy and too big for a fairly untalented writer to take-on. The story should have either been handed over to a more qualified author, or it should have been stripped down to it's basic elements.
   
   I don't like to give away too many spoilers.. so here's a vague description of what to expect:
   
   Almost every superhero in the extended Bat-family is in Gotham City, and almost every villain is on the loose. Gotham declares a state of emergency and is in self-preservation mode, barely hanging on. Arkham Asylum is destroyed, and Penguin and Two-face are in a power-struggle, while being manipulated by a returning baddie. Grayson and Drake are hunting down an imposter Batman on a murderous rampage. The imposter's identity doesn't stay secret for long, and is pretty predictable. The ending is predictable as well. Damian and Grayson end up saving one another's lives. This is supposed to suffice as a bonding experience, but Damian is too angsty and disresprectful to show any readiness or appreciation for teamwork.
   
   There's too much going on in 'Battle for the Cowl' for a three issue mini-series. In attempt to set up new directions for the Batman series and it's characters, it raises more questions than it answers, and it over-stuffs the story with more than it can handle. The companion tradeback doesn't provide a whole lot of answers either.
   
   Daniel's writing style is too serious, and there's too much action without building real suspense. Most of the characters are dwindled down to their generic profiles, and much of what happens is horribly unoriginal. I mean, how many times is DC going to publish a comic, in which the bad guy falls into a river, and is assumed to be dead, even though the body is never found and we all know they'll be back?
   
   The artwork is pretty snazzy, but it has a few nagging issues. Daniel's figures are anatomical and realistic; however, there's an annoyingly disproportionate amount of posing. He's a wannabe Jim Lee, but that isn't to say, he's not talented. His pencils are fluid and smooth, which contrasts nicely with the somewhat erratic and untamed boxy panel layout, which Daniels uses almost every trick in the book to design. There's not much flow to it, due to it's lack of organization.
   
   'Battle for the Cowl' isn't all that important to Batman continuity. Since it's no surprise who the new Batman is, it's pretty easy to skip this title and move on to Morrison's 'Batman and Robin', but if over-ambitious plots coupled with mediocre storytelling is your thing, this might be just right for you. It's not the worst Batman story arc, but it certainly didn't rise to the occasion. It's not everyday Batman get's replaced; this should have been written by someone who understands character development and story structure. I applaud Tony Daniel for trying something new, but his writing style is weak and without emotional resonance. The story tries to reach too high, while falling flat at the same time.
   
   I think the price ought to tell you it's not worth much.



3. All in all the book is a fairly decent read. I like that we get to see Jason Todd again. However where I was really disappointed was what they did with Batwoman. I really like the black and red look with the bat costumes (not to mention my fetish for red heads ) so I was looking forward to seeing her in the book. Needless to say she was only in 1 panel. Big dissapointment to me. I may have enjoyed the book more had I not had high hopes of seeing batwoman. Her current sstory line is not too bad, but it just doesn't have the same feel as her interactions with Montoya did.



4. Well, I have made my feelings clear in other reviews about Tony Daniel's work on Batman so far; but this volume proves he is a talented artist with the potential to do good things with the Dark Knight.
   
   His orevious work, on The "Resurrection of Ra's Al-Ghul" and the "Black Glove" stories, a bit of a mess; either due to rushed deadlines or being paired with the wrong inker; it was sloppy and felt rushed. He improved greatly with "Batman: RIP", either because he finally gelled with inker Sandu Florea or because he was given enough of a deadline to do a good job.
   
   Anyway, this latest volume in the ongoing saga to replace Batman after his disappearance in "RIP" and then later in "Final Crisis" (Did he meet his end twice?) is ably handled my Mr. Daniel, and while it is strictly an action story, it makes a change from Grant Morrison's good but mind bending run of the last two years. So if you are looking for the comic book equivalent of a summer blockbuster, then look no further.
   
   I do have a few criticisms though; the first is the notion that with Batman gone, Gotham City descend into chaos as the Gotham mobs feel they have a free hand to wreak havoc on the people of Gotham. One would think that after almost two decades of being Batman, Bruce Wayne would have cleaned the City enough so it would not devolve into Anarchy the moment he disappeared. There is also no explanation of why it's common knowledge that he's gone. Did some post something on Batman's twitter page?
   
   My other critics would be casting Two-Face as a mob boss. Historically, Two-Face has been more of a heist man, using his gang to rob banks and such, so he is twisted here to suit the story where another villain may have been better suited as arrival to the Penguin, who was long ago established as a major crime boss in the City.
   
   This is a worthy read wrapped in a nice hardcover addition, well worth your money.



5. This book is ok for an in between while we await DC's revival of Bruce Wayne. If suspense and nail-biting from page to page is what you are looking for, then save your money and time for Grant Morrison's revival of the infamous Dark Knight! Battle for the Cowl gets a 3 star. Here is a link for info on the Return of Bruce [...]:_The_Return_of_Bruce_Wayne and as always you can pre-order when available on Amazon! Later!

5 comments about Final Crisis.

1. There's an episode of the 1980s sit-com TAXI in which Ted Danson plays a trendy hair stylist who gives one of the show's regulars a hairdo from hell. When she expresses some misgivings, his throng of adoring fans rally to his defense. She's basically told that she's not sophisticated enough to appreciate his art. Grant Morrison and his fanboys remind me of that TAXI episode.
   
   Grant Morrison is the most over-rated witer in comics. Granted(no pun meant), his odd style was a perfect match for his dOOM pATROL run but everything I've seen of his since then has been a mixed bag - including his much lauded work on ANIMAL MAN which was ultimately just a padded version of a plot which had already been done in the 1970s JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA (when the concept of "Earth Prime" was intoduced).
   
   The saving grace of Morrison's ARKHAM ASYLUM was Dave McKean's artwork. When that's stripped away what is left is a story where none of the participants behave in character. Unlike the new video game, Batman does not kick ass at Arkham, he just shambles from room to room, observing supervillains who stand there spouting dialogue like exhibits at some Boring Pretentious Comic Book Wax Mueum. The symbolism of the story is so heavy handed, it's difficult not to suspect that Morrison was putting the whole thing over as a joke.
   
   His recent incoherent BATMAN R.I.P. storyline should have been a red flag to the editors at DC not to put him in charge of one of their CRISIS events. Among the inexplicable nonsense that happens in BATMAN R.I.P. are scenes of billionaire Bruce Wayne wandering the streets of Gotham City as a homeless person and not being recognized by anyone. Huh? In another scene the Joker asks, "Don't you get it?" No, I don't. At this point I'd rather not even bother trying.
   
   FINAL CRISIS starts out as vague and as head-scratching as BATMAN R.I.P. and then moves into the realm of incomprehensible gibberish. In addition, as in ARKHAM ASYLUM, the author still tries to substitute titilation, sadism and cruelty for originality. For those of you who appreciate that sort of thing, there's a point in FINAL CRISIS where it's implied that the villains plan to gang rape Supergirl after their triumph. Ooh, that surely makes this a "mature" title. :) (What is up with some comic book writers and misogyny? Do they still harbor a grudge for not getting a date to the prom even after making their fortune in the medium that they preferred over girls in the first place?) FINAL CRISIS is practically devoid of any sincere human emotion. Scenes where Clark Kent shows devotion to Lois Lane are by-the-numbers and have all the subtlety of a train wreck (an apt anology for this book). One might think the story was written by an android.
   
   Is there no one at DC Comics whose job it is to toss a script back into a writer's face and say "What the hell is this @#$% ?" Why did they hand over control of their entire universe of characters to this writer? Does he have incriminating photos? Did Geoff Johns hold out for too much money? Were the editors afraid to approach the artiste and demand that he actually produce a quality product for the money he's being paid?
   
   In light of IDENTITY CRISIS and FINAL CRISIS, it seems that DC is more interested with making a buck than in providing quality stories about the pop icons they've been entrusted with. Who can enjoy a Ralph and Sue Dibny story now without thinking about the fates thay lay in store for them?
   
   Oh, and for those of you who bought 52 issues of COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS...that story has nothing to do with FINAL CRISIS! No kidding.
   
   I think there's as much a crisis in the DC offices than there is on the pages of their comic books. Enough with the CRISES. How about some SOLUTIONS? Maybe an INTERVENTION? :)
   
   The only reason I give this book one star is that I couldn't figure out how to give it zero stars.
   
   If you're curious about FINAL CRISIS, I agree with anther reviewer who recommends that you borrow a copy from your library. DC does not deserve to make one more dime off this crap.



2. The book does 1 thing right, it keeps you turning the page because you are constantly hoping that the next page will possibly explain in plain English what is going on. The story is so convoluted and unnecessarily complicated. I was hoping it would be on the same quality lines of Infinite Crisis but it turned out to be a total waste of time...



3. This book is one big mess from start to finish. It's very slow moving and the plot is all over the place. At no time was I sure what was going on. Hundreds of characters are thrown in throughout & I've no idea what they're doing & what the point of them is. Batman 'dies' in this book but it arrives completely out of nowhere & feels cheap. Completely disrespectful to the character. Darkseid does very little throughout the book & doesn't come across as the major villain that he is. The whole 52 Earths is a joke as well. This sort of storytelling just can't be good for comic books. It's a horrible mess of a read from start to finish.



4. I am a huge Grant Morrison fan, which is why I still bought Final Crisis despite hearing nothing but terrible (to put it kindly) reviews. Even though GM is one of my favorite authors and I usually find his work to be brilliant, when he fails he does so spectacularly. This is quite possibly his most epic failure yet, despite what seems to be lots of inspired potential for the storyline, the execution fell flat and the story quickly collapses under its own weight.
   
   Eventually the story just seems to give up on following even the faintest notion of cohesiveness or continuity in and of itself . It reads more like a framing story with the actual tale being told elsewhere, but even this is not entirely the case as the "companion" books can be read (and are more enjoyable) on their own, and the Final Crisis books proper are just frustratingly chaotic and painfully incoherent and instead of enhancing or complementing related stories actually manage to diminish them instead. For example, The Countdown to Final Crisis bears only the tiniest fraction of relevance to Final Crisis, and this was blatantly billed as the prequel.
   
   Final Crisis serves as the perfect example of how these yearly mega-crossovers put out by "the big two" just get worse and worse with each passing year. Sure, the short term sales are usually good, but in the long run I'm afraid they run the risk of orchestrating another collapse of the industry through diminished quality of product mixed with over saturation. I doubt the short-term financial gain will be worth alienating their fan base. Final Crisis is for me the final straw for the DCU, and I plan to just go back to randomly picking up one-shots or non-cannon stories like All-Star Superman (a shining example of GM's writing at its best).



5. I read a few DC titles. I don't purchase more than five titles a month. I am someone the DC marketing department might categorize as a casual reader. I am a huge fan of Jack Kirby's Fourth World and some of Grant Morrison's work, particularly The Filth, Seaguy and All-Star Superman, and I was ecstatic to learn that DC allowed Morrison to revamp characters and narrative techniques pioneered by Kirby. What I love about Kirby's writing in the Fourth World comics: Kirby reduces characterization to ideas or principles, plots typically follow a one-damn-thing-after-another guideline in which storytelling momentum cannot/does not brake for anything and as many ideas are crammed into the frames as possible. Morrison seems to attempt all of these things, but with little success because his approach attempts to maximize the extreme nature of Kirby's devices.
   
   The entire book is difficult, if not impossible, to swallow. There is so much going on here that the average reader chokes instead of enjoying it. It's the only comic I've encountered that confuses overload and excess with success. Even brain wrinklers like The Filth are moderate compared to this. Final Crisis occasionally attempts to be metafictional, but fails because the commentary on the medium is mostly unintelligible. Attempts to contribute to a postmodern discourse in this regard are convoluted and onanistic. Morrison is granted the opportunity to address superhero tropes when multiple versions of a character from various parts of the multiverse appear in the same scene, but he fails again because there are too many characters in too few pages for Morrison to make any semblance of a general or specific statement about superhero tropes; the cast of characters is too vast to support this story or any story. There is no room for the reader to breath and no time to digest the avalanche of past and present DCU references as one turns the page. Even during relatively simple, character-based sections that aren't overwrought with dialog like "I'll do what I can to plug the hole in forever!", the prose is glib and ambiguous like contrived poetry by an author who may or may not understand what they're trying to express. I think the premise of Final Crisis had potential when Morrison initially conceived it, but I really can't tell because I'm still confused about what Final Crisis is about. Morrison tries to force you to binge on every remotely complex or brilliant idea he's ever had about comics and fiction. This approach is and always will be a recipe for failure. Good intentions never equate to great art.
   
   My biggest criticism of this event is that it is completely inaccessible to casual fans like myself. It is impossible to read Final Crisis without consulting a guide like Douglas Wolk's annotations blog. This reading experience was similar to playing a video game that is so difficult you have to read a walkthrough to make every move or reading a book of fiction that is so dense you have to spend more time reading critical essays to understand it than you do reading the book itself. DC and Morrison have lost a lot of credibility after reading this and I will definitely be warier about purchasing their products in the future.

5 comments about Batman: The Long Halloween.

1. ***It would be a good idea to have read Batman: Year One before reading this graphic novel.***
   Batman: The Long Halloween is a master piece of literary and artistic craftsmanship from Jeph Loeb (Batman: Dark Victory, Batman: Hush, Superman/Batman Vol. 1: Public Enemies) and Tim Sale (Batman: Haunted Knight, Catwoman: When in Rome (Batman), Superman for All Seasons) that served as the inspiration for the 2008 billion-dollar-grossing box office blockbuster The Dark Knight.
   A conservative estimate places this story about a year after "Batman: Year One"; Batman is an established crime fighter feared by the mob, James Gordon is an honorable GCPD Captain, and Harvey Dent is the crusading district attorney. All three of these men want the same thing: to rid Gotham City of organized crime and its master crime lord Carmine "the Roman" Falcone, and the three decide to form a pact to bring down the "Roman Empire". Caught up in the madness of this seemingly impossible task are a host of what the cops and mob call "freaks" (costumed criminals) including: The Joker, Solomon Grundy, Poison Ivy, The Riddler, The Scarecrow, The Mad Hatter, and Catwoman (who between her double life as Selina Kyle, the on-again-off-again main squeeze of Bruce Wayne, and her nights playing catch-me-if-you-can with Batman, has set her own interests in the "Roman Empire" (for reasons not fully explained until "Catwoman: When in Rome")).
   However, in the midst of the good guys versus the bad guys, a new player has arisen. Known only as Holiday (because he strikes on holidays), this serial killer is stalking all persons affiliated with the Roman Empire and Falcone's chief rival Salvatore "Boss" Maroni. The original story took place over 13 issues for 13 months from Halloween to Halloween, during which time both Falcone and Maroni have suffered incalculable losses and a blow is delivered to the three key players that may threaten to destroy them all as the newest as most conflicted of freaks arises to join Batman's Rogues Gallery.
   This is a phenomenal story that was originally adapted from "Batman Annual #14: Eye of the Beholder" which cataloged the downfall of Harvey Dent into the villainous Two-Face; TLH simply elaborates upon this same concept in a way that is far more satisfying. The fun of this story is trying to figure out the main mystery: Who is Holiday? There are a row of suspects put forward throughout the story, among whom include: Catwoman, Harvey Dent, even Falcone and Maroni themselves! While the mystery is revealed at the end, there still remains the question as to whether or not they were the only only one acting as Holiday (for more on this go to: <[...]>). Do not miss this masterpiece or its companions "Haunted Knight" and "Dark Victory".



2. The way Loeb & Sale blended in the bas-fonds of Gotham's mafia with Bruce/Batman is so delightful that even the "clowns" just seem to fall in place and leave the stage in a natural way.



3. In my review of Frank Miller's 'Batman: Year One,' I longed for more material; I complained that the work was too short. Loeb's 'Long Halloween' is a perfect fulfillment of Miller's source work. It carries forward with the characters as they are revealed in the original work, and works especially to develop the personalities of the Gotham City crime families and Harvey Dent. It also features appearnces by a whole host of classic Gotham villains. Not to be missed.



4. Batman Th Long Halloween is probably one of the best batman graphic novels I have ever read. I love the artwork. And the story line is brilliant especially the the fact that it includes Gotham's crime lords in the story.



5. I was blown away on how good this story was. I am a big Marvel fan, but have been thinking about breaking out into mainstream DC books. I was not disappointed with this read. It combines Batman's dark precence and a great murder mystery to make a great story. The art also contributes to this as well. This is a great start for anyone who wants to read more Batman, and I am sure I will buy more Batman books in the future.

5 comments about Fables Vol. 12: The Dark Ages.

1. One of the best books I have ever read. It is hard for me not to give every book in the series 5 stars because they are all just that good.



2. "The Dark Ages" is an appropriate title for this collection of Fables comics (issues 76-82). It finds our Fabletown heroes, post-truce with the Emperor, dealing with the foul-hearted Gepetto in their midst and the threat of much darker forces on the wind. Mark Buckingham does the majority of the art in this collection and, as always, manages it brilliantly. I especially enjoy his illustration of "Freddy" and the "Mouse," who not only seem to be versions of Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser, but are very reminiscent of Mike Mignola's version of those two characters. This comic continues to remain strong in both writing and artwork, and I am sure Mister Dark will be a villain that will continue to shake up the Fables universe for many issues to come.



3. What intense escapist pleasure reading the Fable series is! By this volume, we are intimately familiar with the interesting characters. The adversary has been defeated, but some dreadful black magic comes to haunt them all in Fabletown, casting their survival in doubt once again. There is also a short story at the end of the volume concerning Mowgli, which doesn't really fit the rest of the book.
   
   Willingham interleaves pop culture, fairy tale legend, and crisp dialogue to create a heady mix of entertainment. As usual in this series, the artwork is delicious. I particularly like the way Mark Buckingham plays with panels and off-panel drawings is fantastically visually stimulating. He masterfully uses an effect which is very immersive to the reader.
   
   I am running out of superlatives for my reviews of the various Fables volumes. Bill Willingham's "Fables" is the most interesting concept in comics I have seen in the last few years. Beyond action, Willingham keeps the series fresh with his character development.
   
   Highly recommended for adult readers!



4. A lot of people probably thought that Gepetto and his empire were taken down a little easily in the previous story arc. I agree, but fortunately Willingham does a nice job of putting the heat right back on them due to some unintended consequences of their victory. We also get a final? resolution to Boy Blue's story. Boy Blue has been a low key hero throughout the book so what happens to him is quite touching.
   
   The book soars the most though whenever Gepetto's around. I hope he has a long run as a grumpy bad guy who the good guys are forced to put up with thanks to the deal they made.
   
   The next arc looks to set up a confrontation between the book's main hero Bigby (the big bad wolf) and Beast (of Beauty and the ...). Frankly, one problem with the series is that Bigby's gotten a little too big so I'm hoping we see him taken down a peg or two.



5. Bill Willingham, Fables vol. 12: Dark Ages (Vertigo, 2009)
   
   Bill Willingham wrote in the afterword to Volume 11 that Fables was going nowhere now that the war with the Adversary was over, and Dark Ages provides us with the first hard evidence that he was correct. Geppetto, the Adversary, is now in Fabletown. While the General Amnesty affects him as much as it does everyone else, his crimes are too fresh in the minds of the other inhabitants, especially those who remain wounded (such as Boy Blue), and he's not a popular chap. Meanwhile, Bigby has had special access to the farm in the course of the investigations into things that have been going on, and so tensions are ramped up there, as well. But there's nothing that can't be handled. Or so everyone thinks. It turns out that bringing down one evil often gives rise to other evils that the original problem might have been containing...no surprise that Willingham has turned in another winning volume. ****

5 comments about All Star Superman, Vol. 1.

1. Reprints All-Star Superman #s 1-6
   
   DC's All-Star line takes major icons and places them into stand-alone series with no direct connection to the larger continuity. It allows the creative team to build a world for the title character and his supporting characters that draws as much or as little from any era of the character's previous stories, and to mix and reinvent elements without worrying about how it'll impact and interact with other stories and titles past, present and future. I love the deeply inter-connected continuity of modern comics, but even for me it's still great to see stand-alone titles like this pop up where they can go off on their own unlimited tangents.
   
   The vibe creators Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely have chosen for All-Star Superman is, on the surface, a retro one - a timeless look and feel that in many ways harkens back to the Superman tales that took place years (and decades) before Crisis On Infinite Earths, but with a more detailed flair to the art and the more advanced storytelling that's evolved over the years. It's in many ways a more innocent world than utilized in most modern comics, and it's all built on the root elements of the Superman mythos. Superman is the well-nigh invincible champion of all that's good and right in the universe, while his alter ego Clark Kent bumbles and bumps his way through life (in a way that really shows Superman's skill - it can't be easy to save the world in the guise of Clark Kent while still carrying on the facade of looking so inept); Lex Luthor is the omnipresent arch-nemesis determined to bring Superman down at any cost, a scientific genius whose obsession with bringing down the one man who looms larger than him on the world stage is both endless and, to the reader's viewpoint, rather comedic. Lois Lane is the Superman-loving ace reporter who despite all her world-renowned investigative jornalism skills can't see that Superman and Clark Kent are the same person even when he's right in front of her with glasses off insisting that that's indeed the case. In short, it's the modus operandi of the old Superman stories, only played up even more so. It would have been so easy for this to come off campy but it never does; it comes off with a unique charm and freshness all its own. I don't think this take on Superman and the rest of the cast could ever work in the more realistic in-continuity comics of today, nor would the virtually limitless nature of Superman's power (in fact, we've seen that that doesn't work. The in-continuity Superman can and should be immensely powerful, but the stories where they get carried away and make him a little Too universe-shakingly powerful don't work as well as the ones where he actually has to Push himself to, say, level a mountain range or fly out beyond Pluto). However, it all works within the confines of the self-contained All-Star Superman.
   
   Being a more innocent and 'classic' take doesn't mean it's lacking in imagination though: innovative new allies, rivals and villains, genetically engineered giant humanoid spacecraft that probe the reaches of deep space for centuries on end, strange prophecies from the future...no shortage of good ideas here.
   
   The basic premise for the actual story centers on the after-effects of one of Luthor's latest anti-Superman gambits: the Man Of Steel saves a space research station from sabotage masterminded by Luthor, but Lex's real goal is met. Superman soaks up an unfathomable amount of solar energy during the rescue and the battle inside the Sun, and it results in his already nearly limitless power levels spiking even more. The downside of this, as Luthor's calculations predicted, is that he's going to burn out. His increased power levels will eventually kill him, and maybe in the not too distant future. While not believing that this grim scenario is a done deal, the possibility of his own mortality causes Superman to re-evaluate things like his relationship with Lois. Also, a normal person faced with a strong chance of having a very finite amount of time left is going to be faced with the question of what they feel is most important to accomplish in the time they have left. What new dimensions does a question like this take on when the person in question is already an unstoppable force who saves the world - and beyond - on a regular basis? A visitation from the future that seems to bear out that Superman will indeed die soon, but not before accomplishing his greatest feats, adds credence to the possibility of Superman's impending death, and tension to the question of what exactly Superman will take on in his (allegedly) last days.
   
   Excellent on all levels. The coloring is unique and even the lettering is exceptional. (In some comics you have to wonder how do they choose which words in the captions to write out in bold? At random? Not so here, and the highly variable styles of lettering used for certain characters seems to bring their otherworldly voices right to life.)
   
   Writer Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely have each done a lot of memorable work, but this is easily among the best for each of them. Highest recommendation.



2. The second volume of Grant Morrison's All-Star Superman was released this month, bringing the iconic hero's twelve-issue All-Star arc to a finish. And Morrison and his artist cohort Frank Quitely wrap it up as powerfully as it started in volume one.
   
   The All-Star imprint was designed by DC in 2005 as an avenue for acclaimed writers and artists to try their hands at the publisher's top-tier superheroes, like Superman and Batman, without having to concern themselves with the years of continuity associated with those characters.
   
   Morrison doesn't totally redo the origin story (though he summarizes it in four simple panels) or rehash old Superman stories, but instead uses classic moments, characters, and the overall history of the series to create his own story, and it proves to be the quintessential example of the All-Star imprint, providing big moment after big moment, and great endings for nearly every issue. He gives readers a Superman both familiar and yet totally fresh and exciting.
   
   He doesn't waste any time using Superman's seemingly infinite powers and indestructibility on thugs in the streets of Metropolis. In true, sometimes strange, Morrison fashion, issue one starts in medias res, with Superman in space. An expedition to the sun is facing difficulties, and in Superman's successful effort to save it, the heat actually alters him at a cellular level. As it turns out, the whole scenario was planned by his arch-nemesis, Lex Luthor. Superman's cells begin to burn out, his power fades, and it looks as though the end is near for the Man of Steel.
   
   It is then foretold that Superman will complete 12 heroic feats before his death, and those feats are carried out over the course of the series. Whether Superman dies isn't necessarily the most important thing, though. The trick with Superman has always been convincing readers that an indestructible, all-powerful being might be in danger, or unable to complete his task of defending Earth's people, and Morrison handles this to perfection.
   
   Longtime Superman fans will find endless references to series lore mixed with the futuristic space-age happenings. And though many may find it a bastardization of the icon himself that Morrison gives his mighty powers to just about everyone--from other survivors of Krypton to numerous characters that consume a Superman formula to future incarnations of Superman and even to a dog--the author's decision to do so gives readers a Superman worth caring about more than ever before. This is a Superman, then, not necessarily to be admired for his powers, but what he does for people with them and what he sees in the people of Earth, what he sees in us.
   
   Quitely builds every panel meticulously with understated detail. The art is deceptively simple, and while not calling much attention to itself, works to serve the overall tone of the stories.
   
   Morrison's All-Star Superman may not be the perfect tale of Kal-El. The series has its missteps (two issues dedicated to the painfully hard to read dialogue of Bizarro World most immediately come to mind) but it's one of the best Superman reads out there. The All-Star title never lets off the gas on the action but finds some of its biggest moments in between, in the subtle accents Morrison gives an enduring hero. For longtime fans and those who swore off the Last Son of Krypton long ago, All-Star Superman is a fantastic breath of life for a timeless character.
   
   -- William Jones



3. I wasn't all that impressed with this. The art was ok, but too much psuedo science and non relevant fluff to enjoy it. Now Red Son, which I just read, was fantastic. There are plenty of other great Superman stories to enjoy. I wish I had read this before ordering Part 2 as well.



4. All-Star Superman Volume One takes place in a re-conceived DC universe that looks back in some ways (Lois Lane doesn't know that Clark Kent is Superman) and forward in others (Jimmy Olsen is now a super-cool media personality), with the end result being a lot of fun. This initial volume of the ongoing series tells a good little story (well, stories, actually), combining hard science fiction with an often whimsical air, with a little high fantasy thrown in for good measure.
   
   I'll have to wait until volume two to see how the bulk of Grant Morrison's big plot arcs play out, but the six individual issues of the original series that are collected here are happily satisfying in their own right, each telling a complete tale of the Man of Steel while advancing the overall business of the series. And the overall business is a doozy, involving a huge personal dilemma for Superman, one inflicted on him by classic nemesis Lex Luthor. I'm certainly looking forward to shortly picking up volume two to see how things turn out, and to see more of Frank Quitely's lighthearted yet dramatic images.
   
   So far, All-Star Superman is quite something, projecting in both story and look an innocence and a dark complexity. Doesn't hurt that the pages turn quickly, either.



5. I'm so sorry but this book wasn't for me at all. I think this is one of the most overated comic books of all time. I didn't even like the art.
   
   Maybe I'm just a lazy boy, but I don't want to take a course on positronic energy applied in quantic physics in order to understand the silly logic of some parst of the book. Seems like the writer just wanted to make a pretty line when explaining how the kryptonite pistol works.
   
   I just don't have words to express how much I don't like this book. Anyway, this is just my two cents on it.

5 comments about The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes.

1. My daughter loves Coraline, so when I bought one of his other children's books this came up as being able to buy both at a deal, so I did. What a mistake!! This is definatly for adults only. I was wrapping for christmas when I started to look throught it and realized it wasn't even appropriate for me! Very sick stuff in this. So if you are a parent dont get suckered into buying just because it is a deal. I will be returning.



2. As a Gaiman fan, I've read Coraline and Stardust as well as Neverwhere and I would have to say that Preludes and Nocturnes was not as good as some of his other work. Admittedly, it's a graphic novel, a totally different genre and one that I am not an expert on being limited to a little bit of Alan Moore. On the whole though, I thought this book was good. Good enough for me to want to buy the next one. A warning though, having read Watchmen and half of From Hell, I was initially pleased that this book was nowhere near as disturbingly graphic as those two books, that is until I got to the chapter entitled "24 hours". It made me want to throw up it was so disturbing.



3. Both Gaiman and his editor readily admit that these first issues of The Sandman are more conventional than the later run of the series, and it's not a comment I disagree with. By the same token, I think both underplay the pleasures to be had from this volume, in which Gaiman takes his first steps with the character and begins to establish a rich and complex cosmology that I can't wait to see develop. Even in the midst of a story about a supervillain who has one of Sandman's gems, Gaiman spins a unique and horrific tale called "24 Hours," in which a group of people slowly deteriorate into madness and violence. Still, nothing quite prepares you for the collection's final tale, "The Sound of Her Wings," which introduces Death and provides not only a sense of where the series will be going, but also the distanced, fascinating way it regards humanity. I haven't read much of what's to come, and I don't doubt that this first volume may not be as groundbreaking as the later ones, but that in no way diminishes the inventiveness and rich world on display here.



4. The Sandman series is a remarkable set of graphic novels for adult readers. "Preludes and Nocturnes" sets the stage for the series in Neil Gaiman's uniquely creative style. In addition to his own expansive imagination, he draws upon a wide range of mythological allusions to create a new mythology that is every bit as meaningful and self-contained as any "real" mythology such as Judean-Christian, Greek, or Roman. In doing so, he pays homage to those mythologies without taking away anything from them.
   
   The craftsmanship of the story telling and writing is equal to any conventional novel, and the stories are completed by striking artwork from a variety of different graphic artists. Dave McKean is one of my favorite artists in the series, and he did many of the covers. This series is, in my opinion, among the finest adult-oriented graphic novels ever; and it has earned many national and international awards. If you like The Sandman, you may also want to check out David Mack's Kabuki and JK Woordward's Fallen Angel.
   
   
   MIke



5. Gaiman's Sandman series is widely considered one of the finest achievements in the graphic novel medium, but does it live up to all the hype? In this opening volume, a mortal who intends to capture Death accidentally snags her sibling Dream instead and winds up keeping him prisoner for decades. Finally escaping, Dream sets about reclaiming his lost talismans so he can rebuild his kingdom, which has greatly deteriorated during his long captivity.
   
   There are some pretty good moments among these dozen stories; I especially liked the cleverly-done duel with Lucifer Morningstar, and the truly gruesome sequences that relate to Dr. Destiny's attempt to destroy the entire human race. And in the concluding episode we finally get to meet Death herself, who isn't at all what we might have expected. But not everything in this collection clicks. The art varies from mediocre to decent - certainly not great, while the storytelling is good but only occasionally superior. The few brief cameos from the DC Universe are pretty insignificant, and don't add much to the stories, but on the other hand, many readers won't recognize these characters anyway and they only detract from the unique cosmology that Gaiman is creating for us. And ultimately, that's the key to this book's reputation: as the title suggests, this is only the prelude. The subsequent volumes each build on the cornerstones laid in this collection, and there's plenty of promise here. Mind you, horror's not really my thing, but this was certainly all around good enough that I'm eager to go on to "The Doll's House", and see what further surprises are in store. But is this volume really light-years ahead of everything else in the comics world? Probably not. Three and a half stars.

5 comments about Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.

1. I'm glad I'm not the only one who didn't like this story. I read the numerous 5 starred reviews at the beginning and began doubting myself, but then I perused the 2 stars and under section and felt a lot better.
   
   First off, I LIKE Batman comics, I really do. The only reason I'm not hardcore is because I'm a grad student, and let's face it, I simply just don't have the time (or money). I liked Batman: Year One, and I liked Batman: Hush, Vol. 1, along with Batman: The Man Who Laughs and Superman/Batman Vol. 1: Public Enemies, plus many more. I'm not a newbie to this world.
   
   So when I got TDKR, I figured I'd like it too, right? NOPE. I have the same problem with this comic as I did with Batman: Arkham Asylum (15th Anniversary Edition), only worse. The art is too spastic; the design is too creative; my brain just isn't able to make the leaps in logic that are apparently required to make this all into a storyline that flows in some kind of understandable manner.



2. I got this because everyone raves about it so I felt obligated as a comic fan. I was not a fan of Sin City or 300 and found Miller's Daredevil kind of slow. And its true, the story is driven by the writer not the artist so you have to read it at a different pace than modern comics but if you do you will be blown away. I was AMAZED at Miller's ability to write an action sequence. Don't expect the faster page turning of a Jeph Loeb Batman story and focus more on the writing than the art and you will find one of the most bad-ass comic stories ever.



3. I'm sure there are people who can more elegantly, or more intelligently say why this is a good comic book; people who've been reading batman since its first incarnation ever, or who can point to those comics that have followed after, and say how The Dark Knight Returns affected them and brought deeper, more serious issues into batman comics.
   But, even from the position of only a moderate comic reader (I never buy comics as 'comics'. I wait until they've been compiled and bound into more lengthy volumes and then shipped to the book stores) I still know enough to say that this is a truly great comic.
   I've heard that it revolutionized batman, and made it darker and more serious; and it certainly is serious.
   
   Set in a time after Batman has retired, following a government bill which has affected the ability of all superheroes to perform their vigilante duties, Gotham city is in the grip of crime once more, held sway beneath a terrible gang called 'The mutants'. Naturally, batman decides he's had enough, and once more begins his duties as the masked hero.
   The stories are solid, but could have been ruined in lesser hands. As it was, Frank Miller penned a dark tale with issues aplenty to study. The biggest, overlying tale is the continual war with the russians raging on in the background; a war that takes an even darker turn towards the end. The tension is always building, and the great climactic end is a pleasure to read again and again.
   
   As for the art, I've always lauded Frank Miller as one of my favorites. Nitty and gritty, Superman and Batman have never looked so tough before or since. The image of Gotham and everyone throughout it is constantly a dreary, gloomy colour, which breeds an atmosphere of just how far the city has fallen (though of course, Gotham was never exactly known for being a utopia).
   
   With great storytelling and great art, this is a must-have for anyone who ever claims to be a batman fan.



4. It's a grippingly-told, amazingly-illustrated novel. If anyone thinks that Batman comics are just for kids, this is the one that will demolish that thought. It's a book that will make you re-examine beliefs and pose questions ... would you like to have a Batman in your town? In your life? Do the means justify the end? What problems can you solve with violence? And perhaps the most important one ... why can't everyone see that Batman is way cooler than Superman?



5. Here's the book in a nutshell: Bruce Wayne, AKA Batman, is on the edge of sanity ...sleepwalking and drinking himself into oblivion because he's been in mind-numbing retirement for the last 10 years. But, Gotham gets SOOO bad that he's given his excuse to don the tights again. Bloody heads and mayhem follows.
   
   Now, be warned this Batman is aged. So much so that throughout the book he huffs,puffs and growls about getting slower. I don't know what happened to the World's Greatest Detective...it's not evident that he even is a detective in this book. Oh sure, he dons a couple of disguises, but the clever deduction we've all come to expect from the character just isn't there in this book.
   
   And the way Miller has the gang called the Mutants talking...I couldn't understand a thing that was written. Selina Kyle has picked up 30 pounds and Bruce is wickedly grey and wrinkled though he still fills out his uniform quite well. Joker by far and a reconstructed Harvey Dent, AKA Two-Face, are the best looking guys in the whole book. Commish Gordon is 70+ years and even he looks younger than our grizzled Batman!
   
   It's a sad, pathetic, angry Bats in this book. His underlying fear of crossing THE LINE is once and forever crossed (SPOILER ALERT!!!!) because he FINALLY KILLS THE JOKER (who has had it coming for how many years now?!?!.) Even while doing that he's injured almost beyond repair (can we get a witness for the dedicated and longsuffering Alfred?).
   
   That final act just didn't FEEL like the Batman. I expected more from this book. Miller's work on BATMAN YEAR ONE was impeccable!...a classic piece of LITERATURE. Yes, indeed it is.
   
   The Robin in this book feels forced. SHE saves the hide of our aging Bat 3 or 4 times. And she does battle with a slingshot of all things. This book isn't at all what I though it could have been. It's not what it should have been. I'd spend my money on YEAR ONE and leave this one alone if I had to do it all over again.

5 comments about Wolverine: Old Man Logan.

1. I purchased this item as a gift. I had not recieved it in a timely manner, so i contacted the seller. i was shipped out another book within the day. I did appreciate the gentleman that I had contact with and will continue to purchase items thru them. The book was in good condition and the service was excellent.



2. If you're looking at this book, chances are you know who Mark Millar is, and you know all about Wolverine.
   
   I didn't read this elsewhere, so I felt inclined to praise the packaging of this title. It has your standard dust-jacket, but undernearth is a pearly-white hardcover, with ice-blue lettering.
   
   Truly, this is the most beautifully packaged book Marvel has put out to date. Typically, when you remove the dust jacket, you're greeted with the plain-black cover, with plain-white/silver lettering. Some exceptions are the Daredevil omnibus (black with shiny-red outlined letters) and the Ultimate books (colored covers with black lettering)...
   
   Yet, this book stands out with elegance.



3. Growing up I read books, not comic books, but now that I'm growing tired of books I've turned to comic books and have found many great stories among great and bad artwork. It took me a while to realize that I just don't like Marvel, they produce the same crap over and over again with a pretty picture to make it look worthwhile. I gave this 2 stars for the artwork, because as an artist myself, I have to say it's spectacular, but I was barely able to reach the end of this book simply because the story was so incredibly bad. I really wanted to like Wolverine, he looks cool, has a couple of cool one liners, but I have yet to read a good Wolverine story and I thought Old Man Logan was going to be that story. Turns out they just ripped off great ideas from great stories like Unforgiven. Ripping off from good stories isn't a bad thing, but Unforgiven is all about pacing, Old Man Logan rushes into these crazy moments and it's clear that the writer and artist just couldn't wait to show some gore. With proper pacing and a little more subtly to the story this could have been great. Unfortunately it's a piece of crap with some pretty wrapping paper. Mark Millar needs to realize that story is the most important part of a book.. not pictures.



4. Man, Wolverine as the Hooded Man over in Fantastic Four: World's Greatest? That was pretty sweet. He had Hulk as a son, and kicked all sortsa butt subtly, back before Marvel stuck him in your face, sorta like Claremont did years ago. Remember that?
   
   Well, this is Wolverine IN YOUR FACE AND OLD AND STAY OFF HIS LAWN, oh yeah. He teams up with high-fan-following-but-not-mega-star Hawkeye, who is blind and they run around in the Spider-Buggy, which is mentioned yearly by Marvel Comics and appears maybe once every 3 or 4 years. They wanna take a package across Super Villain, USA, which seems like it's pretty much a "What if?... The bad guys won the Acts of Vengeance" scenario. We get lots of cameos from Marvel Universe dead guys, live guys, and some are pretty neat, but overall...
   
   ..Spoiler...
   
   ...It's Meh as all get out. There's not really lots of excitement here, there's little to get sad at when Hawkeye dies, we get pitiful Emma Frost trying to make herself look hot, we get Black Bolt killing Tyrannosaurus Venom, and we get Banner with super powers eating Wolverine, and how Logan got that Hulk guy to be his kid in F4:WG. But all in all, this really isn't a superstar book. It's just there for Marvel geeks to get a little fan-release over, and that's about it. "Ultimates" did that, and it was at least 17 times better. That's really all I have to say about this.



5. I don't read a lot of comics, but I really enjoyed this. Great post apocalyptic story!