Batman Incorporated, Volume 1 by Grant Morrison, et al

Batman Incorporated by Grant Morrison
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Batman starts to realize that he's overextended. He has his hands full trying to protect Gotham City, and other places around the world could use their version of Batman. That's where Batman Incorporated comes in. He sees and investigates good candidates that can take on the Batman mantle in a worthy manner in different cities. This volume focuses on Tokyo and Paris. The Tokyo storyline is pretty over-the-top and crazy. It reminds me of the crazy nature of Japanese and Asian action films. The villain is seriously heinous, which is really par for the course with Batman heroes. The pace is pretty fast and frenetic, but not so much that I couldn't follow the storyline. As crazy as the Tokyo story was, the Paris one was more serious and somber. I like that Batman doesn't allow religious differences and cultural differences to preclude a worthy Batman. His choice for the Paris Batman is perfect and he is leaving the mantle in good hands there.

Grant Morrison is highly edgy in his graphic novels, and after the last one I read, I was leery. But this was a good book.

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Batman:The Black Miirror by Scott Snyder (Writer), Jock (Artist), Francesco Francavilla (Artist), Jared K. Fletcher (Letterer), Sal Cipriano (Letterer), David Baron (Colourist)

Batman: The Black Mirror by Scott Snyder
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was a bit hesitant about reading a Batman where it's not Bruce Wayne. Bruce Wayne is the one and only Batman to me. Yes, I know that's not true or canon. I just love Bruce Wayne. Having said that, Dick is a good Batman. And this was a very good graphic novel collection. It's very creepy and dark. I like how everything ties together to the climax. At first, the stories seem unrelated, but they all lead down a sinister path.

The villain is someone that is deeply familiar to Dick, Commissioner Gordon and Barbara, and that makes it all the worse. The idea that someone you love could grow up to be a sociopathic/psychopathic killer is deeply disturbing. As if Gotham isn't full of enough darkness and sickness of the soul.


The artwork is suitably grim, and the look of the villain is classic and inspires dichotomy of banality and menace in the reader. I like the use of shadows and shades, along with reds and blues and oranges to illustrate the narrative.

While Dick isn't my true Batman, he'll do in a pinch.

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Batman, Vol. 6: Graveyard Shift by Scott Snyder, Various

Batman, Vol. 6: Graveyard Shift by Scott Snyder
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've been so busy it's taken me almost a month to write a review for this. My review is based on my spotty memory. Four stars because this is a good collection of stories that reads like an anthology. It's hard to keep up with the chronology because they kind of jump around. Bats has a new sidekick, but he's trying to get rid of her (you know how Bats is about putting people in danger), especially in light of what happened to his last Robin in the recent past :( Lots of good action and plenty of Batman dealing with the tough emotional landmine he's fighting his way out of.

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Batman, Vol. 2: The City of Owls by Scott Snyder, Various

Batman, Vol. 2: The City of Owls by Scott Snyder
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Owl/Talon storyline continues to be crazy. Wow, there are not too many enemies that can give Batman a run for his money, but the Owls definitely can. Continually, I think Gotham can't be more of a deep pit, a literal hellmouth. But the more I read Batman, the worse it gets.

The action scenes were awesome, and the whole Owl story is deeply creepy. The point of view of Alfred's father gives an interesting look into the past of Gotham and the Wayne family. I think that there are some repeat stories with this and later volumes in the Scott Snyder run of Batman. It didn't bother me though.

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Daredevil, Vol. 4: Underboss by Brian Michael Bendis, Alex Maleev (Illustrator), Joe Quesada (Editor)

Daredevil, Vol. 4: Underboss by Brian Michael Bendis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is straight-up crime fiction. A new guy in town wants to take away Kingpin's supreme rule over crime in Hell's Kitchen, and is not above betrayal to do it. I haven't read the first book in this run, so there are some things I had to figure out by context. However, it's clear that Daredevil and Kingpin have reached a sort of equilibrium in their relationship, but the apple cart is about to be upset. And the bid to bring down Kingpin has far-reaching consequences.

While Batman is my favorite crime-fighting vigilante, I have to say that I have a very healthy appreciation for Daredevil. Matt Murdock's sort of a soulmate of Bruce Wayne, although their situations seem far different in some ways. Deep down, they are avowed to fight corruption and crime in their resident cities, and are willing to give every little piece of their bodies and souls in the process.

The artwork is very good. It's gritty and dark, but it fits the mood of this story. I will admit I stay far away from Mafia movies, and this feels uncomfortably close to one of those. However, I do love stories about dark avengers and seekers of justice, especially in our world where might seems to mean right far too often.

As an Elektra girl, her nice little cameo of sorts did my heart glad. I wish my library had more Daredevil. Sigh.

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Flashpoint: The World of Flashpoint Featuring Batman by Brian Azzarello, J.T. Krul (Goodreads Author), Jimmy Palmiotti, Peter Milligan, Eduardo Risso (Illustrator), Mikel Janin (Illustrator), George Pérez (Illustrator), Fernando Blanco (Illustrator) , Scott Koblish (Illustrator), John Dell (Illustrator), Joe Bennett (Illustrator)

Flashpoint: The World of Flashpoint Featuring Batman by Brian Azzarello

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is even darker than the Flash volume!  Batman isn't the Batman we know and love. He's a much more driven, more morally compromised version.  What would happen if a man's child was killed in front of him and he was powerless to prevent it.  The Joker is probably even more twisted, and you wouldn't believe me if I told you.  That's just the Batman story.

Then there's the story about the biggest jerk in the DC-Verse, Deathstroke, and his crusade to find his lost daughter.  I can't call him a hero, because he's not. He's ruthlessly selfish and murderous.  I feel bad for anyone who throws in with him. He's not a man I'd trust as far as I could throw him.  This is non-stop action, a world in which the seas have become a lawless place of pirates, and the Atlanteans kill humans with impunity.

The story about Dick Grayson and his family tells us how things might have gone if Bruce Wayne had not been there in his life after the death of his parents. Also shows a Europe that has been decimated by the Atlantean-Amazonean war, and where various DC-verse figures have become freedom fighters (even ones who were once villains).

My least favorite was Secret Seven. It was pretty gruesome and twisted, and while I see the point of it all in terms of the Flashpoint story arc, I didn't really appreciate the story at all.

I would still give this four stars because I thought it was pretty interesting, and frankly, nightmarish.



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Daredevil: The Devil's Hand by Andy Diggle, Roberto de la Torre

Daredevil: The Devil's Hand by Andy Diggle

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars


Wow, this is the really real. To think that Daredevil agrees to lead the Hand.  Things must be pretty dire for Daredevil to get in bed with the enemy.  Well things are.  Hell's Kitchen is looking a lot like the real thing, and Murdock realizes that conventional methods of obtaining justice are doomed to fail.  He's willing to take extreme measures, but like Frank Sinatra, he's going to do it "My Way."  Beware of best laid plans, Matt.

This was a really good graphic novel.  It was very intense, and the artwork was fantastic.  The artist has managed to use color and shade to convey the grim world of Daredevil.  There are some scenes that feel very grand, with Daredevil, and the Hand bowing at his feet.  The action sequences are awesome and fluid.  I can't say enough about how much I liked the artwork.

The writing is equally strong.  I think that anything with ninjas and katana makes me heart sings, and I feel that the writer I think this is very near to being a five star book. The story had me on the edge of my seat, and while Daredevil can more than take care of himself, he's deep in the lion's den and his enemies are many and employ any tactics necessary to destroy him, those he loves, and seek to dominate and conquer by any means necessary.  The tension is off the charts, and I hope that my library has the next volume.

I think if I wasn't being so stingy with fives it would be.  It's darn near close.

Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars.



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Batman: The Night of the Owls by Scott Snyder, Judd Winick, Justin Gray, David Finch, Peter J. Tomasi, Pat Gleason, Tony S. Daniel, Scott Lobdell , Duane Swierczynski, J.H. Williams III, Jimmy Palmiotti

Batman: The Night of the Owls by Scott Snyder
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

This graphic novel gives you your money's worth and then some. It takes the Court of the Owls/Talon storyline to the razor edge. You see how profound the war of the Owls is on those who oppose their agenda for Gotham.

Batman and his family of crimefighters and their associates all find themselves in mortal danger and taking on these formidable and superhuman warriors that serve the the Court of Owls, the Talons. I liked how the story crosses generations in the telling. I finished reading all the All Star Westerns my library has and I was pining for more, but I got a bit of that when the story goes back to Jonah Hex and his comrades dealing with the Talon. Also, we get to see how Dick Grayson's family became intertwined in the history of the Talon.

There are some excellent cameos by Red Hood, Arsenal (Red Arrow), Starfire, Batwoman, Young Robin (Damien Wayne), Nightwing, Catwoman, and many others. We even see how Alfred's own father ran afoul of the Court of Owls.

To me, this is a really excellent graphic novel collection. The artwork is beautiful and the storytelling is compelling. Batman is the king of awesome, but he's against a force that makes him the dark horse in this race (not something you see that often). This took me a while to read, but it's one that you want to spend a lot of time with, because the content is truly good stuff.

Definitely recommend this to fans of Batman and his associates!

Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars.

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Batman Red Hood-The Lost Days by Judd Winick

Batman: Red Hood - The Lost Days by Judd Winick

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars


I became acquainted with the "Under the Red Hood" storyline via the animated movie, and it is definitely a very dark part of the Batman history.  I have recently embarked on exploring the Batman graphic novels, and decided to give this one a swing. This was very good. 

This serves as a bit of a prequel to when the Red Hood enters the Gotham scene. It's not about Batman. It's about Jason Todd, who was found in the ruins of the warehouse that the Joker brought down on his head after beating and torturing him nearly to death.  Initially, Jason is catatonic, but Talia Al'Ghul sees him as a pawn in destroying Batman and mentors him into the dangerous and murderous vigilante/assassin he becomes.  He learns everything that Batman doesn't teach him about the darker Arts of War, with the goal of getting revenge on Joker (and peripherally Batman). In the process, he realizes that deep down, he still believes in fighting for good, but is willing to use extreme methods to deal with evil that Batman would never countenance.

This feels like a credible action/suspense story.  Jason goes deep into the darkest pits of corruption and criminality, learns the skills he needs for his ultimate quest, and finds he can't turn a blind eye when innocents are harmed, or the tutors that Talia acquires for him turn out to be reprehensible in their habits.  He also realizes that not all the means are justified for a desired end. Jason has a phenomenal brain and the incredible acrobatic and martial arts skills that demonstrate very clearly why he was Batman's Robin.  Ultimately, I don't see that he has departed to far from the path that Batman sent him down. Maybe he is lost, but I think he will find his way. I need to read Batman: Under the Red Hood soon!

Definitely worthy of a 4.5/5.0 star rating.



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The Punisher Volume 1 by Greg Rucka, Marco Checchetto (Illustrator), Max Fiumara (Illustrator)

The Punisher, Volume 1 by Greg Rucka
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I wasn't sure about this series. I loved the first movie and hated the second (I'm totally excluding the very first movie with Dolph Lundgren, which was execrable), and I am not 100% sold on the idea of the Punisher. I like some vigilantes, such as Batman and Daredevil. I can understand what drives them to use force and violence in the cause of justice. In the case of the Punisher, his justice is very final and brutal. He doesn't kill innocent people, but if you're a violent criminal, you're fair game.

I decided to give this a try because I have read other work by Greg Rucka, and I figured this character would be in good hands with him. My conclusion is that I was right that he would do a good job with Castle.

Castle's motivations are completely understandable, and he doesn't come off as a sociopath or someone who has parted entirely with morality. Instead he is a fatal solution to the devastating disease of crime. With criminals of the sort in this book, I think Castle is probably necessary. I'm not saying I condone lethal violence in real life, so let me make that clear.

This story arc features a young bride whose entire wedding party (including her husband) were murdered. She survived and has to deal with the aftermath of losing everyone. Castle goes on the hunt for all the men who committed the savage mass murder. The survivor turns out to lead to a cabal of organized criminals who are even worse. They know the Punisher is on their trail and he won't stop until he's Punished them all. They take some measures to see that he is unable to get his work done, but they have underestimated how determined the Punisher is to 'punish' criminals, like the ones who savagely murdered his innocent family.

The artwork is good. While the imagery is violent, it's not over-the-top and too graphic. The movie Punisher: War Zone is an example of how excessive violence can be depicted in the wrong way, and stands in sharp contrast to the first movie, which was also violent, but certainly not shlocky about it. The artist has a way of capturing motion in an extremely vivid way that feels real time. The depiction of the wedding massacre was done in a way that was transmitted the horror of the situation without being gratuitous or exploitative. I liked that particularly violent scenes are given soft focus. While there was some gory imagery, it wasn't over the top.

I like the look of the Punisher. His spray-painted shirt and his slightly flyaway black hair. The rocklike expression that reveals little and inspires fear in his prey. It takes talent to depict a character like the Punisher without him appearing wooden. Instead, his face is a mask that hides so much emotion and thought, but most of all, sheer, adamant determination.

I'm glad I gave this series a chance. I really liked this book and plan to read more by Rucka. I'm not sure I'm ready for Ennis' incarnation, but we'll see.

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The Question, Volume 2: Poisoned Ground by Dennis O'Neil

The Question, Vol. 2: Poisoned Ground by Dennis O'Neil

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I first became acquainted with The Question by watching Justice League Unlimited, and I knew I wanted to experience more of him.  I enjoyed the first graphic novel The Question, Vol. 1: Zen and Violence, and this one was good too, but not as good.  I think the tone didn't work for me.  In a word, sleazy.

Let me explain.  This graphic novel feels like the dark side of the 80s.  From the over-the-top 80s hair and clothing, to the whole sex, violence, and drugs atmosphere.  Yes, this is dark fiction about a shades of gray antihero who adheres to strict Objectivist philosophy.  I totally respect that.  I just didn't love the vibe.  Especially the titular story, Poisoned Ground. It starts with a real WTF.  I thought it was about a kid who wasn't right in his head going around killing people.  That's so not what this is about.  Although I'm relieved I was wrong about the story initially, I didn't like the developments that much.   It was just took icky for my tastes. The story where The Question goes to a shady Latino-Caribbean Island to rescue his mentor really didn't work for me.  I mean, really.  I find alchemy as interesting as the average weird fiction aficionado, but that dictator guy was such a psycho, and he did not get the resolution he deserved. The other two stories were pretty good. Basically masked crimefighter stuff in the dark, dangerous city stuff.   

Like I said initially, this isn't bad.  It's just not my cup of tea as far as the sleazy vibe.
I will give the next volume a try since I still like The Question character.

Readers who like Noir/Crime stories might enjoy this one.



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