Batman Confidential #47 and #48 - DC

Batman and Superman are at a complete disadvantage this issue. First of all, neither of them even believe in all this 'hoo-doo' crap. But . . they also can't deny that Superman's powers are a detriment for whatever forces they are facing. Somehow this Mama Elizi, with the help of Professor Combs, is bringing back to life some very powerful shaman, a black magician, that was killed in Corto Maltese. Somehow he's going to help Mama Elizi create an army of zombies. And in return he wants his own vampire. Which is where Dimeter comes in. Last issue they took off for the little island with Olivia, Dimeter's girlfriend, knowing that the 'heroes', and the vampire would have no other choice than to follow. So far our 'heroes' have been doing nothing but reacting to Mama Elizi and Combs' plan. Somehow they need to get on the offensive. But, that may be hard. At the end of this issue, the zombie hordes overpower Batman and they shove him into a hole in the ground. This is where they cultivate their live followers by subjugating them to snake bites, and venom, and powerful hallucinogens. In the last panel of this book, Batman appears much as he does on the cover. Issue #48 is called 'the Waking Dead'. In the next issue we start out with Batman appearing to be one of Mama Elizi's undead zombies. But somehow he breaks the hold the drugs have on him. It's never really explained but I would guess that it's because of all the preparedness that he takes to deal with the likes of the Scarecrow or Poison Ivy. I would imagine that his system has built up a kind of immunity. Anyways, the Werewolf, Janko, takes out Mama Elizi's son, who is also a zombie. And after Superman tries unsuccessfully to use brute strength against the magic, Dimeter helps out the situation by taking him to one of his local contacts. Sister Geneva is a practitioner of white magic. She tips the scale in the 'heroes' favor, as she's better prepared to counter Mama Elizi's spells and potions. She also replaces Superman's body with that of the 100 year old dead murderer that she's trying to resurrect. In the end, the team of 'heroes' beat the team of bad-guys. Combs is taken back to Arkham. And Mama Elizi puts a curse on Superman and Batman for taking her son away from her. Olivia runs away from Dimeter because of what he's turned her in to. And Janko goes off with Geneva. I guess she's going to teach him how to control his affliction. Overall I enjoyed this issue, and story-line, but . . I'm just not real big on these monster/zombie/vampire story-lines. They're ok. But they don't thrill me. I thought Kevin VanHook did a decent job though. And, although I'm not a huge fan, Tom Mandrake's art definitely fits this type of story-line. The way the story is set up, I'm sure it'll be out in TPB before to long. It was ok. Just not my cup of tea.

Batman Confidential #46 - DC

I was pretty hard on the beginning of this story. I really didn't care for the way it started out. However, with this issue . . things have got a little more interesting. Of course they had to bring in Superman, Dr Fate and hints of the Swamp Thing to pique my interests. I'm just kidding. This issue actually did flow a little better than the last one. Superman, and Batman have been following this Combs character, which is what brought them to New Orleans. While there, Batman came into contact with Dimeter, a vampire, and his girlfriend Liv. They've interacted with Batman before. Dimeter also has an agent of his own here, Janko, a werewolf. Anyways, they're all going after Combs, but he sends an army of zombies to stop him. They aren't actually zombies. He controls the dead, so . . they're more like his puppets. It turns out that he's just trying to stall the whole bunch of them while he makes his escape to Corto Maltese. Supposedly there's a magician there that will help Comb's complete his training. However, first . . he has to bring him back to life. Which is why I think he's taken Liv captive. She's probably going to be some type of sacrifice or something. I thought Kevin Van Hook did a pretty good job with the story this issue. Although he did drag it out for a bit. Dimeter ends up taking care of the horde of corpses, by using some voodoo magic. He could've done it all along, but . . he says he didn't know if it was going to work. Also, I'm not a huge fan of Tom Mandrake's work, but . . this is definitely the type of story that fits his style. So overall . . I thought it was ok. Not great . . just ok.

Batman Confidential #45 - DC

Apparently this story carries over from the mini-seres book that came out in 2008 . . Superman/Batman vs Vampires and Werewolves. I decided not to buy that series, so . . I wasn't really familiar with these characters, Dimeter and Dr Combs, when I started reading it last issue. But I think last issue pretty much got us caught up. Anyways, Batman and Dimeter are both looking for Combs for their own reasons. Batman, because Combs recently escaped from Arkham. Dimeter because Combs is the one who originally turned him into a vampire. However, Dimeter came upon him by accident. He just happened to be in New Orleans when he saw Combs walking the streets. Anyways, Combs seems to be working with a Mama Ezili. A witch-doctor of sorts that lives deep in the bayou. Apparently they're doing some kind of voodoo to raise the dead. I guess to make Ezili more powerful. And since Batman and Superman had taken this guy down once before, Bruce puts in a call to Clark to let him know what's going on. But this time rather than dealing with Vampires and Werewolves, they'll be dealing with Zombies and Mummies. Which makes me wonder why this story wasn't told in the Superman/Batman title instead. But either way, it looks like Superman will be joining the story next issue. This chapter of Confidential is brought to us by the same team that produced the original mini-series . . Kevin VanHook and Tom Mandrake. I thought it was ok. I'm just not a big fan of these stories. And while I'll admit that Tom is a good artist, I think I just kind of got burnt out on his stuff awhile ago. But . . it was an interesting story. It just didn't thrill me.

Batman Confidential #44 - DC

This Batman story is going to be one with vampires and ghouls. Bruce is in New Orleans, shortly after Katrina, to offer his aid in rebuilding a children's hospital, and in donating some money to the reconstruction of the ninth ward. At least, that's his cover story. What he's really here doing is chasing down an inmate that was accidentally released from Arkham Asylum, Professor Combs. It appears that this museum in New Orleans is have a human corpse plasticized exhibit. Professor Combs was from the Superman / Batman storyline, Werewolves and Vampires. So naturally he's drawn to this type of event. Anyways, we find out that the Vampire, Dimeter is also here looking for Combs. So this is going to be a team-up . . of sorts. Not a whole lot happens this issue because this is the opening chapter of this storyline. Batman and Dimeter follow Combs to the museum, but he uses some voodoo, or something, to reanimate the corpses. The issue ends with them being attacked by a mob of plasticized attackers. Kind of silly . . really. Kevin VanHook writes the story. It's ok, I guess . . for what it is. I've just never really been a big fan of these 'Undead' story-lines. It's just not my cup of tea. Tom Mandrake does the art, which is obvious because he just has the perfect style for this type of story. His shadows and heavy lines fit the mood of this story to perfection. I'll read through this, but . . honestly, I'm not really looking forward to this story-line.

Batman Confidential #43 - DC

I think Sam Keith is a brilliant talent. But . . I have to be honest . . the ending for this story-arc left me a little . . bewildered. The nearest I can figure . . this story was more about the growing friendship between Batman and Callie than . . well, the story that was wrapped around this enigma. Batman and Callie have been chasing this ghost around Gotham. It turns out that this policeman is responsible for the whole thing. He claims to be 'directed' by some outside force, but . . I'm thinking the guy was just a loon. When Batman finds him and confronts him . . he commits suicide. So . . I guess everything is over. No more terror in the streets because of this 'ghost' attacker. At least . . that's what I think happened. Anyways, while this is going on, Callie got this inner dialogue going where she's trying to sort out the relationship between herself and Batman. She thinks they're more than just friends. So maybe Callie was the crazy one. Anyways, they've got this all wrapped up, and Callie's trying to decide whether or not to ask Batman out for breakfast. She turns around to walk away, when . . she trips over the sidewalk and cracks her head open on the curb. She's dead before the paramedics can arrive. It really was a rather anticlimactic ending. It just left me staring at the book, thinking . . 'Huh?' Although, having said that . . Sam's artwork was superb. The art alone was worth the price of admission. He's got some brilliant panels in her, and a couple full page spreads. Overall, I really liked the book. I don't want to be negative about the story, because I liked it. Right up until the end. I'm still a little confused about what happened.

Batman Confidential #42 - DC

We don't get a whole lot more information about this creature that's preying on people in Gotham this issue, but . . we do get more of a look into Batman and his unique partner's relationship . . the blind social-worker, Callie. Batman does find out that all of the victims have lost someone in their lives due to the actions of a person with a gun. And he knows that Callie lost her mother much in the same way that he himself lost his parents. However, he hasn't confided in her that similarity in their relationship. He also starts to wonder if the perpetrators of crimes can be distinguished by the smell of the gunpowder in their weapons. Callie claims that she can smell the difference. Or . . more specifically, that she can smell the specific type that was used to kill her mother. And she smells it on this creature. Anyways, we get a little insight into both of their lives and struggles. And we see that they've both come to rely on each other, even though their natural instinct is to push the other away. It's a see-saw relationship. The issue ends with Batman confronting the beast once again, and thinking about that tragic night with his parents. As much as I'm enjoying this story, what's really got me excited is Sam Keith's art. He's doing a great job on the scripts also, but . . he's really outdoing himself with some of the frames in this book. I wonder if there's a way to take a panel and have somebody blow it up into a poster for you. I'm sure there is, but . . I'm sure it's expensive too. If I ever did find an inexpensive way to do it, I'd never have to paint my house again. Every wall would be covered with panels from my favorite comics and artists. That would make my wife happy. Huh? Anyways, I'm really enjoying this story-arc. Sam is a master, and he's perfect on Batman. Are you reading it?

Batman Confidential #41 - DC

Well . . Batman is seeing some kind of ghost, or hallucination. Something seems to be going after these homeless people, but the only lead that Batman has is the smell of sulfur, and this 'being' that seems to be haunting him. Although one could argue that it's only his subconscious trying to put the pieces together. Anyways, he runs into this girl Callie. She's a social-worker, blind, and obviously works with the people that are being targeted by this killer. The hallucination is telling Batman that he and Callie are somehow intertwined. And, that he won't be able to save her. I'm guessing that subconsciously he's jumping to that conclusion because Callie is probably the only one that can positively identify these victims. Even if she is blind. And . . since she knows them so well, she'll probably eventually start to sense a pattern. So, if the killer wants to proceed, he'll probably have to remove her as an obstacle. We do get one clue however, when a Mr Hopper comes to visit Callie. He's just there to apply for disability funds, but there's something about the odor to him that's freaking her out. I'm guessing that he's somehow connected. Anyways, this is another fantastic Batman murder mystery. But what really set's this one apart from the rest is that Sam Kieth is both writing and drawing it. Sam can already tell a fantastic story. But on this book . . his art is incredible. Probably some of the best I've seen from him. If you don't read this book regularly, you'll definitely want to pick up this chapter when it comes out in TPB. It's sure to be an instant classic.

Batman Confidential #40 - DC

Sam Kieth is doing this next story-arc for Batman Confidential and it looks amazing. It's easy to be a fan of Sam's art, but it just as easy to forget how good of a writer he is. This story is about a kind of sulfur-ghost that seems to be preying on the homeless around Gotham. We don't know all the details yet, but . . I think it's somehow connected to a social worker that has an office nearby, Callie Sarah Dean. She's kind of a recluse, much like Batman. And it seems that she lost her mother when she was young, also much like Batman . . to a man with a bullet. After the second murder Batman finally gets a bead on the creature. And of course, as he's finally going to talk to Callie, he comes face to face with it. Somehow it seems to be feeding off the pain and panic that it incites in it's victims. The issue ends with Batman sprawled out on the street. He can't think straight and he's losing consciousness. And he begins to black out he hears a 'tap . . tap . . tap' coming down the street. It's a sound that Callie just described when she's talking about her homeless clients. 'I'm ashamed of how tired I secretly get of that smell on my clients in the streets . . that awful stench! It's not their fault, though, it's mine. Rescue anyone . . what a joke. Such a useless sound when my clients hear the tap tap tap of my cane as I approach.' But is Callie here to help Batman? Or is she somehow connected to this ghost? Maybe we'll find out some more next issue. This was a great issue all around. It was hard to read it the first time because I wanted to study every panel of Sam's art. But after looking at his unique style, I went back and tried to absorb the story. I thought it was fantastic. I can't wait to see what happens next.

Batman Confidential #39 - DC

This was an interesting story-arc. I assume it was to set-up Blackhawk Industries back on the world stage. And to put Janos Prohaska, the original Blackhawk, back as the leader of it. This story started out as Ted Gaynor, another of the original Blackhawks, reappearing having not aged a day. Apparently he wanted to put the world back at war so that his services would be needed. And to make the country great again . .'Franklin Delano Roosevelt . . he knew America needed to join the fight against Germany so he practically invited Japan to destroy a bunch of scrap boats he knew we didn't need. Because Roosevelt knew the truth . . Roosevelt knew America needs war.' In other words . . Ted's a nut-job. Anyways, of course Batman and Janos put a stop to Ted's plans, but . . they don't kill him, so he'll probably be back. Sooner or later. Also through the course of this book, Ted re-brainwashes Zindy. But . . the appearance of Janos is enough to knock her out of it. So now . . Zindy will be back with Janos. At least now she'll have more purpose in her life . . rather than just following the plans of others. So, will we see a new Blackhawk series, or mini-series? Who knows. But this story definitely sets it up as an option. As far as Blackhawk is concerned . . this chapter is really just the beginning of their story. Royal McGraw wrote it. I thought he did a great job. Once you knew Janos was around, it was a bit predictable. But . . it was still an interesting story. I thought Marcos Marz did a fantastic job with the art.

Batman Confidential #38 - DC

With this issue we get a little more of the story on Janus Prohaska, the original Blackhawk . . World War II ace fighter pilot. But there's still something shady going on. At the end of last issue, Batman had figured out the Janus was still alive, and he went to his base of operations to talk to him. Janus isn't really surprised to see him. He knew that sooner or later he'd figure it out. Plus, because of Blackhawk International dealing with Wayne Enterprises, Janus knows that Batman is Bruce. Because of that, I don't think that he's necessarily trying to pull anything on Bruce, but . . I just have the feeling that he's not telling him everything. Anyways, Batman is still really after Ted Gaynor, the Killer Shark. He wants Junus to help him, but he's distraught over his geriatric condition, and age . . and he feels like he'll just slow Batman down. There was a theme here though that was brought up by Janus, and I'm surprised hasn't been addressed in other books . . especially the 'super-hero' books, and teams. Janus is talking to Cheung about missing his 'glory' days, when he tells him about his biggest mistake. 'It's the worst thing that ever could've happened to me, Lee. Every time I climbed in that cockpit, I knew there was a chance that I wasn't coming back. I accepted that. Maybe I'd get shot down, maybe the engines would malfunction, or maybe my parachute wouldn't open. I was so ready to die for what I believed in, I never stopped to consider there might be something after. Then the war ended and I buried myself in this damn foxhole. And what happened? A lunatic has amassed an armada of warplanes I designed, Zinda has been taken hostage, and I'm too old to do anything but fret over my mistakes.' Basically he's saying that he was so intent on his goal that he didn't think about making a plan for what happens afterwards. Without a plan on how to live his life . . what his goals or dreams were . . he just went back to what he knew . . work! That's sad, but . . I've seen it happen over and over again. Once or twice to myself. Anyways, Batman and Janus go and attack Ted's base, the Sky-Skull. They make their way in, but by this time Ted has reprogrammed Zindy . . remember, at one time she was Killer Shark's side-kick . . and they're met by a leaner, meaner gun-toting Zindy. 'You shouldn't fell so bad about failing to stop us, gentlemen. After all, the quickest way to end a war . . is to lose it.' I thought Royal McGraw did a great job with this story. I really liked the interaction between Janus and Batman. And I like that Zindy is taking a prominent role in the story. I think she's a great character that hasn't been explored nearly enough. Plus, when she's a bad-girl . . at the end of the story dressed in leather and guns . . she's smokin'! I also enjoyed Marco Marz' art. It looked fantastic. This was an interesting story. I've always been interested in the Blackhawks. I can't wait to see how this one plays out.

Batman Confidential #37 - DC

In this chapter of Batman Confidential, Batman teams up with the Blackhawks. Or, more specifically Zinda Blake, Lady Blackhawk. It appears that nothing is as it appears with this group. The person they're after is Theodore Gaynor. He's one of the original Blackhawks, whom supposedly died over 60 years ago. Ironically, because of the temporal distortions caused by Zero Hour, Zindy is also a Blackhawk displaced in time. She jumped forward about 50 or 60 years. Now, in this issue, as Batman and Zindy chase Ted they find out that Janos Prohaska, the original Blackhawk, also faked his death and is still alive . . and probably kicking. Ted is trying to put together an army for some reason. He's started with some experimental jet engines that will immediately give him air superiority. He then raided Blackhawk island for planes and equipment . . and then blew everything else up. This issue ends with Ted capturing Zindy and warning Batman off. But we all know you can warn Batman, but . . that doesn't mean he's going to be any less tenacious. If anything . . it'll just cause him to dig in his heels even more. I guess we'll have to wait and see what his team-up with Janos produces. I thought it was an interesting book. I've always liked the Blackhawks. But we haven't seen much of them lately. Other than Zindy with the Birds of Prey. Maybe we'll see some kind of mini-series in the future. Now that 3 of it's original members are around. I think Royal McGraw did a good job here. But I was really impressed by Marcos Marz' pencils. I've always liked Marcos work. But for some reason he seemed to do an exemplary job with this issue. He also did the cover so that's what the interior art also looks like. This story is going to run through the next 2 issues. I think it'll be a good story-line.

Batman Confidential #36 - DC

This issue involves a bit of a mystery with the Blackhawks. Blackhawk Industry is working on a prototype propulsion system for Wayne Industries. During a field test, the test pilot is surprised by a rather fast moving storm-front. Normally he would just head back to base, but this storm-front is really just a curtain to shadow the arrival of a squadron of planes. They force their way onto the base and end up stealing the plans for the new engines. That in and of itself is a problem, but the bigger concern seems to be that the attacker resembles a former Blackhawk, Theodore Gaynor. I mean, I'm sure every organization has team members that go rogue, or end up at odds with their employers. But Theodore? Theodore was assigned to the Blackhawks during World War II. And . . he died 60 years ago. Most of the conversation with Blackhawk Industries come from Lee Cheng. Apparently he's the director of operations, or something. But, he appears to be in on this . . or at least know who's behind it. Most of the conversations he has with Batman seem pretty guarded. Like he's feeding him specific information. Batman senses this to, so he's keeping an eye on things. When he follows the data-transmission, he finds that it leads back to Poland. Specifically a cemetery, and the final resting place of Janos Prohaska . . also a Blackhawk. When he goes to Poland to investigate, he finds and is attacked by an old Nazi robot-type machine that resembles an octopus. Obviously he beats it, but he's also surprised when he finds Zindy there. Remember? The pilot who was with the Birds of Prey for a while. Anyways, this little mystery is just getting started. As with the last arc, it appears that most of Batman's actions will be occurring on foreign soil . . again. This should be an interesting story. I've always liked Zindy's character, so I think she'll be a pleasant addition. Plus, I don't know why, but I always enjoy stories with the Blackhawks. They're an interesting group. Anyways, for me it's a little to early to comment . . this was basically the 'set-up' issue. So we really haven't seen the 'meat & potatoes' of the story yet. But I thought Royal McGraw did a good job bringing us up to speed. I really enjoyed Marcos Marz' pencils. He also did the cover, and the interiors look much the same. I'm glad this book didn't go the way of Superman Confidential. I enjoy these 'unknown' stories of Batman. Plus . . this is the only Bruce Wayne fix we can get right now.

Batman Confidential #35 - DC

This issue wraps up Batman's trip to Moscow, and the Bat and the Beast story-line. Last issue the Tsar had ordered Fyodor, the Bear, to kill Lukzov's wife and daughter. Lukzov is the police commissioner, so he thought that if he got him back in line, he'd also show his strength to the rest of the police force . . and anyone else who may get the idea to stand against him. However, looking at the 2 girls, Fyodor decides that he just can't do it. And with that he decides to stop being the pawn of the Tsar. However, in the process . . he is shot. So he goes back to the Tsar for help. He doesn't agree with what he's doing, and he may think he's an animal, but . . in the end the Tsar is still his step-father. So he won't let the Batman or anybody else bring him down. At least until Batman confronts him with the information that it was the Tsar who made him an orphan in the first place. It was by his orders that the gangsters killed his father. So in the end the Tsar goes down. And Bruce arranges for Fyodor to get treatments for his condition. However, back in Gotham, Bruce learns that Fyodor broke out of the hospital before the treatments could begin. On his way out he tells a nurse that he didn't want to be cured. He had to stay the way he was . . to do what he had in mind. And on the final page we see he's beginning to terrorize some of the Kingpins. He wants them to have a message . .'Gotham City has the Bat . . and Moscow has the Bear.' All in all I thought it was an ok story-line. I wasn't sure at first. Batman really seemed to be out of his element. In fact, I think he might've gotten better results had he come to Moscow as Matches, or something. Anyways, as always, Peter Milligan's stories end up coming together and working out dramatically. Batman still seemed out of his element, but . . he was effective. It doesn't look like the Russians will be coming to Gotham any time soon. Also, some fantastic artwork by Andy Clarke. It looks like Batman's European tour will continue next issue as Royal McGraw and Marcos Marz takes him, and the Blackhawks to Poland to try to retrieve some stolen Wayne-tech. I like this book. I'm glad it didn't go the way of Superman Confidential.

Batman Confidential #34 - DC

This story is growing on me. When this arc first started I thought the Batman seemed like a fish out of water in Moscow. But now . . as he increases his attempts to terrorize the various kingpins and their crews are starting to show some results . . I feel like he's getting his tactical edge back, and is more in his element. To me, it still seems like the Bear, Fyodor, and the Moscow Police Chief, Lukzov, are the wild-cards. The Tsar supposedly has Lukzov in his pocket, but . . I think the more Lukzov sees Batman's efforts gaining ground, the more he realizes that the 'norm' that this city has been run under doesn't necessarily have to be it's future. In other words . . he's growing a pair. Meanwhile, I think Fyodor is having some similar revelations, but maybe not for the same reason. The Tsar has abducted Lukzov's wife and daughter, but I think that the Bear is seeing some of his lost innocence in the little girl. When it comes down to it, I don't think he's going to be able to hurt her and he's going to be left with no other option than to revolt. But . . we'll have to wait until next issue to see how that all plays out. Peter Milligan has done a great job expressing Batman's role and perception in this city over the course of the story. I also like the depth that he's brought to the other characters as they've evolved over the course of this adventure. Andy Clarke's crisp pencils are just icing on the cake. All in all, I think it's a great book. Also, that fantastic cover is by Francesco Mattina. One more issue to go, and then we'll see how this all wraps up.

Batman Confidential #33 - DC

I have to say . . for as much as Batman seems out of his element on this story-line . . it's growing on me every issue. First of all . . we have that awesome cover by Jock. And Andy Clarke's art on the interiors is equally as impressive. A different style. But very crisp and clean. Then we have Peter Milligan crafting this intriguing story. I know that the Batman has decided to come to Russia to try to ebb the Tsar's influence into the Gotham Underworld . . that and the rumors of the nuclear bomb, but . . he has other 'identities', and costumes. My only flaw with the whole thing is that he thought he could come here and intimidate the criminals the same way he did in Gotham. That's been his learning curve through this whole process . . how to make them more scared of him, than they are of the horrors they face everyday from their own countrymen. Specifically, the Tsar and the Bear. Watching Batman flounder and adapt is interesting. It provides an angle that makes it different from other Batman stories. But . . if he'd just assumed a different identity . . things might've gone differently. However, on the other hand . . that 'angle' may be why the story remains interesting. Anyways, Batman isn't making much headway on the crime-bosses, and absolutely no footing with the Tsar, but . . he is shaking things up a bit as he's causing a decrease in their earnings. Even if the bosses aren't scared of him, the buyers and the residents, I think, are on edge because of the shift in climate that they can sense around them. There's a crime-war that's being played out in front of them, and they don't really know who's worse . . the Batman, or the Tsar. Meanwhile, Batman seems to have befriended this guy who lives in the sewers and tunnels under Moscow. He seems to be fairly intelligent. He has a level head . . kind of. But he's afraid to come out. "You're better off down here. Moscow . . it isn't safe. Moscow is a jungle." I think he'll provide Batman with some information, as he seems to know a lot about the city. Plus, I'm guessing, but he's not afraid of the Bear . . I'm assuming that they have some type of relationship. That may prove beneficial to the Batman. And again I'm guessing, but . . I think this may be the Tsar's son . . or the Police Chief's. I'm not sure which. Also, I think the Police Chief is starting to come around to the Batman's way of thinking. He's been a pawn of the Tsar for a long time. But I think he's starting to sense that things don't necessarily have to be that way. Plus, I think, he's seeing a glimmer of the man he used to be. A man he used to be proud of. But that may all be moot as it appears that the Tsar's next course of action is to go after the Police Chief's family. Anyways, overall I thought it was a good book. Obviously, from how long this posting is, it got a lot of thoughts and ideas running around in my head. I would think that's the greatest compliment a story could get . . to inspire ideas and reflection in the reader. There's 2 issues next month, to wrap up this story-line . . and then we begin a new story-arc. But it appears that we're staying with this European theme as Batman next goes to Poland.

Batman Confidential #32 - DC

I appreciate this story . . the talent that stands behind this issue is exemplary . . Peter Milligan, Andy Clarke . . Guillem March on the cover, but . . I'm just having a hard time swallowing this one. Batman is trying to stop this Tsar from extending his crime reach to Gotham. So, in order to do so, rather than wait for him to come to sprawling suburbia of Gotham . . Batman has decided to try to nip the rose in the bud. He's gone over to Moscow and is trying to stir up enough of a ruckus that the Tsar will forget about Gotham. Also, he's trying to find him . . to set him straight face to face, but . . I don't know if that's the best idea. I really don't think the Batman is going to intimidate him all that much. However, as we see in this issue . . as does the Batman . . he really is a duck out of water. He's come to Moscow, trying to use the same tactics and MO as he does in his home town, but . . there's things in this town that the criminals are more afraid of than the Batman. The Tsar has an enforcer on his side . . the Bear, whom I assume is some kind of mutant, or something. He sticks to the shadows, and the Tsar only uses him in emergency situations . . such as this one with the Batman. As the Bear and the Bat struggle, they're also talking. Since he's a man, Batman is trying to appeal to his intellect. "The Tsar is and evil criminal . . He's a maniac. He's lying. He's . . listen . . forget what the Tsar told you. You can't trust him. He threatened to detonate a nuclear bomb in Moscow. That's how much he cares for you." I imagine he'll bring the Bear over to his way of thinking eventually, but . . not right away this issue. That would ruin the suspense. Plus there's one of the KGB that seems like he's tired of the status-quo. I imagine he'll probably search for the Batman. If he's not to scared for himself or his family. At the end of this issue, it already looks like one of the General's are going to accept Batman's help. I love the art. And, I like the premise of the story. But . . it loses something in the translation. First of all, Batman's to out of place for it to be believable. And secondly . . there's way to much 'comic-book dialogue'. I don't know. Maybe it'll get better as it wraps up. But right now . . I'm not to thrilled with it.

Batman Confidential #31 - DC

The thing I like about this series is that any given story could have taken place during any given era of Batman's lengthy history. They're stories that apparently we've never heard about. As I'm reading them, I'm usually trying to figure out what was going on in his world at the time. That's just how my mind works. Anyways, this story is about a mutant, apparently, from Russia. He starts out as a kid, I would think rather normally . . he's got a coach and dreams of being an Olympic athlete. But . . someone has other plans for him. They know he's special, and . . they know he has the potential to be a weapon. That's what it always comes down to. Certain people will always either try to make money off of something, or try to figure out a way to use it to hurt others. So I would guess he's probably about 5 to 8 in the beginning of the story. Then we jump ahead 12 years. We're in Russia after it's broken up, and now the country is split up into factions. And, it seems, each faction has it's own crime-family and kingpin. These kingpins are the people that really run this country. Well . . that is, except for their Tsar. He's the actual leader. But, it's a fluid position as any one of the kingpins, at any time, would take actions to occupy that role themselves. So, he has to have a deterrent. That's where this child comes in. We don't know much about him right now. We've only seen him in the shadows. But he appears to be massive, covered with hair, glowing red eyes, and . . if anyone happens to see him, they know they're not long for this Earth. Now we have the development of the Russians trying to start up their business ventures in Gotham. The Tsar, Boris Stavrogin, is trying to strike a deal with the Gotham Underworld. They have a nuclear weapon. They want to move it into Gotham and hold the city hostage. The issue ends with Batman talking to the Tsar, after he beats up one of his hired-hands and takes his cell from him. It's a tense conversation, and both of them have made their intentions clear. Apparently Batman is on his way to Russia. As always, Peter Milligan writes a very tense and interesting story. I'm sure this one will be very intricate, as it will be spread out over the next 4 issues. It actually reminds me of the Denny O'Neil / Paul Gulacy stories of the mid 80's. Anyways, Andy Clarke does the art, and it looks fantastic. I'm not sure what the cover has to do with anything, but . . it's cool looking.

Batman Confidential #30 - DC

I actually liked this story-line quite a bit. It's a bit cliched . . a cop that goes bad because he lost someone in his life . . but, I think the Joker added an interesting twist to the whole thing. Overall, I think Andrew Kreisberg did an effectual job writing it. That is . . right up until the resolution. That part, I didn't buy it all that much. First he tries to get his ex-partner to shoot him. He realizes what an animal . . a monster, that he has become. But, he can't kill himself. Why? I'm not sure. I never really understood that. But, that's why he went after the Police Academy. He knew that it would bring his ex-partner out, and he was counting on him shooting him. However, I think the ex-partner thing worked against him, because in the end . . he just couldn't do it. So, then he goes after the Commissioner. He figured that if he threatened his family, he'd have no other choice. He gets the drop on Jim, but then a young Barbara picks up a gun and is threatening to shoot Bad-Cop as he holds a knife to her father's neck. Of course, at the exact right moment, Batman shows up and talks him down. He talks about how he used to be a good cop, and how his hard work had helped his partner solve another case that saved a little girl much like Barbara. He also tells him that if he forces her to shoot him, he's going to scar and change her for the rest of her life. Yada, yada, yada. Anyways, the psychological treatment works because he drops his knife and gives up. Overall . . not very dramatic. We also find out that Barbara was actually holding a fake gun that had fallen off a nearby game. I don't know. I just didn't really like the way it all played out at the end. It just seems like there could've been something a little more dramatic . . suspenseful. However, at the end, when Batman goes to check on Shancoe at Arkham, he finds 2 dead guards in the cell next to him. It was obviously done by the Joker, and he's got a message for Batman written on the wall in their blood . . "Dear Batty, Wasn't Bad Cop a hoot!?! Hope U had fun. See U at the next chalk outline!!!  XXOO   Joker" So, I guess in the end, this wasn't even really all about Bad-Cop. After all, Joker had goaded him into his actions. I think this was all really about the Joker and how he could ultimately effect the Batman's life, even though he's incarcerated. To that end . . I bought it, and I liked it. And I like that it left their relationship unresolved . . as always. Scott McDaniel does the art this issue. I like this book, and the way it handles these Batman stories. Hopefully, it won't go away any time soon.

Batman Confidential #29 - DC

I may be a little behind on this, but . . I just noticed last week that Andrew Kriesberg is also one of the writers on one of my favorite TV shows, Fringe. There's a big article over on CBR about that commitment and why he isn't writing World of New Krypton. I guess he's also done Simpsons and Boston Legal. It's ironic to me how much the resources and ideas of the comic book medium cross-over with the larger mainstream media . . TV and movies. It makes sense though. If you want new ideas or fresh perspectives, why not tap into a resource that's been doing it largely unnoticed for 70 or so years. Most people wouldn't even know if they stole an idea. I'm sorry. That last bit came off a bit cynical. I appreciate anyone, or thing, or medium that shines a light on the resource of my years of enjoyment. And comics are after all a drama . . be it crime, or hero, or sword & sorcery . . played out on sheets of thin white paper. Anyways, all of that is because Andrew wrote this book. He's the regular writer on Green Arrow & Black Canary, but I guess his time is freed up enough that he can occasionally do some stories on the side. This issue appears to be around the same time as the Ventriloquist first appeared. In it we're introduced to a new character, Bad-Cop. His name is Geoff Shancoe. He's an ex-Gotham police detective. Apparently his daughter was killed, and somehow in the process he shot his partner, paralyzing him, and Jim Gordon in the shoulder. He must've wigged out because he ends up in Arkham. And, as luck would have it, he's roomed right next to the Joker. After a recent visit by his ex-partner, the Joker goads him into escaping. It turns out there's a tunnel right under his cell that leads to the sewers. At the end of the issue we see him dressed in full riot gear and attacking the students at the police academy. I thought it was an interesting story. It was a neat introduction to a new character. We'll just have to see, after this, if he has the staying power. Scott McDaniel does the art. The amazing cover is by Stephane Roux. This girl is really improving by leaps and bounds. She's turning in some amazing stuff. Like I said, overall I thought it was interesting. We'll just have to wait and see how it all plays out next issue.

Batman Confidential #28 - DC

I really liked this story arc. And it wasn't just because Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez did the art. Although that was a definite plus. Speaking of which, if Jose does any future work, they should really try to get Kevin Nowlan to do his inks again. The team-up or those two's talent was brilliant. They work really complimented each other's. I'm just sayin'. Nunzio DeFilippis and Christina Weir wrote the story. First of all I liked the way that they took this relatively unknown character . . I think he only appeared on the TV series a couple of times . . and updated him to fit into the 21st century mythos. His origins and motivations were very convincing. I also enjoyed the interaction and dialogue between Batman and the Riddler. I assume this was one of their first team-ups. But what I really liked about these 3 issues is how they seemed to have the look and feel of the 70's style comics. This story could easily have been run in Batman or Detective during that time period and it would've fit right in. It really gave me a nostalgic feeling for this character. Anyways, having said that, the story doesn't really end here. Carson was the one who was actually going to steal the museum's money. She was going to use Victor as the scape-goat. Victor however, saw it as a sign and assumed his new identity. Well, at the end of this issue, it appears that Carson has bought into it also. She goes to visit Victor in prison and tells him, "Tutenaten . . we will destroy the Bat who hounds us both. I am with you . . . you are King Tut reborn, I am your Queen . . Ankhesanamum . . brought back by Aten to join you. Please my love . . call me Ankh." I think we're going to see these couple pop up again . . someplace. Overall, I thought it was an enjoyable story-arc.