Batman Odyssey #2 and #3 - DC

Once again, I can't over emphasis how thrilled I am that not only is Neal Adams back . . not only is he doing the character he's probably most famous for, besides Superman, but . . he's also doing the story and art here. What more could we ask for? I liked the first book, but . . I thought it was a little bit confusing. However, the second issue helped to clear that up immensely. Bruce was telling Dick the story of one of his very first outings. It's a time when he was experimenting and trying out . . well, pretty much everything. He was working on his image, his delivery, his impact, his methods and his choice of weapons. Which is really what I think that first story stemmed from . . I think he was trying to explain to Dick why he'd decided to go with the 'no-guns' policy. Also, in the present, the case they're working on is closely related because a lot of what he'd learned in the past has led to his preparedness in the present. In his current case, Batman has 2 fronts to choose from. The Riddler is going after something at the mint, while his clues . . his riddles, has lead Batman to believe that there's also something going down on the docks. And it may be more important. While any attempt at the mint is important, I think Batman believes that it's more of a diversion than anything. Which lead Batman and Robin into a fire-fight at the docks and trying to protect a Professor and his daughter, whom have come to see off his latest endeavor . . a hydrogen based car. The heist is made to look like they're after a shipment of antiquities, but actually I think they're here to destroy the car. Although, even they don't know why. And were never really given a full explanation on how to do it. The issue ends with Batman making a misstep and going down in a tornado of bullets. Obviously though, this can't be the end of the Batman as he's still telling the story. We find out later, in his conversation with Alfred, that everything is an act. Not only did he line his suit with Kevlar and try to limit the impact and damage from such a deluge. But he's also equipped the suit to spurt fake blood out through the bullet-holes. It's all for effect. He wants to give the criminals the illusion that they've taken him down, while amping the impact when he rises again to finish the job. We spend a lot of this issue learning about a lot of Batman's techniques for fighting and overcoming the less experienced criminals that he faces. It was actually really interesting. But I think the main focus of this issue was the Batman trying to figure out what's going on here at the docks. They know that they couldn't really have been after the antiquities. First of all, after Talia's arrival, they find out that they belong to Ra's al Ghul. And anybody who'd try to steal from him would have to be insane. Also, these are pretty large pieces. It would be difficult for them to fence them, let alone move them. So he's left believing that they're after the car. But he can't figure out why. The issue ends with Batman thinking that this all doesn't fit together. 'It doesn't fit. This is a puppet show and all our strings have been yanked . . and we're dangling like fools. This man . . or men behind all this haven't even made their first move. This is just the setup. The first question to which is WHO IS THIS MAN?!' I like the way that Neal is constructing this story. He's using past and prologue the emphasis the important connections to everything. We just have to figure out how the pieces all fit together. And the art? The artwork is amazing. But we knew that was going to be the case. Really, my only complaint about this issue is that the variant cover is simply an uncolored version of the main cover. It's tauted as being a sketch cover, but really . . it's just an uncolored version. It's an 'ok' concept. Really it is. And I think my complaint comes more out of greediness than anything. We have the opportunity for a variant cover here . . a chance to see some more great Neal Adams art. But instead we get the same picture in a different format. Don't get me wrong. I'll probably buy them all. But . . I just think it'd be a little more cool if we could get a different picture. I know. I'm just being greedy. Anyways, I think it's a great series and I can't wait to see more.

Detective Comics #867 - DC

I'm not really sure what this book is all about . . we come into this story like we should know what's going on, but . . I really don't. Basically, there's a group of kids terrorizing the town and they call themselves the Jokerz. They don't really cause any harm, other than chaos and disorder, but they go around town doing these things called 'Mad Mobs'. They take some kind of juiced down version of Joker Venom that causes the laughter and facial spasms, and generally lowers their inhibitions, but it isn't fatal like the real stuff. Well, except that it's highly addictive. One juice and you're hooked. And since the drug can be gotten on line, they also post their 'Mad Mobs', the number of Jokerz seems to grow with every outing. Now that they're a force to be reckoned with, it appears that the real Joker is intent on making an appearance at the mischievous outings. He seems to like the chaos, but he's a little bored with the outcome. That, or he just has an overall bigger plan that we just don't know about yet. Anyways, with his involvement things get ramped up pretty quickly. Some of the Jokerz get hurt, or killed, as well as a few police officers. So now it's not just a fraternity prank anymore. What gets the public in an up-rage is that one of the Jokerz victims is a respected businessman who's never even had a jay-walking ticket before. It all comes to a head with a very public display of frustration over acceptable police behavior. Which again escalates into chaos, and more than a few fatalities. It looks like Batman is going to bring in the Question on this one also. She shows up at the end of the issue. But what really bothers Batman is an internet video calling the public into action. The video is of an obviously fake Batman, but it's the words that scare them. 'The police can't do this alone. Now is the time for every able-bodied citizen to show support for law and order by following in Batman's example and the other vigilante heroes of this great country. Arm yourselves citizens of Gotham! It's time to take back the streets!' This can't end well. I'm just wondering what the Joker's real plan is here. David Hine seems to have taken on the writing of this book. Which I think is outstanding. His style and theme should fit quite well with the characters here. I'm also a big fan of Scott McDaniel's work. Some may say it's to 'cartoonish', but . . I think his style is the perfect antithesis of the dark nature of this story. It's kind of an ironic contradiction. For some reason this book has never been quite as strong as the regular Batman title. Hopefully . . that'll change. I think David and Scott are off to a good start. Oh yeah, and that stunning cover is by Peter Nguyen.

Superman / Batman #74 - DC

I definitely enjoyed Paul Levitz's story here. And I thought Jerry Ordway did a great job with this painted style of art. Not to mention the great cover by Adrian Syaf. However, my problem came with the way this story was wrapped up. I don't necessarily think that it was Paul or Jerry's fault. But next issue is the 75th issue in this series, as well as the 75 anniversary of DC Comics, so . . I think they were kind of forced to wrap it up to make way for that book. To me, the problem is . . there was just so much potential with this story-line. Luthor has created this Superman cult on Earth to feed into Superman's guilt. While at the same time, had found this planet that Superman had accidentally slighted during one of his space brawls. By the time Superman got back to check up on them, and fix his mistake . . Luthor had already starting feeding them technology and prophecies making Superman out to be the bad guy. He's brainwashed them into thinking that should Superman ever return that he would be the destruction of their world. Anyways, Superman intercepts one of Luthor's deliveries . . unfortunately he's already made more that a few . . so when he finds out about it he goes back to Lex to give him a warning. And, I guess . . that's it. Now, I'm sure we'll see the ramifications of all this further on down the line . . somewhere in the future, but for now . . it's been addressed, and shut down. Like I said, there was a lot of potential here, but to me it just seemed to fall kind of short in this particular story-line. But that's not to say that I didn't enjoy the book . . I did. I love this series. But . . sometimes . . we get what we get. Hopefully this won't be lost and never thought about again. I don't think it will, but . . you never know.

Batman #701 - DC

This issue starts to fill us in on the story . . the missing chapter of the RIP story-line, that we've had yet to see. It's the part that we've been missing between when Dr Hurt sent Batman off crashing into the Gotham River. You know, where Dick found his cape and cowl and thought that he might be dead? Well, it fills us in on what was going through Bruce's mind between that and when he was called into the case, by Superman, of Orion's death. Hurt's words keep running through his head. First about his cowl, 'The next time you wear it will be the last.' And later also about his profession when he told Batman that his next case would be his last unless he gave up and joined him. And now, as we know this all leads to his capture and erasure by Darkseid, he has indeed begun to investigate his final case. This story will wrap up next issue, which leads directly into Octobers books where Bruce Wayne will finally return from his trip through time. I gotta say, from the previews I've been looking at, October and November look to be a pretty exciting, and overflowing months for the Batman family of books. Rest assured that Grant Morrison will still be chronicling Batman's adventures. But not necessarily in this title. It appears that Tony Daniel will once again take on the scripting and pencilling of this series. All I can say is . . if Grant can't be here . . I can't think of anyone who would do a better job than Tony. And that's really just the tip of the iceberg. There's going to be a lot of news coming out in the next couple of months about all the shake-ups and reformation in the Batman line of books. It's going to be an exciting couple of months to be a Bat-follower.

Batman and Robin #13 - DC

With this issue, we start to get a sense, or feeling, for how all the various story-arcs so far are connected. This one takes us all the way back to issue #1, with Professor Pyg, and even further as it connects into the story that led up to Bruce's break from reality. You know the one where Bruce's father seemed to have returned and he took on the persona of Dr Hurt, to drive his son insane . . and prove his superiority. That's what I love so much about Grant Morrison's scripts. You see story-arc, after story-arc, and they all seem a bit connected but you don't really know how. And then, a year or so later, there's one story-arc that seems to pull everything all together. And you start to have those little 'ah-ha' moments as you think back on previous stories . . and you start to recognize the patterns in what you thought was just chaos. Anyways, at the end of last issue it was revealed that Oberon Sexton was actually the Joker. He says he's trying to gain the Batman's trust . . that his 'feelings' changed when he found that the 'other' Batman has gone away. But as this issue progress', I think he's starting to realize the this 'new' Robin is more like the 'old' Batman than is Batman. So . . things will probably turn for the worse pretty quickly. I think it's interesting that when Dick is with the Commissioner, Jim gets word that the Joker has asked to talk to Robin. Dick is concerned that he'll end up dead. Jim responds, 'My god. Does the poor kid have any idea what he's dealing with?' To which Batman replies, 'It's not him. It's the Joker I'm worried about.' Anyways, we start to see that everything is all connected . . Pyg, the Toad, el Penitente and the Joker. It seems that Pyg and el Penitente had released some kind of gas on Gotham that could have a latent affect. It won't be triggered until they decide to. At which time, Batman is going to have a very limited amount of time to try to turn things around. The issue ends with Dick and Bruce crash landing in Gotham, and they find themselves immediately surrounded by Dollotrons. El Penitente has set loose Pyg. And Damian is beating the crap out of the Joker with a crowbar. And somehow . . this is all working perfectly into the Joker's plans. Everything has been set up like dominoes. I think this is a great book. I love this series. I think what I like so much about it is the differences between Dick and Damian. Really, they shouldn't be able to work together. Neither can really understand where the other is coming from. But . . they don't really have a choice. Good or bad . . they have to make it work. And it's those struggles, I think, are a part of what makes these stories so interesting. Frazer Irving steps in for the art this issue, and I think he did a terrific job. The covers are by Frazer and Frank Quitely.

Superman / Batman #73 - DC

This book has me a little confused, right now. I'm not sure what Lex Luthor is up to. He's been using his planetary telescope to track Superman's adventures in space. When he comes across a planet that suffers from the wake of one of Superman's fights, he see's an opening. Basically, he wants to turn these people against Superman . . because of what he's done to their planet. And then set himself up as their Prometheus . . providing them with fire, and electricity . . setting himself up as their god. And he's set up a method of programming them that will take effect over the next few centuries. At first I thought he was planning on going there himself, but . . I don't think he is. I think he's just sending gadgets and such, and probably providing an image, or effigy of himself. Now, the part that has me confused is . . while all of this is going on, Lex appears to be building a Superman cult right here in Metropolis. They're the guys that captured Lois last issue. They've been instructed to make her pay for her traitorous behaviour towards Superman, by marrying Clark Kent instead of their idol. Of course Batman and Superman show up in the nick of time to save her neck. And then the 3 of them pursue the background of this group's leader, Henry Franks. It's interesting to see that they all come to pretty much the same conclusions, just through different methods. When the group gets together again, they're all there to stop them. But it doesn't seem to have affected Luthor's overall plan. So, I'm not really sure what the purpose of all this was. Was it just a distraction? Or was it some kind of failed experiment? Unfortunately, we'll have to wait for the next issue to find out. I thought Paul Levitz did a good job with this story. Even if it hasn't all come together for me, just yet. And Jerry Ordway does a painted style of art for this issue. I thought it looked fantastic. I really like this book. And I'm glad that it's still going strong. Even after all of this time.

Batman #700 - DC

I had a hell of a time with this book. The day the book came out the entire stack of books that my shop owner got were misprinted. Half of them had the first 8 pages printed twice . . leaving out the second 8. The other half were printed with 8 pages of Titans #24. Needless to say, since it was an error . . I had to get both. Then, the following week, when he got in some correct copies . . of course I had to get one of those. Also, I couldn't read it until I picked up the corrected copy. The story was impossible to follow without the 8 pages connecting 'Yesterday' to 'Today'. But apparently the misprint wasn't that big of a problem because when I went to buy the variant off E-Bay, I was asking some of the sellers if it was a correct copy or one of the misprints. All of them acted like I was asking some stupid question. I was bidding on those before the correct printing came out, so I just wanted to make sure I got a full story so that I could appreciate it properly. Talk about a pain in the butt. But, I finally got a full copy which allowed me to enjoy the story. That's not to say that it was any less confusing. Grant Morrison did a heck of a job trying to keep us in the dark this issue. He didn't want us to know what was going on until the very end. And it worked. Basically, this Professor Nichols had developed this hat, the 'Maybe Machine'. 'It generates visions of how things might have been.' But it seems to me that it's wearer is basically traveling in time. I think they're seeing alternated dimensions because while they can send the wearer forward or backward in time, they aren't necessarily on the same vibrational plane. I think they're crossing dimensions without realized it. Anyways, we start out in the past where the Joker is using the helmet on Batman to help Catwoman find the combination for an impenetrable sarcophagus, and the brim size of Alexander the Great for the Mad Hatter. Then he decides that he's going to send Batman back to the moment of his creation. The event that turned him into the Bat. But apparently too many trips with the helmet can kill a man. It's pretty taxing on their system. The Prof was pulled into the Joker's schemes. He would never hurt a fly. When everything is over, Batman gives the Prof the Joker's Jokebook as a souvenir. So . . the rest of the stories . . the Today, Tomorrow . . and Tomorrow . . all seem to revolve around this Professor Nichols trying to set things right. In the Today story, Batman and Robin find the Professor in a locked laboratory, dead from a shot to the heart. What Batman notices almost immediately is that the Prof should be in his 60's. This man is at least 80. So he must be the Prof from the future. But if that's the case . . wouldn't his body automatically go back to the future once he was killed in his 'vision'? Unless . . maybe he just looks older because he's been using the helmet so much. Anyways, the rest of the Today story is spent with Batman and Robin trying to keep the peace in crime alley, because today is the anniversary of Bruce's parents death. And the stop someone from auctioning off the Joker's Jokebook. Apparently it's rumored to contain some deep, dark secret. Anyways, in the Tomorrow story, Damian has assumed the mantle of the Bat. And he's taken to the job with great enthusiasm. But right now he's fighting Two-Face, who's poisoned Gotham's Climate Control Initiative with Joker venom. Batman has 12 minutes until it becomes lethal. And Two-Face won't give up the antidote until he receives the Joker's Jokebook. He also has a child that he's abducted. And . . a middle aged Prof Nichols. The child's parents are Warren and Terry McGinnis, so . . I'm guessing that the baby is actually Terry McGinnis. The guy who grows up to assume the mantle in Batman Beyond. Anyways, in the end, it's a much younger Prof Nichols that shows up to save the day. And Batman ends up throwing Joker's Jokebook into the incinerator. And finally we get a story about Batman Beyond. I guess the point of all of this is to show us that even through all of this manipulation and scheming that Tomorrow, the Tomorrow of Batman Beyond, still works out the way it's supposed to. I thought it was an interesting concept that Grant came up with . . a storyline that connects through all of the various incarnations of the Bat . . Bruce, Dick, Damian, and Terry. And as usual, he kept it confusing as hell right up until the very end. But it was definitely a tale befitting the 700th issue of this book. The various chapters of this book were drawn by Tony Daniel, Frank Quitely, Andy Kubert and David Finch. I'll tell you what, it was really something to see David Finch drawing Batman Beyond. I never thought I'd see that. Anyways, we then get a gallery of pinups by Shane Davis, Juan Doe, Guillem March, Dustin Nguyen, Tim Sale, Bill Sienkiewicz and Phillip Tan. And some pictures of the Bat-cave by Freddie Williams II. It definitely had everything an anniversary issue should consist of, including 2 amazing covers by David Finch and Mike Mignola. If you don't regularly read Batman, or haven't picked up the title in a long time . . this would definitely be the issue to get. Even if you don't buy anything else.

Superman / Batman Annual #4 - DC

While I enjoyed this story . . I'm just not a big Batman Beyond fan. Which, in essence, is really what this story was . . a big Batman Beyond story-arc, designed to peak interest in the character before the new series starts. Which is ok, but . . I just wasn't that interested. Although, I will say that Paul Levitz did a terrific job of filling us in on the parameters and landscape of this character, and Gotham City. Actually, Metropolis also. And I also think that it serves to kind of clear the slate before the new series begins. Superman has stuck around, but . . he's been sticking to the shadows because of what Luthor has done to the city, and . . because of his loss with Lois. However, while trying to rid the city of criminals, he hasn't been able to take on Luthor personally because of his heavy defenses, and all of his Kryptonite. Anyways, Batman is drawn into the picture when some of Metropolis' villains and drugs turn up in Gotham. It seems that the criminals are coming in droves . . because they're scared of the new threat, the Ghost. And when the drugs show up, Bruce finds them to be laced with Kryptonite. So, long story short, Bruce and this new Batman, Terry McGinniss, investigate and of course everything leads right back to Luthor. Superman uses their effort as a way to finally confront Luthor. And this Ghost thing is actually Superman sending all these villains, and finally Luthor, into the Phantom Zone. And now that Luthor's gone, and everyone else he's ever held dear, Clark decides to head out to the stars and do a little exploring. Like I said, the slate is cleared and set up for the new series. No Superman. No Luthor. But they can still use Metropolis as a backdrop. But, while I thought this was an interesting story . . I won't be buying the new series. Sorry! I'm just not interested. Anyways, the art for this issue was provided by Renato Guedes. With a beautiful cover by Stanley Lau.

Superman / Batman #72 - DC

This issue we don't actually see Superman and Batman together . . except on the cover. But, Batman is still there to help Superman when he needs it. Superman is out in space chasing a rather large asteroid that is headed towards an inhabited planet. He breaks it up, but then, upon further inspection, he finds that there's still one rather large chunk heading towards the planet's surface. He prevents any mass destruction, but . . there's a piece of Kryptonite hidden inside the rock and it sends Superman for a loop. He ends up crash landing in the city. He feels bad, because he wrecks a building, so he puts it back together as best he can. But then he has to take off for home because he's got plans with Lois. However, he didn't get all of the pieces put back, and it appears that this building was some kind of religious icon. The people seem very upset afterwards. Which pleases Lex. It seems that he's been watching Superman, as he travels through space, with some kind of experimental quantum spy satellite. He's been waiting for just such an opportunity. A chance to get some more people, or aliens, on his side. In the meantime though, Lois has been abducted. When she was taken, she hit the signal device in her ring, but since Superman is off-planet . . Batman comes to her aid. Well . . at least he's looking for her. It appears that she's been taken by some type of cult that worships Superman. And they feel that she's made a transgression against him. 'You should have been the holy vessel to bear a child of Krypton and Earth, but you spurned Superman to marry a human. You must pay for your choice.' And they're getting ready to burn her at the stake. The issue ends with Batman still looking for her, and Superman on his way back, but . . still very far out in space. I thought it was an interesting story. I'm curious as to where they're heading with it. Paul Levitz writes it, and Jerry Ordway does a painted style of art for this issue. And we get a fantastic cover by Fabrizio Fiorentino. My only problem with this book is that sometimes we aren't told just where these stories fit into either of our heroes time-lines. And sometimes they seem like stories from alternate Earths. But we don't always know which is which. Well . . we do by the end of the story. But as we're going along, it's not always explained. I guess that's just the price we pay for having 2 of the world's greatest heroes in the same book. And it's not going to stop me from buying it, so . . why bring it up. Right?

Batman #699 - DC

To be perfectly honest, the first part of this story by Tony Daniel was a little bit hard to follow. But, I guess, he had to be that way. If he had given us any more information it wouldn't have been to hard to figure out what was going on. Anyways, this issue . . everything comes together. Although, I have to say, when we find out that the Riddler had been given a very diluted dose of Joker venom . . I kind of figured that somehow he was behind all of this. As it turns out, after Batman confronts Firefly in his Arkham cell . . there was a group, several years ago, that this Blackspell magician had set up. He had some kind of idea to skim millions of dollars from the various crime organizations in Gotham. Monies that they wouldn't even notice were missing. Anyways, Firefly and the Riddler were part of this group. And they were successful. For a while. Until Riddler went through his bout of amnesia and switched over to the side of angels. When that happened, Edward started digging into the mystery that was Blackspell. That's when Blackspell decided to call it quits. He dissolved the group and took off with the money. Now, for some reason, he's decided to come back and take out the rest of the group. But we find out that this whole scheme . . the entire thing, group and all, was actually the Riddler's idea. For some reason he decided to have Blackspell be his front-man. And he assumed the role of an active participant. Which I assume is why Blackspell got spooked and pulled up stakes when the reformed Eddie started investigating him. He probably didn't know if that was all part of the Riddler's plan, or if Eddie's amnesia was for real. But rather than face the wrath of those they had ripped off, he left. But as we've seen from the previous issues here, as well as Streets of Gotham, Eddie seems to be getting his memory back. So he faked his own attack to throw off Batman, and then systematically destroyed anything or anyone that could connect things to him. Then, before Batman could put it all together and come after him, Eddie recovered from his venom attack and made his escape. As well as pulling $10 million out of one of Blackspell's dummy accounts. Now he's in the wind. Waiting to cause trouble for Batman again, sometime in the future. I thought it was a pretty cool story. I'm glad it all came together this issue, as the previous ones were a bit of an . . enigma. Pun intended. Guillem March did a great job with the art. As always. Now . . now we're on to issue #700. I can't wait to see what they have in store for us. Here's a tease of the cover. It should be great.

Batman: the Return of Bruce Wayne #1 - DC

I thought we'd get some more information on Bruce this issue . . how did he get here . . what's he remember . . how's his mind working . . but, we really don't. Remember in one of those Final Crisis cross-overs where we see the back of Bruce's head, and he's kneeling next to a cave wall chalking pictures onto the stone? Well this issue picks up, basically, right after that. He's apparently been back in this time . . the time of cavemen, for a little while. He's set up shelter in a cave and has already established a bit of a myth about him. There's also a spaceship. We don't really know what the relationship is, but Bruce finds a Batman symbol on it, and . . Superman's cape. But I don't think he really knows what either of these really mean. His mind seems to be jumbled, or in shock, or something. But he does fight for a tribe against Vandal Savage and his 'Blood Tribe'. Not that he knows who Vandal is. He just happens to be the leader of this other tribe's oppressors. He ends up being with them just long enough for a young boy to become enthralled with him, and don himself in homage to this 'man of bat' myth. And that's how legends are born. However, at the end of this issue, after diving off a cliff into a pond, Bruce emerges in what looks like the time of the early settlers of America. Shortly after leaving, Superman arrives in one of Booster's time spheres. Along with Green Lantern. Superman is concerned. 'Surviving is what he does. But if he survives this, if he does the impossible again . . if Batman makes it back to the 21st century on his own . . everyone dies.' I'm assuming that he's talking about the Omega radiation that he was dosed with. But I'm sure that part of the story will develop more as the series progresses. As with most Grant Morrison stories, this one seems a little oblique and vague. Obviously he doesn't want to give us all of the answers to soon. So in his usual style, he gives us just enough information to make our minds start asking a hundred questions. Most of which, I'm sure, are false leads or feints. I'm guessing it's going to be at least 3 or 4 issues before we start to get any kind of picture as to what's really going on here. But, in the meantime . . I'm sure it'll be an interesting ride. Also, with this series, I guess there's going to be a different artist each issue, as well as the cover art. Chris Sprouse provides the art this issue. As well as the variant cover. While Andy Kubert provides the other cover. Overall, I thought it was a very intriguing start to this series. Like I said, we aren't going to get very many answers right off. So, for now . . enjoy the ride. Information will be building as we go along. It's a Batman story . . it's all about the mystery and detective work.

Batman and Robin #12 - DC

First of all, Andy Clarke's pencils are amazing. I really like the way he's so detailed and crisp with his art. The splash page, with Robin attacking Batman, almost seems like it has a bit of a Brian Bolland influence to it. Anyways, we really don't dig to much into the whole Return of Bruce Wayne storyline here. We do get a few clues . . a few things in the mansion, and below it . . not to mention this death garden thing, which I don't really understand. But not a whole lot that we didn't already know. Most of this issue is spent with Damian and Dick dealing with the dirty hand that Talia has dealt him. It appears that when she operated on his spine that she also installed some neural receptors that allows her to use a harness that she has back at her lair to control Damian and his actions. The problem is, she offers to let Slade Wilson use it to get a little payback for Dick. And with him . . a little is never enough. He wants more control, and the ability to control his voice also. The problem is if you push the receptors to hard, they can burn out pretty easily. But he does do enough damage that it's pretty easy for Dick and Damian to figure out what his mother had done to him, and who was in the driver's seat. They then head to Talia's secret island to give her a little piece of both their minds. Talia is still convinced that Dick and Alfred are brainwashing her son, and trying to indoctrinate him into the way of the Bat. But Damian insists that he's staying with Dick of his own volition. So Talia disowns him. It appears that she's already began cloning another version of her son, 'Made from the same augmented DNA combinations. He'll be 10 years younger than you when he's born. I offer you one last chance to accept your destiny my darling.' Which of course he doesn't, so her reply is, 'Ill always love you in my own way. And I will permit you to leave with your circus boy in tow. But from now on, you are no longer welcome here. You may consider yourself an enemy of the House of Al Ghul.' To which Damian responds, 'Very well. I hope I can be a worthy one, mother.' So that's it? He's done with Talia? I don't think she's going to let him get off that easy. Plus, what happens if somethings wrong with the new child that she's birthing? No, I definitely don't think this is the last we've seen of Talia. Anyways, when they get back they once again find themselves dealing with the Cult of Barbatos. They took a casket out of the cemetery and Dick and Alfred think that it might be the key to figuring out this whole thing with Bruce. There also seems to be a new player in town. Or . . the return of an old one. It appears that the Doctor Hurt is back. Or is he really Thomas Wayne as he claimed to be? And we finally get to the bottom of the mystery about Oberon Sexton. On the final page of the issue it's revealed that he's actually . . the Joker. In my eyes, this title gets better and better with every issue. I think Grant Morrison is doing a tremendous job. And I think Andy's crisp art is the perfect contrast for the dark mood that Grant has set here. Together, it paints a rather eerie picture. But . . it's cool. Right now, this is my favorite Batman title.

Superman / Batman #71 - DC

Ok . . when we started on this storyline, a couple of months ago, I was wondering why we were going all the way back to the Our Worlds at War story-line. At the time that was an interesting story-line, but . . I didn't really see what the relevance was now. That is . . until this issue. There's a couple of clues presented this issue that may indicate it's relevance to current story-lines, especially with Superman and what's going on with New Krypton. First of all, this guy who was posing as Anderson Gaines is a Durlan. And eons ago, there was a brutal war between the Durlans and the Kryptonians. Somehow one of their old war vessels ended up on the dark-side of our moon. So, while not being able to take on Superman directly . . the last Kryptonian . . remember, this all happened before the Kandorians came to Earth . . the Durlan is settling for destroying Superman emotionally by crashing this warship into Metropolis . . Superman's adopted home. Now, first of all there's this Durlans hatred of all things Kryptonian. However, right now . . he thinks that Superman is the last of his species. What happens when he finds out about the Kandorians and New Krypton. Secondly, while fighting Superman, he makes the observation . .'War is a way of both our races. If there was ever again another world of Krypton, there is no doubt in my mind that they'd attack your adopted planet.' So, Superman beats the Durlan by freezing him. When he attempts to change shape, he shatters into a million pieces. However . . on the final page, we see one of his arms floating in the water of the Metropolis River, where Batman crash landed the ship. So I'm thinking . . somehow he's survived through that piece of his being, and he's directly related to this war with New Krypton. But in order to do so, he has to be in a position of power where he can influence events. I don't think that he'd assume a role of a Kryptonian, as that would go against everything that he believes. So . . I'm thinking . . maybe, General Lane? And if not the General, then maybe one of the people behind project 7734. I know it's a leap in logic, but . . there has to be a reason that this story was presented now. And I just have this curiosity to try to figure out what's going on next. Also, I'm wondering what the final fate of NRG-X is. Anyways, I enjoyed this story-line by Joe Casey and Joshua Williamson. And in this issue Jason Fabok does the pencils. I enjoy this series. But to me . . it's still . . World's Finest!

Batman #698 - DC

This story seems like a simple 'who-dun-it', but . . I think there's more to it than that. Basically, Batman and the Commissioner stumble across a murder spree. Edward Nigma turns them on to the idea that it's the work of a copy-cat serial killer. His notion seems a little far-fetched, but when Dick starts to do some digging he finds a few more bodies out there. What they have in common is that they're all financial people for the mob . . in one form or another. And they've all been recently released from Blackgate prison. Also, they've all been killed in ways that make it look like they were done by one of Batman's enemies. So far they look like the work of Zsasz, the Penguin, Mr Freeze, Two-Face, and finally at the end when someone goes after Edward . . he's made to look like the work of the Joker. And for some reason, all clues point towards Garfield Lynns, the Firefly. He's in Arkham now, but . . he was in Blackgate with each of the victims at one time or another. And was even room-mates with a few of them. But he's not talking. And then Batman gets some clues that point towards a shady looking character that goes by the name of Sebastian Rothschild. Or his stage name after he became a magician . . Sebastian Blackspell. When Batman goes to Sebastian's apartment, he finds another victim, and . . clues pointing towards the next . . Garfield Lynns and Edward Nigma. But those 2 don't really fit the pattern of the first victims. Anyways, the issue ends with Edward on the ground in an alley with a Joker-face, and cackling laughter in the background. Maybe the Joker is behind it all. But I have a feeling that something strange is going on with Edward. We'll have to wait until next issue to get it all sorted out. Tony Daniel writes this story, and does the cover, with Guillem March doing the interiors. I've really enjoyed Guillem's work on Gotham City Sirens, but . . I think his work in this issue is just a little bit better. Maybe it's the coloring, or the layouts, but I thought he did a great job. One more issue and then we're up to Batman #700 . . and the return of Grant Morrison.

Batman and Robin #11 - DC

This is another fantastic issue by Grant Morrison and Andy Clarke. While I miss Frank Quitely's art . . he is doing a cover every issue . . I think that Andy's crisp clean style is the perfect contrast to Grant's dark, moody stories. I have to say . . I really like the feel of the book right now. A few things are happening this issue . . including the hunt for Bruce Wayne, but . . I really think the important part of this story revolves around Damian. Remember last issue when he appeared to attack Dick for no reason. Even he was surprised by it. At the time he'd assumed that Talia had implanted some kind of suggestions, or programming, when she had him in for repairs. Remember, he got a new spine installed? Anyways, this issue we find out it's so much more devious than that. It appears that through his new spine, she's able to take over control of all of his motor functions and operate him like a video game. However, that's not even the real problem. The real problem is that she appears to be working with Slade Wilson, and after she gives her son a test ride . . there's so many things that could be read into that statement, but I'm going to take the high ground . . after she makes sure that the equipment is working properly and able to be controlled . . she gives those controls over to Slade. The issue ends with Damian, under Slade's control, getting ready to attack Dick as he finally makes it out of the cavern that he's found under Wayne manor, and is coming up in the Death Garden. Anyways, also this issue, Dick and Alfred are exploring this new underground cavern that they've found. In it Dick finds a stalagmite sculpted in the form of a man-bat type of creature. They think it's Barbatos. A devil-bat of the Miagani tribe that Thomas Wayne was involved with in 1765. Which is somehow connected to the people that are attacking Damian and Oberon Sexton in the family cemetery. Somehow this all seems to revolve around the Death Garden on those grounds. And Damian also notices something odd about Oberon. His accent is fake. So he starts to question who he really is. At one point he even asks . . 'Are you Bruce Wayne?' Anyways, somehow these guys are all connected to the killer that Oberon has been chasing. But his only clue is a domino. I'm really enjoying the story that Grant is weaving here. He's taken this rather simple hunt for Bruce Wayne and turned it into this many faceted story that I think is going to keep up guessing right up until the end. This was a very entertaining and exciting issue. I can't wait for more.

Superman / Batman #70 - DC

My only confusion with this book is . . why have they gone back so far as to take us into the aftermath of the Our Worlds at War storyline? The only thing I can think is that somehow this Durlan . . the one that's posing and Anderson Gaines, is somehow connected to the current Superman storyline. Maybe he has something to do with what's happening on New Krypton. I thought that he had come to Earth in the Kryptonian spaceship that is hidden on the dark side of the moon. Either he didn't, or . . it's been so long that he'd forgotten where it was, or lost track of it. That part is a little shaky for me. Anyways, Batman feeds him the information as to where the ship is so that he can draw Gaines out and capture him, or attack him, or whatever. But once Gaines gets on board it seems like it's the first time he'd seen this particular ship. Anyways, apparently there was a pretty bitter war going on between Krypton and the Durlans millennia ago. So now that he's realized that the last son of Krypton is now a resident of Earth . . he'll stop at nothing to kill him. He also sends NRG-X to Superman's fortress, I'm assuming to wipe out all traces of Krypton. So while Batman has gone to the moon to fight the shape-shifter, Superman has gone to the Arctic to fight NRG-X. I'm not sure what either side hopes to gain, but . . the battle has begun, so now we just have to sit back and see how it all works out . . next issue is the last in this story-line. This story is by Joe Casey and Adrian Syaf. I think Adrian's pencils are amazing. He's definitely got a Jim Lee, or that 'Image' look to his stuff. The guys got a lot of talent, and potential.

Batman #697 - DC

So far I've enjoyed this story-line that Tony Daniel has given us here. But . . it really didn't surprise me a whole lot that Black Mask was Jeremiah Arkham. Well . . maybe I should rephrase that. The Black Mask thing was kind of a surprise. But . . it didn't surprise me that Jeremiah had gone over the edge. From the Arkham mini-series you just kind of had a feeling that he was hanging on by a very thin thread. Although . . after reading this, I guess the argument could be made that it wasn't entirely his fault. It seems that the Black Mask is posessed. We don't know exactly what's going on, but . . when Jeremiah was wearing it, he seemed to be arguing with himself . . in two very distinct personalities. So . . either the mask is posessed, or Jeremiah is seriously unhinged. And, while I don't doubt that, I think it's more of a problem with the mask. So, now that Dick has defeated Black Mask, and Jeremiah is sitting inside of his very own cell, Dick seems to have taken the mask back to the trophy room. So you have to ask . . who'll be the next one to put it on? You know it's going to happen sooner or later. It's just a matter of . . who? Like I said . . I've enjoyed Tony's run here. I thought he's done a great job. Especially after following up someone like Grant Morrison. Unfortunately, it looks like he'll only be here for 2 more issues. Issue #700 will be written by Grant. But Tony will still be on board for the art. As far as #701 goes . . I have no idea . . yet.

Batman & Robin #10 - DC

First I want to say that I really enjoy Andy Clarke's art this issue. I really like how detailed and 'clean' his work is. It's got a really good feel to it, and I think he makes a great addition to this book. Not to mention the cool Frank Quitely cover. Anyways, this issue, after the events of the last issue . . Dick and Alfred are starting to take Tim's ideas and notions a little more seriously. You know . . about Batman being alive, and lost in time. It all starts with Alfred debugging the mansion . . after el Sombrero's booby-trapping of the place. He turns off the power to do so. Just to be safe. Anyways, with Tim's reasoning he started thinking about things. The manor is over 200 years old, and the caves underneath date back to 1000's of years before that. So they've reasoned that if Bruce were stuck back then, he would try to use the manor, or the caves to leave a message. Alfred's first clue comes to him when he arranges the patriarch's pictures in chronological order. It's the first time they've been hung in the correct order in years. And seeing them that way, they seem to start to tell a story. Dick also sees it, and when he starts following the clues, it feels as if the house is talking to him. This is just the tip of the iceberg, but . . they seem to be off to a good start. Before all of this started, Dick was consulting with Oberon Sexton. He's the renowned criminologist that has recently come to Gotham. He claims that he's following a killer, and the clues show that his next target will be in Gotham. Bruce Wayne to be exact. Dick has a hard time believing him because he knows that Bruce isn't even around. But . . there's something about Mr Sexton that seems familiar to him. Also, because of Damian's recent surgery, Talia feels that he's not going to reach his potential by being a side-kick. And more specifically by working with Dick. During their exploration of the mansion, it appears that there's some kind of pre-programming going on. There's one point where Damian picks up a sword and tries to swing it at Dick. He doesn't seem to want to do it, but he can't stop himself. Anyways, the issue ends with Dick falling through a trap-door in the floor, into a section of caves that he's never seen before. And Damian is outside the mansion in the family cemetery. There he finds Mr Sexton and becomes aware of the people chasing him. 'Shh! They're everywhere. Oberon Sexton the gravedigger at your service. And I'm here to help.' I really liked this issue. Grant Morrison is doing his usual shtick with all his clues and false-clues. Plus he's got his usual enigmatic figure in this Mr Sexton. Not to mention a fantastic story. Coupled with Andy's art, I thought it was a pretty good issue. It definitely left me wanting more.

Batman & Robin #9 - DC

I like this book. I know that Dick is like Batman-lite, or something, but . . the guy's trying. He's just not as gritty or ruthless as Bruce was. He just doesn't have that 'killer-instinct'. You know . . just, without killing. But, I think Damian more than makes up for it. Damian is a little scrapper. He's just had several internal operations, including a new spine, but when the Batman-zombie, that Dick just resurrected last issue from the Lazarus-pit in London . . when he comes back to Wayne-tower, Damian is ready to throw down with him. Granted he can't do the acrobatics of judo that he normally uses, but . . he can break Batman's nose with his wheel-chair, and he electrocutes him when he steps in a puddle of gas. Also causing an explosion and fire. Like I said . . he's a little scrapper. But then Batman picks him up and throws him over the edge of the building. Anyways, while this is going on, Dick, Knight and Squire have to dig out the rubble around the Lazarus-pit so they can resurrect Kate, Batwoman. She was seriously hurt in the cave-in last issue, and opted for the alternative treatment . . death and resurrection. Shortly after which her father shows up . . 'My . . ah . . military POC.' He leads them to safety and the British government helps get Batman and Batwoman back to the US. Dick arrives back in Gotham just in time to save Damian from his fall. And then with the help of Batwoman, they take out the Batman-zombie. Of course he was already deteriorating pretty bad. Anyways, because of this, Dick realizes that this was never Bruce's body to begin with. So that means . . 'Tim was right all along. Bruce is still alive. And all we have to do is find him.' Of course this was a great story by Grant Morrison. But I have to say, as I did last issue, I was really surprised by Cameron Stewart pencils. Not surprised that the guy's talented. Just surprised at how much I liked them. Not to mention Frank Quitely's cover. All in all, though . . I really like this book. I don't know if it will still continue after Bruce's return, but . . I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Personally . . I hope so.

Batman #696 - DC

The lines have been drawn and there's a couple of teams forming who want to take control Gotham's underworld. Recently the Falcone family has come back into power in Gotham. But they're going about it old school. Meanwhile, the Penguin has recently decided that he should be in charge of Gotham's underworld again. To that end he's enlisted the help of the Mad Hatter. And, I think, Kitrina Falcone is working with them also. She's the niece, and the one with the map of Devil's Square, showing them where the Black Mask is hiding. And finally we have the Black Mask . . the new one, and his new-found friends . . Hugo Strange and Fright. This is one of those stories that starts at the end, and then goes back and shows you how everything came together. Dick/Batman is under the influence of one of the Black Mask's masks . . it's covered in some kind of neurotoxin. And . . the Penguin has had the Mad Hatter exert some influence over him also.But Dick figured out ahead of time what drug he had to take to give him at least a little bit of free-will until he can find the antidote to the masks. But it still seems like he's doing everyone else's bidding. Anyways, long story short . . it appears that the Black Mask has Batman on the ropes, but . . he fights back. The Black Mask finally tries to take him out by shooting him 4 times in the chest. That's how Batman ended up washed up on the shores of the Gotham River. Later when he's recovering in the Bat-cave, he tells Babs that he needs to see his tunic. There's something about the bullets, or how he was shot, that tells him exactly who is now residing in the Black Mask. Wow! This was a hair-raising issue. Tony Daniel is doing an incredible job here. Unfortunately, there's nothing listed after #700, so I don't know if Tony will be staying on board or not. I hope so, but . . who knows. Next issue wraps up this story-line. And then there will be a Riddler 2 parter before issue #700. I can remember buying issue #400 off the stands. I then went back and filled in to #300. And a year or so ago found a copy of #200. It's not a complete run, but . . if it was, that would be about 40 years of comics. Where has the time gone?