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Reviews and commentary by Tony Isabella
"America's Most Beloved Comic-Book Writer & Columnist"
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TONY'S ONLINE TIPS
for Thursday, August 21, 2008
For the third time, I've set myself a "DC Challenge" wherein I attempt to read and review an entire month's worth of DC comics and books. Here are a trio of Batman reviews from my second failed attempt at this challenge.
The Batman Chronicles Volume 5 [$14.99] is the latest in a series of inexpensive trade paperbacks reprinting "all the Batman stories in the exact order they were published." This volume's tales hail from 1941 and 1942: Batman #8 and 9, Detective Comics #57-61, and World's Finest Comics #4. All but two of the stories were written by Batman co-creator Bill Finger and are artistically credited to Bob Kane (pencils) and Jerry Robinson (inks). The stand-out stories:
"Twenty-Four Hours to Live" [Detective #57]. Given poison that'll kill him in a day, an evil man decides to kill his relatives before he dies. It's an impressively grim tale.
"The Strange Case of Professor Radium [Batman #8]. A scientist who sought to benefit mankind goes murderously mad as a result of his experiments. One of the first of the truly tragic Batman villains.
"The Four Fates" [Batman #9]. Four killers cursed by their victim try to avoid their ultimate justice in this spooky thriller.
"Christmas" [Batman #9]. One of those wonderful feel-good holiday tales that used to be standard for comic books.
"The Three Racketeers" [Detective #61]. A character study of three criminals with a clever and satisfying ending.
Other stories include the Penguin's first and second appearances, three Joker stories of varying quality, and a bout with Moby Dick. There are fourteen stories in all and buying even poor condition copies of their original publications would set you back thousands of dollars. That you can get these full-color reprints for fifteen bucks makes this series one of the best buys in comicdom. That's why The Batman Chronicles Volume Five earns the full five out of five Tonys.
Sigh.
Batman and the Outsiders #6 [$2.99] is another train-wreck issue of a series that just can't get its act together. That it's written by Chuck Dixon, who usually delivers entertaining stories, baffles me. I may not be 100% on board with Dixon's past portrayal of the Batman, but the Dark Knight who appears in this comic leads the Outsiders like a man who's been hit repeatedly on the head with a mallet. This Batman is an idiot who constantly puts his allies into easily avoidable jeopardy and, apparently, none of his allies have the smarts or stones to call him on his bad decisions. Maybe this Batman is really a Skrull?
DC should either pull the plug on BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS or bring back series creator Mike W. Barr to write it. This Barr-deficient issue earns absolutely no Tonys whatsoever.
Batman Confidential #16 [$2.99] concludes Tony Bedard's four-issue "Wrath Child" arc in fine style. The detective skills and teamwork of Batman and Nightwing are highlighted throughout the issue with penciler Rags Morales and inkers Mick Gray and Rodney Ramos doing an equally fine job with the visuals. I do think the story needed a better closing panel, but, all in all, this has been a terrific story. The issue earns an impressive four Tonys.
DC does publish a lot of Batman comics and books, so I'll probably be sticking with the Dark Knight for most of this week's reviews. Watch for them.
Thanks for spending a part of your day with me. I'll be back tomorrow with more stuff.
Tony Isabella
<< 08/20/2008 | 08/21/2008 | 08/22/2008 >>
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THE "TONY" SCALE
ZERO: Burn your money before buying any comic receiving this rating. It doesn't *necessarily* mean there's absolutely nothing of value here - though it *could* - but whatever value it might possess shrinks into insignificance before its overall awfulness.
ONE: Buy something else. Maybe I found something which wasn't completely dreadful in the item, but not enough for me to recommend it when there are better comics available. I only want what's best for you, my children.
TWO: Basic judgment call. I found some value, but not enough to recommend it. My review should give you enough info to decide if you want to take a chance on it. Are you feeling lucky today, punk? Well, are you?
THREE: This denotes something I find perfectly respectable. There are better books out there, but I wouldn't regret buying this item. Based on my review, you should be able to determine if it's of interest to you. Let the Force guide you.
FOUR: I recommend anything earning this rating. Unless you don't like the genre, subject matter, or past work of the creators, I believe you'll enjoy this item. Isn't it uncanny how I can look right into your soul that way?
FIVE: Anything getting this rating is among the best comicdom has to offer. You should buy/read this, even if the genre/subject matter doesn't appeal to you. It's for your own good. Me, I live for comics and books this good...but not in a pathetic "Comic-Book Guy" sort of way.
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