What is this book about?

Pre-Infinite Crisis, Matt Wagner re-invented the origin of the first meeting between Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman in the DC Comics universe.

The reason why this is significant is because, combined, these three are regarded as DC Comics iconic super heroes that are pretty much the center of the DC Comics universe where most events that happen revolve around them, occur because of them, or intentionally or unintentionally are caused because of them.

Why should you read this book?

Every hero that has been created since the 1940’s has in some way, shape or form been molded or inspired from these three.

The existence of the DC comics universe as well as so many other super heroes pretty much exist because of the popularity of these three characters.

So what I’m trying to say is this book is important because it depicts the first time they all meet which is a significant milestone in the fictional as well as non-fictional history of these characters.

When I first got into comics, the books I first bought were the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, then I got into the Amazing Spider-man, then I got into Superman. Specifically because right around this time The Death of Superman came out. Shortly after that I gave Batman a try, specifically because right around this time Knightfall came out. Superman stuck with me for a long time but I stopped collecting Batman very quickly. Eventually after a few years I stopped collecting Superman as well. Thinking back on it, the reason I had then for not collecting these books was because I just didn’t like the stories anymore. So from then on I would only collect a few books here and there from each title, not the entire series like I do with the Amazing Spider-man.

Reading those books today, I realize that it had very little to do with not enjoying the stories but more that I couldn’t relate to these characters and that I didn’t respect them.

However, in the early 21st century, I began finding interest in Wonder Woman. Not for any noble reasons at first. I only was getting the books because Adam Hughes was drawing the covers. And Hughes is known for his renditions of pinup-style female characters. But, the more Wonder Woman books I read, the more I began to really like the character and the more I actually respected the character.

I’ve been hooked ever since. But, that’s another review for another time…

But, my new found love for this character made me enjoy this book a lot more, since the story revolves around Batman and Superman’s first meeting with Wonder Woman. We see so many stories of Batman and Superman’s first meeting, but never really so many stories about the two’s first meeting with Wonder Woman. Which makes this book very unique.

This book was truly amazing. I went into this book expecting it to be another creator told masturbatory fantasy “first meeting” of childhood icons of his. That he completely changes around continuity and ignores actually history for the sake of being able to tell how HE wants to tell the story. Which he did do…but to his defense it takes place Post-Zero Hour and Pre-Infinite Crisis so it gave Wagner a chance to reinvent it. His use of certain guest appearances from other characters to pin point where in history this story takes place was really cool too. Such as, a young Artemis, an early in-training Robin, and pre-first visit to the surface world Aquaman, (which was really random, but very cool).

Seeing how a suburban farm boy alien and an urban billionaire play boy human relate and work with an amazonian warrior princess is spectacular. In the psychological metaphorical introspection of Batman and Superman they represent dark and light, colder and meaner heroism in contrast over warmer and nicer heroism. If Batman and Superman represent dark and light, then Wonder Woman represents the shades of gray in the middle. Her character is balance between the two. And that’s why I wasn’t able to continue reading Batman or Superman. In Batman, there was too much brooding and darkness. In Superman there was too much optimism and light heartedness. But in Wonder Woman, she the perfect balance of dark and light. She is an ambassador of peace from her country but she is also a warrior. Because of this she is easily relatable to either side, dark or light.

Much like another recent book review about the group dynamics between Batman and Superman; where because of their inability to work together in the series Batman & Superman: World’s Finest, they were not able to save a life. So every year they meet and work to improve their group dynamics. Batman/Superman/Wonder Woman: Trinity is similar in that if they are to have any hope of stopping the villain of the book, they will first need to overcome their own biases and reconcile their differing philosophies. Which I’m sure if you know the characters at all, that the differences between Batman and Wonder Woman were certainly entertaining but I thought even that the differences between Superman and Wonder Woman were great too.

Anyway, buy it here.

What is this book about?

World’s Finest chronicles the first ten-years of Batman and Superman’s relationship. It starts off with Bruce Wayne (who is secretly Batman) and Clark Kent (who is secretly Superman) attending a charity function of a mutual friend who is kidnapped and held hostage. The two heroes arrive at the scene but due to their inability to work together, they are unable to save his life. From that point on, they decide to remember that day by meeting every year and working to improve their group dynamics.

Why should you read this book?

Many who would review this book would opt for the broad overview why this is an interesting book; that it’s a great portrayal of the complicated relationship between these two characters. However, I’d like to fine tune the specific portrayal that was the most interesting to me and why.

Avid Now is not the Rhyme readers know that I am a huge fan of comics; especially comics I got into when I was kid. What comic reader isn’t? Well, I suppose the difference is I might stand in the minority when I say my favorite time in comics was during Spider-man’s Clone saga, when Diana Prince was replaced with Artemis, when Ollie Queen was dead and Connor Hawke replaced him, or when Jean Paul Valley was Batman and when four different Supermen claimed to be Superman after the original died. These are the characters I remember, these are the characters I love, and these are the characters I can relate to. So it shouldn’t surprise you that my favorite issue of this book was issue number #9.

Issue #9, has two separate stories; one for when Batman goes looking to see if any of the four new Supermen is the original by seeing if they remember that they meet every year on the same day and when Superman goes looking to see if this new Batman was told by Bruce Wayne that they meet every year.

Despite the outcry of fans that hated the replacing of these heroes and declining sales from the books after; I think it was one of the smartest things DC Comics has ever done. To have fictional characters continue to live on and on and never die is absurd to me. But that is another blog post for another time…

One of the reasons why Batman and Superman work is because the writer’s change them to suit that time era. Replacing them in the 90’s drove sales and got people back into comic books. Even though it wasn’t well received it will always be remembered and people that got into comics from those books who work for these companies later will be inspired to create books and stories based on them. Much like how creators now do with stories they grew up with from the 60’s and 70’s.

Every issue from this book is great and you should totally pick it up. You can find it here. It’s a good book for someone who is thinking of getting into comics but doesn’t want to get a ton of old books just to understand the history of the characters and the book is great for any Batman & Superman fan of any era since this books spans the entire history of the two characters and picks out significant life changing events that truly shaped the character.

On a side note, if you’re interested in books similar to this, you can read my review of Batman: Turning Points which has the same concept, except the history and friendship between Batman and Gotham City’s police commissioner James Gordon is spotlighted.

What is this book about?

The stories in Batman: Shadow of the bat always took place within the current continuity of Detective Comics and Batman, in contrast to Legends of the Dark Knight which focused on Batman’s early years. Stories in Batman: Shadow of the bat looked into the psyche of Batman and the various cast members of the Batman comics.

Why should you read this book?

The story I’m reviewing isn’t the story I want to recommend that you buy. The story I recommend you buy and read are from issues #83 through #94. They take place around the events of Batman: Cataclysm where an earthquake destroys most of Gotham city, Batman’s home.

However, as a precursor, the story I am reviewing gives a good lead in as to why you should read Batman: Cataclysm. I’m reviewing Batman: Shadow of the bat #0. Much like last time DC Comics was given an opportunity to retell (or clarify) the origin of its hero(es) to establish the official version in this “post-Zero Hour” revised continuity. So a “#0″ issue was published in the weeks that followed Zero Hour to showcase that series’/character’s origin. In the case with Batman: Shadow of the bat, Batman already had a series that showcased his origin, Batman. So, Batman: Shadow of the bat was left to explain why there was a series called Shadow of the bat.

So what they did was tell this story that talked heavily about the sacrifices Bruce Wayne made to his social life along the way to help the world and honor his parents.

It’s hard to remember a quote that I’ve heard come from a comic book that I could relate to more than this:

“The ineffectual effete fop persona he’d created for himself mean’t men saw him as no challenge–but he was still attractive to the ladies.

It would have been so easy to live the rich man’s life…

…But this wasn’t what he’d trained himself for. This wasn’t why he’d learned how to fight, why he knew more than any man alive about crime, and how to detect it.

He’d seen the ways of the world but even though he thought they were shallow, and trivial, and fleeting–

–it still hurt to leave them.”

This story describes why Shadow of the bat is significant in the Batman-universe. It really focuses on Bruce Wayne’s humanity and his struggle with two conflicting personality’s. The one where he is supposed to be responsibile, aware, and alert all the time and the one where he recognizes the importance of relaxation, fun and social interaction.

In Batman: Cataclysm, you really see his humanity shine through. Where there is this force of nature that he is powerless to stop and it’s destroying the city he swore to his parents that he would protect.

Shadow of the bat turned out to have some really great stories that I never realized existed when I was growing up. Buy the books here.

What is this book about?

Written by Grant Morrison with art by Frank Quitely, featuring the characters Batman and Robin. This series takes place after the events: Batman R.I.P., Final Crisis, and Battle for the Cowl where the original Batman, Bruce Wayne, apparently died at the hands of DC Comics villain Darkseid and Dick Grayson, the original Robin, taking the mantle of Batman, while Damian Wayne, Batman’s son who he fathered with Talia Al’Ghul becomes the new Robin.

Or read this explanation from the author himself:

Batman is dead. Robin is now Batman and Batman’s evil son is now Robin. Everything is new again. If you ever liked Batman and don’t want to see how that dynamic plays out, then may the Lord have mercy on your dry and shriveled worthless husk of a ’soul’! G’wan, g’wan, g’wan and buy Batman and Robin before the whole world starts laughing at you for missing out! Missing this is like missing your own birthday!

The series is only on it’s second issue right now so it’s hard to say exactly what the series is actually going to be about, but I would like to tell you…

Why you should read this book.

It’s really interesting to see the drama and emotion that Dick Grayson goes through in deciding and trying to become Batman. Click the image above to see a really cool discourse between him and the butler, Alfred.

This series so far is a mix between the ’60s Adam West TV show and a David Lynch project.

Grant Morrison wanted to be able to tell more light hearted Batman stories, but he knew he would not be able to. Mainly because it wouldn’t have made any sense for Batman who for the past twenty years or so has become darker, angrier, grimmer, and grittier as time past to suddenly be happy-go-lucky. So when the chance arose to kill Bruce Wayne and replace him with Dick Grayson, who he feels he would absolutely be able to tell the stories he wanted to by using the original Robin as a vessel in order to do so. Since Dick Grayson has always walked that line of light and dark anyhow.

One of my all-time favourite Batman panels was written by Haney and drawn by Jim Aparo and shows Batman strolling down the sunlit streets of Gotham, checking out the mini-skirted girls and accompanied by the line to end all lines: ‘Yes, Batman digs this day!’

I’m not saying that’s the Batman we want to see on every page, but I love that he might have this aspect to his character. I love the notion of a Batman who enjoys a peaceful stroll down the summer sidewalks of the city he keeps safe. There’s something very human about that and it makes him much more relatable and rounded. I can certainly see the Dick Grayson Batman digging this day on a more regular basis!

The series is really cool so far. I’m really into it. It’s a total change of pace for the character. It’s good too for people who have gotten out of comics who are thinking of getting back in and they’re not sure where to start or what to read. Even though this series isn’t continuity/back story free, it does talk very little about that, so you feel like you don’t have to know the whole characters back story just to understand the book.

Also, the new villain in this series named, Pyg, is fucking terrifying! Click the image below to see a larger image. He makes these doll minions from real people after what looks like a melting process to attach the doll mask to people. Forget the joker, this man is far more terrifying.

What is this book about?

Back of the book description:

Visionary writer/artist Paul Pope presents a futuristic mystery of epic proportions set in a dark, dystopian world devoid of privacy and filled with government conspiracies, psychic police, holographic caller ID and absolutely no room for “secret identities.”

In Gotham City, 2039, a federal agent is murdered and a contingent of Washington’s top agents is hot on the suspect’s trail. The Batman, a forgotten icon from the past, is wanted for the murder. Amid the chaos Gotham City Police Detective Gordon, grandson of the former commissioner, discovers that the man they are chasing shouldn’t exist at all.

Why should you read this book?

I feel obligated to recommend this book to you for it’s writing, however, the art truly justifies the purchase.

Don’t get me wrong, the story is intriguing, no doubt. But, Pope is an artist, I feel, first and forthright.

I recently read a review of this book that basically stated that he felt as though Pope inserted his own Libertarian political views into the story and didn’t display Batman’s desire and drive for the “greater good.” He compares Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, which he says kept the focus on the sacrifices that Bruce Wayne must make to protect the city he loves—letting go of the woman he loves, even taking the blame for a murder he didn’t commit, all for the greater good. He continues to point out that we never actually see him fighting street crime, only Batman taking down the government.

But Batman is taking down the government because it’s corrupt. Libertarian views or not, there are unlawful things happening here that Batman has decided falls directly in line with his views on what fighting for the greater good means.

What’s interesting about this book is that we’re not sure who Batman is. We don’t know if it’s Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, or hell Stephanie Brown with a sex-change! We don’t even know if his “Robin” or “Oracle” in Year 100 is a Robin or Oracle that we all know and love. We just know that this takes place in the future and that there is evil corrupt happenings that the Batman does not want to see come to fruition.

I think the point of this story is to lay claim that there will always be someone with evil intentions and that there will always be someone with good intentions to war against it, such as The Batman.

MY QUESTION however is, what does Paul Pope think came first…good intentions or evil? Was there ever a first? Or were the two “born” together at the same time?

Enough about the story, look at some of this art! (RSS reader’s, go to the actual post)

What is this book about?

The series focuses on the major events of Commissioner Gordon’s and Batman’s relationship. The moments when their relationship took a turn for the better, or worse.

In case you don’t know, Commissioner Gordon is the police commissioner of Batman’s home of Gotham City. He shares Batman’s deep commitment to ridding the dark and corrupt city of crime. He disagrees somewhat with Batman’s vigilante method but recognizes the necessity of Batman so the two have a mutual respect and tacit friendship which dates back many many years. So this story sort of highlights the more important story’s that shaped their friendship that would help a new reader understand their bond.

• The first issue focuses on the tentative steps toward their relationship.
• The second issue focuses on the introduction of the first Robin.
• The third issue focuses on Batman and Commissioner Gordon’s heartache after the Joker murdered Jason Todd (Batman’s adopted son) and attacked Barbara Gordon (Gordon’s daughter).
• The fourth issue is when Batman elected to have Jean Paul Valley replace him without mentioning it to Gordon.
• And the fifth issue is the then-current relationship between Gordon and Batman.

Why should you read this book?

This book is a good beginner into Batman comics. Because essentially you’re getting really quick reads revolving around the MAJOR events in these character’s history without actually reading the longer versions. Additionally, the artwork is amazing. Particularly the last issue which is penciled by one of my favorite artist’s Paul Pope, who also created one of my favorite books 100%, which is kind of a love story but it talks so much about what sex will be like in the future. It’s so awesome. Anyway…

The whole series is great and you should read all of it in unison. But particularly issue number four stuck out to me a lot. This may not be the one that captures everyone’s attention, but, maybe it will, allow me to explain why this is the issue I’ve decided to review.

This is the issue I mentioned above where Batman elected to have Jean Paul Valley replace him as Batman without mentioning it to Gordon.

This just struck me as an interesting issue because the issues where Jean Paul Valley took over in the Batman books is right around the time when I got into comics as a kid and I remember those books and love them to death. Even though many consider this to be one of the lower points in Batman’s history.

What I loved about this take on Batman was that, Batman was already dark to begin with. But Jean Paul Valley took his own brand of justice and made Batman even darker. He was more violent, more angry, and more out of control. Which isn’t the reason I liked those books. The reason I like those books was because it made you miss Batman. It made people realize how much they NEED Batman. Which is always a good reminder to have. Valley coming in and giving the villains, cops, and criminals a swift kick in the ass needed to happen but, all it really did was made us realize how much we needed the Batman who had morals and restraint. Commissioner Gordon knew this and felt way as well.

Additionally, probably the single most interesting thing that struck me about this issue and this time-period in the Batman mythos is that Batman never told Gordon that he was putting in a replacement. Which I never thought about as a kid reading those issues. How can two people who claim to be friends not communicate like that? Why didn’t Batman say anything? Did Batman feel that the change wouldn’t be noticeable? Did he not want to admit that he ‘failed’? Did he want to make himself seem strong and able and not show weakness to the police commissioner? It’s really interesting stuff! I think it asks really interesting questions about the communication or lack thereof betwixt two longstanding friends. Which people who have these types of relationships with people can relate to, and maybe even find the answers to why there was a miscommunication to begin with inside a Batman book?

What is this book about?

Batman’s consistent enemy, The Joker, is released from prison and commits a dozen crimes to make the public doubt everything they DO know about Batman.

The theme revolves around a question of, do the secrets we keep, shape us into who and what we are? The Joker seems to think so, at least. Not only does he have a secret but he knows another man’s secret and he’s doing everything he can to use that man’s position to turn the populace against Batman. Most of the story is the Joker trying to figure out why Batman is so rigid and repressed. He feels as though it’s because he has a secret he’s hiding. The Joker is actually in many ways the main storyteller in this book because his obsessions with secrets is always driving semi-insightful and intelligent comparisons and contrasts between himself and Batman.

Why should you read this book?

Given the fact that Sam Kieth is my all time favorite writer/artist ever, I highly recommend this book with every fiber of my being.

But if that’s not enough reason then certainly for the Joker’s use of blackmail for the purpose of manipulating the media against Batman. Kieth is creating a very general message around the power that the media has in influencing how and what people think or believe to be real.

But like last time, I feel that Kieth is speaking about something else entirely that he is intentionally not making clear.

I feel that he is asking what is reality? Is it what literally happens or how it is perceived? And can reality be shaped and molded by others?

It’s funny. I was always really confused why Sam Kieth jumped on a mainstream superhero comic such as Batman. Especially a Batman book starring another fight between him and the Joker. Which is entirely dated and overdone and not seemingly within Kieth’s normal writing style. Yet, he did it; and I think it’s because he realized he wanted to say something about himself and his decision to make the book.

Which is that Batman and the Joker are opposite sides of the same coin, a thought that not only makes Batman cringe but very angry. Which is why I think he focused on spotlighting Batman’s fist in nearly every panel. Batman thinks their days of fighting can end, but the Joker thinks it cannot. And he says it’s because “It is what the machine demands, what the public wants.” Which is true, because comic fans eat up and buy stories starring these two characters more than any other Batman story. I think Sam Kieth was just trying make it clear to the fans that they bought this book because they believe somewhere deep down that good and evil must exist in unison. That you cannot have one without the other and that they prove this by purchasing these books time and time again. I think Kieth wants to educate the readers to look deeper into what is seemingly another Batman/Joker battle and wonder why you’re even reading this to begin with. The Joker and Sam Kieth are similar in this sense. The Joker wants Batman to realize this much like Kieth wants people to realize this, and both Batman and the average reader don’t want to. So Batman will clench his fist in anger and take it out on the Joker and deny his accusations and say he is insane much like what many readers do to Sam Kieth. Where they’ll be mad or disappointed that the story didn’t have enough action, or that the story seemed unrealistic, that they don’t agree with what The Joker was saying in the story, that they’ve lost all faith in Kieth, etc. etc.

But despite what people think and feel about Sam Kieth, please, do yourself a favor and read this book!

What is this book about?

Batman, against his will, is brought to a spaceship light years from earth by a woman with a glass eye named Estrella to stop a disease that makes women act out and go on insane killing sprees. Lobo, an intergalactic bounty hunter, of course, just happens to be there for some reason, trying to make some money. The two then “team-up” to figure out how to stop these women, which it seems is what Estrella (Sam Kieth? [the writer]) wanted in the first place to make a point. Continue reading to see my idea why, and of course as always the reason…

…why you should read this book.

Given the fact that Sam Kieth is my all time favorite writer/artist ever, I highly recommend this book with every fiber of my being.

Kieth has such a unique style that often doesn’t sit right with people. Especially if he’s working on a character that has such a long history where the style, both in writing and in art, has hardly changed through the years; like in the case with Batman. Comic fans and critics seems to like him best when he works on his own characters.

So needless to say this book didn’t do so well in sales and did even worse from word of mouth, but these things matter not. This quote should explain why that is…

“One does not only wish to be understood when one writes; one wishes just as surely not to be understood. it is not by any means necessarily an objection to a book when anybody finds it impossible to understand: perhaps that was part of the author’s intention—he did not want to be understood by just “anybody.”" – Nietzsche

As someone who may not be familiar with Kieth’s work, he’s like the David Lynch of the comic world. He has hidden meanings and things he is telling the reader, but it will only be understood if one opens their mind and looks past the surface. This book may seem dumb at first, you have crazy insane art with a man who dresses as a Bat and an an intergalactic bounty hunter who is the ultimate stereotyped “bad dude,” who are both stuck on a ship with a disease that makes women go on killing spree’s. The whole premise seems hokey.

But it is anything but. It is the vessel for a unique way of talking about women, feminism and the gender battles that we often find ourselves in. People have found that these two characters are perfect for writing about hot button issues, and when you read the stories you begin to understand why.

Unlike most Sam Kieth books, I feel like I usually walk away with a very clear understanding on what he trying to say. But here? There are a lot of unanswered questions that I could use the help from some open minded willing Now is not the Rhyme readers.

The major theme is that women are repressed by men and not allowed the freedom to be themselves and have some crazy fun. But I still can’t understand was Estrella part of the parasitic alien herself? Was the mysterious entity her lost lover? What is the link, if any, between her eye and the glowing eyes of the victims? It almost seems as though this woman chose these two characters in particular to make (prove?) a point. Possibly even to just merely educate them. She does mention that having a glass eye makes your other senses more heightened, therefore it’s almost like seeing in 3D. It’s like she see’s something in these characters whereby to educate them on the double standards between men and women would then mean they would serve as a vessel to spread her influence out into the world among other like-minded people. Especially considering Batman’s popularity in the fictional superhero universe and Lobo’s womanizing demeanor. In a way Kieth is Estrella trying to make a point. Kieth chose these two characters knowing that it would attract people who very possibly wouldn’t normally give a care to feminism and equality and to think about the double standards, because unfortunately these two characters do seem to really only attract readers who care not for these things. That is just how it seems at least.

Even the most David Lynch hating, logical thinking, “too mature” to read a comic book feeling…among you will at least find that once you have read it, you will have found something about yourself that will make you feel at the very least…comfortable.

If you would like to buy this book, go here.

What is this book about?

This is the sequel(?) to Batman: The long Halloween.

This story takes place one year after the “Holiday” killer was caught. This time the story revolves around a mystery surrounding a series of murders involving Gotham City police officers by a mysterious serial killer only known as “The Hangman.” Central to the storyline is a territory war between the criminal, Two-Face, and the remnants of the Falcone mob, led by Sofia Falcone.

Why should you read this book?

Because it’s one of the few sequels in comic history where it’s able to stand up to the original.

If I want to review this book, a good place to start is at the very beginning and looking at the creators of this book. You begin to see Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale have really begun perfecting their craft and style of working together because you can begin to see a continuity to how their books are produced. Everything ranging from the credits in the book to how the front and back covers correlate. Seeing two extremely talented people unifying their minds like this is a perfect example of why comic books are becoming more and more revered and are attracting new audiences.

I think the things I liked about this book was how little we saw Bruce Wayne in the book. Because Bruce Wayne is slipping away and Batman is taking over. You notice this more if you had read Batman: The long Halloween recently, because the contrast in the two books is hard to find. Since Harvey Dent, Bruce Wayne’s best friend goes away and becomes Two-face so does Bruce Wayne. Each man is lost without the other, and the masks remain dominant.

And just like last time, and in other related posts (Batgirl Volume: 1, Batman, and Batman: Gotham knights), the underlying point and real true reason to read any Batman book is how deeply rooted it is in the idea of family and how what that means and how it affects the people and things around you.

In fact I’m not sure I can say much more about this book other than what I had already said in the Batman: The long Halloween post.

I think I will say though that, it seems to be the writer’s of Batman comics are trying to tell us that the way we treat our families directly affects everyone and everything else around us. Which is usually the case with everything anyway. Our action or inaction towards members of our families will spark decisions and judgments of action or inaction in them which will then be filtered into all other aspects of our life.

These decisions we make, even in certain cases where our decisions are of bad intention or of bad consequence, it still may wind up being a good thing. I mean, Gotham City got Batman, Batman got Robin, and Gotham City is a little safer all because of the way people’s father’s handled certain situations.

What is this book about?

Taking place during Batman’s early days of crime fighting, The Long Halloween tells the story of a mysterious killer named Holiday, who murders people on holidays, one each month. Working with various confidant’s, Batman races against the calendar as he tries to discover who Holiday is before he claims his next victim each month.

Why should you read this book?

Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale are such a perfect creative team. They’ve created a style that continuously works, which is proven in the sales of their books they’ve worked on together. (Batman: Dark Victory, Spider-man: Blue, Daredevil: Yellow, Hulk: Gray, Superman: For all seasons, etc. etc. etc.)

Loeb reignites the mystery genre and puts Batman back into his roots by solving crimes through detective work, rather than his fists.

I think the things I liked about this so much was that Loeb mixes Batman and Bruce Wayne’s lives so well. So many writer’s overlook Bruce Wayne and that side of him and what kind of impact Batman makes while out of uniform, but Loeb portrays this perfectly.

I really enjoyed the brotherhood shared by Batman, Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent. Only to see it deteriorate as opinions on how things should be handled are weighed against the heat of solving these crimes.

But again, like all other reviews I have been writing about in regards to Batman, (Batgirl Volume: 1, Batman, and Batman: Gotham knights), the underlying point and real true reason to read any Batman book is how deeply rooted it is in the idea of family and how what that means and how it affects the people and things around you.

Which you can see in nearly every character of this book. For instance:

Alberto Falcone, his father favored his older siblings, igniting a deep, pathological jealousy. He fought his way up on a scholarship to Harvard University and later went onto Oxford. Alberto was always eager to follow in his father’s footsteps and offered his service, but his father refused to let Alberto get involved in his “business,” apparently wishing for Alberto to live a normal life.

Carmine “The Roman” Falcone, leader of a mafia family which this whole story revolves around him and his actions or lack thereof; specifically in regards to how he manages his family.

Catwoman, is convinced that Carmine “The Roman” Falcone is her father so she tries to get closer to him and his family.

Jim Gordon, is police commissioner of Gotham City; which makes him work insanely late shifts, which keeps him away from his wife and son. Which the ties to his family only weaken more because of the serial killer on the loose that Jim hasn’t been able to catch for nearly an entire year.

Batman, this story takes place early on in Batman’s career and still mourns greatly over the loss and vengeance of his parents death. Not to mention his father saved the life of Carmine “The Roman” Falcone so he feels somewhat responsible for the fact that Carmine is still alive and has only made Gotham worse.

Harvey and Gilda Dent, are trying to begin their life together but Harvey was recently put on the Holiday killer case and it’s beginning to strain their marriage because Harvey spends very little time at home. Gilda, being forced to stay at home waiting for him to come home, Gilda yearns for a child to raise.

and the list goes on and throughout all the rest of the main characters and supporting characters that family is ultimately the driving force behind the motivation and purpose behind all these characters.

Why I think it might be interesting for people to read this story, is because how closely people could find themselves relating to it. All these characters are trying to do is bring their families together or fix and mend the ties to their families. Even the criminals and sociopaths realize the importance and the role that family plays because they’re from broken homes that suffered from a lack of family.

It amazes me that this point isn’t seen or written about much when reading reviews online given how crystal clear the message seems.