Category: DC Comics

Written by Bryan Q. Miller & Grant Morrison.

Art by Pere Perez; Dustin Nguyen; Derek Fridolfs; Ramon Bachs; Cameron Stewart; Lee Garbett; Trevor Scott; Guy Major; Nathan Fairbairn; Travis Lanham; Dave Sharpe; Carlos M. Mangual; Sal Cipriano; & John J. Hill.

Collection Cover Art by Dustin Nguyen.

SUMMARY:

Released in 2018 by DC Comics, this 328-page trade paperback completes Stephanie Brown’s initial journey as Batgirl — that is, prior to DC’s New 52 continuity reboot.  This volume collects Batgirl # 13-24; Bruce Wayne – The Road Home: Batgirl one-shot; and Stephanie’s overseas team-up with Bruce Wayne’s Batman in Batman, Incorporated: Leviathan Strikes # 1 — all originally released between 2010 and 2012.  With Issue # 24, DC Comics cancelled this series, as its subsequent New 52 reboot would restore Barbara Gordon to the role as the original (and again teenage) Batgirl.

After Volume 1, Stephanie Brown’s on-the-job training as the newest Batgirl resumes, as she tries evading her prior rookie mistakes.  Juggling her second semester as a Gotham University freshman, Batgirl must help enigmatic GCPD Detective Gage thwart a homicidal Clayface’s bank heist.  Another team-up awaits Stephanie, as fellow teen Supergirl flies into Gotham City for some downtime with her new friend.  Hence, they spend a wild Friday night pursuing twenty-four 3D clones of Count Dracula that have escaped from Gotham University’s campus movie screen into reality. 

Stephanie’s combat and sleuthing skills are then tested by a mysteriously stealth-powered adversary, who is the person she least expects.  Meanwhile, with Bruce Wayne still missing, a determined Vicki Vale confronts Barbara Gordon to confirm the original Dark Knight’s secret identity.

With Barbara and Wendy “Proxy” Harris providing her tech support from the Batcave and now the hidden ‘Firewall,’ Stephanie gains an unwanted ally in the ‘Grey Ghost’ in her pursuit of the sinister Reapers cult.  Worse yet, an injured Batgirl finds herself a prime suspect after being framed in the cult’s homicide of one of her own classmates. 

Stephanie, in the meantime, teams with Damian Wayne’s Robin in an undercover sting to rescue kidnaped children from their abductors. As his surrogate big sister, she later tries to demonstrate to ten-year-old Damian that he is still a child capable of innocent playtime.

Set amidst Valentine’s Day, Stephanie unexpectedly meets Klarion the Witchboy in Gotham City.  Helping Klarion find a romantic playmate for Teekl (his feline mascot), Batgirl reluctantly finds herself undercover in Limbo Town.  One friendly favor merits another, as Stephanie takes Klarion to a Valentine’s Day festival at Gotham University.  With Detective Gage and ‘The Grey Ghost’ at her side, Batgirl next faces the first of the Reapers’ techno-mercenaries: Slipstream.  Another of these techno-operatives, Harmony, subsequently challenges Batgirl.  At the same time, months after her brother Marvin’s grisly homicide, Wendy is now haunted by his zombie-like ghost.           

Assigned overseas to London by Bruce Wayne’s Batman, an undercover Stephanie teams up with her fellow teenage vigilante, the Squire, to rescue hostages.  The Knight makes a cameo appearance in this adventure.  Taken captive while probing a British boarding school, Stephanie confirms it’s an elitist front for a Leviathan terrorist recruitment center. 

With Batgirl vastly outnumbered, it’s up to the original Dark Knight to help even the grim odds.  Upon her return to Gotham City, Stephanie resumes her feud with The Reapers’ legion of armored thugs.  With an ally fatally struck down, Batgirl must re-double her efforts.  Hence, she summons the right kind of all-star firepower for this job: Supergirl, Miss Martin, Stargirl, and Bombshell.        

As the series comes to an end, Stephanie is stunned by the return of her supposedly dead father: the Cluemaster.  Rendered comatose, Batgirl’s life is saved by her beloved friends and the last person she wants discovering her secret identity.  Having dreamt possible future adventures awaiting her, Stephanie makes peace with her life as is.  She’s as ready for tomorrow as Batgirl as she’ll ever be.   

Notes: This title is also available digitally.  The prior volume complies Issues # 1-12, including a two-part crossover with Tim Drake’s Red Robin.

REVIEW:

Despite inevitable turnover with this franchise’s artistic personnel, Volume 2’s visuals are still well above-average.  In particular, Dustin Nguyen’s distinctive artistic charm is an ideal fit for Stephanie Brown’s Batgirl.      

In sync with a reliable visual look, writer Bryan Q. Miller proves consistently on his game progressing Stephanie’s “Lesson” as a rookie Batgirl.   Not only is Miller’s storytelling a fresh take on a college-age heroine, but he plays up Stephanie’s exuberance and self-confidence for what it should be – i.e. she’s a plausible teenager. 

Hence, energetic team-ups with Supergirl, Damian Wayne’s Robin, Klarion the Witchboy, and Stephanie’s British counterpart: the Squire, blend DC’s formulaic elements with the playful advantages this new Batgirl brings with her.  Ending an issue with a bounce house scene with the skeptical Damian, for instance, demonstrates how Miller has made Stephanie an appealingly relatable character to readers.         

With Barbara Gordon’s Oracle and Wendy Harris’ ‘Proxy’ leading the supporting cast, Miller ensures that his youthful protagonist isn’t overshadowed by a preponderance of too many Bat-characters crossing over.  That even includes the Dark Knight himself, as his team-up with Stephanie in the “Leviathan Strikes” crossover is a welcome treat. 

To Miller’s credit, he effectively phases in potential castmates that could stick around awhile or possibly prove expendable – it’s a welcome nod to unpredictability.  More so, DC Comics evidently paid attention to how Miller had revitalized Batgirl’s significance to the Bat-Family, even after this series was regrettably cancelled. 

One can recognize how many of Stephanie’s fun-loving traits were lifted for the New 52 Barbara Gordon to update the most famous Batgirl’s well-established persona with extra dimension.  It’s unsurprising given how another New 52 consolidation tweaked Barry Allen’s Flash to more closely resemble Wally West’s hyperactivity.  Hence, two Silver Age icons received contemporary personality makeovers while temporarily relegating both Stephanie and Wally to DC’s continuity dustbin. 

Nearly fifteen years later, Miller’s take on this underrated Batgirl still hasn’t received its due reward – let’s just say the poignant series finale speaks for itself.  Batgirl: Stephanie Brown, Volume 2, ultimately, is a teen-friendly gem well worth re-discovery.

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

The original cover is presented in a full-page format followed by a posed Batgirl portrait taken from the interior artwork to precede each story.  The cover artists are: Stanley “Artgem” Lau (Issues # 13-14); Shane Davis & Barbara Ciardo (Bruce Wayne – The Road Home: Batgirl); Dustin Nguyen (Issues # 15-24); and Chris Burnham & Nathan Fairbarn (Batman, Incorporated: Leviathan Strikes # 1).

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                    8½ Stars

Written by Grant Morrison.  

Art by Frazier Irving; Pasqual Ferry; Ryan Sook; Mick Gray; Yanick Paquette; Serge LaPointe; Doug Mahnke; Billy Dallas Patton; Michael Bair; Freddie Williams II; & J.H. Williams III.

Collection Cover Art by Ryan Sook.

SUMMARY:

Released in 2011 by DC Comics, this 381-page hardcover concludes the 30-issue Seven Soldiers of Victory epic originally published in 2005-2006.  With Seven Soldiers # 0 and Seven Soldiers # 1 serving as its bookends, the saga’s seven primary characters are each showcased in his/her own four-part, interrelated mini-series playing off the premise that none of these Soldiers interact with one another, let alone realize their link to an ancient prophecy.

Presenting writer Grant Morrison’s storyline by each issue’s chronological release rather than each individual mini-series together, Volume 2’s contents shift between Klarion the Witch Boy # 4; Mister Miracle # 1-4; Zatanna # 4; Bulleteer # 1-4; and Frankenstein # 1-4 before concluding with Seven Soldiers of Victory # 1.  Grim revelations of The Sheeda’s magical invasion of Earth become more specific, as the destined Seven Soldiers rise against their common enemy. 

Notes: As with Volume 1, this title was subsequent re-released as as a trade paperbacks and in digital form.  Other formats include: a full-scale, nearly 800-page hardcover Omnibus assembling the entire series and the original Seven Soldiers Books 1-4 trade paperbacks (i.e. Volume 1 combines Books 1-2 and this Volume 2 is the combined  Books 3-4).

Klarion’s series finale begins with the Witchboy nearly burned at the stake by Limbo Town’s incensed inhabitants, including his own mother and sister.  With the sinister Mister Malmoth and his mercenaries invading Limbo Town, dark secrets are revealed.  It’s up to teenage Klarion and his feline familiar, Teekl, to save his underground home from Malmoth’s diabolical plans for ‘updating’ Limbo Town. 

Elsewhere, a re-imagined a ‘Mister Miracle’ named Shilo Norman emerges as possibly Earth’s greatest escape artist (note: the existence of Scott Free’s Mister Miracle isn’t addressed).  Like his unacknowledged predecessor, the slippery Mister Miracle finds himself targeted by a cadre of otherworldly threats, including the ominous ‘Dark Side.’ Even his extraordinary talents escaping the inescapable may not be enough to overcome these odds.  

A possibly powerless Zatanna Zatara and her young apprentice, Misty, arrived in Slaughter Swamp in search of its mysterious Seven Unknown Men.  A lethal showdown awaits Zatanna in the form of the evil magician, Zor.  The ethereal prize awaiting their battle’s victor is the truth of her late father’s elusive four magical books: the Libri Zatarae. 

Stunned by her husband’s reckless death, Alix Harrower has reluctantly become the hero-for-hire Bulleteer – a Bullet Girl for a new generation.  It’s revealed that Alix was the unidentified no-show in Seven Soldiers # 0, who had avoided the prior team’s gory annihilation.  Forced into battle by a personal foe, Alix refuses the summons of a persistent ghost pressing her acceptance as one of the prophesied new Seven Soldiers.  Another ominous link to the prior team has targeted this rookie Bulleteer for assassination by The Sheeda.

With help from his estranged secret-agent wife, The Bride, Frankenstein’s Monster faces multiple grisly missions in his pursuit of the immortal Mister Malmoth following the villain’s escape from a defiant Limbo Town. The legendary undead monster senses he must hunt down Malmoth first in order to destroy The Sheeda. 

To thwart The Sheeda Queen and her insidious forces, desperate solo gambits must be made by Frankenstein’s Monster; Zatanna Zatara and Misty; Klarion the Witchboy; Sir Ystina the Shining Knight; and Shilo Norman’s Mister Miracle.  Also converging on the scene are Jake Jordan’s Guardian and the Bulleteer, as one of the Seven Soldiers will make the ultimate sacrifice to secure victory.  The epilogue updates the fates of some of the survivors.

REVIEW:

Explaining Grant Morrison’s strange Seven Soldiers of Victory, Volume 2 to non-fans would be the equivalent of fathoming Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five as a graphic novel.  Perhaps Morrison was aiming for a Vertigo Comics audience that deems weirdly subversive sci-fi/fantasies like Robert A. Heinlein’s Number of the Beast as top-caliber entertainment.

Given the artistic talent involved (and their varying degrees of murkiness), Volume 2’s visuals are consistently stellar – no matter how incomprehensible Morrison’s storyline often is.  Before proceeding further, Volume 2 concocts some cleverly devised plot twists, and a few well-written segments (i.e. Zatanna # 4) are easy to follow – scoring some rare poignancy at welcome moments.  Yet, that’s more the exception than the rule.  While Klarion # 4 and Frankenstein # 2-4 contribute necessary depth to The Sheeda invasion angle (and mostly make sense), the same doesn’t apply so much to either The Bulleteer # 1-4 and Mister Miracle # 1-4.       

Case in point: The Bulleteer’s sub-plots include some supernatural characters relevant to Seven Soldiers # 0 and # 1, which generates well-played intrigue.  However, the primary arc constructs an inevitable showdown between likable heroine Alix “The Bulleteer” Harrower and the woman her late husband was having a cyber-affair with. Aside from their terrific visual quality, Alix’s adventures are, therefore, mostly irrelevant. 

There’s also no mistaking the talented art team’s fixation on displaying the Bulleteer’s blatant sex appeal vs. crafting her a compelling origin tale.  While Alix’s mini-series is actually a fun read, her contribution is far more padding than any substantial one. More so, Alix’s cameo in the Seven Soldiers finale surely doesn’t add much to Morrison’s mixed-bag finish line. 

As for Morrison’s Mister Miracle, his re-imagining of Jack Kirby’s New Gods (including Darkseid) is a high-concept homage that baffles far more than it dazzles.  Readers will find that they have to operate on the same wavelength as Morrison to follow Shilo Norman’s confusing four-part tale.  Mister Miracle is prime evidence of how muddled Morrison’s saga becomes when Volume 2 is absorbed as a whole.  The glorification of horrific, R-rated plot curveballs (off-screen or not) makes their creative justification throughout this wonky project seem even more tasteless.

Note: Volume 1’s grisly surprises are more repulsive than in Volume 2.      

Ultimately, Volume 2’s high-caliber artwork and pristine production values are its two best and most enduring assets.  Morrison’s bizarre plotting, by comparison, is overrated, as his impressively grand ambitions tend to fall short of the actual content.

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

A two-page summary conveys the events of Seven Soldiers of Victory, Volume 1.  The original full-page cover precedes each story.  Cover artists are: Frazier Irving (Klarion # 4); Pasqual Ferry (Mister Miracle # 1-2); Freddie Williams II & Dave McCaig (Mister Miracle # 3-4); Ryan Sook (Zatanna # 4); Yanick Paquette, Michael Bair, & Alex Sinclair (Bulleteer # 1 & # 4); Paquette, Serge LaPointe, & Sinclair (Bulleteer # 2-3); Doug Mahnke & Dave Stewart (Frankenstein # 1); Mahnke & John Kalisz (Frankenstein # 2-3); Mahnke & Nathan Eyring (Frankenstein # 4); and J.H. Williams III (Seven Soldiers of Victory # 1).

Morrison, at the end, presents six pages of insightful script notes preparing Seven Soldiers of Victory # 1.  Presented in a full-page format, the collection covers for Seven Soldiers of Victory, Book Three (cover artists: Paquette, LaPointe, & Stewart) and Book Four (cover artists: Mahnke & Stewart) are included.  In a full, double-page montage (essentially, a poster), Sook’s collection cover artwork for Seven Soldiers of Victory, Volumes 1 & 2 is saved for last.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                      6½ Stars

Written by Joe Casey & Joshua Williamson.

Art by Scott Kolins; Ardian Syaf; Jay Fabok; Vincente Cifuentes; David Enebral; Norm Rapmund; Marlo Alquiza; Prentis Rollins; Rebecca Buchman; Derek Fridolfs; Walden Wong; Michael Atiyeh; Ulises Arreola; Pete Pantazis; & Rob Leigh.

Collection Cover Art by Ardian Syaf; Vicente Cifuentes; & Ulises Arreola.

SUMMARY:

DC Comics, in 2010, released this 144-page paperback compiling Superman/Batman # 64 and # 68-71 from 2009 and 2010.  Thousands of years before, homicidal Durlan terrorists aboard a hijacked Kryptonian vessel flee local justice through a space-time portal.  The shape-shifting Durlans intend to exterminate all Kryptonians to finally achieve victory in their intergalactic feud. 

In the present-day (amidst the aftermath of Our Worlds At War), Batman & Superman grimly investigate this same vessel they have found now derelict in a secluded asteroid belt.  Given a missing escape pod and the ship’s uneasy proximity to Earth, they conclude that an alien hostile is apparently now hiding somewhere on the planet. 

What confounds the World’s Finest Duo is how this Kryptonian ship could have jumped through time – more so, the reason why.  Meanwhile, in the Himalayan Mountains, reclusive billionaire (and STAR Labs silent partner) Anderson Gaines evidently makes a sinister discovery. 

A seemingly routine assignment weeks later for Clark Kent has him interviewing the enigmatic Gaines.  Soon afterward, an incendiary assassin named NRG-X launches fiery attacks targeting Clark Kent at The Daily Planet and then the Man of Steel in his own Fortress of Solitude.  Having probed his own suspicions of Gaines’ unusually public activities, Bruce Wayne contemplates the identity of NRG-X’s shadowy employer.  Whoever it is knows Clark’s secret and is unleashing a very personal vendetta to kill Superman.    

Against two formidable adversaries, the Dark Knight and the Man of Steel must go on offense to end a predator’s wrath bent on finally destroying Krypton’s legacy.   

Note: This title is presently available in a trade paperback format only.

REVIEW:

Considering this title’s brevity, readers could construe Big Noise either as a tight, plot-driven space/action thriller or a fast and forgettable read.  Squandering excellent artwork (specifically, Issues # 68-71), one makes a more convincing case for the latter.  Suffice to say, Big Noise’s storyline is, at most, superficially entertaining. 

A lack of depth is glaring, such as the absence of pivotal supporting characters  – apart from Alfred Pennyworth making some contributions, the plot leaves one wondering: where is Clark’s spouse, Lois Lane?  Or Perry White, for that matter, especially if The Daily Planet’s upper deck has been firebombed?  Writer Joe Casey doesn’t provide any answers, let alone seems to care.

As adequate compensation, Casey might have pitched some welcome plot twists, but the Superman-targeted-for-death storyline doesn’t bother with a single surprise.  Minimal creativity isn’t a deal breaker, but this story’s business-as-usual outcome has no impact.  The predictable Superman/Batman: Big Noise, if anything, is strictly a library find.  

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

The full-page cover precedes each story.  The cover artists are for Issue # 64: Scott Kolins & Mike Auyeh; and for Issues # 68-71: Ardian Syaf; Vicente Cifuentes; & Ulises Arreola.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                     4½ Stars

Written by Mark Waid.

Art by Dan Mora; Tamra Bonvillain; & Aditya Bidikar.

Collection Cover Art by Dan Mora.

SUMMARY:

Released by DC Comics in 2023, this 160-page hardcover reprints 2022’s Batman/Superman: World’s Finest # 1-5 and material from Detective Comics # 1050 (its cover isn’t included). 

Though the exact DC continuity is murky, this ‘flashback’ tale is set in the early days of the World’s Finest team-ups.  With Poison Ivy & Metallo attacking The Daily Planet, Batman & Dick Grayson’s Robin are unable to stop Metallo from poisoning a defenseless Man of Steel with a syringe containing multiple different pieces of red kryptonite. 

Teaming with Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, and the original Doom Patrol, the Dynamic Duo are able to contain a gravely injured and ultra-volatile Superman.  Emergency intervention by Dr. Niles Caulder and Negative Man at the Doom Patrol’s mansion is subsequently necessary to save Superman’s life.

Batman and Superman are then advised by Caulder’s Doom Patrol that they have been targeted by an ancient immortal sorcerer, Nezha, who has somehow escaped eternal imprisonment.  Between Elasti-Girl, Negative Man, and Robotman, they reveal Nezha’s purported origin from more than a millennium ago, which involves his cursed blade.  Afterwards, the heroes split into teams. 

The Doom Patrol seeks out word on Nezha’s lost Tomb in Mont Blanc, Switzlerand, where their perennial foe, General Immortus, may (or may not) have the necessary answers.  Amidst a time-traveling mission to China of 1579 B.C., teenagers Supergirl & Robin allude to an awkward first date they had shared.  Consisting of a team of magical Chinese super-heroes, Nezha’s ancient enemies might reveal the only possible means of thwarting the sorcerer a second time. 

Near Philadelphia, Superman & Batman must save a terrorized Billy Batson from Felix Faust.  It becomes readily apparent that Nezha is amplifying the heroes’ current foes as pawns to try and destroy them.  Nezha’s corruption expands, as he resorts to mind-controlling Justice Leaguers and Teen Titans as well.  Appearances include: Hal Jordan’s Green Lantern; Wonder Woman; Barry Allen’s Flash; Black Canary; Martian Manhunter; Firestorm; Wally West’s Kid Flash; Donna Troy’s Wonder Girl; and Red Tornado.

Already bearing mixed news, Supergirl is unable to save Robin from plummeting somewhere into the timestream amidst their return to the present-day.  It is now desperation time against Nezha, as the combined firepower of Superman, Supergirl (guilt-ridden over losing Robin), Batman, and the Doom Patrol is no match against this magical adversary’s onslaught.  An ultimate sacrifice is seemingly the last option, but the question is: who will do so?  Cliffhangers further linger, as to the unresolved fates of Robin and Wonder Woman.

Notes: This title is also available digitally.  Presumably, DC Comics will release it in trade paperback form in the future. Despite their presence on the collection’s cover, the following do not appear in this book: Catwoman; Commissioner Gordon; Bane; Scarecrow; the Joker; Brainiac; and Darkseid. Lex Luthor only makes a brief cameo in a hallucination.

REVIEW:

Writer Mark Waid conjures up a timeless and entertaining ode to Silver Age DC nostalgia.  Not only is Waid absolutely on his storytelling game, his unpredictable plot twists should keep readers engaged from start to finish. 

Among this books’ gems is a welcome opportunity of catching the original Doom Patrol in all its glory.  The same applies to a rare chance for this underrated trio (along with Niles Caulder) to interact with DC’s mainstream icons with worthwhile depth.  Waid further demonstrates his knack for making a variety of characters simultaneously shine by distinguishing their familiar personalities spot-on.  Suffice to say, Waid’s snappy dialogue ensures that these characters are neither interchangeable nor simply talking cardboard.  They all serve specific plot functions as he intended them.

Aside from Waid, this book’s art squad also deserves kudos for supplying terrific visuals ideally matching this storyline’s adventurous tone.  For all Batman and Superman fans, World’s Finest, Volume 1: The Devil Nezha concocts a first-class treat for DC fans.  Definitely recommended!     

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

In a full-page format, each of Dan Mora’s five covers and then an additional replica darkened in blue precedes its story.  As full pages, there is a twenty-page variant cover gallery.  Issue # 1 consists of these artists: 1. Jim Lee, Scott Williams, & Alex Sinclair; 2. Stanley “Artgerm” Lau; 3. Jason Fabok & Brad Anderson; 4. Evan “Doc” Shaner; 5. & 6. Chip Zdarsky; and 7. Lee Weeks & Brad Anderson).  Issue # 2 has these artists: 1. Tim Sale & Dave Stewart; 2. Pete Woods; and 3. Jorge Jimenez & Alejandro Sanchez).

For Issue # 3, the artists are: 1. Lucio Parillo; 2. Rafael Sarmento; and 3. Jorge Corona & Matt Herms.  Issue # 4 has artists: 1. Derrick Chew; 2. Freddie E. Williams II; 3. Riley Rossmo & Ivan Plascenia; and 4. Dan Mora.  Finally, the fifth issue has these artists 1. Francesco Mattina; 2. Pete Woods; and 3. Alexander Lozano.         

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                       8½ Stars

Written by Geoff Johns.

Art by Gary Frank; Jon Sibal; Brad Anderson; & Rob Leigh.

Cover Art by Gary Frank & Brad Anderson.

SUMMARY:

In 2021, DC Comics released this 160-page hardcover completing the Batman: Earth One trilogy.  In Earth One’s alternate reality, Bruce Wayne’s late mother was Martha Arkham making him the last heir of both the Wayne fortune and the controversial Arkham legacy.  Amidst Martha’s haunted childhood, her parents were both lost to bleak fates. 

In the present day, along with allies Alfred Pennyworth and Killer Croc, Bruce secretly excavates his way underneath Arkham Asylum to set up the first Batcave.  The GCPD’s Captain James Gordon remains Batman’s trusted police contact.

Shocking DNA evidence is uncovered proving that an elderly and mentally deranged transient is Wayne’s long-believed-dead maternal grandfather: Adrian Arkham.  Bruce desperately tries to connect with Adrian, who grimly believes that his grandson will inevitably soon fall victim to the Arkham family curse. 

Simultaneously, Batman and his allies encounter the first wave of mass quantities of military-grade weaponry being smuggled into Gotham for an incendiary criminal revolution.  Bruce isn’t sure how much he can confide in his ally and would-be girlfriend: Mayor Jessica Dent.  Currently, she is still recovering emotionally and physically from her psychotic brother Harvey’s recent death. 

Worse yet, it appears that a zombie-like Harvey is somehow the ghostly mastermind plotting Gotham’s imminent destruction.  Another wildcard in this combustible mix is a goofy-looking Catwoman (possibly Selina Kyle), who may join the Bat-team for the right price.  As both Bruce Wayne and Batman, Gotham’s Dark Knight races the clock to uncover the murky truth before he falls to shadowy forces targeting him. 

Threads are left teasing a potential Volume Four, including this reality’s Joker and a young Outsiders team.       

Note: This title is also available digitally. 

REVIEW:

Akin to their prior DC works (i.e. Superman: Secret Origin), this project’s art squad again delivers top-caliber visuals.  Yet, such reliable artwork compensates only so much for Geoff Johns’ middling storyline. 

Negating Two-Face’s intriguing new incarnation (two thumbs up for some originality), Johns’ ‘realistic’ Bruce Wayne/Batman struggles to be compelling as an old-school masked man pitted against such evil adversaries.  Volume Three, in that sense, falls short of conveying Gotham’s Dark Knight as the human force of nature fans are hoping for. 

Instead, it focuses far more on Bruce Wayne comingling his Arkham family heritage with his Bat-destiny, which frankly isn’t that interesting come the final few twists.  Pitching a woefully underwritten Catwoman (whose ridiculous fashion sense far more befits Harley Quinn) into this mix doesn’t improve the situation.  As for the dubious Adrian Arkham sub-plot, one might say its ‘mind games’ climax is just too reminiscent of Batman: Under the Red Hood. 

In that sense, Johns’ simplistic take on Batman is disappointing.  The excitement and fun he generated years ago with stellar pre-52 creative runs on Wally West’s Flash, Hal Jordan’s Green Lantern, JLA, and Superman: Secret Origin is sorely missed upon reading this underwhelming adventure. 

Resorting to occasional profanities and gore doesn’t hide that a third round of Earth One’s Batman is frankly a nonessential Elseworlds caper.  For Bat-fans, it is unfortunate that Batman: Earth One, Volume Three’s stellar visual look isn’t matched by an engaging mystery/horror tale worthy of this vibe. 

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

In a two-page art gallery, two different panels are sampled depicting the evolution from sketch (Frank) to inked version (Sibal) and then on to the finished product (Frank, Sibal, Anderson, & Leigh).  The last page provides paragraph-length bios on the creative team – excluding Sibal.      

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                      5½ Stars