Month: August 2022

Written by Alan Burnett & Paul Dini.

Art by Ty Templeton; Mark Morales; Sean Parsons; Monica Kubina; & Josh Reed.

Collection Cover Art by Dave Johnson.

SUMMARY:

In 2021, DC Comics released this 208-page paperback reprinting 2020’s Issues # 1-8.  Resuming the continuity of TV’s Batman: The Animated Series / New Batman Adventures, Batman’s never-ending crusade expands upon the Bat-Family consisting of Alfred Pennyworth, Barbara Gordon’s Batgirl, and Tim Drake’s Robin III.  Despite appearing on the back cover, Dick Grayson’s Nightwing doesn’t participate in these stories.

The first arc is “Hardware, Parts I-II.”  Lex Luthor returns to Gotham, with a destructive and seemingly indestructible giant robot as his new toy.  Batman senses all isn’t what it seems, as he counters Luthor’s armored power suit with his own.  Meanwhile, the Bat-Family realizes that a mysterious stalker is spying upon them.  Superman makes a brief guest appearance.

The next arc is “Mentors, Parts I-IV.”  Deathstroke is in town, seemingly on the trail of Firefly for a mysterious bounty.  As the stalker angle continues, Batman worries that he might lose an impressionable Tim Drake due to his unexpected hero worship of Deathstroke.  In a showdown with the Dark Knight, Deathstroke’s ulterior agenda is revealed.  “The Darker Knight, Parts I-II” has Batman & Azrael teaming up to recover a mystical item that Catwoman has swiped.  A showdown with Mr. Freeze is imminent, as he attempts to resurrect his late wife’s corpse.

“Red Son Rising, Parts, I-V” depicts an adult Jason Todd seeking vengeance on his own terms against both his ex-mentor and the Joker.  Todd’s origin and subsequent fate as Robin II are tweaked for a younger audience, but his savage near-death beating by the Joker is left intact. Meanwhile, others express interest in taking advantage of a now-compromised Dark Knight. 

Lastly, “Secret Santa” depicts Gotham’s Christmas season, as Batman monitors Arnold Wesker’s newfound independence from his partner, Scarface the dummy.  Girlfriends Poison Ivy & Harley Quinn, meanwhile, co-host an exclusive holiday party for Gotham’s costumed Arkham Asylum cretins and a few other guests.  Left off the guest list, the party-crashing Joker has made some explosive plans for New Year’s Eve.   

Note: This book is also available digitally.

REVIEW:

Season One scores plenty of consumer points with consistently good storytelling, the art squad’s visual homage to the animated series, and an array of bonus materials.  Had an introduction from Dini and/or series producer Bruce Timm been thrown in, this package would be absolutely complete.  In that sense, the only vintage element otherwise missing is the magic of Kevin Conroy voicing Batman. 

However, there are a few parental caveats.  1.  There is a segment of Mr. Freeze cradling his wife’s decomposing corpse after evidently grave-robbing it from a cemetery — all that is seen is her feet under a blanket-like shroud; and 2. A flashback revealing young Jason Todd’s brutal torture by the Joker is visually toned down from the comics and the Batman: Under the Red Hood animated film.  Still, the dire inference of Todd being beaten to near-death with a bloody crowbar is plainly obvious.  Todd’s improbable escape is curiously explained, but not how he would have plausibly survived such extensive internal injuries.

Given the circumstances, the co-writers adapt Todd’s Robin/Red Hood storyline for a younger audience about as well as one could expect without cheating older readers.  As much as “Red Son Rising” dominates Season One, Todd’s presence isn’t its best asset.  Instead, “Secret Santa,” with its well-played blend of action, humor, and poignant character progression, is likely the worthiest of deserving an animated episode.   

Even if none of these stories are must-have reads, Bat-fans should still find Season One a welcome addition to the bookcase.

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

In a full-page format, Templeton’s sketches for: an armored Batman (black-and-white); Deathstroke (color and black-and-white); Azrael in both his St. Dumas armor and Bat-armor (color); Jason Todd’s Red Hood (color); and Todd’s Robin (color).  There is a full-page leaping Batman pin-up from artist Dave Johnson seen four times in two alternating color schemes.  Also seen is a portrait of Alfred staring at a glass-encased Bat-suit from artists Paolo Rivera & Joe Rivera.

Preceding each story is its original full-page cover.  The cover artists are: Dave Johnson (Issue # 1); Sean Murphy & Matt Hollingsworth (Issue # 2); Joe Quinones (Issue # 3); James Harren (Issue # 4); Paola Rivera & Joe Rivera (Issue # 5); Khary Randolph & Emilio Lopez (Issue # 6); Becky Cloonan (Issue # 7); & Mirka Andolfo (Issue # 8).  Appearing in a half-page format is artist Randy Mayor’s covers used for the book’s digital chapters; each is designed to resemble The Animated Series’ title cards.

Lastly, as accompanied by Randolph & Lopez’s Batman pin-up, there is a full-page variant cover gallery.  The variant cover artists are: Dan Mora (Issue # 1); Dustin Nguyen (Issue # 2); Dan Hipp (Issue # 3); Ben Caldwell (Issue # 4); Sean “Cheeks” Galloway (Issue # 5); Kaare Andrews (Issue # 6); Justin Erickson (Issue # 7); and Ronnie Del Carmen (Issue # 8). 

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                 8½ Stars

Written by Bill Willingham.

Art by Lan Medina; Steve Leialoha; Craig Hamilton; Sherilyn van Valkenburgh; & Todd Klein.

Collection Cover Art by Mark Buckingham.

SUMMARY:

First published in 2002, for its Vertigo Comics imprint, DC Comics re-released this 10^th Anniversary edition of Fables, Volume 1: Legends in Exile in 2012.  Like before, 2002’s Issues # 1-5 have been compiled, but multiple extras (as listed below) are now included.  Hence, the page count is now 160 pages.

In New York City’s secret Fabletown community, an ultra-bloody crime scene sends Jack (of old Beanstalk fame) rushing to its security chief’s disheveled office claiming his girlfriend, Rose Red, is missing.  Supervised by Rose’s estranged sister, Snow White (Fabletown’s Deputy Mayor/Director of Operations), an insightful Bigby Wolf begins his hunt for the perpetrator. Among his potential homicide suspects are: a scorned Bluebeard; the perpetually-conniving Jack; Snow White’s sleazeball ex-husband: Prince Charming; and possibly even Snow White herself. 

Meanwhile, a high-profile lottery for Charming’s supposed riches from the lost Homelands is set for this year’s Remembrance Ball.  Under increasing pressure, it’s up to Bigby to reveal the ugly truth scandalizing Fabletown.  He senses full well that all isn’t what it seems.

REVIEW:

Despite resorting to excessive profanities, writer Bill Willingham conjures up an intriguing murder-mystery.  Bigby Wolf, as Fabletown’s world-weary, Sam Spade/John Constantine-esque gumshoe, dominates Volume 1, exactly as Willingham intends. 

Providing Bigby a welcome pendulum is Snow White as his politically savvy tag-team partner, no matter how reluctantly (and emotionally) involved she is.  Their crime-solving, ‘odd couple’ chemistry concocts this book’s most traditionally appealing asset.  As to the mystery’s twist ending, Willingham’s revelations are fair game when Bigby explains the assorted visual clues.

Padded with bonus materials, Fables, Volume 1: Legends in Exile delivers an excellent first journey into Willingham’s long-running saga.    

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

A table-of-contents is provided.  Willingham slyly pens a two-page introduction.  In a full-page format, artists James Jean’s original covers are included, as is Alex Maleev’s variant for Issue # 1.  Jean also supplies the double-page cover accompanying the initial release of Fables, Volume 1: Legends in Exile. 

Entitled “A Wolf in the Fold,” in traditional fable-like prose, Willingham’s eight-page prequel reveals Bigby & Snow White’s first encounter centuries before, along with why the Wolf later assumed human form to accompany her overseas to The New World.  Willingham supplies two full-page black-and-white illustrations.  

There’s also three previews:

• From Peter & Max, A Fables Novel: The eight-page “The Price of a Happy Ending” depicts the raven Clara’s wartime recruitment of Little Bo Peep and Peter as black ops assassins on Fabletown’s behalf.  Written by Willingham, he is joined by artist Steve Leialoha & letterer Todd Klein.
• From Fables, Volume 2: Animal Farm: In an eight-page excerpt, Snow White & Rose Red visit Fabletown’s private sanctuary amidst talk of an imminent revolution to seize their long-lost Homelands.  Written by Willingham, he is joined by artists Mark Buckingham & Steve Leialoha.
• From Fairest # 1: A seven-page excerpt depicts a nocturnal twist on the Sleeping Beauty tale.  Written by Willingham, he is joined by artists Phil Jimenez & Andy Lanning, with cover art from Adam Hughes.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                8 Stars

Written by Tom Taylor.

Art by Rogê Antônio; Cian Tormey; Rain Beredo; & Wes Abbott.

Collection Cover Art by Julian Totino Tedesco.

SUMMARY:

In 2021, DC Comics released this 152-page hardcover publishing 2020’s digital fourteen-chapter prequel to the video game: Injustice: Gods Among Us.  Just twelve months before Superman’s fateful corruption, terminally ill inmate Andre Chavard makes a devil’s bargain to escape Gotham’s Blackgate prison to finally meet his adult grandson.  In exchange for his help, the Joker demands from Chavard a long-lost mystical amulet that can mind-control anyone, even gods.

The Justice League, meanwhile, celebrates their illustrious predecessors: the surviving (and now-elderly) members of the Justice Society and their heroic legacy.  Elsewhere, Superman and his wife, Lois Lane, poignantly contemplate starting their own legacy.  Possessing the jewel-like amulet, the Joker unleashes a reign of terror on both the JLA and JSA, as the JSA’s worst failure comes back to haunt them.  The motivation for the Joker’s final vengeance months later is revealed.    

Notes: This title is also available in digital and paperback formats.  Continuity-wise: 1. Wonder Woman is a dual member of the JLA and the JSA; reflecting DC’s post-Rebirth shift, this Alan Scott/Green Lantern is gay; and Inza Cramer (also called Inza Nelson) is this reality’s Doctor Fate.

REVIEW:

As one might anticipate, the art squad’s visuals are consistently this franchise’s best asset.  The storyline, however, is a mixed bag, despite writer Tom Taylor’s initially promising homage to classic JLA/JSA team-ups.  Expecting the cover’s inference of a JLA/JSA civil war isn’t what one gets, as far as the Joker’s amulet possibly decimating both rosters. 

While Taylor concocts some intriguing plot twists, such unpredictability tends to be negated by his reliance on shock value violence (i.e. brutally killing off or maiming characters for supposedly dramatic value rather than the sadism it simply is).  For that matter, spelling out exactly why a pregnant Lois Lane is targeted a year later isn’t welcome entertainment.  In a nod to good taste, leaving Joker’s motivation as ambiguous would have been a better creative choice.

For Injustice’s long-time fan base, Year Zero will likely be a satisfying and action-packed read.  More casual readers, however, may find the storyline’s violence quotient not explicitly graphic but still disturbing.    

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

In a full-page cover gallery format, Julian Totino Tedesco’s covers for Chapters One, Three, and Five are included.  Shrunk to half-page images are his cover sketches for these same chapters.  

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:             5½ Stars

Note: Another DC title worth considering is Elseworlds: JSA – The Liberty Files where the book’s second half has the team facing the Nazis’ ultimate weapon: a Zod-like Superman.