Written by Bill Matheny & J. Torres
Art by Christopher Jones; Terry Beatty; Heroic Age; Phil Balsman; & Travis Lanham
Cover Art by Jeff Matsuda & Dave McCaig
SUMMARY:
Released by DC Comics in 2007, this 144-page collection consists of The Batman Strikes! # 11-14 and # 16-18, which were published in 2005-06. This book adheres to the artistic look of the animated series, The Batman. The stories consist of:
Issue # 11 (Man of Service): The Penguin aggressively targets both the Dark Knight and Bruce Wayne in his latest scheme, as a high-profile umbrella art exhibit falls under attack.
Issue # 12 (Break-In at Gotham Central): Jailing Bane’s creator, Lopez, the Gotham City Police Department (GCPD) is under siege from Bane. Batman & GCPD detective Ellen Yin try to stop him.
Issue # 13 (Prowler): In the first half of a two-parter, Batman & Catwoman’s latest ‘date night’ finds them stalked by a mysterious cat-like predator.
Issue # 14 (Sands of Time): The conclusion pits Batman, Catwoman, and Ellen Yin against the wrath of Ethan Bennett’s monstrous Clayface.
Issue # 16 (Hit and Run): A carjacked Batmobile sets up a three-way showdown between Batman, Ethan Bennett’s Clayface, and the Joker.
Issue # 17 (A Question of Identity): The Riddler threatens to publicly expose Batman’s identity, as the Dark Knight and Detective Yin are in a desperate race to thwart him.
Issue # 18 (The Greenhouse Effect): Batman & Batgirl’s new tag team faces off against Poison Ivy.
REVIEW:
For fans of the animated series, this volume’s unremarkable visuals won’t be a deterrent. In terms of the writing, these re-imaginings of the Penguin, Clayface, Bane, and Poison Ivy earn points for creativity. As in the animated series, only the lukewarm Joker is a disappointment — beyond a ridiculously hipper look, his revised persona resembles more of a goofy (and cheap) knock-off of Batman’s greatest foe.
Otherwise, this volume is modestly entertaining for the pre-teen crowd, as none of the tales are weaker than the others. This kid-friendly version of Batman meets all expectations, as supporting appearances from Alfred, Ellen Yin, and Batgirl also prove well-played. For young Bat-fans, with plenty of reading material, The Batman Strikes! Vol. 3: Duty Calls is a safe choice for parents.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
There is a two-page cover gallery: specifically, # 11 (Jeff Matsuda & Dave McCaig); # 12 (McCaig); # 13 (Christopher Beatty; Terry Beatty; & Heroic Age); # 14 (McCaig); # 16 (McCaig); # 17 (McCaig); and # 18 (Matsuda & McCaig), which doubles as the paperback’s cover image.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 6 Stars
