crookedtreehouse's review against another edition
4.0
A few years ago, I made a chronology for how to read modern Batman. I was focused quite a bit on creating the order, as opposed to just reading the books for enjoyment, so now I'm going back to see how the chronology holds up.
I've dumped a few collections off the chronology already, but this one stays. It is, sadly, not currently available from Diamond (who hold a monopoly on distribution rights to comic book stores),but it's worth digging around used book stores or online to find a copy.
It opens with [a:Bryan Talbot|264213|Bryan Talbot|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1301584855p2/264213.jpg] pulling double duty as writer and artist for a deconstruction of Bruce Wayne story. As I mentioned in my original review, this is the Batman equivalent to the Buffy The Vampire Slayer episode where Buffy wakes up in a mental institution. It's very well executed, and would have made for a fascinating finale to a Batman side series.
[a:Dennis O'Neil|28710|Dennis O'Neil|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1297956827p2/28710.jpg] and [a:Brett Blevins|1578261|Brett Blevins|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]' "Images" story is also a great first Joker story. It's not his origin (though it alludes to the Red Hood version of the origin story), but it serves as the first time Batman encounters the Clown Prince Of Crime. It's fun and throw-backy but well-written. Also, Blevins doesn't get enough credit for being an important Batman artist. His take on The Joker is excellent.
"Tao" by [a:Alan Grant|28712|Alan Grant|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1308066287p2/28712.jpg] is the skippable weak-point of this book. Its fetishism for Asian culture hasn't aged well, and wasn't spectacularly interesting to begin with. [a:Arthur Ranson|282069|Arthur Ranson|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]'s art is fine.
The volume closes with an early [a:Mike Mignola|10182|Mike Mignola|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1344350234p2/10182.jpg] story where he does the art, and co-writes it with [a:Dan Raspler|596426|Dan Raspler|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]. It's not on par with [b:Hellboy Omnibus Volume 1: Seed of Destruction|36290217|Hellboy Omnibus Volume 1 Seed of Destruction|Mike Mignola|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1506172579s/36290217.jpg|57954368] or [b:B.P.R.D.: Vampire|18073149|B.P.R.D. Vampire|Mike Mignola|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1371186120s/18073149.jpg|25374774], but it's definitely a Mignola story, and is worth the read.
I would currently put this as the fourth book to read s the Batman chronology, following [b:Batman: Year One|59980|Batman Year One|Frank Miller|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1526768987s/59980.jpg|2501570], [b:The Catwoman: Her Sister's Keeper|1063425|The Catwoman Her Sister's Keeper|Mindy Newell|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1180669266s/1063425.jpg|1050065], and [b:Batman and the Monster Men|107036|Batman and the Monster Men|Matt Wagner|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1347442884s/107036.jpg|103167].
I recommend it for Batman fans (of course), Mike Mignola-files, anyone looking for a cool first Joker story, and readers looking for a deconstructed Batman story from the 1990s that holds up better than 21st century Grant Morrison deconstructions.
I've dumped a few collections off the chronology already, but this one stays. It is, sadly, not currently available from Diamond (who hold a monopoly on distribution rights to comic book stores),but it's worth digging around used book stores or online to find a copy.
It opens with [a:Bryan Talbot|264213|Bryan Talbot|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1301584855p2/264213.jpg] pulling double duty as writer and artist for a deconstruction of Bruce Wayne story. As I mentioned in my original review, this is the Batman equivalent to the Buffy The Vampire Slayer episode where Buffy wakes up in a mental institution. It's very well executed, and would have made for a fascinating finale to a Batman side series.
[a:Dennis O'Neil|28710|Dennis O'Neil|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1297956827p2/28710.jpg] and [a:Brett Blevins|1578261|Brett Blevins|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]' "Images" story is also a great first Joker story. It's not his origin (though it alludes to the Red Hood version of the origin story), but it serves as the first time Batman encounters the Clown Prince Of Crime. It's fun and throw-backy but well-written. Also, Blevins doesn't get enough credit for being an important Batman artist. His take on The Joker is excellent.
"Tao" by [a:Alan Grant|28712|Alan Grant|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1308066287p2/28712.jpg] is the skippable weak-point of this book. Its fetishism for Asian culture hasn't aged well, and wasn't spectacularly interesting to begin with. [a:Arthur Ranson|282069|Arthur Ranson|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]'s art is fine.
The volume closes with an early [a:Mike Mignola|10182|Mike Mignola|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1344350234p2/10182.jpg] story where he does the art, and co-writes it with [a:Dan Raspler|596426|Dan Raspler|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]. It's not on par with [b:Hellboy Omnibus Volume 1: Seed of Destruction|36290217|Hellboy Omnibus Volume 1 Seed of Destruction|Mike Mignola|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1506172579s/36290217.jpg|57954368] or [b:B.P.R.D.: Vampire|18073149|B.P.R.D. Vampire|Mike Mignola|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1371186120s/18073149.jpg|25374774], but it's definitely a Mignola story, and is worth the read.
I would currently put this as the fourth book to read s the Batman chronology, following [b:Batman: Year One|59980|Batman Year One|Frank Miller|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1526768987s/59980.jpg|2501570], [b:The Catwoman: Her Sister's Keeper|1063425|The Catwoman Her Sister's Keeper|Mindy Newell|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1180669266s/1063425.jpg|1050065], and [b:Batman and the Monster Men|107036|Batman and the Monster Men|Matt Wagner|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1347442884s/107036.jpg|103167].
I recommend it for Batman fans (of course), Mike Mignola-files, anyone looking for a cool first Joker story, and readers looking for a deconstructed Batman story from the 1990s that holds up better than 21st century Grant Morrison deconstructions.
roseblight's review against another edition
3.0
#39-40 - Mask - ★★★★ (Fun nightmarish horror story. Really Nightmare on Elm Street-esque visuals.)
#50 - Images - ★★ (Bland Joker Story.)
#52-53 - Tao - ★★★ (Decent Spiritual story with Kung-Fu action. Great art.)
#54 -Sanctum - ★★★★★ (Mike Mignola issue, one of my favorite Batman stories of all time.)
#50 - Images - ★★ (Bland Joker Story.)
#52-53 - Tao - ★★★ (Decent Spiritual story with Kung-Fu action. Great art.)
#54 -Sanctum - ★★★★★ (Mike Mignola issue, one of my favorite Batman stories of all time.)
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