rashthedoctor's review against another edition
4.0
So I want to do something different here with this review, I will straight away talk about the things I didn't like first , two things really pissed me off about this book and those things are responsible for me taking a star away from the rating from what was a fascinating book .
The first is the art style, the art filled with a lot of yellow green and red felt an eye sore , it put me off at times and made certain panels difficult to distinguish , next up the actions of the goons were questionable at times making their eventual downfall seem forcefully orchestrated by the author.
Apart from these things I liked every bit of this book , it's a dark gloomy look on how cults are formed and this storyline goes further by breaking the Bat's mind and making him fall in line with the cult . The eventual follow up was very dark and demoralizing even as a reader as the Batman himself gives up on his city. The eventual fightback and the win was glorious and satisfying , albeit a bit over-the-top , but hey it's the 80s comics
Seen a few reviews mention how out of character batman was the book , but i think that is the point the author want to make , Bat is broken , and when you are broken like that you tend to doubt yourself and to overcome said doubt you do things you normally wouldn't .
A brilliant character study with a dark storyline , a redeemable arc, with all the usual bravado of Superhero comics and a narration of dangers of Vigilantes and Cults . Absolutely one of the best Batman books out there.
The first is the art style, the art filled with a lot of yellow green and red felt an eye sore , it put me off at times and made certain panels difficult to distinguish , next up the actions of the goons were questionable at times making their eventual downfall seem forcefully orchestrated by the author.
Apart from these things I liked every bit of this book , it's a dark gloomy look on how cults are formed and this storyline goes further by breaking the Bat's mind and making him fall in line with the cult . The eventual follow up was very dark and demoralizing even as a reader as the Batman himself gives up on his city. The eventual fightback and the win was glorious and satisfying , albeit a bit over-the-top , but hey it's the 80s comics
Seen a few reviews mention how out of character batman was the book , but i think that is the point the author want to make , Bat is broken , and when you are broken like that you tend to doubt yourself and to overcome said doubt you do things you normally wouldn't .
A brilliant character study with a dark storyline , a redeemable arc, with all the usual bravado of Superhero comics and a narration of dangers of Vigilantes and Cults . Absolutely one of the best Batman books out there.
dozmuttz's review against another edition
5.0
This was such a shock. First off I gotta say, Jim Starlin's story telling in this book was out of this world. I didn't know this man could do something so dark and twisted as this. Combine that with Bernie Wrightson's artwork and you got yourself a real Batman horror story. The plot seems simple; Batman vs a cult. However we start with Batman being captured and tortured by the cult.Being broken down by the leader, Deacon Blackfire. The Dark Knight is broken and has to gather himself together as we see terrifying scenes from Gothams eruption. This to me has to be the most underrated Batman story and personally one of favs. It felt like Starlin was writing ahead of his time and Wrightson's artwork was such a beautiful horror to gaze at.
1sionek's review against another edition
5.0
It surprised me how much I enjoyed reading this. The artstyle added a lot to the story and I didn't mind some of the unrealistic fragments compared to assassin mutant bats from new comics.
subhamroxx's review against another edition
3.0
This is a very different type of story for sure.
Its pretty much like BATMAN RIP but it came before and you have a figure named Deacon Blackfire who breaks Batman and well giving him silent suggestions and all to take him under control and we see the origins of this Blackfire and how he might be an immortal man since centuries and in the present how he plans to take over Gotham using his religion and what not and well Bruce first is part of it, then escapes, gains his sanity and Robin looking for him and meanwhile the city goes into chaos, his believers taking over the city, fortification and like being separated from the rest of the country (think No mans land) and then how Batman fights this villain to save Gotham like rest of the stories usually do and will he win or not? And what strange things does out dark avenger of the night find about this villain?
Its a very different Batman story and since its 80s its filled with dialogue and especially the trope of "TV Reporters reading the situation out" and I kinda find it annoying and that kinda makes it a case of too much text but by no means does it hamper the story, just the pace of the story. The art is okay but the colors make it look jaded and a bit boring to read sometimes but you gotta stick it out as it leads to some interesting stuff with Bruce and how he is breaking down and still manages to fight and in the end maybe save his city but we never really got a full origin of this villain. Just in the start a little bit and they never really play the immortality angle and don't explain so thats a missed opportunity.
But other than that its still a solid read and makes for an interesting Batman story of him dealig with mysticism and mad men who break him and take over the city which requires him to save Gotham. A Classic Batman story!
Its pretty much like BATMAN RIP but it came before and you have a figure named Deacon Blackfire who breaks Batman and well giving him silent suggestions and all to take him under control and we see the origins of this Blackfire and how he might be an immortal man since centuries and in the present how he plans to take over Gotham using his religion and what not and well Bruce first is part of it, then escapes, gains his sanity and Robin looking for him and meanwhile the city goes into chaos, his believers taking over the city, fortification and like being separated from the rest of the country (think No mans land) and then how Batman fights this villain to save Gotham like rest of the stories usually do and will he win or not? And what strange things does out dark avenger of the night find about this villain?
Its a very different Batman story and since its 80s its filled with dialogue and especially the trope of "TV Reporters reading the situation out" and I kinda find it annoying and that kinda makes it a case of too much text but by no means does it hamper the story, just the pace of the story. The art is okay but the colors make it look jaded and a bit boring to read sometimes but you gotta stick it out as it leads to some interesting stuff with Bruce and how he is breaking down and still manages to fight and in the end maybe save his city but we never really got a full origin of this villain. Just in the start a little bit and they never really play the immortality angle and don't explain so thats a missed opportunity.
But other than that its still a solid read and makes for an interesting Batman story of him dealig with mysticism and mad men who break him and take over the city which requires him to save Gotham. A Classic Batman story!
persypie's review against another edition
4.0
“Welcome to hell.”
This is definitely one of the grittier Batman stories I’ve read. Mass lynchings, severed heads, blood baths, oh my!
If you’re a fan of Batman and horror, this will be a great marriage for you. Highly recommend!
This is definitely one of the grittier Batman stories I’ve read. Mass lynchings, severed heads, blood baths, oh my!
If you’re a fan of Batman and horror, this will be a great marriage for you. Highly recommend!
kevingentilcore's review against another edition
3.0
Pretty good overall. Wrightson's take on Batman is almost perfect.
jakewritesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
(3.5) Certainly a different take on the Batman mythos. Really enjoyed parts of it, including Batman being mentally broken (was well done) and Jason Todd doing something decent as Robin. Gotham-as-80s-NYC was good too, this almost felt like a disaster movie more than a Batman tale. I think the weakest part was Deacon Blackfire himself. His character was thinly drawn and his motives, while well explained, didn't earn their moments. I'm giving it a tentative 4 stars, might have to review that at some point. The book is sticking with me, I can't tell if that's in a good way or not.
aridjon's review against another edition
5.0
1988 was an underrated banner year for DC, and primarily because of Jim Starlin's stint there. I never hear enough about this story, maybe because it was the middle child in between Ten Nights of the Beast and Death in the Family? Or just that DC was on a roll with Batman at the time, culminating in the Tim Burton movie the next summer, and this got lost in the shuffle. Whatever the case, a solid psychological story with beautiful, gritty artwork by Wrightson & Wray.
neven's review against another edition
3.0
There's a lot of good stuff here, but it's still a Batman story, albeit a very harsh one. It's very talky, often cheap with metaphors, and the classic Batman canon just doesn't lend itself to "heavy" material. Robin is a rather ridiculous character to put in a gritty crime/horror story.