Batman #454

Written by: Peter Milligan
Art by: Kieron Dwyer and Dennis Janke

So, we last saw Batman holding a choking child and a silver dagger.  No other option but to perform a tracheotomy.  In true Batman style, the baby lives and Batman tracks the Riddler to a fun house, where our hero fights a guy with a flame thrower in front of the last baby and a goat.  Batman saves the last baby, and takes off after the Riddler.  He ends up in a warehouse, that has a basement with a skeleton in it - the same basement where a demon was summoned.

Turns out, the demon was using the Riddler to prep Batman as a new sacrifice.  Cool plot twist.  Riddler locks Bats in the basement and lights the place on fire.  After a long dialog between Batman and the skeleton of the girl, Alfred shows up and saves the day.  Batman buries the girl in the Wayne plot and wonders how much of his destiny the Demon controlled.

This is a perfect ending - this demon created its own savior.  The demon runs through Gotham - is in every street, brick and stop light - and has been shaping the city since the 1700's.

I can't sum up how good this story is - go out and read it.  It hasn't been collected in a trade, but the single issues shouldn't run you more than $3 an issue.

Well, happy Thanksgiving and happy reading. 

Batman #453

Written by: Peter Milligan
Art by: Kieron Dwyer and Dennis Jenke


So we last left Batman in a cemetery full zombies and the Riddler still had three babies held hostage. Bats fights the zombies and realizes all but one are robots. Before Batman can interogate the thug, the Riddler sets off a tiny bomb embedded in his henchman's neck. No more henchman.

The Riddler doesn't normally act like this (his death toll is usually low) and Batman knows it too. He knows the Riddler is just playing with him. In the cemetary, our hero finds the second baby alive and a riddle...

...Back in 1764, a botched sacrifice occurs in what would be modern day Gotham....

... Our hero figures out the riddle, which leads him under the streets of Gotham where the Riddler has endangered another life. He's stuck a pin-pong ball down one of the babies' throats and it's up to Batman to perform emergency surgery to save a life. And the issue ends.

Again, this story never misses a step. The timing is right on, the art is simple and refreshing, and the story is full of twists. I'd recommend these issues to anyone.

Come back tomorrow and find how steady Batman's hand is and why the Riddler is acting so weird . Until then, happy reading.

Batman # 452

Written by: Peter Milligan
Art by: Kieron Dwyer and Dennis Janke

So I need something a bit more entertaining to cleanse my palette after that last issue of Mutant X. So, after about 15 minutes of digging, I came across the Dark City Dark Knight 3 parter by Peter Milligan.

This first issue is insane. I can't explain the plot in a short manner. All I can say is the Riddler shots a security guard in cold blood, hangs a man, kidnaps babies (one of which Batman almost runs over), covers Batman in gallons of blood and the issue ends with Batman in a graveyard with zombies. All that and there's a side story about a demon and a human sacrifice!

Wow, talk about a tense issue. Batman fails to save 3 out of 4 victims. Not a good day for the Caped Crusader.

The art keeps up with the manic story - not a single panel is wasted. The scene where the security guard is killed is particular good. For a book from 1990, the art still holds up. It's refreshing to see comic book art in a comic book. No painted panels, no washes, no effects. Just paper and ink. Great issue - a must read if you like the Dark Knight.

Sandman Mystery Theatre #4

Written by: Matt Wagner

Art by: Guy Davis

The trail that leads to the Tarantula's web gets shorter and shorter; but how many bodies will the Sandman find there?

This issue is the last in this story arc and wraps up the tale quite nicely. Clues lead Wesley to the Goldman residence where he finds Catherine and Celia chained up and at death's door. A veiled figure shows up (who has been making periodic appearances through this arc) and the two fight. The Sandman gases her and she goes down. This turns out to be Al Goldman's wife.

The Tarantula shows up, black hood and all, and our titular hero and his first rival clash. No one really gets an upper hand and the Tarantula is eventually electrocuted by a stray wire. He turns out to be Al Goldman's son, Roger.

Both Celia and Catherine survive their ordeal and the plot is summed up over dinner. Roger was pissed about being written out of the will, the wife was pissed about Al's mistress (Catherine) so they teamed up to try to squeeze daddy for money. Families are fun, aren't they?

Well, that wraps up this issue. Guy Davis has developed a visual style that remains both stunning and haunting on this title - like nothing I've ever seen before. And Matt Wagner can write one hell of a mystery.

Until tomorrow - happy reading.

Sandman Mystery Theatre #3

Written by: Matt Moore

Art by: Guy Davis

Terror still stalks the streets as the Tarantula's kidnapping spree continues.

This issue opens with Detective Burke investigating an abandoned warehouse - and who should turn up but the Sandman. They fight; Burke gets gassed and Wesley takes a shot to the head. Back at the Dodd's residence, Dian comes calling in the dead of the night. She and Wes talk - a joke is made and she leave.

Cut to more torture scenes (the art is awesomely gruesome).

Wes finds out the accountant who hid assets for the out of business milk company and interrogates him. He find out that the current owner is the son of none other that known bootlegger and all around not-so-nice guy, Al Goldman. Burke shows up too late - throws down his hat - everyone laughs.

The story then moves into the Goldman house where we see that Al and his daughter, Celia, are more than just father and daughter.

The issue closes with Celia being kidnapped by the Tarantula.

This is another fine chapter in this series. I was thinking on the drive home today about what it was that drew me to this series in the first place. I know right off the bat it had something to o with Matt Wagner. I love his story telling . It's always so tight. This series, so far, has been plotted a lot like a Raymond Chandler novel. Good stuff. Guy Davies continues to add his very distinct style to this title. It feels scratchy, like old film.

Busy at home, sorry I missed a couple days. Wedding bells and all. Well, until next time - happy reading.

Sandman Mystery Theatre #2

Written by: Matt Wagner

Art by: Guy Davis

It's 1938 and a Tarantula still stalks the streets of New York City.

Last issue ended with Dian walking in on our titular hero in the ladies room (he was listening to a conversation between the police chief and the district attorney) - the Sandman spins her around and jumps out the window. Startled, Dian emerges in time to hear her father say that they recovered a body, a victim of the Tarantula. Dian volunteers to ID the body and we cut to the morgue - turns out this isn't her friend Catherine.

Insert torture scene - and Wesley just happens to be outside of the police station to offer Dian a ride home. Cut to scene with Al Goldman (known bootlegger) and his daughter; she says to daddy "You know I only have eyes for you" while rubbing on him. Something isn't right at the Goldman house.

Lt. Burke is looking to question Catherine's cab driver, but on the way up to his apartment Burke notices something outside the window. He opens said window and in pours a cloud of green smoke. Nighty night. The Sandman proceeds to question the cabbie. Burke wakes to find the cabbie passed out.

Dian and Wesley have dinner. Burke finds out that a delivery truck at the kidnap scene belongs to a company that has been out of business for 5 years, meanwhile another woman is kidnapped. The issue ends with some more torture of Catherine.

I enjoyed this issue. Not a lot of action, but the mystery is shaping up. This is one of the more cerebral titles I've read - it keeps the mind sharp. Matt is a very good mystery writer. Guy's art fits perfectly. Has a very real quality to it, like an old photograph pulled from a box in your grandfather's attic.

Lots of questions still to be answered in the first story arc of this title. I know there is a trade out there - so go buy it. Until tomorrow - happy reading.

Sandman Mystery Theatre #1

Written by: Matt Wagner

Art by: Guy Davis

Imagine, if you will, it's 1938 in New York - prohibition was lifted 5 years ago, jazz clubs are everywhere, Action Comics #1 just came out - and a man calling himself the Tarantula is kidnapping young girls. Who will save the city with a blend of wit, sleeping gas and...origami? That's right, the Sandman will.

In this first issue of Sandman Mystery Theatre, the key players in the drama are introduced: Wesley Dodds (a rich, aloof spectacle-wearing introvert), Lawrence Belmont (district attorney) and Dian Belmont (well-off socialite daughter of Lawrence). The issue begins with Dian and her friend Catherine having drinks at a club in Harlem; they stay out all night and share a cab home. What Dian doesn't know is that her father had a rather strange visitor that same night - the Sandman.

Dian and Lawrence head to a library fund raiser and meet up with Wesley, who is newly returned to New york after the death of his father. Dian is intrigued with Wesley's non-interest in her. Before they really have a chance to talk, Lawrence tells Dian they need to leave -Catherine has been kidnapped.

Insert scene of impaled girl on fire escape and...

...Wesley heads home, cuts to scenes of a tucked in doll, weird science experiments and then to the police station. Here, Dian waits for her father and any word on her friend Catherine. Some clumsy cop spills coffee on her and she heads to the lady's room where she comes face to face with the Sandman.

To be continued...

I really like this series. Matt Wagner is a great writer; he knows how to build the suspense. That's where the charm of this series comes form. There and Guy Davis's artwork - it's kind of inked sketches. Not polished at all, no huge muscles or big boobs - just realistic people and realistic gore. This is a horror / mystery book dressed as a superhero book; all together a nice blend of the genres.

The first half of this series is really easy to find - it gets a but tougher past issue 36 (that's where my collection ends...for now). More on this series as the days go by. Until tomorrow - happy reading.

Batman / Grendel #2

Devil's Masque

Written by: Matt Wagner

Art by: Matt Wagner

So the fight between these two creatures of the night ended last issue with Batman buried and Grendel surrounded. Batman digs himself out, Grendel kills his way out. Grendel continues to manipulate and play with both Hillie's and Rachael's live in his search for info on the sphinx. He even kidnapped Hillie's daughter (who she gave up at birth). Batman is still confused and not sure if this is the Riddler or not- but he is starting to catch on. One thing leads to another, Grendel finds out hen the sphinx is to be delivered and begins to get his plan in motion. Both show up at the museum and they fight. I'm leaving out quite a bit and don't want to spoil the ending. Anyway, Grendel's master plan was to burn his mask into the face of the sphinx and to play with Batman. It goes off without a with; Hillie and Rachael arrange to pick up Hillie's daughter on top of one of the Twin Gotham Towers. Batman shows up right as Hillie's daughter is being released and the two titular characters g at it again. Batman breaks Grendel's arm - the child slips and falls off the high tower - Batman saves her - Grendel gets away.

Wow, a lot happened in those 48 pages. I have to admit it was a hard synopsis to write; I apologize for its lack of flair. Now, this is probably one of my favorite Hunter Rose stories simply because he is almost remorseful at the end of it. He returns to New York with his evil spirit renewed

The art - I love Matt Wagner's art in both of these books. There is a splash page in this one that still makes my jaw drop. And the fight n the top of the tower is just amazing. He uses a 5 x 6 grid layout that gives the reader a view of just about every blow.

Batman / Grendel is probably 3rd on my list of Hunter Rose stories - Devil By the Deed being second. My favorite Hunter Rose story is further down the line. But, for both Grendel and Batman fans, this is a can't miss book.

As always, if you are interested, you can get this issue at MyComicShop. Happy reading!

Batman / Grendel #1

Devil's Riddle

Written by: Matt Wagner

Art by: Matt Wagner

The Devil comes to Gotham to play with the Bat; but what in the heck is Hunter Rose up to? That's the theme that dominates this first issue of Batman / Grendel. Quite a bit goes on in these 48 pages. Hunter Rose comes into town to shop a new book. Wayne-Corp (and Bruce Wayne) is scheduling a viewing of a restored Sphinx at a Gotham art gallery. Hillary and Rachael are roommates who happen to be envoys to Hunter and Bruce Wayne respectively.

There really is way to much going on it this book to write up a short synopsis. Grendel is in town committing crimes as the Riddler. Batman is on the case, and he knows that the clues point to someone other than Edward Nigma. After being blackmailed by Grendel, Hillie tries to get Rachel to tell her when the Sphinx is supposed to arrive at the gallery. She won't budge and convinces Hillie to call the cops. They in turn up Grendel. Grendel's riddles lead the Dark Knight to an abandoned warehouse by the docks - also a set up.

The issue ends with Batman buried in rubble and Grendel surrounded by a dozen cops.

Lots of things are left unresolved - good thing there is another issue.

I love Matt Wagner's style. He weaves a mystery that keeps the reader guessing. But it is the parallel panels used in this book that really make it a stunning read. You have to see it to understand what I mean.

It's just a great book.

If you want to check it out, go to MyComicShop.