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sdelmonteIt's two Bats and a book by a man who to write Batman...
Batman 661 - The Mafiya and the Yakuza close in on Grotesk. Which is just what he wants. And Batman is caught in the middle. Readable, with strong Mandrake art, but still nothing new about it. And it pales in comparison with...
Detective Comics 827 - Scarface and the Ventriliquist are back. Or are they? Batman goes undercover as a thug to find out, and the answers are not what he expects. I hever card much for the Ventriliquist, but Dini and his associates did a good job with him on the animmted series. So it's no shock that Dini resurrects the concept with startling success and renewed creepiness. What's more, the done-in-one stories are slowly showing signs of being part of a larger tapestry. This is becoming THE Batman book to read, entertaining and smart and mature and a joy to read. One of 2006's best series, and one of DC's few One Year Later successes. (BTW, the thug Batman poses as? His name is Lefty Knox. I doubt he's named for the character in the 1989 Batman film who I play at Milliways, but you never know.)
Connor Hawke: Dragon's Blood 2 - The archery competition begins, Eddie Fyers flirts, Connor confronts Shado, and dark doings are afoot. Sharp character play and a good sense of menace enliven a rather by-the-numbers story. It's clear where Dixon is going. The point is seeing how it gets there. How Connor deals with Shado, who he holds responsible for making Ollie a killer. How the other archers deal with whta's coming their way. And how Eddie reacts. Essential reading? No. But loads of Chuck Dixon fun.
Batman 661 - The Mafiya and the Yakuza close in on Grotesk. Which is just what he wants. And Batman is caught in the middle. Readable, with strong Mandrake art, but still nothing new about it. And it pales in comparison with...
Detective Comics 827 - Scarface and the Ventriliquist are back. Or are they? Batman goes undercover as a thug to find out, and the answers are not what he expects. I hever card much for the Ventriliquist, but Dini and his associates did a good job with him on the animmted series. So it's no shock that Dini resurrects the concept with startling success and renewed creepiness. What's more, the done-in-one stories are slowly showing signs of being part of a larger tapestry. This is becoming THE Batman book to read, entertaining and smart and mature and a joy to read. One of 2006's best series, and one of DC's few One Year Later successes. (BTW, the thug Batman poses as? His name is Lefty Knox. I doubt he's named for the character in the 1989 Batman film who I play at Milliways, but you never know.)
Connor Hawke: Dragon's Blood 2 - The archery competition begins, Eddie Fyers flirts, Connor confronts Shado, and dark doings are afoot. Sharp character play and a good sense of menace enliven a rather by-the-numbers story. It's clear where Dixon is going. The point is seeing how it gets there. How Connor deals with Shado, who he holds responsible for making Ollie a killer. How the other archers deal with whta's coming their way. And how Eddie reacts. Essential reading? No. But loads of Chuck Dixon fun.
