[Zacharie]

Title: Batman: Dark Victory (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Jeph Loeb (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Hilary Goldstein (Don't click it, read the review here... )

Review:

Does the follow-up to The Long Halloween fall flat on its face?

Batman: Dark Victory is a far better book when its predecessor, The Long Halloween, is fresh in the mind. Alone (or at least distanced from Long Halloween) the sequel appears like a slightly less-effective continuation of the original. In some ways, it feels much more like your standard Batman tale, simply for the fact that many of the key players seem to have fallen easily into familiar roles. When considered as the second half of a two-volume set (fitting with Two-Face as the central character), writer Jeph Loeb's brilliance shines through.

There is hardly any Bruce Wayne in this book, because Bruce Wayne is slipping away and Batman is taking over. This is only truly noticeable with Long Halloween recently read, because the contrast in the two books is quite stark. Harvey Dent goes away and so does Bruce Wayne. Each man is split in two, but the masked side is far more dominant.

The believed identity of the holiday killer from the first book never sat well with Batman and so when a new spree of holiday-theme murders begin, the Dark Knight suddenly has two cases to solve. First he must figure out who is killing police officers connected with Harvey Dent and why and then attempt to uncover the true identity of Holiday (or at least confirm the original findings). It's possible both killers are one in the same, but increasingly unlikely and with Batman's Rogues Gallery out in full force, the Bat has his hands full once again.

The effects of Harvey's transformation have never really seemed personal in the Batman books before. This time they are. In fact, it's almost as if Batman has lost a brother to go along with his fallen parents. As a result, Batman distances himself from Alfred, Gordon, Catwoman and his Bruce Wayne persona. The defiant loner who needs no one's help is born here and the reasoning goes much deeper than just an oath sworn on his parents' grave.

Dark Victory is not quite as good as The Long Halloween, but it would be almost impossible to accomplish such a feat. It's too heavily dependant on the original to stand on its own. But it's hard to think of a follow-up in comics equal to this. It's not just that the sequel is good, but it uses the events of the original to further explore the psychological makeup of the Dark Knight. While Dark Victory doesn't add a new light to the original (something it tries to do), it does add new context to the Batman we all know and love.

If you hated Long Halloween , there's nothing here for you, but if you loved the original, then this follow-up is a must.

More info:

Written by: Jeph Loeb
Art by: Tim Sale

[Zacharie]

Title: Batman: Son of the Demon (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Mike W. Barr (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Hilary Goldstein (Don't click it, read the review here... )

Review:

Ra's Al Ghul finally has the son he's always wanted... The Batman!

The best of the Ra's trilogy, Son of the Demon is a refreshing read. Over the past few years, Batman has been turned into a completely anti-social zealot in DC continuity. However, this is not how he was envisioned nor how the Batman was portrayed in the '80s and early '90s. Batman is human and that humanity is on full display in Son of the Demon.

Mike W. Barr's tale imagines a situation in which Batman finds himself allied with Ra's Al Ghul. More than this, the Dark Detective finally succumbs to his love for the Demon Head's daughter, Talia. Though Batman's truce with Ra's is tentative, his love for Talia is as potent as it has ever been in DC comics. In fact, the two are unconventionally married. This gives birth to the title, Son of the Demon, as Ra's accepts Wayne as his son, allowing Batman to command troops into battle.

There are some distinctive touches, such as Batman training Al Ghul's men to use non-lethal methods, but those who have only experience Batman over the past few years may not even recognize the caped crusader. Batman is not without some dry humor and his views on justice are broader. Though I respect the overly dark, isolationist Batman of recent times, reading Son of the Demon has reminded me that Batman was once a much more complex character than he is now.

Son of the Demon is much more of a Batman tale than one of Ra's Al Ghul, but the relationship is never better defined than in these pages. Outside of this dynamic, Son of the Demon offers a fantastic mix of action and drama as Batman's combat prowess is put to the test and Talia's loyalties become split between father and husband. Jerry Bingham's art proves that action can be exciting without the need for splash pages. This is graphic storytelling at its finest.

The only stumble is when Batman's actions lead to the death of an enemy. He appears callous to the act, which is in stark contrast to Batman's altruistic stance against murder. However, this could be attributed to the subtle influence of life with Ra's Al Ghul or the overbearing need to protect Talia from harm. It feels false to the character, but this small betrayal is minimal compared to the rest of the tale.

There are many Ra's Al Ghul tales, particularly in the past decade. If you've ever had a fascination with the Demon's Head, Son of the Demon is one book you absolutely must read.

More info:

Written by: Mike W. Barr
Art by: Jerry Bingham

[Zacharie]

Title: Batman: The Cult (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Jim Starlin (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Hilary Goldstein (Don't click it, read the review here... )

Review:

Controversial, but undeniably good.

By all appearances in 1988, Batman: The Cult was going to be a good, but standard, Batman tale. However, just a few pages into the first issue proved to me then, as it does now, that writer Jim Starlin and artist Bernie Wrightson were determined to rattle the cages. It begins with Batman abducted, a prisoner of charismatic Deacon Blackfire and his subterranean band of homeless followers. Kept hanging for weeks and barely fed, Batman slowly succumbs to Blackfire's brainwashing. Yes, even the Batman can be broken and Blackfire does just that.

Starlin makes certain we catch every moment of Batman's indoctrination into the cult, for the explanation of how Batman's will is being worn down to the Dark Knight's vivid hallucinations. Blackfire preaches justice, speaks the same message as the Batman, but says that brutality is the only way. It takes time, but Batman comes to agree with that position. After all, how could anyone doubt Deacon Blackfire?

The controversy comes, in part, from the murder -- the one Batman apparently commits. Armed with a machine-gun and hallucinating, Batman opens fire on what he thinks is the Joker. The dying man then changes to look like James Gordon and finally the truth is revealed. However, the murder is shown in such a fashion to one could argue Batman didn't actually do the killing. But those are just the hardcore unable to accept the truth -- Batman murdered a man while under the influence of a cult, incapable of controlling his actions or trusting his own senses.

The Cult is a brutal, dark story, but it's absolutely enthralling. There's perhaps a bit too much reliance on talking head news reports that look and feel too similar to The Dark Knight Returns, but overall this is a well-told mini-series. Batman has rarely been pushed to these limits and it's refreshing to see that it's not some hokey plot involving people from Bruce's childhood. This is Batman at his lowest and it takes a good 50 pages for him to recover even after he's free of the cult.

Interestingly, The Cult also features Jason Todd as Robin and is most likely the only Todd trade outside of A Death in the Family. For once he's not annoying. This is certainly his strongest performance, one last hoorah before death.

This is Starlin and Wrightson at their finest. While everyone clamors to read Year One and The Long Halloween, comic fans should take the time to pick up Batman: The Cult. This is easily one of the best Batman stories every told.

More info:

Written by: Jim Starlin
Art by: Bernie Wrightson

[Zacharie]

Title: Batman: Arkham Asylum (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Grant Morrison (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Hilary Goldstein (Don't click it, read the review here... )

Review:

Batman enters the madhouse. Apparently you can go home again.

There's something just a little bit crazy about a guy who dresses up like a bat. Though the Batman battles some true loons, there is an uneasy familiarity between hero and villain. Grant Morrison and Dave McKean explore that connection in Arkham Asylum, one of the finest superhero books to ever grace a bookshelf.

When the maniacs in the madhouse are set loose inside of Arkham, they hold the workers hostage. They have a list of demands and topping that list is the Batman himself. Bats agrees and enters the insane asylum, but not with batarangs blazing. In fact, it's a calm entrance, with Joker acting as host. His enemies cause is simple; they believe Batman belongs in the Asylum just as much as they do. The twist -- Batman doesn't necessarily disagree.

Parallel to Batman's journey through the Asylum is the tale of Amadeus Arkham, who originally constructed the house in the '20s. His journey into madness notes some rather familiar symbols. At one point he finds a playing card, the Joker, until eventually his madness emerges with the symbol of the bat, tying the Dark Knight to all the other madmen. Of course, this is 60 years prior to the birth of Batman and his Rogue Gallery, which then assumes all of this insanity was predestined.

McKean's art is crucial to the tale. No other artist, with the exception perhaps of David Mack, could come close to capturing the claustrophobic psychosis permeating Arkham Asylum. Many of the pages read down instead of across and it's a disorienting experience. Each page feels like madness. The imagery is beautiful with Batman's battle with Killer Croc the most vivid moment.

Batman: Arkham Asylum is unlike any other Batman book you've ever read. No one's ever tried to duplicate it. I doubt anyone could. While I can't really buy the comparison of Batman to Jesus (it's first implied with a spear stab to his side, then confirmed with a visual side-by-side), the rest of Asylum is brilliant. Is Batman really just as crazy as the rest, but somehow driven by divine purpose? Let's flip a coin to decide.

More info:

Written by: Grant Morrison
Art by: Dave McKean

[Zacharie]

Title: Batman: The Killing Joke (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Alan Moore (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Hilary Goldstein (Don't click it, read the review here... )

Review:

This book is no laughing matter.

Easily the greatest Joker story ever told, Batman: The Killing Joke is also one of Alan Moore's finest works. Originally released in 1988, The Killing Joke tells the origin of the Joker -- or at least one version of the origin. The Clown Prince of Crime himself admits even he can't be sure which version of his beginnings is true. The origin is the underpinning for the psychological drama, rather than being mere filler. True to his psychosis, the Joker doesn't want to accept responsibility for his actions and goes about attempting to prove that any man put under proper duress would go bonkers.

The Joker's experiment leads to one of the most shocking moment's in DC history, an event that affects Batman continuity for the next 15 years and it's done as casually as a Joker killing spree.

Those who focus on the Joker's origin are missing the point. The Killing Joke isn't about how the Joker came to be, it's an examination of human nature. If Joker can turn his captive, Commissioner James Gordon, into a raving lunatic, then it's proof that any man in Joe Kerr's position would have gone a little nutty. However, should Gordon survive with sanity intact, it serves as proof that there is something buried deep within each lunatic, a nugget of insanity, that is simply waiting for the right moment to spring forth. Is it the horrors of a particular event that make a man insane or is it something deep within the man himself?

Outside of the psychological and sociological undertones, The Killing Joke is a masterfully told story. Each scene features perfect transitions, allowing the story to easily weave between present and past as the Joker attempts to force his insanity on James Gordon. Brian Bolland's art is a rarity for comics. It features no set-ups, no heavily-reused poses. Everyone's face is full of expression, no muscle is left unused throughout the short tale. Together Moore's rhythmic dialogue and Bolland's organic art create a unique story often mimicked but never matched.

What Moore understands that so many writers seem to overlook is that clowns are inevitably pitiable people. Behind every clown's smile is a sad story, they say and the Joker is no different. Though an unforgiving and brutal mass-murderer, the Joker is shown as a vulnerable and pathetic figure, trapped in a cycle of violence just like Batman.

If you haven't read The Killing Joke, you have no right to call yourself a Batman fan. You may not find it to be the greatest Batman story of all time, but you'll be hard-pressed not to laugh at the end. Re-printed more times than almost any other comic in history, The Killing Joke is still readily available, meaning you have no excuse. If you've read it before, go back and read it again. You owe it to yourself.

More info:

Written by: Alan Moore
Art by: Brian Bolland

[Zacharie]

Title: Batman Adventures: The Lost Years (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): H. J. Bader (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Hilary Goldstein (Don't click it, read the review here... )

Review:

One Robin leaves so another may take up the mantle.

Bridging the gap between Batman and Robin Adventures and Batman: The Gotham Adventures comic-book series, Batman Adventures: The Lost Years tells of the transition of Dick Grayson from Robin to Nightwing.

Reading more like a Nightwing: Year One adventure, Dick Grayson bails on Batman following continued tension leaving his Robin costume behind. Dick undergoes a whirlwind world tour of training, similar to the one underwent by Bruce Wayne years ago. While Batman is left to defend Gotham without a Robin, the Dark Knight must depend on Batgirl for assistance. But no one can really place Dick Grayson... except for a curious young boy, Tim Drake, who stumbles upon Batman's secret identity.

Taking cues from the comics, but deviating slightly (there is no Jason Todd, no dead Robin to mourn), The Lost Years is an apt tale of the transition to manhood. Teenage rebellion is often followed by a reconciliation in real life and so it is in The Lost Years, where Dick Grayson must abandon Batman so he can find his own identity. The origins of Nightwing is better here than what's shown in the recent "Year One" story arc in the comics. It isn't enough for Dick Grayson to find a new identity, he must learn to become a better guardian of the night so he can stand on his own.

Longtime Batman fans may have trouble swallowing some of the continuity changes, particular Tim Drake's thieving lifestyle. If you can ignore the past and look at The Lost Years as its own unique tale, most fans should get a lot of enjoyment from this book. There are some big discoveries, a few big fights and lots of Dick (Grayson, that is). Certainly worth the price of admission.

More info:

Writer: H. J. Bader
Artist: Bo Hampton

[Zacharie]

Title: Batman: Birth of the Demon (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Dennis O'Neil (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Hilary Goldstein (Don't click it, read the review here... )

Review:

The surprising origin of Ra's Al Ghul is finally revealed.

It's strange to have a trilogy close with an origin tale, but Birth of the Demon is just that. Batman is determined to put an end to Ra's Al Ghul's reign of terror. Not by killing him, but by making it impossible for Ra's to revive himself with the Lazarus Pit. Having discovered the secret to the location of each pit, Batman has been repeatedly foiling any attempts to create new pits. That is until the Bat gets knocked into a river of toxic waste.

Sick and dying, Batman pursue his goal of stopping Ra's. His next stop brings him into a confrontation with his former love, Talia, who has just completed building a new Pit for her father. The Dark Knight's struggles with his illness is merely the frame for the origin of Ra's Al Ghul, which he and Talia discuss together.

Born during the time of the Crusades, Ra's was a healer and not a man obsessed with the destruction of the world. His radical theories lead him to create the first Lazarus Pit and use it on the Sultan's dying son. However, when the Sultan's son rises from the pits, he's struck with madness and kill's Ra's beloved. Rather than see his son punished for death, the Sultan claims it was Ra's who murdered his wife.

This one event creates the villainous Demon's Head we know and loathe. Denny O'Neil manages to answer almost every Ra's question you could manage. We see how Ra's is able to rally others to his cause, how the Lazarus Pit truly works, even why Ra's is so obsessed with Batman. However, in recounting the tale, Talia explains the death of her mother, which contradicts what was learned in Son of the Demon. Was this tale meant to take place before then or did O'Neil simply ignore the established history? It's a minor point, but reading all three Ra's books back-to-back, this small detail stands out.

Al Ghul's origin is surprising and interesting and Norm Breyfogle's art compliments it perfectly. This is one of the more colorful Batman tales, rich in oranges, greens and reds. The final confrontation between Ra's and Batman is stunning and lasts a dozen pages. Thank Moses for the over-sized pages.

Birth of the Demon is a good stand-alone Ra's Al Ghul tale. Though I recommend reading all three books in the trilogy, Birth of the Demon is perhaps the one to read if you are only interested in knowing Ra's Al Ghul's origin. Where the other two books in the trilogy are much more about Batman, Birth is a Ra's tale through and through.

More info:

Writer: Dennis O'Neil
Artist: Norm Breyfogle

[Zacharie]

Title: Batman: Castle Of The Bat (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Jack C. Harris (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Hilary Goldstein (Don't click it, read the review here... )

Review:

Introducing Dr. Wayne's monster... The Bat-Man!

Most Batman stories feature Bruce Wayne as the Dark Knight. He's the one dressed in the black suit, the one kicking the crap out of bad guys. Not so in Jack C. Harris' Batman: Castle of the Bat, an Elseworlds tale from the early '90s. Castle puts Bruce Wayne in the role of Dr. Frankenstein, at the Bat-Man is his horrifying creation.

Set in Germany in the early 1800s, Castle of the Bat is a unique Elseworlds tale. There's little action and the plot is heavily weighted with Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein. Harris imagines Wayne as a driven doctor who's dedicated his life to science following the highway robbery and murder of his parents. Wayne is dabbling in mucking evolution by combining the essences of different creatures. His "bathound" in merely the first in a long line of experiments.

When Wayne discovers his father's brain in a secret laboratory beneath his castle, he makes a daring attempt to bring his father to life. With daddy's brain, a monstrous body and the senses of a certain nocturnal mammal, the Bat-Man is born. Like his counterpart Frankenstein, the Bat-Man is a well-meaning beast who is too terrifying for his own good. Imbued with the memories of Wayne senior, the Bat-Man spends weeks hunting down bandits roaming the highway. Eventually his presence draws the ire of the community who wield torches and group cheers as they hunt down the Bat-Man.

Castle of the Bat is an interesting concept and certainly a noble effort to tell a different kind of Batman tale, but it's a mixed bag. The plot is a bit slow, the art not visceral enough to contain the story and the outcome all-too-obvious. While Castle of the Bat is a good read, it falls short of the greatness it seeks, capturing neither the moral sentiments of Frankenstein nor the mythology of Batman. Castle falls somewhere in the middle.

More info:

Writer: Jack C. Harris
Artist: Bo Hampton

[Zacharie]

Title: Hellboy Box Full of Evil (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Mike Mignola (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: flooby (Don't click it, read the review here... )

Review:

Box Full of Evil is only a two issue series but it’s definitely full of startling revelations about Hellboy. The story begins with Hellboy and Abe Sapien investigating an odd robbery in Druggan Hill, England, at a house that used to be a convent. It turns out that some religious artifacts had been hidden behind one of the walls. The artifacts in question were a pair of tongs and a metal box, both said to have been used by Saint Dunstan to trap the devil. is only a two issue series but it’s definitely full of startling revelations about Hellboy. The story begins with Hellboy and Abe Sapien investigating an odd robbery in Druggan Hill, England, at a house that used to be a convent. It turns out that some religious artifacts had been hidden behind one of the walls. The artifacts in question were a pair of tongs and a metal box, both said to have been used by Saint Dunstan to trap the devil.

Hellboy and Abe must travel to Lockmaben, Scotland to retrieve the artifacts. I don’t want to spoil the ending of the story so let’s just say the events that follow reveal Hellboy’s true name and his demonic purpose on Earth.

Each issue also has a short back-up tale by Mignola. Issue one’s story is entitled "The Killer In My Skull" and introduces us to the pulp style hero, Lobster Johnson, who is embroiled in the mystery of the grisly murders of several research scientists. Mignola brings the same creepy sensibilities to this tale as he does to his Hellboy stories. After reading this story I’m ready for a Lobster Johnson mini-series.

Issue two’s back-up is entitled "Abe Sapien vs. Science" and brings us face to face with the Homunculus from Hellboy: Wake the Devil and Almost Colussus. What follows is a quiet little tale that gives us some insight into Abe Sapien’s background. Both the Homonculus and Lobster Johnson look to be pivotal characters in the next Hellboy mini The Conqueror Worm.

Mignola’s writing and illustration are solid in Box Full of Evil. Each time I finish a Mignola Hellboy story I can’t keep from thinking that this is the series he was born to do. The pulp horror milieu of Hellboy is perfectly suited to Mignola’s moody artwork and he obviously loves the research needed to come up with the stories. I cannot recommend the these minis highly enough.

More info:

Written & Illustrated by Mike Mignola
Pencils by Matt Smith

[Zacharie]

Title: Abattoir (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Rob Levin and Troy Peteri (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Jason Rosas (Don't click it, read the review here... )

Review:

There are three things a horror franchise needs: a haunting location, creative ways of dispatching with innocent victims, and a mysterious, creepy, insane, yet articulate psychopath. There is no one with better pedigree than Darren Lynn Bousman, director of the SAW films, who provided the source material for Abattoir. Seeing as how SAW 3D is the final chapter in the psychological-torture-gore genre, Abattoir may be looking to become the next big franchise.

Abattoir 1Does Abattoir offer a creepy location? Look no further than the name of series: ‘abattoir’ is French for “slaughterhouse”. And where would this slaughterhouse be? Of course, an average home in Middle America, just so you get the feeling that this could happen to you. Are victims killed creatively? Does being wacked by a weed-wacker count? And the creepy conductor of chaos in Abattoir? Mr. Jebediah Crone, an old man with a passion for homes where people have been killed, fits the bill to a tee.

Set in the 1980’s, Abattoir begins innocently enough – a child’s birthday party and the common concerns associated with such a gathering of family and neighbors. In a sudden flash, a weed-wacker makes an unexpected appearance, severing fingers, shredding appendages, and ending the lives of all the party-goers young and old. Enter Richard Ashwalt, a realtor assigned the tasks of selling the house in which the grizzly massacre occurred. Ashwalt has a conflicted life, trying to hold together an unstable marriage, raising a bright daughter, and trying to make ends meet in the economically-weak 1980’s in middle America. During a late-night viewing of the house, Ashwalt meets Mr. Crone, a man eager to take the property off Ashwalt’s hands though avoiding all the legal channels. Ashwalt rejects Mr. Crone offer and soon begins to experience some difficulties – one of which is becoming a ‘person of interest’ in a crime committed in a neighboring town. Ashwalt’s boss, a gentleman eerily reminiscent of Gary Cole (the manager from Office Space) tells Ashwalt about a realty myth concerning a ‘bogeyman’ who buys houses where people have been killed. Though Ashwalt tries unsuccessfully to reach Mr. Crone despite his misgivings, he is especially surprised to discover Mr. Crone has made himself comfortable in his own home at the conclusion of the issue. Shiver. We still have to look forward to what Mr. Crone ultimately wants to do with these homes and how this will affect Ashwalt.

Writers, Rob Levin and Troy Peteri lay down a strong foundation for a slow-boiling plot, simmering with tension and suspense. Hopefully, the pace will pick up a bit in the next chapters now that many plot elements have been introduced. Illustrator Bing Cansino does a respectable job setting the tone with shadowy appearances, misty edges and a dull color palette which makes you feel like you are intruding on a hazy and unwelcome memory. Abattoir has the potential for a franchise, as Mr. Crone makes his way from town to town collecting the memories of bygone massacres and sowing the seeds for future fatality. With five more issues to go, it’s anyone’s guess how this one will turn out but a betting man might wager, “Not good for Richard Ashwalt!”

**Review Update:
As a point of clarification to the cover rating not addressed in the piece. Cover artist Tai Young Choi missed the mark somewhat resulting in the 6/10 rating. Mr Crone comes across as a bit of a “hick-clown,” too buck-toothed and clown-haired in the cover. That is not the feel of the character inside. The draw for Abattoir is the odd title which might make some curious. And to make the name more salient, the background of the cover is the better focus. There were not-so-subtle hints such as the axeman silhouette on the second story (maybe a little less lighting there).

Since Crone is the person interested in the property, maybe if he appeared to be entering the house, looking over his shoulder and handing his card to us…? Or maybe Crone could have been smaller, stepping out of the shadows of the staircase handing us his card. Or maybe the same size depiction of Crone at the front of the house with creepy closed doors behind him. In sum, the cover felt busy; focus on Crone or interiors, but not both… Lastly, his hat should be off because he is indoors (he seems respectful in that way). The quality of the art is very high, it just misses the mark on interpretation and focus.

More info:

Created by: Darren Lynn Bousman
Written by: Rob Levin & Troy Peteri
Illustrated by: Bing Casino
Cover by: Tae Young Choi
Publisher: Radical Publishing

[Zacharie]

Title: Batman: Child of Dreams (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Kia Asamiya (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Hilary Goldstein (Review 1) and Origami (Review 2) (Don't click it, read the review here... )

Review:

Review 1 - Batman goes Manga.

Batman is an international sensation and one of the world's most recognizable icons. With the growing popularity of manga in the US, it was only a matter of time before the two met. Kia Asamiya, best known for creating Silent Mobius and Steam Detectives, has been a long-time fan of the Dark Knight. Along with writer Max Allan Collins, Asamiya has attempted to bridge the gap between Western and Eastern comics with Batman: Child of Dreams with good success.

Drawn in classic manga style, but with a hint more reality than most manga action graphic novels, Child of Dreams wisely tangles Batman and Bruce Wayne in a conspiracy with ambitious journalists from Japan. Taking place both in Gotham and later in Japan, Child of Dreams introduces a new love interest for Bruce Wayne while asserting Batman's influence on other cultures. Batman is not just a revered hero in the states, but has rabid fans in other countries. In fact, it's Batman fandom that brings enterprising young reporter Yuko Yagi to Gotham City in hopes of an exclusive interview with the Dark Detective.

Yuko gets more than she bargained for with the trip. A group of pill-popping psychos are being mysteriously transformed into carbon-copies of Batman's greatest foes and Yuko is trapped in the middle. It will take the combined might and brains of Batman and Bruce Wayne to solve the mystery and keep Yuko from harm.

Child of Dreams is, in many ways, a throwback to the '80s Batman books where Bruce Wayne was almost as integral a part of the story as Batman. The delicate balancing act between dark avenger and womanizing entrepreneur makes for some good drama. Though the mystery culprit behind everything is as obvious and the enormous nose on Batman's face, Child of Dreams has everything you need from a Batman story -- a damsel in distress, conflicts for both Wayne and Batman, the Rogues Gallery and plenty of action.

While the exaggerated style may seem a bit odd for a Batman tale, the action scenes are top notch. If you can get over the fact that every character has a giant honker, Child of Dreams is a beautiful vision of the Batman in black and white. Don't expect a brand new take on Batman, Alfred or Commissioner Gordon. There are no ground-breaking developments, absurd behaviors or unique histories. This is classic Batman, but don't with a heavy magna influence. That may not make for the most original or greatest Batman tale ever, but it certainly makes for a good one.

Review 2 - I've never made a secret about my dislike for manga design. The only Japanese cartoon I really enjoy is Lupin the III and even then when it's more like a caper film than the Monkey Punch books.

Given my prejudice against manga, one must ask why on earth I would shell out twenty-five bucks for a manganized version of Batman. Do the math.

The book costs twenty-five bucks. It's three-hundred-and-fifty-two pages. If you were to copy this book at your local library, it would cost thirty-five dollars and twenty cents: not counting the cover that seems to depict an extraordinary painting of Michael Keaton as Batman, alone worth the price. DC is actually giving you more for your money not less or the near equivalent copy-rate.

Since the book was manga, I suspected post-Crisis continuity would be ignored. This meant I had a shot of actually seeing Batman in the book. This is a very attractive prospect for any Batman fan, and despite what some may believe, I am still a fan of the bat. It is my respect for the character that has forced my exile from his three alleged original universe titles.

Given that intense dislike of manga, I knew what I was in for when looking at the book. I was a little surprised to be able to go beyond the typical design scheme and recognize Kia Asamiya's talent for rendering a flow of panels that meshes quite admirably into a very appealing aesthetic.

Although, for instance Yuko, the young woman reporter, bears definite touches seemingly inherent in manga--a more abstract and homogenous face--the nuances to the way Asamiya depicts her body language combined with a strong, distinctive voice creates a unique character. Exaggeration of emotion, while present, Mr. Asamiya keeps minimized and largely isolated to villains under the influence, which to a certain degree rationalizes the reliance on the technique. None of the exaggeration reaches the level of super deformity.

Kia Asamiya does have an odd nose fetish--which has nothing to do with as far as I know manga tradition--running through his artwork, but once exposed, these large schnozzes on both men and women while not fading into the background become less distracting.

His Batman is an impressive figure both in shadow and fighting out in the light. Readers will be pleased to find Keatonesque touches to Asamiya's Dark Knight, but strangely these touches fade when he sketches Bruce Wayne; they almost seem like two different characters, at least in look.

Where Mr. Asamiya excels is in his characterization of Batman. He recognizes him as a deterrent to criminals, a figure of fear but also--and this is the most important part--a sane man who becomes a hero. MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD Indeed, it is Batman's heroism that serves as the basis for the villain's motive. The dénouement should interest any pre-Crisis Batman fan since it seems the Dark Knight is facing off against his distasteful post-Crisis metamorphosis. SPOILER Ends

This is a Batman who unlike the current model seems respectful toward women. Yuko comes to Gotham for a story but leaves Gotham with a new friend. Theirs is such a nice relationship and so refreshingly different from the typical post-Crisis relationships Batman has had which can be summarized as either get-out-of-my-city or she-should-have-ducked.

The shock is that DC did not charge more for the book especially given the work that was put into it and the value of the talent behind the project. Max Allan Collins the novelist of the Nathan Heller and Elliot Ness mysteries and no stranger to Batman translated the Japanese. Kia Asamiya has become an American hit with his attention to the X-Men.

None of these names really mattered to me though after reading the story. The draw is in the characters and watching Batman take down an evil that has built up around him. Batman, Yuko and the villain in fact assume the roles of knight, princess and dragon without losing characterization, depth or strength. In this way, Batman: Child of Dreams has the feel of an epic and something special that deserves to be a hardcover and on your bookshelf.

More info:

Writer: Kia Asamiya
Letters & art: Dan Nakrosis
Translation: Max Allan Collins

[Zacharie]

Title: Executive Assistant Orchid (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Scott Lobdell (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Dustin Cabeal (Don't click it, read the review here... )

Review: The Hit list Agenda 1

The action is this book is so crazy it’ll have you laughing out loud as people’s head explode and Leon the Professional type scenes play out before your eyes. This book really kicks the Hit List Agenda into high gear as a new executive assistant is introduced… Orchid!

The issue opens with an arrogant son of a South American crime lord as he approaches another crime lord to proposition a deal with him. The crime lord has no patience for the spoiled brat and sicks his men on him. Umberto the deficient son unleashes his father’s assistant Orchid upon the men and she goes to town killing practically every one. She leaves the crime lord alive so that Umberto can strike a deal with him finally.

EA_ORCHID-01a_gunnell-2x3.jpgNext we see Umberto wrapping up a sexual encounter with Orchid, who is forced to do whatever her employer wants. Umberto is still the spoiled brat as he now thinks he’s god’s gift to woman after requiring her to have sex with him. Way to go Umberto! Orchid is then called upon by his father and after being scolded sent on another mission to make things right in his eyes. The best part is that she’s only allowed to do what she’s told then hit for doing what she’s told. It’s a bit ridiculous, but it establishes the life she leads which I’m sure is important later in the story.

We then met one of the richest and most powerful men in the world and see the gorgeous figure of a woman’s legs. He says she has a job for her and we can safely assume that the woman is his executive assistant. Orchid on the other hand is sent to gather a man in charge of large Texas Company. Orchid disposes of his body guards with ease and puts a knife to the man’s throat to show that she really means business.

The issue has ridiculous characters that are so over the top sexist you can’t help but instantly hate them. And really that’s why they’re there. If not, you wouldn’t be able to sympathize with Orchid as she kills entire villages of people or guts rooms full of body guards. There needs to be a bigger bad guy and writer Scott Lobdell succeeds in doing that. Also he packs the issue with so much over the top assassin action that it’s hard not to love the book.

This book gets pretty graphic which was surprising since Aspen has never really gone this route before. Artist Micah Gunnell does a great job of not only keeping Orchid looking beautiful, but delivering on some truly awesome kill scenes. In the beginning of the issue there is an awesome panel in which a man is shot through the eye and the side of the mouth and really I had to double check that I wasn’t reading an Avatar Press book written by Warren Ellis, it was that bad ass. Gunnell does a great job of keeping that sexy Aspen style to the book and making it work with the action and the gorish kills.

Iris may not be delivering much in the way of story or action just yet, but Orchid is definitely kicking things off on the right foot. Sure the story is a bit secondary to the action, but it’s still very solid and adds to the overall story a lot. The action is awesome and some of the best action sequences in comic today. If you’re interested in The Hit List Agenda then do not miss out on this issue.

More info:

Written by Scott Lobdell
Art by Micah Gunnell and Rob Stull

[Zacharie]

Title: Phantacea – Forever and Forty Days (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Jim McPherson (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: JIM McPHERSON (Don't click it, read the review here... )

Review:

The graphic novel, entitled “Forever & 40 Days”, occupies pages 4-71. Written by Jim McPherson, illustrated by Ian Fry and lettered by the team of Linsea Stamer, Ian Fry and Fred Armstrong, it breaks down to nine sequences. These follow the time-tumbler, Helios called Sophos the Wise, and his most aberrant generation, the Moloch Sedon, through a series of evidently random encounters ending, circa 4000 BC, with the Genesea and the preservation of what henceforth becomes the Hidden Continent of Sedon's Head.
A short story, entitled “Sister Grandmother”, occupies pages 74-83. Written by Jim McPherson, it features concepts, 6 illustrations and some characters (notably Wilderwitch and Wildman Dervish Furie) from the PHANTACEA Mythos as originally presented in the 6-issue PHANTACEA comic book series from 1977-1980.
The balance of the material is a 1-page frontispiece, a 2-page introduction written by Jim McPherson, a 2-page set of details and charts compiled and written by Jim McPherson re the 10 Golden Age Patriarchs of Humankind, and a 1-page PHANTACEA Price List including black-and-white reproductions of all seven previous covers in the franchise.

BACKGROUND NOTES:
- Jim McPherson’s first work to appear in PHANTACEA came in PHANTACEA #1, 1977; Ian Fry’s first work to appear in PHANTACEA came in PHANTACEA Phase One #1, 1987; Ian Bateson’s first work to appear in PHANTACEA came in PHANTACEA #2, 1978; the nine sequences making up the graphic novel were initially prepared as backup features to the projected, 15-issue series entitled PHANTACEA Phase One;
- Raven’s Head is a huge horse with talarial wings on both sides of her hooves, a unicorn horn and a raven’s head; Blind Sundown (not a samurai, a North American Human Being or, more commonly, a Cheyenne), his Solar Spear and Raven’s Head herself first appeared in PHANTACEA #2, 1978; the Great Flood of Genesis is referred to as the Genesea throughout the PHANTACEA Mythos;

BACKCOVER BLURB - FOREVER AND FORTY DAYS

- "Helios as history," thinks Ryne, "What a horrid concept!" Yet history is exactly what Kadmon Heliopolis, orphaned son of Second World War Greek Freedom Fighters, becomes.
- When the Devil came into existence, Helios acted. When the Devil was driven out of Weirsystem, Helios pursued. When the Devil fled through the heavens, Helios attacked. When the Devil came to Earth, Helios followed. But the Entity called Sophos the Wise could never rid the Cosmos of the Evil he helped create. That task fell to Xuthros Hor, the Tenth Patriarch of Golden Age Humankind.
- High atop Mt. Ararat, Hor summoned the Deluge. Sedon, the Eternal Antagonist called for a bar of soap.
- "Taking Genesis literally troubled me. Taking Genesis as Mythology --- like The Iliad or The Eddas --- was inspirational."

JIM McPHERSON... from his introduction

More info:

Jim McPherson (creator/writer/publisher)
Ian Fry (artist)
Overall pencils, inks, colour and typesetting on the cover are by Ian Bateson

[Zacharie]

Title: Crawl to Me (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Alan Robert (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: IDW (Don't click it, read the review here... )

Review:

Crawl to Me takes place in an isolated country town during the frigid winter months. The story centers on a young family as they cope with a series of disturbing events that force them to question their relationship, their faith and their very existence. When husband and wife, Ryan and Jessica, move into their first home together, strange things occur. Half-eaten animals and other remains are found inside the basement's crawl space. The family dog disappears within the house. Distant voices and singing are heard from beneath the floorboards. The couple begins to think that an evil entity is living inside their walls. Nothing can prepare them for what they'll discover, and Ryan and Jessica soon realize that they must set aside all they believe to be real, in order to face the inevitable truth.

"I couldn't have been happier to do Wire Hangers with Alan," said Chris Ryall, IDW's Chief Creative Officer, "and to see him stretch in different areas here is even more gratifying. This is a good, dark, psychologically affecting and surprisingly intimate story that I'm happy to foist on an unsuspecting comic-reading public. Put another way, if you survived Wire Hangers with any part of your psyche intact, Crawl to Me should help finish the job."

"All my life, I've been told that I have a twisted imagination. By creating these horror stories, I'm finally putting my morbid thoughts to good use," said Robert. "My first series, Wire Hangers , was so well received by comic and horror fans last year that I felt inspired to continue telling stories in the medium. Crawl to Me goes even darker. It's not your typical, run-of-the-mill, haunted house story. It's more of a psychological thriller, filled with demented mind-games that will keep you guessing. Think of it as a Twilight Zone episode on steroids."

More info:

Written and illustrated by Alan Robert

[Zacharie]

Title: Wire Hangers (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Alan Robert (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: IDW (Don't click it, read the review here... )

Review:

In Wire Hangers, a series of abductions plagues New York City and no one is safe. When Anna Davis, a feisty young reporter, goes undercover to try and snag the big exclusive, she stumbles upon clues that give us a glimpse into what could be the most disturbing government conspiracy of our time. Pill-popping detectives, corrupt secret agents and a mysterious, disfigured homeless man are all inter-connected in this horrific tale of revenge and redemption.

Robert states, "I've wanted to tell this story for as long as I can remember. I came up with the Wire Hangers concept a few years back, when Life of Agony was on the road supporting Ozzy Osbourne. It has haunted me ever since. Whenever we were touring or in the recording studio, I would find myself sketching out characters on the back of lyric sheets and leaving voicemail messages for myself with scene dialogue. By the time I presented the idea to IDW earlier this year, the story was completely fleshed out. Visually, it's dark and gritty with tons of textures and atmosphere. The artwork really sets a tone for the series and plays an equal part in telling the story.

"I really can't express how excited I am to finally see this idea come to life. I've been a huge comic book fan since I was just a kid and I went to art college in the hopes of becoming a penciler one day. During my graduation year, my band LOA landed a record contract with Roadrunner Records to record our debut album, River Runs Red. Once it came out, I found myself touring full-time and focusing on my music career. So, for me, all these years later - to finally create my own original comic series is a dream come true and releasing it through IDW is icing on the cake. IDW has published some of my favorite comics, like 30 Days of Night and Welcome to Hoxford. It's a real honor to have Wire Hangers appear alongside those titles."

"Wire Hangers is going to hold its own up against the IDW titles that Alan has long admired," said Chris Ryall, IDW's Publisher/Editor-in-Chief. "When he brought me the story, both his storytelling sense and artistic skills were fully formed and ready to roll on a comic series. In much the same way Alan went from playing bass for one band to fronting another, his talents will be front and center on his comic, too."

More info:

Written and illustrated by Alan Robert