Batman ’66 #7 – Review

By: Jeff Parker & Tom Peyer (story), Christopher Jones & Derec Donovan (art), Tony Aviña (colors)

The Story: Batman’s enlisted to track down Gotham’s newest villain—Bruce Wayne.

The Review: Parker definitely took on a different kind of challenge in committing himself to Batman ’66.  Although the show has garnered a cult audience over the years, even the cultists know better than to take the show very seriously.  Somehow, Parker has to sustain long-term interest in the series with a pool of story possibilities limited by the original show’s innocence, simplicity, and campiness.

Although Parker got compelling reads out of the first couple issues, the ones that came after have struggled to find a balance between retro and modern sensibilities, just as this issue does.  The plot, of course, is nothing much: villain False Face masquerades as Bruce Wayne to carry out his evil doing free from suspicion.  Obviously, this puts Batman in the awkward position of working with the police to capture himself, which Parker could have gotten a great story out of, but somehow falls short.

National Comics: Eternity #1

By: Jeff Lemire (story), Cully Hamner & Derec Donovan (art), Val Staples (colors)

The Story: There are some people who need killing and there are some who need to stay dead.

The Review: Even though DC Universe Presents has been a mixed bag, quality wise—the high point being the recent Vandal Savage arc by James Robinson, the low being, predictably enough, Dan Didio’s Challengers of the Unknown—I still dig the showcase format as an idea.  The joy of having a shared universe with hundreds of characters is for creators to use them as springboards for ideas, tapping into potential stories no one else sees.

DC Universe Presents really only had a flaw in its tolerance for length.  It’s one thing to leave a title on the stands for a few months just to weather a mediocre story, but if that story stretches on for six issues, you’re more likely to forget about the title altogether rather than pick it up again.

Batman: Gates of Gotham #4 – Review

By: Scott Snyder, Kyle Higgins, Ryan Parrott (writers), Dustin Nguyen & Derec Donovan (artists), Guy Major (colorist)

The Story: Dammit Tim, I’m a detective, not a historian!

The Review: With DC’s top creators on blistering track to launch their new lineup come fall and maintain a steady release pace afterward, it’s little wonder the current titles all have a rushed, cobbled-together quality about them.  You must have noticed the record number of fill-in writers and artists on everything, even on the three-issue Flashpoint tie-ins.  While some of these fill-in jobs have been acceptable, even praiseworthy, quite a lot more have been anything but.

For a while, Higgins as the executor of Snyder’s story worked out very well.  After it came out that Higgins would work on the upcoming Nightwing, Parrott came in as his backup. Gates of Gotham remained seemingly unaffected; last issue seemed on track for a great conclusion.  But, as in Supergirl #62, the grim effects of the lead creators taking less responsibility for the title sneak up on you, and here you get ambushed by any number of writing missteps.

For one, several principal characters experience dramatic personality changes.  While Nicholas Gates going into a very Gothamesque, homicidal bent makes some sense in light of his brother’s death, Alan Wayne revealing a sinister condescension feels inexplicable and forced, almost laughable.  Too bad his mustache isn’t a bit longer, because he might as well be twirling it as he haughtily tells Nick, “…secrets are influence…and influence is power.  But I don’t expect you to understand that.  After all, you aren’t one of us—and you never will be.”