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Best Batman Graphic Novel?

post #1 of 20
6/7/00 at 8:17pm
Thread Starter 
Any thoughts? I need to pick one up.

Matt
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post #2 of 20
6/7/00 at 8:31pm
Arkham Asylum -- Grant Morrison
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post #3 of 20
6/7/00 at 8:36pm
easy.

1) frank miller's the dark night returns.

you must own this if you want to know what batman is.

2) frank miller/david mazzuchelli's batman year one

you must own this if you want to know how batman started out.

3) grant morrison/dave mckean's arkham asylum

this one's got top shelf art and a neat idea but lacks something...

in prestige format
4) alan moore/brian bolland's the killing joke

a momentous clash between batman and his criminal archrival.

5) dave gibbons/two of the kuberts' batman vs. predator

fun take on what would happen if the world's greatest detective fought the galaxy's most fearsome hunter.

/willko.
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post #4 of 20
6/7/00 at 8:46pm
4.5) chuck dixon/i don't remember's the chalice (i think that was the title).

it's basically the story of how bruce wayne becomes entrusted with what might be one of the most powerful and sacred artifacts ever: the holy grail. he has to figure out whether it's real, and what to do with it while staving off the myriad forces who want it... nice read. i enjoyed it at a borders bookstore a few months ago... you could probably get it through amazon.com or order it through previews at the comicshop. i think it's only available in hardcover currently.

/willko.

p.s. dc released the 10th or 15th annual tpb of dark knight returns with frank miller's original script for part 4 as an addendum. i read that at a comic shop recently and it was illuminating to see how much was changed (and mostly for the better) in the final version.
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post #5 of 20
6/8/00 at 5:01am
Let's not forget Jeph Loeb's THE LONG HALLOWEEN, which is currently being followed up by the terrific DARK VICTORY.

Good stuff, that.
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post #6 of 20
6/8/00 at 5:26am
The Batman vs. Judge Dredd book also pleased.
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post #7 of 20
6/8/00 at 11:25am
The Dark Knight returns is very, very good, but I like Year One even better. The Killing Joke is likewise excellent.

One of the best Batman stories I've read recently, tho', is a one-shot by Christopher Priest and (I think) Shawn Martinborough called The Hill. The basic premise is a ghettoized area of Gotham called the Hill, where this drug lord has the basic attitude of "Why the hell should I be scared of Batman? It's just some white guy in a cape." Bat's response is pretty much, 'I'll show you why'. It takes one of my favorite approaches to Batman; no matter how much of a badass you think he is, you're wrong, because he's a bigger badass than you ever imagined.

Hellblazer
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post #8 of 20
6/8/00 at 2:25pm
War on Crime by Alex Ross is incredible.


I guess that is more like a one-shot though.
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post #9 of 20
6/8/00 at 2:26pm
The Dark Knight Returns is obviously the best though.
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post #10 of 20
6/8/00 at 5:03pm
I have nothing to add.

The collected "Death in the Family" is superb, however...
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post #11 of 20
6/8/00 at 8:38pm
I suppose you all know that Frank Miller is planning a follow up to The Dark Knight Returns. Tentatively titled The Dark Knight Strikes Again, he story will supposedly be released in mid-2001, and will feature The Question, Hal Jordan, Oliver Queen (Green Arrow), The Flash (Barry Allen one), and The Atom. The young gal who took over Robin's role in 'Returns' will be back as a different heroine.
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post #12 of 20
6/9/00 at 5:36am
A bit about "War On Crime" - while I do enjoy it, there's something a bit off to me. See, Bats just looks a bit too portly in that one - sort of like Elvis at the beginning stage of ballooning out.

Of course, being that I've known Alex Ross since high school, I'm allowed to be critical.

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post #13 of 20
6/9/00 at 9:37am
I had forgotten all about The Killing Joke. I have to dig that beauty out of my box. That cover! WOOOO!

And for those of you who don't know it: I'm Batman.
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post #14 of 20
6/9/00 at 10:23am
Dark Knight Returns, if for no other reason than to see the outcome of one of comicdom's most speculated fights.

BATMAN vs. SUPERMAN.
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post #15 of 20
6/9/00 at 10:25am
Was Batman vs Alien any good?
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post #16 of 20
6/10/00 at 1:06am
I have the first part, but it's been a long time since I've read it. I'll get back to you on that.
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post #17 of 20
6/10/00 at 3:25pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks guys!

I picked up Year One and The Dark Night Returns.

I've been out of the comics scene for fifteen years but I remember Miller.

Matt
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post #18 of 20
6/10/00 at 4:38pm
Since we helped you, you are obligated to report back with your impressions ...
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post #19 of 20
6/11/00 at 10:05pm
i just bought the collected loeb/sale halloween stuff this weekend. great stories! also recommended for bat-philes is the one-shot called batman: black and white, which featured many artists doing single to double page vignettes on the masked man and various gotham citizens' takes on him... cool.

dave: possibly great news on the new batman stuff from miller. i'd love to see his take on the character now that he's even older (if you read the new intro he did for the anniversary edition of dark night returns, he stated that approaching 30 years old caused him to think about doing a batman at retirement story in the first place...).

yeah, matt, like blofeld said.. what did you think?

basically the three works i point to when i defend comics as a medium are dark night returns, watchmen and maus. but also highly recommended are scott mccloud's understanding comics and his recently released follow-up: reinventing comics.

/willko.
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post #20 of 20
6/14/00 at 10:56pm
Thread Starter 
Both Batman books kicked ass. Obvious points - story and art is great. I also loved the attention paid to 'peripheral' characters, esp. Jim Gordon. I've always been fascinated by him. Great to see Batman pound the crap out of Superman to punctuate the difference in their philosophies. Both books go on the top shelf alongside Watchmen and V for Vendetta.

As for Miller - what can you say. I put his Sin City stuff on order from Chapters.

Matt
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