The Batman Library, Part 4

Last time, I looked at Elseworlds, Batman stories that don't take place in the regular comics continuity. This time, I thought I'd go in the opposite direction.

In the 1990s, comics changed drastically with the market driven by speculators who saw thousands paid for comics from the 30s and 40s, and bought 50 copies of every "significant" comic in the hopes that it'd someday be valuable. The publishers responded by trying to make every comic seem significant (like the The Death of Superman). Batman was no different, with a series of events that crossed over between the two main Batman titles (Batman and Detective Comics) and related titles like Nightwing, the Birds of Prey, Gotham Knights, Shadow of the Bat, Legends of the Dark Knight, and Robin. I should warn ahead of time that these stories aren't always great, but they're epic, so if you're into that sort of thing, give them a shot.

• Batman: Knightfall, Part One, Part Two, Part Three by Doug Moench, Chuck Dixon, and others. (and the follow-up Prodigal that appears to be out of print)
  
  The gist: A dangerous new villain comes to Gotham City to prove that he is better than Batman. A new vigilante comes to Gotham as well, fighting alongside Batman and learning from him. A lot more happens, but I don't want to give much away. Some fans absolutely love parts of this, I don't exactly love it, but it is an important event in the history of Batman.
  
  Any relation to the movies?: Not that I can think of. Knightfall is heavily immersed in the history of Gotham as a city full of costumed freaks fighting on the rooftops at night.
  
  Villains who appear: Just about all of them. But the major players are Bane and Azrael.



• No Man's Land: Cataclysm (Prelude), Vol. 1, Vol. 2, Vol. 3, Vol. 4, Vol. 5. By Chuck Dixon, Devin Grayson, Greg Rucka, and many others.
  
  The gist: A massive earthquake strikes Gotham. Almost every building has either collapsed or sustained so much damage that it's on the verge of collapse. The cost to rebuild is so massive, and the public perception of crime-filled Gotham is so negative, that Congress votes to abandon the city entirely, giving residents a few days to evacuate before it's walled off and the bridges out closed. Some Gothamites can't make it out, or won't leave their homes. The criminals stay to wreak havoc on a lawless city. And of course the heroes stay to try to stop the criminals. This was a hugely ambitious event, running for what seemed like forever, with about 100 issues in some way tied into No Man's Land or the buildup to it.
  
  Any relation to the movies?: Again, I don't think so, but it's so much material that I could've missed something.
  
  Villains who appear: Again, just about all of them. Black Mask, Huntress, Killer Croc, Mad Hatter, Mr. Freeze, Zsasz, Penguin, Poison Ivy, Scarecrow, Scarface, and Two-Face all carve out a piece of Gotham to try to rule. And the Joker runs around doing Joker-ish stuff.


• Bruce Wayne - Murderer?, Bruce Wayne - Fugitive, Vol. 1, Vol. 2, by Ed Brubaker, Greg Rucka, Chuck Dixon, and others.
  
  The gist: Bruce Wayne's ex-girlfriend is found murdered in Wayne Manor. Bruce is innocent, but his only alibi is that he was punching villains in the face while wearing a cape. This obviously creates some problems.
  
  Any relation to the movies?: Not that I recall.
  
  Villains who appear: Some villains appear here and there (including the one who was actually the murderer, obviously), but the story is more about the importance of Batman's identity versus Bruce's exoneration and/or freedom.


• War Drums (Prelude), War Games, Act One, Act Two, Act Three, and War Crimes, which ties up some loose ends. By Bill Willingham, Ed Brubaker, Greg Rucka, Devin Grayson, and many others.
  
  The gist: The new Robin accidentally starts a massive gang war.
  
  Any relation to the movies?: The Dark Knight features the mob families in disarray, but I'm not sure I can make the leap that this idea was borrowed from War Games.
  
  Villains who appear: Quite a few, though this features Black Mask's big moment, so he's the one that sticks out.

The Batman Library, Part 3

After covering Batman's early years and modern classics, I'd cover some of the "Elseworlds" books, out of continuity stories where creators can be imaginative without a Bat-fan riot over inconsistencies with facts from older stories.

• Gotham by Gaslight by Brian Augustyn and Mike Mignola
  
  The gist: Set in the late 1800s, Bruce Wayne is returning from Europe where he's trained to be a crimefighter. He arrives in Gotham to begin his life as Batman. At the same time, after terrorizing London, Jack the Ripper has come to Gotham as well, and Bruce Wayne becomes the main suspect. And there aren't many better than Mignola at creating moody, dark art.
  
  Any relation to the movies?: Not at all.
  
  Villains who appear: Jack the Ripper, although there is a brief appearance by the Joker.



• Gotham Noir by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips
  
  The gist: Batman reimagined in a film noir style tale. Jim Gordon is a private detective, Selina Kyle is the femme fatale, a nightclub owner. It's not the greatest thing ever, but if you're a fan of film noir and Batman, it's a fun read (though it's out of print, I think, so it's annoying and/or expensive to find).
  
  Any relation to the movies?: There is a Joker element that ended up in the Dark Knight, but I don't think it's unique or original to Gotham Noir.
  
  Villains who appear: Catwoman, Joker, Harvey Dent.



• Batman: Year 100 by Paul Pope.
  
  The gist: Long after Batman disappeared from Gotham, and 100 years after his first appearance, the city has become a police state. A new Batman appears in a makeshift costume, and Captain Gordon, grandson of the police commissioner who tracked the original Bat, is in charge of hunt for this new vigilante.
  
  Any relation to the movies?: Not as far as I could tell.
  
  Villains who appear: None that I recall (it's been a while, though).
  



• All-Star Batman & Robin, The Boy Wonder by Frank Miller and Jim Lee
  
  The gist: A slightly insane version of Dick Grayson's origin as Robin (with some Batgirl origins as well). "All Star" is DC's line of comics where they get top creators to work on top characters in out-of-continuity tales, so they got fan favorite artist Jim Lee to work with legendary writer Frank Miller. What followed was uneven and on more than a few occasions I became convinced that Frank Miller had lost his mind. But the whole time I was laughing, whether it was intentional or not. This book got some press for releasing an issue where black bars covering obscenities hurled at Batgirl failed to really obscure the lettering (I don't know why they would actually write the words out, but oh well), and most of the copies were shredded. Anyway, the first volume is worth a read if only for a great scene with Green Lantern Hal Jordan.
  
  Any relation to the movies?: Nope.
  
  Villains who appear: Joker, Catwoman, Superman (and the rest of the Justice League).
  

The Batman Library, Part 2

Another slow news day, so it's back to looking at some of the best of Batman from the comics. In the first part, I took a look at Batman's early years. This time, I thought I'd cover what are basically the modern classics.

• Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth by Grant Morrison and Dave McKeon.
  
  The gist: The inmates take over Arkham Asylum, holding the staff hostage. Their only demand is that Batman come inside, determined to prove that it's where he belongs. This not for everyone and certainly not for kids. It's a Gothic horror Batman, with non-traditional art and adult concepts. But it was also for many years the best selling original graphic novel of all time, and it has many devoted fans. It's also my favorite work by Grant Morrison, who's been the writer for Batman for the past couple years.
  
  Any relation to the movies?: Supposedly one of two books given to Heath Ledger to study up for his role as the Joker (though I'm not sure there's any evidence he necessarily read them).
  
  Villains who appear: A whole bunch, but they're twisted takes on the classic villains. The Joker, Black Mask, Clayface, Killer Croc, The Mad Hatter, Maxie Zeus, Scarecrow, Two-Face. I don't have my copy with me, so I may have even left someone out.


• The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller
  
  The gist: An older Batman comes out of retirement to kick some ass on the streets of Gotham.
  
  Any relation to the movies?: Absolutely. There are bits and pieces lifted straight out of this book into both movies. And possibly more importantly, many credit this book and the attention it garnered with making Batman a dark character in the public's eyes after years of associating it with the campy 60s TV series.
  
  Villains who appear: The Joker, Two-Face, The Mutants, Superman, and very briefly Catwoman.


• The Killing Joke by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland (as I think I mentioned before, I recommend this instead since it costs about the same and includes some other good stories (mostly not Batman))
  
  The gist: The Joker believes that he was driven insane by having just one really bad day, and sets out to prove his theory by putting Jim Gordon through hell.
  
  Any relation to the movies?: This was the other book supposedly given to Heath Ledger. And you can see a lot of the characterization from the Dark Knight in this book.
  
  Villains who appear: The Joker.


• Tales of the Demon by Dennis O'Neil, Neal Adams, and others
  
  The gist: The definitive Ra's al-Ghul stories from the 1970s. Though the date might scare some modern readers off (I'm one of them, I have a hard time with the purple prose and downright silliness of most comics before 1985 or so), the work holds up pretty well. Other than the art not having the rich coloring that modern books have, it could almost pass for being recent.
  
  Any relation to the movies?: Certainly an influence on Batman Begins, though not as strong as some of the other books on this list.
  
  Villains who appear: Ra's al Ghul, Talia al Ghul.


• Tower of Babel by Mark Waid and Howard Porter
  
  The gist: This is a Justice League of America story, but pretty Batman-centric. It's not quite as "classic" as the rest of the books on this list, but it's got a killer concept that comic nerds like me love. Batman has kept detailed plans on how to take out the other members of the Jusice League in case they became a problem, but Ra's al Ghul stole them and put them into action.
  
  Any relation to the movies?: None whatsoever.
  
  Villains who appear: Ra's al Ghul, Talia al Ghul.

The Batman Library, Part 1

No news today, so I thought I'd start in on something I've been kicking around in my mind for a while: a list of recommended reads to anyone who's enjoyed the movies and wants to try out some comics. Today, the early years of the modern* Batman:

• Batman: Year One by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli.
  
  The gist: Bruce Wayne comes back to Gotham after years away to begin his war on crime. At the same time, Jim Gordon leaves behind a troubled past in Chicago to make a fresh start at Gotham City P.D.
  
  Any relation to the movies?: Hugely influential to Batman Begins, you'll recognize more than one scene lifted directly from this story.
  
  Villains who appear: An unusual version of Catwoman, pre-Two Face Harvey Dent, a hint of the Joker.


• Batman and the Monster Men and Batman and the Mad Monk by Matt Wagner.
  
  The gist: Two stories that are modern re-tellings of some of the earliest Batman villains, they pick right up where Year One left off. Bruce is still new to the whole Batman thing and Supervillainy is an entirely foriegn concept.
  
  Any relation to the movies?: Nope.
  
  Villains who appear: Hugo Strange and The Monk, respectively, are the main foes for each book.


• Batman: The Man Who Laughs by Ed Brubaker and Doug Mahnke
  
  The gist: Along the same lines as Wagner's books, this is a modern take on Batman's first encounter with the Joker.
  
  Any relation to the movies?: No, this Joker is a little closer to Jack Nicholson than Heath Ledger.
  
  Villains who appear: The Joker.


• Batman: The Long Halloween by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale.
  
  The gist: Batman, Jim Gordon, and DA Harvey Dent team up to stop the mob in Gotham, while a serial killer striking only on holidays targets members of the crime families.
  
  Any relation to the movies?: Another big influence on Nolan and company, especially, I think, Tim Sale's art.
  
  Villains who appear: Harvey Dent, Catwoman, Holiday, Joker, Riddler, Solomon Grundy, Calendar Man (the only time I can remember that he was in a cool story), Mad Hatter, Penguin

That's it for today, more the next time there's no news.

* - modern basically means since 1986, both because DC's universe "rebooted" that year in something called Crisis on Infinite Earths and because stories like The Dark Knight Returns and Watchmen changed comics tremendously.