Kirok
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Post by Kirok on Jun 30, 2008 16:51:46 GMT -5
In preparation for "The Dark Knight" I recently re-read the "Year One Trilogy" of Batman graphic novels. It had been a few years since I'd last read them and initially I thought Dark Victory was the weakest of the three, but this time around I found myself enjoying it the most.
"Year One" is a good origin but more of a Gordon story than a Batman story and it lacks a costumed villain, aside from a brief appearance by Catwoman. It's conclusion is also anti-climactic, but the tease of Joker at the end is great.
"The Long Halloween" goes into the Batman/Gordon/Dent crusade in great detail, and does an excellent job with the origin of Two-Face. In a reversal from YO however, there are far TOO MANY costumed villains in this one. It's almost fanboy-esque how many of them Loeb worked into the story, just for the sake of having them. Also, the mystery is not sufficiently explained. I can appreciate a good mystery when all the pieces fit together to form a logical conclusion, but this one doesn't. (Loeb also has the same problem with "Batman: Hush".)
"Dark Victory" is a direct sequel to TLH, but unlike its predecessor, the costumed villains all have a purpose and reason for taking part in the story. The mystery also adds up in the end. Most importantly though, DV takes the concept and character of Robin and makes it work without question. Why someone like Bruce Wayne would include Dick Grayson in his crusade has always been a bit of an enigma, but it makes perfect sense here.
They're all good stories, I just happened to like DV the best on my last reading. When I pick them up again in a couple of years (for Batman 3 perhaps), my preferences may change. But those are my current opinions.
Discuss.
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Post by MAVERICK on Jun 30, 2008 17:21:00 GMT -5
Im ashamed to say I havent read them.
But I most certainly will, based on your comments.
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Post by Valentine Smith on Jul 3, 2008 6:54:09 GMT -5
All of 'em are great, and Dark Victory and Long Halloween are more fun and colorful, but at the end of the day, it's Year One which is the one which kinda transcends the genre.
You can give Year One to a non-comic reader, and they'll be floored by it. God...I miss the days when Frank Miller really WAS a great writer...before he started to believe his own press.
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Post by Jor-L5150 on Jul 7, 2008 0:28:53 GMT -5
was it " year two " that had the " REAPER " ? that was pretty good- itinfluenced the excellent " mask of the phantasm"
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Kirok
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Post by Kirok on Jul 7, 2008 1:10:56 GMT -5
was it " year two " that had the " REAPER " ? that was pretty good- itinfluenced the excellent " mask of the phantasm" Yeah that was "Year Two." It doesn't really fit into continuity anymore and I'm not sure where it stands now after all the crisis. I didn't think too much of this one; Batman teaming up with Joe Chill and using a gun? Eh... Mask of the Phantasm was 100% better. As usual, the Animated Series teams takes mediocre material from the comics and makes something great out of it. |
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Post by Valentine Smith on Jul 7, 2008 22:02:00 GMT -5
Kirok said it all. I actually JUST re-read Year Two as part of my Batman reading. I'm reading all Batman comics from post-Crisis On Infinite Earths up until Knightfall. In order.
EVERYTHING else has held up so far. Except for Year Two. Which, while it isn't "crap", isn't exactly memorable either.
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Post by belloq on Jul 22, 2008 3:43:13 GMT -5
i haven't read any batman comics since i was a kid (physically anyway, mentally i'm still there), but i would love to start checking out the trades. Batman Begins and The Dark Knight are my favorite comic movies. Could someone provide me with a short list (chronological and with a bit of continuity) of trades that's in the style of these films?
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Post by Valentine Smith on Jul 23, 2008 22:32:12 GMT -5
My faves (and the ones I think you'll dig the most based on your comments)
In rough "continuity chronological" order, with my notes.
1) Batman: Year One (Frank Miller, David Mazzuchecki) ESSENTIAL. Without this, there is no new Batman franchise. Can read it over and over.
2) Batman: The Man Who Laughs (Ed Brubaker) This is the "definitive" continuity first Batman/Joker fight. It's basically an updating of the first Joker story from 1940. Similar in style and tone to Year One AND the movies.
3) Batman: The Long Halloween (Jeph Loeb, Tim Sale) Lots of fun. A little derivative, but it's a great read. Tim Sale does great art, with lots of heavy black ink lines and shadows. Think of it as "Batman: Year Two"
4) Batman: Dark Victory (Jeph Loeb, Tim Sale) The direct sequel to Long Halloween. It's basically a 12 issue Two Face origin. And also establishes Robin. It's "Batman: Year Three". I find it superior to Long Halloween, but I'm in the minority.
5) Batman: The Killing Joke (Alan Moore, Brian Bolland) ESSENTIAL. This is conceivably the greatest Batman story ever told. 48 pages. The ULTIMATE Batman/Joker story. Continuity wise, it's "recent", as it's post Robin, post Batgirl, etc. If you only buy ONE THING from this list, this is the one.
6) Batman: Arkham Asylum (Grant Morrison, Bill Sienkiewicz) "the secret origin of Arkham Asylum". Batman locked in the asylum with his deadliest foes! Reads like a bad LSD trip. Pages and pages of psycho-sexual subtext. I see TONS of Ledger's Joker in this.
7) Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (Frank Miller, Klaus Janson) ESSENTIAL. The end of Batman's career. 50 year old Batman comes out of retirement to take care of some "loose ends". Spectacular. Just, mind-numbingly good. AVOID THE SEQUEL (Dark Knight Strikes Again) LIKE IT'S EBOLA.
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Post by belloq on Jul 24, 2008 1:38:32 GMT -5
thank you very much. on my way to ebay and amazon.
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Post by Valentine Smith on Jul 24, 2008 23:42:29 GMT -5
Cool! Lemme know what you pick up. I'm always down to talk comics.
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Post by belloq on Jul 25, 2008 1:34:30 GMT -5
sure thing, already ordered year one.
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Post by eccentricbeing on Jul 25, 2008 18:18:26 GMT -5
Damn, I may actually check these comics out. I've certainly been in the mood for them.
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Post by DarrenJ on Jul 27, 2008 4:59:06 GMT -5
Me too, the only thing I've read is Batman vs Judge Dredd.
They sound interesting though.
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Post by Valentine Smith on Jul 27, 2008 10:23:09 GMT -5
Do it!!!
All of these are stand alone stories, so it's not like you have to know all sorts of DC continuity to understand them. The most important ones are Year One, Killing Joke, and Dark Knight.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 28, 2008 18:25:42 GMT -5
They're all fantastic, as it's been said, but I'd go with Long Halloween. I loved it. I absolutely loved it. It was, I think, the first powerduo book I read, Supes for All Seasons was after that, right?
Dark Victory's a heck of a read, but yeah, Year One for sure is pretty damn important for anyone who wants to get into reading Batman comics.
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Metallo
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Post by Metallo on Jul 28, 2008 21:14:45 GMT -5
Killing Joke
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Kirok
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Post by Kirok on Jul 29, 2008 3:29:26 GMT -5
4) Batman: Dark Victory (Jeph Loeb, Tim Sale) The direct sequel to Long Halloween. It's basically a 12 issue Two Face origin. And also establishes Robin. It's "Batman: Year Three". I find it superior to Long Halloween, but I'm in the minority. We are in agreement here, Mr. Smith. You should have voted for it up top so it wouldn't just have my one lonely tally! I've never read The Killing Joke, but I will be doing so soon. |
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Luke
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Post by Luke on Jul 29, 2008 10:19:24 GMT -5
The Killing Joke would be my favourite.
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Luke
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Post by Luke on Jul 29, 2008 10:35:36 GMT -5
David Lapham's City of Crime is worth a look too but I love Stray Bullets so I'm biased.
Not quite in the same style but the following are good:
Son of the Demon with fantastic art by Jerry Bingham.
A Death in the Family with a quite brutal Joker in this one.
There were also two really good trades titled:
Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told
Greatest Joker Stories Ever Told
The Joker one being made as a result of the majority of good Batman stories featured the Joker so they simply made a seperate title with all his stories in it. Worth picking up as they feature decent stories through the ages of Batman.
Edit:
I've just realised that Greatest Batman Stories actually includes Son of the Demon so don't get Demon if you intend to get the greatest collection. They're pretty old trades as well so feature quite old stories.
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Post by Rorschach on Jul 29, 2008 16:07:58 GMT -5
I've not read Dark Victory, but of the other two, its easily Year One for me, I was quite dissapointed by The Long Halloween which is why I never got round to reading Dark Victory, the character of Batman seemed one dimensional compared to how he was in Year One.
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Gandy
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Post by Gandy on Aug 5, 2008 7:51:20 GMT -5
Is The Long Halloween in 13 parts?
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Luke
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Post by Luke on Aug 5, 2008 9:44:46 GMT -5
Yep. 13 parts.
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ShogunLogan
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Post by ShogunLogan on Aug 6, 2008 10:12:37 GMT -5
6) Batman: Arkham Asylum (Grant Morrison, Bill Sienkiewicz) "the secret origin of Arkham Asylum". Batman locked in the asylum with his deadliest foes! Reads like a bad LSD trip. Pages and pages of psycho-sexual subtext. I see TONS of Ledger's Joker in this. The artist is not Sienkiewicz...it's Dave McKean. I just reread this...I was surprised to realize how much I disliked it. I guess I wasn't in the right frame of mind. I like 2-Face in it, that is about all. |
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Post by Valentine Smith on Aug 6, 2008 19:53:16 GMT -5
bah! I knew that! I'm just a dope.
It's a little dark, but I dig it. You don't dig Joker in it, huh?
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Post by belloq on Aug 9, 2008 12:50:05 GMT -5
Cool! Lemme know what you pick up. I'm always down to talk comics. received Year One and The Man Who Laughs. probably won't get to them for a couple of days, but i'll post when i do. |
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