Friday, July 18, 2008

My top 5 semi recent Batman Tales

OK Folks, I posted this on my forums over at the Comic Forums but decided to post this here as well. (BTW you can read our forums at http://www.thecomicforums.com.)

I am really psyched for this new Batman Film.  Since i began reading comics he has been my guy.  I love all thing Batman, Flash and Green Lantern, and from the early reviews this movie seems to be the bomb yo. (that little shout out is to Kevin)

So that got me thinking about different Batman stories that I have read through the yea
rs and there are five that stick out to me. Oh I will be spoiling so shit in them so if you want to avoid the list and just look at the titles go ahead (I'll let you this time.)

So away we go (in no particular order because that would be too much fucking work.):


Arkham Asylum: This is the First Trade I ever purchased.  i was a wee lad  (well i never really was wee) of 13 and bought what i thought was a straight up Batman Joker story.  Man this book should not be read by children under the age of 25.  this is a scary ass book.  Written by the master of Mind Fucks Grant Morrison, this deals with the Joker taking over the asylum and dragging batman down the road of mental despair.  Beautifully illustrated by Dave McKean (most famously know as a collaborator with gaimen) this book will screw with your mind and should probably have the vertigo label slapped on it.  

The Long Halloween: This is basically a Bruce Wayne/Batman and Harvey Dent Story. 
This is the book that introduced me to the Potential of Tim Sale Art.  The first Loeb/Sale collaboration i got was Superman for all seasons which a great story but I have never been that much of a superman guy so it didn't drag me in like a lot of other people.  There is on full page picture of the Joker Just smiling
 that i think is one of my favorite panels in comics.  And the twist at the end of this book Blew my mind apart.  What great shit.  I really hope that Captain America White brings Loeb back into his A game because what he was and what he has become are certainly two different people.

      
       
Knightfall: Now I know that this is the one I will probably take the most shit for.  This book has a lot of sentimental value for me.  See i wasn't like a lot of you that started to read comics when you were little kids.  i started when i was 13 and only because i had a buddy whose aunt was a colorist for DC.  he would get her box of Comped comics and give me a lot of them.  Knightfall was the first comic that I sought out to buy.  This is the story of Bane and his plan to take out the bat.  What happened afterwards was atrocious (and yet another stinky ass thing that Joe Q was attached to.) The one issue that really stands out for me is the One that has Tsasz terrorizing a girls school and holding them hostage by knife point.  Really well written and scary.

Detective Comics #826 "Slayride":  Now I may catch some heat for this one too because this is not really a Batman story.  This story centers around Robin and the Joker, and it is in this issue we get to see some of the most demented Joker scenes of the past couple of years. The one that always stands out to me is where he pulls up to a fast food drive through and they screw up his order.  Instead of complaining he simply pulls out a gun and shoots the window attendant in the face. Plus he has funny quips the whole time.


The Killing Joke:  OK I know i said that these are in no particular order but This one is I think the greatest batman story ever crafted.  yet again Very little Batman involved but the back story of the Joker and the torture and torment that he puts the Gordons through is astonishing.  This is the book that has set the status quo for a lot of characters.  The joker had a history that was comprehensible (DC still has not confirmed the cannon of this history but i like to think it is the definitive origin); This story is the creation of Oracle; This is the story that give Jim Gordon a reason beyond that of just a crime fighter to hate the Joker.  The art is amazing and the story is two shades of awesome.  I think if there is one batman story that all comic readers should read, this is the one.

OK Folks, Thats my top five list for now.  I'm sure as i hit the publish post button some other story will pop into my head but as of right now these are the first five i can think of.

Talk to y'all later,

TJ

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