In this seventh installment of Miller and Lee’s landmark Batman series, Batman finally meets Black Canary, Robin meets his parents’ killer, and people get beat up while being burned alive. Oh yeah!
The Obligatory Warning: sex, blood, a close up of a man’s jaw getting sliced up.
Miller’s Batman is decidedly unrepressed. None of the usual gruff stoicism, here-- Batman quips to his criminals as he burns them with clorox and thermite, Beavis and Butthead style. He’s a superhero who appreciates the subtleties of the Anarchist Cookbook. This Batman never heard of stealth, either-- he stomps about Gotham making more unwanted noise than a middle school chorus. He also does the horizontal hokey-pokey with Black Canary, who’s Irish, for godknowswhy, and gives a twelve-year old the chance to behead someone.
This is all to say I’d love Frank Miller to appropriate the Sweet Valley Twins, or the Choose Your Own Adventure books. That’d be a hoot. To behead the scheming, murderous call girl, go to page 138. For limb-by-limb dismemberment, go to page 52. Oooh…maybe not.
Jim Lee ventures beyond his comfort zone to accommodate Miller. Jim Lee’s style is always graceful. Even Wolverine is balletic in his hands, which helps explain why Lee enjoyed drawing Psylocke so darned much, back in the day (the early 90s, youngsters. History’s good for you!) In All Star B & R, Jim Lee takes a detour, drawing people in ungraceful positions. The good news? Lee’s adapted to Miller better than Tom Wolfe adapted to fiction.
Worth the money? For the art, yes. Very little happens, plot wise, in this issue.
Action Comics #883
Nighwing and Flamebird make their public debut and start the hunt for Zod’s most dangerous sleeper.
Blood and Water
Vampire stories are all the rage these days. Most are silly teenage romances, but every once in a while a vampire tale comes along that doesn’t, um…suck.
Secret Six # 15
Deadshot tries to come to terms with his homicidal impulses.
Blackest Night #4 (of 8)
Barry Allen does his best to rally the heroes, but will they be able to stand against the arrival of Nekron?
Superman: World of New Krypton #9
Jemm storms New Krypton’s High Council Chamber demanding an audience, Kal-El and Zod meet, and the first murder on New Krypton is committed.
Madame Xanadu #16
The return of series artist Amy Reeder Hadley also marks the start of a new, creepy, and great Matt Wagner story.
Superman #693
General Lane makes Mon-El an offer he has to refuse, but an unlikely ally might just save Mon-El’s life.
The Brave and the Bold # 28
The Flash travels back in time to World War II where he joins forces with the fabled Blackhawks.
Northlanders #21
A settlement along The Volga River in Russia deals with the onslaught of a plague in the start of a new story arc.
Superman: Secret Origin #2 (of 6)
Young Clark Kent experiences a bit of a super identity crisis, but manages to get by with some help from his parents and some new friends…Long Live The Legion!
Superman/Batman #65
The Scarecrow takes Superman, The Batman, The Joker, and Lex Luthor on a fear gas induced Halloween nightmare ride.
Azrael #1
The new Azrael’s ongoing series debuts with the death of a major character…
Supergirl #46
The Metropolis Three finally capture Reactron, Thara and Kara make up, and some more light is shed on Lana’s mysterious condition…
