Batman and the Monster Men
WRITER/ARTIST/COVER: Matt Wagner

This is a collection of the recent miniseries recounting the novice Batman's first encounter with super-powered villains, in this case, the "Monster Men,"-- creatures mutated by Professor Hugo Strange. Although it is inspired by the original meeting of Batman and the bad professor back in the Golden-Age, the story unfolds more like a movie thriller with aspects of a horror movie and a crime drama mixed in. Strange is mixed up with gangsters that the Batman is pursuing. The gangsters in turn, are are also linked to the father of Bruce Wayne's new girlfriend, Julie Madison and virtually all the principals come together for a violent and action-packed climax. Wagner's art is a moody combination of Golden-Age Batman, pulp magazine covers and EC comics. It may look less refined than his other works but perhaps that suits the story better as it makes the monsterous aspects more frightening. Yet for an artist, Wagner puts too much emphasis on words with paragraph after paragraph of melodramatic internal monologues. Rather than describing Bruce Wayne's love for Julie, it would be more effective just to have him displaying some affection. Wagner's Batman also adjusts too easily to the new world he has been thrust in. Considering that this is his first encounter with superbeings, even the mighty Batman should have been shaken-- even frightened, by this experience. It would have made the story more significant, rather than looking like just another (albeit well-done) Batman miniseries.