The Brave and the Bold #2 (May 2007)

Back in August of 2025, I wrote about the first issue of The Brave and the Bold, a team-up comic whose name had a long history. You can learn more about that here. That comic was from the third revival of the title, which lasted until 2010. The title was started by the powerhouse creative team of writer Mark Waid and artist George Perez, and they showed their greatness in that issue. 

We were left in that issue with a bit of a cliffhanger. Batman and the Hal Jordan Green Lantern had been investigating an odd murder which led them to Las Vegas. When there, they discovered that the murder was over the powerful artifact known as the Book of Destiny, a tome that contains all knowledge of the past, the present, and the future. Such a book could not just make for interesting reading, but it would also be devastating in the wrong hands. And last we saw, an alien known as a Venturan had gotten their paws on the book, so that means our heroes are going to need some further help. So, where do we go from here? Let's find out in The Brave and the Bold #2!

The cover is a George Perez and Tom Smith piece. Naturally, it's incredible. It depicts the Hal Jordan Green Lantern and the Kara Zor-El Supergirl in the skies over the planet of Ventura. It's incredibly colorful and detailed. The planet is a casino and gambling world. Think of it as Las Vegas as a planet, and the art shows that well.

"The Lords of Luck (Part II) - Ventura"
Writer: Mrk Waid
Penciler: George Perez
Inker: Bob Wiacek
Colorist: Tom Smith
Letterer: Rob Leigh
Editor: Joey Cavalieri
Executive Editor: Dan DiDio

The story begins with the Girl of Steel, the Maiden of Might, Supergirl. This isn't the same Kara Zor-El that we last met on this blog battling Kraken. That version was erased from history. This is the post-Crisis version of Kara, a chatty teenager. She's flying in space with Hal Jordan, the Green Lantern.

"No, Kara. Superman said Khund coffee makes you crazy."

The two have some banter, and Hal catches her up (as well as us) on the last issue. Basically, an alien has made off with the Book of Souls, a powerful artifact that has all knowledge of past, present, and the future in its pages. Batman and Hal started the investigation, and the Dark Knight is continuing the investigation on Earth. Hal called in Supergirl to help track the alien...and the trail leads to the planet known as Ventura.

Ventura is, in the tradition of the "Planet of Hats" trope, is basically a massive casino. Their economy is based on gambling. Kara spots a man being tossed out a window...

...from a very high floor of a building. The Kryptonian powerhouse swoops down and saves the man's life. He begs her to help him, claiming that the casino swindled him out of his life savings. A cop tells Kara to not get involved and takes her away. It's revealed to be Hal Jordan in disguise, who explains to her that the man wasn't cheated, he was just unlucky.

You see, a planet of gambling has very strict regulations. Which is how it can be sustained. Hal shows her an example in the form of a time-traveler arriving at a casino. Now, he thinks he has an easy advantage, knowing future lottery numbers. Problem for him is...Ventura has regulations for that, too.

"Smithers...release the hounds."

They also are not fond of Green Lanterns, hence why Hal not only needed backup, he also had to go incognito. My guess is Ventura doesn't like Green Lanterns because their rings allow wielders to find ways to get around the various security devices they use to avoid cheating. 

Supergirl and Hal fly off, Hal pointing out that the perp is using the book to stay ahead of them. Hal cannot assume that they're going to fail, and that it's supposed to be that way. Let's look in on Earth, shall we?

On a nice night in the skies over Texas, a charter plane is flying. The pilot is talking with his wife about their anniversary plans. Batman has stowed away on the plane, and one of the beings that attacked Las Vegas in the last issue has a very nasty alien weapon locked on him. However, the Dark Knight has a savior: Jaime Reyes, the new Blue Beetle.

"Batman always has to be in everything, doesn't he?!"

He shows Batman where he took down the alien sniper...only to find that he's vanished.

And to make things worse, they're now both in the crosshairs. Back on Ventura, Hal and Kara continue their search. The book is in the hands of a powerful alien bookmaker. 

"Ladies, my new novel is a New York Times Bestseller! My thanks to you all!"

He's feeling good. With this book, he could make the biggest killing in Venturan history. He sees an image in the book change, and it leads him to wonder if the book...just rewrote itself?

Elsewhere, Kara and Hal are witnessing a fight between some aliens and a pair of gladiators called the Cragg Brothers. Well, it was a less a fight and more a brutal beatdown from said Craggs. When the Craggs fight, you do not pray to win, you pray to live. 

You see, Hal figures that the book thief were here. Most people would not gamble with small stakes if they had a book that knew the future. They'd want the big score. They want big money, and this arena deals with amounts of currency greater than some planets have.

Kara tries to flirt with Hal, but he's had enough of it. He awkwardly tries to get her to knock it off, but she just flies off in a huff, angry that Hal thinks she's a child. And things just got harder.

The announcer...announces that there is a new combatant in the arena tonight, fresh meat for the Craggs to slaughter. 

Kara planned to murder the costume designer.

Hal then realizes the Maid of Might has got a little plan going.

The Cragg Brothers charge at her, but being a Kryptonian, she easily makes the rocky warriors into piles of rubble. Hal grabs a betting robot and looks up who bet on Supergirl to win. After all, thanks to the Book of Destiny, a better would not only know that the Cragg Brothers would fight Supergirl, but that also she would fight them and win. The Lantern ditches his disguise to get the Venturan, but he's gone, his box a wreck. The Gambling Police arrive and start shooting at our man. Thankfully, Supergirl has his back. She spots him with the book thanks to her telescopic vision. Said Venturan looks through the book to see how he escapes, but it only shows him getting shot and killed. Which happens right then and there. And then someone else makes off with the book.

"Oh Zarquon, my horoscope said this would happen!"

Hey, it's that gambler Supergirl saved earlier! He flees, but Hal manages to catch him. It turns out that he's from the planet Rann, which is associated with the space-faring Adam Strange. He has adventures there. He's actually on Ventura because of a mission. He's a member of an underground rebellion. He came to Ventura to get funds for Rann's war against Thanagar. With this book, Rann could not only win the war against Thanagar, the Thanagarians could be destroyed. He tries to escape with a Zeta Beam, which ends up taking Hal as well.

Supergirl tries to rescue Hal but ends up eating arena floor. Her outfit got torn up, revealing that she was wearing her Supergirl outfit...complete with the Superman logo on it. One of the most famous emblems in the DC Universe. Yeah, she's in trouble.

I have to admit, like the first issue, I really enjoyed this one as well. I liked the exploration of Ventura. The idea that they have all these security features against telepaths and time-travelers and the like makes a lot of sense considering its hat is gambling. There are a lot of ways to cheat in the DCU, and for Ventura, a planet whose economy is clearly heavily dependent on gambling, preventing that is paramount. After all, who'd want to gamble at a casino where there's no fair chance to win? It also is a great subtle way to show just how powerful the Book of Destiny is. If it can foil all of these security measures, then it's something truly dangerous. 

I also got some laughs out of Hal's interactions with Kara Zor-El and Batman's with Jaime Reyes. Intergenerational banter is quite amusing. I couldn't help but feel a bit for Hal. After all, a teenage girl making doe-eyes at Hal and his awkwardness when trying to deal with this? Yeah, poor Hal just wanted to be professional about it.

The Venturan using the book to gamble on a disguised Supergirl winning makes a lot of sense. After all, if you had a powerful artifact that could tell you the future, the temptation to change things to make your own life better will come with it. Supergirl using this trope to her advantage is great as it helps show that she's hardly your stereotypical bubble-headed blonde. And of course, we got one exciting pair of cliffhangers, Hal on his way to Rann and Supergirl getting exposed. 

As for George Perez's art here, well...come on. If you're a regular reader of this blog, you all know how much I love his art, and how sad it is that he's no longer with us. The man left behind an incredible body of work, something to admire for any comic book artist. I hope that more budding comic artists discover his work and get inspired by it.  

If you want to read this story for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2024 trade paperback The Brave and the Bold: The Lords of Luck. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! If you like what I write and want to give my blog some additional support, please make a donation to my Ko-fi! See you next time! 

Detective Comics #556 (November 1985)

Love can be a funny thing in the DC Universe. Love can make a person into a hero, it can put them through trials, and it can also make a person go completely mad. And no one is immune to love. Not even the Caped Crusader. 

The mid-1980s was quite a time for Batman when it came to romance. While his Earth-Two counterpart managed to settle down with his world's Catwoman and have a daughter with her before his retirement and death, the Earth-One Batman was unattached. But a new wrinkle would come into the Bat's love life: a pale astronomer named Natalia Knight, better known as Nocturna.

First appearing in Detective Comics #529 (August 1983), created by Doug Moench, Don Newton, and Gene Colan, Natalia Knight was the adopted daughter of rich gangster Charles Knight. Despite this, she originally had no intention of following in his criminal footsteps. Instead, she followed her passion for astronomy, going on to work at the Gotham City Observatory. It was there that she was hit by a radioactive laser beam, causing her skin to lose all its pigment and making it difficult for her to live in sunlight. Combined with a taste for living in luxury, she would go on to become a criminal.

Her relationship with Batman would become rather complicated thanks to not only a mutual attraction between the two, but because she got involved in the life of the current Robin at the time: Jason Todd. She got involved in Bruce Wayne's legal battle to adopt him as part of an attempt to make him marry her so she could stay in the black finance-wise. It left Todd rather mistrustful of her. She would then leave Gotham, allowing Jason to stay with Bruce and continuing to fight crime as Robin.

But one day, the DC multiverse faced its last crisis. The skies had turned blood red, and it brought Natalia to return to the city, seeing her beloved night under assault. The pale criminal still harbored feelings towards Batman, and the Dark Knight still had a thing for her. In the midst of the end of the DC multiverse, the Caped Crusader still has to deal with matters of the heart...and a new threat to Gotham. Appropriate that for Valentine's Day that I look at a comic dealing with love troubles, huh? This is Detective Comics #556!

The cover is a Gene Colan, Dick Giordano, and Anthony Tollin piece. It's pretty good, depicting Batman and Nocturna making out. The blank red sky and rain helps put them front and center, their blue (supposedly black) outfits and Natalia's pale skin allowing them to stand out. One thing I find interesting about this cover is that it's missing the "special Crisis crossover" ribbon that decorated DC books coming out at this time. You see, in this comic, the skies are red from the Crisis on Infinite Earths, and Nocturna does notice it in-story, but it's not really a tie-in? Is that why it lacks the ribbon? I'm assuming that's the reason.

"The Bleeding Night"
Writer: Doug Moench
Penciler: Gene Colan
Inker: Bob Smith
Letterer: John Workman
Colorist: Adrienne Roy
Editor: Len Wein
Executive Editor: Dick Giordano

The story begins in Gotham City, on a night of foul weather. While bad weather is not unusual for this place, it's especially bad tonight as the crimson skies of the Crisis on Infinite Earths bathe the metropolis in red. But even though the superheroes of several Earths fight to save the remains of the Multiverse, life still goes on in Gotham. Crime never sleeps, after all. Although it really should, as it's a bear when it doesn't get its eight hours.

A man in a Hopi mask breaks into a jewelry store, hoping to score some free bling, as the kids say. A man clad in black Zip-A-Tone from head-to-toe attacks the Hopi-masked man. However, he's not here to play vigilante, he wants some information. 

"Your ugly mask makes me angry. I hate ugly masks!"

Anton Knight, the Night-Slayer, wants to know where the Hopi-masked man's new boss, Nocturna, is hiding at. Hopi Mask screams he doesn't know, but Zip-A-Tone man doesn't believe him.

He stabs Hopi Mask Man, claiming that she has bewitched him, like she does to every man she meets. So, where is Nocturna herself? Well, she's at an abandoned observatory in Gotham, looking up at the sky with her adopted son Jason Todd, who was active as Robin at the time. 

Natalia Knight laments that her beloved sky has turned red thanks to the Crisis. Jason talks about how Natalia has been like a second mother to him after losing his own parents. Yeah, pre-Crisis, Jason's origin was a carbon copy of Dick Grayson's: orphaned circus kid taken in by Batman. Nocturna wants to know how Jason found her. It wasn't hard, considering she's seen as an urban legend in Gotham. The mysterious pale lady that scared off a street gang from the observatory. 

It's here that Harvey Bullock shows up. He's none too happy with Jason, as it turns out that he had claimed Nocturna wasn't here. Yeah, Jason and Harvey had formed a bit of a bond at this time thanks to a mutual love of old movies. Nocturna is not intimidated by Bullock or his gun. She's leaving to take care of some...business. 

She tells Jason if Bullock wants to shoot her in the back, he's welcome to do so. A shot is fired...

...and it hits its target: a bullseye on paper. Yup, Bullock is now at a shooting range, presumably at a police station. Turns out he let Nocturna go, thinking of himself as Capt. Louis Renault in Casablanca, portrayed by the late British-American actor Claude Rains. He goes to talk about this with Gordon. Gordon's not worried about Nocturna, as Batman claims she's reformed. 

Elsewhere, the former members of the False Face Society have decided to hang up the masks, as it were.

"I think one of the problems we had was these cheap masks."

It's understandable. The Night-Slayer has been stalking their members and killing them as part of his crusade against Nocturna. It's become too risky, not to mention that with Black Mask still rotting in Arkham Asylum, they've becoming nothing more than a bunch of mooks in masks. Nocturna is all like "You're not retiring yet, boys. I'm taking over this gang." 

Over at the police station, Bullock and Gordon continue debating Nocturna and Batman. Gordon points out that Batman is technically breaking the law himself, being a vigilante. However, he has been effective, so Gordon is willing to give him some latitude and trust. Bullock also notices something...Robin isn't Robin.

It's not an impersonation job or anything. It's little things Bullock noticed. His height, and presumably other things like the way he talks. It does make sense. More on that later. He also believes he's Nocturna's son, considering how protective he got over the pale astrophysicist. 

It's revealed that Jason jumped in front of Nocturna, telling him that he's going to have to shoot him to get to her. Bullock has his flaws, but he is still not going to shoot a kid. Nocturna leaves, and Bullock heads to the firing range to take out his tension. 

"I need a beer. A BARREL of beer."

Bullock's theory goes like this: Nocturna's kid joins Batman as the new Robin. This infuriates her, so she returns to crime to get back at the Dark Knight, and kidnapped Jason Todd to replace Robin. If you're laughing at this, don't worry, I am too. Gordon makes a revelation.

"We were hoping to reveal this for your birthday, Bullock!"

Gordon's reasoning as to why there's a new Robin is a bit saner, and less complex. He theorized that the old Robin grew up and moved on. Batman not having a partner in crimefighting worried the commissioner for a while. Seeing a new Robin was very relieving to Gordon, as he felt a partner helped make Batman more human and approachable while still being intimidating to the criminal element. 

Also, even if this new Robin is Nocturna's kid, Gordon sees it as unfair to blame him for Nocturna's supposed sins. And even if it does turn out she's a criminal, Batman can take her in. 

Elsewhere in Gotham, another masked man is stalked by Anton.

"I know you're working with the Shadow Demons to steal my toejam!"

The Night-Slayer demands to know where Nocturna is. Mask Man has no clue. She just appears and tells them who to steal from. The mad killer doesn't believe him, intending to use him as a cushion for his stiletto. But thankfully, the Batman arrives. The Gotham Guardian and the Night-Slayer scuffle.

Night-Slayer is able to get to his knife and make another attempt at Mask Man, but that is foiled by Bats. The Slayer leaps away and vanishes. The Caped Crusader thinks it's time to pay Nocturna a visit. Naturally, she's at her observatory, studying the red skies.

"Uh, Bruce? Shouldn't you be out there taking care of this Crisis?"

She tells Bats that he should be proud of Jason. He's doing well. She's here because this was her birthplace in a way. It was where she became Nocturna. He realizes she has relapsed back into crime, but she's only wanting funds to reopen the observatory. He warns her the Night-Slayer is after her. Natalia is accepting of this, as if this is the time the night dies, then she should as well. And better she die at the hands of Night-Slayer than to the multiverse-wrecking Crisis.

She confesses that she loves Batman as much as the night itself. She's only ever kissed him once, when he was wounded by the Night-Slayer, and he was too delirious to realize it...

Yeah, time and place, Nattie. She approaches him, Batman saying he's fine now. The story ends with the two of them sharing a kiss as the red rains pour down on them. 

I enjoyed this comic. In fact, having read some of Doug Moench's 80s Batman stuff, I have begun to find it criminally underrated. Yeah, the late 1980s was a good time for the Dark Knight, what with Year One, the Dark Knight Returns, and the cap being the juggernaut that was the 1989 Batman film. However, Moench was doing some pretty darn good work on the mainline Batman comics during that time. 

One touch I liked in this issue is that Bullock determining that Jason is not the original Robin. It does make sense. At this point, Dick Grayson had given up the Robin mantle and become Nightwing. Jason isn't Dick, despite his having the same origin at the time. He's younger, presumably slightly different in attitude, and also presumably shorter than Dick. It's a good way of showing that Bullock isn't some stereotypical brainless donut-muncher. He's quite a bit sharper than he looks. 

Gene Colan has been heavily praised for his moody artwork, and I can certainly see why. His style certainly fits the Dark Knight. I do think there's something a bit "uncanny valley" about faces in close up, but it's not overly distracting. 

The original version of Nocturna would disappear with the Crisis, but over the years, the character would be revamped to be more villainous and even made more outright vampiric. Of course, it's likely her connection to Jason Todd is no longer canon, but of course, as with any character's history in the DCU, it's nowadays all up in the air. If you want to read this comic for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2025 trade paperback DC Finest: Batman - Red Skies. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! See you next time!

The Brave and the Bold #1 (April 2007)

In a universe filled with superheroes, it makes sense that they would team up on occasion. I'm not talking about the massive event comics; I'm talking about the kind of adventures in which a couple heroes meet up and help save the day together.

DC Comics had its fair share of books like that. Most notably, DC Comics Presents, which told tales of Superman teaming up with various characters around the DCU. But there was another team-up title that became iconic in its own right: The Brave and the Bold. For more on the history involved with that name, please give this a read. 

The comic we're looking at here is the third volume of the title, spearheaded by Mark Waid's writing and the pencils of the man, the myth, the legend, the late great George Perez. I miss George Perez. This version would not be a team-up between Batman and various heroes, this title would showcase heroes all over the DCU. So, how did it start? Let's find out in The Brave and the Bold #1!

The cover is a George Perez and Tom Smith piece. Naturally, it's awesome. As is natural for Perez, it's incredibly detailed. You have the two heroes teaming up here front and center: Green Lantern and Batman. One thing I do like about this cover is the way that the two are placed. Hal Jordan, who uses light, and is a cocky test pilot, is front and center. His ring is glowing hot, ready to deliver some justice. Batman is behind him, cloaked in shadows. He looks like a monster ready to leap down on prey, which is how he messes with the heads of Gotham's criminals. It really helps show their characters. This would be a cool poster.

"The Lords of Luck (Part 1) - Roulette"
Writer: Mark Waid
Penciler: George Perez
Inker: Bob Wiacek
Colorist: Tom Smith
Letterer: Rob Leigh
Editor: Joey Cavalieri
Executive Editor: Dan DiDio

The story begins with two members of the Green Lantern Corps, John Stewart and Hal Jordan, flying in space, telling some team-up tales. Hal then heads towards his hometown of Coast City on Earth. The ring engages autopilot to the city, but Hal tells it not to. He's flown home with his ring so many times he can do it blindfolded. There is nothing that can surprise him on the way...

Page 2, Panel 1

Should have engaged the autopilot there, buddy. Hal contacts Batman in Gotham City, and he describes the body to the Dark Knight. The corpse is a Caucasian male, likely been dead for about twenty minutes. Cause of death was not exposure to space, but a gunshot wound to the chest. Body has no ID, and the fingertips are calloused. Batman seemingly channels his inner Sherlock Holmes and says the body has blond hair, is around 26 years old, and has a watch on his right wrist. But it's not because of some magic detecting powers Batman has (although considering that Batman is DC's resident Mary Sue, wouldn't surprise me if it did)...

Page 4, Full Page

"Found your twin brother, buddy. Sorry but, he's dead too."

...it's because Batman has the exact same corpse in his Batcave. 

No, he has not started collecting corpses. Batman is creepy, but he's not that creepy. The situation gets crazier from there. Hal brings his corpse to the Batcave. Bruce points out a map. Identical corpses have been appearing all over the world. But not just in any random places. They've appeared in places linked to various superheroes in the DC Universe...the comic book universe, not James Gunn's cinematic universe. Places like the Daily Planet, Atlantis, the Flash Museum. This guy was clearly either spying on superheroes...or trying to get one's attention before he was shot. 

Hal points out something: Even in a universe like this, how can sixty identical men be shot by sixty identical bullets? Batman found the answer: whatever hurts one body...also harms the others the exact same way.

Page 5, Panels 7-9

Also, to make things weirder? If a person can survive in space unaided, it's unlikely an earth pistol's bullet is going to do any damage to them. Hal agrees, noting there's strange radiation traces in the wounds. This wasn't a bullet; this was an energy blast. Batman finds the logo of a casino on his shirt, giving a possible clue as to where he was. However, the two get distracted by an attack by a yellow monster.

Page 7, Panel 1

The creature's energy signature matches the traces on the corpses. The attacker can't be Sinestro, as he is aware that Hal's ring now works on yellow objects. Yeah, that was a whole thing. It can't be Clayface as he has no idea where the Batcave is, and this thing is a lot tougher than him. Hal throws the big mechanical dinosaur from the Batcave at the monster. Batman is able to use the Batmobile's jet engine to incapacitate the monster, and it falls into the water, getting crushed by the giant penny that is often seen in the Batcave.

Unseen by the two heroes, some beings have bet on the battle. One grumbles the loss was unfair, as the "Haruspex" wasn't aware the Green Lantern's ring could affect yellow objects now. The two head to Vegas, in particular the Kismet Casino. As Bruce Wayne, Batman and Hal get into the casino, Bruce learning the owner had retired, and Kismet is under new management.

The two play a bit of blackjack, with Hal winning big. 

Bruce learns that the new owner isn't taking any visitors. She hasn't left her suite for days. Even the discovery of a dead man outside the casino's front door didn't get her out. Bruce and Hal go to investigate. The two sneak into an office and find an interesting photo. 

Page 15, Panel 8

The new owner is Roulette, a supervillainess who fought the Justice Society in the past. And the man in the photo...is the dead guy. 

A door blasts open, revealing that Roulette is trying to burn a book. 

Page 16, Panels 2-4

Batman stops her, wanting to know what's going on. Roulette screams that she promised "Drake" she'd destroy this book, but nothing she tries even made a dent. She swore she would not look in the book, but she could not resist looking in. 

She was clearly overwhelmed by the book's contents, ranting that Drake was trying to find heroes to warn about it. He was hired by aliens to steal the book, but he realized what it was. He gave the book to her instead of them, and the aliens killed him as a result. And now they're here.

Page 17, Panel 5

The aliens fight Hal and Bruce, revealing they are from a planet called Ventura. One of the aliens, Atum by name, blasts at Roulette, counting on Batman moving to save her over the book, and he figured right. Atum's partner, Neferto, is taken down by Hal. Atum gets away with the book. Roulette tells Batman that the book showed they'd lose it to the Venturans. You see, the book is no ordinary tome. It is the Book of Destiny. The Book is a powerful magical artifact that has all of time recorded in it: past, present, future. And whoever has the book has the power to change reality to its will. And now the Venturans have it.

LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight Reveal Trailer, My Thoughts

Batman and video games have a long relationship, going all the way back to the 1986 video game for the ZX Spectrum, Amstrad, and the MSX computers. Another relationship Batman has had for a long time is with the LEGO System of building toys. Not just in sets (the first Batman LEGO sets debuted in 2006), but also in video games. The first LEGO Batman video game was released in 2008. Developed by Traveller's Tales, this game was the first of their Lego video game series to be given an original story. This game was given positive reviews but was also criticized for a lack of innovation. This game would get two sequels and a spin-off that would feature other characters from throughout the DC Universe.

And now, the Caped Crusader has returned to the LEGO video game universe in the upcoming game LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight. Announced at the 2025 Gamescom trade convention, this game will have a new story and draw inspiration from the Batman: Arkham games. The game will be coming to the X-Box Series X/S, PlayStation 5, Windows, and later to the6 Nintendo Switch 2. Let's look at the trailer, shall we?

One thing that Batman is known for: the suiting up montage.

"Outta the way, Alfred! I need my grappling hook! Gotta look cool!"

I don't think those guys are safety inspectors.

Heh heh, rubber duckies. 

I bet Batman just has a ton of fun scaring the heck out of criminals.

Paying homage to Batman Begins here. I also got a giggle out of the Bat-Emblem-shaped stain on Alfred's outfit.

Everything's better with Danny Elfman's "Batman '89" theme.

Mixing the Arkham games with the 60s series onomatopoeia. That's the words for noise.

1989 Batman reference!

"I am fond of blueberries, though. Wanna get blueberries?"

Catwoman thinks he sounds very handsome. And if she's like most versions of Catwoman, the mask is not the only part of Batman's suit she wants to get into.

Hey is that the Batmobile from The Batman?! Awesome!

Batman Returns-style Penguin! This game really is a love letter to all eras of Batman. 

Not even the might of Bane can match the power of the Lego on the floor. Yeah, never leave Legos on the floor, kids. 

Well, this game looks like it will be fun. Shame it's not coming to the first Switch. I'd love to play it on there. I do enjoy a good Lego game, though. This does look like a good excuse to save up for a Switch 2, though. I do love superheroes and LEGO, so this is right up my alley! Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! See you next time!

Batman #453 (Late August 1990)

Back in March of 2024, I looked at Batman #452 (Early August 1990), the first part of the Dark Knight, Dark City storyline. Back in 1764, Gotham City was just a mere township. There, a man named Jacob Stockman participated in a ceremony with several other men, including future President Thomas Jefferson. This ceremony involved sacrificing a young woman in an attempt to summon a purportedly bat-like demon called Barbatos. The ceremony was botched. Centuries passed. In the then-modern Gotham City of 1990, strange crimes occurred. A woman dressed as a sphinx jumps off a building. Four babies are kidnapped by the Riddler, who seems to have become much more bloodthirsty than in the past. Batman managed to save one baby, but his quest is only a quarter complete. Where do we go from here? Let's find out in Batman #453!

The cover is a piece.

The story begins with Batman encountering a zombie.

Page 31, Panel 1

It's the DC Universe, Batman encountering a zombie is very plausible. You may want to destroy that thing quick, Bats. One zombie can become a lot of zombies really quick, which is demonstrated by the Dark Knight being attacked by, well...a bunch of zombies. Batman hits one, who then groans. But the groan is not your typical zombie groan, leading the Caped Crusader to wonder if these zombies are real, or just people in costumes. Again, DC Universe, either explanation is plausible.

(I'm just saying)

In a white non-descript van parked near the cemetery, the Riddler is watching this with glee with a couple of his henchmen. One notes the supervillain is acting crazier and is more bloodthirsty than usual. The other wonders if he's having a mid-life crisis. I don't blame him for wondering that. Fighting these zombies allows Batman to discover that some of them are advanced animatronics. One he takes down is no robot, or actual undead, but a man named Jimmy in a costume and makeup. Riddler knows that Batman will try to interrogate Jimmy, so he uses a hidden explosive in the makeup on Jimmy's neck to silence him.

Page 35, Panel 7

One of the henchmen (I'm calling him Ted) is shocked by this, but Riddler just tells him to shut up and drive away, by gunpoint.

 Batman gives chase. As they drive away, Ted the henchman notes that the Riddler's been acting crazy ever since he found some old book. The Riddler counters that he's never seen things clearer before now. It's like he has some inner voice guiding him, taking him somewhere...

But that will have to be tabled for now. Batman catches up to the van. The van stops, knocking the Dark Knight off. Ted plans to run the Dark Knight over, but Riddler is suddenly like "NOOOOOOOO" and grabs the wheel, causing the van to swerve away. Batman manages to dodge, but this says a lot to him. The Riddler wants him to live. The Riddler needs Batman alive and presumably in one piece. But why?

That's what Batman is wondering. He returns to the cemetery and finds that indeed, these zombies were all animatronics. The Riddler has indeed seemingly become more of a monster. Batman finds the second abducted baby, thankfully safe and sound.

The Caped Crusader then finds another clue, this one carved on a tombstone.

You'll find another little tot, at the 25th who was shot.

We then get a flashback in the form of more of Jacob Stockman's confessions (from the last issue). According to him, he and the rest of his collaborators in demon-summoning fled that basement, trapping the daemon they possibly summoned and the sacrifice they intended to make thanks to boarding up the door. None of them ever returned to that temple. Stockman sold his farm and fled to Canada. He doesn't know the fates of all his fellow summoners. He does know that one killed themselves, a second died in Saratoga (Presumably a reference to the battles, as this summoning happened in 1764, and those battles were fought in 1777), and as for Thomas Jefferson, well...that's obvious. 

The farm would be built over and over again, the temple where the ceremony fading into history. Until now, it seems.

Batman returns to Wayne Manor, his mind puzzling over the Riddler's latest...riddle. He relaxes in a chair and lets himself drift off to the land of sleep. He needs it, considering the day he's had.

Bruce then starts having dreams. Dreams about the death of his parents, the event that transformed Bruce's life and set him on the path to becoming the Batman. It's in the nightmare that gives Bruce his answer. You see, the "25th who was shot"? That's a reference to William McKinley. He was the 25th President of the United States, from 1897 to 1901. He was shot and died from the gangrene thanks to the wounds ending up infected.

Batman has played the events of his parents' death in his mind again and again over the years. Again and again and again and again and again and again...

Right, right. Basically, it's gotten to the point where he remembers every detail of that night. And one of those details was that Bruce and his parents passed through McKinley Street on their way to what would become Crime Alley. A frightening possibility comes to the mind of the World's Greatest Detective: that Riddler knows Batman and Bruce Wayne are the same man.

Elsewhere, Riddler and his boys are preparing some more traps for the Batman. Despite that, the detective has work to do! As the sun rises, Bruce swings towards a bar on McKinley. And it's there, a nasty surprise is waiting for him.

Page 46, Panel 4

The van releases some very angry fighting dogs. The dogs attack the people in the bar. One of the bar patrons is an off-duty GCPD officer, and he shoots one of the dogs. One of the dogs tries to attack Batman, and the Dark Knight is forced to stab it in the heart with a knife. The Dark Knight notices that the bartender is running away. He finds it odd. Why did he give Batman the knife, and why is he running away. The off-duty cop assures Bats that he has the bar covered. With that, the Caped Crusader heads out after the van. He catches up to it, revealing it was rigged with an auto-driving device. 

The Riddler taunts the Dark Knight Detective over a radio, saying that a baby's life is at stake. He gives Batman an easy riddle. 

I'm just below Hamilton East on Wright. I take the corner on Fourth.

He tells Batman to hurry up, as he gave the baby a ping-pong ball, and babies love putting things in their mouths. That's a normal thing for babies to do, as putting things in their mouths helps babies learn about different tastes and textures. You can learn more here.

Anyway, Batman finds the "just below" part a bit puzzling. What did he mean by that? Is the Riddler being literal, or is it wordplay? The Caped Crusader arrives, then realizes the Riddler may mean the sewers. He hears what sounds like a baby choking, and then a BLINDING LIGHT!

The Riddler's henchmen start beating on Bats, but he quickly gets back his bearings and fights back. The mad puzzle-spreader is like "alright, that's enough". Thankfully, the Dark Knight Detective's guess was dead on.

Page 51, Panel 6

Batman races to the crib. He can deal with his crazed foe later; the baby is more important. There's no time to get the baby to a hospital. Batman tries to pat the baby to get them to spit up the ball, but it's in too deep. And if it's not dislodged in two minutes, the little tyke will choke to death.

Our man's got no choice. He has to perform a tracheotomy. Batman knows how to do one (Because he's Batman. He likely also knows how to do brain surgery), but there's not a lot of time, he's presumably a bit panicked, and also...baby throats are very small. It's very easy to botch this and accidentally kill the little tyke. But there's no options left. The story ends with our man holding up a scalpel from his belt, assuring himself he knows how to do it. 

I enjoyed this comic. Dark Knight, Dark City is an underrated storyline, one I think deserves a lot more shout-out and discussion. The idea that Gotham has a dark supernatural taint to it that is one of the reasons why the city seems to be so corrupt and causing insanity is an intriguing one. Yes, I can understand why some would call it a dumb and/or hokey. However, I look at it like this. This is the DC Universe. Batman exists in the same world as Superman. Wonder Woman. Zatanna. It is plausible that Gotham itself has a slight demonic influence. Of course, you don't need to use that to explain all the crime and corruption in Gotham, but I can imagine that not helping things much. And that's scary.

And the cliffhanger is terrifying. Batman is a competent, capable man, but he's still a man. And as I said earlier, it is so easy to botch a tracheotomy, especially on a baby. And considering the state Batman is presumably in at this point: tired, scared...yeah. You really want to read the next issue, hoping that Batman can save this kid. 

I also really love the art in this story. It's detailed, expressive, it was a joy to look at.  

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2015 trade paperback Batman: Dark Knight, Dark City.

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #31 (September 1994)

When you're a superhero in the DC Universe, you can expect to encounter the...strange. For a certain Dark Knight, that is no exception. In his years both operating solo and in various teams, he's encountered supervillains, monsters, aliens, time travel, you name it, he's likely encountered it. 

In 1994, DC published a crossover storyline called Zero Hour: Crisis in Time! A spiritual sequel to Crisis on Infinite Earths, it attempted to address some of the continuity issues that was left behind in the wake of Crisis. Like many crossovers at the time, other books tied into it. The Batman books were no exception. Many of these tie-ins dealt with chronal chaos as a result of the event. Let's take a look at one of these tie-in stories: Batman: Shadow of the Bat #31!

The cover is a Brian Stelfreeze piece. It's really cool. It has the vibe of a Golden Age comic book cover, which fits the story very well.

"The Battling Butler!
Writer: Alan Grant
Penciler: Bret Blevins
Inker: Bret Blevins
Colorist: Adrienne Roy
Letterer: Todd Klein
Editors: Jordan B. Gorfinkel, Dennis O'Neil
Executive Editor: Jenette Kahn

The story starts off seemingly pretty normal. Bruce Wayne, the Batman, and Tim Drake, aka the third Robin (Well, technically fourth, as there was a Robin between Dick Grayson and Jason Todd, but he was a one-off character and likely is no longer canon...or is and is not at the same time) return to the Batmobile after a patrol. Bruce notices that there are some lights on and finds it a bit odd. After all, he's regularly left the Batmobile here for years, and this is the first time that the lights are on here. Bruce and Tim sneak inside and find a man taking some stuff out of a safe.

The man's name is Howard Stein. He owns this company...and the last thing he remembered is feeling really sleepy and wanting to go to bed. I don't blame him, it's pretty late at night. But he has no idea how he ended up in his own office, robbing his own safe. 

You know, it's quite sad he ended up in this pickle. He was two days away from retirement.

Ah well, better than being a cop in that position, I guess. Later, the two discuss this event as they head back to the Batcave. Tim wonders if it's some kind of insurance scam. Bruce is not so sure. Stein seemed genuine in his shock regarding his actions. It seems to remind him of an old case he once tackled...

Anyway, Tim is feeling a bit down. Not because he didn't get to punch some criminals, but because of Alfred resigning from his butler duties. Bruce doesn't show it, but it has hit him hard. After all, Alfred was there when Bruce began his journey to become the Batman. Tim laments with Alfred gone, there's no peanut butter sandwiches waiting for him at the cave. Mmm, peanut butter sandwich... 

However, Tim has a pleasant surprise waiting for him at the Batcave: Peanut butter sandwiches.

A man tackles Tim, claiming him to be an imposter and not his "Mawster Richard". The two scuffle, but Batman breaks it up, realizing who it is.

It's Alfred...well, not the Alfred these two know. This Alfred is based on the Golden Age version of the character, heavyset and cleanshaven, presumably based on his debut appearance in Batman #16 (April 1944). Presumably, this version also goes by the surname Beagle, as he did originally back in the Golden Age. And him saying Tim is an impostor also makes sense. Robin was introduced in Detective Comics #38 (April 1940), and that Robin was Richard "Dick" Grayson.

The two wonder how he got here. Alfred explains that he left for a vacation that morning...and he ended up here. He reveals that he is also an amateur detective in his own right. This is another nod to the Golden Age as well. In some stories in the era, he was given a feature of a comedic nature in which he'd solve crimes and catch criminals...entirely by accident.

Elsewhere, in a building that once housed a business called "Taylor's Dummies". One of the gangsters there, a man named Biff, is not angry about the Stein heist being wrecked thanks to Batman. Why? Because despite the heist being a failure, it proved that a certain mind-control formula worked. 

You see, Biff met this doctor who was doing some prison time. During his sentence, he was secretly working on a hypnotic formula. And it gave Biff an idea for a cunning plan.

Biff plans to arrange for Doc's formula to be given to every bank manager in Gotham City. Once the stuff has them under his power, Biff'll order them to rob their own banks and give him and his gang the money. One of his gang, a man named Morry, points out that there is a problem with the plan: The Batman. But Biff has thought about that. He plans to take out the Gotham Guardian before the job. The others are understandably not up for this. After all, they're mooks. When mooks go up against Batman, they tend to get Mighty Punched and a spell in the clink.

Thing is, Biff is not giving them a choice. He and the doc slipped some of the formula in their coffee, so they're now his zombies to command. Biff orders the men to beat up Morry, as both a test and because he was annoyed with Morry's whining. The test goes swimmingly.

Meanwhile, Bruce goes to see Tim at the Batcave. Tim's been looking into how this version of Alfred appeared, but he has no idea how. He contacted Oracle (aka Barbara Gordon), but she is clueless as well. All she knows is that these weird time-anomalies seem to be increasing, both in number and intensity. Heck, Batman and Robin themselves recently encountered a younger version of Barbara Gordon during her Batgirl days in Batman #511 (September 1994). Batman's mentality is that if there's nothing they can do about the anomalies, they just have to keep going as normal. That means looking into the Stein case. Earlier, Bruce remarked it reminded him of an old case, and he finds his answer in the files.

Yup, as we saw earlier, it's Biff Bannon, at it again. We also learn the doctor's name: Andy Goodwin. I can't help but wonder if it's an homage to Archie Goodwin. They do seem to slightly look alike...it couldn't be a posthumous tribute as Goodwin was still alive in 1994, and would live for four more years afterward... Anyway, drugging businessmen to rob their own companies and give the loot to Bannon while being unaware the whole time was their MO, and yup, they appear to be at it again.

According to Bruce, Bannon was released from Blackgate last week. He's a creature of habit, so he's clearly up to his old tricks. The lure of riches, indeed. The two go to suit up, but they check on Alfred first, who said he'd rest up. They find him hard at work cleaning the place up. In fact, he was at it while they were researching. Alfred finds a photo of this universe's version of him. He likes the mustache. 😊

...and he accidentally drops it.

Bruce and Tim do some more research at the Batcave. They found the fate of three of Bannon's old hangouts. One was demolished, so that's out. He used to have offices, so they got sold. But there's still the Taylor's Dummies warehouse. Alfred comes down with some tea and sandwiches for Bruce and Tim. After all, they may not be his Batman and Robin, but they're still a Batman and Robin, and even they can't fight crime on empty stomachs. Unfortunately, he stumbles over, causing a tea spillage on the computer.

The two head out. Alfred wants to come, but Bruce tells him to stay behind, as he is a butler, not a detective. Alfred laments that he can't get to exercise his detective skills. He does get some inspiration to follow them. 💡 After all, a good detective does need some initiative...

Batman and Robin make their way to the warehouse, and they notice that it's rather quiet. A bit too quiet. Biff tries to ambush the Dynamic Duo, but they manage to get the drop on Biff's zombified compatriots. Doc Goodwin comes to Biff's rescue, delivering his mind-control formula to the Caped Crusaders via blowpipe dart. Now with them unable to act, Biff plans to put a bullet in them, but Doc Goodwin objects.

Goodwin wants the Gotham Guardians dead too, but it would keep the police off their trail if they make it look like an accident. After all, even Batman and Robin can have a bit of bad luck...

Biff orders them to go to the roof. Once there, he tells the two to take a nice long leap to the bottom. Unseen by either Bannon or Goodwin, Alfred had followed them. He climbs onto the top of a sign to ambush the two criminals, but he ends up falling off and landing nearby. A furious Biff points his gun at the heavyset butler, and the sight of it causes Batman to fight off the drug through sheer willpower. He takes down Biff and Goodwin. 

This adventure convinces Alfred that maybe he should leave the detective work to the pros, and he should dedicate himself to being the best butler he can. He'll make Batman and Robin proud, but Batman tells him he already has. The butler repeats his vow as he fades away. The story ends with Bruce and Tim swinging away with the rising sun.

I enjoyed this comic. It may seem a bit goofy for a modern Batman story, but here's the thing: this is a Golden Age-style story. Yeah, the villain's scheme, Batman fighting a gang boss, said boss's stereotypical gangster accent. That's all straight out of a 1930s/40s Batman story. And that's what makes this particular issue so fun. It pays homage to Batman's roots while being a fun read. 

The only real issue I have is the art. Blevins' art is fine for a regular Batman story, but I wish the art was more in the style of a Golden Age comic. Would have really fit the story.

If you want to read this story for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2017 trade paperback Batman: Zero Hour. Thanks for reading this blog entry! Take care of yourselves and each other! See you next time!