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The Official Batman / Detective Comics Collecting Thread

Started by Mac Man,

146 posts in this topic

Gatsby77

Gatsby77

Posted
Posted

My favorite block of Batman runs from about Dark Knight Returns until about Batman 457. I then dropped it until 491 to 504. Bane aside, I loved Knightfall, but by issue 502 I hated Az Bats and dropped it agan.

 

Also, Aparo was my generation's Neal Adams. To this day, when I envision Batman, it's Aparo rendition.

 

To me, Batman 400-457 was absolutely superb. Great character arc with Year One, Jason Todd, then 10 Nights of the Beast, Death in the Family, Many Deaths, and two of the three solo stories (in Batman 430-432).

 

Particularly the one where Batman has to make his way up the building to the sniper and Gordon asks him "where's Robin tonight?"

 

But I'd take it beyond 442 because I also loved the sequel to 10 Nights of the Beast.

 

"Dark Knight, Dark City" by Mignola in 452-454 stands out to me even more than Year 3. You've got a darker, more psychotic Riddler and Batman doing a back alley tracheotomy of an infant.

 

For Tecs of the same period, check out # 613 "Trash."

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Boozad

Boozad

Posted
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Jason Todd should have stayed dead.
I like the current direction of the character. And if you wanna get to splitting hairs he should have never been killed. It was a ing publicity stunt, and a poor decision for the long term.

 

Who's splitting hairs? I never said he should have been killed. Bringing him back 20-odd years later is weak, simple as that.

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RockMyAmadeus

RockMyAmadeus

Posted
Posted
Jason Todd should have stayed dead.
I like the current direction of the character. And if you wanna get to splitting hairs he should have never been killed. It was a ing publicity stunt, and a poor decision for the long term.

 

I disagree completely.

 

The publicity stunt aside, it opened up a whole new direction for Bats to go, unfettered by the ridiculousness of Jason Todd. It was probably the best editorial decision they could have made.

 

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Prince Namor

Prince Namor

Posted
Posted
Jason Todd should have stayed dead.
I like the current direction of the character. And if you wanna get to splitting hairs he should have never been killed. It was a ing publicity stunt, and a poor decision for the long term.

 

I disagree completely.

 

The publicity stunt aside, it opened up a whole new direction for Bats to go, unfettered by the ridiculousness of Jason Todd. It was probably the best editorial decision they could have made.

 

Agreed.

And it is interesting to note that Starlin, who has a history of killing off characters, always hated Robin. What a perfect fit.

 

And it seems Starlin even takes some issue with O'Neil taking credit...

 

In "The Art of Jim Starlin - A lIfe in Words and Pictures", Starlin writes: "I tried to write stories that didn't involve Robin the Boy Wonder."

"It had always struck me that if you were fighting crime in a dark and murky costume and chose to bring along on these dangerous adventures a teenage sidekick, whom you dressed in bright primary colors: this could only be considered child endangerment. But it had been going on for more than 40 years and so, now was tradition. Just turn off your brain and write the story, Starlin!"

"So the first issue of the four-issue mimi comes out and Denny's on every television morning talk show, chatting about what a great idea he came up with, which doesn't bother me because I figure it's a part of his job. Maybe it would have been nice if he had mentioned Jim Aparo's and my names, but he didn't. No big deal."

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Bosco685

Bosco685

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"So the first issue of the four-issue mimi comes out and Denny's on every television morning talk show, chatting about what a great idea he came up with, which doesn't bother me because I figure it's a part of his job. Maybe it would have been nice if he had mentioned Jim Aparo's and my names, but he didn't. No big deal."

 

Thanks for sharing this, Chuck. I had never heard about O'Neil taking full credit for this story.

 

I do agree "Death in the Family" was not a throwaway story, and it did impact Batman stories for years. And the way they had Jason Todd being so self-destructive for a long while, it seemed like destiny where he ended at that time.

 

But I still love those early Jason Todd/Killer Croc-period issues like Batman 357-361 and Detective Comics 523-527. Great reading!

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JohnnyDeLicious

JohnnyDeLicious

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In my opinion...and I can say this without bias, since I wasn't there (well..mostly)....but the period from Dark Knight Returns #1 to Batman #442 was the single greatest period in Batman's history.

 

:cloud9:

 

So for the fatally lazy amongst us, what does that range in what titles?

DK 1-4

Batman x-442

Tec x-x

Other?

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batman_fan

batman_fan

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For me, the copper time period for Batman was great. I love Norm Breyfogles work on the title. Probable my favorite cover is this one because of how Norm re-did the cover from Batman 9. Norm's interiors were just as explosive.

 

batman465.jpg

 

Which is why I grabbed it when it came up for sell

 

bm465s.jpg

 

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RockMyAmadeus

RockMyAmadeus

Posted
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In my opinion...and I can say this without bias, since I wasn't there (well..mostly)....but the period from Dark Knight Returns #1 to Batman #442 was the single greatest period in Batman's history.

 

:cloud9:

 

So for the fatally lazy amongst us, what does that range in what titles?

DK 1-4

Batman x-442

Tec x-x

Other?

 

Batman #400-442

'Tec #568-613

Legends of the Dark Knight 1-5

Catwoman #1-4

Batgirl Special

Killing Joke

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RockMyAmadeus

RockMyAmadeus

Posted
Posted
For me, the copper time period for Batman was great. I love Norm Breyfogles work on the title. Probable my favorite cover is this one because of how Norm re-did the cover from Batman 9. Norm's interiors were just as explosive.

 

batman465.jpg

 

Which is why I grabbed it when it came up for sell

 

bm465s.jpg

 

Stuh-ning.

 

If anyone ever comes up with the cover to 'Tec #613, by all means, let me know. I have a lot of goodies with which to trade. :)

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nocutename

nocutename

Posted
Posted
For me, the copper time period for Batman was great. I love Norm Breyfogles work on the title. Probable my favorite cover is this one because of how Norm re-did the cover from Batman 9. Norm's interiors were just as explosive.

 

batman465.jpg

 

Which is why I grabbed it when it came up for sell

 

bm465s.jpg

 

I love that cover!

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nocutename

nocutename

Posted
Posted

Here's some of my favorites:

 

Moench's first run on Batman had only a few highlights for me: Catman and Ivy follow up stories from Conway's run and Batman and Catwoman team up. The whole Nocturna and Jason Todd didn't work for me.

 

Ten Nights of the Beast

 

Batman 423 (I just really love this issue)

 

Batman 433 - Aparo's silent issue

 

Batman: A Lonely Place of Dying

 

Batman: Blind Justice

 

Detective 567

 

The best was Alan Grant on Batman and Detective.

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