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The Official Batman / Detective Comics Collecting Thread

Started by Mac Man,

146 posts in this topic

Mac Man

Mac Man

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Yeah, when I FIRST got back into collecting as I was prepping to leave the Army, it was the Robin mini-series books and Knightfall I went after first. To this day, I can still pick any of them up and 1. enjoy them for what they are, and 2. really enjoy them for all of the great memories of loving comics they bring up from when I collected as a kid.

 

Now, I need to stop being a lazy and finish closing out my Batman 400s run. I have Knightfall, Death in the Family, and a smattering of others, but it's still pretty sad on my part. Great period of time and I'm only about 1/3 of the way there. doh!

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Bosco685

Bosco685

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Great period of time and I'm only about 1/3 of the way there. doh!

 

Take your time and enjoy it. Otherwise, you'll have to go back and read it all over again - and again - and again...

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Gatsby77

Gatsby77

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I read Batman monthly from issue 439-463, then dropped it until 491 and Knightfall.

 

While I eventually went back and basically filled in 380-600, I _still_ don't have a copy of Batman 490. Never found it for less than $4 or so. And the Riddler cover looks so awesome.

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Boozad

Boozad

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The whole Knightfall run was brimming with awesome covers, Kelley Jones really polished the series off with his cover art.

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RockMyAmadeus

RockMyAmadeus

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The whole Knightfall run was brimming with awesome covers, Kelley Jones really polished the series off with his cover art.

 

Charest, Jones, and Kieth...there's not a SINGLE bad cover from Bats #488 to #499....and then the crappy #500 Quesada deluxe cover blows.

 

Good thing there was a Jones variant.

 

But yeah, it's all amazing.

 

Batman_488.jpg

 

Batman_492.jpg

 

Detective_Comics_662.jpg

 

494-1.jpg

 

657-12.jpg

 

661-1.jpg

 

Detective_Comics_659.jpg

 

Detective_Comics_660.jpg

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Boozad

Boozad

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I don't have my 'Tecs scanned in at the moment, but I have to do this for posterity's sake. That, and of course these covers deserve to be displayed as often as possible.

 

th_Batman488A.jpg th_Batman489.jpg th_Batman490A.jpg th_Batman491.jpg th_Batman492.jpg th_Batman493A-1.jpg th_Batman494.jpg

 

th_Batman495.jpg th_Batman496.jpg th_Batman497A.jpg th_Batman498A.jpg th_Batman499.jpg th_Batman500.jpg th_Batman500Bagged.jpg

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RockMyAmadeus

RockMyAmadeus

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I don't have my 'Tecs scanned in at the moment, but I have to do this for posterity's sake. That, and of course these covers deserve to be displayed as often as possible.

 

th_Batman488A.jpg th_Batman489.jpg th_Batman490A.jpg th_Batman491.jpg th_Batman492.jpg th_Batman493A-1.jpg th_Batman494.jpg

 

th_Batman495.jpg th_Batman496.jpg th_Batman497A.jpg th_Batman498A.jpg th_Batman499.jpg th_Batman500.jpg th_Batman500Bagged.jpg

 

Knightfall, to me, was the perfect exit from new comics. Bats has always been my favorite character...always.

 

I tried to carry on after Knightquest, but it just got bad. I think the very last issue of Bats that I have read, outside of #608-625, was #522 or so.

 

Knightfall was exciting, it was daring, and it was everything that Bats could be....again.

 

I haven't read No Man's Land, so I'm hoping it holds up, but Hush certainly wasn't anywhere near as good.

 

Knightfall was just...freakin'...amazing.

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Boozad

Boozad

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Knightfall was very hard to follow at the time, but once Prodigal was out of the way I think Moench and Jones delivered one of the finest runs on the title. Some beautifully crafted stories and the interior artwork was to die for. #516 is still my favourite Bat cover out ther with #522 a very close second.

 

What made it even better was that Dixon and Nolan were churning out some brilliant stories over in 'Tec at the same time. People can ridicule the 90s all they like, but for reading new issues of my favourite titles they were head and shoulders above today's stuff.

 

Batman516.jpg

 

Batman522.jpg

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Mac Man

Mac Man

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Now, I have to admit... I really like the Batman 500 cover. I still remember the excitement when I bought it at an outdoor market... sat right down and read on the spot. Surprisingly, it's never been JoeQs art that bothered me--actually liked his work on Azrael--but his editorial work is what left me :sick:

 

And I should say that Sam Keith's cover work in this period, limited it may be, was really tight as well.

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Gatsby77

Gatsby77

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While Knightfall happened at the perfect time for me, when I was a teenager geeking out on comic books right at the peak of the boom, I don't think it holds a candle to Hush.

 

Hush was the perfect Batman epic story arc--like Knightfall but with a less cartoony villain, more complex story (and scarier, because Hush knew Wayne personally) better writing and better art.

 

I prefer it to The Long Halloween because Jim Lee's art just elevates it.

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Boozad

Boozad

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I'd dropped out of comics for a couple of years when Hush came about and didn't pick it up and read it until a couple of years ago. I got wrapped up in picking up a #608 RRP and the Jim Lee cover artwork, but when I read it I found it left me completely flat.

If I had a choice between Tommy Elliott and Bane I'd take Bane every day, Bane had some solid back story with VoB, and although his sidekicks (Zombie, Trogg and Bird) were meh (if not a little cringeworthy), Bane himself had me enthralled from the word go.

 

The plot for Knightfall was simple yet brilliant, it was brilliantly written across both Batman and 'Tec, and each issue had me begging for more. I won't put it down to nostalgia either as I've read the run again within the last two years and still found it brilliant.

Hush on the other hand felt empty and flat, the character himself felt empty and weak, and unfortunately the run featured Harley Quinn in #614 which really put a downer on it for me, it's one character I can't stand. Jim Lee's art did rescue the run, and while #612 was a fantastic issue it didn't elevate the entire run to anywhere near the lofty heights of Knightfall.

 

And I'd take TLH over Hush too, that was just an epic tale which was written much better than Hush was, and was overall presented in a much more classy fashion.

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Mac Man

Mac Man

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Guys guys guys. Can we NOT debate Hush and Knightfall? It's like asking a 5-year old which parent he wants to live with. NO ONE wants to make that decision. This is Copper land and Hush belongs in Modern land.

 

What makes Hush so great is the model that Knightfall provided: Create an extended storyline that both digs into the Batman/Bruce Wayne psyche AND trumps out the entire Bat-Rogue's gallery. OF COURSE they had to change the angle of the hidden enemy, but the model is there. And it worked. And both story lines rock.

 

I will broach no competition between the two. :sumo:

 

And Long Halloween. :cloud9: Modern, and therefore off-topic, yes? But Sale's art... well, I'd never compare it Lee. Lee is straight up commercial brilliance; Sale on the other hand, strictly artistic. Again, it's like comparing apples and oranges here. Each brings a wonderfully unique take to Batman--something sorely, sorely missing from comics as of late.

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