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Batman: Dark Detective, what'd ya think?

Started by Zonker,

36 posts in this topic

Zonker

Zonker

Posted
Posted

Nothing really to spoil, unless you know nothing about the premise of the mini-series (as promoted here and on newsarama.com for the last few months)

 

 

Well, I went in to it with some caution-- I bought the original Englehart/Rogers/Austin run off the stands when I was 14, and you just can't expect to recapture that experience completely ever again.

 

Having said that, my initial thoughts:

 

- Loved the old-school Batman cover logo, a throwback to the Neal Adams Bronze Age glory days. cloud9.gif

 

- I thought the portrayal of the Joker was kind of over-the-top silly as opposed to out-and-out menacing. But I remember thinking the same thing about Englehart's take on the character back in 1978 (The Joker trying to trade-mark "laughing fish?" crazy.gif)

 

- The real payoff for this series, as in the 1977/78 run, will be how the Batman/Silver St. Cloud relationship is handled. This issue is just set-up for the eventual resolution of that love triangle. Too early to tell there.

 

- The art seemed less detailed and-- for lack of a better word "tamer"-- than in the original. I suppose that is inevitable to some extent: 1977 was Rogers' first shot at the Bigs, and he obviously put everything he had into those issues.

 

- But what makes this mini-series all worthwhile is Englehart's take on the Batman as an essentially rational agent. Sure he has "issues." But there is an authentic human being in there behind the mask, not the tortured psycho-Bats that's been the fashion in the post-Miller years.

 

Really glad this is bi-weekly! Keep 'em coming! 893applaud-thumb.gif

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nearmint

nearmint

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Couldn't bring myself to buy it. I read the first few pages at my LCS and thought it was awful. Bad dialogue, and art that couldn't compare to Rogers work in the late 70's. I really wanted to like it, but I'd rather spend my $3 on a Jamba Juice.

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rjpb

rjpb

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The Joker has become so overused in the last 20 years that I have started avoiding minis and one-shots that feature him. While the return of the homicidal Joker was a welcome change in the bronze age, the downside has been that writers since then have turned nearly every Bat-villian into a murdering psycho as well - leaving little distinction between them.

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Zonker

Zonker

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I also like the apperance of our friend Julius.

 

thumbsup2.gif There was also a reference to a "Mr. Haney" and a "Neal" cameo. We should probably expect a lot more of these nods, since the original run was full of homages to past creators.

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rob_react

rob_react

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[- The real payoff for this series, as in the 1977/78 run, will be how the Batman/Silver St. Cloud relationship is handled. This issue is just set-up for the eventual resolution of that love triangle. Too early to tell there.

 

This is what made the first issue work for me. The moment when they meet again was, I thought, handled perfectly and immediately tied this arc into the 70s stories in a really solid way.

 

It wasn't perfect and the art is not what I'd hoped it would be, but that moment was so "right" that it outweighed any problems I might have had with the book.

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Foolkiller

Foolkiller

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I wasn't expecting a huge amount of the artwork because Rogers did draw an arc in Legends of the Dark Knight a while back and that wasn't all that strong (in comparison to his early days). But then, I think when you look at Neal Adams' current work, it's not that strong either. Not compared to the glory days.

 

I agree with Rob, the moment with Silver was everything I hoped it would be. She is a great character that I wish would become as important to the Bat-mythos as Talia, Vicki Vale and some of the other love interests outside of Selina, who probably is the best foil for Bats.

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shrunkenhead

shrunkenhead

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I definitely want to pick up the book, but I'll wait for the mini to run its course and then just buy the full run somewhere on ebay. With my LCS 30 mins away, it's just a better deal, what with escalating gas prices and all. Plus I'm too durned impatient for monthlies.

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shrunkenhead

shrunkenhead

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The Joker has become so overused in the last 20 years that I have started avoiding minis and one-shots that feature him. While the return of the homicidal Joker was a welcome change in the bronze age, the downside has been that writers since then have turned nearly every Bat-villian into a murdering psycho as well - leaving little distinction between them.

 

Sadly, I have to agree, though I keep buying almost all of the Joker stuff anyways. But I got nothing out of that Joker: Man Who Laughs one-shot that came out several months back.

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Hobgoblin

Hobgoblin

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Frankly, I just wanted to buy something other than UFF 18. I was kind of disappointed with both books though. So because of the lack of quality books this week, I have have to say BOOOOO to FCBD.

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rjpb

rjpb

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The Joker has become so overused in the last 20 years that I have started avoiding minis and one-shots that feature him. While the return of the homicidal Joker was a welcome change in the bronze age, the downside has been that writers since then have turned nearly every Bat-villian into a murdering psycho as well - leaving little distinction between them.

 

Sadly, I have to agree, though I keep buying almost all of the Joker stuff anyways. But I got nothing out of that Joker: Man Who Laughs one-shot that came out several months back.

 

That was pretty much the nail in the coffin for me. At this point it would be refreshing if they brought back the "clown prince of crime"- a Joker more interested in playing pranks on batman than killing people.

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Hobgoblin

Hobgoblin

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This isn't the "All-Star" Batman series that was suppose to be pre-crisis take on Batman is it? I've been waiting for the All-Star Batman and Superman titles to come out to take a look.

 

AS Batman comes out late July (tentatively). No idea when AS Supes comes out. And anyone know when the new Supergirl series debuts?

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Jokerman

Jokerman

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I too was a little disappointed with the art work. I compared it too some of the work from the original Detective run and found it to have a more "cartoony" feel to it than the moody, atmospheric work from the '70's. I also felt that it was too bright. Whether that is due to the paper stock or the coloring I couldn't really say.

 

I did like the book overall and will be picking up the rest of the series, but just not with as much excitement as i felt when buying the first issue.

 

Joker--

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