Batman: The Black Mirror, Scott Snyder

"In "The Black Mirror," a series of brutal murders pushes Batman's detective skills to the limit and forces him to confront one of Gotham City's oldest evils. Helpless and trapped in the deadly Mirror House, Batman must fight for his life against one of Gotham City's oldest and most powerful evils!Then, in a second story called "Hungry City," the corpse of a killer whale shows up on the floor of one of Gotham City's foremost banks. The event begins a strange and deadly mystery that will bring Batman face-to-face with the new, terrifying faces of organized crime in Gotham.This volume collects Detective Comics #871-881."








There is so much to talk about with this one, so it's difficult to limit myself to making this just a bullet review.

First of all though -  Scott Snyder is currently knocking the ball out of the park with his Batman run. Court and Night of Owls was fantastic, Death of the Family managed to deliver some truly excellent moments despite it's general uneveness, and Zero Year has been surprisingly good. But Black Mirror is where he first established his credentials as a writer in the Gotham universe, serving up a deliciously twisted story focussing on Dick Grayson's Batman and Commissioner Gordon.

Even before that Snyder has been a writer I've tried to follow, since his excellent American Vampires debuted. He has a knack for picking artists that complement his creepy, horror-lite, style, and that look like nothing else around. Rafael Albuquerque on American Vampire and Francisco Francavilla and Jock here are more indie and creator owned icons than typical DC artists (in fact this was Francavilla's first DC role) - they certainly don't match the house style of DC and it works fantastically in creating a tale that undermines the preconceptions of the reader, presenting a fractured take that ties in to the psyche of the main antagonist, James Gordon Jr as the book hurtles towards its inevitable conclusion.

Like Geoff Johns and Grant Morrison, Snyder loves to use details and ephemera from stories past to add narrative weight to the tale he is telling, but the inclusion of James, a character rarely (if ever) seen since Year One, and who was pushed out by Sarah Essen and his more heroically inclined sister, is a lovely touch, especially contrasted to Grayson, the heroic 'son' of Batman, and the man who at one point was intimately connected to the Gordon family through Barbara.

Of course, there's more than just storytelling technique at hand here, and the collection tells an excellent tale, balanced with the wonderful artwork. If you're looking for a book for someone who loves Batman, this is perfect.

Scott Snyder, Court of Owls
Scott Snyder, American Vampire
Grant Morrison, Batman and Robin
Gail Simone, Batgirl

Batman and Robin: Born to Kill, Peter J. Tomasi

"As a part of the acclaimed DC Comics—The New 52 event of September 2011, Batman begins battling evil with his son, Damian, at his side, Batman now realizes that the hardest part of the job may be trying to work together!

As Batman and Robin try to adjust to their new partnership, a figure emerges from Bruce Wayne's past: His name is NoBody, and he's not happy that Batman Incorporated is shining a light on his own shadowy war against evil..."

Reinventing Batman for the New 52 turned out to be really easy. Out of all the comics that were relaunched in the massive bonfire of continuity that was meant to be the start of a bright new era of audience interest and sales, Batman was left almost untouched, probably because it came off the back of it's almost total encapsulation in the year long Grant Morrison rewrite that had defined Batman for the last few years. Indeed, it was Morrison's Batman, Inc. alone that continued on after the relaunch unaffected.

So, coming off the back of this run it is Tomasi and Gleason as writer and artist of Batman and Robin that had the best opportunity to run with the continuity and plots of the pre-New 52, Grant Morrison led Batman stories. Whilst Scott Snyder was on the flagship book writing some of the best Batman books ever these two have been quietly putting out some non-flashy, character led comics that are just brilliant.

This is a book that is first and foremost about Damian Wayne, and what it means to be the child of Batman. It's an incredibly nuanced take on the idea of Robin, and has as many parallels to Batman Begins as it does to Batman Year One as an 'origin' story of the new dynamic duo.

By this point we know the outcome of the Batman and Robin story. Damian, fully reformed by Batman, will die fighting his mother, a sacrifice that is currently throwing the Batman dynamic in a whole new direction, but which is foreshadowed and heralded here by Batman's first issue reminiscence of the death of his own parents. This first book is about putting away the past in favour of the future, and trying to escape from those things that would drag us back. The overall message is that sometime the future can't be saved, which is a bit bleak, but I guess that's why you need Batman.

Is it good. Hell yes. If you like Batman it's near essential. For all the faults of the New 52 it's currently putting out three excellent Batman books, all of which are guaranteed to have something for everyone.

And even though Damian's story may have ended, it's good to go back and read through these issues. After all, Batman and Robin will never die.

Also Try:
Grant Morrison, Batman and Son/ Batman and Robin/ Batman, Inc.
Paul Cornell, Batman and Robin
Scott Snyder, Batman

Supreme Power: Nighthawk, Daniel Way

"As a boy, Kyle Richmond - the man who would one day become Nighthawk - witnessed the senseless murder of his parents. There was no reason for their deaths, no provocation - they were just simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was a traumatic event that has left him scarred for life - and turned him into a hero more feared than the criminals he polices. Now, it's happening again... but on a much larger scale. The people of Chicago - men, women and children - are dying in the streets, victims of a monster whose thirst for slaughter cannot be quenched, whose soul is a bottomless void and whose scars run even deeper than Nighthawk's. Long ago, Kyle Richmond looked into the face of madness - now, it's looking back at him. And it's flashing a killer smile. Collects Supreme Power: Nighthawk #1-6."






The main draw of this is the Steve Dillon art, a guy who is the go to for obscenely sterile violence (read Preacher or The Punisher, and be amazed at the hurt that can be drawn from a guy who doesn't detail his work in any way). Sticking him on an alternative take on Batman vs The Joker is a stoke of genius  and it helps that it's written by Daniel Way, the guy behind some of the best of Deadpool, and another man who's very at home with impressive levels of serious violence.

So there is a competent team in place, and they certainly don't disappoint. Whilst it's an inconsequential tale its nice to see a story that doesn't take its subject matter very seriously. Nighthawk is a character that's rife for this kid of treatment - as a Batman parody he doesn't really work, because he's too in-jokey for the reader. His entire set up in the Supreme Power reality is that of an amoral Billionaire who only intervenes in those cases where he can help black people, and sees everything through a prism of perceived racism.

It's basically taking the concept of Batman as a protector of the weak and turning it to Batman being the protector of some of the weak, the few that are like him, a concept that just makes him ridiculous.

Still, it's amusing to see him breat the crap out of racists and bullies, and his lack of limits make for a refreshing solution when he does confront the joker analogue who is murdering anyone and everyone across Chicago. There's little of substance there, but it works, and it's a nice addition to the Supreme Power universe.

Also Try:
Scott Snyder, Death of the Family
J. Michale Straczynski, Supreme Power
Daniel Way, Thunderbolts
Garth Ennis, Preacher

Batman and Robin; Dark Knight, White Knight, Paul Cornell

"The Dark Knight and the Boy Wonder face multiple threats and villains new and old, including the mysterious White Knight, the villain Absence and the renegade Robin of the past, Jason Todd--in stories written by creators Paul Cornell (ACTION COMICS, "Doctor Who"), Pete Tomasi (GREEN LANTERN CORPS, NIGHTWING) and Judd Winick (BRIGHTEST DAY: GENERATION LOST, BATMAN)"











The last volume of pre-reboot Batman and Robin is a weird book to evaluate. It's an unoffensive read - a very average, middle of the road Batman story, punctuated with a couple of really nice moments.

The real problem with it though is that it's essentially filler, coming off the back of a great Grant Morrison run, part of his epic Batman run that chronicled the adventures of Dick Grayson and Damian Wayne. It was a fan favourite, and it featured some truly excellent arcs.

So this has a lot to live up to, and its position in between the tail end of this run and the start of the New 52 of DC titles means that it's essentially three short stories with little impact or depth. The worst offender of this is a Jason Todd story that closes out the book (and the series). It's an entertaining rehash of Rorschach in prison from Watchmen, which ends with someone breaking him out of jail. Problem being that this 'someone' isn't ever mentioned, so there's no motive, no resolution - nothing!

The whole thing is extremely inconsequential, and you're better off picking up the earlier (or later) books instead. When even Paul Cornell can't save your book, it's time to move on.

Also Try:
Watchmen, Alan Moore
Batman and Robin, Grant Morrison
Batman, Scott Snyder
Knight and Squire, Paul Cornell