NML Crossing, Episode 073 - Batman Chronicles #17 (1999)

NML Crossing, Episode Seventy-Three

Batman Chronicles #17 (Summer, 1999)
"Little Bat Lost"
"Turn On, Tune In, Freak Out"
"Identity Crisis"
Writers - Scott Beatty, Dafydd Wyn, Chris Renaud
Pencils - Pascal Alixe, Eduardo Barreto, Graham Nolan
Inks - Wayne Faucher, Bill Sienkiewicz
Colors - Rob Schwager, Ian Laughlin (or) Pam Rambo, Noelle Giddings
Letters - Willie Schubert, John Costanza
Edits - Vincenzo, Gorfinkel, Illidge, Carlin, O'Neil
Cover Price: $2.95

A trio of tales to continue fleshing out No Man's Land. Today we're going to invade an unaligned neighborhood to make some Bat-tots, broadcast some Public Access Television, and finally figure out Batman's secret identity! It's a good time as always on this Mark of Cain-Eve!

The Bada-Bin!

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NML Crossing, Episode 066 - Batman Chronicles #16 (1999)

NML Crossing, Episode Sixty-Six

Batman Chronicles #16 (Spring, 1999)
“Two Down”
“The Comforts of Home”
“Harold”
Writers - Greg Rucka, Scott Beatty, Denny O'Neil
Pencils - Jason Pearson, Damion Scott, Chris Renaud
Inks - Cam Smith, Wayne Faucher, Sal Buscema
Colors - Digital Chameleon, Ian Laughlin
Letters - Rick Parker, Clem Robins
Edits - Vincenzo, Gorfinkel, Illidge, Carlin, O’Neil
Cover Price: $2.95

We're back in Anthology Land, and we're kicking off that other Renee and Harvey partnership!  We also meet a couple of No Man's Landers who happen across a supervillain hideout, and find out a bit about Handy Harold!

The Bada-Bin!

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https://gothamquake.com

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Batman: Gotham Knights #33 (2002)

Batman: Gotham Knights #33 (November, 2002)
"Tabula Rase, Prologue: The Devil You Know..."
"The Monument"
Writers - Scott Beatty & Darwyn Cooke
Pencillers - Mike Collins & Bill Wray
Inker - Bill Sienkiewicz
Letterers - Bill Oakley & Rick Parker
Colorist - Gloria Vasquez
Separations - WildStorm FX
Assistant Editor - Valerie D'Orazio
Editors - Lysa Hawkins & Mike Chiarello
Cover Price: $2.75

I was considering turning this into a full-blown Devin Grayson week... and so, I started flipping through Gotham Knights, because she wrote a heckuva lot of this series.

As I flipped, I came across this issue... and I couldn't resist.  Y'all remember that time where Bane and Batman were... brothers?!

Bane Wayne... are ya kiddin' me?  He was my third favorite character on A Different World!

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We open with a cinematic approach toward Wayne Manor... inside, Alfred, who is armed with a shotgun, is uncomfortably chatting up an uninvited house guest.  Unfortunately, it doesn't look like the man of the house is currently otherwise engaged, he's off fighting a group of Gotham geeks.

Batman and Robin (and Nightwing via radio) make pretty quick work of Signal-Man, Corrosive Man, and everybody's favorite... Kite-Man.  After cleaning up the streets, the trio of BatFriends share a fairly contentious chat.  This story occurs during the aftermath of Bruce Wayne: Fugitive/Murderer... and thus far, Batman's been pretty tight-lipped on the whole ordeal... which isn't out of character in the slightest, but is a bit difficult for Dick and Tim to deal with.

Back at the Manor, Alfred is still a captive audience to... whoever this is (ignore the cover please).  He taps a lamp which triggers a silent alarm to the Batmobile.  Our guest ain't no dummy, and realizes exactly what Alfred just did... but doesn't really mind, as he's hoping to meet with Master Bruce.

Moments later, his wish is granted... and we learn that our house guest was... ignoring the cover... Bane!  I'm kinda getting a Darkseid lounging in Scott Free's easy chair vibe from the sight of Bane sipping tea (from a full service) at Wayne Manor.

Bane requests a moment of Bruce's time to discuss something he'd been working on.  This moment is begrudgingly granted... and the two retire to the Batcave.  Moments later, the rest of the Bat-team arrives, having responded to silent alarms of their own.  It's probably worth mentioning that Gotham Knights was sort of a Batman Family book.  The big man comments that he's never really had a family before... which, we'll come back to.  Oh yeah, Alfred still has the shotgun trained on Bane, by the way.

Finally, we get down to the nitty-gritty.  Bane requires Batman's aid in shutting down the various Lazarus Pits around the world.  There is one left that he cannot find... and is hopeful Batman's skills of deduction might point him in the right direction.  Bruce's all "What's in it for me?", to which Bane replies... "I will tell you something you need to know."  Well, I'm intrigued!

Off to the side, the rest of the Bat-Family grumbles.  They don't think any of this is kosher... but they realize there's no stopping Bruce.  We also get a bit of backstory on Bane's vendetta against Ra's al Ghul.  Turns out, Bane was offered the spot as heir (after Batman turned it down, natch) but couldn't quite cut the mustard.

We head back upstairs to Alfred answering a phone call from Leslie Thompkins... during which he speaks "in code" to inform her as to what's currently going down at the Manor.  Please note the quotes around "in code".

Just WHO could he be talking about???

We now shift to Batman and Bane's Excellent Adventure, wherein they meet with Jason Blood to see if he might aid in pin-pointing the location of that last straggling Lazarus Pit.  In a neat bit, Blood asks that Bane remove his mask to show his true face... Bane hesitates, asking why Batman doesn't need to remove his... to which, Blood says that the cowl is his true face.

Blood leads the Bat-buddies toward a flame, and tells them the story of Achilles... and boy howdy, it's boring.  It does, however, point them in the right direction.  Before they leave, we do get an Etrigan cameo... because, of course we do.

Next, Batman checks in with the Fam... and lets them know that he's heading off to ixnay the azaruspitLay.  The kids ain't keen with that... but, really... whattadeygonnado?  Bane and Batman board a jet... but before they leave, Bruce needs to cancel a date.  It's only two panels... but it's awesome.  We see Batman put on a cheesy smile in order to affect his jovial playboy voice.  Don't know why, but I really dig this!  So unnecessary... but adds so much!

Dick checks in with Oracle to keep her apprised of what's going on... though, if she's Oracle, she likely already knows.  He mentions that Tim believes Bruce's outreach to Bane stems from his feelings of guilt vis-a-vis the whole Vesper Fairchild murder thing.  He also mentions that they lost radio contact with him... just as he and Bane are "whirly-batting" (love that!) onto a remote island.

Bat and Bane head into some ruins, and run into some baddies... who they beat up.  Batman is adamant that there is no killing... and Bane begrudgingly complies.  After the dust settles, Batman pours some Waynetech Microorganisms into the Lazarus Pit to purify it.  While Bane would rather just destroy it, Bruce feels just cleaning it up would add insult to injury for the al Ghuls.

With a job well done, they climb back on board the jet... and it's time for Bane to pay the piper.  Turns out he wasn't bluffing when he said he had information for our main man... he retrieves a photograph of Thomas Wayne from his belt pouch...

... and reveals that Bane and Bruce Wayne are... brothers?!

I'd love to move on to our discussion part... but we've got a Batman Black & White backup to trudge through.  It opens with Gotham philanthropist Alexander Goodwin erecting a monument to Batman in Robinson Park... ya see, the Batman just rescued Goodwin's daughter Justine.

Turns out Batman ain't entirely pleased with being immortalized in stone... go figure!  Anyhoo, over the next week, the monument plays home to all sorts of activity... graffiti-artists... a cult of worshipers... protesters... yadda yadda yadda.  Oh yeah, Hugo Strange is seen hanging out there every day too.

Hugo than kidnaps reporter Summer Gleason... and plans to blow up the Batman "idol" with her strapped to it!  Ya see, he wants the people of Gotham to worship him instead of Batman... which sounds totally reasonable!

Shock of shocks, Batman is able to rescue Ms. Gleason... and it looks like everything will be hunky dory, until...

... the monument blows up anyway!

Of course... we wrap up with the reveal that Batman himself blew up the statue once Summer was free.

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Now, despite the reveal being spoiled by the cover... I thought this was a fantastic issue.  From the early pacing, to the caper, to the concerns of the cast... and into the cliffhanger (as silly an idea as it might be to some)... this was pretty awesome!

It felt like just so much happened during this story... we had multiple settings... multiple action scenes... and multiple conversational bits.  If this were to come out today, it would take four months!

I love the idea of Bane and Batman having an uneasy alliance against a common enemy.  There's definitely no love lost between them... but there is this weird respect... and even trust that they share.  Bane says it himself... I beat you, and you beat me... we're even now.  So weird... but also, feels so right.  I think all of the dialogue between Bruce and Bane were masterfully written.

Let's talk the opening... and our Bane's point of view.  I thought this was really neat... if only it wasn't spoiled by the cover (and probably the solicit... I'd have to dig through my Previews archives though).  There was a real feeling of tension there... it's probably worth mentioning here that Mike Collins' art here was pretty excellent.  There's this fear... tinged with anger on Alfred's face.  Very well done!

Speaking of Alfred though... dude, your "talking in code" game needs a little help.  I mean, your code word for Bane is... "Bane"?  C'mon man...

The Bat-Family feeling a bit left out... is nothing new, but is handled quite well.  I dig the idea of them being sort of a peanut gallery... where they have each other to kvetch at and bounce ideas off.  It really makes them feel like a "family" and not just a loosely assembled team.

Then... the big reveal.  Bane and Bruce are... brothers?!  Sure, this doesn't last all that long, and is kind of silly... but imagine the possibilities!  Bane should have had the same posh upbringing as Bruce, however, he was in an horrid orphanage/prison in Whereverthehell, South America.  Hell, maybe if Bane were raised in Gotham, the Waynes wouldn't have been murdered?  Maybe there'd be no Batman?  It's a lot of fun to theorize... though I recall it not being received all that well online at the time.

The backup... ehhh.  I gotta say, it's not too often where I get a whole lot out of a backup.  I mean, outside of silly Bronze-Age stuff like Mr. and Mrs. Superman and The Private Life of Clark Kent, I don't really have much use for them... they often just feel like page-filler, and worse yet... they often take away from the impact the main story tries to make.

I hate to besmirch the writings of Darwyn Cooke, but this story felt... I dunno, perhaps a bit to pleased with itself?  Like, the shallowest sort of deep?  I dunno... my most visceral reaction to it is a halfhearted sigh... maybe a shrug.  The art was neat... though, Batman did look fairly horrid in a few of the panels.  It's like Wray was sort of evoking Frank Miller... but couldn't quite stick the landing.  The back-up was skippable is all I'm saying.

I understand giving people value for their dollar... and I get that Batman Black & White was kind of "the hotness" back 'round the turn of the century... but I'd have been just fine without it.  I really feel like it robbed from the impact of the "Bane is Batman's brother" reveal.

Overall... had a ton of fun with this... more than I expected.  If you're following the blog, you've probably noticed that I'm revisiting a lot of 2000's stuff right now... it's hard to believe that we're already almost two decades into 'em... and it's been almost that long since I've read many/most of these issues!  Anyhoo... this one is worth checking out.  It is available digitally... and, if you're still on the fence about Gotham Knights, DC has the first issue available FOR FREE.  Give it a gander!

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Joker: Last Laugh #1 (2001)

Joker: Last Laugh #1 (December, 2001)
"stir crazy"
Writers - Chuck Dixon & Scott Beatty
Penciller - Pete Woods
Inker - Andrew Pepoy
Letterer - Willie Schubert
Colorist - Tom McCraw
Separations - Digital Chameleon
Assistant Editor - Nachie Castro
Editor - Matt Idelson
Cover Price: $2.95

Today we're going to discuss the opening chapter in the first line-wide DC Comics crossover that I went "all in" on.  I'd been "in the thick of it" for awhile at this point, but there were still a handful of books I never would have grabbed if not for the Joker's Last Laugh branding.  There's no way I would have grabbed titles like Azrael: Agent of the Bat, Harley Quinn, or Orion otherwise... so, this story was a pretty big deal for me.  It's a time in my collecting-career I remember fondly... things felt new, exciting, and fresh... and, ahem, I found a way to put my "disposable income" to use.

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We open up at a crab shack in Maryland where Barbara Gordon has begrudgingly joined Dick Grayson for a day out of town.  There's no beef between the two, it's just that she doesn't feel right being away from her Oracle duties... after all, she is the point of contact for just about every hero in the universe.  Dick's all "you need this" and asks how useful she'd be if she went and got herself burnt out.  It's hard to argue, but at the same time it reeks of justification.  I tell myself from time to time that "I'm working too hard" to justify treating myself... but that's neither here nor there.

We shift over to Slabside Penitentiary where the Joker has just been informed that he has a terminal brain tumor, and isn't long for this world.  Perhaps it wasn't the wisest idea to tell someone like the Joker that he's got absolutely nothing to lose, but whattayagonnado?

Well, the Joker's going to die... he knows he's going to die... so, what now?  If you guessed "Prison Riot", you win the kewpie!  A prison riot that Dick and Babs would have known about if not for the crab shack changing the channel on their television.

Back in Gotham at the Clock Tower, Black Canary arrives to check in with and share a Thai meal with Barbara... but, as we know, she's not home.  Dinah heads into the communication room and sees the news of the riot... and sees that the Joker is behind the whole thing!

All of the Slabside inmates are wearing restraining collars, and through them, the guards can induce a measure of bodily effects... including extreme nausea.  The guards are advised to, gulp, "prime the regurgitants" which just sounds foul.  While many of the inmates rush to the nearest vomit-depository, the Joker stumbles across the one fella he's been looking for... Multi-Man!

We rejoin Dinah and learn she has enlisted the aid of Ted Kord, the Blue Beetle, who at this point was a semi-retired on-again/off-again associate of the Birds of Prey.  He was usually depicted as having a little bit of a paunch belly during this era, however, he looks lean and mean here... that ab-rocker must really work!  They are on board the Bug and fast approaching the Slab.  Canary says she'll hit the ground first to perform some recon.

Inside the Slab, Shiloh Norman flanked by a crew of elite guards are on the crawl.  They learn that Warden Zimmer is currently trying to facilitate a surrender from the rioting inmates... which is probably not the best idea.  It's here that we learn that the guards weren't aware that the Joker was behind the whole thing, as the shapeshifting Chiller had been lounging in his cell during the proceedings.  Norman produces a Mother Box as a backdoor should things go "ca-ca".  Oh yeah, he's the third Mister Miracle, by the way.

Back with Babs and Dick... they just can't seem to stop talking about "work".  Barbara makes some salient points about the hypocrisy of the Bat-Family of crimefighters and the nature of good versus bad.  She contends that if the bad guys are willing to kill... the good guys should at least consider it, if in the long run it will save more innocent lives.  Dick's all "we don't do revenge", neglecting that what they do every night is pretty much just that.  She contends that she was the only person to join "the party" without an axe to grind, and wound up being the worst for wear.  What it comes down to is... she wants the Joker dead.  Understandable... I'm guessing if I lived on DC Earth, I'd probably feel a lot safer if the Joker was six-feet under as well.

Back in the Slab, Joker's got Multi-Man pinned down.  Now, ya see... back in the day, Multi-Man drank something called Liquid Light.  This granted him the "power" to be reborn with a new set of superpowers every time he dies.  Well, the Joker needs a very specific power, so it looks like poor Duncan's in for a lonnnnnng night.  The Joker kills him over and over again... once (somehow) with an electric mixer... which is pretty gross.

After almost a hundred deaths, Multi-Man finally makes himself useful.  The Joker approaches the rest of the rioters, and has his new toy burn a hole in the ground to drop them to the floor below.  Then, for good measure, he kills Multi-Man again.

The baddies are now in the "K" block, where they keep the "baddest of the bad"... I guess this was an off year for the Joker if they weren't keeping him there as well!  Norman is tracking their movement, and posits that they are looking to spring Dr. Polaris!

Black Canary is working her way through the ventilation system recording everything for Oracle's review.  Warden Whatshisface attempts to continue his search for prison diplomacy, but runs into a brick wall... in the form of the immovable Black Mass.  The Warden informs his guards to prepare the metagene inhibitor gas for the baddies in cell block K.

Speaking of whom, we shift to Doctor Polaris's wooden (nice touch) cell.  The Hellgrammite nibbles his way through the ceiling so Joker and Company may enter.  Joker produces Multi-Man... again, now in a minuscule form.  MM hops into Polaris's collar and pops that sucker open.  He then uses his own electromagnetic powers to pop the collars on his new running buddies.

Moments later, the K-Ward is flushed with the inhibitor gas... which Joker was counting on.  Ya see, he knew they would first try the, bleargh "puke gas"... and knew that Regurgitant + Metagene Inhibitor = Well, a lotta laughing bad guys.  Seems poor planning for a prison to have a pair of chemicals the mix in such a way, but whattayagonnado?  This also tells us that this has gotta be the first time this place had a riot, right?

We pop back over to Dinah as she springs herself from the vents... where she is met by... well, you know.

Back in Gotham City, Babs and Dick return to the Clock Tower, where the latter is still going on about how much the former needed a day away from the grind.  Welp, looks like you picked the wrong day, pal... because while you were stuffin' your faces with crab, some bad stuff was going down.

We close out with Norman weighing their options... knowing that they will need to contain these jokerized baddies.  We end with the sight of Batman surveying the house o' ha-ha's.

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Kind of a mixed bag here.

Let's see... we can start with the Joker, I suppose.  We learn that he's terminally ill, which is an interesting wrinkle to be sure... but, what can you expect to happen when you tell someone who already acts with abandon that he's got nothing to lose?  If in the same position, I'm not sure I'd have told him.  That's kinda like asking for a riot... right?  The Joker's a pretty dramatic dude... why wouldn't he want to go out "in a blaze of glory", so to speak?

I do appreciate the Joker being depicted as a cartoonier baddie here.  It seems these days we can't escape super-serious Joker stories... it's pretty nice to just have him acting silly.  If this were written today, we'd get brutal scenes of each guard's families being slaughtered and posed on the couch for discovery or something.

That's not to say the Joker's not deadly here... I mean, hell... he kills Multi-Man like a hundred times!  Speaking of which, that was a really neat bit.  Stands to reason if you're reborn with new superpowers, you might find yourself a useful tool for a psychopath with designs on chaos.  The scene of endless deaths, was gruesome in a cartoony way that didn't really distract from the tone of the story.

The mixing of chemicals that "Jokerized" the inmates... that was kinda weird, right?  I mean, it looks like the Warden was just following their normal riot-containing protocol.  Ya start with the regurgitants... and work up to metagene inhibition.  If the Jokerization is the result of those two chemicals missing, it would stand to reason that every meta-riot would result in a whole lotta pale faces and laughter, right?  I suppose this might be the first to get to this level.  So weird.

It was neat seeing Shiloh Norman here.  I can guarantee the first time I read this, I hadn't the foggiest idea who he was.  Reading it back now, I just love how intermingled the various aspects of the DC Universe is/was.

Onto Babs and Dick.  I dunno, they both felt a bit "off" here.  I never think of Barbara (of this era) as a particularly bitter character... though, if she were, it would be justifiable.  She always struck me as (perhaps too) optimistic... and fulfilled in her work.  Hearing her thoughts on wanting the Joker dead, while... again, justifiable, don't ring true.

I can see Dick wanting to give Barbara a "day off", but I really don't see a fella as "prepared" as he is, going completely dark.  I mean, you'd figure that they might have a mobile device of some sort that informs them when a huge alarm begins sounding at the Clock Tower, right?  Just seems out of character/irresponsible for both of them to go completely "off the grid"... at least without a contingency plan.  I mean, Dinah didn't know Babs was taking the day off, and they were partners!  From what little I remember from the way this event ends, the out-of-character moments are just beginning.

The art was pretty good.  This isn't the Pete Woods of today, and definitely feels like it's taking a bit from the animated series style.  The villains all look great (and we do get a bunch of neat villain cameos!), as do Blue Beetle and Black Canary.  Dick and Babs look like they were storing some of the crabs they dined on in their cheeks though.  Just another example of their being "off"... at least to me.

Overall, this is an okay issue/story/event.  Not one I'd say you need to rush out to track down or anything, but a serviceable Batman/Bat-Family romp.  It is available digitally and has been collected in trade paperback.

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