Graphic Novels – Page 217

March 18, 2008March 16, 2008

Lucifer’s Garden of Verses, Volume 2: Darlin’ Niki

Lucifer's Garden of Verses, Volume 2: Darlin' Niki

By Lance Tooks (NBM/Comics Lit)
ISBN: 978-1-56163-430-9

Lance Tooks is a story-teller with a mainstream comics pedigree and a fascination with many media and mediums. Darlin’ Niki is the second in a quartet of stand-alone stories dedicated to exploring the relationship between Humanity and the Devil (the others being The Devil on Fever Street, The Student and Between the Devil & Miles Davis) in sharp, subversive, satirical and sometimes polemical terms.

Sixteen year-old Niki has been thrown out of her comfy home by her dad. Henry Gojira is the World’s Greatest Capitalist, with nations hanging on his every word. Since her birth Niki has been the company figurehead and logo, with her face as on Apparel, Food, Entertainment, Merchandise, and even the company’s personal religion, Gojiranetics. But the boss is not your typical bread-head. He is also the World’s Greatest Philanthropist – as long as you do things his wayâ€¦

When Niki rebels, desperate for freedom and the chance to make her own decisions, she discovers that even with like-minded friends to help her it’s not that easy to escape, forgive or forgetâ€¦ So what is a parent to do?

This allegory is compelling and breezily told, if occasionally a little heavy-handed, and the simplistic black-and-white cartooning, cannily blended with collage and computer enhancements, make this a very fresh-looking book, with a good-old fashioned mission to make the reader think. A great example of the power words and pictures can wield.

March 18, 2008January 15, 2009

Marvel Masters: The Tales of Kurt Busiek

By Kurt Busiek & various (Marvel/Panini UK)
ISBN: 978-1-905239-74-0

Here’s another compilation dedicated to the career of a star Marvel creator, but this time it’s a writer, not an artist. Kurt Busiek has a twenty-five year history with the House of Ideas, and in that time he’s written some remarkable and memorable tales. Sadly very few of them are reprinted in this current compendiumâ€¦

From 1983 come three issues of Powerman and Iron Fist (#98-100) illustrated by Ernie Chan, Andy Mushynski and Mike Mignola; a rambling fight-fest against evil wizard Master Khan that is tolerable action fare, but fatally disadvantaged here by being the conclusion of a much longer tale. Surely it’s in nobody’s interest to commemorate a writer’s achievements but only by presenting incomplete snippets of his work?

Immediately following is the origin of the Golden Age Human Torch as first seen in the landmark miniseries Marvels (actually the contents of issue #0) and painted by the then blossoming Alex Ross. This at least is not harmed by appearing as a stand-alone tale. 1997 saw Busiek writing Untold Tales of Spider-Man – a series designed to tell stories set chronologically during the early Lee/Ditko days of the character, and represented here by â€œMenace!â€ from #21, and featuring Spidey’s first meeting with The X-Men. This solid piece of fun and games is drawn by Pat Olliffe and inked by the great Al Williamson.

â€œLooking Forwardâ€ is from Iron Man, volume 3, #1 and illustrated by Sean Chen and Eric Cannon. In it the Golden Avenger returns to the Marvel Universe after more than a year away as part of the Onslaught/Heroes Reborn/Heroes Return publishing events. Although in many ways a competent recap of the character, it might present a few problems for any first time readers unfamiliar with the Marvel Universe.

Another extended epic follows, this time from Thunderbolts #10-12, and illustrated by Mark Bagley with Vince Russell, Scott Hanna, Larry Mahlstadt and Greg Adams. The Thunderbolts were a team of heroes that formed after the Fantastic Four and Avengers were seemingly destroyed (but actually went to another dimension in the aforementioned Onslaught/Heroes Reborn/Heroes Return brouhaha). This fast-paced and competent thriller is the culmination of a year’s storylines as the World and those freshly returned heroes discover that the replacement champions are in fact the villainous criminal gang The Masters of Evil.

The volume ends with a true delight and a familiar complaint. From The Mighty Thor: Godstorm #1 comes 32 magnificent pages of nostalgic magic illustrated by Steve Rude and Mike Royer in the style of Jack Kirby. In this story a sentient Thunderstorm battles the heroic Norse God through the ages. I won’t say any more as this tale (the first of a three part miniseries) remains uncompleted in this book. Why the most approachable, best written and drawn story in the volume should be afforded such treatment whilst a frankly inferior tale is granted 84 pages is simply beyond me. Perhaps the Editors assume we’ll all buy a Godstorm volume to finish the tale but would not be tempted by a Powerman and Iron Fist collection of any sort. If so that’s a very cynical way to treat fans let alone a creator you’re honouring with a Masterwork Edition.

Even with all my kvetching however, there’s still a hefty amount of quality entertainment to be found here if you can get past the appalling attitude of the publishers. Buy it, enjoy what you can and then send them a stroppy letter. I’m sure somebody’s listeningâ€¦

March 17, 2008March 16, 2008

JSA Presents Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. vol 2

By Geoff Johns, Lee Moder, Scott Kolins, Dan Davis & various (DC Comics)
ISBN: 978-1-84576-734-1

Geoff Johns started his DC career by revamping the Star Spangled Kid for the 21st century. The original Kid and sidekick Stripesy fought crime in the 1940’s both as a duo and as part of the original Seven Soldiers of Victory. Their gimmick was that Stripesy was an adult whilst the Kid gave the orders. It seemed like a natural development to thrill the children who bought comics and that idea hasn’t been lost here.

Pat Dugan was Stripesy. He’s just remarried and his new wife has a teen-aged daughter, Courtney. She’s a little resentful that the family has moved out of Beverly Hills to Blue Valley, Nebraska. That attitude changes somewhat when she finds a belt and costume that give her superpowers. At first intending to tick off her new dad she soon discovers she enjoys being a hero, entering into a tenuous partnership with Dugan who has built a robotic battle suit to carry on crime-fighting.

A good thing too, as Blue Valley is literally infested with aliens, monsters and super-villains, most notably the insidious Dragon King who fought Pat in his WWII days. This second volume collects issues #9-14 plus an issue #0 and features the remaining bright, breezy, undemanding adventures with overtones of rebel-teen, coming-of-age family bonding from the regrettably short-lived comicbook (see JSA Presents Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E.: vol. 1, ISBN: 1-84576-595-8).

It all kicks off with a behind the scenes tale depicting how the original Star Spangled Kid passed on the torch – and the super-belt, guest-starring the JSA and featuring sections drawn by the superb Chris Weston and inked by John Stokes. Scott Kolins pencils the next few tales as the 1940s The Seven Soldiers of Victory appear in a tale that reveals just how they all got lost in time. Moder returns as the craziness at Blue Valley High shifts into high gear with the reappearance of cybernetic-killer and Valley Girl Shiv, who is desperate to please her Super-Mastermind dad and eviscerate young Courtney.

Time-lost hero The Shining Knight joins the cast as the pace increases and the Dragon King’s evil plans near completion. When the mind-controlled populace goes on a rampage rebel Courtney finds herself fighting alongside some of the greatest – and oldest – heroes of all time to save the world!

Fast, frantic and funny, this is a delightfully easy book to like, that doesn’t take itself seriously and remembers what kids – as well as fanboys – want.

March 16, 2008February 5, 2009

100 Bullets: First Shot, Last Call

By Brian Azzarello & Eduardo Risso (Vertigo)
ISBN: 978-1-84023-298-1

Now that there’s a little distance and the initial furore has died down, it’s time to review one of the most hyped comic sensations of recent years. First Shot, Last Call collects the first five issues of 100 Bullets and includes a very brief tale that first appeared in the seasonal anthology Vertigo: Winter’s Edge #3. For a long, long time the reviews were startlingly positive and effusive. A few years later, has the series stood the test of time? Do the stories survive a critical re-reading?

Isabelle â€œDizzyâ€ Cordova is released from prison but isn’t happy. She’s returning to the crime-infested, poverty-rich streets she came from, dead inside since while she was there her man and her baby boy were killed in a drive-by shooting.

On the ride back a man gets on the train. He looks like a spy from a 1960s movie. Sharp black suit, sunglasses, thin black tie, shiny attachÃ© case: He says he’s Agent Graves. He says he knows all about Dizzy Cordova. He says Hector and Santiago weren’t killed by accident. He says that if she wants to make it right, he has a gun and ammunition that will never â€“ EVER â€“ show up in a police investigation. If she wants revenge she can have it free and clearâ€¦

And so begins one of the best crime comics of all time, but this premise, which would surely be enough for three hit seasons on any TV channel, is merely the beginning of a crime and conspiracy thriller that is dark, engrossing and after nearly nine years, still a phenomenal achievement and tribute to the abilities of writer Brian Azzarello and illustrator Eduardo Risso. On this seventh (eighth?) re-reading I’m still finding nuggets that are only gaining relevance in the very latest issue of the monthly comic.

Following on from Dizzy’s tale we are introduced to a down-on-his-luck barman whose entire life was destroyed by a rich-girl’s whim. When she walks into the bar that night though, agent Graves has already left, leaving behind him another gleaming attachÃ© caseâ€¦

Also included is an 8 page gem set in a police station at Christmas. It is funny and chilling, proving that the short story form is not yet dead, and panel for panel is the best thing in this wonderful, terrifying so very adult book.

Has 100 Bullets stood the test of time? Do the stories survive a critical re-reading? Hell, Yes! If you’re a grown-up and haven’t seen what all the fuss was about yet, I envy you the fresh experience of finding out. This series is The Business!

March 16, 2008March 15, 2008

London’s Dark

London's Dark

By James Robinson & Paul Johnson (Escape/Titan Books)
ISBN: 978-1-85286-157-5

When this was released in 1989 many people remarked that it was great to see a graphic narrative that didn’t easily fall into a well-worn industry pigeon-hole. Many more hoped that the blend of the traditional and the innovative would lead to a grand new age of great graphic novels. Whilst we still aren’t at that point yet, this slim volume nonetheless still stands out as a superb piece of story-telling well worth your attention.

It is the height of the Blitz and the Capital of the British Empire is being pounded and burned by the Luftwaffe. But even incendiary hell cannot deter criminals with a quick profit in mind. When a Black Marketeer has second thoughts and is murdered for them, it results in an unlikely romance between Air Raid Warden Jack Brookes and professional Medium Sophie Heath.

Good natured Jack thinks he’s stopping a swindler but soon falls head over heels with the exotic and fearfully convincing spiritualist, who is in contact with the unquiet ghost of the dead man. But Jack’s inept investigation has turned over a few rocks and the murderers are still out thereâ€¦

Atmospheric black and white art and a light touch with period dialogue make this a surprisingly enjoyable read (despite the admitted fact that the creators were learning their craft on the job) and the blend of war-story, murder-mystery and true romance – albeit with supernatural overtones – is one that has even greater resonance today. This is a book in dire need of re-release.

March 15, 2008

52 Vol 2

By various (DC Comics)
ISBN: 978-1-84576-553-8

After the never-ending calamity of the DC Infinite Crisis event, the company re-set the time line of all their publications to begin One Year Later. This enabled them to retool their characters as they saw fit, provide a jumping on point for new converts and also give themselves some narrative wiggle-room.

And DC promptly began by creating an ambitious weekly miniseries to tell much of the story of that â€œLost Yearâ€, but through the exploits of mostly minor players. It also proved a means of setting up an even more ambitious crossover event at its end. As with the previous book (52: Volume 1 – ISBN: 1-84576-552-4) it’s only fair – and a lot more fun for all – to summarise the multiplicity of plot strands in broad terms as this is a series you really should see for yourselves.

After Infinite Crisis a shell-shocked planet Earth began to rebuild. But among the casualties were some of Earth’s greatest champions. Wonder Woman, Superman, Batman (plus Robin and Nightwing), Flash and others were gone. Superboy and many more heroes were dead. The city of BlÃ¼dhaven had been razed in a super-villain atrocity. Magic was loose around the globe, unleashing primordial terrors and fresh horrors. Slowly the survivors began to pick up the piecesâ€¦

Ex-Cop Renee Montoya and The Question are in Kahndaq where super-despot Black Adam has reason to be grateful for their aid. His threat is diminishing as his love for the beautiful Isis and her brother grows. In Australia another of the Missing-In-Action hero finally resurfaces and rationalist Ralph ‘Elongated Man’ Dibney, embraces the supernatural, using the disembodied Helmet of Fate in a quest to resurrect his beloved wife Sue.

The identity of new hero Supernova obsesses the citizens of Metropolis. John Henry Irons (formerly the armoured hero Steel) is unable to prove the sinister nature of Lex Luthor’s Everyman Project, but his estranged niece Natasha is falling deeper and deeper into the evil billionaire’s clutches. Light-years from anywhere Animal Man, Starfire and blind Adam Strange are desperately trying to return to Earth. Being found by Lobo, the Deadliest Bounty Hunter in the Universe may not be a lucky breakâ€¦

A huge number of certifiably Mad Scientists have gathered on an island in the China Seas with unlimited resources and budget and been told to just let their creativity run wild. In Gotham City, as everywhere, a new Bible of Crime is converting thugs into zealots and fanatics, new heroes are appearing and everywhere there are oblique and bizarre references to the number â€œ52â€. Veteran superhero survivors of the Crisis are attempting to rebuild, but it will be a long time before the World will again have a Justice League or Teen Titans to depend onâ€¦

This volume collects issues #14-26 of the weekly serial and the ongoing storylines are just beginning to cross and connect at this point. Jointly written by Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka and Mark Waid, with breakdowns by Keith Giffen, drawn by Eddie Barrows, Chris Batista, Joe Bennett, Dale Eaglesham, Phil Jimenez, Drew Johnson, Shawn Moll and Patrick Olliffe, inked by Drew Geraci, Jack Jadson, Ruy JosÃ©, Andy Lanning, Tom Nguyen, Rob Stull, Ray Snyder and Art Thibert with colouring by David Baron, Pete Pantazis and Alex Sinclair, lettering by Phil Balsman, Pat Brosseau, Jared K. Fletcher, Travis Lanham, Ken Lopez and Nick J. Napolitano and stunning original covers by J. G. Jones and Sinclair the sheer nerve of the undertaking is breathtaking. That the result is such a qualitative success is truly heartening and bodes very well for the future of the unique genre of Super-Heroics.

This is a landmark achievement in American comics publishing and one you should experience for yourselves, but if you are of an impatient nature you’ll probably want to have all four volumes to hand before you start.

March 14, 2008March 9, 2008

52 Vol 1

By various (DC Comics)
ISBN 1-84576-552-4

After the never-ending calamity of the DC Infinite Crisis event, the company re-set the time line of all their publications to begin One Year Later. This enabled them to retool their characters as they saw fit, provide a jumping on point for new converts and also give themselves some narrative wiggle-room.

They began to fill that room with a hugely ambitious weekly miniseries which would tell the story of that â€œLost Yearâ€ from the point of view of many of the company’s minor players, setting up events and triggers for an even more calamitous crossover event at its end. Rather than get into specific events it’s probably fairer all around to summarise the various plot strands in broad terms as this is a very impressive project with lots to entice and entertain, and one you really should experience at first hand.

At the end of Infinite Crisis a shell-shocked planet Earth remained, but reality had again altered, with only a select few knowing how or why. But there were some major changes that everybody could see. Superman, Batman (as well as Robin and Nightwing) and Wonder Woman were gone. Superboy and many other heroes, as well as a huge number of ordinary people were dead. BlÃ¼dhaven had been bombed into toxic rubble, and many other cities were almost as badly damaged. Magic had broken loose around the globe, unleashing monsters and mayhem. Moreover, a large number of superheroes were simply unaccounted for. But life goes on and the survivors began to pick up the piecesâ€¦

In the first 13 instalments collected here ex- Gotham City cop Renee Montoya meets the enigmatic hero The Question and begins a hunt for Intergang thugs and her own future. It is a quest that will take her to the ends of the Earth. In Kahndaq it will bring her to the attention of hard-line super-despot Black Adam who is busy marshalling an international alliance of like-minded rulers and rogue states, until he meets a girl who will change his life forever.

Ralph ‘Elongated Man’ Dibney, whilst coming to terms with the murder of his wife, encounters a youth cult that seeks to resurrect the dead. His own loss pales beside the seeming obsession of Wonder Girl who will not accept the death of her beloved Superboy.

Booster Gold is protecting Metropolis and gathering profitable sponsorships until the mysterious Supernova shows the world what true heroism is. John Henry Irons is at odds with his niece Natasha. She wants super-powers and is prepared to get them from Lex Luthor’s Everyman Project even though they are responsible for mutating her uncle into a being of solid metal.

At St. Camillus, a hospital dedicated to meta-human medicine, there is a full emergency when the survivors of the Deep Space mission from Infinite Crisis suddenly return, maimed and exhausted. Unknown to anyone Animal Man, Starfire and a blinded Adam Strange are marooned on a crippled starship light-years from anywhere.

In Gotham City, a new Bat-masked avenger is taking a bite out of the underworld, and all over the planet mad scientists are vanishingâ€¦

Written in a tag-team collaboration by Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka and Mark Waid, story breakdowns by Keith Giffen, drawn by Eddie Barrows, Chris Batista, Joe Bennett, Ken Lashley, Shawn Moll and Todd Nauck, inked by Marlo Alquiza, Draxhall, Jack Jadson, Ruy JosÃ©, Tom Nguyen, Jimmy Palmiotti and Rob Stull, with colouring by David Baron and Alex Sinclair, lettering by Phil Balsman, Pat Brosseau, Jared K. Fletcher, Travis Lanham, Rob Leigh and Nick J. Napolitano and stunning original covers by J. G. Jones and Alex Sinclair, this is a landmark achievement in American comics and one you should see for yourselves.

March 13, 2008March 9, 2008

Superman: They Saved Luthor’s Brain!

Superman: They Saved Luthor's Brain!

By various (DC Comics)
ISBN13: 978-1-85286-942-7

This outrageous pastiche of B-Movie shockers is in actual fact a selective collection of tales that highlight a period of superb creativity from the post Crisis on Infinite Earths Superman reboot. If you’re counting, they first appeared in Man of Steel #4, Superman #2, 19, 21 and Action Comics #600, 660, 668, 670-73, 676-678.

By taking pertinent episodes from a seven-year sub-plot the assembled creators – Roger Stern, John Byrne, Bob McLeod Jackson Guice, Kieron Dwyer, Dick Giordano, Denis Rodier, Terry Austin, Brett Breeding, Ande Parks, John Beatty and Brad Vancata – played with all the comic-book clichÃ©s and produced a terrific tale of villainy that perfectly defined the arch-mastermind who will always be Superman’s greatest foe.

‘The Secret Revealed’ saw Luthor with a ring made from Kryptonite that kept Superman literally at arms length. Subsequent stories revealed that the alien radiation of the element slowly poisoned Luthor, firstly causing the loss of his hand and eventually fatally irradiating his entire body. As his power waned and his condition became public, the evil billionaire seemed to commit suicide in a spectacular manner.

The resulting financial chaos threatened to destroy the economy of Metropolis, but at the last moment a young, vigorous heir was found living secretly in the Australian Outback. Apparently Luthor had been keeping him hidden to safeguard the lad, but now he was grown and ready to take over his father’s empireâ€¦

If you’re any kind of fantasy fan then this book’s title is all the clue you’ll need before engaging in a splendidly paranoid romp of clones and monsters, intrigue and suspense and guest-starring the synthetic Supergirl called Matrix.

This kind of close-plotted continuity was a hallmark of the 1980s and 1990s Superman, and that such a strong tale could be constituted from the bits around the main story is a lasting tribute to the efficacy and power of the technique.

March 13, 2008March 9, 2008

Tales of the New Gods

By various (DC Comics)
ISBN: 978-1-84576-746-4

Here’s an intriguing item that should appeal to a broad spectrum of readers. When Jack Kirby moved back to DC in 1970 he created one of the most powerful concepts in comicbook history. His Fourth World inserted a whole new mythology into the existing DC universe and blew the developing minds of a generation of readers. Starting with Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen, where he revived the 1940s kid-team The Newsboy Legion, introduced large-scale cloning in the form of The Project, and hinted that the city’s gangsters had an unworldly backer, he moved on to the Forever People, New Gods and Mister Miracle; an interlinked triptych of projected miniseries that formed an epic mosaic.

These three titles introduced two rival races of gods, dark and light, risen out of the ashes of a previous Armageddon to battle forever. And then their conflict spread to Earthâ€¦

Kirby’s concepts, as always, fired and inspired his contemporaries and successors. The gods of Apokolips and New Genesis have become a crucial foundation of the DC universe, surviving the numerous revisions and retcons that periodically bedevil continuity-hounds.

Many major talents have dabbled with the concept over the years and many titles have come and gone starring Kirby’s creations. This compendium collects a lovely one-shot from 1987 and a large selection of back-up strips from Jack Kirby’s Fourth World and its follow-up title Orion, both published a decade later.

The Mister Miracle Special was released when the heroic Super Escape-Artist was a high-profile member of Justice League International (see Justice League: A New Beginning – ISBN: 0-930289-40-4 and Justice League International: The Secret Gospel of Maxwell Lord – ISBN: 1-56389-039-9) and is a delightful, loving pastiche-cum-homage by Mark Evanier, Steve Rude and Mike Royer. This action-packed romp stars Scott Free, his wife Barda and their assistant Oberon in desperate battle against Darkseid, Granny Goodness, the hordes of Apokolips, the unctuous Funky Flashman and incipient bankruptcy; a bright and breezy taster to contrast the heavier content that follows.

The short stories thereafter were originally historical background tales to the lead features and concentrated on revealing secrets from the long lives of the key players. Originally appearing in Jack Kirby’s Fourth World #2-11, #13-20 and Orion #3, 4, 6-8, 10, 12, 15, 18, and 19, there is also a wonderful bonus for older, wiser fans.

When Orion was cancelled there was one back-up tale completed but never published. Included here for the first time is ‘Infinitely Gentle, Infinitely Suffering’, a powerful character-piece starring Darkseid, Desaad and Granny Goodness written by Mark Millar, inked by Mick Gray and pencilled by the magical, unique and legendary Steve Ditko.

Other creators featured in this star-heavy tome are writers John Byrne, Walter Simonson, Eric Stephenson, Howard Chaykin, Jeph Loeb, and Kevin McCarthy, plus pencillers Ron Wagner, Frank Miller, Dave Gibbons, Eric Larsen, Rob Liefeld, Art Adams, Jim Lee, John Paul Leon, Allen Milgrom and Eddie Campbell as well as the aforementioned Byrne, Simonson and Chaykin wearing their drawing hats. The inkers include Byrne, Simonson, Gibbons Miller, Adams, Leon Campbell and Chaykin as well as Ray Kryssing, Al Gordon, Norm Rapmund, Scott Williams and Klaus Janson and thirteen colourists and letterers complete the small army of fans paying their dues.

As for the stories, they may not be Kirby, but they certainly demonstrate the overwhelming love and admiration for what he created. In tales recounting the early days of Scott Free on Earth, the origin of Infinity Man, Kanto the Assassin at the court of the Borgias, the collusion of Metron and Darkseid which led to The War, the birth of the Forever People, a retelling of their first meeting with Superman, many individual insights and glimpses at the huge cast and even the origin of Darkseid himself, comics’ greatest talents expand the legend.

At a time when DC is concluding the saga withÂ its Death of the New Gods miniseries, this spectacular book is a shining example of what Kirby’s masterpiece inspired. Tales Of The New Gods is a Must-Have Item for all fans of the medium and lovers of Sheer Imagination.

March 12, 2008January 14, 2009

Batman: The Man Who Laughs

By Ed Brubaker & various (DC Comics)
ISBN13: 978-1-84576-724-2

Post Infinite Crisis, we’ve just been treated to yet another origin of The Joker in the more or less monthly pages of Batman Confidential, but not so very long ago (2005 in fact) writer Ed Brubaker and artist Doug Mahnke treated us to a rather gripping treatment based on the original 1940s tales, with a tip of the hat to the Steve Englehart/Marshall Rogers tales of the early seventies (see Batman Chronicles Vol. – 1 ISBN: 1-84576-036-0 and Batman: Strange Apparitions – ISBN: 1-84023-109-2 for those classics) in the form of an impressive prestige one-shot.

The title and apparently the original inspiration for the Clown Prince of Crime himself come from Paul Leni’s seminal 1928 film classic starring Conrad Veidt in the title role. The plot concerns the actions of innocent Gwynplaine who had a permanent smile carved into his face by the King as a punishment for his father’s crimesâ€¦

Set not long after the events of Batman: Year One (ISBN: 1-84576-158-8), The Man Who Laughs sees Captain Jim Gordon recognise that Gotham City has been changed forever when an outlandish and macabre serial killer goes on a very public, attention-seeking murder spree. Even his secret ally and vigilante outlaw The Batman is daunted by the sheer scale and audacity of the chalk-faced lunatic who seems utterly unstoppableâ€¦

The remainder of this book collects a three-part adventure from Detective Comics #784-786. Brubaker here scripts a generational serial-killer mystery guest-starring the Golden Age Green Lantern, who was the superhero-in-residence of Gotham City in the 1940s and 1950s.

‘Made of Wood’ illustrated by Patrick Zircher, Aaron Sowd and Steve Bird, finds Batman hunting a murderer who originally terrorised the populace in 1948 – even assassinating the then-Mayor – before simply disappearing. Matters are further complicated when a guilt-plagued Green Lantern returns determined to close the case he fumbled nearly 50 years previouslyâ€¦

Brubaker is an excellent writer at the peak of his abilities here and the art on both stories is effective and compelling. This is one of the better Batman collections of recent years and a great treat for any fan or casual browser.

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