Customer Reviews

BATMAN: THE CULT.

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The Cult simply involves a story about Batman the disintergration of Gotham City, Bruce "Batman" Wayne's hometown. After a charismatic cult leader comes into town and influences the homeless people to take over the city. And Batman putting a stop to him.


Essentially what this book is, is a condensed precursor to the five volume No Man's Land series which was published in the late 90's.

I really enjoyed this book a lot it is interesting and engaging. And shows Batman to be a formidable warrior without turning him into a quasi ominipotent god. Jim Starlin is one of my two favorite Bat writers. In that he has always managed to capture all sides of Batman. By making him a 'man', a three dimensional human being. He's shrewd, formidable but still compassionate.

I loved this story so much that I attended a convention, just to make sure Jim Starlin would sign it.

This is a must for any true Batman afficianados.

A harrowing 80s tale from the Dark Knight. When the enigmatic Deacon Frost moves into Gotham with an eye on the poor and downcast, the Caped Crusader is but one of many to wish the "good" Deacon success. But Frost's motives prove far from altruistic, and when he shows his true colors even Batman cannot escape his sadistic grasp. Foreshadows some of the basic story elements from "Knightfall" and "No Man's Land," but Jim Starlin's tight, moving script is a far cry from many of the overblown, maze-like plots of today. The inner conflict Starlin's "broken" Batman must overcome is handled adroitley, and Berni Wrightson's visual depiction of the Dark Night Detective is quite powerful as well. Jason Todd is still Robin in this story, and Batman can't make it without him. The Deacon himself is the kind of wolf-in-the-fold that we see everyday on TV and in the newspaper--and sometimes even in our pulpits--a false prophet whose own Messiah Complex makes him capable of feats even a Bin Laden might applaud. It's going to take everything Batman has to bring him down, and the over-the-top climax does not disappoint. Out of print, but look for it in your comic shop's back-issue section (it was originally published as a 4-issue mini-series) or order it used from Amazon and add it to your own Batcave today.

The very late `80s was a time of big changes for Batman. Not only was the caped crusader's image and tone forever altered by Tim Burton's Batman movie, but he lost his sidekick Jason Todd (aka Robin) in a particularly grisly way. Before taking on Robin's demise, Jim Starlin wrote a 4-issue prestige format miniseries titled BATMAN: THE CULT, which took some narrative cues from Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns and paved the way for other chaotic tales set in Gotham City, such as Contagion and No Man's Land.

Starlin's story, while full of drama and action, is a bit too over-the-top for even this accepting comic fan to stomach, and it is perhaps the weirdest of the weird Batman stories. I've read all kinds of Batman tales, from golden age craziness to Elseworlds, but this one takes the cake. The Reverend Deacon Blackfire (don't laugh) is purging Gotham of its criminal element once and for all by rallying the homeless to his cause, drugging and brainwashing them, and getting them riled up to murder all the criminals, plus the politicians and police who would dare to get in the way. Batman is captured by Blackfire's goons, given the drug/brainwash treatment, and serves as a rank-and-file goon himself. And even then, with the situation getting so dire that Gotham City becomes first a war zone, and then a disaster area, the media is ambivalent to the situation, and regular citizens seem to feel that the Rev is doing a great job! Errr... yeah. Anyway, Batman must battle both the Rev's minions and his own brainwashing, which is affecting him with instability and paralyzing hallucinations. But that's okay, because who should arrive to pick up the caped crusader's slack and get him back in the action, but Jason Todd! That's right, the Robin that fans deemed worthless and had Jim Starlin later kill off in A Death in the Family is, in THE CULT, a hardcore fighter who saves the mostly-worthless Batman's tail numerous times. It really impressed me, to the point that I seriously wondered why any true fan would have wanted the kid dead.

Bernie Wrightson's pencils provide just the right atmosphere for this kind of story. If you've ever seen his work for Stephen King's The Stand, you know that Wrightson is the perfect artist to depict not only a ruined Gotham City, but a Batman fighting to stay sane. Unfortunately, Wrightson's pencils are almost completely obscured by Bill Wray's sloppy coloring. Muted watercolors with no contrast, and spattered backgrounds that make no sense... it's certainly in the running for the worst coloring job ever in a comic book. DC definitely needs to release a re-colored printing of this trade paperback, and to heck with Wray if he gets his feelings hurt. Sure, it's a dark story, but that's no reason to ruin Wrightson's detailed work.

So, it squeaks by with three out of five stars, but a recolored version of BATMAN: THE CULT would rate a solid 4, at least.

Deacon Blackfire is a cult leader who has his eyes set on Gotham City. Over the course of several years, Blackfire "recruits" homeless drifters into his organization. After starving them and repeatedly drilling the message that he is their salvation into their heads, Blackfire gains a following that is capable of overthrowing Gotham City.

The interesting side note is that Batman is captured when he tries to save a potential kidnap victim. Deacon Blackfire nearly succeeds in recruiting him to "The Cult." As Batman is struggling to break free from the grip of his captors, the city is struggling with how it should deal with the potential threat of Blackfire.

Some welcome Blackfire, others are weary. However, the Deacon emerges as one of Gotham's greatest threats. Can Batman get it together and save the city?

I think "The Cult" is different from "No Man's Land" even though one probably influenced the other. In "The Cult," there is one large army approaching Gotham. In "No Man's Land," Gotham is divided into feudal territories and the Dark Ages are revisited. "The Cult" offers a unique storyline that is very relevant in the light of recent events, including Jim Jones and Heaven's Gate. I recommend it.

I don't see the appeal of this rendition of Batman. Throughout the story, he is:

1. Weak, both physically and psychologically. Despite the fact that Batman possesses arguably the strongest will in the entire DC universe, it is easily broken in this story, and his personality is reduced to that of a frightened child. This is an entirely acceptable plot point for Bruce Wayne, as this has been done many times over the years with regards to the death of his parents. But Batman shouldn't be broken down like this.

2. Taken by surprise by drugged homeless people more than once, and exhibits none of the detective skills he is known for. He simply blunders around until he is recaptured again and again.

3. Utterly at a loss for what to do. (Robin: What now, Batman? Batman: I don't know) The clearest plan of action he has throughout the story is to RUN AWAY from his enemies (again, the drugged homeless people).

4. Relieved when he is saved from being shot by a teenage youth. Not only is this disturbing because of the sheer number of times Batman is in a helpless position and has to be saved by other people (Robin), but in this case his savior stabs the teenager, killing him, and Batman only wishes to thank him for this. I'll say that again. Batman wanted to thank someone for stabbing and killing a teenager.

5. Resigned to the fact that Gotham City is lost to the leader of a religious cult. Batman literally gives up. He calls Alfred to pick him up in a car, and tells him to take him out of Gotham City, because the bad guys have won. This is also after any drug effects have worn off. So, we're supposed to believe that a level-headed, clear thinking Batman would give up on his city. Right.

No thanks. This is not Batman. When will these writers realize that you can only go so far with your own "rendition" of a character? Sure, I get the idea of humanizing Batman in this story so that the audience can maybe relate to his fear and pain. But too much of this undermines the entire character. People read Batman for a reason: he's a superhero. When you take your "rendition" this far, it's not Batman anymore. Also, the writing and art are just sloppy overall. The news segments are a rip off of The Dark Knight Returns, and not nearly as effective ("50% of the city has elected not to evacuate." How convenient!). And the art work is extremely muddy, with dozens of panels and drawings being directly recycled. How lazy. This book is just bad. Look elsewhere for a real Batman story. I suggest Year One, the Long Halloween and Dark Victory as essential Batman reading.

Jim Starlin is no stranger to Batman and has penned some fine stories. "The Cult" is a good read at best, Starlins writing shines brightly when stripping down our heroes psychological persona. We see the side of Batman that reminds us of our own flaws in humanity and questionability of our actions. Although at times "The Cult" is gratuitously violent, it never takes away from the story. We simply see people act in the most uncivilized, barbaric way. Bernie Wrightsons pencils work perfectly for this storyline, dark, moody and visually superb. I would have to say that this was the first time a colorist actually took something from the book. Bill Wrays coloring is muddled, with no contrast and at times makes Wrightsons art look sloppy. Overall still a good read for any Batman enthusiast.

Starlin has proven his genius many times.This venture depicts a defeated hero and his rise.Many twists and quirks prevail.Great art,plot,and character use.

Batman is pushed to his breakable limits as a religious madman converts Gotham's homeless into a zealous killing force. Batman himself it captured, tortured, broken, and brainwashed into joining this deranged cult. That is just the beginning of this brutal and grim tale of the dark knight.

The ghastly gothic artwork of this collection sends shivers down my spine. The story is a very morbid one, even for the Batman. Never have I seen Batman so beaten and distraught and his beloved city of Gotham so ravaged. Gotham has had it's fair shares of devastation but none so vividly depicted as in here. One bright spot to this story is Jason Todd. I don't know if this is the way his Robin was written during his time but Jim Starlin did an admirable job at making the boy wonder the soul source of hope not just for Batman but all of Gotham. I really liked this portrayal of Robin, instead of another Batman going at it alone formula.

Some downfalls to this bleak tale, where the supernatural traits implied of the main villain, here and there, throughout the story. The ending gave neither closure or an ambiguous approach to the subject. It felt thrown in for moments of shock value. Also, this story could have been trimmed down. There where sections of Batman hallucinating or television reporters interviewing the public that seemed to run on for too long.

A great DARK tale of the dark knight, and a take charge boy wonder!

I had come into the cult with high hopes, mostly being that I had never read a story with Jason Todd in it before. And after coming out of The Cult I can sum it up with 3 words: Waste of time.

The character of Batman (who is often known as one of the strongest willed characters in the DC Universe) is completely ruined in this story by being tortured into submission (mental submission that is). I cannot remember a single story where Batman's mind weakened to the point where he would obey his captor even after being released from the torture. Batman was not hypnotized in this story and he's not an idiot, he has the willpower to overcome this. But while he's in this dazed state and doing whatever he's told he's going around with a bunch of cultists watching them commit crimes and I'm pretty sure his lack of involvement causes the death of an innocent police officer. Great job Batman.

Jason Todd on the other hand is down at the police department with Commissioner Gordon actually being a useful character. Based on the portrayal of Jason in this story, and various others I've read since (Crisis on Infinite Earths/Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow) I can't figure out why he was voted to be killed off, in this story he is a far superior character to Batman and even ends up saving him.

And the tone, if you know Jim Starlin you know where I'm gonna go with this. The theme of the story is "Religion is Evil". That's it. And yeah, I guess people manipulating other people's loyalty to a certain religion (or something along that line) has attributed to a lot of horrible things but Jim Starlin comes off as a huge jerk in this story. I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess he's a militant atheist (which as a non-religious person myself I find to be incredibly annoying). I understand having a lack of religion, if you have a problem with religion fine but this borders on insulting. It borders on "All religions are cults and they're evil" never mind the fact that religious institutions do a lot of good things too but I guess that would be inconvenient to this one note story. And on top of all that you can pick up the "underlying" theme from the get go, isn't a theme supposed to be subtle? Isn't that what good writing is all about? Well not here, Jim Starlin decides he's gonna push it down your throat harder then an episode of Captain Planet.

I never understood why author's like Starlin would waste their time pissing readers off in an attempt to be deep or edgy. I don't read comic books to get angry, I read them to have a good time, and "Batman: The Cult" is anything but a good time.

The only reason this doesn't get 1 star is because the Jason Todd Robin is the only redeeming factor and I feel he's written so well that it might be worth the second star.

I only recommend if you're a hardcore fan of Jason Todd, otherwise stay away from this pretentious, and preachy abomination

This is an extremely well written Batman story by Jim Starlin. We see the Batman actually broken. This had never been done before. Batman is Bruce Wayne and Bruce Wayne is only human. He can only take so many crazy drugs and torture before even he can fall down to the leader of the cult. This book is before Batman was broken in Batman: Venom and Batman Knightfall part 1: Broken Bat.

I was unsure if I liked the artwork at first, but as I read the story, the artwork fit it perfectly. Drawn almost like an old school horror comic, it creates the right dark atmosphere for this story. If I had a minor complaint, it is that the cult leader does not unmask Batman when he easily could have. Why not? I can come up with some excuses for him so it doesn't totally bother me, it just seems like it would help him in getting Batman to do what he wants. Oh well, this book is still awesome and highly recommended!! And you won't believe what they do with the Batmobile!!