Customer Reviews

Batman: Black & White, Vol. 1

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

First off, this is a review of volume 1.

I got several Batman graphic novels recently and get one out when I have a block of uninterrupted time for it. I thought that given the short-story format, that I'd leave this in the car and read one or two stories when I had a few minutes to kill. Sure - that's what I say when I get a box of candy too - just one or two at a time - make the box last for a month. LOL - I got going and finished the whole book in one sitting. The short stories are not all great, but even the weakest is worth at least three stars. Some of the others are wonderful. The most unexpected were the best: "A Black and White World" a Neil Gaiman story which features Batman and Joker in a way you've never seen them before, and "A Slaying Song Tonight" a Batman Christmas story.... who'd ever think of that?

The art is varied - which is the point isn't it. Some I liked a great deal and others didn't move me, but each reader will have different tastes. I learned about some artists with which I wasn't familiar. I'm new to comics and graphic novels, so this was a great way to gain some exposure to some legends.

A previous reviewer seemed to feel the black and white art limited the artists. I thought the short story format and the black and white art boiled the work down to it's most powerful essence. The stories didn't waste a word. The art didn't hide behind color. It was like each story was stripped down to the bare essentials.

And no comic character is more natural for a black and white treatment than the Bat. It was like a film noir movie marathon!

Volume One at the very least is a must-own part of any Batman collection. Highest recommendation!

Anthologies can often be a mixed bag, but DC editor Mark Chiarello really produced the goods here. The first volume of Batman Black and White has a slightly higher hit-to-miss ratio than Vol. 2 or Vol. 3, and across the three volumes there are a number of contributors either conspicuous by their absence, or who turn in efforts that do not seem to match their prodigious talents. Within this volume though, there are some stunning efforts that really push the envelope, and deliver an emotional wallop that far outweighs their meagre page-count.

On first reading I was slightly underwhelmed by Neil Gaiman's entry; I did read once that he felt that Batman was a very difficult character to write, and this is reflected in his 'meta'-story, a story that --on re-visiting-- is quite playful and whimsical. The same cannot be said for Katsuhiro Otomo's cod-psychoanalytic effort 'The Third Mask', a beautifully illustrated story that tries to end on a profound cliffhanger, but simply flatlines. There are worse entries, but you will find yourself skimming them; there are others with stunning art but run-of-the-mill stories that are pleasant enough entertainment [Kevin Nowlan and Jan Strnad's 'Monster in the Closet'].

And finally, there are those stories that are told with such verve that they are breathtaking: Brian Bolland writes and beautfully illustrates a neat tale about a would-be assassin of Batman; Ted Mckeever goes for the gut-punch with Batman performing an autopsy in 'Perpetual Mourning'; Bill Sienkiewicz's 'Bent Twigs' is effectively a one-act play that sees Batman intervening in the case of a mentally-abusive parent, with the story ending up a meditation on how bleak life is. For me, the best story in this volume is Klaus Janson's 'Good Evening Midnight' with Alfred reading a letter written by Thomas Wayne to Bruce Wayne when Bruce was a young child, juxtaposed with 'Batman doing his thing'. In eight pages Janson manages to convey exactly who Thomas Wayne was and what he stood for, whilst tapping into the fears and emotions that any parent has for their child. For me, the only comicbook that hs packed such an emotional wallop in so few pages is All Star Superman [specifically the scene where Superman saves a suicidal young woman]. Not everyone is as much of a fan of 'Good Evening Midnight' as I am, but the good thing about these collections is that they are so eclectic that the reader is bound to find a number of entries that will justify these books' place on the graphic novel shelf.

I'm a sucker for things like Halo:Legends, Batman:Gotham Night, Animatrix, etc. where you have multiple short stories around a central character/theme from various perspectives. Different writers and differnt artists make this a must read for any Batman fan. I couldn't recommend it enough!

I got several Batman graphic novels recently and get one out when I have a block of uninterrupted time for it

but all this black and white can be dulling on your eyes, worth reading once dont know much after that, some cool stories that you wish could be the full comic, in fact it almost a tease

I own and have read all 3 volumes of these Batman: Black and White books. They're all good, and in order of volume, so Volume #1 is the best, by far.

What makes them great (and I'm mostly referring to volume one, although these can apply to all volumes):

- Large collection of unique stories, and the stories are short - about 8 pages, I think. So I made a habit of reading just one or a few stories at the end of each night, for example. There's 20 different stories! So if you're a big Bat-Fan like me, you're bound to like most.

- A different writer and artist for each story. So, some of the stories you'll love, and some you might hate. But for the most part, I liked a large percentage of them. And when they're good, they're REALLY GOOD! And sometimes, if the story isn't that great, the artwork might make up for it (or vice versa).

- The artwork! Again, a large percentage of the stories really do have fantastic art. It's a real treat turn the page and read an entirely different story with a completely different (artistic) take on Batman.

Plain and simple, every huge Batman fan should own all of these books. Start with this volume.

I had higher hopes for this book. The art and storylines werent as good as I would have expected.
Here are a list of the storys and my rating:

1.Perpetual Mourning: 2 star, it was Boring and the Art was Ok
2.Two of a Kind: 5 star, Very Interesting, Good story, Good art
3.The Hunt: 2.5 star, Weird/Kinda Boring story, Moderate art
4.Petty Crimes: 2.5 star, Weird/Kinda Boring story, Moderate art
5.The Devils Trumpet: 1 star, So Boring and Random(it was about a trumpet)with half a page of batman. Art was ok
6.Legend: 4 star, Great art, interesting but Random story
7.Monster Maker: 3.5 star, Moderate story, Moderate art
8.Dead Boys Eyes: 2.5 star, Weird/Moderate story, Bad art
9.The Devils Children: 3 star, Slightly confusing story, Ok art
10.A Black and White World: 5 star, Very creative story, Great art
11.Good Evening Midnight: 4 star, Pretty good story, Pretty good art
12.In Dreams: 3 star, Weird/Kinda Boring Story, Good art
13.Heist: 3.5 star, Moderate Story, Interesting/Creative Art
14.Bent Twigs: 1.5 star, Boring Story, Bad Art
15.A Slaying Song Tonight: 2 star, Creative but Boring Story, Bad Art
16.An Innocent Guy: 5 star, Creative/Good Story, Great art
17.Monsters in the Closet: 4.5 star, Interesting and Good Story, Good Art
18.Heroes: 2.5 star, Boring Story, Moderate Art
19.Leave Taking: 4 star, Confusing Story, Awesome Art
20:The Third Mask: 1 star, WUT AN AWFUL STORY TO END ON! Good Art, but the story was so confusing and bad it ruined the art. It was like someone making you read the last chapter of a book, and not the previous chapters.

So All in All I would recommend skipping this unless you are a die hard fan of Batman.