Customer Reviews

Batman: A Lonely Place of Dying

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A very welcome book for people who are into Batman-continuity. Logical, enjoyfull and doing the job as it should. A book with sufficient art (partially by "Crisis'" George Perez) and a nice, not overly complicated storyline.

Ever since the whole Jason Todd tragedy (see "Death in the Family") Batman/Bruce has never quite been the same. He has been thinking more with his fists than with his brains ever since, which hasn't been an improvement to his health to say the least. Now, Two-face is back in town and he's out to get Batman, following orders from a voice on the radio which he 'knows' is just his own insane mind. Meanwhile a little boy, who mysteriously appears to know all about Bruce, Jason and Dick, confronts Dick Grayson, trying to convince him to be Robin again because 'Batman NEEDS a Robin'. Together they go on their way to help Batman, which eventually shall lead into the introduction of a new Robin.

This Trade-Paperback (which collects Batman #440-442 & New Titans #61,62) is the story that shows us the installment of the third Robin. A very nice story but with some minor points. Firstly, with this book you have the same 'problem' as with "Year One" namely that you HAVE to be a follower of the Batman-mythos to appreciate and fully understand it. For someone who's looking for 'just a nice Batman-book' without wanting to need a lot of knowledge about what has gone before this is not a suitable book. For people who DO know what has gone before it's a pretty nice story, but not as well executed as "Year One" (or for another example "The Killing Joke"). So in all honesty, overall I'll have to rate it as not overly good, not bad, but nicely in the middle. If you're a follower of Batman continuity you should get this and read it AFTER "Death in the Family" (so get that first) for maximum enjoyment, and have some fun with it. If you're just looking for a nice self-contained Batman story go get "Dark Knight Returns", "The Long Halloween" or "Batman: Prey".

This collected volume directly follows the events of "Batman: A Death in the Family" where Joker killed Jason Todd, the 2nd Robin. "A Lonely Place of Dying" follows Tim Drake as he tracks down Dick Grayson, the first Robin, and the events that ultimately lead to Tim becoming Robin himself.

As far as origin stories go, this one's slightly above average. Thankfully it doesn't feature anyone getting doused in radioactive chemicals or subjected to the effects of a nuclear bomb, but then again the Batman titles always stay away from that goofiness. It also doesn't feature the cliched "avenging death of a loved one" that is overused in comics. Tim's deduction of Batman and Nightwing's identities is logical, smart, and still holds up reasonably well by todays standards.

However, the tradeoff is that Tim's origin feels kinda...blah. I still wouldn't want them to kill off Tim's family just for the sake of giving him motivation, but here Tim's desire to help Batman "get better" isn't very exciting. Of course DC wasn't looking to innovate, just to fill in the void Jason Todd had left, and hopefully with a Robin readers would approve of. It also explains why Tim's origin is so obviously linked to Dick Grayon's past, and the story at times hits readers over the head with the "Dick Grayson approves of Tim Drake as the new Robin" pitch.

This is a relatively cheap volume as far as collected editions go, and it's certainly worth a look by Batman fans. It's not overly exciting, but works well in the Batman mythos.

This book collects the entire storyline that ran thru the Batman and New Teen Titans comics. It was a good focus on the relationship between Batman and Nightwing (the former Robin). Here we find Batman and just how important a family is to him though he'd never show it. I loved this book as it also spotlighted Dick's (Nightwing) detective skills and find him working together with Batman to track down Two-Face. This book was also responsible for introducing to us Tim Drake who is to become the latest Robin. The only shame is that this book doesn't really resolve the relationship between Batman and Nightwing and I'm sure most readers are still unfamiliar as to why they are so distant to each other now when they used to be the Dynamic Duo. But for the most part, buy this book for Tim Drake.

Nightwing, Batman, Alfred, and a young kid in a Robin costume take on Two-Face. Gee, I wonder who'll win? With all the Dick Grayson-Robin goodness we've gotten in recent years (Robin Annual "Year One" story, Robin: Year One series, LOTDK #100), you'd think this book would be getting another look. It certainly deserves a first look from anyone reading the Bat-books.

The story is involving and heartfelt. The "what happens next" feeling is ever-present (well, almost), and the characters are always believable. Tim Drake is one gutsy kid -- for instance, there's only one Robin costume left in the cave (you know which one), and he just takes it.

Two-Face is at top form here, wrestling with his two personalities and a third that emanates from an old radio in his possession. His obsession with duality is carried over into the artwork and the page layout -- very cool, and kind of creepy.

The end is a mess of warm, happy feelings. Bruce and Dick are reunited, there will be a new Robin, it's all smiles and hope for the future -- until we learn who the voice on Harvey's radio was. Easy come, easy go.

After the death of Jason Todd (Robin II), Batman was no longer the same. He was becoming darker, more violent, and more distant (if that was even possible!). He was also becoming reckless. It was becoming very clear that Batman needed a partner. He needed someone to keep him grounded. Someone to bring at least a shred of cheer into his dark existence. He needed a friend. He needed Robin. But Robin was dead.

However, in this book we learn that Robin cannot die because he is a symbol just like Batman. In Grant Morrison's recent R.I.P storyline, the point was made loud and clear: Batman and Robin will never die. In A Lonely Place of Dying, Batman learns just this. With the help of a bright young man named Tim Drake who has been given Dick Grayson's blessing.

This is a fantastic story. I don't want to ruin it for anyone, but anyone who has picked up a Batman comic in the last two decades knows that Tim Drake became the third Robin and this arc tells the incredible tale of how he went from a nosy boy doing his own brand of detective work, to Batman's right hand man. Also notable in this story is a great tale of 2-Face vs Batman that is not to be missed.

I highly recommend this one to all Batman fans and all fans of Robin. Tim Drake is great as Robin and the fans loved him. Time will tell if the fans will embrace Damian Wayne (the current Robin) the same way.

Batman: A Lonely Place of Dying (originally a five-part crossover series in Batman 440-442 and The New Titans 60-61) is a pretty darn important story in the life of Batman. The death of Jason Todd, the second Robin, is still pretty recent, and time is not healing the wounds of that loss - Batman is still going about his business in a reckless manner, letting his fists do all of the thinking and talking. Dick Grayson, the original Robin now going by the name Nightwing, has left his leadership position in The Teen Titans as he continues to try and get Batman to put his head on straight once again. It really doesn't help matters when Two-Face turns up once again; the voice in his radio and the flip of his coin have told him to kill Batman for good. It's just a matter of luring the caped crusader into a trap. Someone else, though, is stalking both Batman and Nightwing - someone who seems to know all of their closely guarded secrets.

A truly impressive series of dots are connected in this storyline. You have Dick Grayson visiting the circus he grew up in just as it is about to be shut down - largely because of some internal sabotage, a veritable tribute for everything Robin stood for and how important it has always been for there to be a Robin fighting by Batman's side, and - of course - you have the introduction of Tim Drake as the third Robin. This Robin's origins are quite different from those of Dick Grayson and Jason Todd, but I think the story works quite well, especially with its connections extending all the way back to the death of Dick Grayson's parents under the Bit Top all those years ago. Batman doesn't want another partner ever again - not after Jason's death, so Tim's story has to be different. He has to convince Batman that he needs a Robin again and that he could be that Robin. The first thing the kid does after donning the disguise (on his own initiative, mind you) is to give Two-Face a darn good wallop, but perhaps the best part of the whole story has Alfred himself putting his own life at risk to help the boy. You don't find too many Alfred action scenes in the Batman universe.

The artwork is strikingly different between different parts of the story. Whereas the Batman comic's illustrations are of the traditional, faded-looking variety, the artwork on The New Titans fairly explodes with vibrant color. This is one case, though, where the story definitely takes priority over the artwork. In all the decades Batman has been fighting crime in Gotham City, there have been only three Robins at his side - and it is Robin's "rebirth" in the form of Tim Drake that makes Batman: A Lonely Place of Dying an integral part of Batman's continuing story. It also affords the reader a rather probing psychological perspective on Batman, who would seem to need a Robin by his side in order to keep himself in check and thus be the Batman he is supposed to be.

I picked up the graphic novel reprint of A Lonely Place of Dying, voted Best Story in 1989 by the fans of the Comic Buyers' Guide.

And it's a really well crafted story. Marv Wolfman, George Perez and Jim Aparo are great in this series. The beginnings of Tim Drake and his realization that Batman needs a Robin were very interesting.

The logic: if the crime world knew that Robin could be killed then why not gang up on others? The Bat's symbol would be tarnished and not strike fear into their hearts.

The story takes place soon after Jason Todd was murdered -- a vote by the DCU readers voted for his elimination. But as Dennis O'Neal explains in the introduction, there still seemed a need for Batman to have a partner. Or else the Dark Knight would just get more moody and dark and really start laying it on.

Well, the storylines were certainly well put together: The splash pages were excellently drawn and really show the action. The writing keeps the reader moving through the story with great interest and not a lot of slow places. I would have liked to see Commissioner Gordon better fleshed out, though. He seemed to be fond of saying "I wish he wouldn't do that!" several times whenever Batman disappeared and that got old fast.

Retelling Dick Grayson's origins and his return to the circus was great to read. And the Teen Titans were fun to watch too, although they were not greatly involved in this story.

Bottom Line: Quite entertaining and solves a lot of questions I had about Tim Drake and what he was all about. In current continuity, Tim is now "Red Robin."

Batman: A Lonely Place of Dying collects Tim Drake's five-issue journey to becoming the new (and best) Robin.

Following the death of Jason Todd, Batman became reckless, taking unnecessary risks, not using his head, essentially having a death wish. An observant Tim Drake, who has deduced Batman's true identity, is concerned. He knows Batman needs a Robin. The only option -- reunite Bruce Wayne with his original partner, Dick Grayson. Dick, however, is off on his own journey, having just taken leave from the Teen Titans and he has no desire to put on the yellow and red again.

A Lonely Place of Dying is a testament to the detective skills that make the Dark Knight's extended family more than mere thuggish vigilantes. Batman, who has forgone using his brain, is nothing more than a meathead in a bat-suit at this point, the Bat-Cave just a dark mausoleum. Dick and Tim, however, use their detective skills to the fullest. It's clear to all that Tim is a natural pick for the next Robin -- clear to all but Tim. The reluctant hero takes his time coming to grips with the thought of being Batman's sidekick. By the end of A Lonely Place of Dying, it's hard not to cheer him on.

This isn't just a tale of Tim becoming Robin. There is a good story here as well, with an interesting pseudo-psychotic break for Two-Face. The end result is a solid launching point for a new Batman era. Having not read A Lonely Place of Dying for some time, I'd been expecting a very tired story, but this is one of the better in-continuity Batman stories of the '90s. Long live Tim Drake!

I will start off by saying that this book has an awesome storyline, especially part 5. The story focuses on the original team up of Batman and his former sidekick Dick Grayson the original Robin, but now as Nightwing. They go up against Two-Face, indeed one of the most powerful villains. More importantly, this is the very first time you even see Tim Drake. He basically feels that Batman NEEDS a Robin because he witnesses how angry and aggressive he became when he basically lost to the Joker (See A Death In The Family). Tim keeps convincing Bruce, Dick, and alfred to let him be trained and eventually earn his way up to being Robin. Tim discovered who Batman and Nightwing true identities were and really looked up to them, and then became apart of the family with the death of his mother and rocky father relationship. In the part 5 storyline, Batman and Nightwing are up against Two-Face and he has Batman and Nightwing severely trapped and ready to have them killed. You would think that at that point Batman and Nightwing's ends are near. The best part of the story comes when Tim puts on he original Robin outfit and he and Alfred go to their rescue at a construction site. Tim (dressed as Robin) confronts Two-Face and they have a short fight, Robin saves Bruce and Dick. Batman is unsure what to think but moves on in eventually defeating Two-Face. So the story concludes with Tim becoming close to Bruce and Dick, bettering their family relationship which gradually ends up Tim becoming the 3rd Robin (see Batman and Robin: A Hero Reborn). This is a wonderful book/story that nicely tells the origins of Tim Drake. This I feel is what makes him a really likable character.

First they say "Kill Robin" then they say "Bring Robin Back". The story on the whole lacks luster (esp. the "climax"). The Batman art is typical of it's time (I don't like it, but that's my opinion). Luckily, this takes place across two issues of Teen Titans as well, which offer more appealing work.

Get it if you're a die-hard who loves the story, of the art of the time.