Customer Reviews

Batman and the Mad Monk

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

 

 

For me, with this second entry in the Dark Moon Rising series of Batman novels, Matt Wagner joins my list of the best Batman writers in the past 5-10 years or so alongside Miller, Dini, and Loeb. Not only can he write the character well, his art is quickly becoming what I imagine when I think of Batman. I think other writers/editors agree too, as more and more of Wagner's Batman illustrations appear on covers.

The Mad Monk picks up where The Monster Men leaves off, the first book in this series. A new villain is introduced, but Batman and the rest of his relationships are developing. It's still early in the dark detective's career and he's having to deal with keeping his identity secret from his girlfriend, and sovling cases with Gordon for the first time. Wagner weaves a simple tale, inspired and reinterpreted from one of Batman's earliest adventures where he encounters a Monk cloaked in red who may or may not be a vampire. Batman is investigating the recent murders while trying to balance out time with his girlfriend Julie, who was introduced in Monster Men. Julie's father Norman returns, as well as crime boss Sal Moroni.

What I'm really enjoying about these books, are how they intertwine story and art elements from both Year One as well as Loeb and Sale's Bat books. It's beginning to bridge the gap and fill in the time between Year One and The Long Halloween in Batman's continuity. It's making Bruce's early years of crime fighting that much more enjoyable to relive for me.

It's hard to say if I enjoyed this more than Monster Men or not. They fit so nicely together that I like to think of them as an ongoing storyline. Julie's character is getting more interesting and less annoying in this book as she deals with being the neglected flame in Bruce's life as well as her father's downward spiral into alcoholism and paranoia. Batman's partnership with Gordon is in full swing by this point, although it's clear that Gordon struggles with his affiliation with a man that dresses like a bat and how that might affect his career and his family. Overall some good solid development all around. The inner monologue and dream sequences contribute greatly.

Not quite as much action in this one as Monster Men, but still some excitement in every chapter. The way the story is told visually is really fluid and helps the flow of each scene. I hope Wagner is in the process of writing another installment, because currently he's creating some of the best recent additions to the Batman canon.

I'm a fan of Matt Wagner's Grendel and Mage series, and have generally enjoyed his previous Batman projects (Batman: Faces and Batman/Grendel), so I was looking forward to Batman and the Mad Monk, a decidedly retro tale pitting the young Dark Knight against a vampire cult leader.

Artistically, Batman and the Mad Monk is every bit as impressive as I expected from Wagner. He has a truly unique style, and it's one that is ideally suited to a dark character like Batman. Consciously or not, Wagner's style brings to mind David Mazzuchelli's Batman: Year One work, which helps establish a feeling of continuity. The dark, dynamic artwork fits the mood of the story to a T.

Unfortunately the story is not as impressive as the artwork. I like the nods to Year One and Batman: The Long Halloween, but the story seems overly simplistic at times, and the rushed, inconclusive ending didn't offer much closure. Was the Mad Monk really a vampire? Was he who Batman thought he was? Did the romance angle really have to end in such a trite and predictable way? As much as I enjoy Wagner's other work, I think he dropped the ball here. The average Batman Animated Series episode accomplishes with ease what Wagner seemed to try so hard for here.

If you're a serious Matt Wagner fan, and/or couldn't get enough of the Batman and the Monster Men characters, by all means check out Batman and the Mad Monk. For my part, I hope Wagner has the Batman bug out of his system and will get back to the Mage story. I need some closure there, big time.

Many good reviewers and fans had stated how good this book is.

My only gripe with this title is just how shallow is: not much character construction, not of Batman, not of Gordon, not of Nicholai Tepes, not of Alfred.

Pluses:
* Great art, specially inking. Batman looks superb
* Many sub-plots going on, that keep things entertaining.
* Solo Batman is great. Keep them coming!!
* Tongue-in-cheek allusion to Robin

Cons:
* Flat-out lot-to-be-desired story, a bit cheesy at times.
* Another person finds out who Batman is.
* The villain is not such a worthy opponent and the fight scene is fairly short.

It really deserved a 3.5 star rating.

Batman and the Mad Monk is a sequel to 2005's Batman and the Monster Men, also written and illustrated by Matt Wagner. This story takes place very early in Batman's career, predating his first encounter with The Joker. Batman "persuaded" an organized crime boss to forget about the debts owed to him by businessman Norman Madison, father of Bruce Wayne's current flame, Julie. Yet the encounter with Batman has left Norman mentally scarred, and more in fear of the Batman than the crime boss. Batman is already working closely with "Captain" Jim Gordon, a situation that puts Gordon into conflict with the corrupt police commissioner. Batman also has his first encounter with Assistant D.A. Harvey Dent, before he becomes Two-Face, but already, as Batman points out, bound by the law, but smoldering for justice.

Gordon asks for Batman's assistance with a recent series of murders where the victim's throats were torn out and they were drained of all their blood. His investigations lead to the discovery of a shadowy group known as the Brotherhood who have taken up residence in the decrepit Rallstone Castle, built by a family even more wealthy than the Waynes. The group is led by the charismatic and hypnotic Niccolai Tepes, Tepes also having been the family name of Vlad Dracula. Niccolai and his underlings soon set their sites on Julie Madison and plot to use her to help steal her father's fortune, after which they will make her a blood sacrifice. Niccolai bites, but doesn't drain Julie, keeping her as his thrall until she can get her father to will over his estate. Batman, weakened after a fight with a pack of wolves and nearly crushed between a wall of spikes, will have to face off against the powerful Niccolai in order to save Julie's life.

While this Batman story is set in modern times, Wagner infuses it with a permeable scent of 1930's crime noir, and set against a backdrop of classic Universal Studios horror films. Batman's exploration of Castle Rallstone leads him into deadly traps as steps turn to slippery inclines as well as the aforementioned crushing walls of spikes. It's just like something out of an old movie serial. It's funny, but criminals always use the wall of spikes despite the fact that I don't think I ever saw anyone actually get killed by them. When Batman battles Tepes' wolves, you can almost hear Bela Lugosi proclaiming, "Children of the night...what music they make!"

Wagner's art only serves to take the reader back to the days of beautiful dames and melodramatic villains. In typical, nonchalant villain style, Tepes doesn't even check on the person whose fallen into his trap in the castle, confident that whomever it was, won't be getting out alive. Wagner is also able to show a Batman who is extremely vulnerable (he takes a major butt-kicking in this book) yet also extremely resourceful, relying on his wits as much as his fists. We can only hope that Wagner doing a Batman mini-series will continue to be an annual event.

REVIEWED BY TIM JANSON

The first thing you should know about Batman and the Mad Monk is that it is a sequel to the terrific Batman and the Monster Men. Don't read this unless you have read Monster Men first. I don't think you would be lost, but there is no reason to skip the better of the two. While not quite as good as Monster Men, Batman and the Mad Monk is still a very enjoyable story.

Taking place early in Batman's career (think between Year One and Long Halloween) Batman investigates a possible vampire serial killer. When Julie Madison, Bruce Wayne's girlfriend, gets involved with the vampire, Batman must race to save her. This is also perhaps Batman's fist encounter with a supernatural villain, a turning point in a still young crime fighting career. Another turning point is portrayed as Batman learns just how hard it is to balance a real life as Bruce Wayne with his masked alter ego.

My main complaint with this story is that it is the end of Matt Wagner's Dark Moon Rising run, and it leaves too many things still open. This really should have been a trilogy as Batman and Jim Gordon are just beginning their partnership and Hugo Strange is still missing after the events of Monster Men. It is hard to be fully satisfied with a story when it leaves you feeling like things weren't properly concluded, but I still highly recommend reading this as I greatly enjoyed it.

I've recently gotten back into comics, and am currently reading as many stories about Batman's early history as I can find, and I've got to say, having recently read greats like Year One and The Long Halloween, this comic falls way short. Lets get one thing out of the way that I'm shocked more people haven't mentioned in the reviews, I HATE the art. To me it looks very amateurish, especially faces, I will admit however that the backgrounds, and especially buildings/skylines are nice and I did like Dave Stewart's colouring. The inking was nice at times, I liked the shading technique and I particularly liked the covers, but all that was way overshadowed by what I perceived to be awful character art. The writing war also just nothing special, and the story was kind of boring, and didn't add anything to the batman mythos like you might expect from a story set early in batman's history.

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. Batman and the Monster Men is a great read, but I didn't expect the sequel to be comparable at all, and in my opinion, it's even better, in some ways.

There's two main story arcs carried over from Monster Men: Bruce's love interest, Julie Madison (who plays an essential role in this one) and her father's involvement with the mob (and obsession with "The Bat-Man") is more of a side story, but, again, an essential one for the ending of the story. Oh, and there's also more great dialogue between Batman and Gordon. - This being a story that takes place during the first year or so of Batman's career, there's lots of fun bits for Bat-fans about Batman's future (with Gordon and other villains, also).

The new story about the Monk is done well enough (and I'm not a big fan of vampire stories), but with a more satisfying climax than I could have imagined, personally. In fact, it was rather refreshing, considering how most of Batman's villains are forced to end their reign of terror.

Bottom Line: If you read/own Batman and the Monster Men, this is must read/own as well.

This is a sequel to Batman and the Monster Men and should be read after that (also great) book. On it's own this book could be considered to have a few loose ends, but then again, it's a sequel and shouldn't be judged as a completely stand alone collection.

It's brilliant. I don't know for sure, but I suspect it's in part a retelling of a classic Batman story (as Monster Men was). Julie Madison is a character from Batman's past, and I wouldn't be surprised if the "Mad Monk" was as well.

The story tells of Batman's first encounter with a possibly supernatural enemy. As Monster Men told of Batman's encounter with an impossible sci-fi type of foe.

Both these books go exquisitely with Frank Miller's Batman: Year One and are probably the best year one-and-a-half stories in print.

Even more amazing is the fact that Wagner not only spun this fantastic yarn but drew it beautifully as well. I've got all the respect in the world for a creator who is that talented. The art is a visual feast, and there's something about the colors that just haunted me (excuse the pun).

I can't really imagine loving Batman and not loving this book. I hope and pray Wagner does more Batman soon.

There is good news and there is bad news when it comes to Batman and the Mad Monk.

First the good news.

The book does what most Batman movies, and for that matter most Batman comics don't, it keeps the love interest and story moving forward rather than discard them for a cute new villain. The art is also pretty top notch throughout, it's not Jim Lee but its style is very akin to something wholesome yet enticing. Think cartoon style.

Batman is still new to this whole crime fighting thing, and he also hasn't had to fight the big villains (yet). What this does is allow Wagner to focus on Batman and his new rank as Gotham's protector. Once the jokers and killer crocs come in this will be a different book. Nobody is going to argue that.

Now for the bad news.

Continuing the storyline where we left off makes for a lot of back story people will need to know. If you haven't read Batman and the Monster Men you'll be confused. Another aspect carried over is his girlfriend's father and his weelings-and-dealings with the mob. At this point we don't' care anymore. Before we cared about his plight due to the impending danger he brought to Batman's girlfriend. Now it doesn't even matter, she's in danger all on her lonesome. Wagner seems to be carrying over this gangster theme but Batman isn't even involved (at least not in this book).

The villain in this book isn't very well thought out. Is he just some cultist or something more? We never really know, and he's introduced so suddenly you feel cheated there wasn't more back story on him. Sure we see the murders he's committed and his henchwoman doing her job, but who is this guy? Strong storytelling is absent when I could care less if he's on the next page or not. When he does end up fighting Batman a cheap confrontation involving the Bat mobile and the big climatic battle leave much to be desired. We read through pages of the evil lurking in the shadows, but never really get a sense of danger since everything is so easily defeated. Even when Batman is stuck in one of those spiky walls closing in on you rooms, he simply struggles for a few panels, then sneaks out "just in the knick of time, woo!"

The overall theme is also lost here, the dark knight and the "darkness in the night" or some such direction Wagner is going with it. You can tell he's going there, you can see it since we've seen it done before better, but it never really makes the strong connection. We sit waiting for some confrontational dialogue, some moment Batman faces his own image...but it never comes. What a let down.

Ultimately by the end of the book you feel short changed. The bad guys are so poorly written and introduced you think if Paul Dini wrote this he could fit it into one issue. A cult who sucks people dry of their blood could easily fill 32 pages rather than 128. In the Wagner-Batman mythos I'm sure this will be better read when there is a volume to follow it, but as it stands alone it doesn't leave you wanting more. Wagner's take is fun and refreshing at times, but this one needed more thought. Or at least more intrigue. Batman and the Mad Monk...the Mad Monk of what; by books end I don't think anyone really cares anymore.

Batman and the Mad Monk is a sequel to the 2005 Batman and the Monster men also written and illustrated by Matt Wagner. This miniseries from #1-#6 it features a young Batman taking on a menace that may or may not have had supernatural powers. This is an early story in Batman's career well before his encounter with The Joker. My experience with early stories in the year is much more appealing, set in a world getting used to by superheroes in a time of adjustment. In this series suspense is continuous, is the Monk a literal vampire, or does he really have supernatural powers? If he does so then how does a man like Bruce Wayne with a scientific mind as brillant as batmans agree and address such an adversarys demmands? Secondly how would people in general react to the appearance of a vigilante dressed in a black pointy eared bat outfit? Batman and the Mad Monk takes place very early in Batman's career, he persuaded an organized crime boss to forget about the debts owed to him by businessman Norman Madison. This is Batman's first encounter with assistant DA Harvey Dent before he becomes Two face. At this time Batman is already working closely with Captain Jim Gordon. Gordon asks for Batman's assistance with a recent series of murders where the victim's throats have been torn out and the victims were drained of all their blood. His investigations lead him to discover a new group called the Brotherhood who are residing in the dilapidated Rallstone Castle, that was built in grander times by a very wealthy family. The Brotherhood's leader is the hypnotically charismatic Niccolai Tepes, whose original family name was Vlad Dracula, he is their Vampiric Cult leader. Thus begins the adventure for Batman, whilst this story is set in modern times Wagner has the ability to transport readers back in time when classic film noir Horror look was the genre of it's day. This is a battle of insurmountable proportions for Batman and one that takes off as always with power vigour. Wagner's art is fantastic as it takes the reader back to the 1930's . Batman takes great at a beating in this book and yet he's also extremely resourceful, in relying on way out of it using his wits as much as his fists. This was a great book definitely not to be missed. The whole series is thrill and suspense in continuum the ending of course is a complete surprise to those that haven't read it before as a graphic novella.