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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Reclaiming the '60s from Adam West, June 29, 2006
This review is from: Batman: Thrillkiller (Batgirl, Robin) (Comic)
For some members of the Batman fan base, the 1960s will always be linked to the image of Adam West camping it up in tights against an array of colorful foes. Writer Howard Chaykin reclaims a bit of the Batman legacy from that decade with "Thrillkiller," a lushly, darkly painted Elseworlds story that offers an entirely new stamp on the story.
In "Thrillkiller," Bruce Wayne's parents were murdered in his childhood, but their debts left him penniless. Without the Wayne resources at his disposal, his vendetta against crime took a different route, and now -- 1961 -- he works as a police detective on the Gotham P.D. Police Commissioner Gordon's estranged daughter Barbara -- herself an heiress on her late mother's side -- has purchased Wayne Manor, and from there she and her boyfriend Richart "Dick Grayson" Graustark operate as Batgirl and Robin. They are cool but flashy, and they wield beatnik aggression against foes that resemble but are still quite different from the usual Batman gallery of rogues -- a green-haired, pale-skinned woman, a crooked cop with scars marring one side of his face, a scaly-skinned hoodlum.
Colorful bad guys notwithstanding, the world of "Thrillkiller" is a dangerous place to operate, and our heroes don't always dance blithely out of harm's way. And, as you'd expect, Batman too makes an appearance before this tale is done.
The story by Chaykin is tight, exciting and appropriate to the era. The painted art by Dan Brereton is a suitable vehicle for the story, matching the early '60s atmosphere and giving the main characters the rugged good looks of teen idols of the day. Action is a bit wooden, looking at times more posed than kinetic, but that never interferes with the story's flow.
The graphic novel, published as a collection in 1998, includes the three-book "Thrillkiller" mini-series from 1997 as well as the one-shot sequel, "Thrillkiller '62," from 1998. Combined, it's an exciting alternate world that I'd love to see explored further.
By Tom Knapp, Rambles.NET editor
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
THE SEXIEST BAT-FAMILY STORY...EVER!, March 7, 2010
This review is from: Batman: Thrillkiller (Batgirl, Robin) (Comic)
After the mini-series,"The Golden Age","Thrillkiller" is my favorite Elseworlds tale from DC Comics.Back in the 60s these stories were known as imaginary tales,as if the stories from regular comic book continuity were somehow real.This series was set in an alternate universe during the early 1960s when Kennedy just became president and Elvis just got out of the army.The story by Howard Chaykin reads just like a hard-boiled crime novel.Just imagine James Ellroy writing about New York instead of Los Angeles.But what really makes this book is the art by Dan Brereton.I could see him painting the covers for lurid paperback potboilers from the era this story is set.He knows how to draw women with curves.Almost every panel drips sex.All the usual suspects are here,but in different guises.For one thing,Bruce Wayne is a hard as nails detective for the GCPD.Selina Kyle wears a cat outfit,but it's only one of the costumes she wears as a striptease artiste.Dinah Lance is a chanteuse who performs under the name of "the Black Canary",and the Joker is a beautiful woman with decidely sapphic and sadistic tendencies.Dick Grayson is here,as is Barbara Gordon.They're the two lead characters,and they're also the only characters that even vaguely resemble what were used to seeing in the regular DC Universe.This book collects the original 3-part Thrillkiller story and it's sequel Thrillkiller'62 in one volume.If you missed the original series I suggest you buy this book.You won't be sorry.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Visually gorgeous, compelling Elseworld Tale., January 4, 2010
This review is from: Batman: Thrillkiller (Batgirl, Robin) (Comic)
Thrillkiller is a delightfully retro, dark and gripping retelling of the Dark Knight mythos.
Bruce Wayne is an industrious detective, working with Gordon against a corrupt police force in a town of satiated, thrill seeking new aristocracy that ignores the crime that plagues the city beneath their noses. Onto the scene burts Batgirl and and Robin -really Gordon's estranged daughter Barbara - a wealthy heiress, and her boyfriend Dick Grayson. These vigilantes first battle Gordon and Wayne, before teeming with them to bring down Bianca Steeplechase - a sinister female Joker who manipulates both the underworld and the civic authorities.
Thrillkiller '69, the included sequel, deals with Wayne's transformation into the Dark Knight as he joins and takes over Barbara Gordon's crusade.
Many other Bat-cast-members are here, though in different forms, including Two-Face, Killer Ctoc, Harley-Quinn, Catwoman and the Black Canary.
The story is consistently compelling and visually stunning. The four heroes are consistently sympathetic and tragic figures, while the female Joker is a genuinely chilling presence.
One could easily hope for more of this series.
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