27 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
Dissatisfied with RIP and Final Crisis? This is for YOU!
Being a longtime Batman fan, this past year (comics wise) has been pretty rough on the Dark Knight. First we had Batman R.I.P. An interesting story and idea, but for one reason or another, just didn't sit right with me. Maybe I just need to hang in there and wait for Morrison to finish his run, but as of right now, I still feel a little screwed over at the moment. As for...
33 of 44 people found the following review helpful:
Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader
OK, I'm prepared for the gasps of shock and anger from the appropriate crowd, but honestly, I was really disappointed in this story. Maybe part of the problem is that I am just not that familiar with what is happening in the individual comic book series right now, but I do know that Bruce Wayne has apparently died. Gaiman was asked to write a swan song of sorts for...
This review is from: Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? (Deluxe Edition) (Hardcover)
Being a longtime Batman fan, this past year (comics wise) has been pretty rough on the Dark Knight. First we had Batman R.I.P. An interesting story and idea, but for one reason or another, just didn't sit right with me. Maybe I just need to hang in there and wait for Morrison to finish his run, but as of right now, I still feel a little screwed over at the moment. As for Final Crisis.... I HATED it. Not only is Batman only on a few pages, but then towards the end of the 6th issue, *SPOILERS* he appears out of nowhere, confronts Darkseid, shoots (doesn't even REALLY get the kill shot) and get blasted by Omega Beams. Sure, sure, we see that he's not really dead at the very end, but I was still really frustrated by this very lack-luster story (it's my opinion, I"m sticking to it). However, Neil Gaiman takes two issues and writes a wonderful wrap up to the close of the mess that Morrison has started (don't get me wrong, I love a lot of his work, but not lately). The only reason this book loses one star (and I was being generous) is because there's very little to the book. Two fantastic issues and three or so more stories by Gaiman that don't really relate all that well. But if you need closure after RIP and Final Crisis, this is the book for you.
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This review is from: Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? (Deluxe Edition) (Hardcover)
This is a great comic book for fans of the Batman, for readers who will appreciate a whole range of allusions to various incarnations of this hero over time. It is a brilliant tribute to one of the classic comic book heroes. Those who do not know the history of the character may miss some of the references.
The use of alternate stories may trouble readers who want a straight-forward adventure story -- what Gaiman is providing is an imaginative tribute to the various ways this superhero has been imagined by his creators over the time. It is not a linear story with beginning--middle--end in that order but a series of possible explanations, a series of alternative universes, all of which are tied to the final visions of the hero on the edge of death. What is most amazing is that in the process of imagining all of these possibilities for the Batman, Gaiman is both faithful to various past creators of the hero and completely original.
In many ways, this is a postmodern Batman and a brilliant book by one of the greatest masters of the graphic novel.
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This review is from: Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? (Deluxe Edition) (Hardcover)
OK, I'm prepared for the gasps of shock and anger from the appropriate crowd, but honestly, I was really disappointed in this story. Maybe part of the problem is that I am just not that familiar with what is happening in the individual comic book series right now, but I do know that Bruce Wayne has apparently died. Gaiman was asked to write a swan song of sorts for Batman, and Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? is the end result.
I'm not really sure what I was expecting, but I don't think this was it. Originally publihsed in Batman #685 and Detective Comics #852, basically, we are witnessing Batman's funeral (not Bruce Wayne's) and the remaining supporting cast of the series has come to pay their respects. Each person, including his Rogues Gallery, speaks about Batman and how he died, and how each person contributed to his death. Yet not one of these stories matches with another. And it appears that Bruce Wayne is viewing all of the ongoings as a sort of out of body experience.
I think the biggest problem here is that Gaiman was only given two issues to write this out in. I definitely think that the story could have benefited from one, maybe two, more issues of story. It seemed, at least to me, that Gaiman had more story to tell but had to compress what he had to make it fit into the space allotted. He tried to pay tribute to each of the most influential artists and writers of the Batman mythos, but with so many tributes crammed into only two issues and still needing to leave room for the 'big reveal' explanation at the end, what we're left with is a rather jumbled mess of a story.
Andy Kubert's art is quite stunning throughout. He makes an effort to replicate the basic art styles from each time frame that Gaiman pays tribute to, and does an admirable job. His unique style comes through the entire story, but you can also see the artistic influences of the time in his art. I found it a unique and fresh approach to the art. I just wish the story itself left me with the same feeling.
Also included in this edition are four other Batman stories that Gaiman has written over the years.
Maybe if I were more immersed in the Batman series right now, this story would have meant more to me. Maybe if I were a faithful monthly reader, I would have gotten more out of it. But I'm not a stranger to the Batman mythos, and this still felt like Gaiman couldn't quite decide where he wanted to take his story. Maybe he needed another issue. Who knows. I'm sure this story will appeal to the right person, whether that person is a Gaiman fan or a Batman fan. All I know is that I'm a little bit of both (more a Gaiman fan than a Batman fan) and I was left wanting something more out of this story.
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This review is from: Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? (Deluxe Edition) (Hardcover)
Having been initially let down by Neil Gaiman and Andy Kubert's 2-part story "Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?", I had no intention of owning it in hardcover; however, someone gave me the Deluxe Edition as a gift, so I smiled and thanked them. When I found that it contained additional Batman stories written by Gaiman from Secret Origins #36, Secret Origins Special #1, and Batman Black And White #2, I figured I could give the whole thing a chance. While I came away with a bit more of an appreciation for what Gaiman and Kubert were trying to do with the main story, I feel that it was nowhere near what it could have been.
Perhaps the biggest problem with the main story is the title. If you're going to deliberately evoke Alan Moore's legendary farewell to the pre-Crisis Superman, "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?", then you have to make it big and knock it out of the park. Well, Part One of the story certainly did: in the company of an unnamed guide, a deceased Batman observes his own wake, which is attended by his supporting cast from various incarnations and timelines. We are treated to short sequences featuring differing accounts of his death, told by characters such as the Golden-Age Catwoman, Robin, Betty Kane (the original Batgirl), Ra's al Ghul, and even Alfred, whose "The Gentleman's Gentleman's Tale" is an exceptional nod to the works of P.G. Wodehouse. It was a brilliant start, but Part 2 lost the momentum. It seemed like Gaiman didn't really know where to go with the story, ultimately slowing it down to a bland musing on Batman as a concept. Upon finishing "Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?", I'm left without a satisfactory answer to that very question.
The additional stories "A Black and White World", "Pavane", "Original Sins", and "When is a Door" feature appearances by the Joker, Poison Ivy, and the Riddler. These stories are fairly standard and didn't make much of an impression, especially compared to Gaiman's other DC one-shots collected in Midnight Days.
In his introduction to WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE CAPED CRUSADER?, Gaiman states that Batman has been a favorite of his since childhood, so I would think that he would have had more to say in his various chances at writing the character. I feel that his stabs at other DC characters, such as Black Orchid, John Constantine, and Swamp Thing, were much more effective.
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This review is from: Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? (Deluxe Edition) (Hardcover)
The original comic within this volume, 'Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader,' is one of the most interesting takes on the Batman cycle that I've ever seen. I won't speak specifically, but I should emphasize the presence of death and its outcome. Furthermore, this deluxe edition contains a few other comics, including an origin of Poison Ivy and The Riddler; these are interesting, but no where near as compelling as the centerpiece.
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This review is from: Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? (Deluxe Edition) (Hardcover)
To say I was apprehensive about purchasing this book is a bit of an understatement. After the frenetic, confusing mish-mash of Grant Morrison's "Batman: RIP" and "Final Crisis" ("Final?" let's hope so...) I was concerned that this book would be more of the same, and I just didn't want to see one of my favorite characters be ruined any further.
However, "Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader" proved to be an absolute joy to experience. The story led off in a bit of a confusing way, but it all came together in a masterful way thanks to Neil Gaiman. The end is touching, sentimental, and even fatalistic as it comes full circle. Andy Kubert's art is impeccable and gives us clever glimpses of different artisitic interpretations of the Batman, such as that of Frank Miller and Simon Bizet (possibly Kelley Jones) just to name a couple.
This is an excellent book and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Cheers!
B
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This review is from: Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? (Deluxe Edition) (Hardcover)
Along with Superman: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?, Neil Gaiman's Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? gets the Deluxe Edition treatment from DC, with a similar black hardcover--this time imprinted with the Batman logo--and a similar design of dustcover, making it all but irresistible to buy this 2009 effort along with Alan Moore's classic from the 1986.
Gaiman's work follows the same idea, conceptually, as Man of Tomorrow. Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? is designed as a sort of "what if" scenario, giving readers Batman in his final days. But from there, Gaiman departs, making the idea his own for the Dark Knight.
Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? plays like an out-of-body experience for Batman. During the opening panels, Batman is confused about his whereabouts, but is reassured he's in Gotham. Then he's looking down on what appears to be, but cannot possibly be, his own funeral.
Unlike Moore's "imaginary story," which somehow feels a bit more "realistic" in the comparison to Gaiman's take, Caped Crusader is somewhat based in the continuity of Batman. It takes place shortly after Batman's psychological breakdown in Grant Morrison's Batman R.I.P. run, and following the hero's fate in Final Crisis. Gaiman uses this psychological breakdown and questions of his death to set the stage for Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?
The wake takes place at the small Gotham City bar called the Dew Drop. As the story opens, classic villains like Catwoman, Two-Face, and The Joker park their vehicles in the alley. They enter the back room of the bar to find several other villains already enjoying the free refreshments, and the other side of the room filled with Batman's less questionable company.
At the front of the room is a casket, and in it is the Batman. But despite the series being tied to recent events, he's not necessarily the Batman from the current continuity, but one who spans roughly 70 years of Batman history. It's in this that Gaiman's work is a success. Both the villains and fellow heroes stand at the wake over the course of the two-part story to tell tales of Batman and his ultimate demise, but each story, each conclusion to the tale of Batman, is different save for a few common elements.
Andy Kubert's art plays into these conflicting tales in a big way. The pages are big, colorful, and glossy, and Kubert's own touch is present throughout. But he somehow also manages to evoke the styles of Batman artists throughout the character's history, tracing all the way back to creator Bob Kane. It helps enhance each contradictory recounting of Batman's final moments, and also serves as great fan service in what is designed as a farewell to the Caped Crusader. And Gaiman and Kubert succeed in this tribute without tying themselves helplessly to the history. In it, they find an original tale.
But it's hard not to think the purpose of Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? is slightly lost in the mix. It is teetering somewhere between high concept and keeping it simple for the readers. And while its conclusion ultimately works, it's hard not to think it is a bit ham-fisted, for Gaiman at least. The book also seemingly suffers from its ties to recent events. What made Moore's Superman work particularly special is that in being an "imaginary story" it found separation and the ability to work outside of current continuity. The Caped Crusader doesn't have that luxury, but Gaiman still finds a way to make it, at the very least, a hell of a lot of fun.
The Deluxe Hardcover also includes pages from Kubert's sketchbook, alternate covers and four other Batman stories written by Gaiman during different eras. The gem of the bunch is "A Black and White World," treating Batman like a stage play, in which the actors playing the Batman and The Joker talk backstage while waiting to go on in the comic to do their parts.
-- William Jones
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This review is from: Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? (Deluxe Edition) (Hardcover)
I decided to read this book because I love almost everything Gaiman writes. I was skeptical of his ability to do super heroes until I read Marvel 1602, which gave me faith that he could handle Batman and make it Gaiman-esque, and I wasn't disappointed. In most of this volume, Batman is observing his own funeral as friends and enemies (mostly the later) share memories of his life and his death. It takes a number of unexpected and interesting turns and twists and was a very enjoyable read. The artwork is awesome, really adding to the experience. Also in this volume is a short piece of comedy in which Batman and the Joker are talking off-camera, a story about a man talking to Poison Ivy in prison, and a story about some documentary television producers interviewing The Riddler. All of the stories were enjoyable and all very different from anything else I've read about Batman. If you like Batman, Neil Gaiman, or both, this volume is worth reading.
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In the introduction, Neil Gaiman describes his goal of writing "the last Batman story": his effort seems like a resounding success. The beautiful, touching two-part 2009 story from Batman #686 and Detective Comics #853 shows both allies and nemeses sharing their impressions of Batman at a memorial service. Artist Andy Kubert pays homage to previous DC artists by showing different versions of Batman in the flashback sequences. The page count is padded by a ten-page Andy Kubert sketchbook and three unrelated short Batman stories written by Gaiman featuring The Joker, Poison Ivy and The Riddler. The outstanding two-part "Whatever Happened..." story merits five stars, but the remainder of this volume underwhelms for the price, hence the four star rating.
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This review is from: Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? (Deluxe Edition) (Hardcover)
Over two decades ago, when DC was preparing the end the original run of Superman comics and re-launch the series beginning with a new #1 issue, legendary comic writer Alan Moore was approached to write the "wrap-up" of the series. That two-part comic, WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE MAN OF TOMORROW? has become one of the most well-loved and well-known Superman comics ever published. Though considered by many as non-canonical, that story did bring an end to the Silver Age of Superman, much to the chagrin of comic fans around the world. Now fast forward two decades. Instead of Superman, DC decided to "kill" it's other tent pole superhero, Batman. Seeming to have died towards the end of the "Final Crisis" series, DC approached Neil Gaiman to write a story to sum up the life and legend of Batman. Using Moore's famous story as inspiration, Gaiman wrote BATMAN: WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE CAPED CRUSADER?
Now, I have to admit, I never liked Batman as much as I liked Superman and the Green Lantern. For many, Batman is a character they love because Gotham City is more like the real world than Metropolis and Batman is just an ordinary human with no super abilities. It's for those very reasons, that I like Batman a little less that the Man of Steel or Hal Jordan. Superheroes should be super. That's what makes them different. Still, even though he's not my favorite, I still like Batman and do find him the most relatable of the major DC heroes.
In WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE CAPED CRUSADER? Bruce Wayne cannot be seen by people, but it becomes clear to him he is at his own funeral. Friends, comrades, and enemies all appear for the service. One by one they get up to tell their own stories about Batman & Bruce Wayne. None of the stories are the same. It's not possible for most of these stories to be true. In fact, problem none of them actually happen. Yet, each of them provides a glimpse into the Caped Crusader and how he was viewed by allies, foes, and readers alike through a long and storied history.
For Batman fans, WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE CAPED CRUSADER? is a love letter. It's filled with allusions to famous Batman battles, minor villains, and other Batman minutia that Batman fans or other comic book geeks will enjoy discovering. The artwork by Andy Kubert is gorgeous. It captures the essence of Batman; the shadowing of a dark and dreary world ripped from crime stories and film noir, yet touched and lighted by the elegance of the glow like that from the screen of an old cinema showing a classic Hollywood movie. It is danger seeped in nostalgia, longing, and lost innocence.
Despite the original idea and the beautiful artwork, WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE CAPED CRUSADER? is not a story that will appeal to many people. It's very much tied into what is currently happening in the DC universe, e.g. the events of FINAL CRISIS and the current BLACKEST NIGHT storyline. Therefore, those who just have a general knowledge of Batman and the DC universe might be confused. Also, the story has a rather ambiguous ending. No one is for sure what is going to happen with Batman, but unlike the Silver Age Superman stories that came to an end with WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE MAN OF TOMORROW?, WHATEVE HAPPENED TO THE CAPED CRUSADER? is not the final Batman story.
Included with this Deluxe edition, are three other Batman comics Gaiman wrote: a Black and White story (where DC characters interact in the green room before appearing in their panels); a Poison Ivy story; and a Joker story.
Overall, WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE CAPED CRUSADER? is a story that Batman fans and DC fans will probably want to own, but for is something casual readers might just want to browse through at the bookstore.
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