Batman seventies style - The way it's SUPPOSED to be

books:

	• Batman: Dark Detective Steve Englehart DC Comics, 2006 - 144 pages average customer review:based on 8 reviews view larger image
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Batman seventies style - The way it's SUPPOSED to be

There has been some criticism here about the storytelling here - that it's old school, etc. It's SUPPOSED to be that way. This is a sequel to Englehart and Rogers' classic run on DC's Detective Comics from the late '70s.

One criticism was that the lettering was done by hand. Well, back in those days, it was done that way. You could tell back then just by looking at a word balloon or caption who did the lettering. It was distinctive, unlike generic lettering done by computer.

If you liked the classic stories from the '70s, this is a fine reprise of that period's storytelling conventions (thought balloons, expository captions, etc). If you are looking for a modern approach to the Batman, there are several alternatives that can be found here.

Enjoy this story for what is - a fun, colorful revival of a great period in comics storytelling by the people who were there in the first place.

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A solid story

In the story, Batman is reunited with possibly the closest he's ever had to a real girlfriend, Silver St. Cloud. She is engaged, however, to a candidate for governor who is campaigning in Gotham. However, a late write-in candidate threatens the man's campaign... the Joker! His slogan: "Vote for me or I'll kill you!" Batman must try and prevent the murder of many innocent people at the hands of the Joker.

I think this writing team has put forth some of the best Batman stories ever made. The 1970's was a good decade for the Batman character. Many of the writers had gotten sick of all the campiness of the TV Batman, and returned the character to his dark, mysterious, gothic roots.

This team also knows how to write a good Joker story. I believe these are the same guys that wrote "The Laughing Fish" story, an infamous Batman tale. The characters are all pretty accurately done, and the mysterious "Joker house" laden with death traps is a sinister twist at the end of the story. This is a good story.

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It's not great but it's not a disappointment either

I just happened to see this in a local bookstore while browsing the other day and my first thought was, when did this come out? At first I thought it was a collection of old books. I was pretty excited to see that it was new however. Like the other reviewers I was a fan of the Englehart/Rogers Batman and just a huge fan of Marshall Rogers period. I loved his deceptively simple, elegant artwork and it remains a pleasure to the eyes still. I am really happy to see Terry Austin return as well. He was one of the first inkers I really started to notice when I was a kid. As a young boy you tend to pay more attention to the artist than the inker but Terry always brought something extra to the titles he worked on. So it goes without saying, although I will that the art is satisfying on this title. It's a little uneven at times but it takes me back and has a classic feel to it. And it looks like Geoff Darrow may have been influenced a little by Marshall.

Where I have some trouble is the story. Steve Englehart was a writer I always enjoyed when I was younger but I also wasn't very discriminating as a child either. I was reading any comic I could get my hands on but I do remember his name being on several titles I liked back than. The story itself is a mixed bag I guess. I like the classic feel of Batman here. He's not as brooding as when he's at his grim worst. The theme seems to be more Batman: Year One then The Dark Knight Returns which I like. I don't think the story offers anything new however. We are presented with the same rouges gallery we always get. It seems like there are too many villains stuffed in here. It makes for a "classic" tale while at the same time giving us the same old thing. I got a chuckle out of some of the Joker's rants but at the same time felt some of the dialog was stilted and a little awkward.

I would say it's not as good as some of the best Batman trades out but it's better than the majority of stuff out.

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reviews: page 1, 2

Writer Steve Englehart and artists Marshall Rogers & Terry Austin set a high standard with their acclaimed run on DETECTIVE COMICS in the late 1970s. Now that team is back with a new collection that pits the Dark Knight against the most famous and feared members of his Rogues Gallery, including The Joker and Two-Face.