Superman Batman Public Enemies

 

TITLE-Superman Batman Public Enemies

SOURCE-Warner Premiere DVD

Now I have never read the comic series this  film is based on. Never really been a big Superman fan. And Batman is one I like but depends  on the creative team.

A meteor is heading to Earth,Lex Luthor is President of the USA. Using manipulated footage Luther convinces the US citizens that Superman murdered Mentallo. Leading to a pile of heroes hunting for Superman and Batman. All while Luthor is up to something and this meteor is not that far from hitting Earth.

I love how the animation style used in the film looks like a tweeked version of the Timmverse style. The voice work is well done. And the film isn't too long. 

What I really enjoyed is how many lesser known heroes get to appear. Black Lightning,Captain Atom,Nightshade and so many others get appearances. Then you got Power Girl in a major role. With a sly joke about her best known feature when her,Batman and Superman have to goto a 13  year old genius to stop the Kryptonite meteor from hitting Earth.

I know there is a sequel. Which deals with what was in that meteor. Had that part spoiled for me already. Will track that sequel down soon.

Superman Batman Public Enemies gets a B-

Scooby Doo & Batman The Brave and the Bold DVD

 

TITLE-Scooby Doo & Batman The Brave and the Bold
SOURCE-WB DVD

Back when Brave and the Bold was airing I worked the night it aired. Would record it and when I got home  at 8am the next morning sit and watch it before going to bed. Fun show that combined the silliness of the Batman66 tv show with a great selection guest stars. Can't hate a show that produced at least 4 Plastic Man Figures.

In 2018 I saw this got released. Normally with these Scooby Doo movies I wait a year and find a used copy for a few bucks. This one I paid the full retail price.

Mystery Inc is trying to solve a mystery about a ghostly puppetmaster. When they do and learn the puppet master is Martian Manhunter and the puppet is Detective Chimp we learn this was a test. To see if Mystery Inc is good enough to join this mystery solving team Batman has formed. And what a team,the Question,Plastic Man,Black Canery,Aquaman and the previously mentioned Detective Chimp and Johnn Jozz.

Batman has 1 unsolved mystery from early in his career. And this film is about how him and the Scooby Gang solve this mystery.

Loaded with cameos and references that the comic fans and older Scooby fan will love. My favorite is the gang being told to goto the "Corner of Spears and Ruby." 

Now I haven't watched this since I got it 6 years ago. And until 10 minutes from the ending I had forgotten who the big bad was. The Crimson Cowl,who I nicknamed Red Booger,is a interesting attempt at creating a new Batman Rogue. At least I think he is new.

Good animation,good voice acting and with this being a tiny bit over 70s minutes a good length. Extras are the 2 episodes of the New Scooby Doo Movies show with Batman and Robin.

Scooby Doo & Batman The Brave & The Bold gets a B+

The New Adventures of Batman The Complete Collection Blu Ray

TITLE-The New Adventures of Batman Complete Collection

SOURCE-Warner Brothers Blu Ray

I would have loved to been a kid in the past 20 years. When you got a new comic movie or tv show almost every month. Back in the mid to late 70s I was lucky if every 5 years we got a new cartoon. Which is why when this Batman cartoon debuted in the late 70s I was there every Saturday to see it. Loving Bat Mite and wondering why Bat Mite wasn't appearing in Superfriends on ABC.

Then the show stopped airing and I just forgot about it. Sometime in the late 80s had just got in my new CBG issue,Comic Buyers Guide,and in the classifieds saw someone selling COLLECTOR copies of this series on VHS. Not wanting to take a chance I passed.

Then I found this blu ray set cheap. And found the show is mixed bag to me know. It has the goofy plots of the Batman 66 tv show,which makes sense with Adam West and Burt Ward voicing Batman and Robin in this. 

Thinking this has to be the first Batgirl in animation. She is decent  in here. And very much like her Batman 66 portrayal.

With only 16 episodes they didnt go through that much of Batman's rogues gallery. You get Joker of course,and Penguin. Mr Freeze,who is one that became bigger thanks to BTAS. And a odd costume for Catwoman that I only remember seeing on this show.

As  a kid seeing this once a week and not having much else that was comic book related ot watch I loved it. Now seeing all 16 episodes over a weekend and it's flaws are very much there in your face often.

The prints used look and sound good. Only extra is a 18 minute short titled The Dark Knight Revisited. I think I have seen this before on another set. You get the same talking heads you got on all the Batman the Animated Series BTS extras on those releases.

The New Adventures of Batman Complete Collection Blu ray gets a C-.

 

2017 Comic Challenge 215 Dark Knight The Master Race #08

TITLE-Dark Knight III The Master Race #08
PUBLISHER-DC Comics

Almost at the end,one more issue,and this issue is mostly building towards that final issue.

Batman,fresh from the Lazurus pit is reunited with Carrie Kelly. And during this Wonder Woman and the Amazons prepare for the Kryptonians attack.

Honestly the main part of this issue is kind of boring. Nothing much happens. The art is nice and I get that the writers are trying to build up for the final issue.

The back up story isn't much better.It happens a bit ago and Batman and Carrie meet up with the female commissioner.

As I have said a few times before I should have waited until this series was over and bought the trade.

Dark Knight III The Master Race #08 gets a borrow.

2016 Comic Challenge 293 Dark Knight III The Master Race #07

TITLE-Dark Knight III The Master Race #07
PUBLISHER-DC Comics

Batman is dead and Superman is rushing him off somewhere. I do love how Miller sees Superman,all powerful but boring and in the end not nearly effective as he should be.

Back in Gotham,Carrie Kelly finds out Bruce is dead. Ends up meeting with the Commissioner on the roof of the Gotham Police HQ. After a lengthily discussion on if what all just happened was worth it,Carrie is says it is the Commissioner seems to think it wasn't,Kelly leaves. To bury the dead,but as a parting line makes sure the police know she will provide them with a new bat signal.

We go back to Superman with the now dead Batman. They enter a cave and Superman tosses Batman  into what I am assuming is a Lazurus Pit. Cause a younger and alive Bruce Wayne comes out of it.

The daughter of Superman and Wonder Woman,this girl's name will not stick in my memory,is recovering with the rest of the surviving Kandorians. Gets told to go get her brother.

She arrives on Paradise Island. Manages to see and talk to her baby brother,before her mother shows up. The daughter thinks cause she has a surprise army of Kandorians waiting on her word she is good to go. But Diana has gathered an massive army of Amazons.

And so ends the main part of the book. Like every other issue we get a shorter back up story. Spotlighting someone that doesn't get much attention in the main story. This time it is Hal Jordan. In the main story we see a man all bundled up crossing a desert. Turns out it is Hal and he is searching for his ring. Gotta love that Miller drew all of this back up.

Dark Knight III The Master Race #07 gets a BUY!

2016 Comic Challenge 264 Dark Knight III the Master Race #06

TITLE Dark Knight III The Master Race #06
PUBLISHER-DC Comics

After many months we get another  chapter in the third DK from Frank Miller.Well kinda from him. Frank Miller&Brian Azzarello get story credit. And for this issue,pretty sure the previous ones were drawn by Frank,is by Andy Kubert.

The green kryptonite rain has taken out most of the Kandorians. With only the daughter of Superman and Wonder Woman being not effected by it.

Batman of course planned this all out. And has piles of Sons of the  Bat troops all over to attack the now depowered Kandorians.

The Kandorians take a retreat.But on their way out the leader shots a percise bolt of heat vision,which hits Batman's heart. So as this part of the main story ends Batman has died.

The backup story has Carrie Kelly fighting the daughter of Supes and Wonder Woman. Then Wonder Woman shows up,the daughter manages to break the Golden lasso. While this was not a bad read,I would have been happier with 10 more pages of the main story instead.

Between the long waits between the issues,and yes I know none of Miller's DK stuff has been known to come out on time,and then after the wait getting maybe 22 pages of the main story plus 15 pages of a back up story. Instead of say 28 to 30 pages of the main story and no back up. Yeah I know I should have waited until it came out in a TPB. But this is one of the few titles I have to go get as soon as a new issue is hot.

Dark Knight III The Master Race #06 gets a borrow

2016 Comic Challenge 263 The Killing Joke

TITLE-The Killing Joke Deluxe edition
PUBLISHER-DC Comics

I am assuming if you are reading this you have read The Killing Joke. If not go track down a copy and read it. It is one of the best Joker stories ever told.

I read it for the first time when it came out over 20 years ago. Pretty sure it was the first time I saw Brian Bolland's art. And was one of the earliest things I read from Alan Moore. But even on that first reading something about the ending didn't work for me. And it wasn't until months later at Gulf Coast Comics that I heard the argument on if Batman kills Joker at the end.I think he does. And from the original script pages it seems like Moore wanted you to wonder if that is what happens.

Now it is time for the complaints. This Deluxe Edition well Bolland has went back and not only recolored the entire story,but also did some touch up the art. I didn't notice any changes in the art,but the coloring to me looks bad. I know this is the original artist's going back and changing it. And it is how he has always wanted it to look. But my eyes are use to the old coloring and they to me gave it a nice dark look that this story needs. This new coloring makes it a bit too bright.

My other complaint is DC's need to add bonus stuff to the collection. An intro and afterword are nice,but to me the Bolland story from the old Batman Black and White mini series wasn't needed. Sure it looked nice in color for the first time. But it feels more like DC adding a few small things so they can charge more for what was originally a $4 prestige format comic.

The Killing Joke Deluxe Edition gets a borrow.

2016 Comic Challenge 235 Millennium #04

TITLE-Millennium #04
PUBLISHER-DC

I know I read most of the Millennium series years ago,but I remember nothing about it outside the basic plot. Was wanting something to read while having breakfast and seeing this was written by Steve Englehart I grabbed it off the read pile.

The Guardians have gather a bunch of people to evolve them to the next step up the evolutionary ladder.While this is going on we cut back and forth between the Suicide Squad's base in LA and the Manhunters base in south LA.

Besides the cover nothing else from this issue sticks out.Joe Staton's art is good. But this really feels like you just got dropped in the  middle of a 50 part movie serial. And there isn't enough in  the issue for me to piece together what happened previously.

Millennium #04 gets pass.

2016 Comic Challenge 202 Dark Knight III The Master Race #05

TITLE-Dark Knight III The Master Race #05
PUBLISHER-DC

The main story is the Kandorians attacking Gotham. And how Batman always has a plan. He has seeded the clouds over Gotham with the synthetic Kryptonite. So when the attack happens Batman causes it to rain and now the Kandorians are majorly weakened.

Carrie is out with Aquaman trying to find where Superman is trapped. They find him and free him. And in the last page of the main story we get Supes in a suit of armor backing up Batman as the real battle with the Kandorians has started.

The back up story,well it was kind of boring. Superman and Wonder Woman's daughter is out with one of the Kandorians. Even the art looks boring. This is the worst of the back up stories so far.

Dark Knight III The Master Race #05 gets a buy.

2016 Comic Challenge 169 Dark Knight III The Master Race #04

TITLE-Dark Knight III The Master Race #04
PUBLISHER-DC Comics

After a bit of a delay issue 4 is out. Most of the issue is Lara vs Superman. And once the Kandorians defeat Superman,they give an ultimatum,turn over Batman or they will wipe Gotham off the face of the Earth.

In the back up story,Carrie Kelly is now Batgirl. And is off on a mission Bruce sent her on. Lots of good fights scenes,then she gets rescued by Aquaman. And the dreaded to be continued appears.

This was decent. But I really am feeling like I should have just waited till it was over and grabbed a trade of it. Damn you Miller.BTW best of luck with your health issues sir.

Dark Knight III The Master Race #04 gets a borrow.

2016 Comic Challenge 144 Batman VS.Superman The greatest battles

TITLE-Batman VS.Superman The Greatest Battles
PUBLISHER-DC Comics

Ok yeah this time it is a trade instead of a single issue. Found this at Walmart for like 8 bucks. Saw it had 7 stories,3 of which I had read before,so grabbed it.

And what issues does it reprint? What battles do we get?

Up first is Batman #612.Part of Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee's Hush story line. This is the best issue of that horrible piece of shit. And it is just average. Loeb is a average at best writer,usually being way below average. Lee is ok for covers and posters. But to me his art has no storytelling,no emotion or real passion.

Man of Steel #3 by John Byrne is second. Read this whenever it came out years ago.Hell what 30 years ago now? It's OK. I have never liked Byrne's art that much on anything outside Marvel. And his Batman just looks off to me. Still it is a neat first meeting of Bruce and Clark in the post Crisis universe.

Who would win from Superman/Batman #78 is the third issue reprinted. And the first I hadn't read.Joe and Jack Kelly tell a great story of two 8 or so year old boys debating who would win between Superman and Batman. Ed Benes draws it. And the touch  at the end is cute.

The second issue of the New52 Justice League title is next.Geoff Johns and Jim Lee produced a nice to look at but honestly shallow as a kiddy pool story.

The first 2 parts of the Batman:endgame story is the next battle. Scott Snyder is an Ok Batman writer. Thankfully Greg Capullo pencils and Danny Miki's inks make up for Snyder's shortcomings.

Then we end the trade with one of the earliest serious Batman vs Superman fights and one of the best. Dark Knight Returns #4.Not much I can say about this,since I figure most people reading this have read the comic or at least seen the DTV adaptation. But it is a great way to end this collection.

One last little thing. The trade came with a sticker on the front that said Walmart exclusive. And mentioned a Batman V Superman movie poster. So the poster....

Yeah it sucks. Oh well.

Batman VS.Superman The Greatest Battles gets a borrow.

2016 Comic Challenge 093 Dark Knight III The Master Race #03

TITLE-Dark Knight III The Master Race #03
PUBLISHER-DC Comics

With the one escaped Kandorian taking over the world,Carrie and Bruce goto the Fortress of Solitude to awaken Superman.

And on the other side we see Superman and Wonder Woman's daughter turning to the dark side.

Really this is more of a set up issue than anything else. The backstory with Hal Jordan is meh.

Honestly I should have just waited till this series was over and grabbed the trade. but DKR is one of my favorite series. And I loved the sequel,yeah I know I am one of the few,so I was gonna read this as it came out even if it was a dumb idea. And this issue with was. Nothing here was worth what I paid.

Dark Knight III #03 gets a borrow.

2016 Comic Challenge 081 Injustice:Gods among us Year One #01

TITLE-Injustice Gods Among Us Year One #01
PUBLISHER-DC comics

This was a tie in comic for a DC hero fighting game. So I skipped it. Cause really how good could it be. But then I had someone constantly talking about how great the series was. Plus it is free.

The story is fairly simple. We are a few years in the future. Gotham is free of crime. Thanks to Superman taking over control of the world. And now Batman is gonna stop him.

Up next is a flashback. Were we see Superman finding out Lois is pregnant. And doesn't want her to go on a semi-dangerous assignment. She goes anyway.

From this issue,and I went ahead and read 2 more,what I have been told about the series I see it for what it is. A watered down mash up of Mark Grunwald's Squadron Supreme 12 issue mini,the whole superhero takes over control of the world and the non powered superhero member of the same super team must stop him/them. And Mark Waid Irredeemable.So take those two really good comics. Mash them together. Then water it down so it won't offend anyone. And you get this turd sandwich.

I am gonna be fair and finish reading the rest of Year One of this series. Mostly to see if it gets any better or just gets worse.

Injustice Gods Among Us Year One #01 gets a Pass!

2016 Comic Challenge 065 Batman/TMNT #01

TITLE-Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #01
PUBLISHER-DC Comics/IDW

I wasn't expecting much out of this cross over. Mostly cause I am tired of Batman. Yeah fire up the rage Batfans.

A bunch of labs are being hit by the Foot Clan and Batman and the TMNT are investigating.That is pretty much what story we get.

The art is pretty good. Though I wish Eastman had done more than just the variant cover. Freddie Williams II is a good artist that needs more work.

The story is bare bones. And with this being the first of six issues I expected that somewhat.

Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #01 gets a borrow.

2016 Comic Challenge 027 Dark Knight III the Master Race #02

TITLE-Dark Knight III The Master Race
PUBLISHER-DC

Before I even start talking about this issue got a few things I need to point out.

1.I loved Dark Knight II. And understand why it is not liked. But for me it was almost as good as Dark Knight Returns.

2.Yeah I know Miller is insane. But the stuff people bitch about in his modern work,pretty much everything he has done since 9/11,was there in Ronin,Daredevil,DKR.

Last issue Carrie Kelly got caught by the cops while wearing a Batman outfit. Plus we saw the Atom trying to return the people of the bottle city of Kandor to normal size.

So this issue we have Carrie in jail being interrogated by the police. After a while Ms Kelly breaks and tells a story of how Bruce Wayne has died. Notice how she says Bruce Wayne not Batman.

Then the rest of the main story is  Atom finishing up a device that will return the Kandorians to their normal height. But it all goes wrong and I think this is the introduction to the main villain of this story.

The back up story is all about Wonder Woman training her daughter. And is not bad.

I get that people also seem to not care for Miller current art work. But for me it is still soo good. Like the cover above I would love that as a huge poster.

Dark Knight III The Master Race #02 gets a Buy.

2015 Reading Challenge Book 091 Infinite Crisis

TITLE-Infinite Crisis
AUTHOR-Geoff Johns
FORMAT-Trade Paperback
FIRST TIME READING-No
PRICE-10 bucks

In 2005 DC started this series. Which is a sequel to the 80s classic Crisis on Infinite Earths. I would listen to the reviews of each issue on the Comic Geek Speak podcast. Then at a con found the trade for about $5 off cover. Grabbed it. But almost didn't,mostly cause I am not a big fan of Geoff Johns. In lots of ways his writing reminds me of Peter David. And I do not like Peter David's comic work. But since this was a sequel to one of my favorite big comic book events I felt like I needed to read it.

This trade reprints issues 1 thru 7 of the Infinite Crisis mini series. And includes all the alternative covers. Some of which are from Jim Lee. I have always said Lee is a great artist for cover,posters and pinups. But that his storytelling skills are lacking. The cover you see above is from Jim and it looks damn good.

So what is the story? Well cause of a recent reveal ,that the JLA mindwiped some stuff from various villains and Batman's minds,Batman is now refusing to work with any other hero. To save the world Wonder Woman had to kill a man which was broadcast world wide. And something has attacked the JLA HQ and almost killed the Martian Manhunter.

SPOILERS BELOW YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!

So what has happened is this. At the end of Crisis on Infinite Earths all the alternate Earths in the DC multiverse got merged into one. And so that meant no more 2 Supermans and various other things. The Superman of Earth 2,which is the one that appeared in Action Comics #1,along with Earth 2's Lois Lane,Alexander Luthor of Earth 3,a world where all the heroes are villains and vice versa,along with the Superboy of Earth Prime all are shuttled off to a pocket universe. Where they are suppose to live in peace for eternity.

What wasn't known was they could see what was happening on this new merged Earth. And after seeing how dark the heroes have gotten Superman and the others come to believe if they can bring their old world back it will correct this.

Now to me this entire series was Geoff Johns kind of crapping on all the bad ripoffs that happened after Frank Miller's Dark Knight Returns and Alan Moore's Watchmen were such huge hits not long after Crisis on Infinite Earths ended.And I kind of agree with Johns on this. I don't mind so called dark or edgy heroes,hell one of my favorite comics of all time is Miracleman,but most of the ripoffs of DKR and Watchmen missed what made those two series so good. It wasn't that they were so dark and gritty. It was how each writer took the common superhero tropes and used them in new ways.

So how is this 7 issues collection? I enjoy it a bunch. I got it back in 2008 and since then usually read it once a year. The writing it pretty good for the most part. There is a few too many storylines that sadly do not get enough room to breathe.And the art is really good on most pages.And as a sequel to Crisis on Infinite Earths it works very well. Even if by the time I read this I knew all the big reveals and surprises.

Infinite Crisis gets a B.

3 Toys from the Junk Box Batman Edition

Had to make a quick trip to the coast this weekend. We went from having a few months to get whatever anyone wanted out of Grandpa's house to "Hey can yall have it all out in 5 days?"

But while down I spent the night with my cousin. While helping her put a new bed together for her son. We also went through all his toys. Getting rid of shit he never played with. And yes he got consulted on what was given away.I of course got first choice.

Ended up getting right at 30 action figures. And 3 items that because of space issues in the truck I had to leave down there until my next trip to the coast.

No clue what toyline this Joker came from. I noticed I didn't own a full size Joker figure. I have had a Imaginext Joker for years now. Liked the paint apps and sculpting on this one. The articulation is shit. It feels a bit like the Kenner Batman the animated series figures.For having so such small feet Joker is surprisingly easy to stand up.

This tiny Robin seems to be a Happy Meal toy. The paint and sculpting isn't good. Along with this one I got 2 other figures. One who I was shocked was made into a Happy Meal toy,hint it's a hero that started in the golden age.And was a JSA member. And one who I have no clue who it is.But yeah this Robin sucks. Never been a huge Robin fan so it isn't like I gotta have a cool Robin figure.

Saved the best for last. I loved the Fisher Price Imaginext toyline. Their DC superheros are some of my favorites. But they figures cost way more than I want to pay. This Batman came with the Imaginext 2 foot tall Batcave Playset.He has so much articulation. The paint is great. And the clothlike cape is a nice touch.It is weird I am a big Batman fan. But until I got this huge haul of toys,only Batman I had was  Batman Begins Batman.I like this Imaginext Batman so much more. Plus it looks like a dwarf version of the Adam West Batman.

2015 Reading Challenge Book 050 Bat Manga

TITLE-Bat-Manga!
AUTHOR-Chip Kidd
FORMAT-Trade Paperback
FIRST TIME READING-No
COST-$15

I discovered manga with Eclipse comics Mai the psychic girl series.Since then I have read a few manga series.Mostly Battle Angel Alita,Akira and Ranma 1/2. So when I first heard that a book reprinting some 60s era Batman manga stories I was pretty excited.

Seems the Batman explosion into mainstream pop culture after the Adam West tv show started wasn't just a North American thing. Over in Japan once the series started airing the Japanese went Bat-nutz.Not only did they have a weekly manga series,but there was so many great toys made.

So enough history ,how is the book? Chip Kidd talks about how hard it was for him to find copies of the Batman manga stuff. So we only get two complete story lines in this trade. There is IIRC 6 story lines reprinted in here. Of course it reads back to front and right to left like all manga should. Before re-reading this I hadn't read any manga in a decent amount of time. But after a few pages I was use to reading it "backwards"To fill in the dead space on pages Kidd has so many great pictures of all the Batman toys that came out in Japan in the 60s. Most of which are made of metal. Which is nice to see,by this time in the states the switch over to plastic was already happening.

So how is the Batman manga stuff? Now you gotta remember the source material they used wasn't in the best shape. So there is some flaws in stuff. The artwork is good. It is fairly simple,But still looks good. The stories are as good as the stuff DC was putting out at the same time. With it being a weekly publication of course every 6 pages or so there is a cliffhanger. But that to me just makes it feel more like the Adam West TV show.

Overall this is a good book. My only complaint is the binding. I get the feeling that after heavy reading it might come loose. There is a hardcover version,which I am sure has better binding. But it is also $40.

Bat-Manga! by Chip Kidd gets a 4.85 outta 5.

2015 Reading Challenge Book 040 The Greatest Team Up Stories Ever Told

TITLE-The Greatest Team-Up Stories Ever Told
AUTHOR-Various
FORMAT-Hardcover
FIRST TIME READING-No
COST-$8

I have always like DC comics The Greatest FILL IN THE BLANK series of trades and hardcovers. Back when the first Burton Batman film came out I got the Batman and Joker trades from this line. And read each of them so many times they fell apart.

Back in 2008 I had a lot more disposable income. Was on Ebay looking for decently priced comic trades and hardcovers.I saw this collection. With the great artwork on the dust jacket catching my eye.I looked it up and scoped out what stories are reprinted in this collection. They looked to be a nice selection of both stuff I had read and hadn't read.It had 3 days to go in the auction.So I put in  a bid of $8,which was 25 cents more than the current highest bid. By the time I won the auction I had kind of forgot about bidding on it.

It came in and I filled up my glass with some cold sweet tea.Went out on my back porch. Spent the next 2 hours reading some really fun Golden age and Silver age stories with various DC heroes teaming up.

Oh yeah the stories.There are 15 stories total. 5 Golden age stories,with 3 of them teaming up Superman and some combination of Batman and/or Robin. These are decent. But nothing about them stands out that much.The other two stories team up Aquaman with Green Arrow and Speedy.These two are really fun. I like how Green Arrow has to change up his techniques because of him being underwater.And the Aquaman part of the story has beautiful Ramona Fredon artwork.

There are 6 Silver age stories. And there is much more variety in what heroes team up in these stories.Of course the classic team up stories of the 60s,Flash of Two World,Crisis on Earth-One and Crisis on Earth-two.The Hawkman/Adam Strange team up is a story I had never read or heard of.But after reading it I would rank it with the stories I mentioned a few sentences back.Gardner Fox is the author,with Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson doing the pencils.Mr Anderson pulls double duty by also doing the inks.The Atom/Flash team up....well it isn't anything special. The Alex Toth art is nice.But I have never been a big fan of Bob Haney's storytelling skills.Then the final story from the Silver age,another classic. From The Brave and the Bold #54 it is first appearance of the original Teen Titans.I had a reprint of this teaming of Robin,Kid Flash and Aqualad. But the reproduction of the artwork was really bad. Here it looks better than it ever has.I love the Bruno Premiani pencils. And the only drawback is the by the numbers Bob Haney story.

Finally we get 4 Bronze age/Modern age stories.Before getting this collection I had read 2 of them. The first is O'Neal & Adams Green Lantern #76 from Spring 1970. What can be said about this comic? Really it has been discussed indepth for over 40 years now. All I can say is that I do enjoy it,but feel that it feels a bit dated. Which isn't really a bad thing,the story is 44 years old. The next story is one I have never read.It is the story about how if Krypton hadn't explodes Kal-El would have been the greatest Green Lantern of all time. I have never been a Superman fan. There is at the most 10 or so Superman stories I even enjoy. This is not one of them.We jump ahead to the very early 80s. From Brave and the Bold #178,the Jim Aparo drawn team up of the Creeper and Batman. Kind of surprised I had not read this issue before getting this collection. From the very late 70s until the series ended I rarely missed an issue of Brave and the Bold. This was the title that not only made me a Batman fan,but also introduced me to so many DC heroes and villains.And when Jim Aparo was drawing it I tried my best to never miss an issue.I loved this issue so much. The Creeper is a low enough level super powered hero that he works very well with Batman.And finally not only the last issue in this great hardcover,but the best issue in it. As I said above I am not a Superman fan. But DC Comics Presents #85 is one of those 10 or so Superman stories I enjoy. The first time I read it was not long after it came out in the fall of 85.My cousin had bought the comic. We were 11 or 12,and had found out the local library had a comic book trade. He had bought the issue of DC comics presents cause he was a big Superman fan. And he did not like it. He hated it.Before we got into his mothers car to go trade comics he asked me if I might want it.I looked at it and saw Superman was teaming up with Swamp Thing. At the comic trade that summer I had gotten a few issues from the 70s Swamp Thing run.So I agreed to trade him one of my Gi Joe comics for the issue. It got buried in the pile of comics I got that day. And at least a week went by before I read it. Holy Hell what a great story. Wait I am just assuming people reading this know who wrote it and did the pencils. Alan Moore wrote the comic.Rick Veitch did the pencils. So you got the at the time current creative team on one of the best comics of the 80s. OK enough gushing. This is one of my favorite comics. And one I think every comic fan should read.

Lets see. This is a well made hardcover. Out of the 15 stories 9 of them are great. The other 6 suffer from either being very dated or starring heroes I have little interest in. But even the stories I have no interest in the artwork is reproducted so well.

The Greatest Team-Up Stories Ever Told gets a 4.05 outta 5.

TPB losers 01

Batman Hush Volume one

written by Jeph Loeb

art by Jim Lee

Published by DC COMICS

This is the first of 2 tradepaperbacks reprinting the 2002-2003 12 issue storyline. For quite a few years now I have been hearing how this is the best Batman storyline in many years. Some have even compared it to Frank Miller's classic The Dark Knight Returns. I ended up getting both volumes as a gift last X-mas from one of my aunts. The story starts off with Batman rescuing a kidnapped child from Killer Croc. After he saves the kid Catwoman appears and steals the ransom money,Batman prosues her across the Gothem skyline. But somehow the rope he is swinging on is cut and he falls to the ground in the process fracturing his skull. Alfred the butler summons Batman's childhood friend,Thomas Elliot,who is now a well known brain surgeon. After Batman recovers he finds out that Poison Ivy had used Catwoman to steal the money. So he goes looking for Ivy. Him and Catwoman track her down to Metropolis. And discover that Ivy has taken control of Superman's mind. Using a Kryptonite ring,that Superman gave to Batman years ago in the chance that Superman goes evil or beserk,to keep Superman at bay. Catwoman shoves Lois Lane off a skyscaper and seeing his wife in danger snaps Superman outta the mind control. And he teams up with Batman and Catwoman to capture Ivy. Some days later Batman and Catwoman in their civilian indenties are attending an opera,when Harley Quinn shows up and in the fight someone kills Dr Thomas Elliot. It appears that Joker is the one that killed Dr Elliot,so Batman goes after him. Thanks to Jim Gordon and Dick Grayson,Batman doesn't kill Joker even though he seems to want too. This is also when we get the first appearance of a man with his face covered in bandages,He is referred to as Hush. And the story goes on from there. It is a basic who's who of all the main Bat villians. And after all the running around it turns out that Hush is really,Spoiler skip if you don't wanna know, Dr Thomas Elliot. The best part of the entire 12 issue run is a small part were at the end of one issue you are lead to believe that Hush is really Jason Todd,the second Robin who was killed by the Joker many years ago. While the artwork by Jim Lee is some of the best work he has done in many years ,the story fell flat to me. It felt like an idea I would have come up with while bored in 7th grade study hall. But then even though Jeph Loeb used to get all kinds of praise for his comic work ,the things I have read from him haven't impressed me that much. While reading both trades I was reminded of the first issues of the "Many Deaths of Batman" storyline from the early 90s. This was an issue where besides one word it had no other dialogue at all. I get the feeling that if Hush had no dialogue I might enjoy it more. Batman Hush Vols 1 and 2 get a C-. But the artwork by itself gets an A-.