Gotham Adventures, Batman Adventures Holiday Special

Gotham Adventures 13-15

A nice final string of stories to close out the issues that I own.

Issue 13 - Kelley Puckett returns to write the final Mastermind/Perfesser/Mr Nice story.  Mastermind and Perfesser bid a tearful goodbye to their old friend as the readers and creative team do the same for Archie Goodwin (Mr Nice’s real life inspiration, who had recently passed away when the issue was published).  It’s a very sweet issue, with a delightfully whimsical explanation for Mr Nice’s departure:

Issue 14 - Harley Quinn coats the pages of her new novel with a mind control drug (borrowed from Poison Ivy, naturally).  But while Batman prepares for everything (including this), it raises a whole other disturbing line of questioning...

Issue 15 - Bane plays the long game, earning the trust of a poor neighborhood in Gotham by playing the Robin Hood role, thus securing their loyalty for future schemes.  But until those schemes are realized, do his motives really matter if the people’s lives are truly improved with no strings attached? The Bat family doesn’t have the answer, and Scott Peterson writes the story in such a way that I don’t either.  Nicely done.

Poor form by Bane.  He's not generating any power with that swing.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Nice

Harley and Ivy 1

Paul Dini and Bruce Timm reunite for this three issue miniseries.  I only bought the first issue (it was fun but not that fun). Poison Ivy could just as easily have been replaced by the Joker, for all the antics Harley employed to thaw her sullen mood.  Still, it was entertaining enough. Ivy’s always been a better, healthier partner for Harley, and their adventures are a lot more fun than Harley/Joker’s.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Nice

Batman Adventures: Holiday Special 1

Now this was a treat.  Paul Dini writes five short stories, and there not a clunker among them.  Harley and Ivy take a reluctant, mind-controlled Bruce Wayne on a shopping spree, and their unfettered glee brought me joy as well.

Bruce's lack of enthusiasm is just as hilarious.

The Mr. Freeze story ends on the melancholy note that all good Mr. Freeze stories seem to end on.

And it turns out Batman and Commissioner Gordon meet for a cup of coffee every New Year’s.  Unsurprisingly, Batman always pays the bill along with his customary disappearance.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Pretty good