Batwoman, Batman: Black and White

Detective Comics 854-860

Batwoman 1-6

JH Williams III. That’s all there is to say about these issues.  His art is just gorgeously spectacular.  As with his work on Promethea, the writing is almost incidental.  That’s how amazing it is.

Look at how Batwoman is painted, compared to everything else.

Stunning mix of sex and violence.

Storywise, Greg Rucka almost keeps up with Williams.  I love Kathy Kane’s backstory with her sister, the Army, the shitty way she got bounced out, the relationship with her father, her budding romance w/ Maggie Sawyer, how her dilettante cover backfires on her in ways that never seem to affect Bruce Wayne.  

Not an example of our military at its finest.

I'd be proud too.

Cameron Chase is such a cold monster.

And just when I thought she couldn't get any colder.

If only there weren’t so many supernatural elements.  Between the werepeople and water spirits, I can really do without all the mystical baddies.  It doesn’t work for me at all.

Past me stopped buying once Amy Reeder took over on art.  (Doing a very poor woman’s imitation of Williams.)  I didn’t know Williams would return later on in the run.  Eh, looking at the blurbs, it’s more werewolves and spooky ghosts.  Pass.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Pretty good (Fine for Batwoman 6)

Batman: Black and White 1-4

Batman: Black and White II 1

There are a lot more misses in this anthology series than I remember.  But the hits are pretty darn good.  Highlights:

Look at the cover artists they got: Jim Lee, Frank Miller, Barry Windsor Smith, and Alex Toth.  That’s insane!

Bruce Timm does a wonderful Two-Face story, where he’s rehabilitated before getting screwed over by a twin.

Howard Chaykin’s “Civic Virtue” short, where the bad guy kills people who do those annoying little things that piss just about everyone off.  As with the observers in the story, it’s hard to fault him…

Comic book characters as actors in Simon Bisley and Neil Gaiman’s absurd but hilarious story.

I chuckled with delight when I saw the first page of Matt Wagner’s piece with all the zipatone.

So many dots!

The Bill Seinkiewicz story pissed me off in all the right ways.  Such evocative writing and art.

Batman as Santa is sweet.

Turns out Bruce is a gearhead.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Fine (The good and the bad average out)