Batman: Dark Victory, Catwoman: When in Rome

Batman: Dark Victory 1-13

Although I remembered the details of this way less than those of Long Halloween (I’d forgotten the gimmick of the serial killer and their identity), it surprisingly turned out to be better.  It’s far more cohesive as a whole, with a clearer narrative and villain appearances that feel less shoehorned in.  (Something that regresses again in the next series.)  

It’s fun watching Jeph Loeb kill off all of Frank Miller’s creations from Year One, but the hanging of Merkel is a major continuity error with Dark Knight Returns.

This Merkel still exists.

But after this...

...this can never happen.

The Godfather references continue to run fast and loose, bringing with them the same somber greyness of the film.

The introduction of Robin injects some palpable energy and brightness to the past 20 issues of darkness, and it’s really the greatest demonstration of the cliche that “Batman needs a Robin.”

You instantly know what this means, and it's heartstopping.

Bruce watching is an great touch.

Sale draws great kids.  I love the baggy pants and kid proportions.

So cute and determined.

What happened to Gilda, by the way?  It really feels like she should have made an appearance here.

Tim Sale just gets better and better with each successive Batman title.

Simple but excellent.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Good

Catwoman: When in Rome 1-6

I’m not a big fan of the (possible) retcon that Selina Kyle is the daughter of Carmen Falcone.  It feels...unnecessary.  I do like the flirting nature of her relationship with Batman.  It’s a nice setup to everything that Tom King does later in his Batman run.  (Coming up very soon for me.)

This series is a bit aimless as Selina flails about with no real plan, stumbling along until she reaches an ambiguous ending.  Loeb reuses the lingering effects of Scarecrow’s fear gas for at least the third time in these Halloween books.  It’s not nearly as interesting as he thinks it is.  And the Riddler’s presence makes no sense until he’s revealed to be the mastermind, a completely ham-fisted ‘twist.’  

Still, Sale’s art continues to impress, and elevates the unevenness of the story.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Pretty good