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Batman: Gotham Noir Comic Book Review

Batman: Gotham NoirErica Gives This Comic Four Stars

Batman: Gotham Noir by Ed Brubaker
Art: Sean Phillips

After about a third of the way through this book, I actually started enjoying it. I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I was going to in the first third. In the first third, I was a little bored. I didn’t care about drunk Jim Gordon who was kicked off the force and divorced Sarah. While I’ve always enjoyed the mob stories from Gotham City, this wasn’t pulling me in. And, of course, Jim was pinned for Rachel’s death. Way too easy.

And perhaps it was the Bat. My favorite thing about Batman: Gotham Noir is the way Phillips draws Batman. The Batman as a flat shadow except his eyes with those pointy ears was so freaking perfect. Phillips can draw my Batman every day. Continue reading “Batman: Gotham Noir Comic Book Review”

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Batman & Robin: Batman Reborn Graphic Novel Review

Batman and Robin: Batman RebornErica gives this comic three stars

Batman & Robin: Batman Reborn by Grant Morrison
Art: Frank Quitely, Philip Tan, and Jonathan Glapion

I enjoyed this book much more as a study in how Dick and Damien are compared to who Bruce and other Robins have been in the past. I also liked it as a comparison of Dick and Jason and the possibility of what kind of psycho one can be: Damien or Scarlet. And who finds true redemption and goodness in the end.

What I disliked was the villains: Professor Pyg and the Flamingo. I’m not sure what Morrison’s obsessions with ripping off faces to either transplant new ones or eat them. Actually, I do know. Since this is all about identity, faces are the main source of identity, and well, I’m just not enthralled.

I expected the villains to be deeper than they are written. Professor Pyg rather reminded me a little too much of The Twilight Zone episode where the person has surgery to fix his face to make it that of a pig. Pyg seems to have no motivation to make his doll-people besides that he wants mindless automatons to do his bidding.

The Flamingo seems to be nothing more than an over-the-top gross villain who would make other bad guys shake in their boots. I’m really freaking glad that despite his flamboyant appearance that Morrison decided not to make him gay. Continue reading “Batman & Robin: Batman Reborn Graphic Novel Review”