My Top 5 Batman Comics - GothamAlley's Last Post

 

Here it is, the first entry at GothamAlleys in nearly 7 years! I'm happy and flattered that despite my abandonment, the blog still has such heavy traffic. 7 Years ago I promised to deliver a list of my favorite Batman comic books in the form of the very last post on GothamAlleys. So what happened? Well, I figured who cares what one reader thinks, but then again, everyone with a presence online has their own opinions and voice, so why not share mine? It is fun for me to read/watch reviews of others, so some may find my musings interesting or at least entertaining.

It's also a different world than it was a decade and a half ago when GothamAlleys was created. At the time, Christopher Nolan's very own, now already legendary The Dark Knight was fairly fresh off theaters and the latest Batman movie. It already seems like ages ago. Fandom was very different online - a wave of venomous haters took control of message boards, proclaiming anything that was not Nolan's was the worst thrash and offense imaginable. It was very hard to be a fan of all incarnations of Batman, since it was either "with us or against us - or rather, you either hate everything else or you're against us" type of mentality. Message Boards were poisoned. 

So GothamAlleys was created as this neutral ground, away from hostility, focusing on intentional or unintentional bonds of the Comic Book Counterparts with Silver Screen versions. At that specific time, to change something from the comic books was considered a canonical sin, which is odd since many, many things were changed and/or meshed together in Christopher Nolan's Trilogy. Change and Faithfulness are not a measure of right or wrong. Literature is only a source, and inspiration, a basis  - not a Bible. It's not that Nolan's films were the most faithful to the comic books, it's that they drew the most from them, if it makes sense. They had more elements from the comic books, more characters, more references, even storylines ideas lifted off of some of them. And at the end it doesn't matter - what matters is if the story, the movie and its characters are compelling, well done and thrilling. People didn't like Christopher Nolan's Trilogy because it was either faithful to the comics or had so many references to them - the Trilogy was popular and so well received because it was a good, grand story and a unique (for a movie) take on the Batman character, showing everything through a prism of a real world. Nolan, with The Dark Knight, managed to nearly repeat the Batman phenomenon of the 1989, at least as far as the fan praise - at the time, the Tim Burton's film was also tremendously well received and insanely dark for a comic book film - it was at the time, beyond anything anyone ever imagined. But it was different - it wasn't dark like a crime thriller/drama, it was dark like Phantom of the Opera with a sprinkle of the 60's show. And the 1966 show is also night and day from Tim Burton's film - colorful, cheery, cheap looking but fun. All those incarnations are so different, yet all valid. And today's world is very different - there's an absolute respect I see everywhere for the entire Batman legacy, and all I witness is a mutual respect for fans of different movie incarnations. 

But again, history tends to repeat itself. When Tim Burton's Batman came out, there was tremendous hate and ridiculing of the 1966 show. Many years later, the 1989 film took heat from the new generation of viewers who experienced The Dark Knight phenomenon. And like the 60's show, when the dust settled in, there is nothing but respect for all three incarnations of Batman, all cemented as iconic and tremendously important for Batman legacy. 

Which one do I prefer? Which one is better? There is no answer to these questions, because they're different takes and genres. It's like asking do I like Taxi Driver or 1978 Superman more. Different genres, yet both great films in their own categories. The Adam West show was a fun, colorful 60s show, the Tim Burton film was a fantastic audio and visual treat showing us this Gothic Bizarro World, and Christopher Nolan managed to translate Batman into the real world and crime drama genre. I love all 3 incarnations and enjoy them very much. The Joel Schumacher films, not at all, and shockingly to me Ben Affleck I think did a really good job with his Batman. Robert Pattison in my opinion was a mismatch, but while the movies were entertaining, neither Zack Snyder's superhero comic book take nor Matt Reeves' good and serious thriller ignited the world like the previous incarnations did. Perhaps the reason was that the world had seen those takes already. I mean, the comic booky, comedic Batman took America by storm in late 60's. Then for the first time ever, in a dark serious tone with A list actors, Tim Burton's take was the darkest and grand take, although not fully serious and happening in a bizarre, dark but quirky world akin to a fairy tale almost. And then Christopher Nolan did a completely serious version through a prism of a real world. So what Matt Reeves did was already done, what Snyder did was already done. So while they met with (deserving) praise and success, they were never phenomenons the other 3 incarnations were perhaps because they didn't break new ground and the other versions already did their thing so good.

So when I chose to step back into the shadows, what finally made me sit down and write that last post? McFarlane's 1989 Batman Cowl. When that thing was announced, for mere $99 as oppose to usual $800 for these kind of things, even thought I'm not a Batman collectible collector (I'm only into literature), I had to have it. And when it came in, it blew me away. It's huge and even though not exactly 100% accurate, it wowed me so much I just had to reopen the blog and vent my Batman thoughts again. Can't wait for the 1966 full scale cowl and hoping for Nolan's as well.

So with all that said, let me show you stories that I did and still enjoy the most. Mind you, Im not saying those are the BEST Batman stories - I'm saying those are my favorites and ones I simply enjoyed the most and still cherish. And I know most of these will be head scratchers because they aren't the most known and most praised classics, but what can I say. I'm just saying which stories pulled me in the most or moved me most. So here it is

My favorite Batman stories maybe aren't really the most well known ones (well, most of them at least), but not because I'm trying to be hip or different for the sake of being different. Those have always been my favorite stories, and upon rereading them lately, in most cases I love those stories just as much. 

5. THE KILLING JOKE July 1988

That one of course is indeed a highly regarded, well known classic that has been reprinted in nice deluxe editions and is still in print to his day. I haven't read it when it first came out, somehow I missed that one and read it for the first time years after I became an avid Batman reader and a Batman fan. Thank god though, because this one is certainly not for young readers. It's very down beat and the violence, the mental violence more so than the physical, is so stunning it just grabs you and doesn't let go. You're expecting to read some cool Batman adventure and then suddenly Barbara Gordon is shot and Gordon tortured, dragged naked forced to see his daughter's naked and shot. That is some sick and disturbing stuff. All that interlaced with Joker's very tragic backstory which punches you just as hard as what Joker does to Gordon and his daughter. The use of deformed Circus freaks in the vein of "One of Us" movie adds to the disturbing vibe. Can't say I "enjoy" that one as it would have been a wrong word for such psycho, cruel story, but it's certainly a feat for a writer to catch the reader by surprise by grabbing him by the throat and not letting go until the end. It was a jaw dropping read, and a very well constructed, emotional and disturbing story

Pity that the only version in print is a recolored version that was remastered back in 2008. The original had very psychedelic, strong colors that matched Joker's personality and theme but also created a certain mood. Joker kidnaps Gordon into an abandoned Fairgrounds, and the colors match the colors of the funhouse

Even scenes like these, where Batman is lit by a computer screen with some small red light in the background, works so much better than just gloomier tone and no colors at all

Same with Barbara Gordon's encounter with Joker - it's very stylized, very moody - The Joker is in the shadow, while she's lit in almost bloody colors. All the mood and subtlety of that gone in the remaster

Even Batman's emblem had been redone Lucas-style so it matched modern emblem rather than the 80's yellow oval. Not a fan of that. About the only thing that I think works in the recoloring is presenting Joker's backstory in black and white with ruby color only.

4. HUNGRY GRASS - DETECTIVE COMICS #629 May 1991

To understand my choices, you gotta know which era I became an avid reader in, which was the late 80's/early 90's Breyfogle/Grant era, which was unique in an overall arc of Batman history in that it very rarely involved the classic Batman villains and instead spawned stories that were like either the old pulp stories or the early X-Files episodes - eerie self contained stories and murder mysteries that began or ended within two short issues. While this specific issue isn't from that era, it wasn't published that much later and it has the same vibe. Peter Milligan is my absolute favorite comic writer, and one of my favorite writers in general period. I loved his supernatural creepy mysteries. They had certain mood, and some hair raising moments. The Hungry Grass story, in short, is about a cursed field from which grass has supernatural qualities - when walked over, they replay a murder or some other cruelty that had been committed in that specific place. It isn't just replaying them, it literally repeats the murder but the victim is the one that walks over the grass laid on the floor. Think of the room 237 in The Shining

3. LIBRARY OF SOULS - DETECTIVE COMICS #643 April 1992

Here's another story by the exact same creative team that went so well together, Peter Milligan and Jim Aparo. Just like Hungry Grass, it's a single issue horror/mystery story, but this time with no supernatural element whatsoever. For me this story is fascinating, extremely immersive and creepy. Dug up corpses start to randomly show up in various places in Gotham city, with the only link being leather jackets with numbers on them. 

Soon, new victims start to appear - the psycho behind it all stopped with the buried and began murders. It turns out to be a former librarian who went crazy after his mother died and started to categorized corpses. Again, for me, it's a fantastic, eerie horror story. 

2. SANCTUM  - LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT #54 November 1993

Sanctum just blew me away when I first read it. I did not expect what I was about to read. I could tell things will be different when I opened the comic - it was the first time I saw Mike Mignola's art, who is a master in the use of ink and shadows, and the colors were unlike anything I've seen in a comic book. They weren't just dark, it was just flat out creepy. The mood on this story was just amazing.

Batman is chasing an insane crook at a cemetery and he accidentally kills him, by kicking him off, causing him to get impaled. However, an old tomb gives in and Batman fells into it and loses consciousness. He is supposedly on the verge of dying and awakens sort of on the other side. He wakes up in an old creepy Victorian house with a spook inside who recounts his own story. He says he had been a murderer feeding on his victims blood back in 1800s and that it kept him alive. He then begins to suck the life out of Batman who's trying to escape but there's nothing outside of the house. At the end, Batman wakes up at the tomb wounded and goes back home to treat his wounds, but the question that still haunts him and the readers is - was that a fever dream or did that really happen? In the most eerie ending possible, Bruce is immersed in his thoughts. He reveals that the address the ghost gave him where he lived and hid the bodies does indeed exist, but eventually decides not to investigate, saying some mysteries should remain unsolved. It's chilling that even batman does not want to know whether it was a nightmare or reality.

1. STONE KILLER - DETECTIVE COMICS #616 June 1990

Ever since I've read that one for the first time back in 1991, for me it was always special. There was a certain mood, creepiness to it. I always liked how Alan Grant wrote the narration in the rectangular spots, it always read like a book, drawing you into the mood, and sometimes was very poetic. He was a fantastic writer, and my favorite next to Peter Milligan. And Norm Breyfogle was my favorite artists - he was so expressive with his art, the way he used the shadows, the way he conveyed urgency.

Anyway, this is a simple one issue story about an eerie Phantom who starts to murder random victims for sacrifice, and draws a symbol with their blood. It usually just stands there quietly until noticed, which is creepy as hell, and you never truly find out what it is. Only that it's some kind of ancient evil that was released from the ground due to a plane crash. 

Come to think of it, it looks like almost all the stories I picked are horror stories, and short ones too, so I guess I always had a thing for those. And even The Killing Joke is very much like a David Fincher movie, and I suppose it could also pass for a horror. And just remember, I'm not saying these are the best Batman stories out there, just highlighting my personal favorites

Before I close this blog (symbolically, as it'll be here as long as blogspot will host it), I just want to thank all of my readers who brought millions of views to it to date, and for so many really gracious comments about it on the website itself and on various forums. Again, since almost each subject requires enormous research to present true facts and different points of view, I just can't devote all of my days (and weeks) to a post. Although, to be fair, at the time most of this stuff wasn't re-published or widely available as it is now. Anyway, I have a different job that I had then, and with additional passions and a full family, it just isn't possible to give 100%, and if I won't do it 100% than it misses the point of this blog, which is to research and research and check again twice to be absolutely sure I present something as a fact that actually is a fact, and if I discover that some modern myths are actually myths and aren't true, than I have to be sure I didn't miss anything

Thank you!

The End of Gotham Alleys

As many might have noticed, there has been no updates for a long time now. I started a research on Snyder-verse however my researches take such a long time I just won't be able to finish it now. I have way too much on my hand and as much as Id like to theres no way I could continue the blog with as much research and accuracy as I did before. If I can't give it 100% I don;t want to do it. For example, a research for certain articles such as History of Joker took nearly a year as it required me, along with some other articles, to carefully re-read every Batman issue since 1939. I'm not able to do that now. I will do one more post at some point which will feature my top 3 all time favorite Batman comics. Till then, thank you all for all your interest, praise and great comments

Ben Affleck's Batman and the Snyder Bat universe

In response to the countless questions about the updates on the blog with the additions of the new, so called Snyder verse - they are coming...eventually. The other entries in the blog took an insane amount of research and dedication. For example, the article on Joker took close to a year (about nine months), the articles on the various incarnations of Batman on the big screen took close to that, as I had to literally re-read every-single issue of Batman and his guest appearances in other comics ever published, not to mention dig around every piece of press ever written on the subject. 

Having a new onscreen incarnation of Batman is both unexpected and exciting to research on and write about since there's so much new material to sink the teeth in. However, I do not have the luxury of time as I did few years back when I actively contributed to the blog. Also, my knowledge of the Batman comics past 2008 is severely lacking, although this could be handled by my fellow co-writers.

But - it will happen, it just needs time, and lots of it. The Joker history article WILL be updated with Jared Leto's interpretation, and there WILL be a "Batman in the 2010's: Ben Affleck" article, but don't hold your breath just yet

Utility Belts Overview

BATMAN 1966

The 60's utility belt was one of the very few things that differed from the comic book counterpart of the time. The most noticeable difference was that it didnt have pellets and instead had an actual compartments for the gadgets. The list of gadgets from the 1960's series is very long, but one of the most recognizable ones i the Batarang, folded in half and hidden in the utility belt

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B A T M A N

 The Batman utility belt heavily resembled the comic book one. It was yellow/gold ,and consisted of rows of ampules that held most of the smaller accessories. That type of a belt was the original Batman belt which survived in almost unchanged form for decades, which he prominently used from 1939 to 1999 ( with the rare appearances of variants). However, unlike in the comics, the movie belt was entirely made of metal

The comic book belt

Bigger things like Batarang, Grappling Gun and Batmobile Communicator are on the back of the belt and are sliding to the front on a mini motor device. It's an interesting take on the fact that in comics and cartoons the heroes always pull something out from behind.

A C C E S O R I E S

GRAPPLING GUN


In comic books, the Dark Knight doesn't carry a gun that shoots bullets. In the film, he is armed, however, with this weapon, the Grappling Gun: A spring action, speargun-like device that shots a grappling hook and, when needed, paralyzing gas. It's an original device designed for the movie

BATARANG

The Batarang is beside bat-grapple Batman's usually assigned defensive weapon. It resembles a boomerang, and it can come back to its thrower. It can be folded up in the center in order to be attached to the utility belt.

THE GAUNTLET


Batman uses this in the museum scene. This weapon can shoot two steel nails that pull wires at opposite directions, and then it serves as a trolley for a quick escape.

Some other larger accessories included are BOLO GUN (with which he ties Joker to the statue with) and a swept-bladed SHURIKEN which wasn't used in the movie but was shown in the Official Movie Magazine

The smaller accessories are kept in the golden ampules, just like in the comic books.

SMOKE PELLETS

Batman used them throughout his long history, and they were one of the first accessories shown from his utility belt

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BATMAN RETURNS

The Batman Returns belt is the same as the one from the first movie. The one difference is that the launcher was now on the lower part and it was operated with the thumb

SEEKING BATARANG

Something that changed was the look of the batarangs. This time the batarang looks more similar to the comic book, apart from the fact that it has a small LSD screen. The screen was used to target the enemies around Batman. After the weapon was thrown, it would seek and hit the targets wherever they were.

THE GRAPPLING GUN

The grappling hook in Batman Returns is based on the first model from the previous movie. It is revised around the handle. Now it has more chrome parts. The launcher now is not at the lower part, but on the upper surface and it is operated with the thumb.

CHEMICAL TUBES

These little tubes are hidden in the utility belt, and contain several mixtures of chemicals. They have several effects when thrown separately or mixed together. The blue is napalm, the red explosive and the green KO gas.

GAUNTLET

A completely revised version of the first movie’s Gauntlet. This is a more elaborate gadget than the Speargun, allowing Batman to fire hooks connected to wires and pulleys, which he can ride to safety.

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B A T M A N  F O R E V E R


The Batman Forever belt was significantly redesigned to reflect a new generation of Batman movies. The extreme redesign that the entire suit got was Joel Schumacher's idea, and the coloring changed as well - black was now mixed/accented with silver. By the end of the movie Batman switches to the new costume which "looks futuristic. It's not black but dark silver"(JS).




A C C E S S O R I E S

BATARANG


This film saw a dramatic change to Batman's basic weapon, the batarang. This version can be folded in the center, then the two wings are shifted apart. The process is automatic

GRAPPLING GUN

The look of the grapple changed dramatically for Batman Forever, to fit with the ''new'' Batman. Now it can cut through hard rock, as seen in the bank sequence.

BATARANG LAUNCHER

A strange variation of the batarang. It is hidden in the utility belt, and it is driven out by a launcher and placed automatically in Batman's hand.

BAT BOLA

This weapon is thrown around the feet of Batman's enemies and ties them with a thin rope. Then, with the push of a button in Batman's glove it can cause an electro shock.

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B A T M A N & R O B I N


The Batman & Robin belt was a cousin of the Batman Forever version. Batman & Robin was the first Batman movie which didn't have Bob Ringwood designing and working on the costumes.
Batman also wears another Bat costume by the end of the movie, however his second silver and blue costume is the first Bat costume that doesn't have a utility belt



A C C E S S O R I E S

BATARANG

This proven weapon appears in two new versions. Batman has now a launcher for the Batarang on his lower arm. Similarly as the rope the Batarang is shot by an easy movement of the arm.

GRAPPLING GUN

The Grappling gun this time is very different from Batman Forever. It can be attached on Batman's glove or the utility belt. The 90m rope it launches can carry as much as 400 kg.

BAT BOMB

This bat-shaped portable bomb can be either thrown or attached with a magnet.

BAT LASER

This tool is used in the film to melt ice. With the push of just one button Batman can control the intensity and range of the laser beam. With the laser one can cut alloys as well as ignite inflammable materials.

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B A T M A N   B E G I N S 


The Batman Begins utility belt features small compartments, like the belt worn on the TV show and first shown in comic books such as Year One and The Dark Knight Returns
Batman's Utility Belt is a customized Wayne Enterprises high-tech climbing harness, usally worn over the nomex survival suit that serves as Batman's body armor. Magnetized impact-resistant pouches and canisters line the belt at ergonomic points for ease of reach. In these storage spaces, Bruce has relaced the harness' original complement of carabiners and pitons with the crime-fighting tools of his trade. Finally, Bruce removed the shoulder and chest straps because they constricted his movements.

A C C E S S O R I E S

GRAPPLING GUN

Christopher Nolan's borrowed a couple of elements from the original Tim Burton movies, like Grappling Gun (among the sculpted expression on the mask, black makeup on the eyes and the suit being an armor). The pneumatic grappling gun features a magnetic grapple and monofilament de-cel climbing line tested to 350 pounds maximum holding strength. Early renditions borrowed from centuries old musket design, as well as modern firearms. The final version, in keeping with the design of much of the film, is streamlined, simple, and extremely effective

MINI MINES

Mini Mines and explosive packets can be used for a variety of offensive and defensive purposes, including creating diversions, disabling getaway vehicles, or defeating locks

BAT SHURIKENS

Based on the Ninja throwing stars called Shurikens, Bruce designs these weapons in the shape of a Bat, the symbol he adopts to strike fear into the hearts of criminals.

MINI CELL PHONE WITH ECRYPTED SIGNAL

The Cell Phone and Palmtop computer all-in-one, this high speed processor is encrypted for maximum security. Voice-activated for hands free use, all calls are "Piggy-backed" on WayneTech satellite transmissions and are therefore completely untraceable.

Other accessories include:
-Flexible, fiber-optic periscope (to see around corners)
-Ninja spikes for the hands and feet (used to climb sheer walls)
-Medical kit
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T H E  D A R K  K N I G H T


The Dark Knight belt is the same as the one from Batman Begins, although one notable addition was made to the utility belt; an air-powered charge-firing rifle, which allows Batman to fire timed explosive charges from considerable distances and can be folded into two halves into a box-like shape to fit into his utility belt's compartment.