batman: caped crusader reviews

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(as of Dec 21, 2024 08:46:16 UTC - Details)

The story that truly defines the years of Batman's life.

New York Times best-selling author Neil Gaiman (THE SANDMAN) joins a murderer's row of superstar artists in lending his unique touch to the Batman mythos! Spotlighting the story "Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?," from BATMAN #686 and DETECTIVE COMICS #853, in which Gaiman joins artist Andy Kubert and inker Scott Williams for a story that shines a new light on the Batman mythos, this title also collects stories from SECRET ORIGINS #36, SECRET ORIGINS SPECIAL #1 and BATMAN BLACK AND WHITE #2.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Dc Comics; Deluxe edition (December 22, 2020)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 128 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 177950490X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1779504906
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.01 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.48 x 0.43 x 11.14 inches
Reviewer: Timothy P. Young
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Neil Gaiman happens to the Batman
Review: The first thing to remember about superhero comics in general is this: Death is Impermanent. Green Goblin's been resurrected, Red Tornado died all the way back in the late 60s, Green Arrow came back a few years ago, and, of course, Superman returned. So let's not make a big deal out of Batman's 'death', shall we?The important thing here is the central conceit--Batman is a ghostly presence at his own funeral, in which everyone from the Joker to Commissioner Gordon share the room without a conflict. After all, they're there for one purpose--to speak about the Batman. Over the course of the story, several characters, including Catwoman, Alfred, and the Joker, share their tales of the Batman and how he died. The mystery here is that each of them are describing radically different events. When Batman asks his companion what's going on, it replies "You're the detective. Figure it out." Of course he does, and the result is both a compelling Batman story AND a meta-analysis of the enduring nature of the character. I hesitate to say too much, because, like any good story, the reader deserves to discover its intricacies for him or herself.Neil Gaiman does a masterful job with the writing here. He kept me interested, on the edge of my seat, and even made me laugh out loud at least twice while I was reading. With all of his success in the world of prose over the past 15 years, it's easy for the layman to forget that he made his name initially in the comics world. So this isn't the case of a fan getting a chance to write comics (think Kevin Smith, Joss Whedon, and Brad Meltzer, to name a few--they all did very well, but got their start in other media). This is an artist coming back to a medium that he knows very, very well. Gaiman's comics projects come every couple of years, when he's asked to do something that really catches his notice. Another stellar example is his series Marvel 1602 for Marvel in the early part of this decade. My point here is, only someone as immersed in the comics world as Gaiman had been could write something that not only remains true to the character, but also incorporates much of his history into a meta-analysis of what it means to be a Batman. So to speak.And you can't discount Andy Kubert's artistic contributions here, either. He captures the essence of Gaiman's writing perfectly, his style subtly altering to reflect both the speaker and the era of Batman being spoken of by the characters. It's comics art at its best.This is an incredibly well done book, and the best thing is, you don't need to know the minutiae of the current DC Universe in order to appreciate it and enjoy it. All you need to do is know a little about the Batman.As a bonus, we get three other stories Gaiman wrote during his comics heyday that take place in the Batman mythos. My personal favorite is his entry from "Batman: Black and White," which recasts Batman and the Joker into performers waiting in the green room (because the Commissioner Gordon scene was running long). It's a funny, fond look at the characters divorced from their usual context. The other stories focus on Poison Ivy and the Riddler, respectively, and are fun reads all by themselves."Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?" is fantastic and even, at times, awe inspiring in its approach to the character and his history. My only regret is that the tale wasn't longer. If I could give this 6 stars out of 5, I would.Oh, what the hey--6 stars out of 5.

Reviewer: Chrisg983
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Another great one.
Review: Another great story, by Neil Gaiman.

Reviewer: 419echo
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: The Last Batman Story Ever, (or it should be)
Review: First let me say this, I read Neil Gaiman for specific reasons. He is my favorite author,(along with Bill Willingham) because they teach me something about life every time, with every book. I bought this solely based on how much I've loved everything else I've read from Gaiman, and this book is as good as anything he's done. The huge surprise came from the artwork. The whole team should be mentioned, at least for the main story. Included at the end are a few short tales of the Dark Knight by Gaiman and various artists which aren't nearly as thought provoking or have such stunning artwork, but I was still mostly thinking about what I'd read and kept flipping back to the main story to take in certain pages and artwork one more time. Without spoiling anything, it's Batman's funeral. Yes he's dead...but that's not even close to the point, which is a thoughtful conclusion put forth in a way only Gaiman could present this well. Every story must end eventually and however/whenever Batman's time comes, this is the ending I would re-print as the final word on the matter, after the last issue of the last story arc of the last Batman series to ever be written hits the shelves, (in a distant future I hope). This is as beautiful a Eulogy as was ever written. To write it for one of the most influential heroes in human history, and write it so full of meaning and satisfaction...again, only Gaiman could have pulled it off like this. If you're looking for the classic type of Batman crime drama, go read The Long Halloween or Batman Year One, both of which are exceptional. If you think Arnold Schwarzenegger made a good Mr. Freeze, just stay away from this book, you wont understand it. If you want action, look elsewhere. If you want the best team of pencils, inks, color and letters however, the argument can be well made here...(although I know that artwork is a never-ever-ending argument and this is a bold claim). I'll back it up by saying that as much as I loved Gaiman's writing, only artwork this good could have measured up. As a funny afterthought, this is so good I wished it could have been much longer, which in a way is the whole point of the story of Batman presented here.

Reviewer: Jaime Robertson Meza
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Bat-awesome (en español)
Review: En una edición de tapa dura, este comic incluye el tomo #685 de Batman y Detective Comics #852.Inicia con una introducción de N. Gaiman en donde explica porque, después de años en los que no ha escrito para los comics, decide hacer una excepción.Después vienen los tomos centrales, en donde se cuenta una historia sobre la muerte de Batman, pero, como en todo funeral, más bien se recuerda al héroe caído, enemigos y compañeros unidos en este último adiós.La dedicación y cariño puestos por el dibujante y el guionista muestran la maestría de ambos al despedir también ellos a una leyenda.El tomo además incluye otras historias escritas por Gaiman sobre Batman

Reviewer: Rocky Oberlin
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Wow!
Review: This is so different! Some of the stories in this comic are thought provoking and others are just different to read. I have read this author occasionally and this is almost what I expect. I won't give you spoilers, but some of them are the product of today's attitude. Interesting and soul considering.

Reviewer: Robin
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Kerstcadeau voor een liefhebben, hij was er erg blij mee.

Reviewer: Amazon Kunde
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Eine tolle Gescjichte, etwas kurz aber sehr schöne Zeichnungen. Die Idee verschiedene Versionen von Batmans Tod von den Gästen der Beerdigung erzählen zu lassen hat mir gut gefallen. Ungewöhnlich und deswegen interessant. Etwas teuer für den doch überschaubaren Inhalt aber ich würde es wieder kaufen.

Reviewer: Vanessa
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: The artwork in this book is wonderful and beautifully done, I think they got Batman right on; mysterious and dark, just the way I like him drawn.I love how your get multiple stories all bound up in one, and you get a different perspective on Batman and how he thinks. Great read, totally worth the money!

Reviewer: ES-335
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: 英文レビューでは1号ずれた紹介をしていますが、正しい掲載号は BATMAN #686、Detective Comics #853 です。BATMAN : R.I.P 〜 LAST RITES 直後に発表された作品です。この発表時期に重要な意味があり、これが別のタイミングだったら「いつもの茶番」と誤解されかねない内容です。なんてったって、舞台はバットマンの葬式ですから。バットマンの葬儀場にて、かつてのバットマンの盟友と敵が一同に会し、バットマンとの人生と彼の死について一人ずつ語るのですが、彼らが目撃したバットマンの最期となると全員話がバラバラで一貫性が無く、以前にも描かれたバットマンの葬儀のようにいかにもファンタジックで空々しさすら覚えます。が、この作品の核心はそこではなく、それをどこからか傍観している姿無き存在にあります。その傍観者とは当のバットマン自身なのですが…本当に泣きました。20年来のファンの自分にはバットマンと言えばブルース・ウェイン以外に他ならず、彼の死を「R.I.P」と「FINAL CRISIS」で叩きつけられても、どうせDCコミックスの大いなるなんちゃって計画だろうとたかくくっておりました、この作品「Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?」を読むまでは。Andy Kubertによる美麗なイラストが劇的効果を高めており、特にキャットウーマンが語るバットマンの最期と、本編ラスト3ページ（←涙腺を直撃されました）が秀逸です。コミックたった2号分の中編ながら、「BATMAN: Year One」「Mad Love」にも並ぶバットマン コミックの自分史上最高傑作と位置付けております。バットマンを愛する全てのファンの方に是非読んで頂きたいです。

Reviewer: Kunde
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Nicht nur, aber vor allem Batman-Fans werden an diesem Comic ihre helle Freude machen. Die Storyline ist, typisch Gaiman, überraschend und witzig - eine etwas andere Herangehensweise an Batman, den ja jeder schon zu kennen meint. Aber auch die Gestaltung ist überaus liebevoll, mit Hommagen an die verschiedenen Batman-Stile aus den verschiedenen Jahrzehnten. Wer sich ein wenig mit Batman auskennt, wird die Anspielungen genießen. Und für alle anderen ist es ein schöner, origineller, mit Liebezum Detail gestalteter Comic. Ein zusätzliches Schmankerl für Gaiman-Fans sind die zusätzlich im Band versammelten vom Autor geschriebenen Batman-Stories.