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Batman: Death by Design

by Chip Kidd, Dave Taylor (Illustrations)

3.46 of 5 stars 3.46 · rating details · 488 ratings · 121 reviews

A New York Times Bestseller

A June 2012 Amazon Best Book of the Month

In this new original graphic novel from superstar writer/designer Chip Kidd and artist Dave Taylor, Gotham City is undergoing one of the most expansive construction booms in its history. The most prestigious architects from across the globe have buildings in various phases of completion all over town. As c...more

Hardcover, 112 pages

Published June 5th 2012 by DC Comics

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Community Reviews

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May 14, 2013 StoryTellerShannon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novels, action, fantasy-scifi, books-reviewed

This is a different focus on Batman. First off, he acts like Peter Parker with his insecurities and wisecracking humor to himself. The tale deals with an aged train depot that has seen better days and a movement in Gotham to rebuild it. Of course there's more to the tale and author Chip Kidd brings in some NYC history to add flavor to the overall story.

But the real attraction is the amazing artwork and the focuses on architecture and the like. Artist Dave Taylor, according to the commentary in b...more

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Jan 26, 2013 Colin Miller rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Not even Chip Kidd fans

Shelves: graphic-novels

Remember those episodes of “Star Trek” where a creative, tense storyline got immediately solved and deflated by some on-the-spot, made-up technology? If you like that, then you‘ll enjoy Chip Kidd and Dave Taylor’s Batman: Death by Design.

Death by Design looks like a classic black and white film. It should be a neat style from Dave Taylor, with flares of color added in, but it feels quite dull. Bruce Wayne looks too soft and the Batman get-up is as close to Adam West as you can get. The story is...more

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May 08, 2013 Kevin Wright rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novels

For his first graphic novel (as an author), acclaimed book jacket designer and rabid Batman fanatic Chip Kidd pours his passions for architecture, design, film noir and the Dark Knight into a blender to create an unique cocktail of action and intrigue. For a high-profile Batman project, the writing is a bit uneven (it can be rough or flat in certain spots, with some minor pacing and plotting problems), but for a first-time comic writer it's not bad. The strength of the story comes from Kidd's ne...more

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Mar 17, 2013 Peter rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book is all architectural head and no action heart. While it's sort of cool to read a Batman story that mildly criticizes 21st century architecture by the likes of Rem Koolhaas, Death By Design doesn't offer a compelling story to go along with its referencing.

The general frame is that Bruce Wayne wants to replace the old Gotham train station, commissioned by his father, with a new, modernist terminal. At the kickoff ceremony a crane collapses, almost crushing him. A new superhero, Exacto, a...more This book is all architectural head and no action heart. While it's sort of cool to read a Batman story that mildly criticizes 21st century architecture by the likes of Rem Koolhaas, Death By Design doesn't offer a compelling story to go along with its referencing.

The general frame is that Bruce Wayne wants to replace the old Gotham train station, commissioned by his father, with a new, modernist terminal. At the kickoff ceremony a crane collapses, almost crushing him. A new superhero, Exacto, appears on the scene. He's bent on criticizing both Bruce's chosen modernist architect as a fraud and the Gotham construction workers' union as corrupt. There's also a female art critic lobbying for the old terminal's reconstruction who serves as a damsel in distress. (She's presented as an intellectual damsel, but isn't given any substantial role in the proceedings beyond getting kidnapped.)

Maybe the authors just weren't allowed enough issues to tell their story, but the affair seems rushed . There's a stray thread about the mystery of where the original architect of the train station has disappeared and why. It gets tied up at the end but was never really allowed to breath. Exacto's abilities seem to have been made up on the fly; initially he just seems to be able to project himself places as a hologram using some fancy cameras. Then it turns out that he's a hologram that can weld doors shut. Then it turns out he can somehow project other people as holograms, even without his fancy camera rig. When he tangles with Batman at the end, Exacto blows the hero off him with a mysterious super-powered belt. He then complains about how he was made to waste valuable resources. Was he? He never uses the belt again, so it's hard to say how he expected to use it.

The art is also problematic. The entire book seems sketched out, pencil lines with minimal color. It's pretty, but terrible for action sequences. In the few close-combat set pieces there's no sense of movement or inertia. It works elsewhere, including scenes of Batman jumping or flying, but for combat it's a dud.

Death By Design tries to be big but ends up limp. It tries to be beautiful but includes material that the art can't beautify. It flatters what it likes, but doesn't do much more than that. It seems like it was more fun for the authors to make than for others to read.(less)

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Feb 20, 2013 Danijel Jedriško rated it 5 of 5 stars

This Batman story was a journey back. Batman, pure and simple as in the old days... and it still has some of the mystique we all grew accustomed to from Miller's books. DbD was thrilling, every page like a little masterpiece of art,astonishing combination of shadows, black & white and colored elements; characters are a bit sketchy, what gives them soul which they sometimes lack in newer DC editions. This story is something that ties "old" and "new" Batman together and still it has something...more This Batman story was a journey back. Batman, pure and simple as in the old days... and it still has some of the mystique we all grew accustomed to from Miller's books. DbD was thrilling, every page like a little masterpiece of art,astonishing combination of shadows, black & white and colored elements; characters are a bit sketchy, what gives them soul which they sometimes lack in newer DC editions. This story is something that ties "old" and "new" Batman together and still it has something that belongs to itself.
I'm not sure if this is a story that non-comic fans would relate, but there is some contemporaneity in it that deserves to be mentioned and pointed out. Corruption, human disintegration, despair, and malice are plot points we're used to when it comes to Batman; but in this noir homage they are used as perfect blend of art and storytelling which gets as good as graphic novels get.
Architecture and design are context of the story and debate about preservation of historic monuments is something that goes on all the time. But, in Gotham we get a new twist, twist that gives us space to imagine why decision is never easy nevertheless the point of view we're looking at the problem. And then, we're back to art. As with buildings this story is dealing with characters, their shadow faces, their contrasts that are clearer here than in some other novels, and what's most important (as they are made in 2D technique)they communicate with us. They leave us space to imagine. Space that is so rarely left in a modern day art (not only comic book art).
By reading this book we become captives, but not as usual of the story and the Batman world, we become captives of art that leads us to extremes. Retro-futurism. Maxi-minimalism (or mini-maximalism). Guilty pleasure is that we feel happy to be captivated, because we are allowed to imagine all that extremes come to an end as the Golden age (the book is heavily referring to) once ended. By some other scheme of grandeur, depending of the path we choose. Batman: Death by Design here reaches its peak and true meaning. There will always be designs that will astonish us, but we'll always imagine new ones to die for. Because... (to paraphrase)

"... we must be astonished." (less)

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Jan 10, 2013 Artur Coelho rated it 4 of 5 stars

A história de um Batman e o alter ego Bruce Wayne a degladiar-se com sindicatos corruptos de construção civil e as agruras da arquitectura dividida entre o conservacionismo historicista e as façanhas histriónicas dos super-arquitectos contemporâneos é interessante, mas algures a meio o argumentista lembra-se que este tipo de discussões anda a ano-luz do público habitual do comic de super-heróis e mete o Joker no meio. Para quê, não se percebe muito bem uma vez que o cerne da história é o idealis...more

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Dec 29, 2012 Kevin Elliott rated it 2 of 5 stars

This is a solidly okay graphic novel. Chip Kidd's first foray into graphic novels is bold (I mean, Batman!!!) and ambitious. He simultaneously tries to tie two periods of recent history together in the fictional Gotham city, but also attempts to bring his personal fanboy passions into the world. Architecture, New York history, creative freedom and genius, B&W film, design, and the constant struggle of art vs. commerce all collide in this reverent, but lacking book. Though Kidd harkens back t...more

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Sep 08, 2012 Travis McClain rated it 4 of 5 stars

Pretty much whenever I read any Batman story, the first question I consider is whether it would have been a natural fit for Legends of the Dark Knight during its heyday. LOTDK was/is my favorite Batman comic of all time, an anthology series wherein different creative teams of writers and artists would collaborate to tell the story of their choosing, free from the constraints of connecting with what anyone else was doing with the character. Most stories took place in Batman's early years, but som...more Pretty much whenever I read any Batman story, the first question I consider is whether it would have been a natural fit for Legends of the Dark Knight during its heyday. LOTDK was/is my favorite Batman comic of all time, an anthology series wherein different creative teams of writers and artists would collaborate to tell the story of their choosing, free from the constraints of connecting with what anyone else was doing with the character. Most stories took place in Batman's early years, but some took place in the "present," some in the future and even some in entirely alternate universes and settings. These stories eschewed the typical base action of standard superhero comics in favor of crime noir yarns and psychological thrillers.

Batman: Death by Design could very easily have been serialized once upon a time in LOTDK.

In fact, no sooner did I get to the acknowledgments page than I was reminded of a story once told partly in LOTDK: "Destroyer," in which a guy with an architectural obsession has taken to targeting specific buildings in Gotham City to demolish in order to reveal the classic buildings that have become obscured over the years. In Death by Design, we're initially unclear who the antagonist is, and what his/her objective may be. Is it to buy a stay of execution for the Old Wayne Central Station? To destroy it? Is it somehow part of a vendetta against the architect, Gregor Greenside? Is it Greenside himself? Each character in the story has a plausible motive, and even once I had eliminated who may be Exacto, I was still left suspicious of a conspiracy. I'm usually more confident about who is and is not part of the plot, and while it's rare for me to be this off-balance, I appreciate it in a story like this.

There was some measure of synchronicity to me finding and checking out this graphic novel from the Oldham County Public Library today. Shortly before I sat down to read it, I found the text of Warren Ellis's keynote address from last night's Improving Reality event. In it, Ellis emphasizes the point that "we see the present through a rear-view mirror," arguing that we often fail to recognize the kinds of progress being made in science and technology (and, it could easily be extrapolated, social issues). I thought about that as Chip Kidd's story is set in the 30s but also features some technologies that would be out of the realm of the practical even today (the stasis field generator, for instance). Is Kidd being anachronistic? I don't think so. One could argue that the nature of the Batman invites such inclusion of what is now often called "spy-fy" technology, but I think in the grander scheme, Kidd is simply demonstrating what Ellis's argument looks like when applied to storytelling.

Speaking of how things look...the art by Dave Taylor? Amazing! In the back of the book is a brief collection of sketches with some commentary by Taylor. He informs us on page 111 that "All the work in this book is produced with good old-fashioned pencils, first in blue and then 'inked' in graphite. I made no corrections with an eraser; what I drew got published. The shading and color I overlaid on computer. This is my most 'honest' work!" Wow. Just...wow. I often have a difficult time commenting specifically on the artwork in a comic unless there's something especially noteworthy, but I have to confess that this is one of those rare instances where seemingly every page had something that made me pause and study before I could move onto the next panel or page.

There's the Bat-Cave on page 20! The Gotham Gazette newsroom on page 18. The Ceiling night club splash on pages 28-29 - are you kidding me?! Greenside's workshop on page 70. Character moments like Bruce Wayne reacting to the crane beginning to fall on page 15 (middle panel); the back-and-forth between Bruce and Cyndia Syl (all of page 23). There are the three panels on page 48 of Richard Frank reacting with determination and resolve to the threat not to meet with Loar.

One of my favorite shots in the whole book (and there are certainly many worth admiring!) is on page 63, panel #3: The Bat-Man raising his cape against the police spotlight. It's such a standard image in the Batman mythology that it's easy to overlook. Taylor's is particularly interesting because he has elected to show us Bats's hands. Most commonly, they're obscured, shown to be holding the cape from the inside. Taylor's is conspicuous, and all the more striking because of it.

I had no real compulsion to read this when I first heard about it in solicits earlier this year. I can't say why, necessarily, though perhaps part of it was that I had only just in December read "The Destroyer". A big part of it, of course, was that I just don't have the kind of budget to go around buying $25 graphic novels just to read them and find out whether I like them. To that end, I'm thrilled that the library had this. Death by Design has some missteps - particularly in the finale, where too much is implicit rather than explicit - but it was still a highly satisfying Batman outing and certainly leaps and bounds more rewarding than Batman and Robin Volume 1: Born to Kill (less)

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Aug 03, 2012 Sarah rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novel, mcpl-monroe-county-public-library, library-book, fiction

Aaron Diaz promised me Art Deco Batman. Okay, maybe this kind of fits the bill, but as I read I remembered something.

Superhero comics are crap. The end.

But so I don't forget this, here's a list why.

1) They are, without exception, too goddamn wordy. Why did you go to the trouble of drawing all those pictures just to have people stand around and blah blah blah?

2) By trying to draw people realistically, all they really do is spend the book in the Uncanny Valley. Anatomy is HARD, people. That is one...more

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Jul 20, 2012 Sam Quixote rated it 3 of 5 stars

The award winning graphic designer Chip Kidd turns his hand to writing his first graphic novel and what a subject to land on for your debut - a Batman book! And while the book looks great from its pleasing cover material texture and interesting charcoal print of Batman's head, to Dave Taylor's cool artistry, the book feels a bit flat to read.

The story is about architecture in Gotham. Specifically a transportation hub that has fallen into disrepair that is due to be torn down and rebuilt. But way...more The award winning graphic designer Chip Kidd turns his hand to writing his first graphic novel and what a subject to land on for your debut - a Batman book! And while the book looks great from its pleasing cover material texture and interesting charcoal print of Batman's head, to Dave Taylor's cool artistry, the book feels a bit flat to read.

The story is about architecture in Gotham. Specifically a transportation hub that has fallen into disrepair that is due to be torn down and rebuilt. But way back when it was intended to be something better than the wreck it became, shady union bosses and their dealings led to the building being shoddily made, a hazard to the public, and the downfall of its idealistic lead architect. Years later the architect's son tries to enact revenge on those union bosses by (of course) dressing as a superhero - "Exacto" - while Batman deals with Joker who's messing around with his awfully named belle du jour Cyndia Syl.

I thought Kidd and Taylor made some nifty choices in setting this book in the Golden-Age era allowing for some cheesy-yet-cool designs of Batman's gadgets, Batcave, and overall appearance of Gotham. And Taylor's artistic choice to draw the book in black, white and grey with the occasional appearance of colour suitably dulled so it's not too intrusive, has Gotham looking awesome like you're looking at grainy old pictures of the past with the mysterious bat-like silhouette flying among them. Batman looks far from the muscle-bound menace that Jim Lee perfected and is far more like the Batman of the 40s and 50s; in a word, normal. And yet it's a refreshing incarnation.

But - and this is purely a personal preference - architecture and Batman don't really mix. It's not enough to base a book around as it's not really exciting, even though Kidd tries to make it exciting by throwing Joker into the mix so Batman has something to do. It's mostly Bruce Wayne who gets the most action here sitting in board rooms or having meetings with journalists and architects.

As a physical book it's really lovely, well designed, and the art is different enough to make it stand out from the vast majority of Batman books but I think the story unfortunately left me underwhelmed and a bit bored. The book is probably only for Batman fans who must read everything or fans of Chip Kidd.

SPOILERS

Y'know what didn't make sense? When Joker fell off the top of the glass plate suspended over the city, who knows how many stories up, how the hell did he survive?! Batman didn't catch him. And then when Exacto seals Batman, the union boss, and the journalist in the crane, it turns out Exacto was just a hologram - how the hell can holograms weld physical objects when they're basically just ghosts? All that hologram nonsense played too big a part in the book anyway, that and Batman's magic power shield, whatever that was. Waaaay too anachronistic. (less)

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Jul 07, 2012 Martin Earl rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Batfans, comics friends, architects

Shelves: comics

Really, REALLY good.

This goes back to the roots of Batman, in so many ways. The age in which it is set, for one thing; but really in that it was, more than anything I've read from DC lately, a Detective Comic. It hearkens back to Batman before Frank Miller, and while I know how important he was to the modern understanding and interpretation of the Bat, leaving behind Miller's world of grim slums and mistreated hookers is an absolute relief. And the inclusion of some—gasp!—humor was an unexpected...more Really, REALLY good.

This goes back to the roots of Batman, in so many ways. The age in which it is set, for one thing; but really in that it was, more than anything I've read from DC lately, a Detective Comic. It hearkens back to Batman before Frank Miller, and while I know how important he was to the modern understanding and interpretation of the Bat, leaving behind Miller's world of grim slums and mistreated hookers is an absolute relief. And the inclusion of some—gasp!—humor was an unexpected surprise.

There are interesting themes reminiscent of The Fountainhead, and the attitudes towards unions are interesting, in that they surface at this time in our society. I don't think the author is anti-union, but anti-corruption. Discuss.

Now, onto the art. I LOVE the look of this book. the entire thing was done in pencils, and none of the original work was erased. That is cool. That is craft. Color and shading from computer overlays round out the finish, but the look that is achieved is spectacular. The Bruce Waynes of today are bulky, muscled hulks, which bespeaks their advanced training and physical prowess. But really, how many guys look like that? Ask any Bat-fan, and they'll tell you one thing to love about Batman is that he's just a guy. No super powers, no alien blood, no gamma rays. He is a man like me, and that makes him more relatable and real. This Bruce Wayne/Batman does it even better. He isn't a three-foot wide gunship, but a fit, strong, healthy man. Yes, Batman still has huge muscles, but not more than you'd expect of someone who had mastered all the martial arts and spent his nights fighting lunatics. ALso, the lightening of Bruce's hair was interesting.

Actually, the fact that Bruce appeared at all was nice, especially how much he did appear. Most comics that have come out recently (I'm looking at you, New 52!) have had so much batman, that you'd almost never think there was a Bruce Wayne hiding underneath him.

There were a few niggling problems with the drawings of the characters. Bruce's face wasn't as constant as it should have been, nor were most of the others. One of the most constant, and therefore practiced-looking, face in the book was that of Garnett Greenside. This strikes me as odd in many ways, but, while avoiding spoilers, I will say it makes some sense in the long run of the story.

I'm going with 4 instead of 5 stars because of a few art issues, but if they hadn't been distracting me, it would have been a total 5. Aside from that, I'd easily put it in the top 5 Batman graphic novels I've read.

As a final note, I will add that my wife asked if I didn't like this as much as DC's New Frontier, and I said no, because it didn't affirm my ideals of heroism, make me want to be better and braver, or just generally more awesome than I am. But, you know, so few books do. This I enjoyed reading and experiencing.(less)

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Jun 27, 2012 Justyn Rampa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: batman, graphic-novels

I am about as on the fence as I can be on this one.

Chip Kidd has an amazing eye for aesthetic...unfortunately he is not the one doing the artwork. He is the writer to varying degrees of success. Dave Taylor does the artwork and there are times when I really liked it and other times when I found it to be unfinished.

The story itself is...interesting. An early Batman tale based on architecture. I wouldn't be surprised if the last time Chip Kidd read a Batman comic was when Bob Kane was writing them...more

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Jun 15, 2012 Stephen rated it 1 of 5 stars

Holy shaftjob! Two irrefutible facts: Chip Kidd can't write and this illustrator can't render. Kidd very unwisely chose to make unionized workers and craftsmen of America the villians -- the very backbone of our middle class -- and by proxy he also makes Bruce Wayne's father weak and asleep at the wheel regarding a major construction project bearing the Wayne family name. This book sports an architect vigilante -- and let the stupendous stupidness of that concept linger for a moment please -- a...more

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Jun 09, 2012 Richard rated it 4 of 5 stars

Thoroughly enjoyed it - in fact, my only complaint would be that it was over all too soon. For fans of the 1930's, noir art-deco Gotham, Dave Taylor's artwork is a real treat, his sketched and shaded style, tinged with hints of pale colour here and there, give Gotham a feel as equally brooding as it is ethereal, and it's a perfect setting for this story in which the city of Gotham itself plays such a major role. Some may be disappointed to find that any villains that do appear seem almost confin...more

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May 05, 2012 Chibineko rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: amazon-vine

I got this through Amazon Vine, so I want to be up front about that. Unfortunately due to issues with my postal office, I wasn't able to post this on Amazon until its release date.

There's both good and bad things about this comic. Batman will always have a certain level of coolness, so this was still an enjoyable comic for the most part but I'd be lying if I said that the Batman series didn't have better to offer.

The shining gem in this comic is the artwork. The comic is set in an unspecified...more I got this through Amazon Vine, so I want to be up front about that. Unfortunately due to issues with my postal office, I wasn't able to post this on Amazon until its release date.

There's both good and bad things about this comic. Batman will always have a certain level of coolness, so this was still an enjoyable comic for the most part but I'd be lying if I said that the Batman series didn't have better to offer.

The shining gem in this comic is the artwork. The comic is set in an unspecified time period in the 20s-40s, with the black and white penciled artwork working incredibly well in this context. Occasionally there's a few glimpses of soft color in various scenes, which really does come across nicely. My only complaint about the artwork would be that occasionally we get some strange angles that do strange things with the characters' eyes, making them strangely large or in one case with Bruce Wayne, makes one eye dark and the other so light that he looks like he has a cataract. This is a minor quibble though, as by large the artwork is beautiful.

Where the comic comes up short is in the story. It deserved more, as this feels more like a rough outline than an actual fully fleshed tale. I can't help but think that if this *hadn't* been a Batman story and had been an original tale that focused on the character of Exacto, this could've been a lot more interesting. Batman is more just "there" than anything else, and because the comic must focus on its titular character, Exacto wasn't really given more than the very basics of development. This is a shame, since the character and the broader story had a LOT of potential. The same goes for the female character Cyndia Syl. She never really developed enough for her to be a truly interesting character, although her interactions with Exacto (and his alter ego) were decent.

I really wanted to like this more than I did and if they'd worked more on the story, this could've been something really great. This is still good and it's enjoyable enough as a casual read, but I admit that I was a little disappointed by it and probably would've been more so if I'd paid the full $24 price tag for the hardback.

(ARC provided by Amazon Vine)(less)

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Mar 21, 2012 Dan rated it 3 of 5 stars

I grabbed a galley of this at a convention. I'm not a huge graphic novel fan, nor am I big superhero fanboy. That said, I thought Taylor's artwork fit the Batman mood really well- lots of charcoal looking black and white city images. At times (much like Batman movies) it was a bit too grey and murky, especially when depicting buildings, which play a huge role in the story. Chip Kidd (and who doesn't love Chip Kidd?) pulls off a Batman story (spoiler) without supervillians. The Batman myth does f...more

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Apr 21, 2013 Williwaw rated it 3 of 5 stars

The art by Dave Taylor is beautiful. It's all in pencil (no inks!). The overwhelming color-scheme consists of various shades of grey. Taylor keeps it interesting with some orange and pink touches that make the art glow like the dying embers in a fireplace late at night. If you've ever fallen asleep by a fire and then awakened in the wee hours, to see it sputtering out, then you'll understand the feeling that Taylor evokes.

As the story builds to its climax, Taylor adds more color.

The story is s...more

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Jul 07, 2012 William Thomas rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: dont-believe-the-hype

Although I respect Chip Kidd and his aesthetic sensibilities, I don't think he was in full control of them during the creation of this book. Everything inside is flat and lifeless, emotionless and dull. Aside from the cover (which is what Kidd is known for, anyway, his covers) there isn't much redeeming about 'Death by Design'.

Flat and washed out gray tones dominate the artwork. Instead of utliiziing heavy contrasts and deep shadows, Kidd trades in all of that for the light and airy pencils in...more

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Jul 24, 2012 Greg rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: dc, comics

I got to meet Chip Kidd, and he signed my copy of this book. That was pretty cool. Getting to meet Chip Kidd was better than reading this book though. Opps. I enjoyed the story and the retro-version of Batman, this is the Batman with some modern sensibility but definitely not the dark vigilante of the post Year One / Dark Knight era.

The big problem I had with this comic was the drawing style. I was sort of expecting a really amazing looking Batman book. Chip Kidd is probably my second favorite...more

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Aug 17, 2012 Shara (Calico Reaction) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: borrowed

The premise: ganked form BN.com: In this new original graphic novel from superstar writer/designer Chip Kidd and artist Dave Taylor, Gotham City is undergoing one of the most expansive construction booms in its history. The most prestigious architects from across the globe have buildings in various phases of completion all over town. As chairman of the Gotham Landmarks Commission, Bruce Wayne has been a key part of this boom, which signals a golden age of architectural ingenuity for the city. An...more The premise: ganked form BN.com: In this new original graphic novel from superstar writer/designer Chip Kidd and artist Dave Taylor, Gotham City is undergoing one of the most expansive construction booms in its history. The most prestigious architects from across the globe have buildings in various phases of completion all over town. As chairman of the Gotham Landmarks Commission, Bruce Wayne has been a key part of this boom, which signals a golden age of architectural ingenuity for the city. And then, the explosions begin. All manner of design-related malfunctions–faulty crane calculations, sturdy materials suddenly collapsing, software glitches, walkways giving way and much more–cause casualties across the city. This bizarre string of seemingly random, unconnected catastrophes threaten to bring the whole construction industry down. Fingers are pointed as Batman must somehow solve the problem and find whoever is behind it all.

My Rating: Good Read

I ended up really, really enjoying this piece. The only thing keeping it from an "Excellent" rating is that there were a few moments in the plot that I kind of had to shrug and move on from, simply because I understood just enough to get what was happening, but the how's behind it were a mystery to me. That being said, I loved the old, noir, pulp-ish look, and the art was just simply fabulous. So glad I forwarded the review of this book to my hubby, and I'm so glad he picked it up. I'm not sure every Batman will fall head-over-heels with this like I did, but I think if you go into knowing it's not the gritty-realism of Nolan's Batman, if you know it's kind of a throwback in terms of style, you'll be just fine. And let's face it: a Batman story about architecture is just plain cool.

Spoilers, yay or nay?: Nay. The story is a simple one, and while I'll talk about the bones of the story, I won't spoil any reviews. The full review may be found at my blog, and I've linked directly to the full review below. As always, comments and discussion are most welcome.

REVIEW: Chip Kidd's BATMAN: DEATH BY DESIGN

Happy Reading!(less)

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Jan 04, 2012 oriana marked it as to-read

Shelves: to-read-soon, books-with-pix

WHAT??? Zomgmgmg.

From Flavorwire: In an interview with CBR, Kidd explained, “I actually came up with the title first. I thought, ‘If it’s me and you know who I am and what I do, then I’m going to come at this whole thing from a design standpoint.’ I’ve said for many years that Batman himself and especially the way he’s evolved is brilliant design. It’s problem solving. And we get into that in the story. Beyond that, it became about me going ‘What if?’ What do I want that I haven’t seen? And real...more

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Aug 20, 2012 Bryson Kopf rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, ya, superhero, mystery, graphic-novels-comics

Ok, so I enjoyed this, but these 4 stars on the strength of Dave Taylor's great art and fantastic designs for Gotham. I dug the idea of having an architectural mystery going down (especially as it melds two historical events), but the story is otherwise just ok. I think Kidd neglected doing some better character work (especially for the reporter Richard and for Cyndia) which makes a lot of the story suffer from a lack of stakes or drama in a few spots. Also, the inclusion of the Joker was extrem...more

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Feb 05, 2013 zxvasdf rated it 4 of 5 stars

A different Batman for a different Gotham. Echoing some time after the roaring twenties, Gotham is entering an architectural renaissance and Bruce Wayne is at the helm. He plans to demolish a landmark created by his father, and forces conspire against him to prevent this.

I had no idea who Chip Kidd was before this book, and despite all the bad reviews here, I actually think this book is a decent addition, if not canonical, to the Batman mythos. A story is intended to entertain, and I found the...more

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Jun 23, 2012 Ben Avery added it

A beautifully designed, but overly wordy and poorly paced book. But the design of the book and the rendering of the art is gorgeous and more than makes up for the wordiness and the sometimes hard to follow plot. I enjoyed looking at the book and will look through it again, I just doubt I'll be rereading it when I do so.

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Jun 05, 2012 Jessica at Book Sake rated it 2 of 5 stars

Holy blocks of text, Batman! This book was a chore to read for me. I like to read, but when it comes to comics the text should be short bursts, not giant walls covering a fourth of the page.

This is definitely not the usual superhero book. It seems like more of an experimental project in writing and art. The art is toned down. You won’t find any giant muscles or skin tight clothing. People look normal, even Batman looks normal for a guy in a costume. It does a great job of giving that retro, noir...more

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May 25, 2012 Beau rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was originally excited to read this because I had seen Chipp Kidd's name credited as designing the covers to some of my all time favorite books and I was curious how he would approach drawing a graphic novel. I was disheartened when my copy arrived and I realized that he was only the author of the book and not the illustrator, but a quick flip through the early pages re-invigorated my interest. It's quite obvious that he choose his partner well and had a significant say in the look of the book...more I was originally excited to read this because I had seen Chipp Kidd's name credited as designing the covers to some of my all time favorite books and I was curious how he would approach drawing a graphic novel. I was disheartened when my copy arrived and I realized that he was only the author of the book and not the illustrator, but a quick flip through the early pages re-invigorated my interest. It's quite obvious that he choose his partner well and had a significant say in the look of the book.

In fact, the easiest way to sum up the appeal of this book is to quote Kidd himself: "The overall Art Direction for the book is “What if Fritz Lang made a Batman movie in the late 1930s and had a huge budget?"

The visuals are fantastic. Great care has been taken in depicting Gotham City. The buildings are compellingly rendered and the epic scope of the city is apparent. The depiction of the glass floor nightclub is the absolute stunner of the book, a wonderful concept touching of the themes of the story. The cast has been rendered as the ungodly beautiful specimens of the golden era of Hollywood. Bruce looks as classically handsome as I have ever seen him. The design of the Joker is especially unique and appealing. I found it jarring at first, but quickly warmed up to it. He resembles an off kilter version of a classic nightclub entertainer who wouldn't be out of place quipping before a band takes the stage.

The story is refreshingly devoid of contrived angst. It harkens back to the pulpy stories of the original Batman and classic Hollywood serials. Bruce is tortured but he doesn't dwell on it to an excessive degree or pontificate on the city's lack of a moral code to a great length. I don't have a problem with some Batman stories taking this approach but it is well worn ground and Batman, like most popular super hero characters, is flexible to the times and whims of the era and doesn't need to be restricted to just one type of storytelling.

I do have a few problems with this book. It could have benefited from being stretched out a bit longer. Most of the classic Batman story elements are included but not all are fleshed out. The beautiful conflicted love interest, the corrupt mob boss who secretly runs part of the city, the tragic back story of the mysterious new villain, and an obligatory appearance by the Joker. The Joker seems especially superfluous. He mainly appears to throw a slight wrench into the works but hardly succeeds at even stumbling Batman. His main reason for inclusion seems to be an excuse to showcase the fantastic visual design. I would have rather had more focus on the new characters introduced. I didn't feel like everything about the new villain was adequately explained and the brief appearance of an accomplice at the end confused me.

(Disclosure: I got this book through First Reads.)(less)

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Sep 21, 2012 Allie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: comics-and-graphic-novels

Very disappointing. I gave it 2 stars instead of 1 solely because of the architectural details.

At first glance, the art looks really beautiful -- moody, responsive, and atmospheric -- But it really didn't make sense when reading the comic. It took me a while to figure out why it looked so weird and then it hit me: most of the characters' mouths were closed when they were talking. It looks so ridiculous. And the color palette is awful. It's almost all a soft charcoal color, with some not-very-dar...more

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Aug 02, 2012 Tif rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novel, architecture, dc

The architecture theme is fascinating to read, and the designs looming in the background are impressive, but Batman-- and worse, Bruce Wayne-- is not convincing. Bruce Wayne's interaction with the one female character is so cringe-worthy and awkward, I was embarrassed to read it. The woman initially presented herself as intelligent and well-spoken but she quickly retreated to an inner-voice in which she regarded Wayne as 'cute' and used words like 'duh'. Lastly, Batman is uncharacteristically fo...more

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Feb 07, 2013 Mahala added it

Shelves: cities, comics

You guys. CHIP KIDD WROTE A BATMAN STORY.

Ever since BATMAN ANIMATED came out this guy has been my design idol. When I saw his TED talk I found out he'd designed some of my favourite book covers, too. So I expected this book's art to be stunning, and it did not disappoint. (Dave Taylor, I could stare at your pencil drawings of Gotham forever.)

But I really liked the story, too: a classic Batman work in all aspects, from the look and feel to the noir-style structure of the plot--with a lovely splas...more

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Jul 03, 2012 Justin Sorbara-Hosker rated it 1 of 5 stars

Dull. Props to Kidd for experimenting, although being a great cover design does not make one a great writer. Could have been special, isn't. Context is that I just read two great Batman titles by Scott Snyder in past two weeks.

Pros:
-the 1930's aesthetic, the retro, pulpy Bob Kane feel. He's wearing a fabric suit.

Cons:
-everything else; sorry. The story just doesn't grab me, & the politics are a little odd. Wearing the Ayn Rand on its sleeve a little bit.

I like charcoal sketches (I guess)...more

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About Chip Kidd

Chip Kidd is an American author, editor and graphic designer, best known for his innovative book covers.
Born in Reading, Pennsylvania, Kidd grew up in a Philadelphia suburb, strongly influenced by American popular culture. While a design student at Penn State, an art instructor once gave the assignment to design a book cover for Museums and Women by John Updike, who is also a Shillington native. T...more

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Batman: Death by Design

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