Adam Graham's Blog: Christians and Superheroes - Posts Tagged "scott-snyder"

Batman, Volume 2: The City of Owls by Scott Snyder

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book continues where the Court of Owls left off with Issues 8-12 and the first Annual.

The bulk of the book is dedicated to dealing with the fall out of the Court of Owls as they descend on the city and send assassins to kill off the city's well to do. There's a reveal about what happened to Alfred's father and also something shocking about Bruce's family that's maybe a little melodramatic. Overall, it's a satisfying conclusion to the previous arc.

The Annual follows a young woman living with her younger brother who has to raise him and deal with him being bullied until Batman steps in and she tries to return the failure. It's a fairly good take on what's become traditional for many annuals since the 1990s to focus on some character other than the central character. It's not perfect, but it works.

The final issue sees a revived New 52 take on Mr. Freeze as he escapes from Arkham seeking revenge on the billionaire responsible for his wife not being restored...Bruce Wayne. The story has some good twists but it represents a pretty drastic revision of Mr. Freeze's backstory from what had become the classic version in the 1990s. I don't like it. I think it changes Mr. Freeze from a tragic figure to just another insane monomaniac.

Still, overall the book is well-written and Snyder continues to have a solid take on Batman.






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All-Star Batman, Vol. 1: My Own Worst Enemy by Scott Snyder

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Batman is in a race against the clock to get Harvey Dent/Two-Face to a place where he can be treated. However Batman's got a long journey and Two-Face is determined to make sure he doesn't make it back alive.

This is a solid main story with some great action, good twists, and a great examination of the Batman-Two-Face relationship. The book also contains a back-up story which was a bit hard to follow and felt like it could be skipped.



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All-Star Batman, Volume 2: Ends of the Earth by Scott Snyder

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This collects four issues in the End of the Earth storyline with Batman trying to solve a mystery that falls after the events of the previous book. The art for the main stories is intriguing. It's quite different from a typical big 2 comic, feeling a bit more like an Indie comic or perhaps an adult storybook.

The first two issues featuring Mister Freeze and Poison Ivy are both good, and the art particularly being evocative of those characters. The third issue is below average, featuring the Mad Hatter, who really doesn't belong in this belong. The final issue featuring the surprise villain isn't bad, but not as good as the first two issues.

I continue to struggle to really be engaged in the Signal back up story, which is, if anything, less engaging than it was in the first volume.

Overall, this isn't bad, but its far from Snyder's best Batman.



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