Batman/Houdini: The Devil's Workshop

Batman: Elseworlds #/ Houdini

by Howard Chaykin, John Francis Moore, Mark Chiarello

Someone is stealing the children of Gotham City. There is also a new creature of the night people are calling The Batman. One night someone sees the Batman near a wagon of kids, and surmises that he is stealing the children.
This peaks the interest of visiting escape artist and showman Harry Houdini. So he makes a promise to help the police track down the Batman. Yet when he finally meets the mysterious figure, Harry knows that he is the hero and not the villain of the story.
The two team up, and discover that the children have been kidnapped by an albino, but al evidence points to a puppetmaster for the albino, so they continue to work together to stop the heinous crime.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Batman, Dc Comics, Superheroes, Comic Book, Fiction

64 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Howard Victor Chaykin is an American comic book artist and writer. Chaykin's influences include his one-time employer and mentor, Gil Kane, and the mid-20th century illustrators Robert Fawcett and Al Parker.

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great Elseworlds book; moody, scary, witty and intelligent with great painted artwork. Recommended.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Told from Houdini's perspective, it's a tale of his meeting Batman. Mark Chiarello provides the perfect art for this moody story.

[Pranay · Rating 4 out of 5]

The most amazing thing about this book are the painted interiors by Mark Chiarello.
The story as expected from Howard Chaykin is interesting and has enough drama to keep the reader glued on.

Set in the early 1900's it's a great setting to have Batman and the master magician Houdini team up to solve the mysterious killings of young women in Gotham.

[Marc Pastor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Narrat des del punt de vista de Houdini, m'agrada que es trobi amb un Batman força novell (segurament per equilibrar forces).
La història no té gaire ni cap ni peus i està contada a trompicons, però sap captar l'atmòsfera de l'epoca.
Que aixequi la mà qui no hagi estat esperant tota l'estona el moment que serien capturats i haurien de deslliurar-se de l'encadenat a punt de morir.

[Kristy Buzbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Elseworlds comic, with Batman emerging in Gotham in the 1930's. Houdini is booked for a two-week stint, and being quite clever, figures out who Batman is. They work together to solve the mysterious disappearances of children in a poor area of Gotham.

Oh, I wish it were longer. The first third is actually fairly confusing and uninteresting; the watery art is absolutely lovely, but makes it hard to tell characters apart until you get used to it. Once Houdini and Batman team up (reluctantly), then the gold begins. I wish there were more, to address the idea of a 1930's Gotham and Batman, though I love that it focuses on Houdini as the exposer of fake spiritualists rather than as a magician, and the author clearly did a lot of research on his life instead of just going "hey, Houdini is neat and does magic and stuff!"

It also has some great tension between Houdini and Batman by addressing an issue I haven't seen before in a Batman context - Houdini was a poor boy who had to work for everything he has ever gained or accomplished, while Batman, though having a sordid past, has never had to worry about money or physical needs. The tensions between poor and rich are excellently played here. I definitely need to pick up "Gotham By Gaslight," which is in the same Elseworld context as this one.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this Elseworlds has a similar feel to Gotham by Gaslight, it's set about 20 years later in 1907, and isn't related to that earlier story. This one has the huge draw for me of featuring Harry Houdini, and then the huge negative of Chaykin using racial slurs and misogyny in a way that comes across as "naughty boy saying naughty words" rather than as (unnecessary) historical accuracy. It's a disappointment, as is the plot that shoehorns in a Renfield-ish Joker and vampires. It has the makings of a great story, spoiled by a hamfisted execution. 3🦇 solely for the very good watercolour artwork.

[Seth Kenlon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great, self-contained story about a steampunk-ish Batman in London fighting alongside Houdini against an unknown foe. Stylish, gripping, maniacal. I really enjoyed this one and highly recommend it.

It's actually a good starting point for people who want to read some Batman but have no idea where to start. As long as you're familiar enough with Batman to know the basic premise of his story (and who isn't?), this is a nice variation on the theme. It being self-contained means that there is no commitment to a multi-volume story arc, but you get a good taste of Batman comics, and a really *good* one, at that.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot better than I was expecting- it's a very similar set-up to Gotham by Gaslight, but this story is much stronger. It uses Houdini's voice perfectly, and it's contained enough to give a sense of closure. The characters are all fleshed out, making them both interesting and in some cases, creepy as Hell. Recommended.

[Gonzalo Oyanedel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Batman y Houdini en una aventura "fuera de continuidad" a la medida de ambos iconos, salpicada de guiños de época y elegantemente ilustrada por Chiarello, quien se lleva los mayores méritos.

[Paxton Holley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book gets 3 stars for the art alone. It’s moody and atmospheric. I was hoping the story would be as good as Gotham by Gaslight, but it’s not. It’s a little confusing and hard to follow. But it’s an enjoyable enough read.

[Robert · Rating 1 out of 5]

Batman + Houdini had plenty of meat to make a good story. Adding vampires to the mix was lazy and unnecessary.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love these Elseworlds stories. Batman has some of the best. I love this time period, and it was really cool to see Batman and Harry Houdini team up.

[Matthew Ulstad · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a victim of its awesome art. The watercolor art and less traditional lettering approaches mixed throughout the book make for an enjoyable visual experience, but unfortunately obscure the story along the way. It's often difficult to really distinguish between characters panel to panel, and the form-before-function lettering choices slow the narrative down necessarily. I found that I hadn't really hit a good reading flow until the last 3rd of the book. The story is better than most Elseworlds I've read, and the setting and alterations all actually work fairly well. It's just a shame they took so long to decipher.

3/5 Child blood-bodies

[Little Timmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent alternate universe Batman story. good art and an above average storyline. Very recommended

[Ben Truong · Rating 3 out of 5]

Batman/Houdini: The Devil's Workshop is a graphic novel and is written by the team of Howard Chaykin and John Francis Moore and illustrated by Mark Chiarello. The story recounts a fictional encounter between the superhero Bruce Wayne as Batman and famous escape artist Harry Houdini in early 20th century in Gotham City.

In the winter of 1907, children are disappearing from the impoverished part of Gotham, known as the "Devil's Workshop". The criminal is a grinning white-faced ghoul named Jack Schadenfreude. Meanwhile, Harry Houdini is in town for a performance and mingles with Gotham's elite. Amongst them is Bruce Wayne, from an old money background, and Elijah Montenegro, the nouveau riche, self-styled "Beef Baron".

Eventually, they are invited for a séance held by Leonora Reinhardt – an invitation is also sent to Houdini, who has an interest in the paranormal. The séance is apparently a success, leading the three to conclude something genuinely supernatural is going on and it has to do something with the missing children in the Devil's Workshop.

Batman/Houdini: The Devil's Workshop is written and constructed moderately well. This graphic is an Elseworld one-shot, which means that the story is out of continuity. It is an interesting story that teams up the vigilante Batman with the famous escape artist Harry Houdini, who tracks down the missing children to a nest of vampires. Chaykin and Moore made an interesting choice of having Houdini as the narrator, which was surprising, was not as successful. Chiarello's full-painted art is stunning and captures the dark, murky, and grimy of Gotham City rather well.

All in all, Batman/Houdini: The Devil's Workshop is an interesting thought experiment of having Bruce Wayne as Batman teaming up with Harry Houdini to solve the mystery of the disappearance of children in 1907 Gotham City.

[Olivia Plasencia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I eagerly picked this comic up when I saw it was an Else World issue. For those of you that don't know Else World plugs in welled known characters into other well-known stories or place or events in time. The best ones I have read are Superman as Frankenstein's monster, built by none other than Lex Luthor. Or better yet the Else Word comic where the Superman lands as a baby at Wayne manor instead of in Kansas. There are others that are just as great but those two examples are just from the top of my head. Batman Houdini was a let down from the start. I was not a fan of the art, it was dark and like a watercolor, but worse I had a hard time telling Bruce from Houdini unless Bruce was dressed as Batman. Also, the story was a HUGE let down. I blame Bruce Timm., I thought maybe it was about Bruce training under Houdini. But no, then I thought excitedly that this was a tale of how Bruce somehow runs away after his folks death and adopts the name Houdini but ends up fighting crime.

Not that either, the Joker makes a boring appearance and then vampires come out of nowhere. Honestly this whole book felt thrown together with the writer having no clear plans and the artist not caring that much either, or trying too hard to give the book an old world feel. This won't stop me from buying Else Worlds when I can find them, but next time I will read the first few pages.

[Guilherme Smee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Até o final da década de 80, início dos anos 90, quando um quadrinho tinha uma arte de babar, os roteiros eram de fracos para medianos. Isso só mudou com o esforço de Marvels. Então esse encontro de Batman e Houdini - vejam que não é um confronto, mas um encontro -, não foge à regra anterior à Marvels. Era uma edição de luxo do selo Elseworlds, que aqui no Brasil ficou conhecido como Túnel do Tempo, exatamente porque essa primeira edição levava o leitor para o ano de 1907, onde se encontrava com uma versão de Batman, inculcada com um sonho de um morcego produzido por um xamã que o curou na guerra. Além de Houdini, segue um desfile de celebridades da época, inclusive os dos participam de uma sessão de mesas giratórias do incipiente espiritismo de Allan Kardec. Temos uma versão de empresário corrupto, um cowboy do mau e uma versão do Coringa que sequestra e mata criancinhas. Poderia ser uma história imbricada, divertida ao menos, mas precisou de dois roteiristas do calão de Howard Chaykin e de J. M. DeMatteis para produzir algo inócuo. Só salvo mesmo pelos belos desenhos e arte pintada de Mark Chiarello. Uma pena.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elseworlds is DC’s version of “What If?” in which creators can play with well-known comics icons outside of established continuity. In this work, an early-1900s Batman clad in trench coat and work boots teams with Harry Houdini to investigate the disappearance of tenement children.

The Devil’s Workshop is a fantastic work that captures the essence of Batman transported to a different time. The watercolor wash artwork by Mark Chiarello encapsulates the noir spirit of the story, while writers Howard Victor Chaykin and John Francis Moore capture the casual racism and sexism of the time — even among various oppressed groups. Familiar characters are given neat reimaginings, such as the Joker, who appears as a henchman with albinism, and Vicki Vale, who is an outspoken suffragist.

Short and self-contained, this is a great afternoon read.

[Doug Goodman · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a terrific Elseworlds premise. I love the concept of an early 1900s Batman teaming up with Houdini to fight crime in Gotham. It sounds silly, but it’s a great example of how to blend two genres (superhero and historical). How would Batman’s iconic suit and contraptions work if you took it back a hundred years? (The really wild thing to me is when I think that this version of Batman is probably only 20-30 years older than the first Batman comic.)
What makes Houdini such an interesting character to add is his perspective. He cokes from the stage and from theatrics, so he’s looking at Batman as a Vaudevillian character. And Houdini was also a smart man with his own brand of tricks, a person who knew the difference between the real world and the perceived supernatural one. Adding that character into a Batman comic gives a pretty fun insight into who Batman is.

[Cami L. González · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok. Ha sido extraño, pero me encantó. Al principio me costó tomarle el ritmo, cuando lo hice la historia fluyó. Hasta como película sería asombroso. Nos trasladamos al siglo XX en la que Houdini va a Gotham a hacer su espectáculo y ahí conoce a Wayne. De alguna forma natural ambos conectan muy bien. Al mismo tiempo en Gotham ocurre la desaparición de decenas de niños y, tanto Batman como Houdini, deciden intervenir para solucionar el misterio.
Es fantástico. Y los dibujos son hermosos, de verdad que lo he disfrutado un montón. Además, es una historia corta que no influye en nada en la trama o tramas de la historia de Batman.
Muy buena.

[Victor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed my re-read of
Batman/Houdini -
The Devil's Workshop.
Compelling story that brilliantly merges history, real people who existed with a very moody, theatrical and gothic Batman. The painted art is exquisite, dreary but visually appealing.
It carries a dark, moody undertone which is engrossing. Definitely give it a go Batman fans if you haven't already. Oh, and it also features a certain clown prince of crime in a sadistic and captivating role.
🤌🏽 🦇

[roberto ortiz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una historia ambientada en el 1900 con un Batman muy parecido al de Batman by Gaslight, haciendo equipo con Houdini para enfrentarse a vampiros que secuestran niños, si eso. Los más destacable es el dibujo, entintado acuarela y color de Mark Chiarello, que si bien es los más innovador no deja de ser confuso narrativamente en algunos momentos del relato.

[Michael Norwitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Elseworlds (follow-up I think, to Gotham by Gaslight?) teams a turn of the century costumed crusader up with the real-life escape artist Harry Houdini, as they track down a pasty-faced child murderer and his vampiric sponsors. Narrated by Houdini, (although I wonder if he was as self-consciously Jewish as the author portrays him) the book is highly entertaining and the art suitably noirish.

[Adam Klatka · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciated that Chaykin didn’t force it into a crossover book with other heroes. There’s a few name drops that probably could’ve had some dialogue to make it matter that they were namedropped but that probably would’ve invited too much of what I didn’t want it to be.

There’s painted art was gorgeous.

[Lyric · Rating 3 out of 5]

They took the Dracula storyline and essentially just put Batman and Houdini in the mix. Some scenes were hard to follow and it seemed a bit clumsy. Its not my favorite Batman story. Houdini and the caped crusader are not a very dynamic duo.

[Brandon · Rating 2 out of 5]

4/10

I found this boring and contrived. It has some cool elements - Houdini, Freud - but it doesn't execute them nearly as well as it should. It also doesn't let me live in the time period. The entire comic just feels off.

[Reyel2107 · Rating 4 out of 5]

good tale with amazing art !!!

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great alternative universe tale of Batman & Houdini in 1907. Successfully weaves fast paced adventure with humour. (Some great DC character cameos) The unusual water colour art suited the setting.

[Michael Gomez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the water color art.

[John Funderburg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe I need to read this one again... the art was more engaging than the story. 3 stars for now.