Batman: Harvest Breed

Batman

by George Pratt

As a killer conducts a series of grisly murders, Batman suffers nightmares about the killings, and his search for the murderer's motives and identity leads him to a young Vietnamese girl, her adoptive parents, and the gates of Hell.

Genres: Comics, Batman, Graphic Novels, Dc Comics, Fiction, Bande Dessinée, Superheroes

92 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[10wagner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Batman, terror, lucha del bien y el mal a un nivel místico, me gustó.

[Drew Canole · Rating 1 out of 5]

I picked this up because I saw a short story Pratt did in Heavy Metal. It was black and white and very sparse. I think I liked it because it stood out; most HM stuff is very detailed. This book was disappointing because he chose to cover everything in a very bland muddy painted color.

The story was awful and I stopped reading it to just look at the paintings, but none were very well done.

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is definitely not your typical Batman. I loved everything about it. The darker, gory story line was a great change of pace. The art style took a few pages to get into. Once I got used to it, I loved it. I would recommend this to older fans of Batman due to the extremely dark content. It made the perfect Halloween read.

[Tucker Powell · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book veers from serene photo-realism to violent expressionist fantasy, with swathes of blood liberally splattered across the page. Pratt's Batman is quite different to most, portrayed as lithe and scrawny rather than a stocky built man.

[Natarajan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent art, slightly reminiscent of Dan Brereton; the supernatural element was... unexpected, and not entirely fitting. Worth a read, if only for the art.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pratt's artwork is undeniably beautiful and very-fitting for the story's dark themes, but it isn't enough to save Harvest Breed from its sluggish, unrealised story about voodoo, demons and trauma. Stick to Batman: Gothic.

[Adrian Santiago · Rating 3 out of 5]

No puedes pedir mucho de una historia de 100 pàginas, pero a la vez està bien.
Definitivamente no el mejor desenlace ni la aventura màs llena de acciòn, pero en sì las referencias a la hora de las brujas, la santerìa y lo "oculto" van màs que bien con el estilo gràfico. Que es lo que vende aquì.

Lo que sì, la ediciòn en pasta dura està genial. La portada, los colores, el tamaño y el color del libro en pasta dura al quitar la sobrecamisa -y ese cràneo batman estampado en el libro por dentro wow- es lo genial. La historia en una hora ya la terminaste y realmente no aporta nada al mito del murcièlago.

[drown_like_its_1999 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bruce Wayne is having terrible nightmares in which he maims and kills fellow Gothamites. As Batman, he investigates a string of murders which he soon discovers are in service of an occult ritual to summon a demon. While attempting to foil the supernatural plot, the bat finds himself at odds with his personal demons in addition to those of hell.

While the art in Harvest Breed was pretty compelling, the narrative was quite underwhelming. The plot is oddly paced, rather contrived, and poorly structured which does a disservice to the unsettling and grim imagery. Characterization is either forgettable (Gordon, all the new characters) or flat out wrong (Batman) and their dialogue feels largely lifeless.

Besides the concept, Pratt's art is the only really interesting thing here. The mixed media compositions included are dark, moody, and volatile; beautifully expressing the violent and severe tone of the story concept. Sadly, art can only elevate bad subject material so far.

[Dale Parnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of all the iterations of Batman, one of my favourites has always been the dark, supernatural / horror angle. Harvest Breed is a wonderful example of this type of Batman story, featuring dark rites, demons and bloody murder, all beautifully painted in a style that reminds me of 30 Days of Night.
Harvest Breed also deals with the idea that Batman is battling his own demons, and that he is always in dnager of slipping too far and losing himself to the darkness.
A great stand-alone Batman story!

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Je suis pas emballé par cette adaptation libre de batman mêlant religion et vaudou.
Certes c'est un thème toujours intéressant à aborder et le mélange est surprenant, le style graphique prends des libertés apocalyptiques et restent clairs mais personnellement je n'ai pas été happé par l'histoire.

[Lalith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Loved the art, but the story was bobbins. Gothic may change my mind but in general Batman and the supernatural doesn't mix (yes, Ra's al Ghul, but I have never been particularly convinced by the whole Lazarus Pit thing).

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

Batman goes after a serial killer with help from Jim Gordon. A simple enough story with impressive artwork. The art is what I will remember from this book. An ok read.

[Rodrigo Tello · Rating 2 out of 5]

Historia extraña y dibujos más extraños. Aunque es un comic de Batman de terror y es una historia sobre satanismo, dos elementos que me atraían para abordarla, deja mucho que desear.

[Christopher John · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love the art style but the story is silly and the ending rushed. Worth taking in for the paintings.

[Mikkel Abel · Rating 4 out of 5]

If Batman ventured into Alan Moore's FROM HELL then this is the comic book to do it.

[Daniel Murcia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ilustraciones chachi (lo que lo salvan un poco) para una historia sin chicha
Reseña completa en https://youtu.be/LhSclwl5RmE

[John Funderburg · Rating 2 out of 5]

A largely disappointing story with superior artwork. Pratt needs to leave the writing to, well, an actual writer.

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very dark, supernatural Batman story. Beautiful art, if a bit inscrutable at times. Thin story but I didn’t mind.

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amazing art, interesting premise, stilted dialogue, but worth the reading just for the Vietnam journal section. Pratt’s first-person prose is much better than his scripting.

[Erik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely breathtaking art. Great for those who like Batman as an enigmatic, shadowy being.

[Yasmine · Rating 3 out of 5]

AMAZING art

[Nathaniel Creative Freedom HQ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dope art! It’s a nice and short Batman, self-contained read!

[Batman Collected Editions · Rating 3 out of 5]

Released in 2000, Batman: Harvest Breed is a one-shot graphic novel written by George Pratt. I recently picked up a copy of this because I wrongly assumed it was an Elseworlds book. It very well might be, considering the story involves voodoo and the summoning of demons. If you read reviews about this book, the common opinion you’ll find is that the story is bad, but the art is excellent. I do agree that the art is the main selling point of this book. In addition to writing it, George Pratt also painted all the interior pages.Although there were times when I had no idea what was happening in the panels, the artwork still managed to hold my attention, as it’s so rare to see a Batman book with fully painted interiors. As for the story, while I can understand why some readers say it’s bad, I thought it was okay, and that’s saying a lot, considering I don’t usually enjoy supernatural stories.

The story centers on an old, unsolved murder case. Now, a series of new killings is unfolding in Gotham, all following the same modus operandi.In the meantime, Bruce is plagued by disturbing nightmares. He crosses paths with a girl who has visions of the murders before they happen. There’s something unsettling about the girl. Her father, on the other hand, a doctor who heals without using conventional medicine, is just as unusual. These killings are performed as part of a ritual to summon demons. If this sounds like something you’re interested in, then by all means, pick up this book. But even if the story doesn’t appeal to you, George Pratt’s painted artwork makes it a compelling addition to any collection.

My Batman Collected Editions Instagram page

[Eduardo Antunes · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's clear that Pratt wanted to draw Batman for its iconicity, but had no clear idea of what to do with the character beyond that.
We can see the initial parallel the author intends to make, as Bruce dreams literally of himself as a demon, although nothing comes from that narratively or character wise. There's no suspicion or questioning (from himself or anybody else) about the possibility that he might be causing the murder spree (in)directly.

In the end, this could be a Batman story or any other character's. Because the Dark Knight doesn't contribute whatsoever, beyond discovering the place of one of the murders. And that becomes even clearer when he (and we) finally understand what's really happening. Not only he didn't piece anything together, as the threat is indeed nothing more than a supernatural one, which might have made this a story better suited for Hellblazer instead. Maybe Pratt could have had fun drawing his coat too, as he did the Caped Crusader here.

And that is the enjoyment we can really take from this. Pratt's art is beautifully haunting, with a dynamic use of the tables at each page, reminding us of a Munch painting, between the expressionistic and the surrealistic, slender figures on their proportions.
Even the final page is a beautiful one, so evocative of the character. Similar to a demon, working in the shadows, but for a cause greater than his own, an eternal sacrifice that he can only expect to be carried on after his demise. Shame that nothing else here offers that same level of symbolism for this choice of character to make sense.

[M · Rating 1 out of 5]

In this painted volume from George Pratt, the Batman faces a murder mystery that spans the realms of the supernatural. Ritualistic killings begin appearing across Gotham City, hearkening back to a string of unsolved deaths just like them six years earlier. Plagued by nightmares of demons and blood, Batman seeks the assistance of surviving witness Luci Boudreaux. A so-called "white witch," Luci directs Batman to seek out more metaphysical motives and prevent any more Gothamites from falling victim to the violent spree. A diary of Boudreaux's adopted father hints at a black magic that terrorizes the fields of Vietnam and may have set down roots in Gotham; a final showdown with the Boudreaux family bloodline brings the tale full circle. Pratt does well with his attempt to bring the world of Batman into the supernatural, blurring the edges of reality with the demonic. The issues arrive from the supporting cast and murky subplot. The Boudreaux family is seamlessly inserted into the narrative, acting as a focal point for the story; their ragged backstory and unusual talents make them a poor fit into the world of Batman. The book also fails to truly bring light onto the situation leading to its events, casting a muddy shadow over its proceedings. Do not bother harvesting this Batman tale from the shelf unless you are willing to oversee its faults.

[João Teixeira · Rating 1 out of 5]

Quando folheei este livro, achei que tinha tudo para gostar dele... Infelizmente, não podia estar mais enganado. História conusa e desenhos não tão fantásticos como os pintam aqui outros comentadores (mas claro que isto é só a minha opinião)!

[Jim Ef · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars
mysterious murders which are conected to the past? mmm ok yeah. the first 1\4 is quite good but then comes all these paranormal things and the story takes the down hill. The art is good though

[Gabriel Llagostera · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entretenida historia. No te va a cambiar la vida pero vas a pasar un buen rato. El guión es poco original y por momentos parece entreverado; incluso la resolución es demasiado repentina.
Lo más destacado es el dibujo: una onda Dave McKean pero más narrativo. Correcto todo.

[Bruno · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zeer mooi getekend, interessant verhaald, dat buiten het stereotiepe ligt, maar niet noodzakelijk echt diepgaand is. Niettemin: zeer goed.

[Kimberlee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The art for this is really, really amazing. The story is also cool, but the art makes this book!