Batman: The Blue, the Grey, and the Bat

Batman: Elseworlds

by Elliot S. Maggin, Richard Starkings (Letterer), José Luis García-López (Illustrator)

In this Elseworlds tale, Batman is in the American West during the Civil War on a dangerous secret mission for President Lincoln. As he relentlessly pursues a threat to the Union, Batman, and his alter ego Bruce Wayne, encounter Samuel Clemens, Wild Bill Hickok and other luminaries of the Old West. His servant and friend, the ever-droll Alfred, makes his contribution to the action, as does the Bat-Man's Native American partner, Redbird.

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

60 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Elliot S. Maggin, also spelled Elliot S! Maggin, is an American writer of comic books, film, television and novels. He was a main writer for DC Comics during the Bronze and early Modern ages of comics in the 1970s and 1980s. He is particularly associated with the character of Superman.

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Batman (B) in the Civil War! Robin (R) as a Native American! A real 'Lone Ranger' feel to this Elseworlds (EW) tale of espionage and danger! Really enjoyed this take on BM; the art meshes well with the story. A nice addition to the interesting BM EW stories that (I am sure) will find their way into feature length animation movies in the future.

[Ill D · Rating 1 out of 5]

“This is the story of how Abraham Lincoln sent a Bat-Man to secure the greatest source of wealth in a generation for the forces of the Union…

From Lincoln’s illustrated chuckle three pages in, to Alfred’s puzzled face later on, the internalized characters seem to be aware of the nonsensical (mis-)adventure they’ve been tossed into. Which makes sense since everything about this comic screams a little boy’s silly, History Channel addled fantasy because that’s exactly what it is. Except for the Bat, sharing the appearance and roguish personality of Errol Flynn, who revels in his apparent foppishness, everyone within seems in on the joke. Save the suckers that actually spent a dime on this.!

Ha!

Even though the dialogue and sartorial arrays seem (initially at least) historically accurate, they’re far more bogged down in a John Wayne-esque typology, high on fantasy low on reality, favoring the show rather than the truth. From teetollars to Mark Twain this perverted pastiche jauntily trundles across some 50 pages of puerile mediocrity. Everything feels caricatured to the nth degree, including a super-duper racist re-configuration of the platonic figure of Robin as a repurposed Native American: Red Bird.

I really wish this was a case of “so bad its good,” (e.g. Zardoz) it’s not. It’s just dumb at best and laughable at worst.

Next!

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 stars

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basically Batman as Zorro with a little of the Wild, Wild West TV show thrown in. Great art from one of the classic DC artists.

[Jimmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a Batman story that is part of DC Comic’s Elseworlds tale. A late 1980s and early 1990s series this situates classic DC heroes in a different era and historical time period. I love the line for the opening to Elseworlds tale, which preface tells us that “In Elseworlds, super-heroes are taken from their usual settings and put into strange times and places - some that have existed, and others that can't, couldn't or shouldn't exist. The result is stories that make characters who are as familiar as yesterday seem as fresh as tomorrow.” This particular story tells the story of Batman situated during the American Civil War. Bruce Wayne is part of Union Army and goes undercover as “Batman” on a secret mission sent by President Abraham Lincoln.
I love the historical references made throughout the story. I suppose I really enjoy it when comic books has a historical fiction feel. I enjoyed the historical character in the story beginning with President Abraham Lincoln, and later Samuel Clemens and Wild Bill Hickok. Samuel Clemens would later be known as “Mark Twain” and Wild Bill Hickok of course is “Wild Bill.” Together with Batman these characters are on a mission in Nevada to fight against various enemies that threaten to take what was then known as the Comstock Lode, which were silver totaling $400 million and historically helped financed the Union during the Civil War. When I googled the Comstock Lode I was surprised to read on Wikipedia about Confederate sympathizers in Nevada town of Virginia City; this was one of the settings in the book.
Overall I actually did enjoy this different kind of Batman.

[Ben Truong · Rating 3 out of 5]

Batman: The Blue, the Grey, and the Bat is an Elseworlds graphic novel published by DC Comics in 1993, written by Elliot S. Maggin and Alan Weiss and penciled by Alan Weiss.

Set during the American Civil War, It has Colonel Bruce Wayne sent on a dangerous secret mission for President Lincoln. As he relentlessly pursues a threat to the Union encounter Samuel Clemens, Wild Bill Hickok (Agent H) and other luminaries of the Old West and Batman’s Native American partner, Redbird (Agent R).

Elliot S. Maggin and Alan Weiss penned the entire trade paperback. For the most part, it is written moderately well. Maggin and Weiss have created a narrative which postulates a Batman story during the Wild West era. The narrative is a combination of a Western and a Lone Ranger story, which has Colonel Bruce Wayne going undercover for Abraham Lincoln to retrieve stolen silver. The dialogue was a tad wooden and there isn't much depth to the story. Furthermore, I am not really happy about the stereotypical treatment of the Native American, which seems like caricature at best.

Weiss does double duty as the penciler of the trade paperback. Since he was the only penciler, the artistic flow of the trade paperback flowed exceptionally well. For the most part, Weiss' penciling is mediocre at best, but serviceable.

All in all, Batman: The Blue, the Grey, and the Bat is an interesting experiment of merging a Batman story with the Wild West of the Civil War, but the outcome is mediocre at best and much to be desired.

[tom ooms · Rating 4 out of 5]

BAT Mastery, Son!

Elseworlds delivers a nifty time bending treat . Only I missed the origin story to go along with the tale. Still cool to see Batman in his environment, even when he is out of his environment. Well done!

[Phillip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty bad ass! Batman has no problem firing a gun in this book! Read on!!

[Earl · Rating 2 out of 5]

I guess you have to have a good background in American History and literature to get a lot of references here. Thumbs up to Mark Twain as Batman's partner.

But mostly it's like Lone Ranger.

[Little Timmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good alternate universe Batman story. Recommended

[Tama · Rating 2 out of 5]

The amount of words is obnoxious. Get's in the way of a good story. The artist did the right job in character design. That this should've taken the silent film route, an authentic early 1900s short western. The page with the blond and her aunt would be really good without any text.

The Bat looks good in sepia by gilded desert and daylight.

If you want Batman yelling "those sons of whores killed my horse!" dual shooting six shooters and punching an Indian then look no further. I would've thought this'd be a curiosity comic for that one open panel of him uppercutting the Indian. His insensitivity comes in at around midway and ends with Batman telling Redbird/Robin he looks better without Indian warpaint.

Not complete shit by way of western B-flicks. About as good as a bad spag-western.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm generally a fan of Elliot S Maggin's writing. And Alan Weiss' art looks great, especially as inked by the legendary Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez. But I was disappointed overall in this attempt to make a Western hero of Batman. It's a good Western story featuring appearances by Abraham Lincoln, Sam Clemens, and Wild Bill Hickok, but the Batman elements are mostly just laid on top. Outside of the costume, Batman doesn't really act like any Batman that I recognize. And other than an Indian Robin analogue named Redbird, there aren't enough familiar Batman elements. Catwoman and Penguin could easily have been part of this, or certainly a Marshal Gordon.

[Erick · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5
Yo esperaba a esta version de Batman como una especie de homenaje a El Zorro, personaje que inspira a la creacion de Batman. Sin embargo parece más bien que se trata de una version de El Llanero solitario, heroe enmascarado, agente de la ley o algo asi, sidekick nativo americano, no tan carismatico

[Robert · Rating 2 out of 5]

More of a Western tale than a Civil War story, so ding them for a misleading title, and the plot is a bit futzy with the details about who and where and what is going on at any particular point - tons of gold and silver isn't easily moved in wagons, or sneakily, or quick.

[brianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this for two dollars and I mainly got it for the cover. Luckily, the pistol Batman is holding on the cover is not actually for killing people but more for disarming and incapacitating people. bro why is Abraham Lincoln in this, this is some interesting fanfiction

[StrictlySequential ArtNarrative · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lincoln, Twain and Hickok!

[Brannigan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is more a 2.5. It’s not the worst but not great. Batman is a secret agent for Abraham Lincoln. He’s in Nevada trying to see who’s stealing the Unions silver.

[Brandon · Rating 1 out of 5]

3/10

This one really struggled to find a purpose whatsoever to this story. Honestly nothing about this story was enjoyable.

[Elle · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a comic. It's short. I still didn't care enough to finish it.

[Trae Stratton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Civil War era Batman. Add a star if you’re a fan of Westerns.

[Geriann Albers · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[H · Rating 1 out of 5]

The cover is the best part of this book. It’s made from an imitation parchment that establishes the feel of a Civil War era story. The rest of the book is just painfully boring. There’s no connection to the Civil War beyond an appearance from Lincoln in the beginning. This is really more of a Batman-as-the-Lone Ranger story with Robin as Tonto, and even that’s a stretch. Most of all, there’s just nothing at all interesting about this — not the story, not the art. I was really disappointed. I’ve never before written the word “boring” so many times in evaluating a comic.

[drown_like_its_1999 · Rating 2 out of 5]

In this western themed elseworlds tale, Batman serves as an agent of the Lincoln administration who is sent to frontier Nevada during the Civil War to reclaim gold and silver supposedly stolen by Confederates to fund their war effort.

While I'm a sucker for elseworlds framings of Batman and I like Westerns quite a bit this was just ok. The narrative utilizes a series of western tropes from the capable-yet-unappreciated native American sidekick (Robin) to the charming-yet-villanous damsel in distress and interleaves these elements capably around bat characters and themes. The art is pretty enjoyable and the narrative doesn't overstay its welcome so I had a good time but nothing really stands out.

[Dovile · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm definitely not a target reader for this graphic novel - I'm not American so the patriotism didn't hook me and I don't care for westerns. This graphic novel is not much of a Batman story, more of a western, and it's quite cheesy and predictable. The art is OK though.
I recommend this for those who are interested in westerns, American Civil war and/or Abraham Lincoln. If you're just a Batman fan, you can easily skip this one, and you won't miss much.

[Indah Threez Lestari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Batman a la The Lone Ranger, dengan Red Bird, bukan Tonto, sebagai sidekick-nya.

Jadi ikutan gerah melihat kostum plus jubah hitam-hitam Batman yang beraksi di SIANG HARI di tengah panasnya gurun pasir.

Plis deh ah, Batman gitu lho, memangnya The Lone Ranger atau Zorro yang biasa berkeliaran pakai kostum siang-siang?

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun bit of alternate history where Batman is more 'Zorro' than 'Dark Knight'.
The new versions of Alfred and Robin were nicely done.

Not as heavy and dark as other Elseworld stories, but at least it has a happier ending than most of the others.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cowboy Batman, fun but a bit of an inconsequential storyline.

[James Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

And interesting idea, but somehow having a Batman that doesn't have the emotional baggage seems to make it lose something

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Worth reading.

[Jared Goodrich · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great elseworld story

In love the western feel. It has a good plot but it is a little slow in some parts other than that no complaints.