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Batman
Batman International
A high adventure collection of Caped Crusader stories set in international locales includes Batman investigating a string of bizarre murders in Spain's coastal city of Barcelona. Original.
168 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
About the author
Alan Grant
1,766 books145 followersAlan Grant was a Scottish comic book writer known for writing Judge Dredd in 2000 AD as well as various Batman titles during the late 1980s and early 1990s. He is also the creator of the character Anarky.
Alan Grant first entered the comics industry in 1967 when he became an editor for D.C. Thomson before moving to London from Dundee in 1970 to work for IPC on various romance magazines. After going back to college and having a series of jobs, Grant found himself back in Dundee and living on Social Security. He then met John Wagner, another former D.C. Thompson editor, who was helping put together a new science fiction comic for IPC, 2000 A.D., and was unable to complete his other work. Wagner asked Grant if he could help him write the Tarzan comic he was working on; so began the Wagner/Grant writing partnership.
The pair eventually co-wrote Judge Dredd. They would work on other popular strips for the comic, including Robo-Hunter and Strontium Dog using the pseudonym T.B. Grover. Grant also worked on other people's stories, changing and adding dialogue, most notably Harry Twenty on the High Rock, written by Gerry Finley-Day. Judge Dredd would be Grant's main concern for much of the 1980s. Grant and Wagner had developed the strip into the most popular in 2000AD as well as creating lengthy epic storylines such as The Apocalypse War. Grant also wrote for other IPC comics such as the revamped Eagle.
By the late 1980s, Grant and Wagner were about to move into the American comic market. Their first title was a 12-issue miniseries called Outcasts for DC Comics. Although it wasn't a success, it paved the way for the pair to write Batman stories in Detective Comics from issue 583, largely with Norm Breyfogle on art duties across the various Batman titles Grant moved to. After a dozen issues, Wagner left Grant as sole writer. Grant was one of the main Batman writers until the late 1990s. The pair also created a four issue series for Epic Comics called The Last American. This series, as well as the Chopper storyline in Judge Dredd, is blamed for the breakup of the Wagner/Grant partnership. The pair split strips, with Wagner keeping Judge Dredd and Grant keeping Strontium Dog and Judge Anderson. Grant and Wagner continue to work together on special projects such as the Batman/Judge Dredd crossover Judgement on Gotham. During the late 1980s, Grant experienced a philosophical transformation and declared himself an anarchist. The creation of the supervillain Anarky was initially intended as a vehicle for exploring his political opinions through the comic medium. In the following years, he would continue to utilize the character in a similar fashion as his philosophy evolved.
Grant's projects at the start of the 90s included writing Detective Comics and Strontium Dog, but two projects in particular are especially notable. The first is The Bogie Man, a series co-written by Wagner which was the pair's first venture into independent publishing. The second is Lobo, a character created by Keith Giffen as a supporting character in The Omega Men. Lobo gained his own four issue mini series in 1990 which was drawn by Simon Bisley. This was a parody of the 'dark, gritty' comics of the time and proved hugely popular. After several other miniseries (all written by Grant, sometimes with Giffen as co-writer), Lobo received his own ongoing series. Grant was also writing L.E.G.I.O.N. (a Legion of Super-Heroes spin-off) and The Demon (a revival of Jack Kirby's charac
Alan Grant first entered the comics industry in 1967 when he became an editor for D.C. Thomson before moving to London from Dundee in 1970 to work for IPC on various romance magazines. After going back to college and having a series of jobs, Grant found himself back in Dundee and living on Social Security. He then met John Wagner, another former D.C. Thompson editor, who was helping put together a new science fiction comic for IPC, 2000 A.D., and was unable to complete his other work. Wagner asked Grant if he could help him write the Tarzan comic he was working on; so began the Wagner/Grant writing partnership.
The pair eventually co-wrote Judge Dredd. They would work on other popular strips for the comic, including Robo-Hunter and Strontium Dog using the pseudonym T.B. Grover. Grant also worked on other people's stories, changing and adding dialogue, most notably Harry Twenty on the High Rock, written by Gerry Finley-Day. Judge Dredd would be Grant's main concern for much of the 1980s. Grant and Wagner had developed the strip into the most popular in 2000AD as well as creating lengthy epic storylines such as The Apocalypse War. Grant also wrote for other IPC comics such as the revamped Eagle.
By the late 1980s, Grant and Wagner were about to move into the American comic market. Their first title was a 12-issue miniseries called Outcasts for DC Comics. Although it wasn't a success, it paved the way for the pair to write Batman stories in Detective Comics from issue 583, largely with Norm Breyfogle on art duties across the various Batman titles Grant moved to. After a dozen issues, Wagner left Grant as sole writer. Grant was one of the main Batman writers until the late 1990s. The pair also created a four issue series for Epic Comics called The Last American. This series, as well as the Chopper storyline in Judge Dredd, is blamed for the breakup of the Wagner/Grant partnership. The pair split strips, with Wagner keeping Judge Dredd and Grant keeping Strontium Dog and Judge Anderson. Grant and Wagner continue to work together on special projects such as the Batman/Judge Dredd crossover Judgement on Gotham. During the late 1980s, Grant experienced a philosophical transformation and declared himself an anarchist. The creation of the supervillain Anarky was initially intended as a vehicle for exploring his political opinions through the comic medium. In the following years, he would continue to utilize the character in a similar fashion as his philosophy evolved.
Grant's projects at the start of the 90s included writing Detective Comics and Strontium Dog, but two projects in particular are especially notable. The first is The Bogie Man, a series co-written by Wagner which was the pair's first venture into independent publishing. The second is Lobo, a character created by Keith Giffen as a supporting character in The Omega Men. Lobo gained his own four issue mini series in 1990 which was drawn by Simon Bisley. This was a parody of the 'dark, gritty' comics of the time and proved hugely popular. After several other miniseries (all written by Grant, sometimes with Giffen as co-writer), Lobo received his own ongoing series. Grant was also writing L.E.G.I.O.N. (a Legion of Super-Heroes spin-off) and The Demon (a revival of Jack Kirby's charac
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
January 19, 2011
Here’s the danger when a superhero travels:
Person #1: Hey, did you see that wealthy playboy Bruce Wayne went to Barcelona?
Person #2: Yeah, I read that in the news. And I saw that Batman showed up there, too. Weird coincidence, isn’t it?
Person # 1: It sure … Wait a second! Wayne and Batman were both in Spain at the same time? I saw a few weeks back that Wayne went to Scotland and Batman showed up there, too.
Person #2: You don’t think…
Person #1: You know, his parents were gunned down right in front of him. And he certainly has enough money to afford all those bat toys…
Person #2: I think you’re onto something there.
*************************
This is a pretty bland volume of three Batman stories. Nothing especially good or bad here. It’s an OK read for Batman fans but that's about it.
Person #1: Hey, did you see that wealthy playboy Bruce Wayne went to Barcelona?
Person #2: Yeah, I read that in the news. And I saw that Batman showed up there, too. Weird coincidence, isn’t it?
Person # 1: It sure … Wait a second! Wayne and Batman were both in Spain at the same time? I saw a few weeks back that Wayne went to Scotland and Batman showed up there, too.
Person #2: You don’t think…
Person #1: You know, his parents were gunned down right in front of him. And he certainly has enough money to afford all those bat toys…
Person #2: I think you’re onto something there.
*************************
This is a pretty bland volume of three Batman stories. Nothing especially good or bad here. It’s an OK read for Batman fans but that's about it.
July 27, 2021
3 stories showing Batman operating outside of Gotham City - should be interesting, right?
Well, sort of.
In "The Scottish Connection", Bruce travels to Scotland and stumbles across a mystery concerning
his ancestors...
*SPOILERS*
Let's start with the villain: he's a scottish historian with a deep hatred for a rival clan/family, and wants to kill them all for something their ancestors did hundreds of years ago - does that sound even remotely convincing? of course not. he's willing to kill dozens of people who could not possibly have any connection to those events, something that happened generations ago!
Another stupid aspect was how this guy (a non-superpowered, scrawny person) and his henchmen (3 street thugs with sledgehammers - sigh) could overpower and defeat Batman no less than three times over the course of this story - Bruce is supposed to be a man at his physical peak, trained in almost every form of martial arts!
Besides that, Batman wasn't acting like the World's Greatest Detective here, he was more or less bungling his way to the finish line. The fate of his temporary scottish sidekick was also a very weird detail, something that could have been easily avoided if Bruce wouldn't behave like an incompetent idiot in this story.
2 stars, but only for Frank Quitely's accomplished art.
"Dragon's Knight" sees Bruce following Killer Croc to Barcelona, where he believes himself to be the reincarnation of a mythological dragon, ready to slay his arch-enemy, the (dark) knight...
I quite liked this one, it's fast-paced, with lots of cool visuals (Batman vs. Croc at the Sagrada Familia cathedral, for example), and Diego Olmos art is very fitting for the Barcelona backdrop.
4 stars
The last story, "Tao", another one written by Alan Grant, confronts Batman with an old adversary from the past, when he was in Tibet, still preparing for his demanding role as a crime fighter.
Another story i liked - sure, Arthur Ranson's art may not be for everyone, especially since it instantly dates this comic (it was released in 1993), but i found his quasi-realistic style very fitting, and there were some awesome splash pages in there, too. Alan Grant's using a rarely seen location in present-day Gotham, the China Town District, which i also liked.
4 Stars
If you are able to ignore the obvious flaw of this collection - Batman and widely-known Gotham playboy billionaire Bruce Wayne, mysteriously appearing at the same time, in different cities across the world - and want to see the Dark Knight in unusual surroundings, give this collection a try.
Just don't expect too much from the first story - it stinks!
Well, sort of.
In "The Scottish Connection", Bruce travels to Scotland and stumbles across a mystery concerning
his ancestors...
*SPOILERS*
Let's start with the villain: he's a scottish historian with a deep hatred for a rival clan/family, and wants to kill them all for something their ancestors did hundreds of years ago - does that sound even remotely convincing? of course not. he's willing to kill dozens of people who could not possibly have any connection to those events, something that happened generations ago!
Another stupid aspect was how this guy (a non-superpowered, scrawny person) and his henchmen (3 street thugs with sledgehammers - sigh) could overpower and defeat Batman no less than three times over the course of this story - Bruce is supposed to be a man at his physical peak, trained in almost every form of martial arts!
Besides that, Batman wasn't acting like the World's Greatest Detective here, he was more or less bungling his way to the finish line. The fate of his temporary scottish sidekick was also a very weird detail, something that could have been easily avoided if Bruce wouldn't behave like an incompetent idiot in this story.
2 stars, but only for Frank Quitely's accomplished art.
"Dragon's Knight" sees Bruce following Killer Croc to Barcelona, where he believes himself to be the reincarnation of a mythological dragon, ready to slay his arch-enemy, the (dark) knight...
I quite liked this one, it's fast-paced, with lots of cool visuals (Batman vs. Croc at the Sagrada Familia cathedral, for example), and Diego Olmos art is very fitting for the Barcelona backdrop.
4 stars
The last story, "Tao", another one written by Alan Grant, confronts Batman with an old adversary from the past, when he was in Tibet, still preparing for his demanding role as a crime fighter.
Another story i liked - sure, Arthur Ranson's art may not be for everyone, especially since it instantly dates this comic (it was released in 1993), but i found his quasi-realistic style very fitting, and there were some awesome splash pages in there, too. Alan Grant's using a rarely seen location in present-day Gotham, the China Town District, which i also liked.
4 Stars
If you are able to ignore the obvious flaw of this collection - Batman and widely-known Gotham playboy billionaire Bruce Wayne, mysteriously appearing at the same time, in different cities across the world - and want to see the Dark Knight in unusual surroundings, give this collection a try.
Just don't expect too much from the first story - it stinks!
July 29, 2010
What a lame reason to throw these stories together. The three different Batman tales are only loosely connected because they mostly take place in "international" locations (Scotland, Spain, China). They could have just as easily called it Batman Mediocre and been done with this less-than-thrilling edition.
November 11, 2019
4 stars for the middle (Barcelona) story. 3 stars for the first one (would be 4 if not for horrible ending). 2 stars for the last one (which also has a horrible ending).
Wayyyy too much of the world revolving around how special and precious Bruce is. Left a bad taste in my mouth. Thank goodness there's plenty of other Batman stuff to cheer me up.
Wayyyy too much of the world revolving around how special and precious Bruce is. Left a bad taste in my mouth. Thank goodness there's plenty of other Batman stuff to cheer me up.
March 20, 2015
I really hate when the artist changes, especially in a short trade.
September 16, 2025
Batman International, as the title of the book implies, collects Batman’s adventures in various parts of the world, such as Scotland, Barcelona, and China.
The first story, Batman: Scottish Connection, is a one-shot written by Alan Grant and illustrated by Frank Quitely, and it follows Batman to Scotland where he uncovers a family feud between his ancestors and a local clan. The second story, Batman in Barcelona: Dragon’s Knight, is a one-shot written by Mark Waid and illustrated by Diego Olmos, in which Batman travels to Barcelona to track down a villain from his rogues’ gallery. The third story, Tao, is a two-part story from Legends of the Dark Knight (issues 52–53), written by Alan Grant and illustrated by Arthur Ranson, in which Batman reunites with a fellow trainee from his early years who now seeks revenge.
To be honest, I’m not a fan of any of these stories. I remember disliking the art as well. I suppose I went in with high expectations because of the Jim Lee cover. In hindsight, though, Quitely’s art in Scottish Connection was pretty decent, and that’s saying a lot since I was never a fan of his New X-Men art. The same goes for Diego Olmos’s art. I have no idea why I initially thought his art was bad when I first read this book.
My Batman Collected Editions Instagram page
The first story, Batman: Scottish Connection, is a one-shot written by Alan Grant and illustrated by Frank Quitely, and it follows Batman to Scotland where he uncovers a family feud between his ancestors and a local clan. The second story, Batman in Barcelona: Dragon’s Knight, is a one-shot written by Mark Waid and illustrated by Diego Olmos, in which Batman travels to Barcelona to track down a villain from his rogues’ gallery. The third story, Tao, is a two-part story from Legends of the Dark Knight (issues 52–53), written by Alan Grant and illustrated by Arthur Ranson, in which Batman reunites with a fellow trainee from his early years who now seeks revenge.
To be honest, I’m not a fan of any of these stories. I remember disliking the art as well. I suppose I went in with high expectations because of the Jim Lee cover. In hindsight, though, Quitely’s art in Scottish Connection was pretty decent, and that’s saying a lot since I was never a fan of his New X-Men art. The same goes for Diego Olmos’s art. I have no idea why I initially thought his art was bad when I first read this book.
My Batman Collected Editions Instagram page
December 4, 2022
I'm not a fan. The best part is easily the Jim Lee cover and the way Bruce Wayne kind of looks like a young Bruce Campbell in the third story.
The third half was okay, mostly because I'm a sucker for kung fu stuff, but each chapter was really below par when it comes to Batman books.
One of the biggest problems is how Batman kills in the Ben Affleck by proxy style. Batman lets multiple people die (or kill themselves) when he is very capable of stopping it, but since he's not going up to them and shooting them it doesn't count (but it absolutely does). If a bad guy is coming at you with an axe and you dodge so they hit another bad guy in the head with said axe, you are at least an accomplice to that murder. And it makes it even worse that Batman says he doesn't kill several times throughout. It's kind of a big part of the story.
Eh. Whatever.
The third half was okay, mostly because I'm a sucker for kung fu stuff, but each chapter was really below par when it comes to Batman books.
One of the biggest problems is how Batman kills in the Ben Affleck by proxy style. Batman lets multiple people die (or kill themselves) when he is very capable of stopping it, but since he's not going up to them and shooting them it doesn't count (but it absolutely does). If a bad guy is coming at you with an axe and you dodge so they hit another bad guy in the head with said axe, you are at least an accomplice to that murder. And it makes it even worse that Batman says he doesn't kill several times throughout. It's kind of a big part of the story.
Eh. Whatever.
November 26, 2023
On buying this book, I wrongly assumed that it was a new, single story. It is actually a compilation of 3 stories - The Scottish Connection, Batman in Barcelona and Tao. All three contain pretty decent artwork and dialogue, but the stories are really not up to much, with the first two seeming like an experiment in 'what if?' Batman stories and the latter being very slight. They all make for an acceptable, unchallenging read, but aren't much fun nor particularly engrossing. The cover art is the best thing about it. 3.25/5
February 10, 2018
A mix of three 'international' stories. Wasn't impressed by Batman in Barcelona but the two Alan Grant stories are worth picking this up for, alongside Frank Quitely and Arthur Ranson's artwork. Probably enjoyed 'Tao' the most but Quitely's artwork is the highlight of The Scottish Connection.
November 13, 2019
This is a loose collection of Batman stories, all taking place outside of the United States. It kind of has that appeal of seeing the characters in a new setting, but that's about it. The stories, outside of taking place in unique locations, aren't that well-written.
March 9, 2021
The compilation is amazing. The stories are not so good, pretty much the same old, but the visuals are fantastic. The graphic part, designs and colors, are some of the best. Barcelona looks amazing with Batman in it.
May 8, 2017
just for the Quetly one !!!!
December 31, 2018
Stories are mediocre. Super obvious connection between Batman and Bruce Wayne.
What is nice - three different drawing styles.
What is nice - three different drawing styles.
July 27, 2010
A short collection of Batman tales curated and co-authored by Mark Waid, this volume reprints three Batman tales from the early to late 90s, each linked by the fact that they are set largely in another country. As a theme, this is a fine excuse to collect these stories, but overall it doesn't serve much of a purpose. This doesn't really show anything particularly enlightening about how Batman operates overseas, but rather just kind of uses the "foreign soil" aspect to get a little change of venue.
Of the three, the Alan Grant/Frank Quitely one-shot The Scottish Connection is definitely the strongest, if for no other reason than Quitely's typical stellar art. The guy has one a million awards for a reason, and he brings an otherwise lukewarm script to big, bold life, which makes it a breeze to read. Another fact that is not mentioned in the book, but I think adds credibility to this story, is that Quitely and Grant both hail from Scotland themselves. So, seeing all the Scottish vistas and hearing about some Scottish history seems to have more weight coming from the pair, further setting it apart from the other two. However, it's just too much to believe that Bruce Wayne, who has made a very public pilgrimage to Scotland to visit his ancestral home, just so happens to show up in Scotland at the exact same time as Batman (who barely keeps to the shadows, just kind of fighting everyone right out in public), and no one asks a single question about this. Two of the most iconic figures from Gotham in Edinburgh at the same time? Sure, why not.
The second story, Mark Waid's Batman in Barcelona, suffers from the same problem, among others. Bruce Wayne shows up in Barcelona very publicly, then also Batman shows up and gets in a fight with the freaking police. Come on, guys, at least make Bruce NOT wear the Batsuit or something. It's absurd how easy to put together this mystery would be for even the dumbest fart of a human being. Besides this obvious flaw, Barcelona also suffers from being interminably boring with very bland dialogue and an ending that made me wonder why this story had even bothered being written. Basically, nothing happens and then it's over. Fun stuff.
Returning to Alan Grant, we pick up with the two-issue storyline Tao, originally published in Legends of the Dark Knight. This one is actually set in Gotham, though it flashes back to Bruce Wayne's journey to China to seek knowledge in his quest to become Batman, so I guess that kind of fits the theme of this book. The main problem I had with this story is the art and the fact that Bruce Wayne looks like Mitt Romney. I mean, politics and the fact that this was written in 1993 aside, does Mitt Romney look like Batman to you? Can you imagine Mitt Romney gliding in with a cowl and beating the crap out of some dudes? Well now you don't have to, because it's right in this book. Besides this, the story itself is super cliche, typical "Chinese spirituality" stuff with no surprises if you've ever seen any superhero or martial arts story that heavily features Taoism or Chi or any of that stuff. Only this time it's got Mitt Romney.
So anyway, not a great collection, and I would just suggest you read The Scottish Connection one-shot and don't even bother with the rest.
Of the three, the Alan Grant/Frank Quitely one-shot The Scottish Connection is definitely the strongest, if for no other reason than Quitely's typical stellar art. The guy has one a million awards for a reason, and he brings an otherwise lukewarm script to big, bold life, which makes it a breeze to read. Another fact that is not mentioned in the book, but I think adds credibility to this story, is that Quitely and Grant both hail from Scotland themselves. So, seeing all the Scottish vistas and hearing about some Scottish history seems to have more weight coming from the pair, further setting it apart from the other two. However, it's just too much to believe that Bruce Wayne, who has made a very public pilgrimage to Scotland to visit his ancestral home, just so happens to show up in Scotland at the exact same time as Batman (who barely keeps to the shadows, just kind of fighting everyone right out in public), and no one asks a single question about this. Two of the most iconic figures from Gotham in Edinburgh at the same time? Sure, why not.
The second story, Mark Waid's Batman in Barcelona, suffers from the same problem, among others. Bruce Wayne shows up in Barcelona very publicly, then also Batman shows up and gets in a fight with the freaking police. Come on, guys, at least make Bruce NOT wear the Batsuit or something. It's absurd how easy to put together this mystery would be for even the dumbest fart of a human being. Besides this obvious flaw, Barcelona also suffers from being interminably boring with very bland dialogue and an ending that made me wonder why this story had even bothered being written. Basically, nothing happens and then it's over. Fun stuff.
Returning to Alan Grant, we pick up with the two-issue storyline Tao, originally published in Legends of the Dark Knight. This one is actually set in Gotham, though it flashes back to Bruce Wayne's journey to China to seek knowledge in his quest to become Batman, so I guess that kind of fits the theme of this book. The main problem I had with this story is the art and the fact that Bruce Wayne looks like Mitt Romney. I mean, politics and the fact that this was written in 1993 aside, does Mitt Romney look like Batman to you? Can you imagine Mitt Romney gliding in with a cowl and beating the crap out of some dudes? Well now you don't have to, because it's right in this book. Besides this, the story itself is super cliche, typical "Chinese spirituality" stuff with no surprises if you've ever seen any superhero or martial arts story that heavily features Taoism or Chi or any of that stuff. Only this time it's got Mitt Romney.
So anyway, not a great collection, and I would just suggest you read The Scottish Connection one-shot and don't even bother with the rest.
October 1, 2010
This story of The Batman goes overseas to three different countries in Batman International. The other interest and neat aspect of the graphic novel is that it has three different authors and three different artists giving each story its own feel and flavor. The three countries he gets to patrol: The Scottish Isle, Spain, and in a flashback, somewhere in The East as he was in his youth training. I like the way they put the three together it is an interesting trifecta.
Can Bruce Wayne ever take a vacation without bumping into some sort of trouble? Can the Caped Crusader ever take a day off and relax? Will citizens around the globe ever give The Batman and Alfred a few days off to just chill and maybe play Scrabble? How many different Batcaves are there in the world?
I am just full of questions after reading this graphic novel. Where is Robin in all this fun? Maybe he doesn’t have a passport, I don’t know. All kidding aside, the read was a good one and the stories that they gathered together worked well in the graphic novel. The flashback piece at the end, the artwork wasn’t really to my liking, but the story told was strong. I also don’t think they even tried to explain what Croc was doing in Spain. Maybe he was there for the weather. Do I suggest taking some time from your day to enjoy this? Yes, or I wouldn’t bring it before you, give Batman International a try.
What are you reading today? Check us out and become our friend on Facebook & Linkedin. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. You can also follow us on Twitter, and the Gelati’s Scoop Facebook Fan Page. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Gelati’s Store Tab on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com
Can Bruce Wayne ever take a vacation without bumping into some sort of trouble? Can the Caped Crusader ever take a day off and relax? Will citizens around the globe ever give The Batman and Alfred a few days off to just chill and maybe play Scrabble? How many different Batcaves are there in the world?
I am just full of questions after reading this graphic novel. Where is Robin in all this fun? Maybe he doesn’t have a passport, I don’t know. All kidding aside, the read was a good one and the stories that they gathered together worked well in the graphic novel. The flashback piece at the end, the artwork wasn’t really to my liking, but the story told was strong. I also don’t think they even tried to explain what Croc was doing in Spain. Maybe he was there for the weather. Do I suggest taking some time from your day to enjoy this? Yes, or I wouldn’t bring it before you, give Batman International a try.
What are you reading today? Check us out and become our friend on Facebook & Linkedin. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. You can also follow us on Twitter, and the Gelati’s Scoop Facebook Fan Page. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Gelati’s Store Tab on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com
June 7, 2011
Three very interesting vignettes that take Batman to Scotland, Spain, and China and immerse not only the Dark Knight but the reader in the rich culture, history, and mythology of the respective countries. In Scotland a black mark of the Highlands dating back as far as the Crusades and later the 18th century exodus is renewed in a bloody vendetta that only Batman can withstand. In Barcelona an old enemy is up to something leading Batman across the city and through the storied skylines of the medieval city. While investigating a gang war and brutal slays of fortune tellers in Gotham's Chinatown, Batman is brought back to his time in China studying under two Taoist masters and faced with a death foretold to him, that he cannot avoid . . .
Definitely three very interesting Batman tales that take him outside the usual climates in which we are familiar with seeing him.
Definitely three very interesting Batman tales that take him outside the usual climates in which we are familiar with seeing him.
June 13, 2011
A collection of Batman stories where the Dark Knight gets to travel abroad. Bats visits Scotland for a family reunion and vacation and ends up trying to end a centuries old vendetta. He then flies off to Barcelona in search of Croc who is seeking to right the "injustice" of St. George and the Dragon myth. Guess who gets to be St. George. Finally, we get a glimpse into Batman's past as he investigates some murders in Gotham's Chinatown.
This is an OK collection of previous issues, but the lack of a cohesive narrative hurts this book. It is simply a series of "international" themed issues that writer Mark Waid has chosen to be in the volume. Fun to read, but not anything more than that.
This is an OK collection of previous issues, but the lack of a cohesive narrative hurts this book. It is simply a series of "international" themed issues that writer Mark Waid has chosen to be in the volume. Fun to read, but not anything more than that.
August 17, 2010
I try to stay away from Batman stories that have no connection or continuity and so I was hesitant about reading these stories...I enjoyed them more than expected (some more than others) but it was a good read, I trust Alan Grant to handle Batman with care, and I wasn't left disappointed. This is the telling of Batman somewhat out of his element (even though I felt that could of been more evident.) and how he handles international situations, at one point Bruce Wayne notes that you can't just travel with bat-gear everywhere, you have to sometimes plan ahead.
Just read it, but it won't change your world...nor Batman's.
Just read it, but it won't change your world...nor Batman's.
July 30, 2014
After reading the brilliant Batman, Vol. 1: The Court of Owls, this one doesn't measure up. It's a cool idea, Batman in various international locales, doing what he does. But it was underwhelming in execution. Probably the best story was Tao, but it still wasn't that memorable. Overall, the artwork was beautiful, but the storylines weren't that enthralling. I'm glad that I got this one from the library. I can be more forgiving when I read a disappointing book for free.
October 23, 2012
I liked the Scottish story best, even if Quitely's super-buff Bruce Wayne is a bit off-putting. (Is it just me, or does he look way more ridiculously big in civvies than when he's Batman?) The Killer Croc-as-dragon story set in Barcelona was good, but didn't make much use of the premise; the final story, of a Chinese killer coming to Gotham and recognising Batman from his youth when they clashed during his pilgrimage, seemed a bit thin, and the backstory bits more interesting than the forward.
September 21, 2010
Three stories. The first is in Scotland and hearkens back to the Batman of old where--gosh!--the plot and its dangers are explained in breathless cartoon squares.
The second takes us to Spain, with a lackluster twist on the plot doesn't even turn us forty-five degrees.
Sigh, I won't even get into the third story involving Taoist beliefs.
Still, Batman! Gets an extra star just for being Batman.
The second takes us to Spain, with a lackluster twist on the plot doesn't even turn us forty-five degrees.
Sigh, I won't even get into the third story involving Taoist beliefs.
Still, Batman! Gets an extra star just for being Batman.
September 12, 2012
This is an excellent collection of Batman's adventures overseas continuing his one man war on crime. My favorite stories are the adventures in both Spain and the 2 part Tao. I believe that these adventures have made the foundation in the future for Batman Incorporated.
I plan on reading it again soon.
I plan on reading it again soon.
June 11, 2013
Disappointing. All the authors of this book did was put three Batman comics in which he is traveling outside the US together into one book. When I buy a graphic novel I expect there to be a central story to it. This book was simply an attempt by DC to put some poorly selling issues together in order to try to make some more money off them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 21, 2012
Though there are some neat ideas in here( overseas batcaves) this is a really strange idea for a collection. The first story and the end of the second made it worth it, but I won't be recommending it to anyone
January 30, 2014
Not much in here. I would have been a better book if it was planned out to be a world-travelling Batman tale. Instead, it's just a three stories told at different times with no connection to each other, and none of them are compelling.
April 20, 2010
A nice set of three stand-alone tales set in foreign locations.
June 29, 2010
Three tales of Batman connected only by the fact that parts of them take place overseas (Scotland, Spain and Tibet). The stories themselves are fine, but it's a weak basis for a collection.
September 9, 2011
3 disconnected stories resulting in a resounding "meh". I'll give it 2 stars, just because the end of the Barcelona story was worth it.
July 30, 2014
I liked the first two stories. The last two part one was very strung out to me.
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