BATMAN: LOVERS AND MADMEN

BATMAN: LOVERS AND MADMEN
Written by Michael Green
Art and cover by Denys Cowan and John Floyd

I am such a sucker for Batman. Really. I was intrigued by this book. I like the show Heroes quite a bit and figured that a writer from there could do some interesting things with the Batman/Joker Dynamic.

Holy hell was I wrong. This quite possibly is the worst Batman story I have ever read. At least it is the worst I remember reading, as I am sure I have blocked out many others through the years. I loathe the implications of this story.

The set up is the first meeting of Batman and Joker. I am in no way opposed to seeing this retold if done competently and with a fresh angle. This though is just ridiculous. And as I do not advise anyone go near this atrocity I will spoil away without regard. Within this book a man named Jack sits at a bar flirting with a bartender named Leeny. And it is one of the most blatant attempts to make me slit my wrists that I have ever come across. See, Jack is actually Joker before the makeup and madness and Leeny is a pre Harley Quinn college student toiling away trying to make a buck. And the kicker is that Leeny convinces Jack to do the job where he is transformed into the Joker!!111!!!!

Yes, that really happens. I can almost see the moment of self imposed genius that brought this about: "Wait, Joker's craziness infected Harley Quinn and made her into her zany self, right? But what if, without knowing, she pushed him to become the Joker. Wouldn't that just be amazing!" And here you have a small snap shot of just what is wrong with the comic book industry today. It is far too interested in shoring up the past in retelling stories rather than creating new mythologies. Why bother to do that when they can pander to a diminishing audience?

The art here is about the only thing that redeems this book at all. But this is not Cowan's best Batman work. It is just leaps and bounds better than the high concept story that lacks any redeeming substance. I take that back. The very start of htis book has Batman almost believing that he can lay down his tights, that he is capable of winning his war. It is a nice character moment. One that as a reader you know will only end badly. But never in my wildest dreams did I think it could end this badly.

Avoid this book at all costs, as it is dreadful and discounts the intelligence of the reader.

Quick Review Round Up

Okay, so I am pretty much a slacker. No other way of looking at it. I had far too many other things on my plate to really dedicate much time to reviewing my comic book reading of late. So here are some quick recaps, in which I make every effort to hold back my verbosity, to some of the TPB and graphic novels I have read of late. I hope to avoid doing this in the future, but as life can over take all of us quite quickly, no promises made. (Edit: this was sort of fun, so there will likely be some short bursts here and there).

There are some more in depth reviews coming as well, but here are a few quick ones.

What It Is
By: Lynda Barry
Drawn And Quarterly

Have you ever needed jumper cables to revive your creative process? This book is essentially just that.
I have long been a Lynda Barry fan, but this will be an essential reference book for any creative type. It bores down into just what makes one want to create and suggests exercises and steps to get whatever festers inside you out.

To say that it has prompted me to fine tune my and understand my writing in much more depth would be an understatement. It also has gotten my to pick up my pencil and draw/sketch for the 1st time in over 15 years.
I am pretty sure i will be constantly reading and rereading this as i further hone the creation craft.
If you crave creation in any form, this book is a must.

Buy This Now: Easily the one book that I can recommend to anyone and everyone. Just a Fantastic book. It disappoints me that you have not left to get his book yet....


Janes in Love
Writer: Cecil Castellucci
Artist: Jim Rugg
MINX

I had no business really liking the the 1st book, The Plain Janes, in this series in any other than it being a good story with believable characters, but I enjoyed it a lot. I read it twice in fact.

This one seemed rushed in a way The Plain Janes was not. Maybe there was just too much going on for the limits of a short Minx book. From hearing her talk, I know Cecil Castellucci wants this to be a 4 book series, but maybe 5 books would have been better.

Main Jane is still the most developed character and really the most realistic. I loved her continued development. But the other three Janes seemed to develop as if they were in a popcorn popper and just burst and exploded with new facts/responses/wtfever with not enough adequate build up.

The overall story was quite good and had a great conclusion.

If this series continues I hope that the other characters develop better and that those that are mere plot devices (um... the cop father) can move beyond stereotype.

Read: I honestly can not see myself coming back to this book, but am glad I read it.

Can't Get No
By: Rick Veitch
Vertigo


I had long wanted to read this book, but never got around to it till recently. I think I danced around it with trepidation due to the lack of words. The whole 9-11 thing was also a bit of a turn off.

Man I held out for no reason. This book was extremely challenging and more than worth while. Veitch continues where he has tread before, the boundaries of what comics can do. My concern about the lack of words melted away on about the 3rd or 4th page.

Veitch's protagonist, Chad Roe, is a man whose business is brought down at the exact same time the towers collapse, (ok, a day apart, but you get the idea). His product is a permanent marker whose writing can never be removed. A fascinating idea and one that plays quite well opposite the idea assumed permanence of the World Trade Center.

As his business crumbles he escapes his office and winds up with two mysterious women who draw on his body with the maker that can not be erased. He becomes a marked man. Just as he starts to be subjugated and ridiculed for this, the towers fall. He freaks out and journeys into the madness of America.

The reader is left to wonder if the events of 9-11 are the cause of the madness showcased or is it just the perfect window to see it through. I am fairly certain it does not matter which is more true. Over the course of finding his strange America he finds that the only true permanence is the vast wonder and amazement within our country. As soon as he realizes this, sort of a possible over probable moment of clarity, the same women who marked him shower him with a solution - they erase his markings. He follows this up with saving his business with the same solution. Yet the take away from this seems to suggest that America is far more than just business interests and can not crumble from such an attack.

The art is amazing and the story equally so.

Buy: This is just a visceral read that needs to be savored and likely reread. go get it now.