Doomsday & Beyond's Last Minute Gift Ideas

Batman Vol.1: Court of Owls

Scott Snyder is becoming a definitive Batman writer by displaying his unique talents in the pages of the New 52’s Batman relaunch. Court of Owls is the first story arc in this new series, which details the rise of a secret society that has existed since Gotham’s origins. Batman: Court of Owls is considered arguably the best story arc since the start of the New 52, and only continues to get better as the series shifts into The Night of Owls and then into Death of the Family, which is currently being told. Snyder describes Batman the way we all picture him, in a dark, realistic world. Be sure to get the first collected edition of what is sure to be a legendary DC Comics series for many years to come.

Batman- Detective Comics Vol.1: Faces of Death

It’s a rare thing when one person writes and draws for a comic book series, and its even more rare when that series is absolutely fantastic. Written and illustrated by Tony Daniel, Detective Comics has been one of the best series that has emerged from the New 52 reboot and gets better with every issue. The series launches with a seven-issue story arc called Faces of Death. It shows us classic, dark Batman in a world full of gritty, detailed imagery they wouldn’t even show in a movie. A new villain is introduced, calling himself the Dollmaker. His specialty involves taking the faces of people, like the Joker. Oh, and did I mention the Joker and the Penguin appear in this volume? Detective Comics also places a lot more focus on Bruce’s personal life, including his personal relationships and friendship to Commissioner Gordon. Horrific, but mesmerizing art, combined with story-driven action makes this first volume of Detective Comics a “must buy”.

Green Lantern: Blackest Night

Blackest Night is an epic event that spreads across nearly every major comic series from Batman to Superman to Green Lantern and the GL Corps. This collected edition brings together the complete story arc from the Green Lantern comic book series written by the imaginative Geoff Johns and beautifully illustrated by Doug Mahnke. An evil force from the Guardians’ past resurfaces and brings the undead with it. Black Hand and the rest of the Black Lanterns rise from the ground, forcing all the other colored Lanterns to work together, meaning Hal Jordan and Sinestro must once again be partners. Johns brings all the best qualities from throughout this GL series and puts them into overdrive for this story, which has become a modern classic. This series may be a few years old, but it is certainly a must have for any DC Comics fan.

Grant Morrison’s Batman & Robin

Morrison proves that a Batman series can be successful, even if Bruce Wayne is not a part of it. Taking place after the events of Final Crisis and Batman R.I.P (both written by Morrison), Batman and Robin examines the hardships of Dick Grayson filling the shoes of the Dark Knight while attempting to train and discipline Bruce’s long, lost son Damian. New villains are utilized like Toad and Professor Pyg, while old ones return like the Red Hood. This is one of the most unique series because it is so rare. A Batman series that focuses on the symbol of Batman, rather then Bruce Wayne himself. This is certainly one of the best comic book series that took place before the New 52 reboot, and while the New 52 is awesome, it’s a shame that it had to put at end to a series like this one. Go get this rare series just in time for Christmas and enjoy the new, yet old, dynamic duo.

Frank Millar’s The Dark Knight Returns

This is considered the best graphic novel of all time, and it’s all because of Frank Millar’s superb writing style and his gritty artwork that works perfectly for the particular piece. The story focuses on a 55 year-old Bruce Wayne who has hung up his cape and cowl, retired from crime fighting for the past 10 years. Written at a time when Batman was considered a “lighter character” or a “respectable crime fighter”, and not a vigilante, Millar reinvents the character for a new generation. He truly created “The Dark Knight” in this story, giving us a story that every comic fan must read at least 3 times… I’m not kidding, it’s just that great. Every time you read it, you will understand something new about the story. Batman returns to a dark world that has forgotten him, with a new, edgy attitude and a darker way of displaying justice. Superman also returns to oppose him and bring the vigilante to justice. And the Joker also returns, with one last trick up his sleeve. What more can you ask for? Well, you can ask for a lot more, but this graphic novel should definitely be on your Christmas list.

Batman In a State of Flux: Modernization (Part 3 of 3)

“Oh, you. You just couldn't let me go, could you? This is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. You truly are incorruptible, aren't you? You won't kill me out of some misplaced sense of self-righteousness. And I won't kill you because you're just too much fun… I think you and I are destined to do this forever.”

-       The Joker, The Dark Knight

2003:

     Critically acclaimed writer Jeph Loeb teams up with artist-legend Jim Lee to create Batman Hush, a two-part story that takes the vigilante on a crusade through Gotham, meeting the majority of his rogue’s gallery along the way. The pace was fast. It seemed as though every page, every panel, was dealing with an entirely different predicament, which would all link up by the end of the book. The first book focused on Batman battling such foes as Poison Ivy and Killer Croc, as well as having some aid from Oracle and Huntress. The book ends with a climactic showdown between Batman and Superman; an obvious nod to Frank Millar’s The Dark Knight Returns. Hush was renowned for having many supporting heroes and villains, but more so for giving each character a specific purpose in the story. Anyone who entered the story had something of importance to contribute to it. 
        Part two is where things started to heat up, as Batman forms an alliance with Catwoman in order to stop the Joker and Harley Quinn. The side-story in the second part showed us quick flashes of Bruce’s childhood with his parents and his childhood friend. After all the excitement and thrills, Batman is left to face his newest villain, the title character, Hush. After the book’s release, fans went crazy over the detail and representation of pretty much everything in the story, but it was Jim Lee’s incredible artwork that really shined and allowed the books to reach their full potential.

2005:

      Just eight years after the end of the Tim Burton/Joel Schumacher film franchise, director Christopher Nolan brings the cinematic Batman back from the grave, in good fashion too. With Christian Bale, Liam Neeson and a large lineup of renowned actors, Batman Begins introduced fans to the modern vigilante of Gotham. While still as dark as the Burton films, Begins added a bit of lightness with clever jokes and a lot of heart. We finally got to see Batman’s origins on the big screen and see just what Bruce Wayne had to go through to become Gotham’s protector. The film also stood on its own by using great special and practical effects that only 21st century technology could provide as well as utilizing new villains, not seen in previous films: Scarecrow and Ra’s Al Ghul and the League of Shadows. With a personal look at the Wayne family, an updated Batman for modern audiences and an action-filled, meaningful film, Batman was back on the big screen and would only get better as time went on.

2008:

      Batman sales in comics soared as he was featured in epic stories such as Infinite Crisis, which only increased his popularity. The large addition came in DC’s Final Crisis book, written by Grant Morrison, which saw the return of Darkseid, who has recently gained control of the Anti-Life Equation; the source that allows him to control the minds of others. Slowly he began taking control of the world’s most powerful beings. Batman and the rest of the JLA forged a plan to stop the ruler of Apokolips, which sadly ended with The Dark Knight’s death. Batman was burned to a crisp by Darkseid’s Omega beams, which became the cover image (if you haven’t seen it, it’s the website’s background, just to let you know). The death of Batman not only affected Final Crisis, but virtually all DC stories at that time. Superman stories mentioned his death, and his own stories had to cope and adjust to a world without Batman. A “sequel” to Final Crisis was released, also written by Grant Morrison, titled Batman R.I.P, which shut down any assumptions that he may still be alive. Fans weren’t sure what they would do in a world without Batman. Would this be another remake of the Death Of Superman in ‘93, or were they going to permanently kill of Bruce Wayne forever? Only time would tell, but fans quickly forgot about the troubles in the comics, as the greatest superhero movie of all time was released, The Dark Knight.

    With Christopher Nolan returning to direct the sequel to Batman Begins, The Dark Knight starred Christian Bale as Batman, in an even darker and more depressing story then the first, and Heath Ledger as the Joker, a performance that will go down as one of the most creative and visually astonishing in film history. Ledger used strange mannerisms and a certain tone, which was on par with the Joker from the comics, but original, turning the Joker into what could be viewed as a real person. Something that was hard to imagine with Nicholson’s Joker in Burton’s film. 

     It seemed as though Batman Begins established the new, modern and realistic nature of Batman and The Dark Knight perfected it. We really believed that Batman could exist in that world, and the performances from each actor only contributed to the atmosphere of the film. With unbelievable action sequences, praised performances and a storyline so original and so perfect, The Dark Knight is undeniably the best superhero film of all time, and is up there in movie ratings in general. The film grossed a total of $1,003,045,358 at the box office making it one of the best selling movies of all time (take that Avengers!)

Batman In a State of Flux: The Dark Knight Is Born (Part 2 of 3)

  

“This should be agony. I should be a mass of aching muscle — broken, spent, unable to move. And, were I an older man, I surely would... But I'm a man of 30 — of 20 again. The rain on my chest is a baptism. I'm born again.”

-       Batman, The Dark Knight Returns

1986:

      The Dark Knight Returns, written by Frank Millar was released in a series of issues in 1986, and became one of the best-selling comics of all time. Known for his innovative perspectives of stories and tendency to go beyond the proverbial “norm” of society, Millar had used all of his creative talents and then some to create what is said to be the greatest Batman story ever. The Dark Knight Returns focuses on a 55 year-old Bruce Wayne, forced to come out of retirement to protect Gotham once again, this time from a group of visually altered humans called mutants. Equipped with a new, tank-like Batmobile, a new female Robin and a brand new arsenal of weapons, Batman returns to prove that Gotham will survive as long as he lives.

       Millar’s writing for the piece gave us a view of both Bruce and Batman as old, depressed individuals living with incredible amounts of guilt, unable to move on. While the writing helped fans realize the dark story and serious dialogue, the original penciling, again done by Millar, introduced us to a new looking city and a Batman unlike we’ve ever seen before. The great inking by Klaus Janson and coloring by Lynn Varley helped convey the overall tone. With heavy black ink featured in every page and faded colors it indicated this was no fun place to be.

      As well as battling an army of mutant followers, Batman evaded the police force as well as Superman, both hunting down The Dark Knight for his arrest. Batman also confronted his oldest nemesis the Joker, which added a nice, needed flare to the story that only the Clown Prince of Crime could provide. Comic fans around the world owe Frank Millar a debt of gratitude for providing us with superhero content that ultimately changed the way fans viewed the character of Batman. He wasn’t seen as Batman, the Caped Crusader anymore, he was now known as Batman, The Dark Knight.

1987-88:

       After the success of Frank Millar’s initial take on Batman, people requested more from the writer, so he gave it to them. In the following year Millar wrote Batman: Year One, which dived into the characters origins, adding some subplots and updating the story, as well as providing young fans with a detailed look at his origins who may not have read the original story in Detective Comics. The book was very successful, being written by the biggest writer in comics at that point, it was hard for fans to resist the temptation to read more of Frank Millar’s Batman. The book is most famous for centering on James Gordon, rather then the conventional superhero origin story. Batman’s tale was still used quite well, but most of the situations in the book came from the point of view of Gordon, something that was quite unique in superhero stories.

       Millar’s success with his two books sparked other writers to create a “dark” Batman story of their own. The first, and probably most shocking of the long list of innovations following Millar was The Killing Joke, written by Alan Moore, another successful new writer in that year. Released in 1988, The Killing Joke saw the Joker commit a series of unspeakable, evil deeds, all directed at Commissioner Gordon and his family. The story ultimately ended with the torturing of Gordon and the crippling of Barbara after a gunshot to the stomach. This story inadvertently created a new character for the future DC universe, Oracle: Barbara Gordon, retired from her role of Batgirl and aiding the Dark Knight via com-link.

       By the end of 1988, it was Jim Starlin’s turn to write the next, shocking Batman story. By this point, the role of Robin was assumed by Jason Todd, an older, and more lethal and rebellious teenager who didn’t sit well with some fans. Dennis O’Neil, now an editor at DC realized this about the character and gave the fate of Jason’s future to the fans. They were given the chance to vote as to whether Jason would live or die, and as we all know, A Death In The Family was created and Robin was dead. While it was a triumphant release, some fans were a little heartbroken over the loss of Robin, which would be short lived. Just a year after Jason’s death, Tim Drake was introduced into the Bat-Universe, solved the identity of Batman single-handedly, putting all previous villains to shame, and quickly became the new Robin. On the plus side, Tim was much more well liked then Jason, but just because the guy was a little short-tempered, didn’t mean we had to kill him off, right?

Batman In a State of Flux: Inconsistency (Part 1 of 3)

"Without warning, it comes... crashing through the window of your study, and mine... I have seen it before... somewhere. It frightened me as a boy... frightened me. Yes, father. I shall become a bat."

-       Bruce Wayne, Batman: Year One

1939:

National Allied Publications has had great success with their newly created Superman character in Action Comics that they turn to their writers in Detective Comics to create a new superhero. They wanted him to be similar to Superman, yet different. In May of that year Detective Comics #27 hit the stands, with a familiar character on the cover; swinging through the air with an assumed criminal under his arm as two others watch helplessly from a rooftop nearby. The image instantly struck a nerve in any young reader viewing it. They knew that this would be something special.

        Orphaned at a young age, Bruce Wayne watched his parents get gunned down in Crime Alley right before his eyes. One would wonder what kind of impression this would have on an eight year-old. Using his parents’ large amount of funds, Bruce Wayne traveled the world “seeking the means to fight injustice, and turn fear on those who prey on the fearful” and learning all the skills necessary for his future war on crime. It was only after his all-to-familiar encounter with a bat did he adopt a symbol to ensure his status as Gotham’s protector, as the Batman.

1940’s:

        It became increasing evident that Batman needed a companion of sorts. Yes, there was Alfred, but some felt he should have someone to communicate to in the field, so to speak. A partner. Detective Comics #38, released in April of 1940 saw the emergence of Robin the Boy Wonder, creating a new “dynamic” to Batman’s character, and ultimately creating a new wave of superhero sidekicks in the many years to come. Many would say the addition of the teenage hero was unnecessary, and I would agree, along with hundreds, if not thousands, of disappointed fans in the 40’s seeing how the Robin add-on made Batman’s universe just a little too happy then it ought to be. Nevertheless, the character survived, grew in the hearts of fans and is still relevant and a much needed addition to the Bat-universe.

      The Caped Crusader also received his very own solo title, much like Superman before him. Now he was in two monthly comics. The first issue of “Batman” will be remembered fondly, not just because it was the first, but more so because of its launch of the Joker and Catwoman, two pivotal characters in Batman’s history.

The writer’s at “DC” were sipping on champagne, relaxing back in their lawn chairs, laughing at the wildly unexpected success at their two franchise characters. It was only when they apparently sobered up that they realized putting these two heroes in one story would create an unstoppable force. In fall of 1940, Superman and Batman were now featured in a monthly story together in World’s Finest Comics, forming a partnership and friendship that still exists in comics today. Batman and Robin were now seen as respectable citizens in the eyes of comic book readers and the citizens within the stories. Having now teamed up with Superman on a monthly basis, people just came to except that Batman was just as friendly and trustworthy as the Man of Steel, but that’s not who Batman is, right? Well, it’s who he was then.

Batman's History In Animation

         

      In wake of recent news of Batman receiving yet another animated series, I thought I would pay tribute to the Caped Crusader’s history in cartoon television.

The Superfriends

         In the early 1970’s, Hanna Barbara created the widely popular superhero show, which featured many heroes from the DC Universe including the Dynamic Duo. The Superfriends had a large variety of incarnations over the years, with different names such as “Challenge Of The Superfriends”, “The Superfriends Hour”, “Galactic Guardians” and many more. The show was a huge success and attracted a lot of young audience members due to its upbeat and somewhat corny portrayal of the heroes. The Superfriends is still considered today to be a classic series in DC’s television history.

The New Adventures Of Batman

         Created several years after the Superfriends run, this series lasted only one season, but was unique for having the voice talents of Adam West and Burt Ward to play the Dynamic Duo (they also played those roles in the live-action 1966 Batman show). This series saw the introduction of Bat-Mite as a main member of the Bat-Family, confrontations with classic foes like the Joker, Penguin and Mr. Freeze and Batgirl even guest-starred in a few episodes. At the end of each episode, the Caped Crusaders would give a “Bat-Message” about respect or morals, which always related to the theme of that particular episode.

Batman: The Animated Series

         I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, this is the best animated series of all time. Created just after Tim Burton’s second Batman film, the show’s creators had a lot of references to choose from when they made their darker, serious, more detective skilled Batman. The series had great animation and retold a lot of the villains’ origins including Two-Face and Mr. Freeze, changing them and making their back stories more realistic. Robin (Dick Grayson), Alfred and Commissioner Gordon were three key supporting characters, each bringing a unique set of skills to aid the Dark Knight in his war on crime. By the third season characters like Batgirl, Ra’s Al Ghul and Bane were introduced and by the fourth season the creators had revamped the look of the show, matching the style with Superman: The Animated Series, which aired at the same time. In the fourth and final season Dick Grayson became Nightwing and Tim Drake took over the role as Robin and Batgirl was informed of all their secret identities. Overall, it was an iconic part of Batman’s history, not just cartoons, but everything (for more info on Batman: The Animated Series, check out my top 5 episodes of each season in earlier articles).

 

Robin's Highlights In Comics

    

     Whether it was Dick Grayson, Tim Drake or any other boy wonder, the Robin character has a had a rich history in the DC Comics Universe and in that history he has had some memorable moments. I do realize that I’ve already dedicated an article to all of the Robins, but I couldn’t help myself, he’s just such an awesome character and he’s been in almost as many legendary Batman comics as the Dark Knight himself. So think of this article as a “tribute” to the greatest sidekick of all time, who is also one of my favorite characters in comics and he should be one of yours as well. I’ll begin with the original…

     When I think of Dick Grayson as Robin, I cant recall any big time stories that he’s been a part of, but I do know that, other then Batman, he’s been featured in the most Batman stories. Grayson left the role as Batman’s sidekick and became leader of the original Teen Titans for many years. Grayson did appear in the Red Robin persona in the Kingdom Come storyline and was the hero, Nightwing, for Knightfall, Hush and many other popular tales across the DC Universe. He recently took over the position as Batman during the Dark Knight's "death" but he has reverted back to the role of Nightwing after Bruce was brought back to life, but those Batman and Robin comics, with Grayson as Batman and Damian Wayne as Robin, sure were cool.

     Jason Todd: lead character in “A Death In The Family”, which you should all know about by now and if you don’t, you should definitely check it out. The character recently appeared in the Hush storyline and was revealed to be the Hush character himself. And in the return of the Red Hood he was revealed to have been brought back to life and took over the role formally played by the Joker.

Batman: The Animated Series, Top 5 From Season Four

     

     Season four was a big one, the biggest actually. Dick Grayson has moved on from being Batman’s sidekick and has become Nightwing, Batgirl is shared with Batman’s secret identity and is welcomed into the Bat-family and young Tim Drake has become the new Robin. Rest assured though, the same villains remain, each with a new plan to takedown the Batman, but with a total of four heroes now watching over Gotham City, they don’t stand a chance. These 5 episodes are my favorite of the “New Adventures” and are iconic to the series, so enjoy.

5. Holiday Knights

     This episode features several different stories that involve Batman, Robin or Batgirl stopping a different villain. All of the crimes take place roughly around Christmas and New Year’s, hence the title. I enjoyed the different stories that were put into one. It made me feel as if I was watching a few episodes at once. The first features Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn who use a special potion to take control of Bruce Wayne and command him to buy them whatever they want as they take him on their shopping spree. Bruce eventually changes into Batman to put an end to their shopping spree. The second story involves Batgirl. Barbara is shopping in the mall when her quiet day is interrupted by the arrival of Clayface. She takes down the mud monster with the help of Officer Montoya and Detective Bullock. The final story has the Joker on New Year’s Eve as he plans to poison an entire crowd using his Joker toxins, but Batman and the new Robin arrive to put an end to his plan. An enjoyable story with a few individual stories featuring classic foes and a lot of action.

Favorite Moment: At the end of the episode Commissioner Gordon meets Batman at a diner for their annual holiday coffee. After about 30 seconds of talking Gordon looks away for a moment then looks back to find that Batman was gone and had left money for the bill. Gordon says, “one of these days I’m gonna beat him to the check”.

4. Judgment Day

     Judgment Day had action, mystery and great music and sound. A new vigilante arrives in Gotham calling himself “The Judge”. He works toward the same goal as Batman, a brighter and safer Gotham City, but he is much more violent and unforgiving then the Caped Crusader. The Judge attempts to kill three of Gotham’s most wanted such as The Penguin, The Riddler and Killer Croc, but was unsuccessful when Batman arrived to save them. The Judge’s next target was Two-Face, but Batman saved him as well. We soon discover that Two-Face was the Judge all along, and that his subconscious created a third identity that was so independent that Two-Face didn’t even realize it. The episode was great and I actually believed that The Judge had killed his victims because the music was so intense, which made the episode that much better.

Favorite Moment: The music grows more intense as The Judge closes in on his target, The Penguin. The Judge rolls a giant statue of a penguin towards the villain, squishing him between the statue and the wall. It was much more exciting then the way I just told it so you should just watch the episode.

Robin, The Boy Wonder

     The debuts of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are iconic, just like the debut of comics’ most famous sidekick Robin, The Boy Wonder. The privilege and honor of being partners with the World’s Greatest Detective has been passed down to a few new faces throughout the years. Since 1939 there have been four boys to wear the “R” logo on their chest. Each with their own origins and adventures, which helped make each of them as famous as Batman himself.

Dick Grayson

     Detective Comics #38 saw the premiere of America’s first official superhero sidekick. After an unfortunate accident involving his parents at the circus, young acrobat, Dick Grayson, was left an orphan until Bruce Wayne adopted him and trained him in the martial arts in order to become Robin, The Boy Wonder. Fans were in love with Robin, who added lightness to the story and was a character that many kids could see themselves being. They thought to themselves, “I couldn’t be Batman, but I could be Robin”.

     Throughout Detective Comics Dick Grayson’s origins were examined more closely and he was featured in more issues and even eventually received his own comic series about his solo adventures. In The Silver Age of comics Grayson joined the Teen Titans and was proclaimed their leader, a role he would have for many years, until he decided to “grow up”. In Tales Of The Teen Titans #43, fans saw the birth of Nightwing. A darker, edgier, grown up Dick Grayson who left the role as Batman’s sidekick and assumed a new one as a new hero. No more walking in the Dark Knight’s shadow.

     Shortly after his career with the Teen Titans Nightwing was given his own series, which followed his adventures as a lone crime fighter in a new city. The writers did feature him in Batman storylines such as Knightfall or, more recently, Hush, but he would still remain a solo hero for the most part.

     Dick Grayson appeared in the Batman Forever and Batman and Robin films in the 1990’s, which received bad reviews, but I wont get into that, and he is featured as Nightwing in Batman: Under The Red Hood. He is most famously recognized from Batman: The Animated Series. He begins the series as Robin and remains in that role for the first three seasons, but in the “New Adventures” he becomes Nightwing, arguably the coolest character of that entire series, besides Batman of course.