ROBIN #13 - January 1995

 

Wings over Gotham

Credits:  Chuck Dixon (writer), John Cleary and Phil Jimenez (pencilers), Ray Kryssing w/Phil Jimenez (inks), Albert DeGuzman (letterer), Adrienne Roy (colorist)

Summary:  Robin attaches a line to Steeljacket, and finds himself dragged through the sky with the Gotham police force in pursuit.  Meanwhile, Dick and Bruce discuss Bruce’s decision to have Jean-Paul replace him, and whether or not Bruce will resume the role of Batman.  After the Gotham police overwhelm Steeljacket in a hail of bullets, Robin returns to the Batcave.  He discovers Dick wearing his Nightwing outfit, while Bruce is lurking in the shadows in a new Batman costume.

Irrelevant Continuity:  

• Robin’s suspicion that Steeljacket isn’t human is given dramatic emphasis.  I have no idea if this was ever paid off.
• This new Batman costume is essentially the Tim Burton movie outfit.  All black, with no trunks on the outside.  Dick and Tim act as if this is a dramatic change, which is just ridiculous.  I believe Chuck Dixon has stated that Batman was supposed to get a more dramatic make-over following “Prodigal,” but DC backed out at the last minute.

Review:  After three volumes and around 2,000 pages, we’ve reached the end of the Knightfall trades.  And if you think this isn’t much of a conclusion, you’re right, but this is the last comic with “Prodigal” on the cover, so it must be the last comic reprinted in the collection.  Those are the rules and we all must accept them.  If there's another way to do research while compiling a trade outside of scrolling through the comics.org cover gallery, I don't want to hear about it.  Unfortunately, the final volume is going out on what’s likely the weakest artwork from the entire event.  For reasons I’ll never understand, an editor decided to pair John Cleary and Phil Jimenez as artists this issue.  Phil Jimenez is still doing a George Perez pastiche at this point, while John Clearly is a sub-par McFarlane double.  Remember Boof?  (How could anyone forget Boof?)  No sane individual would pair these guys on the same story, but that’s what happened somehow.  Not surprisingly, the issue looks like an absolute mess.

While there are numerous plot lines that remain unresolved at this point, there is at least some sense of closure, as Bruce and Dick finally discuss why on earth Azrael was hired as the replacement Batman.  Dixon plays their partnership as a father/son relationship, strained over the years as Dick entered adulthood.  The creators are still going with the “he’s his own man now” rationalization for why Bruce didn’t ask Dick to replace him, but Dixon is now putting more weight behind the argument.  And Dick is also able to voice the readers’ complaints and call Bruce out on his lack of faith; Dick didn’t want to become Batman, but of course he would do it if Bruce needed him.  It’s hard to deny that DC always had a flimsy excuse for bringing in Azrael instead of Dick at the start of this event, but Dixon does about as good a job imaginable justifying the decision. 

DETECTIVE COMICS #681 - January 1995

 

Knight without Armor

Credits:  Chuck Dixon (writer), Graham Nolan (penciler), Klaus Janson (inker), John Costanza (letterer), Adrienne Roy (colorist)

Summary:  A masked, armored figure is terrorizing the Gotham underworld.  Batman is certain Jean-Paul Valley is the culprit, while Robin is skeptical.  They agree to split up the investigation.  Batman finds Jean-Paul living in a shelter, too emotionally fragile to hurt anyone.  Robin, meanwhile, investigates the mobster most likely to be hit next.  After Robin takes out his guards, he’s confronted by the real killer, Steeljacket.  Meanwhile, Batman returns to the Batcave and finds Bruce Wayne waiting for him.

Irrelevant Continuity:  Detective Mackenzie Bock is introduced as Lieutenant Essen’s new assistant.  This is treated as a significant introduction, but I don’t know if he ever amounted to more than just a minor supporting cast member.

Review:  I like the basic premise of the story, but I don’t think the “falsely accused” angle really goes anywhere.  Jean-Paul’s return to the book probably should feel like a significant event, but instead he’s cleared with one dumbfounded look and the story moves on.  Plus, it’s Dick Grayson who meets him face-to-face, and the two of them have barely interacted in the past, so there’s not much going on in the scene.  Regardless, there are some decent action sequences in the issue, and Klaus Janson inking over Graham Nolan just looks amazing.  There are a lot of big, dramatic images this issue, and while they contribute to the unusually short read-time, there’s a sense that the creative team is utilizing Janson to the best of his ability.  I’m relatively certain that Steeljacket never went on to become an A-list villain, and there’s not much to the mystery, but this issue has to stand out as one of the best-looking Bat-comics from the era.

SHADOW OF THE BAT #34 - January 1995

Prodigal: Ten

Credits:  Alan Grant (writer), Mark Bright (penciler), Scott Hanna (inker),  Todd Klein (letterer), Adrienne Roy (colorist)

Summary:  Batman falls for a trap set by the Tally Man, who then chains him up and fires a revolver loaded with one bullet at his head.  As Tally Man teases Batman about the inevitable fatal bullet, Dick Grayson reflects on his life.  Eventually, he finds the strength to break the bonds.  Batman pursues Tally Man and eventually captures him.

Review:  In response to likely no demand whatsoever, Tally Man has returned.  This time, he’s rendered by a competent artist, which settles the issue of whether or not he’s supposed to be some kind of ghost or smoke creature.  He isn’t.  He’s just wearing a dress.  I’m glad that’s settled, and it’s always nice to see Mark Bright show up in the credits.  He draws a very traditional Batman that I’ve always liked, and he's a welcome break from the kind of artist who normally shows up as fill-in pencilers in this title.  The emotional arc for the issue is Dick Grayson’s insecurities, a theme that hasn’t been explored in-depth in “Prodigal” so far.  I’m not sure if Alan Grant is on the same page as the rest of the writers, because he seems to be working from the premise that Dick views himself as a failure in every aspect of his life, which is much angst-ier than I’ve seen in the other titles.  Grant actually handles the character work rather well, even though having Dick reclaim his self-esteem as he magically finds the strength to break Tally Man’s bonds is borderline cheese.

 

The major problem with the issue is the mere presence of Tally Man, who isn’t a memorable or interesting antagonist at all.  Grant plays up the idea that Dick getting kidnapped is “doubly ironic” since Tally Man first attacked Jean-Paul thinking he was Bruce, and now he’s targeted Dick thinking he’s Jean-Paul, but none of that makes Tally Man himself any more tolerable as a villain.  He’s just someone the reader has to suffer through before Dick can have his emotional catharsis and end the story. 

BATMAN #514 - January 1995

One Night in the War Zone

Credits:  Doug Moench (writer), Ron Wagner (penciler), Joe Rubenstein (inker), Ken Bruzenak (letterer), Adrienne Roy (colorist)

Summary:  Robin provides Batman with a list of the three worst offenders released during Two-Face’s scheme: Strake, McCone, and Cheung.  Strake targets his former partner in the drug trade, McCone invades the home of the man who testified against him, and Cheung searches for people who cheated him out of gambling profits.  All three are located in Battergate, an area of Gotham nicknamed “the war zone.”  One by one, Batman locates the fugitives and incapacitates them.  Sirens continue to blare after he’s finished, reminding him that Batman’s work is never done.

Irrelevant Continuity:  I thought the worst neighborhood in Gotham was supposed to be called “the Hub,” as seen in the earlier chapters of this crossover?

Review:  The emotional hook for this issue is Dick Grayson’s struggle to truly become Batman, a job he knows he isn’t suited for and doesn’t expect to keep for much longer.  This would seem to be a better avenue to explore than the previous arc’s relentless pushing of Two-Face as Dick Grayson’s personal boogey man, but the story doesn’t really make being Batman seem like such a bad job.  There are no moral quandaries, nor are any of the fugitives pursued by Dick particularly challenging threats.  On the bright side, the issue has solid artwork by Ron Wagner, and there’s more than enough action to distract from Dick’s half-baked character crisis.  Judged mainly as a one-issue action story, this is fairly entertaining.

ROBIN #12 - December 1994

Bullies

Credits:  Chuck Dixon (writer), Phil Jimenez (penciler), John Stokes (inker), Albert DeGuzman (letterer), Adrienne Roy (colorist)

Summary:  Tim Drake is harassed by two punks while at the movies with Ariana.  In order to protect his secret identity, Tim allows the punks to embarrass him in front of his girlfriend.  That night, as Robin, he tries to make himself feel better while taking down hoods with Batman.  The next day, he runs into the punks again.  He easily defeats them when alone in an alley, but is later upset to learn the store belonging to Ariana’s family has been vandalized by gangsters seeking protection money.  Later, the heads of the Troika meet.  An assassin enters, declaring he will kill Batman and Robin.

Irrelevant Continuity:  

• I don’t believe this assassin appears in any future chapter of “Prodigal,” which means his identity is never revealed in this reprint collection.  I suspect he’s supposed to be an update of the KGBeast, or NKVDemon.
• Tim Drake’s future stepmother, Dana Winters, is introduced as his father’s physical therapist.

Review:  There’s no obvious reason for this story to be reprinted, aside from the “Prodigal” logo appearing on the cover.  The reprint collection has currently reached an awkward stage, now that Two-Face has been defeated but Bruce Wayne hasn’t returned yet.  Ideally, there should be more of a character arc for Dick Grayson to go through, but he really doesn’t have that much to deal with by this point.  That means this issue of Robin reads like almost any other issue from this era, except a different guy is playing Batman during his brief appearance in the issue.  And that’s not to say it’s a bad issue of Robin at all; in fact, I first read this as a random back issue years ago and have always enjoyed it.  Dixon captures a teenage boy’s fear of being embarrassed in front of his girlfriend remarkably well, and he manages to make Tim thoroughly likable throughout the ordeal.  Dixon always knew how to handle the teen superhero drama during this run, and I have to reiterate that it’s a shame DC doesn’t realize what a great Robin Tim Drake made during the ‘90s.  From the perspective of putting together a truly complete trade paperback, however, I have to say that Robin #0 should’ve taken this story’s place several chapters ago.

DETECTIVE COMICS #680 - December 1994

 

A Twice Told Tale

Credits:  Chuck Dixon (writer), Lee Weeks & Graham Nolan (pencilers), Joe Rubinstein (inker), John Costanza (letterer), Adrienne Roy (colorist)

Summary:  Batman deals with the crime wave that’s been fueled by Two-Face’s mass release of prisoners.  Gordon’s refusal to rely on Batman’s help continues to create a rift in his marriage.  Meanwhile, Robin consults Oracle and deduces that Two-Face is hiding out in the Hall of Records.  He leaves Batman a message and investigates.  When Batman arrives, Robin is already held captive with Harvey Kent, with both strapped underneath two thousand pounds of paper.  Batman commandeers a forklift and rescues both of them.  Confident in his abilities, he easily defeats Two-Face.

Irrelevant Continuity:  The opening narration of the issue claims once again (erroneously) that a computer glitch, a typo, is responsible for Two-Face’s release.

Total N00B:  Robin #0 is once again used as the crux of Batman’s insecurities regarding Two-Face, and I’ll point out again that there’s no footnote referencing it in the actual issue, nor is that story reprinted in this collection.

Review:  Six issues of build-up to a Two-Face fight probably wasn’t the best move, given that Two-Face isn’t that intimidating physically and the scheme he’s hatched this time never really comes together.  Two-Face using computers to cause chaos in the city is a decent idea, but the execution has been all over the place.  In this very issue, we’re told that computer glitches have caused dozens of cons to be released early from prison, while at the same time the prisons are being overcrowded.  Which is it, then?  If there are enough freed criminals to cause a crime wave, how could Two-Face also arrange for Blackgate to be overcrowded?  And how long would it really take the authorities to just forget the computers and manually figure out how many prisoners each facility can hold, especially if a large portion of them have already been released early?

Overlooking the villainous scheme, there’s also a problem with Batman’s big catharsis this issue.  Batman’s allegedly overcome his adolescent anxieties regarding Two-Face by deciding not to play by his rules, which apparently means stealing a forklift and just picking his hostages up out of harm’s way.  I understand the idea is that Dick’s learned from his mistakes in Robin #0, but as I recall the events of Robin #0, it’s not as if “grab a forklift and just ignore Two-Face” was really an option for young Dick in that story.  It’s taken Dick all of these years to finally realize that Two-Face is running a crooked game and that he shouldn’t fall for it?  This just doesn’t work.  As I’ve said earlier, the basic ideas behind this storyline aren’t bad at all, but the execution just feels mangled.

SHADOW OF THE BAT #33 - December 1994

Prodigal: Six

Credits:  Alan Grant (writer), Bret Blevins (artist), Todd Klein (letterer), Adrienne Roy (colorist)

Summary:  Tensions rise between Commissioner Gordon and his wife after she suggests he turn to the new Batman for help against Two-Face.  Meanwhile, a representative of a Russian consortium named Troika attempts to extort Lucius Fox.  After Fox throws him out, he has several Waynecorp security guards killed.  At Blackgate, prison overcrowding causes a riot.  Because Robin feels inexperienced using the thermal Batgliders, Batman is forced to handle the riot alone.  He restores order after defeating the instigator, Tatum.  Inside the basement of the Hall of Records, Two-Face keeps Harvey Kent hostage.

Irrelevant Continuity:  If you’re wondering who that middle-aged man on the cover is, I couldn’t tell you.  I can only guess he’s supposed to be Harvey Kent, even though he looks quite different inside the issue.

Miscellaneous Note:  I’m not sure if I’m the only one who didn’t know this, but a “troika” is defined as “a carriage of Russian origin drawn by three horses harnessed abreast of each other.”

Review:  It’s another “Prodigal” chapter that’s slowly building up to Dick Grayson-as-Batman’s confrontation with Two-Face, while giving the reader precious little to digest in the meantime.  There are little bits that I like, such as Robin opting out of using the flying Batglider because he doesn’t feel properly trained, and Batman actually being supportive and telling him it’s okay.  That kind of scene is necessary to distinguish Dick as a more compassionate Batman, in addition to reminding the reader that Dick has more of a brotherly relationship with Tim than a paternal one.  We haven’t had enough of these moments yet, really.  The start of the Troika subplot is also a welcome change of pace from the pattern of C-lister/Two-Face subplot/C-lister we’ve been getting lately.  The main story just feels like filler, however, and surprisingly not even much of a challenge for Batman.  (He singlehandedly takes on a prison riot in about six pages!)  That subplot with the Gordons also feels awkward, as Sarah is now suddenly okay with Batman and angry with Gordon for not accepting him, which flies in the face in all of the stories reprinted so far.  Of course, it's entirely possible there's a story featuring Sarah Gordon's change of heart and the trades skipped it.  I don't really think that's true, but the trades have had more stunning omissions.

BATMAN #513 - December 1994

 

Double Deuce

Credits:  Doug Moench (writer), Mike Gustovich (penciler), Romeo Tanghal w/Rich Burchett (inkers), Ken Bruzenak (letterer), Adrienne Roy (colorist)

Summary:  Two-Face takes a hostage, forcing Batman and Robin to allow him to escape.  He returns to his hideout with the access disc he stole from the courthouse.  Using the disc, Two-Face is able to cause chaos in court and police schedules.  Soon, a police bus overpopulated with prisoners crashes into a movie theater.  The criminals take the theater hostage, but Batman and Robin are able to subdue the convicts and rescue the civilians.  Meanwhile, Two-Face turns his attention to Batman.

Irrelevant Continuity:  

• Unfortunately, Two-Face is back in his repugnant orange and plaid suit this issue.
• The courthouse basement was filled with computer servers last chapter.  This issue, it’s packed full with giant stacks of paper.  I can only assume some miscommunication occurred between writer and artist.

Total N00B:  You guessed it; Robin #0 is obliquely referenced again.

Review:  Nothing really to see here, unless you were only reading Batman in 1994 and didn’t know any of the plot points from the previous month’s worth of crossover issues.  All of those are competently recounted, without actually advancing the story an inch.  In fairness, Two-Face’s plan makes more sense this issue (or is at least explained better), and Mike Gustovich isn’t bad at drawing Batman in action, but in the context of a reprint collection, it feels like a wasted chapter. The screw-up in-between chapters regarding computer servers versus giant stacks of paper also stands out egregiously when read in a collected edition.  And at the risk of sounding like a panelist on E!’s Fashion Police, it’s hard to believe anyone thought it was a good idea to keep using that horrid ‘70s (?) look on Two-Face.  The animated series had already produced a much better suit, and Phil Jimenez tried to work it into the comics last chapter, only to have it revert back to sheer hideousness just a week later.  Oh, well.  Eventually, they learned, right?

ROBIN #11 - November 1994

Two in Every Crowd

Credits:  Chuck Dixon (writer), Phil Jimenez (penciler), Ray Kryssing (inker), Albert DeGuzman (letterer), Adrienne Roy (colorist)

Summary:  As Robin tries to find time for his personal life, Two-Face begins his crime spree.  He kills dozens of lawyers at a banquet, attracting the attention of Batman and Robin.  When Robin looks into the city’s database to discern clues for Two-Face’s next move, he notices a distress call being sent from the basement of the city courthouse.  Two-Face is inside with his henchmen, destroying the computer servers, claiming that Gotham’s criminals will now have to be freed.  Batman and Robin arrive to stop him.

Irrelevant Continuity:

• Two-Face again claims that he was released due to a computer glitch, which doesn’t match the actual events of Shadow of the Bat #32.  His scheme of disrupting the city’s computer system is even based on this “computer glitch” that never actually happened.
• I believe this is the first issue to have Two-Face wear a white and black ensemble, inspired by the one made popular on the ‘90s animated series.  Note that the cover still has him in the tacky multi-colored suit.

Approved By The Comics Code Authority:  The shot of Two-Face standing over the bodies of dozens of dead lawyers is unusually graphic.

Total N00B:  Two-Face and Robin/Batman continue to reference the events of Robin #0, which I’ll point out again isn’t reprinted in this collection.

Review:  Even Robin remarks that it feels as if he’s been marking time lately, referencing the previous month’s trio of rather ineffective villains.  That means it’s time for Two-Face to finally move into the foreground and kick off this vague “ones and ohs” plot he’s been hatching for a few issues now.  There is a germ of a good idea here -- Two-Face is now obsessed with computers because they operate on binary code, and even back in 1994, society was computerized enough for this to be a viable scheme for a supervillain.  Unfortunately, some shaky continuity between the titles hampers the setup; not to mention Two-Face has a very fuzzy idea of how this is going to work.  Destroying the city’s servers would inconvenience some government employees, but it wouldn’t lead them to just open up the prisons.  Perhaps a better avenue to explore would be Two-Face drafting the aid of a computer hacker and using his skills to disrupt Gotham City operations.  (Although that might be too similar to Clock King’s debut in the animated series.)  

Outside of the main crossover plot, Dixon continues to play off the return of Tim Drake’s father for some superheroic teen angst.  Tim wants to spend time with his father, but he’s now demanding all of Tim’s time, making his life as Robin much more difficult.  It’s also placed a strain on his relationship with his girlfriend Ariana, although Dixon does write a nice scene this issue that humanizes Ariana a bit and allows her to be more than a stereotypical nagging comic book girlfriend.  Phil Jimenez might seem like an obvious choice to draw scenes like this, but his best moments this issue are his pin-up shots of Batman, or the close-ups of Two-Face’s scarred half.   His human characters are covered in detail lines, which is of course his style, but they look oddly artificial.  Jimenez still does competent work, and this series will soon have much worse fill-in artists, but it’s not on the level that Tom Grummett was doing on a regular basis.

DETECTIVE COMICS #679 - November 1994

The Vermin Factor

Credits:  Chuck Dixon (writer), Lee Weeks (penciler), Joe Rubinstein (inker), John Costanza (letterer), Adrienne Roy (colorist)

Summary:  Using a specialized flute, Ratcatcher summons an army of rats and escapes his parole hearing.  Later, Batman discusses Two-Face’s release with Commissioner Gordon, who is wary of dealing with another Batman.  While Robin is spending time with his recuperating father, Batman tracks Ratcatcher’s rat army in the sewers.  He discovers Ratcatcher’s plan to use a giant mass of rats to block the city’s main aqueduct.  Using a high-pitched sonic device, Batman disperses the rats and takes Ratcatcher into custody.

Irrelevant Continuity:  Looking online, it seems Ratcatcher first appeared in Detective Comics #585 during the Alan Grant/John Wagner run.

Dramatic Exits:  Commissioner Gordon basically taunts Batman into doing the quick escape bit, but he doesn’t take the bait.

I Love the ‘90s:  Tim Drake “modem”s info on Two-Face’s release to the Batcave.

Total N00B:  More references to Dick and Tim missing Alfred, who’s away in an unknown location, with no clear indication of why he left.

Review:  So I guess the goal of every Bat-title in November 1994 was to do an old-school Batman/Robin team-up story featuring a fairly non-threatening villain.  (Robin’s not there at the end for the climax, since Dixon writes him off in order to tie in to an ongoing subplot in the Robin solo series, but he still has a role in the story.)  Like I’ve said before, I get it.  The books need smaller, more traditional stories following the previous two years of events.  And these issues are a nice way to explore the dynamic between Dick and Tim, who do play off each other well.  Having a brotherly bond between Batman and Robin instead of a father-son relationship is a clever way to present an alternate take on the traditional roles for the characters.  However, as someone who’s reading all of these stories collected together in one volume, seeing variations of the same basic story does get a bit tiresome at a certain point.  You start to get antsy for something real to start to happen again.  Regardless, it’s a fun action story with superb artwork from Lee Weeks.  I think it’s worth noting again that you seldom see stereotypically bad ‘90s art in these comics, and the editors deserve a lot of credit for that.

SHADOW OF THE BAT #32 - November 1994

Prodigal: Two

Credits:  Alan Grant (writer), Bret Blevins (art), Todd Klein (letterer), Adrienne Roy (colorist)

Summary:  The reunited Scarface and Ventriloquist target the mobster who took Scarface’s place while Ventriloquist was in Arkham, Marty Vetch.  After Scarface poisons Vetch’s heroin supply, Vetch agrees to a meeting at Scarface’s nightclub.  The two factions double-cross each other, leading Batman and Robin to stop the firefight.  Later, Scarface attacks Vetch at his penthouse.  Batman and Robin arrive and capture Ventriloquist, but Scarface is smuggled away by a goon.  Meanwhile, Two-Face is accidentally released from prison, as the guards try to deal with the overcrowding caused by Arkham Asylum’s closing.

Irrelevant Continuity:  

• Batman and Robin are now driving a 1940s style Batmobile.  I can only guess the switch happened in a story not reprinted in these trades.
• The scene that has Two-Face released from prison is supposed to be the crux for his motivation in the next storyline, but the continuity never fits.  In this issue, he’s released because a guard reads the name “Harvey Kent” off a sheet of paper.  Two-Face responds, turning his scarred side away from the guard, and is told that his “check kiting” charges have been dropped.  Later stories repeatedly claim that Two-Face was released due to a computer error, but this is clearly human error.  Earlier in the story, another officer complains that Gotham’s records should be computerized, making the later claims that this is a computer error even more annoying.  
• Harvey Kent, by the way, was Two-Face’s real name in his first appearance, but DC later changed it because they didn’t want him sharing Superman’s last name.

I Love the ‘90s:  Scarface proclaims that this is the nineties…“Sentiment is out.  We gotta go straight for the jugular!”

Total N00B:  Dick and Tim continue to talk about Alfred leaving and wonder where he is now.  Shouldn’t they be looking for him?  Or did he just go on a vacation and choose not to tell them where he’s going?

Review:  Alan Grant is dragged into another crossover, although his only editorial obligation this issue seems to be setting up Two-Face’s role in the next storyline.  The majority of the issue is dedicated to Grant’s creation Scarface, and assuming you embrace the absurdity of the concept, it’s pretty entertaining.  My only problem with the story is the way Grant actually seems to be leaning towards Scarface being a supernatural menace, as opposed to the outlet for the Ventriloquist’s dark urges.  While threatening Vetch, Scarface recounts his origin as the wooden gallows used to hang criminals in the 1800s, indicating that decades of hate and evil are contained within him.  I realize that this is the origin Alan Grant always used for the character, but I was first introduced to Scarface in the ‘90s cartoon.  Since the show always left this info out, that’s probably why it feels so unnecessary to me.  Later, when one of the goons rescues Scarface after Ventriloquist is captured, he discovers that Scarface’s emergency plan is for him to study a book on throwing his voice.  

This is a cute joke, but there also seems to be an implication that Scarface really could resurface if just any ventriloquist picked him up.  It could be argued that the Ventriloquist, in his Scarface persona, genuinely believes this so that’s why he drew up the plan, but even the teasing of the idea just seems ridiculous to me.  Anyway, much like the previous chapter, it’s Batman and Robin in a fairly traditional, straightforward action story.  Ordinarily, this could come across as time-killer, but I can understand why the creators felt it necessary following the previous two years.