Batman VS Superman: Batman: Year One by Frank Miller art by David Mazzuchelli YP FIC MILLER

In celebration of our Batman VS Superman election, I'll be reviewing MY favorite Superman and Batman books Of All Time! I'll try not to reveal any Bat-Bias or Super-Subjectiveness that could unduly influence this election. 

One night changed Bruce Wayne's life forever. A random act of violence took away his parents and gave him something new: a mission.  Now, after year of training his body and mind he is ready to com home.  He is ready to take back Gotham.  A city of crime, sin, and corruption at the highest levels.  Can one man save a city? No, but maybe a bat can.

This one book, even more than Miller's also excellent the Dark Knight Returns, changed the course of Batman forever.  It is as if Miller completely rewrote his DNA and brought Batman in all his dark glory into the real world. This is a young and inexperienced Bruce Wayne, that barely survives his first disastrous outings. It allows the reader to see the Batman form over time and have a real understanding and investment in what makes Bruce into Batman. In starting Batman over from scratch, Miler gets to the core of what makes Batman so fascinating: an obsessive drive to make sure that no one else has to watch their loved ones die by crime and a fanatical devotion to a code of honor.  

Miller also greatly enlarges the importance of characters that were underutilized at the time, like Catwoman and Jim Gordon. Placing a young and principled Jim Gordon on the incredibly corrupt Gotham police force made Gordon into a whole new character as vital to the Batman story as any character.  

Mazzuchelli's art is perfect for the book.  He has Batman as a menacing figure using shadows and his cape to look larger than life, but gives Bruce the realistic body of a superb athlete.  This isn't the highly muscled Batman that is seen in most comics and this makes the Batman even more impressive, because he seems so much more human.  The reality makes the idea of a man taking on crime single handed all the more impressive.

Miller is able to make Batman's war with the mob that owns the city as compelling as any Two-Face or Joker story ever written.  If you are a fan of the Christopher Nolan Batman films, then you owe a debt of thanks to Year One.  This is a perfect book for both those that are already batty for Batman or total Bat-beginners.

You can find Batman: Year One in our catalog here.

Batman VS Superman: All Star Superman by Grant Morrison Art by Frank Quitely YP FIC MORRISON

In celebration of our Batman VS Superman election, I'll be reviewing MY favorite Superman and Batman books Of All Time! I'll try not to reveal any Bat-Bias or Super-Subjectiveness that could unduly influence this election. A coin flip decided that this time Superman goes first (but YOU will decide who laughs last!)

Superman is dying.  A fiendish plot by the archest of fiends, Lex Luthor has overdosed Superman on solar radiation.  Superman has to decide how to best spend his last days while also uncovering Lex's final plan to Take over the World!  Will Superman be able to save the day one last time? Or will the Last Son of Krypton fizzle out too soon?

This is my all time favorite Superman story by miles and miles.  It is a two volume masterwork that pays homage to over 70 years of Superman comics.  Morrison is a huge fan of the entire run of Superman, including the often wacky and bizarre storylines of the 1940s and 50s that saw Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen getting weird powers as well as all sorts of other zaniness.  Morrison melds these wacky plots with a serious and at times sad and uplifting story of a dying Superman.  By taking silliness seriously he is able to look at Superman as a man and a myth at the same time.  There is an overabundance of big ideas that Morrison explores and the plot careens between one odd adventure to the next leaving the reader reeling.  There is a mix of science fiction, comedy, two-fisted combat, horror, philosophy, and loads of other influences. Fortunately, the books many plots all end up making sense together and pay off incredibly well.  

The art by Frank Quitely is quite breathtaking in places.  It has a fine level of detail, but remains unrealistic enough to have the garish costumes of superheroes not look silly. The beautiful art and daring design work make reading and rereading a consummate pleasure even when the plot threatens to go (way) over the reader's head.  

This is a treasure trove for long time Superfans with an almost uncountable in-continuity references to the entire Superhistory and a wonderful place for new fans to jump in and learn everything that makes Superman so super.


You can find All Star Superman in our catalog here

Thor, God of thunder : The God Butcher by Jason Aaron art by Esad Ribic YP FIC AARON

Thor is a brash young god (just a few 100 years old!) in the age of vikings who lives for adventure and conquest, but is not yet ready to wield Mjolnir*, on of the mightiest weapons of all gods.  Thor is the God of Thunder, possessor of Mjolnir, Avenger, protector of Earth.  Thor is king of all of Asgard and the last living God in the universe thousands of years into the future.  In all these times Thor must face an enemy like he has never conceived of: the God Butcher.  A being that is so powerful he searches the cosmos to methodically, slowly, ruthlessly torture and kill entire pantheons of gods.  If he fails in this task then all of creation is threatened.

This comic is absolutely epic.  It tells three unique stories in Thor's youth, maturity, and old age and all three work to build the tension and make the story larger than life.  The three separate arcs all meet up in very interesting ways, so it isn't just pointless flashbacks to convey character. It also harkens back to good ole' Jack Kirby Thor comics that often had back up stories of young Thor.  In this case it makes the story one beyond the limits of time itself, which makes it seem a tale fit for mythology and the gods!  Plotting, dialogue, and character are all top notch, but it's the absolutely gorgeous
painted art that makes it's something really special.  Esad Ribic is a true talent and his full and beautiful images make this seem like an instant classic.  He can convey beauty and grisly horror equally well, and really brings back the awe in reading about gods and monsters. This is easily the best new book in the Marvel Comics line and a great place for new fans to start. So if you are a long time super hero fan or just want to know who the blond dude in The Avengers was, check out Thor, God of Thunder: The God Butcher!


You can find Thor, God of Thunder: The God Butcher in our catalog here.




*Which translates to "That which smashes".  AWESOME!

Batman: Death Mask by Yoshinori Natsume YP FIC NATSUME

Is Batman really Bruce Wayne? Or is Bruce Wayne a mask the Batman wears for the public? There's a demon from Japan in Gotham stealing faces and taunting the Dark Knight; a demon straight from Bruce Wayne's time training in Japan before he was Batman.  He'll have to find the answer to who Batman is and face his own dark shadow to stop this deadly new threat.

How can you not love BatManga? It's got Batman and Manga! That's chocolate and peanut butter levels of greater than the sum of its parts! This definitely isn't the best or most original Batman story or the best manga, BUT it is a fun and stylish Batman adventure.  I love the face stealing baddie best of all.  He's a super cool masked assasin with the same silhouette as Batman, but in a traditional Japanese style.  It works really well for the  book, because he is super creepy and a great visual counterpoint to Batman.  The visuals are by far the strongest selling point of the book, as Batman really pops in a manga style.  i also like how the book kept me guessing about whether the villain is REALLY a demon or if there is some sort of scientific explanation behind the mystery.  They have several fun twists with this and I love it when Batman stories are also mysteries.  The only real down sides are that these ideas have been looked at before in loads of other Batman comics and that the dialogue is a little wooden.  I think the language barrier probalby explains the latter, and it's never so bad that it's unreadable.  As for the story covering old ground, many readers won't have read quite as many Batstories as I have and the book will feel fresher to them.  Also, the great visuals more than carry the book to being a can't miss Batbook.  It's Batastic! Batrific! Batstanding! Okay, that's probably enough bats for...ever.  So if you like Batman or manga, definitely give this one a read.  If you like Batman and Manga then you are pretty much legally obligated to love it!  

You can find Batman: Death Mask in our catalog here.

Batman: The Black Mirror by Scott Snyder Art by Francesco Francavilla and Jock

Dick Grayson has had a pretty odd career path.  Orphaned as a child, taken in by a masked vigilante to run around in bright red tights and green chain mail underwear as Robin, striking out on his own as a teenager to become Nightwing, and finally becoming The Batman after Bruce Wayne was sent back in time.  Now Bruce is back, but is off trotting the globe making Batman a franchise operation, so Gotham and all its depravity is under Dick’s protection.  Now a very unwelcome face from the past comes back and wherever he goes people die horribly.  Is Commissioner Gordon’s son really a monster or is someone else the killer.  Dick has to solve the case before the killer strikes again…and again…and again.

Scott Snyder really puts the Dark into the Dark Knight.  Did I say ‘Dark’?  I meant gruesomely, nihilistically, bleak!  But in a weird creepy way it truly works.  It sometimes feels like Saw meets Batman and people looking for happy endings and ‘fun’ may be put off by such a grim Batman yarn.  However, the art is great, the mystery and characterization are top notch, and Dick Grayson makes a great Batman.  All in all, it’s a good read for Batman fans and not a terrible place to start for people wanting to see what’s new with the World’s Greatest Detective.

Check out The Black Mirror in our catalog here.

DC Universe: Legacies by Len Wein art by Various artists YP FIC WEIN

See the entire DC universe’s grand super history through the eyes of everyman Paul Lincoln.  From the start of the mystery men to the modern era, Legacies shows every major DC event worth showing.  This hugely packed edition also includes loads of extra short comics that call out standouts from the DC history.

This is a MUST read for DC comics fans.  It is a short primer of every major DC period form the Golden Age to non-hero comics to Silver Age to the relevant 70s, the grim and gritty 80s and 90s, and ending with the modern DC.  Especially since DC has rebooted everything, this makes a great way to take an informal tour through DC history.  Best yet is the art, which is done by artists from the respective periods that the book covers.  Hardcore fans will get lots of great references, but newbies will enjoy the scope and scale even if they wonder at all the references.  Fortunately we have the DC Comics Encyclopedia (Call number 741.50973 DC) if you want to dig deeper.  If you enjoy this, definitely check out the brilliant take on 1960s Marvel comics from the eye of a normal man, Marvels by Kurt Busiek and artist Alex Ross (YP FIC BUSIEK).  

Check our catalog for Legacies here.

Superman: The Black Ring by Paul Cornell Art by Pete Woods YP FIC CORNELL

Lex Luthor tasted the ultimate power during Blackest Night (evil black Power rings raised people from the dead and made them evil) when he gained the power of the Orange Lantern.  Now Luthor searches for the remnants of the Black Rings source of power to shape the destiny of the universe.

Luthor is a perfect choice for a villain based comic, because he sees himself as Earth’s greatest hero.  Lex believes he has to save humanity form aliens and other super powered beings.  The fact that he is a cold blooded mass murder just means he’s efficient, right? this comic really has fun with Luthor and has him at his egotistical best.  It’s fun following him on his zany adventures with his Robot Lois Lane companion.  He fights some of DC’s zanier characters like a mind controlling worm, a mind controlling and brain eating gorilla, and he even meets Death the teenage girl (made famous in DC’s arty Vertigo line of comics).  All this makes for great silly fun and a welcome dose of weirdness that sets it apart from your average superhero yarn.  I do wish this volume didn’t end on a cliff hanger, but that is part and parcel for comic book collections these days, so I think most readers are used to it by now.

Justice by Jim Krueger Art by Alex Ross and Doug Braithwaite YP FIC KRUEGER

The bad guys have won.  In one fell swoop the world’s most powerful heroes, the Justice League has been picked apart by their most powerful enemies and led by the super-computer Braniac.  He’s used all the forces of evil in the DC universe in a all out attack to rule the world.  Now the fractured and beaten League has to regroup, fight their own brainwashed friends and family, and stop the most dangerous plot they have ever faced.

This is a near perfect super hero comic.  It has loads of action, suspense, wall to wall superheroes and villains and the gorgeous painted art of Alex Ross.  Alex Ross’s lifelike superhero comics always look beautiful, but I’ve found that his action scenes are usually kind of stiff and lifeless.  However, Justice has brilliant action scenes, because they turned the penciling over to Doug Braithwaite.  Together, they have drawn some of the best super hero art I have ever seen.  This book starts with the heroes being picked off one by one and remaining the underdogs for the rest of the adventure.  This keeps things exciting and fresh and the suspense high.   

Best yet, the book is completely understandable to comics laypeople.  It is FILLED with characters that hardcore DC fans will go gaga over, but they are used in a way that doesn’t alienate readers that don’t know the entire history of the DC universe.  This is especially useful, because the book is set in the 70s and while that makes for some pretty awesome fashions, most people don’t have an encyclopedic memory of the 1970s DC canon.  You won’t learn great truths, there isn’t any soul searching or angst, none of the heroes or villains are metaphors for War it’s just a great good vs. evil tale!

Batman & Robin: Batman & Robin Must Die! By Grant Morrison Art by Frazier Irving and David Finch YP FIC MORRISON

The Joker has returned to Gotham and this time he’s here to save the day.  Seriously.  He’s decide to use Batman and Robin (The Original Robin and Damien Wayne son of The One True Batman respectively) to fight the Black Glove and stop him from destroying Gotham.  Who will get the last laugh?

This is the conclusion (maybe) to the loooong running Black Glove storyline that features master criminal/alien-demon possessed/Thomas Wayne impersonating/Satan figure The Black Mask.  The final confrontation between and army of criminals, Batman & Robin, The Joker, and the One True Batman (FINALLY BACK!) is truly stellar.  Frazer Irving has an art style that is super detailed and mixes realism and stylism wonderfully.  Grnat Morrison is always at his demented best with Batman and I love his take on Damien Wayne as Robin, the former Robin as Batman, and the One True Batman’s return.  This is a fitting climax to a strange and brilliant ride.  As a bonus it has a prelude to the awesome Batman Incorporated.  This is a must read for Batman fans but I’d start with our earlier collections if you want to enjoy this volume.

Axe Cop by Malachai Nicolle illustrated by Ethan Nicolle YP FIC NICOLLE

Written by a 5 year old!  Drawn by his significantly older brother! Axe Cop!  The cop with an axe that chops off the heads (and frequently poisons) bad guys!  With all the adventure, action, and randomness that could be expected from the over fertile imagination of a five year old. Get ready for more AXEtion and AXEventue than you could ever imagine (unless you are a five year old*)!

Axe Cop is cool!  He has an axe and a mustache and he’s a cop and and and he kills ALL the bad guys!!!  He has a flying dinosaur with gattling gun arms that breathes FIRE and wears shades! he kills all the bad guys!!!

Seriously.  Axe Cop rules.  He has every super power a five year old can think of and fights the most ludicrous enemies imaginable (by a five year old).  I stress the five year old so much because that’s what makes Axe Cop special: it has the delirious excitement and randomness of a child coupled with great art and action scenes.  Ethan does a wonderful job of interpreting his brother’s ideas and handles them without parody.  This makes for the coolest comic ever! It has more insane ideas on one page then most comics do in volumes.  My favorite bits are from the Ask Axe Cop strips.  These mini comics are the most insane and bizarre ideas because they are off the cuff answers to real questions.  If you love Axe Cop (and you will) read his ongoing adventures on www.axecop.com.  This book is entirely reprints from the website, but has additional notes that weren’t online originally and is WAAAY easier to read than the online format.

*Please don’t let a five year old read Axe Cop! They will probably turn into a bad guy!