Batman #98 Review

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Alfred, Batman, Batman #98, Batman #98 Review, Bruce Wayne, Catwoman, DC Comics, Gotham, Harley Quinn, James Tynion IV, Joker, Joker War, Joker War Part 4, NCBD, oege Jimenez, Penguin, Punchline, Riddler, Scarecrow

Batman #98

Review by Paul Bowler.

Everything stops for tea in Batman #98 as the Dark Knight’s world reels from the chaos of Joker War. Joker has taken everything from Batman, his wealth, his arsenal of vehicles, and now Batman is more vulnerable than ever thanks to a massive overdose of Punchline’s new Joker Toxin. As the Dark Knight wrestles with haunting visions and darkness Harley Quinn must watch over him while he recovers, but Punchline is on her way, and she’s hell bent on killing the Dark Knight!

Writer James Tynion IV continues to weave his magic on DC Comics flagship Batman title with yet another spellbinding, emotional, and action-packed issue. Batman #98 crams so much into this fourth instalment of Joke War its difficult to surmise just how richly crafted and well put together it all is. Tynion has Batman tripping the light fantastic for much of the issue — thanks to a brew cooked up by Harley Quinn in her floral underground hideout to cleanse Punchline’s souped up Joker toxin from his system — and the Dark Knight’s ensuing hallucinogenic tea break with the dearly departed Alfred is both deeply moving and highly insightful. Alfred serves up a unique perspective on the twisted dynamic of the Batman’s and Joker’s eternal conflict. Tynion’s powerful script also manages to salvage a plausible outcome to the devastating fallout caused by Tom King’s idiotically deconstructive run on Batman, essentially turning lead into gold, and making Alfred’s senseless death and Bruce’s inability to face up to that loss seem all the more poignant and credible as a result.

Ding! Ding! Seconds out… because the rest of the issue, as you’ve probably guessed by the cover, is indeed taken up by the face-off between Harley-Quinn and Joker’s new partner, Punchline. If, like me, their first clash left you feeling a bit underwhelmed then you will be pleased to know their showdown in Batman #98 is a real kick-ass fight that finally showcases both characters to their full potential. Tynion ensures the dialogue is as razor sharp as their combat, we also get to understand more about what motivates Punchline, and how she ingratiated herself with the Joker.

This issue features some truly fabulous artwork by Joege Jimenez’s as well. Stylish, overlapping page layouts capture the tone and pace of the story perfectly. Every scene focusing on Bruce’s conversation with the imaginary version of Alfred is beautiful crafted, with characters expressions conveying warmth, depth and unparalleled honesty. Punchline’s fight with Harley Quinn is — by stark contrast — a like ballet of exquisite violence and hate, with no quarter given and none taken. Jimenez’s art is enriched further by the striking tones and hues of colorist Tomeu Morey which makes Bruce’s hallucinogenic state and the stunning backdrop of Harley’s underground hideaway seem to almost leap from the page. Even the brief interludes with Catwoman as she recuperates at Penguin’s secret refuge along with the rest of the Gotham rogues to wait out Joker War are finely realised by Jimenez’s and Morey. 

While this issue doesn’t redact Alfred’s death, it does go a long way to finally making Alfred’s loss feel less senseless than is once did. Finally this issues iconic “I’m Batman” scene is no-doubt the punch-the-air moment that we’ve all been waiting for since Joker War began, and its great to see Bruce putting his old friends advice — imaginary or otherwise — to good use without at moments hesitation.

Batman #98 is another terrific issue from the dynamic creative team of Tynion IV, Jimenez and Morey. They have revitalised the Dark Knight’s world with strong characterisation and striking visuals. Now with the penultimate chapter of Joker War and the landmark Batman #100 on the horizon this series continues to impress on every level, and I for one can’t wait to see how everything turns out.

Publisher: DC Comics

Writer: James Tynion IV / Artist Joege Jimenez

Colors: Tomeu Morey / Letters: Clayton Cowles

Cover: Guillem March & Tomeu Morey

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About The Author

Hi, I’m Paul Bowler, blogger and reviewer of films, TV shows, and comic books. I’m a Sci-Fi geek, a big fan of Doctor Who, Star Trek, movies, Sci-Fi, Horror, Comic Books, and all things PS4.You can follow me on Twitter @paul_bowler,or at my website, Sci-Fi Jubilee, and on YouTube and Facebook

 

Batman Kings of Fear #1 Review

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Arkham Asylum, Batman, Batman Kings of Fear, Batman Kings of Fear #1, Batman Kings of Fear #1 review, Batmobile, comics, DC Comics, Kelly Jones, Michelle Madsen, NCBD, Scarecrow, Scott Peterson, The Dark Knight, The Joker

Batman Kings of Fear #1

Review by Paul Bowler

Renowned artist Kelly Jones returns to the Dark Knight’s world with Batman Kings of Fear #1, the first issue in DC Comics stunning new miniseries written by former Batman editor Scott Peterson. Batman has been watching over Gotham City for many, many years, but now the Dark Knight is beginning to question the effectiveness of his relentless war on crime. Plagued by self doubt, insecurities, and personal fears that threaten to overwhelm him Batman must now face Scarecrow as he unleashes chaos in Arkham Asylum! This blockbusting new six-issue miniseries has Batman confronting the darkest challenge of his crime fighting career and portrays Scarecrow in a terrifying new way that’s unlike anything you’ve ever seen before.

Batman Kings of Fear #1 kicks off in a fittingly macabre fashion as Batman takes on the Joker and stops another of his maniacal schemes. Kelly Jones striking visuals and Scott Peterson’s intense storytelling quickly immerses us in the warped schism that Batman and the Joker seem perpetually condemned to play out. Scott Peterson weaves some especially insightful and haunting dialogue into their journey to Arkham Asylum – so much so that the Clown Prince of Crime even seems to jangle the Dark Knight’s nerves at one point. Once inside Arkham the dark humour, a snarky Doctor, and the ensuing breakout of mayhem all collude to ramp up the ominous air of brooding menace that’s been closing in on Batman right from the outset.

Kelly Jones illustrated some of the most acclaimed Batman comics imagery during the 1990’s, including the brilliant Batman & Dracula trilogy – which kicked off with Red Rain back in 1991 – and many of the covers for the acclaimed Knightfall storyline where Bane broke the Bat. Esteemed writer Scott Peterson also worked as an editor on the Batman books during Knightfall and many other pivotal Bat-stories from the 90’s. Its great to see Jones and Peterson working together again like this on Batman Kings of Fear, and their shared creative vision for the Dark Knight shines through just as vividly now as when they originally worked together on the Batman books in the 90‘s. The story in Batman Kings of Fear is not connected to DC Comics current Batman storylines, but is instead set after Bruce has been the Dark Knight for many years – giving the creative team the scope to explore the core facets of the character in new and dynamically exciting ways.

Artist Kelly Jones brings all the hallmarks of his distinctly dark, horror-tinged gothic style to Batman Kings of Fear, and then some! I’ve always been a huge fan of Kelly Jones artwork, especially Jones’ portrayal of Batman as a constantly shifting shape that always seamlessly blends in with the shadows. One of the major highlights in this issue is a face-off with some of the darkest members of Batman Rogues Galley – a truly jaw dropping sequence that places you right in the heart of Batman‘s nightmarish predicament. Another nice touch with Batman Kings of Fear is that it features the Dark Knight in his classic costume – yellow oval and all! I love how Kelly Jones always renders Batman’s billowing cape in a way that gives him an almost supernatural visage, effectively making the cape and cowl as equally a distinct character in its own right. It is this, together with Michelle Madsen’s gloriously sombre color pallet that perfectly encapsulates the raw, terrifying, almost primal presence that makes Batman so uniquely special and intimidating.

The greatest threat though comes from the Scarecrow’s terrifying plot against him. Jones and Peterson’s darkly compelling story is made even more striking by having Scarecrow as the major villain of the piece, and this creative team certainly don’t look like they will shy away from brining the most frightening aspects of this creepy iconic character from Batman’s rogues gallery to the fore either.

Batman Kings of Fear #1 hurtles along at a cracking pace, the eerie atmosphere is brilliantly offsets by the spectacular visuals, and the chilling cliff-hanger rounds off this start of this superb miniseries in fine style. Kelly Jones and Scott Peterson have certainly crafted a brilliant premise here, with Scarecrow seeking to make the Dark Knight face his greatest fear, and I’ve no doubt the creative team will continue to weave their dark magic as this story unfolds. If you like your Batman classic, unburdened by recent continuity, and laced with overtones of gothic horror then Batman Kings of Fear is the Bat-Book you’ve been waiting for!

Publisher: DC Comics

Writer: Scott Peterson & Art and Cover: Kelly Jones

Colors: Michelle Madsen / Letters: Rob Leigh

Variant Cover: Bill Sienkiewicz

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Sci-Fi Jubilee My New You Tube Channel Batman: Return to Arkham Collection Arkham City

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Arkham Asylum, Arkham City, Bane, Batman, Batman Return to Arkham Arkham City Walkthrough, Batman: Return to Arkham Collection, Batmobile, Catwoman, Gotham, Harley Quinn, Hugo Strange, Killer Croc, Mr Freeze, Paul Bowler YouTube, Poison Ivy, PS4, PS4 Share, Ra's al Ghul, Scarecrow, The Joker, The Penguin, The Riddler, Two Face, YouTube

Sci-Fi Jubilee My New You Tube Channel Batman Return to Arkham: Arkham City

Hi everyone! Thanks for checking out my YouTube Channel while I’ve been playing the Batman Return to Arkham Collection. I had a great time completing Arkham Asylum, so, after short break I’ve now started Arkham City. I’m really enjoying revisiting Arkham City again, the scope and scale of the game is even bigger than Arkham Asylum, and there are loads of great story moments and villains for Batman fans to enjoy!

The first video I streamed features the opening of the Arkham City as Bruce Wayne is captured by Hugo Strange and sent to Arkham City. Once Batman suits up its time to save Catwoman from Two Face. We also get to see Penguin, Calendar Man, Harley Quinn, and Bane, before Batman tracks down the Joker’s hideout in the Steel Mill.

Having reached Joker’s lair its time for Batman’s first confrontation in this game with the Joker! I found a few Riddler trophies as well, sorry if I wander around a bit looking for them! There’s also the first part of the Catwoman storyline here as well, I’ve never played any of the DLC for Arkham City before, so that was fun.

In this video Batman searches the Old GCPD building to find out where Penguin has taken Mr Freeze. The Riddler and Deadshot missions begin, and this part concludes as Batman makes a poignant visit to Crime Alley.

I think the remastered graphics in Arkham City look really good as well, even better than Arkham Asylum. I’ll stream and post some more Arkham City videos on my channel as I play through the game, obviously it’s a much bigger game than Arkham Asylum, so I’ll probably concentrate on the main storyline and boss fights. I might uses some of the different character skins as well, like the 70’s Batman or Dark Knight Returns Batman, to mix things up a bit. So, look out for new videos on my YouTube channel as I explore Arkham City, I hope you enjoy them, and please feel free to hit that like button and subscribe if you do.

Thanks for watching and cheers for all your support!

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Sci-Fi Jubilee My New You Tube Channel Batman Return to Arkham Collection: Part 2

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Arkham Asylum, Arkham City, Arkham Knight, Batman, Batman Return to Arkham Arkham Asylum Walkthrough, Batman: Return to Arkham Collection, Batmobile, Gotham, Harly Quin, Killer Croc, Paul Bowler YouTube, Poison Ivy, PS4, PS4 Share, Scarecrow, The Joker, The Riddler, YouTube

Sci-Fi Jubilee My New You Tube Channel Batman: Return to Arkham Collection

Part 2 Arkham Asylum completed!

Hello everyone, and thank you checking out my YouTube Channel.  I’ve been playing the Batman: Return to Arkham Collection recently, and I’ve now completed Arkham Asylum!

I’m a big Batman fan, and I love all the Arkham games – so I’ve been eagerly awaiting the chance to play the remastered version of Arkham Asylum in this collection. The trio of new videos here cover lots of my favourite moments from playing Arkham Asylum again.

First is a face-off with the Scarecrow, featuring a really wacky mind-trip for Batman that cleverly gives us a chilling new version of the games opening sequence.

Time to explore Killer Croc’s lair! This was probably my favourite part of Arkham Asylum. Its creepy, atmospheric, and you never know when Killer Croc will jump out!

After defeating Poison Ivy in the Botanical Gardens, its time for the epic showdown with the Joker, and the final battle with the Titan / Joker! I’ve included the end credits as well and the cut scene afterwards.

This is the first time I’ve streamed a game from start to finish like this on my YouTube Channel, it went quite well, and I’d just like to say thank you for all the support you‘ve given me. It was a lot of fun to do. I thought the remastered graphics in Arkham Asylum looked very impressive overall, the storyline and combat mechanics were just as good as I remembered, and I loved the dark, creepy atmosphere of the whole game. All my Arkham Asylum walkthrough videos (1-12) are now on my YouTube channel, so please feel free to check them out and like and subscribe if enjoy them. I’ve had a great time playing Arkham Asylum again, cheers everyone, and thanks for joining me!

Next stop, Arkham City!

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Batman and Robin Eternal #1 Review

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Batman, Batman and Robin Eternal #1, Batman and Robin Eternal #1 review, Bluebird, Bruce Wayne, Cassandra Cain, DC Comics, Dick Grayson, Gotham City, James Tynion IV, Jason Todd, Mother, Red Hood, Red Robin, Robin, Scarecrow, Scott Snyder, The Orphan, Tim Drake, Tony S. Daniel

Batman and Robin Eternal #1

Review by Paul Bowler

DC Comics new weekly comic series Batman and Robin Eternal #1 is finally here! This sequel to the hugely successful weekly series Batman Eternal will focus on Robin and the many characters that have been involved in the Dark Knights legacy as Robins, and will form a major Bat-Family story event to celebrate Robin’s 75^th Anniversary!

Years ago, Batman and Robin tackled one of the most unsettling cases of their careers, when they brought down a secret organization run by a ruthless human trafficker – a mysterious woman known as Mother. Although Dick Grayson never fully appreciated the true scale of the case back then, those dark secrets from the past are returning to haunt him and everyone who ever worked alongside Batman. Now Bruce Wayne is no longer Batman, Dick Grayson and his allies must deal with the menace without him. But who can really be trusted, is someone amongst them not quite who they seem, and who is the silent – yet extremely deadly – young woman swathed in black who has recently arrived in Gotham City in search of Batman?

Batman and Robin Eternal will feature a wealth of characters, villains, international intrigue, plot twists, and a few new additions to the saga of Batman and Robin along the way over the next six months in this new weekly blockbusting DC Comics series from lead writer James Tynion IV, together with Batman writer Scott Snyder, and co-writers Tim Seeley, Steve Orlando, Genevieve Valentine, Ed Brisson, and Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly, with lead artist Tony S. Daniel fronting an art team which includes Paul Pelletier, Scott Eaton, and Francis Manapul.

Being the 75^th anniversary of Robin the boy wonder, and of course the character of Dick Grayson, the original Robin, this 26 issue weekly series gets off to a exciting start with Batman and Robin Eternal #1, featuring story by James Tynion V & Scott Snyder, script by James Tynion V, with art from Tony Daniel’s, together with inks by Sandu Florea, colors by Tomeu Morey, and letters by Tom Napolitano, we plunge right into the heart of the action as three time lines converge as one. Years ago in Cairo, Egypt, a hooded figure guns down a young boys parents, while Batman and Robin patrol the Gotham skyline in the then, and in present-day Gotham Spryal agent Dick Grayson’s return to the city (see Grayson #12) finds him engaged in a motorbike chase with drugged-up weapons designer. Grayson gets some backup from Red Hood and Red Robin, and soon the action-packed chase is over and the trio quickly capture the high-tech weapons dealer.

I really like the strong dynamic between Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, and Tim Drake. They make a great team, there’s some fun banter between them as well, and working in a Gotham where Bruce is no longer Batman has clearly strengthened the bond between them. While Dick sets off to deal with some official super-spy business, Red Hood’s opinion of Gotham’s new Dark Knight is brought into sharper focus when Bluebird has a run in with the new Batman, and it seems Harper’s no pushover when it come to dealing with Bat-Bots!

Even though the weekly series takes place in the present-day setting of Gotham, where Bruce Wayne is no long Batman and Jim Gordon has taken over as the new robo-suited Dark Knight, Bruce still have a key role to play. The story revolves around a mystery from the past from back when Dick Grayson was Robin, and Bruce Wayne was the Batman, and involves Mother during Robin’s first globe trotting adventure. Flashbacks to these past events featuring Batman / Bruce Wayne and Robin / Dick Grayson are fleeting in this first issue, but when Grayson’s mission at the reopening of a Gotham University in the present reminds him of his first encounter with Scarecrow when he was Robin, it sets in motion a deadly chain of events that could unleash danger and betrayal on all sides as an unknown figure from the past returns.

It’s also good to see Tony Daniel returning to Gotham City. Tony Daniel’s spent over five years writing drawing Batman comic books and more than three years writing them, so it’s fantastic to see Tony Daniel’s art in Batman and Robin Eternal. Since moving on from Detective Comics in 2012 the writer / artist has worked on a number of projects, including writing and drawing the recent run of Deathstroke. As we might’ve expected, Batman and Robin Eternal provides a welcome reunion for Daniel’s with these iconic characters, and his brilliant artwork on this first issue quickly sets the tone and style of this weekly series. The inks by Sandu Florea are also excellent, highlighting every aspect of Daniel’s art, and the rich colors by Tomeu Morey make this issue look absolutely stunning. Needless to say, the cover for Batman and Robin Eternal #1 by Tony Daniel, Sandu Florea, and Tomeu Morey, is superb, and probably one of the most impressive covers for a new series that I’ve seen in a long time! (There is also a great variant cover by Mikel Janin.)

It’s no secret that the all new, silent and deadly version, of Cassandra Cain makes her welcome debut to the New 52 in Batman and Robin Eternal, and it’s clear her role will be a key factor that drives the narrative of this weekly series. Let’s just say that her appearance during this issue comes at a most unexpected moment, actually it completely wrong-foots you, and it’s a brilliantly handled scene that illustrates her fighting skills perfectly. I’ve always liked Cassandra Cain, she’s a terrific character, and I’m looking forward to discovering more about her role in the events of Batman and Robin Eternal in the weeks ahead.

There are also some good scenes featuring Harper and her brother, Cullen, their bond is as strong as ever, however, it seems Steph isn’t too happy about being left on the sidelines again while Bluebird hit’s the streets. Harper Row is another worthy addition to the Bat-Family, she’s evolved into such a pivotal character since her introduction, and I’m sure Batman and Robin Eternal will give the character a chance really to shine.

Dark secrets wait in the shadows, there’s a message from the past for Dick Grayson, and who is the mysterious Orphan? James Tynion V and Scott Snyder have worked their magic on Batman and Robin Eternal #1, Tynion’s engaging multi-layered script sets a high benchmark for the series, as the story weaves seamlessly between timelines, and the art by Tony Daniel’s is stunning! Batman and Robin Eternal #1 delivers a cracking start to the series, packed from cover to cover with full-throttle action, great characterization, and one of the most jaw-dropping final pages ever its clear we are going to be in for one hell of a ride!

Publisher: DC Comics

Story by James Tynion V & Scott Snyder

Script by James Tynion V

Art: Tony Daniel

Inks: Sandu Florea

Colors: Tomeu Morey

Letters: Tom Napolitano

Cover: Tony Daniel, Sandu Florea, and Tomeu Morey / variant cover: Mikel Janin

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