Gotham in the grip of a deadly Virus!
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This is a Batman graphic novel from a few years ago. The collection originally came out in 1996 and compiles comics from the Batman universe. Not all of the chapters in here are from the Batman series - but also come from the Azrael, Robin and Catwoman series. So what this means is that within this one main story, there are different threads to it, and also different artwork.
The main story deals with an unstoppable virus affecting the populus of Gotham. The build up into the main story is quite nice, as we track the virus into the city - a series of deadly sneezes pass this on to the next unlucky soul. Batman, Azrael (yes, THAT Azrael from the Knightfall trilogy), Robin, Catwoman and Nightwing all struggle to overcome the impending disaster that threatens to engulf Gotham.
Whilst the plague (or as it is known in the graphic novel, 'The Clench') spreads to all corners of Gotham we see all corners of society dealing with impending death. The rich hole themelves up, and assume that they can beat the virus. The poor suffer and die in the streets - but not before looting places, and threatening to murder the over-priveleged who have hidden themselves away!
This is the basic set up for the story and i won't say anymore as there as some nice twists throughout the graphic novel.
There is plenty of showcasing of characters here - Robin, Catwoman, Azrael and Nightwing all get plenty of coverage here, and so do other characters such as Poison Ivy, and for me the highlight is the small, but very well done, piece with Commissioner Gordon. It is nice to see the comparison between Batman and the Commissioner. Both are fighting this crisis in different ways, and it is quite clever to see how they both do this. For me, this was the stand-out section of the story.
In terms of artwork, this is a pretty good collection, but some people may be put off by the different styles within it. For me, it highlighted that there was more than one storyline going on and this change in style reflected that quite nicely. Though, it may not be to everyone's taste. However, so many graphic novels have more than one artist these days that this is not uncommon.
The story is good and solid too. I read this pretty quickly, with very few breaks which is usually a good sign. A decent story with good character development in tough situations tends to work pretty well in the Batman universe, and this book matches that criteria.
It has a few faults.Some of the artwork, particularly the people suffering from the Clench is a bit over the top, but this is nit-picking on my part!
Also, there is a follow up called Legacy. So get reading soon....there is more to come!
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Hmm. Collected, disparate issues, and it shows.
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Well. If you put a "book" like this next to something like "year one" or "Top Ten" then it just doesn't stand up. personally, I don't like the highly coloured, flashy style. The super-muscled, ubermench style of drawing which makes the likes of Nightwing look impossibly inhuman is just a turnoff. Also, what is going on with catwoman's bizzare Pammi Anderson style bazoomas? So strange. There has always been something so human about the Batman comic and this kind of bursting physicality is just absurd.
The story is good but the fact that it is culled from different comix (Azrael, Batman, Nightwing etc) means that the consistency is patchy and the drawing of actual characters inconsistent. I don't mind two artists having a different take on Poison Ivy - but not in the same book. That's annoying.
If you are someone who follows all these stories every month in the single issues, I'm sure the criss-crossing of narrative post-modernly from thread to thread was very exciting. However it does not, does not add up to an acceptable whole. After reading something like The Dark Knight Returns or Year One, this doesn't cut the mustard. Read Year One instead is my advice. Or No man's land. Or the Hush.
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A Must-Have For Batman Fans
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This is one of the major events in the Batman universe, and is handled in a suitably epic fashion. The plague ravages Gotham, forcing Robin and Azrael to travel the world looking for a cure. Meanwhile, Catwoman is also after the cure - so that she can make a fortune out of it. Back in Gotham, Batman tries to cope with an insane world of plague and death. With great (if sometimes sickening...) artwork, this is an outstanding read. It also provides a look at the human psyche, so see how people would react when plunged into this kind of apocalyptic nightmare.
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