Batman: Black and White #1

Batman: Black and White #1The newest volume of the anthology series Batman: Black and White features stories written and penned by some of comics best featuring an eclectic mix of Batman adventures. My two favorite stories of the collection involve a young Dick Grayson Robin and Superman searching for a missing Batman by Chip Kidd with terrific art by Michael Cho and a Harley Quinn/Poison Ivy adventure by Maris Wicks and Joseph A Quinones Jr. involving tainted hamburger meat that hearkens back to the glory days of Batman: The Animated Series.

Also include here are a Zombie Batman story written and drawn by Neal Adams (weird, and a tad too preachy) and Batman hunting down a determined Ventriloquist by Howard Mackie and Chris Samnee (I liked the art better than the story). The only story that didn’t work for me was the one offered by John Arcudi and Sean Murphy which turns the Dark Knight into a little too much of a gear-head for my tastes. Batman has had quite a career in comics over the years and this first issue gives us a little bit of everything from the Dark Knight’s past. Despite a $5 cover price and the lack of color and inks, fans should enjoy this one. Worth a look.

[DC, $4.99]