Batman

Batman #118

After stopping a few of his foes from crashing a Bat-Villain themed party for the Billionaire’s Ball, Batman heads overseas where a number of Batman, Inc. heroes have been arrest for the murder of a super-villain called Abyss, a murder Batman believes they committed. The question is why?

Batman #118 ushers in a new creative team, a mystery for Batman outside of Gotham City, and, once he touches down in Badhnisia, a change into the Batman, Inc. costume for our Caped Crusader. I’ve got to say I’m happy to have the Bat-Symbol back on our hero, but the lack of trunks (plus the unnecessary seams) means we still are denied Batman’s classic look as DC seems incapable of providing more than half of a good costume for our hero. As for the mystery, it seems Batman may have an ally (of sorts) in… Lex Luthor?

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Injustice

  • Title: Injustice
  • IMDb: link

Adapted from the 2013 video game and subsequent comic series, Injustice offers a look at a dark future where tragedy befalls Lois Lane (Laura Bailey) which changes the path of Superman (Justin Hartley) and the DCU. The game was far from the first to examine this idea.

Kingdom Come, in which the Joker (Kevin Pollak) is also responsible for Lois’ death, gives us a future where Superman retreats and a new generation of less-honorable heroes take his place. Justice League‘s “A Better World” gives us an alternate Earth where the League has become Lords of a dystopian future. Both are more effective versions of similar themes than what we are given here.

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The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries #8

While attempting to eat at one of the few businesses still open on the rundown Gotham Waterfront, the gang runs into a ghost. The search leads Batman and Mystery, Inc. to investigate a former villain lair which has been bought out, along with much of the abandoned land, by a lottery winner with plans for revitalization… or that’s at least what the city wants to believe.

JH Development turns out to be Joker and Harley Quinn constructing a Joker World amusement park which they use to try and kill Batman and those meddling kids. While it’s unclear what the park is for (other than feeding the Joker’s vanity), the creepy super-villain attraction meshes well with Scooby-Doo themes. The villains are caught, and like all classic Scooby-Doo stories, the ghost has a rational explanation as well, leaving Batman the decision of what to do with Joker Land. Thankfully, a little branding goes a long way.

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Batman: The Adventures Continue Season Two #6

“Mayor Mayhem” continues as the corrupt former Gotham City Mayor Emerson Mayfield’s candidacy to reclaim the office continues to gain support. With something obviously fishy about how quickly the notorious scoundrel is winning people to his sides, Barbara joins the campaign looking for answers and Mayfield calls in a specialist to deal with Batman.

Batman recognizes the disguised Clayface as his attacker, but he’s safely locked up behind bars at Arkham Asylum. And later Clayface escapes to attack Batman again! And Barbara discovers he isn’t the only escapee working for the campaign (which also explains the ex-mayor’s sudden rise in popularity). But is there enough time to reveal the truth before Mayfield and the Bat-villains can steal the election?

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The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries #7

While Batman, Robin, and Mystery, Inc. deal with a giant cat attacking the top of Wayne Tower (which turns out to be a distraction for Catwoman‘s latest break-in and jewel theft), Alfred, Daphne, and her butler Jenkins search for the missing Scooby-Doo and Ace who were dognapped from Wayne Manor.

There’s quite a bit of fun to be had in The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries #7 with Alfred and Daphne working together to solve the main story while giving us an appearance of Catwoman, in her original Batman: The Animated Series costume (a personal favorite).

The real surprise comes from the reveal of the identity of the villain behind the abduction and ransom of more than 30 dogs in Gotham City as The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries gives us my favorite Bat-villain of all time: Catman!

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