With #327, for this being the issue that debuts the new Batman costume, I’m surprised that nothing was mentioned of it, though I guess that’s a more modern idea. The story itself is interesting, with a unique hook. Funny story – when I was reading this, and Batman and Robin wake up to have X’s marked on their foreheads, I suddenly thought to myself, “Wait, wasn’t that a Manson thing?” And yep, there was Charles Mansion and his gang all with Xs carved on their foreheads during their trial in 1970.
COINCIDENCE?!!?
…Almost certainly, but still kinda funny to think about.
“Yellow oval: Yea or yea? There is no nay.”
I certainly dig it. After all, it was part of a lot of big influential takes on the character I loved when I was growing up, such as the Tim Burton movies, B:TAS, and even Dark Knight Returns. There is certainly something to be said about the big black bat symbol too. I actually liked how Greg Capullo sort of made the best of both worlds with the Rebirth costume. It certainly cuts a mean silhouette this way.
As for #411, a pretty good sort of international caper. The threats were clever and how Batman bests them works pretty well. I will say that, in answering the question, while this is Talia’s debut, I don’t feel like this is her finest moment. one of the things that makes her a such a good sometimes-lover-sometimes-villain for Batman is how in many ways she is his equal in terms of intelligence and fighting prowess. But here she’s kind of the standard damsel in distress.
Okay, #549, a decent issue. In regards to Bullock’s secret, I like it in theory, in that it feels comparable to Batman himself, who kind of puts on a performance in both being Bruce Wayne the playboy and Batman the vigilante and it’s hard to decipher sometimes which is the more performance than real. However, while I like the idea of Bullock being this romantic cinephile since he feels like a bit of a blast from the past, it feels rather…unnecessary, and a guise that doesn’t really work, because he talks about these old pics and Gordon sees right through him anyway.
Funny enough, I thought the BTAS episode “A Bullet for Bullock,” while not being an adaptation of this book, felt inspired by it and I think overall does this story of adding complexity to Harvey Bullock a lot better.
The thing that really surprised and wowed me was that before this I didn’t know Alan Moore wrote a Green Arrow/Black Canary story. That was pretty cool to see and, like, way better than the main story.
