I somehow missed this thread altogether.
The Two-Face story has always felt a little clumsy to me, as if the writers realized that they’d forgotten one of their main villains and had to slap together something to make up for their oversight. Even Klaus Janson’s art isn’t doing it for me. (I think his rough, erratic style worked much better for Gothic.)
Batman #498 is essentially a transition issue with nothing of interest going on in it. But, you know, a filler issue is sometimes necessary for pacing purposes, and the issue offers plenty of Jim Aparo’s hilariously awkward framing, which I’m all for. (Who said that you had to go back to Adam West for your Dutch angle fix?)
Shadow of the Bat gives us one of the best Scarecrow stories to ever grace a Batman comic, as far as I’m concerned. And while the Showcase art felt distracting and inappropriate, the artwork here by Bret Blevins is stunning and completely in-line with the content. Oh, and Anarky is here, too, but who cares?