Mark Chiarello

While this Elseworlds has a similar feel to Gotham by Gaslight, it's set about 20 years later in 1907, and isn't related to that earlier story. This one has the huge draw for me of featuring Harry Houdini, and then the huge negative of Chaykin using racial slurs and misogyny in a way that comes across as "naughty boy saying naughty words" rather than as (unnecessary) historical accuracy. It's a disappointment, as is the plot that shoehorns in a Renfield-ish Joker and vampires. It has the show more makings of a great story, spoiled by a hamfisted execution. 3🦇 solely for the very good watercolour artwork. show less

If you ever find yourself jonesing for some Batman - not by a particular artist or author, not featuring a specific villain or plotline, but just "I wanna read some Batman stories damn it!" then THIS is your series. Veteran artists and writers are paired up to deliver one great self-contained chapter after another. A few of the stories didn't quite hit their mark for me, but even so, none of them were wasted space, and I would instantly hand this collection to anyone wanting to read some of show more the caped crusader without wading through thick patches of mythos. show less

I love it when Batman is stripped back to his absolute core - a detective on the mean streets of Gotham.

While there’s still a lot of stuff in this volume that takes the Caped Crusader in totally different directions, the majority of the stories rely heavily on the gritty Gotham streets in which Batman uses his intellect to conquer crime. The absolutely stellar opener, Ted McKeever's "Perpetual Morning", is flat out one of the best Batman tales I've ever read. Nominated for an Eisner Award, show more The Dark Knight conducts an autopsy on a murder victim, internally narrating why he does what he does and how those he had failed live on within him.

Other standouts include Bruce Timm's "Two of a Kind", a tale of Harvey Dent’s attempt at redemption, Neil Gaiman’s amazing "A Black and White World" in which Batman and Joker are actors inside the comic, breaking the fourth wall Deadpool style. There's also Bill Sienkiewicz's strange "Bent Twigs" wherein Batman plays family counselor for a strained father/son relationship. It's a strange premise but for whatever reason, it works.

There's a few duds but the good definitely outweighs the bad here. I can see why people may have initially been hesitant about the style but it ultimately works when you apply the kind of storytelling that they all seem to share. show less

I finished reading this more than a month ago and have had a hard time writing a review for it, because I hate to write negative reviews. It's a beautifully produced book and the art is top notch. The art, for me was why I bought the book, in fact. The problem is with the very concept of Batman, I think. This is a collection of 8-page Batman stories and they range from silly to what I can inly think the authors feel are deep psychological explorations of the human psyche. The silly stories show more are fine, enjoyable, even. The problem is that the concept of Batman is so ridiculous -- a billionaire who, rather than use his vast resources to fund some sort of Socialist paradise, instead dresses as a bat and beats the crap out of the mentally ill and economically disadvantaged -- that adding any psychological weight to it makes it fall apart like wet tissue paper.

So, the art is a five and the story is a 2 at best. Thus my 3-star rating for this book on Goodreads. Only the most serious Batman fan should purchase this, which makes me wonder why the hell I bought it... show less