Batman: Masque

Both DC and Marvel love to explore the realms of alternate histories and realities. While Marvel is great looking at small decisions that could have huge impacts. Like what if a character decided to go left instead of right on the way home from work and didn't become a superhero?

With DC's Elseworlds, they like to explore what would happen if characters existed in works of fiction. DC Comics explores other time periods and some small decision changes. But I think their alternate books are best when they tackle the classic story variants.

In this Elseworlds graphic novel from 1997, the members of the Batman Family are still in Gotham City, but it's now around the turn of the 19th century and the characters are now players in the Gaston Leroux gothic classic, The Phantom of the Opera. 

Selina Kyle is the Christine archtype; an up-and-coming opera singer in whom fate has begun to smile on her career thanks to an assortment of tragedies that have occurred at the Gotham Opera House.

Bruce Wayne is playing the Raoul role- a wealthy socialite and paramour of Selina.

But who is the mysterious Phantom that haunts the Gotham Opera House? Is it the urban viglante known as the Bat, who assists the Gotham Police at night? Or is it another unknown factor from Selina's past?

Batman: Masque was a fun read to get in the Halloween spirit (Yes, I am a little behind on my reviews.) I could so see this an an alternate reality musical episode of Gotham. The double duty of art and writing of Mike Grell (Action Comics) was near perfection. I felt that story ends a little too abruptly. Plus, I was really put off by the cover being just a recycled image from the book and not an all-new image. I just feel like that's a cheat against loyal Elseworlds readers who shelled out their hard earned money for this book. Forgivable- YES. But still annoying.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.