Batman and Robin Adventures #3

Here we are! My final holiday comic review for the 2024 season. Based on the iconic Batman: The Animated Series, this comic sees the Riddler holding a prestigious gentlemen's club being held hostage during its annual Christmas party. 

First of all, when I use the term gentlemen's club, I'm not referring to the seedy nudie bar near the airport. Second, when I use the term holiday comic, I'm actually actually referring to the time of year this book is set. Otherwise, this story is one that could have been told the other 364 days of the year.

Christmas is basically just a prop. The Riddler does cause a fire at the club by turning all of the Christmas tree table decorations into incendiaries. However, the fiend could have set the blaze with any sort of decor. The Riddler's scheme could have happened during the club's annual Easter banquet, Fourth of July fete or Thanksgiving feast. 

This is no Christmas With the Joker.

I also had trouble with the ending. Riddler's escape hangs upon dumb luck. Somehow after escaping Batman's clutches, the villain dons a Gotham City SWAT team uniform. He manages to flee the scene when Commissioner Gordon orders the Riddler's SWAT team 'officer' to request fire and rescue and in order to do that, he's got to get inside a transport vehicle to get on the horn to make the inquiry. How would the Riddler have planned to have escaped if Gordon didn't pick him to contact the GCFD?

The ending really rests on a 'hand of fate' decision. The Riddler's heists are too well planned to the finest detail that having this escape step of his scheme hangs on random selection is just too implausible to me. Considering how perfect Paul Dini's Batman: TAS stories are, he really got a little sloppy with this plot. A Riddler caper has to be like clockwork and I'm not talking about using a sun dial. 

Ty Templeton's art work was flawless. So clean and so screen accurate. It really steals the show... Uh, comic. 

Not a true Christmas story. Not the most well thought out Riddler story. But some darn fine artwork. 

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Batman and Harley Quinn

Ty Templeton and Rick Burchett were who you wanted to be in charge of writing and art duties when the newest issue of Batman Adventures dropped. Both talents return to the Batman: The Animated Series universe in this pair of stories starring the Dark Knight and Harley Quinn!

The Joker has belittled his girlfriend for the last time! Feeling completely ignored, Harley Quinn betrays the Clown Prince of Crime to Batman, only to find that The Joker is too pre-occupied with defeating the Caped Crusader! Thus, once 'rehabilitated' by the staff at Arkham Asylum once again, Harley plans on going on her way and she winds up with her supposed BFF Poison Ivy. Sadly, this time around, Harley's role is to become the villainess' lackey! 

Enough is enough for Harley Quinn and she decides to go straight and alone. But with Poison Ivy and The Joker seeking revenge for previous double-crossing, it will take the combine efforts of Batman and Nightwing to keep the Maid of Mischief on the path of righteousness. 

The two stories reprinted in this volume are both a prequel and sequel to 2017's direct-to-DVD animated feature Batman and Harley Quinn. If you've not seen the film, you're okay as the first half of this book is a prequel. But as quite a bit of the movie is referenced in the sequel half of this book, if you haven't seen the film, YOU WILL GET LOST!

Both tales were originally published as web comics on DCComics.com. The first act is 7 chapters long and the artwork is really good up until chapter 5. At that point, the cleanliness of the art drops and everything looks like the very rough computer generated stuff of 2000's Gotham Girls. I really wonder why Burchett's work suffered. Was it due to having to rush to meet deadlines?

A team of artists and writers tackle the production of the second story. Jeff Parker and Amanda Deibert pen an awesome tale that explains some of Harley Quinn's earliest meetings with Task Force X. The art is split among some great Batman talent including Sandy Jarrell and Dario Brizuela. 

Overall, this was an enjoyable read for fans of Harley Quinn and Batman: TAS. But it really helps to have watched the Batman and Harley Quinn movie in order to get the full effect.

Worth Consuming but not without it's flaws!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

A Classic TV Christmas- Advent 2017 Day 22

Today is another one of my very favorite Christmas episodes. I love it so much that I must watch it every year or it's just not Christmas without watching it. It's a favorite to not just me  but my sister. A family tradition from November 13, 1992.I'm not going to spend time explaining it. I am just gonna sit back and let this classic speak for itself...

 Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Batman: The Animated Series' Christmas With the Joker...

Enjoy and until next time- Merry Christmas!

Dark Knight: A True Batman Story

   In the early 90s, Paul Dini was on top of the world. His work on the Batman: The Animated Series won him an Emmy. The show was a massive hit. He had a hot (but not really serious) girlfriend. Dozens of projects were falling in line for the writer.   
    But it all came crashing down one warm night when two men mugged and savagely beat him. Dini needed months of surgery, recovery, and healing. Sadly, the celebrated screenwriter spiraled into a dark depression and alcohol problem. Thankfully, he had the characters of his beloved Batman series to help him find his way out into the light.
     Most Batman stories hint at real life but still fall quite short. This biographical look at a segment at Dini's life was the real deal. It was such an insightful look at the creation of one of my all-time favorite TV shows- not just cartoons- TV shows period!
     If you love Batman: The Animated Series. If you want the inside scoop at the creation of Harley Quinn, the Joker's girlfriend. If you love metaphysical and psychological true crime thrillers- this is the non-fiction Batman graphic novel you've been waiting for.
    A Must Read! But with very graphic violence and some very raw emotions and language, this DC/ Vertigo graphic novel is for mature readers only!

    Worth Consuming

    Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017- Day 11

  Today marks an anniversary that could've gone quite tragically. It's a date in history that while minor to many, chills me to my very core. I remember my dad reading me an article in People magazine about the accident when I was a little kid sitting in my childhood dentist office (maybe that's why I bit him. The dentist, not my dad) and the whole thing has stuck with me ever since. It seems to resonate with fans too, as it's often mentioned on Facebook fan pages.

 often. Besides had things turned out differently by just a little bit, the history of several fandoms including Star Wars, Batman, and the Flash would have been very, very different. And for the Star Wars universe, it actually did change it somewhat...

Hamill, as Luke Skywalker, pre-accident.

    On this date in 1977, actor Mark Hamill got into a serious car accident. He had been speeding, made a wrong turn, and his course correction went out of control. The crash resulted in Hamill fracturing his nose and cheekbone so much that cartilage from his ear had to be used for reconstructive surgery. 

   Though Hamill's life was saved, his appearance was seriously altered. After the surgery, there was major scaring. The symmetry of the actor's face was change, most noticeably along his right eye.

(Note: Most of the reconstructive surgery happened a year after the accident. That's why photos of Hamill during the premier of Star Wars don't look so bad. But you can see the glare of a scar on is right cheek in this photo.)

During filming of 1978's Hamill was put in heavy make-up, given bangs, and shot from reverse,
to minimize the scaring from surgeries. On the right, George Lucas added the actor's scars
to the plot of Empire Strikes Back, having Luke be attacked by a giant snow creature. 

    The accident happened just 4 months before Star Wars premiered. Some re-shoots had to be done by a stun double from behind. But the incident happened with very little fanfare because at this time, Hamill was a relative unknown entity- plus Star Wars was expected to be a major flop! Instead, Star Wars went on to become the biggest motion picture hit of all-time and movie history was made- But I'll get to that later this year.

     History would have been so much different had this accident turned deadly. Without it's star, would there have been an Empire Strikes Back or Return of the Jedi? Would the film franchise even be as popular as it is now if only one film had been released? I know my childhood would've been quite different without further Star Wars sequels. And I don't even wanna think about what the Joker's voice would sound like on Batman: The Animated Series without the voice talents of Mark Hamill. (Interestingly enough, it was Hamill's accident that lead to him becoming less of a leading man and more of a major voice talent. Listen to a sampling of his Joker as Donald Trump below...) And not just one live-action Flash, but three (yes, I did the math) would've been without one of his greatest enemies. 

    
    Fate likes to play games. Sometimes it's fair, sometimes it's not. And sometimes destiny likes to be a little of both. That seems to be how it was with Mark Hamill on that fateful day in January 40 years ago. Had he not had the accident, maybe he wouldn't be, in my opinion, the definitive voice of the Joker. I don't know; maybe he'd still be a voice over action. Or would Hamill have made the jump Harrison Ford did and become a mega-star of some other franchise like Terminator or Aliens? Maybe nobody will ever truly know. What I do know is that my life surely has been enriched thanks to Mark Hamill still being around and that's a very good thing. 
     Here's to another 40 years, Mr. Hamill. I hope they are good ones!

Batman/ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures #1 (Family Comic Friday)

Variant Cover C by Turtles Co-creator, Kevin Eastman.

  Earlier this year, the worlds of Batman and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles collided for the very first time. But that comic team-up was aimed at teen and adult audiences. (Very few people know that the Ninja Turtles was originally a very gritty and mature parody of Frank Miller’s Daredevil comics.)

   Well, in order to placate those who called for an all-ages teaming of the two franchises, DC and IDW joined forces again to bring us Batman/ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures. The miniseries which hit shelves with issue #1 this past Wednesday is set in the TMNT Nickelodeon animated universe and the Batman: The Animated Series Universe, marking the return of the original TAS universe in comics form in almost 20 years! When I saw the ad for this series a couple of weeks ago, it immediately went on my wish list and issue #1 did not disappoint!

   In the Batman Universe, a number of inmates from Arkham Asylum have escaped and seemingly vanished without a trace. When the Dark Knight finally catches up with Two-Face, the dual villain rambles on about a world without a ‘Two-Face...without a Harvey Dent… Without a Batman!’

   Meanwhile, in the Ninja Turtles universe, the Shell-heads are facing a problem of their own. Archenemy Kraang and his people have activated another inter-dimensional portal into the Turtles sewer lair. But instead of a bunch of pink brain creatures pouring through it, the guys battle a man made of mud that can change into anything and anyone: Clayface!

   Though the Caped Crusader and the Heroes in the Half Shell never meet, parts of their two universes do bleed over. I believe that there’s supposed to be a total of 6-issues in this storyline. So the two parties are going to come face-to-face. I just hope it’s sooner than later.

     The artwork is primarily in the vein of the Nickelodeon series. But Ninja Turtle  artist Jon Sommarvia along with inker Sean Parsons do a fairly good job in their renderings of Batman, Alfred, Two-Face and Clayface. But there were a couple of characters that really look nothing like the original animated series or the Batman/Robin and Justice League spin-offs for that matter. I’d tell you who they are, but I don’t wanna ruin the surprise yet…

   I really enjoyed this issue. Various Batman titles writer Matthew K. Manning has done a great job thus far and I think this will end up as one of the all-time classic team-up stories that appeal to a wide spectrum of generations of Batman and Ninja Turtle fans.

  

   Worth Consuming

  Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

The Batman Adventures #12 (Family Comic Friday)

   Batman Adventures #12. It's one of two most coveted issues by collectors in the past 3-5 years (with New Mutants #98 being the other.) This issue, based on the classic Batman: The Animated Series from the 1990s, marks the first appearance of the Joker's girlfriend in comic book form. Though this series wasn't officially canon, collectors have been in a frenzy to pick this book up in anticipation of today's debut of the Suicide Squad movie.

    In this issue, Barbara Gordon goes to a costume party, dressed as a female version of Batman. When Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy kidnap the guest of honor, Barbara goes into action as Batgirl to save the day. But while the new hero has Harley and Ivy under control, she may have bitten off more than she can chew when a new foe enters the scene: Catwoman!

    For a comic that is fetching prices of $475- to over $1000 because of a first appearance, this book was a bit of a disappointment. Harley is barely in this issue. She's got maybe 8 lines at best. But the collector wants what the collector wants...

     As a Batman: The Animated Series comic, this is a fun read. It captured the spirit of the cartoon very well. The art was spot on and the writing of Kelley Puckett was exceptional. If anyone was going to write a Batgirl themed issue, it needed to be him as he created at least one version of the heroine and was a prolific writer of her stuff in the 90s. 

     Lastly, folks, I hope you're not thinking that I am advocating you buy your child this book- well I am but I don't expect you to shell out $500 clams for an ungraded copy. I choose this issue to review as it's a kid's friendly version of Harley Quinn to read. Thankfully, this issue can be found for less than $20, along with 9 other tales in the pages of Batman Adventures, Volume 2! 

      Batman: The Animated Series and the three series of comics based on the show were such great views and reads. I loved them. My little sister adored them and even my mother thought it was a good show. And now parents who grew up watching this show are sharing with there kids and the second generation has fallen in loved with them as well.

      Even non-Harley Quinn issues can be a little pricey. You can sometimes get lucky in a bargain bin but even after 10 years of active searching, I've barely scratched the surface with my wish list. So check out the reprint collections. Four volumes are currently available and they can be bought for decent prices on Amazon. 

     It's a great way to collect the series without breaking the bank.

     Worth Consuming

     Rating: 7.5 out of 10 stars.
     

Scooby-Doo Team-Up #12

  I can't believe I bought into the hype...
 
   In the summer of 2015, the surprise hit of the year was Scooby-Doo Team-Up #12. I had already been a fan of this series since day one. Echoing the New Scooby-Doo Mysteries series from 1972, this series has the crew of Mystery Inc. solving mysteries with super-heroes and other cartoon legends. In terms of this issue's guest-star attraction, Harley Quinn, well my affection for her runs a lot deeper.
   In September of 1992 on Batman: The Animated Series, in an episode entitled 'Joker's Favor,' the Clown Prince of Crime got a girlfriend. Dressed as a Jester, Harley Quinn was supposed to be a thrown away one-time bit role. But she stole the hearts of millions that day including mine. 
   Over the years, my much littler sister became a fan of Batman and I would make her giggle doing Harley's voice in little bits with the Joker when we would play with her Batman action figures. But I think what cemented it for us was the epic battle between Harley and Lex Luthor's bodyguard, Mercy, during the premiere of the Batman/Superman Movie: World's Finest. Needless to say, when DC announced that this issue was coming out, I immediately put it on my wish list. What I didn't expect was for it to sell like hot cakes.
     I got lucky. My favorite comic book store is really a used book store, so it's often under the radar of but the most serious of collectors. But by the end of September 23, when this book dropped, stores nationwide were sold out and copies were being listed on Facebook and eBay for upwards of $30 a piece. 
    I apparently got into the fervor because I immediately bagged this issue and put it away in my collection without even doing the one thing I mean to do with it- READ IT! Then two nights ago as I was filing some comics, I came across this issue, realizing that I hadn't read it yet. So, was it worth the wait? Worth the fervor? Let's check out Scooby-Doo Team-Up #12.

    Scooby and the Gang are mysteriously summoned to the rooftops of Gotham. Thinking that Batman has secretly asked for their help on a case, the detectives agree only to be met by Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy. Despite the Mystery Gang having foiled the Joker in the past, Harley and Ivy don't have any ill will towards those meddling kids. No, they want help being rid of a ghost who has cursed them after they stole an ancient Egyptian gemstone.
      The real thief in this adventure was the Joker's girlfriend because Harley Quinn stole the show. She had the best lines and the decision to have artist Dario Brizuela draw her in her original jester costume was the right choice. It was great to have the original Harley back even if for just 32 short little pages.
      Honestly, this issue could've managed with just Harley Quinn as the guest-star. Her BFF and roommate Poison Ivy wasn't even necessary. She had very few lines and she really doesn't move the story anywhere. But I have a feeling Ivy was added as this issue was a tribute to Harley's first appearance in comic form (Batman: TAS #12) and both villains were in that issue.
     Overall, this issue #12 wasn't bad. But the Scooby Gang were reduced to those same insipid gags that the cartoon is known for. In Scooby-Doo Team-Up, the team is much more wittier and smarter- even Shaggy has a little more brains and backbone in this series. So why were the so darn goofy in this story? Don't blame Harley for the ridiculousness- she was actually more sane than anyone in this uneven tale.
     There were some bright spots but the potential of this issue didn't match up with the insanity that surrounded this issue last summer...

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.