Batman Begins: The Movie & Other Tales of the Dark Knight

This DC trade paperback is like a matinee movie in reverse. The comic adaptation of the opening chapter of Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy by Scott Beatty and Kilian Plunkett is the main attraction. The accompanying 4 stories are like the animated shorts and adventurous serials you would watch as lead up. Only they come after the movie!

I can't really say a lot about the adaptation of 2005's Batman Begins. Unlike the 2008's follow up, The Dark Knight, I've only seen the origin story once. So I don't have any idea if Beatty and Plunkett's version of the movie has extra stuff that got removed before hitting theaters or not. I will say that reading the comic book version of the film has really pique my interest in seeing the trilogy again. Mostly because there is a lot of material in the comic that I don't remember.

While Batman Begins is what got me to buy this book, it's the 4 shorter Batman stories that really captured my attention.

First by Denny O'Neil and Dick Giordano is another origin story of Batman. Only this is the accepted DC canon version which focuses more on Bruce Wayne studying the science of criminology more than martial arts and the tools of stealth. 

Story #2 is by Greg Rucka and Rick Burchett. It simultaneously tells of Batman taking down a gang while a family of 3 are trapped in their vehicle under the Gotham harbor. With time running out and water rushing in, this story has more of a Batman: The Animated Series vibe to it and was perhaps the best story of the bunch.

Story #3 is by Ed Brubaker. In a teaming with Catwoman, Batman explores what it is that makes him a vigilante. That faithful night in Crime Alley is referenced a lot. Art is pretty good. Yet, despite my feeling that Brubaker is the best crime comic writer of them all, he commits an unpardonable sin amongst fans of the Dark Knight by having the hero proclaim that his true identity is Bruce Wayne! Not the Bat!

The final story is an unusual Batman story by Fables head honcho Bill Willingham. It sees a rooftop Batman losing his footing and crashing to the streets below. Obviously injured from the fall, the Caped Crusader must be helped by an assorted group of Gothamites. I wasn't so much of a fan of Tim Fowler's art. But the story was so different and so very engrossing. 

A great mix of stories celebrating not just the origin of the Batman but also of what makes a Batman. A worthy addition to my Batman collection of comics. Only it's not the feature that makes this book worth owning--- it's the backup material! In fact, I'd rather lose the comic adaptation and just add 3-4 more similar tales to the quartet of additional works!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

The Batman Handbook: The Ultimate Training Manual by Scott Beatty

The official manual to becoming the Batman! True, nobody can be Batman. But, if you ever wanted to follow in his footsteps, then Scott Beatty has crafted a handbook for you. Taking instruction from experts in law enforcement, criminology, first aid, self defense, psychology and weaponry, Beatty utilizes the Dark Knight's casebook to advise up-and-coming vigilantes and superheroes on how to defend and protect themselves from nearly any situation one might face in Gotham City. There's even some tips from magicians and escape artists on how to free yourself from the various traps employed by Batman's rogues gallery.

Need to know how to build up your superhero arsenal of vehicles and gadgets? Clueless on how to conduct your own investigations? Don't worry! Scott Beatty's got you covered! In my opinion, those sections are Scott Beatty's most well researched and written articles. When Beatty tries to explain situations such as how to safely fall off a building or how to repel up that same building, he gets caught up in the technical aspects and I find myself getting lost. Let's face it: no matter how many illustrations one might add as figure examples, trying to get your bearings through instructions on how to be perpendicular with the ground while keeping your arms in a diagonal bend is just too complicated to follow. A series of supplemental YouTube videos would have been greatly appreciated.

The artwork for the handbook is very clean. It has that classic style of Batman: The Animated Series. I like almost all of it. Except for the ears. I don't know why. But David Hahn's ability to draw ears just seems so odd looking. Big cases in point are the auricles of techno villain Gearhead as well as those of Commissioner Jim Gordon. One might think that I'm being petty or nitpicky about this. But the insides of human ears just don't look like that!

A neat concept by Quirk Books. Great use of actual Batman comics and other media. Though I would have liked if this book had stayed either all comics or all movies. Both really muddies the lines of what is canon and what is not. A must for fans of the Batman family. Only just because there is some actual life saving information comprised inside this book, by no means use this to become an actual superhero!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Star Wars Adventures: Destroyer Down

I love Star Wars Adventures! It's the all-ages Star Wars comic book I wish I had growing up.
When IDW announced this spin-off, I was thrilled. I haven't been reading the post-Jedi novels. So, unless I find info online, I know very little about what lead up to the Battle of Jakku.

In this 3-issue miniseries, Rey and her fellow scavengers unlock the secrets of that climatic battle between Rebels and Imperial forces. When a sand storm uncovers the missing Star Destroyer, Spectral, it's a race to be the first to recover parts and assorted relics from the ghost ship. But Rey and company will have to be on alert, for this ghost ship really does have some phantoms aboard. 

I was a little upset at myself for missing this book when it came out as individual issues. I'm a big fan of Derek Charm's artwork on SWA. But this collection has an added bonus for those who waited like me- an action packed story set during the battle of Jakku! That's right! Fans will get to learn just what happened to cause the Spectral to crash. It's the perfect tie-in to the events of Destroyer Down!

Jon Sommariva (Rexodus) pencils the prequel tale. And while I love Charm, I though Sommariva added such a great Clone Wars touch to the story. 

Destroyer Down was a great blend of classic and new Star Wars. Scott Beatty (Nightwing: Year One) captured the spirit of Star Wars almost perfectly. The humorish moments ware pure fun. I especially loved a funny scene involving a thermal detonator and some skeptical storm troopers. The only thing missing was Han Solo...

A great read for fans of a galaxy far, far away!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.