Orpheus, the vigilante hero that Batman handpicked to be his proxy in a war game scenario to control the gangs of Gotham, has been murdered. Without him, Batman's mission to restore order to his city, just got even more harder to accomplish. It's even more taxing as a long thought dead enemy of the Dark Knight has knows of Batman's plans and is impersonating Orpheus in order to put Gotham under their control Adding to the problem, the new Police Commissioner just ordered the GCPD to shoot any and all citizens of the city wearing a mask with extreme prejudice.
Batman: War Games comes to an explosive end. It's refreshing to have such a massive scale Batman story to NOT involve the Joker. The artwork chapters involving Catwoman and Batgirl continues to look ridiculous. But the overall story is top notch and is one of the best I've read this side of No Man's Land.
Worth Consuming
Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.
The way this current Gotham City gang war is evolving seems too eerily familiar to Batman. That's because when Stephanie Brown was given her packing orders to vacate the Batcave as the new Robin, she stole a war game scenario from the Dark Knight's Bat-Computer.
The fallen sidekick hoped that if she could bring the gangs of Gotham under control, she'd win favor with the Caped Crusader and be given a chance to be Robin again. However, there was one little factor that Stephanie wasn't counting on and the entire scenario blew up right in her face.
Now Batman must race to protect the new gang leader known as Orpheus if the hero has any hope of restoring order to the city. Orpheus was being set up as Batman's de facto leader over organized crime in Gotham so that the Dark Knight could control the gangs. Orpheus is the key to the plan's success. However, a long thought dead enemy of the Bat's is hiding in the wings and he has his own plans for Orpheus.
Whomever gets to Orpheus first will have control of the board when the War Games enters Act 3!
I think the second act of War Games was just as good if not better in terms of story than Act One. But the artwork... well, it needs work. There's a couple of chapters that focus on Catwoman and whoever had the duty to render the feline anti-hero made her look like a frog in a black rain coat wearing Madonna's pointy bra. Plus some of the poses of Nightwing and Batgirl swinging through the Gotham skyline are just not physically possible in nature. What's up with that?
A great story with some so-so art.
Worth Consuming
Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.
Tensions among the gangs of Gotham City is at an all-time high. From the shadows, Batman seeks to control his city's organized crime by putting another vigilante hero named Orpheus as head of one the crime families.
Meanwhile, Tim Drake has retired as Batman's partner as a promise to his father. Thus, the Caped Crusader is in need of a new sidekick. Enter Stephanie Brown, AKA Spoiler to take up the mantle of the Boy Wonder. But can she make the grade, especially with an assassin in town seeking to take down her predecessor.
War Drums is the preface to a trilogy of Batman acts called War Games. I've been sitting on this and the trilogy for 2 or 3 years now. I inherited these books from the wife of my best friend Todd. These aren't really volumes I've been looking for or had on my list, but they were his and I thought that these would make a great read. So far, good.
I've been hesitant to read this. I guess it's been my way of not letting go of my best friend or not accepting that he's gone- or something. Well, my shelves are overflowing and if I want to add new stuff to my permanent collection, I gotta make room somewhere...
My only problem now- I'm not sure I wanna give this book up. It's that good.
Worth Consuming!
Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.
