View Full Version : Best story arc in recent memory?
king911
11-30-2007, 04:05 PM
correct me if im wrong, Hush
PunisherFan
11-30-2007, 06:12 PM
I liked it, most didn't. ANother good one, albeit not a Batman title persay is Arkham Asylum. It was a miniseries.
Alexx1
11-30-2007, 08:25 PM
I thought the "HUSH" series was awesome and its one of my favorite Batman story arc's. Loved Jim Lee's artwork. It's even more brilliant in Absolute Batman: Hush (hardcover). Just how Jim Lee's work should be seen. I think Jeph Loeb is a fantastic writer and really gets the true essence of who Batman is. Their Catwoman and Poison Ivy in this one were drool-worthy.
king911
11-30-2007, 08:46 PM
what has been good since hush though?
The best one before Hush that i can think of was Batman Family, Sick story!, then before then Bruce Wayne Fugative i think. The only one after Hush, War Games? that was pretty good
The Beast Of Yucca Flats
11-30-2007, 09:11 PM
Ed Brubaker's "Dead Reckoning" in Detective #777-782. Wonky art in a lot of places, but storywise, it's more satisfying a mystery/thriller than Hush by a country mile.
Chris Gage & Ron Wagner's short "Cold Case" arc in Legends #201-203 offered a pretty interesting new wrinkle on a long-time foe, too.
Harding Prime
11-30-2007, 09:13 PM
Batman has been on a broader scale of the DC Universe since Hush, being so directly involved with the beginning of Infinite Crisis with the OMAC project, haven't been a lot of just Batman story arc's going on. I have enjoyed the change in Batman's persona since the Infinite Crisis, more over Bruce's persona actually, Batman is still a bad ass. I like what Morrison has been doing and look forward to the climax of his run.
The main solo Batman story after Hush though was The Red Hood story, bringing back Jason Todd. Most people hated it, but I wonder how people feel now seeing how his existence is so involved in the Final Crisis. In hine sight, and while reading it, I enjoyed the story.
I really like Hush as well, Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee make a great team. I love Jim Lee's work, too bad Frank Miller ruined All Star for me.
Face to Face, the story arc after Infinite Crisis bringing back Two Face was very good as well.
Choppa
11-30-2007, 11:22 PM
'HUSH' was terrible. 'Murderer?' was good and I liked some of 'Broken City.'
Infernorhythm
11-30-2007, 11:26 PM
Face the Face. Made Batman human again, featured the best interactions between Batman and Robin with Gordon and the GCPD, was a great mystery, and was all around awesome. James Robinson + Batman = Good.
They were all one or two issue stories, but the best Batman stories of the past couple of years were Paul Dini's recent issues in Detective.
Captain Jim
12-01-2007, 06:19 AM
Something that appeared to be the case earlier on this board was that many people who hadn't read Batman before started with Hush and loved it. Long time readers didn't care as much for it. Personally I thought it was okay but not great. Loeb keeps writing the same story over and over again. I still think his original saga, the Long Halloween, was much better.
Harding Prime
12-01-2007, 08:28 AM
Well, I started reading "story arcs" and not just picking up random comics with knightfall and I think Hush was much better then that. The best story arc around that time was Knights End and Prodigal, where Dick took over the mantle. Hush still stand above those, but honestly, alot of that has to do with Jim Lee's art. I like loeb alot, I just don't see him continuously writing the same story. I see how A Long Halloween is similar, but it's not continuity, so wanted to add that to mainstream Bats. Besides that I don't see many of his arcs similar to Hush. Though his run on Superman/Batman I really enjoyed.
Choppa
12-01-2007, 09:25 AM
Well, I started reading "story arcs" and not just picking up random comics with knightfall and I think Hush was much better then that. The best story arc around that time was Knights End and Prodigal, where Dick took over the mantle. Hush still stand above those, but honestly, alot of that has to do with Jim Lee's art. I like loeb alot, I just don't see him continuously writing the same story. I see how A Long Halloween is similar, but it's not continuity, so wanted to add that to mainstream Bats. Besides that I don't see many of his arcs similar to Hush. Though his run on Superman/Batman I really enjoyed.
You don't see how Loeb writes the same story over and over? LH, DV, and HUSH all had the same plot - mysterious killer with bandages is on the loose, batman has to find him in a 13 issue arc and ultimately it ends with an ambiguous ending. Where's the difference?
Brack360
12-01-2007, 10:45 AM
If we are only discussing story arcs since "Hush," I thought that both "Broken City" and "Death and the Maidens" were excellent and underrated. I also enjoyed Brubaker's "Dead Reckoning," which another poster already pointed out.
Harding Prime
12-01-2007, 10:53 AM
You don't see how Loeb writes the same story over and over? LH, DV, and HUSH all had the same plot - mysterious killer with bandages is on the loose, batman has to find him in a 13 issue arc and ultimately it ends with an ambiguous ending. Where's the difference?
And yet I don't see how the end being the origin of Two-Face and Hush are that similar. Yes, I said that they are somewhat similar, both mysteries (including Dark Victory) that last 12 or 13 episodes. But what I am saying is there are a few dozen other Loeb story's that are not the same, was my point.
matthewaos
12-01-2007, 11:28 AM
I prefer to see the good side, rather the bad. I think that the best recent stories were the two face mini by Jenkins, Broken City, death and the maidens, and everything else Rucka and Brubaker have write, especially Gotham Central. The recent Scarecrow story in Detective was awesome also.
Harding Prime
12-01-2007, 11:42 AM
I have enjoyed the Dini stories as well in Detective, and Gotham Central is alwas spoken well of, but both have one flaw of being good Batman stories or arcs. They don't have a lot of batman in the stories, especially Gotham Central. Face the Face seems to be something we are all agreeing on as a very good story.
matthewaos
12-01-2007, 11:54 AM
That's what I likedf in GC, but yeah, they were not Batman stories.
They were all one or two issue stories, but the best Batman stories of the past couple of years were Paul Dini's recent issues in Detective.
The one with Robin and the Joker in the car
Mon-el
12-01-2007, 12:03 PM
Face to Face, the story arc after Infinite Crisis bringing back Two Face was very good as well.
Face the Face. Made Batman human again, featured the best interactions between Batman and Robin with Gordon and the GCPD, was a great mystery, and was all around awesome. James Robinson + Batman = Good.
I agree with these people. after so long of not seeing The Dynmaic Duo, it was quite refreshing seeing them again.
king911
12-01-2007, 02:07 PM
The one with Robin and the Joker in the car
that one was very enjoyable i just read it today
Choppa
12-01-2007, 04:28 PM
And yet I don't see how the end being the origin of Two-Face and Hush are that similar. Yes, I said that they are somewhat similar, both mysteries (including Dark Victory) that last 12 or 13 episodes. But what I am saying is there are a few dozen other Loeb story's that are not the same, was my point.
It's not that every story he writes is the same, but his Batman ones are.
The Zapper
12-01-2007, 05:16 PM
I still think his original saga, the Long Halloween, was much better.
Oh yeah. The Long Halloween is in a whole other league than Hush.
shaxper
12-01-2007, 08:31 PM
I definitely second (or third) Dini's work in Detective Comics. Though there's no clearly outlined story arc, there's a definite continuity of events moving carefully in the background. And yes, the issue with Joker and Robin in the car was amazing.
Hush is the most recent arc i can think where i was always really excited about the next chapter, and not dissapointed either.
Choppa
12-02-2007, 09:14 AM
^You weren't dissapointed by the ending?
I also liked the beginning of "Face the Face," it reminded me of the dixon/Moench run of the 90's, but that ending was terrible as well.
Harding Prime
12-02-2007, 10:52 AM
What didn't you like about the ending of Face the Face? And the Dixon/Moench run wasn't that good to me. Bad art. The ear on the Cowl...please.
Captain Jim
12-02-2007, 03:37 PM
You don't see how Loeb writes the same story over and over? LH, DV, and HUSH all had the same plot - mysterious killer with bandages is on the loose, batman has to find him in a 13 issue arc and ultimately it ends with an ambiguous ending. Where's the difference?
Don't forget how a different member of Batman's "rogue's gallery" shows up each issue. ;)
Captain Jim
12-02-2007, 03:40 PM
I agree that Knightfall was probably the first "arc" in the modern sense of the word (although Gerry Conway did some great multi-parters in Batman & Detective way back when. And there was the great Englehart/Rogers epic, not to mention Miller's Year One).
But more modern? I still like No Man's Land. I also liked Bruce Wayne: Murderer? and Bruce Wayne: Fugitive quite a bit.
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