Favorite Batman One-Shots, Minis, And/Or Crossovers

[adam_warlock_2099]

That was how I felt about Superman/Batman as well, though I think it had a pretty strong end as well.

I only made it to around issue #25 or so. I remember the last story just really not doing it for me. I thought the first 10-15 issues were great Batman and Superman stories. I actually like the two paired as they are so different and their differences make them a strong team.

[FanboyStranger]

One I haven't seen mentioned yet is BATMAN: THE ORDER OF BEASTS by Eddie Campbell. Sort of an homage to the Golden Age, filtered through Campbell's unique style. Very neat.

I'll second this. Gorgeous art from Eddie, and a pretty solid story as well. Campbell also tells how his need to incorporate his loose comics company in order to write a Bat-book nearly drove him insane and threatened his family's financial wellbeing in The Lovely Horrible Stuff, his latest OGN, which is wonderful in a completely different way. Both are definitely worth checking out.

[FanboyStranger]

Batman 452-454. Dark Knight Dark City. Prob my favorite Riddler story. Had kind of an elseworld feel to it, it had demons and freakin Thomas Jefferson made an appearance.

Grant Morrison made this the centerpiece of the second phase of his epic Bat-run in Batman & Robin and The Return of Bruce Wayne. I was indifferent towards Morrison's run until these books.

[Johnny P. Sartre]

Dark Knight, Dark City is one of my favorite Bats stories! Peter Milligan has written some very underrated Bats classics, like Dark Knight, Dark City and had Mignola on cover duties. :drools:

[adam_warlock_2099]

I'm gonna have to read Dark Knight Dark City again ... I am completely blanking on the story. Even the covers didn't remind me. We I'm pulling it out to read.

Another I forgot is Dark Knight Dynasty. Originally came out in hardcover, but I think they've since released a SC. I really like the "Past" story out of the three. Scott Hampton's art really wowed me that first time and still does when I read it again. I think Mike W Barr did great writing all three stories, but the "Past" is always my favorite.

[Bad Wolf]

I liked the Halloween special with the Scarecrow. I think it came out under Legends of the Dark Knight.

[An Ear In The Fireplace]

One story I read early on made a big impression on me. It was the story in the first series of bubble-gum cards from Topps and I was buying these before I actually got into the comics. It wasn't just the Bob Powell and Norman Saunders artwork, but the actual story that appeared on the initial series of cards--involving the Joker, Penguin, and Catwoman that each in their turn got their hands on some secret formula. I never got the full story at the time--although I did buy enough bubble-gum cards to have most of the story pieced together. The seres was re-released in a box set after the first Burton Batman movie, so I finally got the full story. It had a pulp-noir feel to it that gave me a different sense of the character from what I was seeing in the TV show--or even in the comics (although I noticed that the comics sometimes tried to evoke the same feeling). I still think of this as the perfect version of the Caped Crusader.

[adam_warlock_2099]

Well I did read Dark Knight Dark City and honestly didn't remember any of it. I dunno if it was just that I've read so much Batman that it got lost in my brain or it was that impressionable to me the first time. But I can''t believe I did forget this one. I've never seen the Riddler like this. I mean I am not a huge Riddler fan, but this was like The Killing Joke for Riddler. Good story, glad it got brought up and I could read it again.

I also read Gotham Nights II. This was a very early read for me. I remember picking up issue #1 and #2 at drug store before I even found the local comic shop. The rest of the mini is direct sales so I guess right around in there was when I got to a comic shop. This too was also like a new read for me. I had no recollection of the story, but enjoyed the concept of Batman being involved in something more than criminal. This was a story not just about crime, but about Gotham itself and how a part of it died with the ending of the story. I also enjoyed the closing of the story with Bruce's actual involvement in the lead character's closure of the whole incident. Good read.

[wu-tang warrior]

Glad you checked out Dark Knight Dark City again. Never thought of it like Killing Joke for the Riddler, but that is right on, great way to describe it.

[Reptisaurus!]

Most of my favorites have already been mentioned. But there was a one from the early 90's with Two Face, think it was called "Crime & Punishment", J.M. Dematteis wrote it. Who was one of my favorite Spider-Man writers.

He also wrote a couple Batman/Spider-man crossovers. The first was some awful '90s blood and gore silliness, but the second - featuring a Kingpin/R'as Ah Ghul who's the bigger bastard competition - is one of my favorite '90s appearances of both characters.

And, then there's...



It's a Bob Haney era Brave and the Bold story, and while it's missing the grounded realism that comes from usual partner Jim Aparo, it has Batman, Deadman, and special guest star Sherlock Holmes vs. Bluebeard, Nero, Hitler, the Loch Ness Monster and special guest star the devil. It's not his best work, but it might go down in history as the Bob-Haneyest thing ever.

[Aaron King]

It's not his best work, but it might go down in history as the Bob-Haneyest thing ever.

I'm going to try hard to incorporate "Bob Haney" as an adjective in my critical vocabulary.

[adam_warlock_2099]

Just read Batman/Demon. I enjoyed it fairly well. Pretty simple but both Alan Grant's writing of Batman alone in hell and the art of David Roach went well together to convey a sense of sorrow and despair that was probably the most memorable part of the book than most anything else.

It's a little off topic, but Reptisaurus' mention of that Brave and the Bold issue, had me realize that I haven't really read anything of Deadman. In one of the mention books I was reading there was an ad for a Batman/Deadman one shot or mini. Anyone know if it was any good? What Deadman would I read to get a sense of the character?

Edit: I also now remembered Batman Abduction and Dreamland as I recently finished reading on non-fiction book on alien encounters and abductions. I remember them both being good issues, that kind of like Batman/Demon and Dirty Tricks (Batman-LOTDK #95-97) they tested things that Batman couldn't tangibly prove true or not. I also happen to be interested in the subject so it was neat to see Batman tackle this phenomenon.

[Polar Bear]

He also wrote a couple Batman/Spider-man crossovers. The first was some awful '90s blood and gore silliness, but the second - featuring a Kingpin/R'as Ah Ghul who's the bigger bastard competition - is one of my favorite '90s appearances of both characters.

And, then there's...



It's a Bob Haney era Brave and the Bold story, and while it's missing the grounded realism that comes from usual partner Jim Aparo, it has Batman, Deadman, and special guest star Sherlock Holmes vs. Bluebeard, Nero, Hitler, the Loch Ness Monster and special guest star the devil. It's not his best work, but it might go down in history as the Bob-Haneyest thing ever.

What's the issue number is this? Like, where would I find it on www.comics.org or Mile High's website?

[An Ear In The Fireplace]

The B&B Special is actually DC Special Series no.8--so look for it under that title (on the GCD anyway--I think Mile High does funny things with titles as I always have a hard time searching on their site using the actual titles).

[berk]

I don't have a lot of interest in the character, but I have read a few of the batman miniseries Doug Moench and Paul Gulacy did in the 90s. The stories were usually decent, and the Gulacy artwork often outstanding. I'd definitely recommend them to anyone who happens to be a fan of the character or of Gulacy's art.