 Gaiman and Kubert succeed in this tribute without tying themselves helplessly to the history |
| Review Date: June 21, 2010 |
| Reviewer: GraphicNovelReporter.com, New York, NY |
Along with Superman: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?, Neil Gaiman's Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? gets the Deluxe Edition treatment from DC, with a similar black hardcover--this time imprinted with the Batman logo--and a similar design of dustcover, making it all but irresistible to buy this 2009 effort along with Alan Moore's classic from the 1986.
Gaiman's work follows the same idea, conceptually, as Man of Tomorrow. Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? is designed as a sort of "what if" scenario, giving readers Batman in his final days. But from there, Gaiman departs, making the idea his own for the Dark Knight.
Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? plays like an out-of-body experience for Batman. During the opening panels, Batman is confused about his whereabouts, but is reassured he's in Gotham. Then he's looking down on what appears to be, but cannot possibly be, his own funeral.
Unlike Moore's "imaginary story," which somehow feels a bit more "realistic" in the comparison to Gaiman's take, Caped Crusader is somewhat based in the continuity of Batman. It takes place shortly after Batman's psychological breakdown in Grant Morrison's Batman R.I.P. run, and following the hero's fate in Final Crisis. Gaiman uses this psychological breakdown and questions of his death to set the stage for Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?
The wake takes place at the small Gotham City bar called the Dew Drop. As the story opens, classic villains like Catwoman, Two-Face, and The Joker park their vehicles in the alley. They enter the back room of the bar to find several other villains already enjoying the free refreshments, and the other side of the room filled with Batman's less questionable company.
At the front of the room is a casket, and in it is the Batman. But despite the series being tied to recent events, he's not necessarily the Batman from the current continuity, but one who spans roughly 70 years of Batman history. It's in this that Gaiman's work is a success. Both the villains and fellow heroes stand at the wake over the course of the two-part story to tell tales of Batman and his ultimate demise, but each story, each conclusion to the tale of Batman, is different save for a few common elements.
Andy Kubert's art plays into these conflicting tales in a big way. The pages are big, colorful, and glossy, and Kubert's own touch is present throughout. But he somehow also manages to evoke the styles of Batman artists throughout the character's history, tracing all the way back to creator Bob Kane. It helps enhance each contradictory recounting of Batman's final moments, and also serves as great fan service in what is designed as a farewell to the Caped Crusader. And Gaiman and Kubert succeed in this tribute without tying themselves helplessly to the history. In it, they find an original tale.
But it's hard not to think the purpose of Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? is slightly lost in the mix. It is teetering somewhere between high concept and keeping it simple for the readers. And while its conclusion ultimately works, it's hard not to think it is a bit ham-fisted, for Gaiman at least. The book also seemingly suffers from its ties to recent events. What made Moore's Superman work particularly special is that in being an "imaginary story" it found separation and the ability to work outside of current continuity. The Caped Crusader doesn't have that luxury, but Gaiman still finds a way to make it, at the very least, a hell of a lot of fun.
The Deluxe Hardcover also includes pages from Kubert's sketchbook, alternate covers and four other Batman stories written by Gaiman during different eras. The gem of the bunch is "A Black and White World," treating Batman like a stage play, in which the actors playing the Batman and The Joker talk backstage while waiting to go on in the comic to do their parts.
-- William Jones |
"Do you know the only reward you get for being Batman?"
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| Review Date: May 16, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Dream's Raven, USA |
| I decided to read this book because I love almost everything Gaiman writes. I was skeptical of his ability to do super heroes until I read Marvel 1602, which gave me faith that he could handle Batman and make it Gaiman-esque, and I wasn't disappointed. In most of this volume, Batman is observing his own funeral as friends and enemies (mostly the later) share memories of his life and his death. It takes a number of unexpected and interesting turns and twists and was a very enjoyable read. The artwork is awesome, really adding to the experience. Also in this volume is a short piece of comedy in which Batman and the Joker are talking off-camera, a story about a man talking to Poison Ivy in prison, and a story about some documentary television producers interviewing The Riddler. All of the stories were enjoyable and all very different from anything else I've read about Batman. If you like Batman, Neil Gaiman, or both, this volume is worth reading. |
Beautiful two-issue elegy for Batman, plus three more unrelated Gaiman Batman stories
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| Review Date: April 23, 2010 |
| Reviewer: K. W. Schreiter, Conshohocken, PA |
| In the introduction, Neil Gaiman describes his goal of writing "the last Batman story": his effort seems like a resounding success. The beautiful, touching two-part 2009 story from Batman #686 and Detective Comics #853 shows both allies and nemeses sharing their impressions of Batman at a memorial service. Artist Andy Kubert pays homage to previous DC artists by showing different versions of Batman in the flashback sequences. The page count is padded by a ten-page Andy Kubert sketchbook and three unrelated short Batman stories written by Gaiman featuring The Joker, Poison Ivy and The Riddler. The outstanding two-part "Whatever Happened..." story merits five stars, but the remainder of this volume underwhelms for the price, hence the four star rating. |
Review of Gaiman's 'Caped Crusader'
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| Review Date: March 9, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Ryan S. Mease, Chicago, IL, USA |
| The original comic within this volume, 'Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader,' is one of the most interesting takes on the Batman cycle that I've ever seen. I won't speak specifically, but I should emphasize the presence of death and its outcome. Furthermore, this deluxe edition contains a few other comics, including an origin of Poison Ivy and The Riddler; these are interesting, but no where near as compelling as the centerpiece. |
Batman and Gaiman does not work
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| Review Date: January 18, 2010 |
| Reviewer: danny boy, Singapore |
I guess most of us are familiar with Batman. Not everyone reads Gaiman but he's well-known and has a good reputation for innovative writing. I had expected a lot from this book (Dark Knight/Miller and Watchmen/Moore spring to mind).
No wonder there is no hype to this book. Nadda. It's just boring! The artwork for the first two stories is damned gorgeous. Unless you are a crazed fan of Batman or Gaiman, you may want to pass over this book. |
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