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Review: Batman and the Monster Men TPB
Batman & The Monster Men TPB
Written and Drawn by Matt Wagner
Published by DC Comics. $14.99 USD
Whew, this one took some work. To be perfectly honest, in the three weeks since I started this book, the review in my head was about how life was too short to read stupid Batman comics you know early on aren't good. But, at the last minute, I ended up skimming the second half of this and deciding it isn't completely worthless. Pretty bad, though. Matt Wagner pretty obviously is trying to do an early Batman story that looks and feels like 1940s Detective Comics, despite the inherent shoddiness of many of them. In so doing, and perhaps because he was under a deadline, his clean style and masterful anatomy and composition are poorly served by an ugly line and facial designs that recall Al Milgrom. If I had to guess, I'd say this was intentional as well--an attempt to recall that garish pulp sensibility--but I would have preferred a Batman story that looked good.
The story is about the emergence of Hugo Strange from creepy scientist to supervillain, as his genetic experiments yield giant mutants who do his bidding, while Bruce Wayne finds himself in a relationship with the headstrong society gal Julie Madison and not knowing how to balance it with his responsibilities as crimefighter. The story has a '40s feel, with society parties at which prominent citizens like Strange would be invited despite not being rich or good-looking, but Wagner veers from the period to present a somewhat more realistic Bruce Wayne who has sex with Julie frequently and without reflection on it. The only real reflection comes at the end, where Bruce feels he lost the battle with Strange but comforts himself with the fact he still has Julie, an odd loose end that one assumes Wagner might want to tie off in another miniseries. So, we have a reasonably well-adjusted Batman fighting some big goons and a mundanely evil Hugo Strange, with the only resolution being that an outstanding loan is satisfied. Totally forgettable.
Written and Drawn by Matt Wagner
Published by DC Comics. $14.99 USD
Whew, this one took some work. To be perfectly honest, in the three weeks since I started this book, the review in my head was about how life was too short to read stupid Batman comics you know early on aren't good. But, at the last minute, I ended up skimming the second half of this and deciding it isn't completely worthless. Pretty bad, though. Matt Wagner pretty obviously is trying to do an early Batman story that looks and feels like 1940s Detective Comics, despite the inherent shoddiness of many of them. In so doing, and perhaps because he was under a deadline, his clean style and masterful anatomy and composition are poorly served by an ugly line and facial designs that recall Al Milgrom. If I had to guess, I'd say this was intentional as well--an attempt to recall that garish pulp sensibility--but I would have preferred a Batman story that looked good.
The story is about the emergence of Hugo Strange from creepy scientist to supervillain, as his genetic experiments yield giant mutants who do his bidding, while Bruce Wayne finds himself in a relationship with the headstrong society gal Julie Madison and not knowing how to balance it with his responsibilities as crimefighter. The story has a '40s feel, with society parties at which prominent citizens like Strange would be invited despite not being rich or good-looking, but Wagner veers from the period to present a somewhat more realistic Bruce Wayne who has sex with Julie frequently and without reflection on it. The only real reflection comes at the end, where Bruce feels he lost the battle with Strange but comforts himself with the fact he still has Julie, an odd loose end that one assumes Wagner might want to tie off in another miniseries. So, we have a reasonably well-adjusted Batman fighting some big goons and a mundanely evil Hugo Strange, with the only resolution being that an outstanding loan is satisfied. Totally forgettable.
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