Batman: Ego and Other Tails

I just read most of Batman: Ego and Other Tails, DC's collection of Darwyn Cooke's work with the Batman franchise. This hardcover trade features Batman: Ego, Catwoman: Selina's Big Score, and many smaller works by Darwyn Cooke.

Batman: Ego was very interesting. It featured Bruce Wayne and Batman talking after Bruce/Bats suffers a traumatic experience. It showed in very clear light the dichotomy between the characters and Bruce and Batman.

"Here Be Monsters" (from Batman: Gotham Knights #23, and part of the Batman: Black and White series) was a very quick read (only about four or five pages). "The Monument" (from Gotham Knights #33, and also a part of Batman: Black and White) was the better of the two Black and White stories.

I loved "Date Knight" (with artist Tim Sale, from Solo #1). I'm a huge Tim Sale fan, and I love the way he draws Catwoman. This story was very cute, and showed the playful side of Catwoman that I love so much. "Deja Vu" (from Solo #5) was a good read, and did not have a single line from Batman.

I did not read Catwoman: Selina's Big Score. This story makes up a large portion of this collection (it was originally a graphic novel, not a single comic issue). I chose not to read it because it is the bridging story between the end of the Catwoman (1993) series and the beginning of the current running Catwoman (2002) series. I am in the process of reading through Catwoman (1993), and I will read Selina's Big Score once I finish it.

Pride of Baghdad

I just finished reading, for the first time, Pride of Baghdad by Brian K. Vaughan (words) and Niko Henrichon (art). Brian K. Vaughan has long been my favorite comic writer, and this amazing graphic novel is a shining example of why.

This graphic novel is inspired by the story of a pride of lions that escaped from the Baghdad Zoo during the 2003 American bombing on Iraq. This story is, of course, fictionalized, and shown from the lions perspective. But it is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful pieces the comic medium has to offer.

I know there are some people out there going "I hate entertainment about talking animals," or "Talking animals? That's for children!" But, trust me. If you're smart enough to appreciate a story that is beautifully written and illustrated, you will love Pride of Baghdad. This is a comic book for people who love comic books and people who don't love comic books alike.

If you ever have the chance to read Pride of Baghdad, DO IT. You won't regret it.

Absolute Batman: The Long Halloween

Today, I got the Absolute Batman: The Long Halloween.

For those unfamiliar with Absolute, it's when DC Comics releases these GIANT, very expensive hardcover books of their most popular stories. The pages are giant, which makes the art ever more visible, and they come with tons of bonus features.

For those unfamiliar with The Long Halloween, it is one of the best Batman stories. Written by Jeph Loeb, with art by Tim Sale, and colors by Gregory Wright, this is the Batman story that made me realize that I love Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale and don't hate Batman.

The book is so gorgeous that I just had to take pictures, and here they are. Click on the pictures to see them bigger.

New Blog

I started this blog as a way to keep track of any and all comic book related information that I find interesting. It's also where I will express my opinions on certain comic book matters.

I have a pretty large collection of comic books at the moment, but I have only read a small portion of these comics. So, I am using this blog, also, as a way to keep track of what I have read, and what I thought about the things that I have read.

Over the course of this blog, I will also re-read a lot of series that I have read in the past, and share my opinions on them.

Now, to the left, there is a list of links. There is a link to my ComicBookDB collection page, where I keep track of all of the comic books and trades I own. This page is updated every time I get a new comic book, and is completely up-to-date. Also, there is a link to my personal blog (my journal, of sorts).

The list of my favorite comic books leads to the Wiki pages about those titles and can be very spoiler-heavy. Read with caution.