2018.039 Batman: The Dark Knight Detective Vol 1

Batman: The Dark Knight Detective Vol 1
Written by: Mike W. Barr, Joey Cavalieri, Jo Duffy
Illustrated by: Alan Davis, Paul Neary, Jim Baikie, Terry Beatty, Norm Breyfogle, E.R. Cruz, Carmine Infantino, Klaus Janson, Dick Giordano, Pablo Marcos, Al Vey
DC Comics

2018.021 Batman And The Outsiders Vol 2

This continues to be a fun read for me.  Sure, Mike Barr isn't my favorite writer.  He can be very hokey at times (a lot of the time), but he does tell a fun story.  This era of BATO was probably my favorite.  The characters were still new, Barr was trying to figure out what works with them and what doesn't.  We delve further into the new characters backstories.  It's all good stuff.  And if that's not enough, Jim Aparo hits home run after home run with his art.  I remember reading years ago that the thing he detested most was drawing team books.  You'd never know it looking at his art here.  It's just perfect.  And we get a look of the future of BATO with Alan Davis jumping in to draw some stuff.  

If you enjoy some of the cheesier aspects of the 80s, you'll love the pants off this book.

Batman And The Outsiders Vol. 2

Written by: Mike W. Barr

Illustrated by: Jim Aparo, Alan Davis, Jermoe K. Moore, Alex Saviuk, Jan Duursema, Rick Hoberg, Bill Willingham, Bill Anderson, Trevor Von Eeden, Ron Randall

DC Comics

165 Batman: Year Two *The 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition*

Sequels rarely live up to the original.  It's a fact.  Sometimes they excel, but more often than not, they fall short.  Batman: Year Two is a sequel to Batman: Year One.  Different creative team, different approach.  And it's a damn fine story.

I'm not the biggest fan of Mike Barr.  He's a fine writer, but I don't often take him seriously.  He writes fun stuff, but it's mostly fluff to me.  However, it's been years since I've read this, so I tried to go in with fresh eyes.  And he surprised me.  The book isn't the cutesy fluff I'm used to from him.  It's straightforward, decent writing.  And I enjoyed every bit of it.  I guess I didn't realize Alan Davis only drew the first chapter of the story before quitting the book (detailed in the forward).  Todd McFarlane stepped in and finished the book off.  Alan Davis came back for the sequel to this sequel and both men gave us top notch stuff.

This book collects the original Year Two and the follow up story, Full Circle.  Full Circle had a lot of holes in it, but it suspend your disbelief just a little more than normal, it's not a problem.  

I don't know how much of this book is still in continuity.  My memory gets worse with age, but I don't think much of any of it is canon anymore.  It features a lot of Joe Chill and his family.  That's the part that I'm not sure fits in with current (or even later pre-New 52) continuity.  Things like this change from time to time and I wouldn't be surprised to learn this continuity went out the window two decades ago.

This is a really good and satisfying read.  If you haven't read it recently, it's worth picking up.

Batman: Year Two *The 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition*

Writer: Mike W. Barr

Artist: Alan Davis, Todd McFarlane, Paul Neary, Mark Farmer, Alfredo Alcala, Pablo Marcos

DC Comics

142 Justice League Of America: The Nail - The Complete Deluxe Edition

DC has finally collected both Alan Davis mini-series into one beautiful deluxe edition.  What an amazing book to sit and soak in.

Alan Davis wrote and drew a love letter to DC's Silver Age.  It doesn't quite get the love that something like Darwyn Cooke's New Frontier does, but it should.

Quite simply, Ma & Pa Kent get a nail in their tire the night they were supposed to find baby Kal-El.  They never leave the house and Kal-El gets adopted elsewhere.  He never becomes Superman.  So the story follows the DC Silver Age with that one alteration.  And what it turns into is a scene that is very reminiscent of what's happening today in America.  Except replace minorities with meta humans.  Meta humans are no longer trusted and they're feared.  There's a giant conspiracy against them, but the heroes do get their shit together and take care of matters.  It's a very compelling story.  It grabs your attention and doesn't let it go.

A follow up story was done called Another Nail.  This one I struggled a bit with.  It starts off going further into detail an event that happened in the first book, which leads to the new story.  Or so I guess it does.  The second book felt like it was a lot of plot points, but I was waiting to figure out what the actual plot was.  If that makes sense. 

Both series are some of the best work Alan Davis has ever done.  He's amazing.  I could look at this book for the rest of my life and never get tired of it.

Justice League Of America: The Nail - The Complete Deluxe Edition

Writer: Alan Davis

Artist: Alan Davis, Mark Farmer

DC Comics