Batman: Gotham Adventures #12 Talkback (Spoilers)

[James Harvey]

BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES #12

http://wf.toonzone.net/WF/sections/comics/guide/batman/covers/ga/t-12.jpg

Written by: Ty Templeton
Art by: Rick Burchett and Terry Beatty
Cover by: Craig Rousseau and Terry Beatty

Two-Face has escaped again, but this time he's been slipped a trick coin that's rigged to come up heads every time. Coupled with his rather tenuous grip on reality, it results in his becoming a suicidal force for good in Gotham.

Comments?

[DisneyBoy]

Woah...

Just checked out the links on the big talkback thread, and came here to see if there were any comments on this issue.


http://www.worldsfinestonline.com/WF/batman/tnba/guides/ga/t-12.jpg (http://www.worldsfinestonline.com/WF/batman/tnba/guides/ga/12.jpg)

Hopefully, I won't get in trouble for resurrecting an old thread. With no comments on it, I suppose we can just make a new one.

Back in the TNBA days, I still hadn't seen the show on a regular basis (still didn't have YTV), so the massive redesigns and evolution of the characters was constantly throwing me. This issue, for instance, presumes that the reader has already seen "Judgement Day", and knows that the Judge is Harvey Dent's morality taking an equally aggressive stance as Big Bad Harv'. That said, this story - Two-Face's last, given his lack of development under Peterson, and the short life of Batman Adventures - sees Harvey reach a point of deseperation he never has before.

It's quite a ride from start to finish. Harvey turns on all his former associates in the name righting past wrongs, and Batman pulls out all the stops to try and save his friend before it's too late. It's interesting...on the show, Two-Face was always kept around for future stories, but in the comics...he betrayed Grace and lost her, attempted to kill his own father (in issue #2) and then severed his loyalties to all those who'd helped him maintain his criminal career. Can you say Self Sabotage?

I give major kudos to Ty and Dini for being so aware of each other's work that this kind of a subtle shift in character could be accomplished over the course of several years.

Burchett's art is lovely, and the coloring really stands out in this issue. Moody palettes keep the sense of impending doom alive and well. If ever there was a pulse-pounding issue, this one is it. I don't know about the rest of you, but Two-Face has always held a special place in my heart. And I'd like to think he someday conquered his demons.

Pick this one up, people. And for the sake of getting the whole story...The Batman Adventures #22, Batman and Robin Adventures #1, 2, 22 and Gotham Adventures #2:

http://www.worldsfinestonline.com/WF/batman/btas/guides/comic/tba/t-22.jpghttp://www.worldsfinestonline.com/WF/batman/btas/guides/comic/bra/t-01.jpg (http://www.worldsfinestonline.com/WF/batman/btas/guides/comic/bra/01.jpg)http://www.worldsfinestonline.com/WF/batman/btas/guides/comic/bra/t-02.jpg (http://www.worldsfinestonline.com/WF/batman/btas/guides/comic/bra/02.jpg)http://www.worldsfinestonline.com/WF/batman/btas/guides/comic/bra/t-22.jpg (http://www.worldsfinestonline.com/WF/batman/btas/guides/comic/bra/22.jpg)http://www.worldsfinestonline.com/WF/batman/tnba/guides/ga/t-02.jpg (http://www.worldsfinestonline.com/WF/batman/tnba/guides/ga/02.jpg)

[Stu]

http://www.worldsfinestonline.com/WF/batman/btas/guides/comic/tba/22.jpg

Christ, I miss Mike Paroback. In a time where comics were filled with overly buff, unnatural looking freaks, he brought a great cartoony vision to his work which meshed perfectly with Timm's designs.

Sorry for the off topic rant there, just something I had to say outloud!

[DisneyBoy]

I remember when I picked up the Batman and Robin Adventures Annual I believe it was, and inside there was a full-page ad for the monthly series. Only the ad had Parobeck art in it, and the back of the Annual had his dedication. I looked at that image and wondered what it would have been like for him to stay with the Adventures books. The consistancy we could have had.

Sad as his passing was, at least he got to almost exclusively draw all of The Batman Adventures. That book really is his.

[Silly McGooses]

I loved this issue! I was only 9 when it came out. I really miss looking forward to good DCAU Batman stories like this. I loved how they built on Harvey's judge persona from Judgement Day. A great use of the book to build on the continuity of the TV show while keeping itself as its own thing for the sake of new readers. The Two-Face stories were always good in these books.

[Silly McGooses]

http://www.worldsfinestonline.com/WF/batman/btas/guides/comic/tba/22.jpg


Batman looks almost like a Hirschfield drawing in that one. I mean that in a good way...

[Stu]

Paroback draws the very best Two-Face ever, in my opinion. Just look at the fluidity of his face - he even tops Tim Sale's Two-Face.

[DisneyBoy]

Gotta say, Ty's T-F is my fav. Just look at that panel where he says "Making Excuses! Lying!" in The Batman and Robin Adventures #1. Know that panel off the top of my head!