"Batman and The Monster Men" Mini-Series Talkback (Spoilers)

[James Harvey]

Matt Wagner takes the Dark Knight through his sophomore season in this 6-issue miniseries! This is the first of two planned Wagner miniseries featuring Batman, each under the heading "Dark Moon Rising."

BATMAN AND THE MONSTER MEN #1 (OF 6)



Written by: Matt Wagner
Art and cover by: Wagner

Batman has spent his first year fighting organized crime — but nothing thus far in his early career as the Caped Crusader has prepared him for the new menace facing Gotham: super-powered villains!

Comments?

[Spider-Man]

How accessible is this mini-series? I'm thinking of picking this up as an alternative to All-Star Batman & Robin (since the next isssue of that comic is delayed until the end of December) and the art looks pretty good from what I've seen on the DC Comics website.

[Stu]

I had no trouble reading this. It's set in his early days, shortly after Batman: Year One. I'm not the biggest buff when it comes to Batman comics, and I never once felt lost. Quite the opposite, actually. Given how the current comics are give and take for me, I enjoyed the freshness of it all.

As for the issue itself, I greatly enjoyed it. I love Wagner's take on Batman, and I actually got a The Batman vibe from how he portrays Batman himself. Hugo Strange and Batman's early days have always intrigued me and Strange's experiments are proving to be quite interesting. I espeically liked how the rich snob dissed his experiments "for all of mankind" and treated him as he was doing all this to make himself more attractive to women. The panels on his page where especially impressive, you could practically feel them crushing Strange's spirits.

****

[James Harvey]

The scene you mention, Stu, is probably my favorite in the comic. Not only did it drive a very creepy cliffhanger, but it added a lot of depth to Strange. You know, this would have been a great introductory comic to Batman.

Forget whatever the hell Jim Lee and Frank Miller are doing (and apparently “fixing,” if the reason for the delays are to be believed), Matt Wagner wrote a perfectly fine introduction for those who are just getting into Batman after viewing Batman Begins. Gorgeous artwork and a solid script served this issue well. There was even a scene that reminded me of Batman Begins, when we see Batman pounce on a host of thugs interrogating a prisoner.

This comic comes recommended to those looking for a solid Batman story, one not bogged down by the recent Red Hood or Crisis business. It’s Batman at his very core, but also refreshing and inviting. Not as great as Batman: Faces but it has great potential.

[Robin2099]

This was a great issue. I have always liked when Matt Wagner does Batman stories and this was no exception. Great start so far and it only looks to be getting better. *****

[Ed Liu]

Howdy,

Bought this over the weekend, and found a very satisfying Batman story that was ultimately cramped by being shoehorned into a monthly comic. I think I would have preferred this to have been released in prestige format, like Trinity was.

Two reasons why Matt Wagner is Awesome. Check out the top panel of this page, where Bats jumps 4 thugs. Notice how every single thug is easily distinguishable and recognizable? This makes it really, really easy on every single page in the entire sequence to tell who's who (and exactly which one Batman drags behind the crates and does horrible things to). You also notice how the lead thug is the only one in pinstripes? It's a quick visual way to set him apart from the rest in addition to the dialogue, which is a subtle way to reinforce that he's the boss of the crew.

The remarkable thing is that Wagner does the same things in the party sequences, which have far more people in them. I've read a few comics lately where decent artists and decent writers fail to make characters distinguishable enough from each other to make sure you can tell who's who. It's something you usually take for granted.

Reason 2 why Wager is awesome is that 9-panel conversation everybody else is commenting on. What I find remarkable about it is how the body language communicates in addition to the words. Notice how Strange is drawn visibly lower in all the panels than the annoying woman, reinforcing the fact that he's short? The way he fidgets with his glasses when he's responding to the "nearsighted" crack? The way the shadows after the "Bald" crack both emphasize Strange's darkening mood AND his big, shiny, bald head? All of these things are why the scene resonates the way it does. The words reinforce the pictures and vice versa, rather than simply repeating each other.

The other remarkable thing about that sequence is that other comics would dedicate an entire page to it. 3-tier, 9-panel grids are the root structure of a lot of comics (Watchmen and Timm/Dini's Mad Love, to pick 2 popular ones). Wagner tucks it into a corner and makes the panels really really tiny, which has the effect of compressing time (this conversation doesn't take long) and makes it far more intimate and personal.

Man, I love Matt Wagner's work. Even if I don't necessarily like it as a story, he's always got lots of great surprises in the structure.

-- Ed/Ace

[randomguy]

Bought this over the weekend, and found a very satisfying Batman story that was ultimately cramped by being shoehorned into a monthly comic.

Which is why I've decided to wait for the trade on this book. I really like Wagner, and think he's a master storyteller, but I much prefer reading his work in a more long-form format.

I am a little wary of yet another "Batman's early years"-type of tale, but I imagine this will be a solid Batman story and well worth the money when it eventually hits TPB. Wagner's stories don't always connect with me (I ultimately felt Trinity was just so-so, plot-wise), but his skill with the craft is always exceptional and a pleasure to look at.

Plus, I love that Hugo Strange dialogue in the preview. Great stuff.

[James Harvey]

I think Wagner's strongest contribution is his depiction of Hugo Strange. Usually we see him as nothing more than your stereotypical mad scientist, hunched over and ready to slice open anyone who looks at him. I like how Wagner sets him up to be of excellent physical shape, just lacking in height. It provides an interesting, if not very obvious, opposition to Batman.

Wagner does add on an extra layer during that somewhat heartbreaking scene where he is incessantly mocked for his ideas. By giving Strange a large helping of bitterness, he’s able to overcome the cartoony villain side of Strange and make him more real, more accessible. This makes his “monster men” actually appear more frightening at the end, as they give some of his mockers their just-desserts. While more fleshed out, Strange remains just as vile as ever.

Wagner does deliver on some of the Batman standards, such as his intimidation and swift dispatching of criminals. He also gives us a bit of Bruce’s world, too, with the charity event and another very attractive beauty for his arm. With these standards out of the way, I hope Wagner can jump right into more fantastic events.

[James Harvey]

Matt Wagner's tale of Batman's first battle against Super-Villains continues!

BATMAN AND THE MONSTER MEN #2 (OF 6)



Written by: Matt Wagner
Art by: Matt Wagner

Hidden in Gotham's shadows are secrets far darker than the Batman could ever have imagined. Who is the savage killer baffling the police? What is the sinister agenda of the impish scientist Hugo Strange? Follow the early career of the World's Greatest Detective as he uncovers the new and uncanny complexities of crime.

Comments?

[Stu]

Another great issue. I think they're really doing something great with Julie Madison here, as Batman romances tend to be a waste of time, more often than not, but here, the love interest is, well interesting.

The plot's now thickening, and it looks like we're set to be introduced to The Batmobile in a future issue! The artwork was once again fantastic, I think Wagner draws one of the best Batman's ever, and his Monster Men design was both creepy and undeniably cool. Looking forward to see if any other supervillains show up!

[Ed Liu]

Howdy,

This ended up being a much more satisfying comic than the first issue, as we got a lot of plot thread advancement without any of it feeling cramped. I think it's funny how Julie Madison is seeing all the things that don't add up about Bruce, but drawing the wrong (but still logical) conclusion.

And, relating to a point I made about the first issue, I can't help but notice that the head goon who threatens Strange is still in his pinstripes while his muscle is still in all-black. It's a little thing, but one that subtly helps you link who this guy is exactly and where you've seen him before.

I'm also impressed at how well Wagner drew out the suspense, making us wait to see a real Monster Man and giving us the occasional gruesome hint at what they leave their victims looking like.

And I can't wait for the inevitable moment when the first Batmobile comes blasting out to take up most of a page.

-- Ed/Ace

[Robin]

This is the best Batman comic out there right now, and it's a shame that alot of people are overlooking it because it's an "early years" mini-series. I agree that this really should have been the "All Star" title, the quality is just so much higher. Too bad people are easily distracted by Jim Lee's horribly dated artwork and Frank Miller's faux-Sin City writing. I just wish Miller would get to work on his next Sin City comic and spare us his horrible Batman. Matt Wagner really knows how to make a comic open to new readers. His first issue basically acts as a solid introduction, and could even work as a follow up to Batman Begins. The artwork is just beautiful, too.

[Spider-Man]

I hope Jim doesn't mind me stepping in to remind everyone that issue #3 comes out today!

Batman & The Monster Men #3



Written by: Matt Wagner
Art and cover by: Matt Wagner

The Dark Knight's first confrontation with super-villains is getting deadlier by the minute! A mad scientist has created a race of giant monster men to do his bidding. As they rampage through Gotham, a young Dark Knight is forced to learn that there are evils in the city far stranger than mobsters and street criminals. Batman comes face-to-face with the twisted Professor Hugo Strange as their conflict reaches a boiling point!

Comments?

[James Harvey]

I hope Jim doesn't mind me stepping in to remind everyone that issue #3 comes out today!Comments?

I don’t mind at all, Spider-Man.

While this mini-series hasn’t stepped forward to become a truly groundbreak tale, it’s still a highly enjoyable and good story. I’m following this through to the very end, and it’s nice to know that Matt Wagner does have something planned for the finale. My sentiments for this issue will merely copy what I’ve already posted before, but I’d love to hear what other people have to say about this series. His art continues to engage me, and the story is still moving along at a great pace.

It’s a shame that this story is shoved off to a mini-series when one of the main titles could use a story as enjoyable as this. I was disappointed to read to read that the debut issue of this series only had just over 36,000 readers. I was hoping it would break the 50,000 mark.

[Somejerk]

I didnt buy the first issue when it came out. I didnt buy it until the second issue came out.
Word of mouth though (and from reading stuff here) made me buy this and I LOVE it.
I can only hope that this will work for numerous other readers

[Ed Liu]

Howdy,

Finally got my copy of issue #3. While it's still pretty good, it also suffers a bit from being a "bridge" issue. It sets a bunch of things in motion which will no doubt pay off in later issues, but on its own it feels like something of a letdown. It's sort of like The Two Towers that way (book or movie -- take your pick).

One thing I find amusing is the "cliffhanger" ending. It's a classic, "How are we getting there?" moment, since anybody who's not reading their very first Batman comic ever knows that he's going to make it out of that big room. What tension it does create is due to Wagner's effective way of making the Monster Men objects of fear in earlier issues and in the question of exactly how Batman is getting out of there without killing anyone.

-- Ed/Ace

[Spider-Man]

The newest installment of this mini-series has arrived!

BATMAN AND THE MONSTER MEN #4



Written by: Matt Wagner
Art and cover by: Wagner

In the sinister grip of genetic mutants, the Batman learns first-hand that common criminals are not the worst evil to threaten Gotham. It's an all-out slugfest as Batman pushes his training to the limit and goes toe-to-hideous-toe with the Monster Men!

Comments?

[Stu]

There's something about Wagner's version of Batman that is so brilliant, yet so simple at the same time. Often, I've found that Batman's ability to beat superpowered heroes/villains laughable, but here, despite the fact he's outnumbered, hasn't had time to 'plan', he believably managed to beat 3 of the monsters... solely with a pair of handcuffs. Utterly brillaint.

Perhaps it's because Wagner explained what he was doing and how he was doing it along the way, regardless, I was throughly impressed.

The artwork was superb as usual, and his relationship with Julie is shaping us nicely. Why can't the normal Batman books be this good?

[Spider-Man]

This great Batman mini-series rolls on!

BATMAN AND THE MONSTER MEN #5 (OF 6)



Written by: Matt Wagner
Art and Cover by: Wagner

The action and intrigue come to a head as mobsters and mutants converge in the nightmares of the World's Greatest Detective! Will Batman's strength be enough to defend both his city and the woman he loves?

Comments? What are your thoughts?

[Stu]

Is anyone still reading this? I'm still liking this series and there's a really, really cool scene in here than any Batman fan would really, really liked involving the introduction of the batmobile.

I won't spoil it for those who haven't read it, but I got a big chuckle out of it. Anyone else have any opinions on the series, or this issue?