Catman gonna snatch him some Robin's eggs.
The Cover
I've held this cover in my hands multiple times now and only just now, as I picked it up once more, noticed Sasha, Catman's panther, made the cover. That's not a criticism since she's made of negative space with only her teeth and general absence of city in the shape of a panther to indicate she's there. What is a criticism is that Stelfreeze's signature cuts the negative space right down her neck. And his signature just looks like the Gotham buildings in the background, maybe showing though some shadow past Robin's cape. Was he trying to make it look like a collar and a lead? Or did he just realize that the only place on the entire three-cover spread where his signature would show up would be on Sasha's stark blackness?
Anybody else wondering what's in Catman's utility belt? I bet it's just different flavors of cat treats.
One last thought: I've been giving Alan Grant a lot of credit for things that came after this series, like Knightfall and Infinite Jest. Do I also have to give him credit for inventing the Court of Owls too?
I've held this cover in my hands multiple times now and only just now, as I picked it up once more, noticed Sasha, Catman's panther, made the cover. That's not a criticism since she's made of negative space with only her teeth and general absence of city in the shape of a panther to indicate she's there. What is a criticism is that Stelfreeze's signature cuts the negative space right down her neck. And his signature just looks like the Gotham buildings in the background, maybe showing though some shadow past Robin's cape. Was he trying to make it look like a collar and a lead? Or did he just realize that the only place on the entire three-cover spread where his signature would show up would be on Sasha's stark blackness?
Anybody else wondering what's in Catman's utility belt? I bet it's just different flavors of cat treats.
One last thought: I've been giving Alan Grant a lot of credit for things that came after this series, like Knightfall and Infinite Jest. Do I also have to give him credit for inventing the Court of Owls too?
That's a Talon looking on, right?!
The Story So Far
Bruce Wayne, the Mayor, and Commissioner Gordon have been kidnapped by The Misfits, a group of Gotham's least exciting costumed criminals. The plan was to force the city to pay a ransom of ten million dollars for their return. As is the case with most cities and governments and anybody who doesn't want more and more kidnappings to happen, Gotham has a policy to never pay out ransoms. Not that they have the money. Unluckily for this policy, Lucius Fox has access to Wayne Enterprise's coffers and agrees to pay the cash himself. I think the shareholders voted on the issue and they were all, "We're going to lose more than ten million dollars if Bruce Wayne dies! Who cares if more and more people get kidnapped because we've shown we're willing to pay the ransom? We just don't want to lose any money! We want to make money by legal extortion because everybody now thinks loans (which you pay off once and you're done) are for idiots. It's better to get investors and seduce shareholders to risk their money so that if you fail, you aren't saddled with a loan. Sure, sure. You're now under the thrall of a bunch of greedy pieces of shit but what can a business do? Get a fucking loan? What are we these days, Boomers?!"
Even though Fox has offered to pay the ransom, Killer Moth has decided to kill the three kidnapped men by sealing them in a crate and drowning them in the bay. Their only hope now is that Nimrod and Robin can hunt them down. Also maybe they still have some hope because one of them is Batman.
The Story
Last issue ended as Nimrod stated he knew where the kidnappers were being held. This issue begins with Nimrod saying they're probably at the docks because Killer Moth said they'll die precisely at nine and high tide is at nine. How the fuck does he know that? Was he jerking off to high tide tables in his shithole motel room earlier? This fucker's from Texas and he knows the high tide tables of Gotham better than Robin? Is that a thing hunters are constantly aware of?
Killer Moth has asked that Commissioner Gordon's wife (I think?), Sergeant Essen, deliver the ransom since he believes she won't risk Gordon's life by doing anything risky. She tells everybody she's going to go alone but Robin has other plans.
Bruce Wayne, the Mayor, and Commissioner Gordon have been kidnapped by The Misfits, a group of Gotham's least exciting costumed criminals. The plan was to force the city to pay a ransom of ten million dollars for their return. As is the case with most cities and governments and anybody who doesn't want more and more kidnappings to happen, Gotham has a policy to never pay out ransoms. Not that they have the money. Unluckily for this policy, Lucius Fox has access to Wayne Enterprise's coffers and agrees to pay the cash himself. I think the shareholders voted on the issue and they were all, "We're going to lose more than ten million dollars if Bruce Wayne dies! Who cares if more and more people get kidnapped because we've shown we're willing to pay the ransom? We just don't want to lose any money! We want to make money by legal extortion because everybody now thinks loans (which you pay off once and you're done) are for idiots. It's better to get investors and seduce shareholders to risk their money so that if you fail, you aren't saddled with a loan. Sure, sure. You're now under the thrall of a bunch of greedy pieces of shit but what can a business do? Get a fucking loan? What are we these days, Boomers?!"
Even though Fox has offered to pay the ransom, Killer Moth has decided to kill the three kidnapped men by sealing them in a crate and drowning them in the bay. Their only hope now is that Nimrod and Robin can hunt them down. Also maybe they still have some hope because one of them is Batman.
The Story
Last issue ended as Nimrod stated he knew where the kidnappers were being held. This issue begins with Nimrod saying they're probably at the docks because Killer Moth said they'll die precisely at nine and high tide is at nine. How the fuck does he know that? Was he jerking off to high tide tables in his shithole motel room earlier? This fucker's from Texas and he knows the high tide tables of Gotham better than Robin? Is that a thing hunters are constantly aware of?
Killer Moth has asked that Commissioner Gordon's wife (I think?), Sergeant Essen, deliver the ransom since he believes she won't risk Gordon's life by doing anything risky. She tells everybody she's going to go alone but Robin has other plans.
I once had a fuzzy kitten do a cute little angry spit at me that was more threatening than Tim Drake.
Robin's "outside help" are, unsurprisingly, Alfred and, surprisingly, Ace the Bat-hound. Too bad it wasn't Batcow so I could say Alan Grant should get partial credit for that too. I don't remember Ace the Bat-hound in this era but he looks like a flea-bitten mongrel. I was expecting a dog that loves to make criminals bleed. But instead, Fuzzy Dumpkins needing a bath. He doesn't even have a mask. So disappointing.
Fuzzy Dumpkins isn't me making a vague reference to some 1920s comic strip. It was just a stupid name I made up for a stupid dog.
Apparently, Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle created a post-Crisis Ace that was an English Mastiff. I think maybe Tim Sale didn't know how to draw an English Mastiff so he went with "mutt that sort-of, maybe kind-of looks like a Bloodhound crossed with a Dachshund? Maybe Tim Sale decided Ace the Bat-hound should just be a mix of all "Hounds"?
The tide continues to come in as Bruce Wayne tries to rescue everybody. But not too hard or else they might suspect he's Batman.
Fuzzy Dumpkins isn't me making a vague reference to some 1920s comic strip. It was just a stupid name I made up for a stupid dog.
Apparently, Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle created a post-Crisis Ace that was an English Mastiff. I think maybe Tim Sale didn't know how to draw an English Mastiff so he went with "mutt that sort-of, maybe kind-of looks like a Bloodhound crossed with a Dachshund? Maybe Tim Sale decided Ace the Bat-hound should just be a mix of all "Hounds"?
The tide continues to come in as Bruce Wayne tries to rescue everybody. But not too hard or else they might suspect he's Batman.
Right now, he's probably wishing he didn't need to rely on a young boy on a school night.
I know it's a school night because The Misfits kidnapped Gordon and the Mayor on a Wednesday and then immediately demanded the ransom. Sometimes I pay attention to stupid, useless details. Hmm, maybe stupid, useless details are actually all I pay attention to. By this time next month, I'll have completely forgotten everything about this comic book except that Chancer's dice logo on his chest was obviously meant to read as a "7" but actually read as a "9" (at least the first time Tim Sale drew it. Later, the lower die became covered so much by the top die that it could have been a four, five, or a six).
Ace does his job by leading Robin to The Misfits' lair. But I don't know if he did it to help or to get Robin killed. If it's the latter, then good boy!
Ace does his job by leading Robin to The Misfits' lair. But I don't know if he did it to help or to get Robin killed. If it's the latter, then good boy!
Who's a good doggy?! You get that snot torn apart!
Robin arrives in the nick of time but Alan and Tim leave it ambiguous as to whether or not Bruce needed him to save him. Does Bruce pull the hatch off the crate's hinges before they drown? Did Robin help when he arrived and dove in? Or did Robin dive in to find Bruce already helping Gordon and the Mayor out of the crate? We'll never know! I mean, we know. Bruce definitely didn't need Robin to save him. But we don't *really* now. If you know what I mean. Wink! Did that wink help?
Robin put a tracker on Nimrod so that Batman can track him down as Nimrod tracks The Misfits down. Bruce rushes out to have Alfred help dress him in an alley. He's able to leave the scene without being questions by Gordon or the Mayor because they're practically drowned. And he doesn't have to worry about the panther outside because Tim hogtied it the way you almost certainly can't hogtie a massive feline.
By almost getting his head blown off, Nimrod delays The Misfits long enough for Batman to arrive. As far as I can tell, Chancer's luck power hasn't fucking done a thing to help recently. Maybe the luck relies on the amount of qi he's currently channeling and the idiot jerked off earlier that morning.
Robin put a tracker on Nimrod so that Batman can track him down as Nimrod tracks The Misfits down. Bruce rushes out to have Alfred help dress him in an alley. He's able to leave the scene without being questions by Gordon or the Mayor because they're practically drowned. And he doesn't have to worry about the panther outside because Tim hogtied it the way you almost certainly can't hogtie a massive feline.
By almost getting his head blown off, Nimrod delays The Misfits long enough for Batman to arrive. As far as I can tell, Chancer's luck power hasn't fucking done a thing to help recently. Maybe the luck relies on the amount of qi he's currently channeling and the idiot jerked off earlier that morning.
Are you telling me Catman can't smell that Batman reeks of Gotham Bay right now? He should totally suspect the Mayor is Batman now!
While Batman battles the original three Misfits, Chancer sees his chance to escape with the cash. But he forgot about the invisible Nimrod and winds up tackled by him as he's getting away. Also, there's a new revelation about Chancer's costume!
How does this make any fucking sense at all?! That pip has never appeared there yet!
Okay, I understand that if that pip has never been there before then I was wrong about the die being the number four (or five or six). But I only said it's a four because of the placement of the two bottom pips that were obviously meant to represent a two, making the two dice total seven (which is lucky, right?!). But here, Tim Sale (or Adrienne Roy?! Did Roy betray Tim by just adding the dot that we all knew should have been there?!), puts the dot in as if to say, "Dudes. I knew what I was doing all along! The bottom die was always meant to be a four (or a five (or a six!))! I didn't fuck up the concept art of this character at all, you dumbies!" But, I mean, I still have evidence that Tim did fuck it up. Completely.
See?! There's plenty of room along that border to have placed the dot if one had existed! Also, plenty of room in this first shot to shot there's no middle pip.
Well, now I understand why I stopped collecting this series! No way could I reward such blatant disregard for dice aesthetics. I'm nothing if not a petty piece of shit.
Okay, I'm sure that's false and I just stopped buying this series because I lacked the funds to keep with it. But there's also another possibility regarding Chancer's dice. Perhaps they appear as something other than a seven when his luck goes bad! The one time his luck seems to fail him, his dice change from the usual 7 pips to 8 pips. Although how lucky is seven anyway when the majority of time, seven is the number you're trying to avoid while playing craps!
The story ends with Nimrod telling his sad tale but it's boring so forget about it. Batman rearrests him and tells him maybe when the truth comes out at Chancer's trial, Nimrod will get another chance. What a bunch of bat guano! Batman knows how the justice system works! Once it has a patsy for a crime, that shit rarely changes. Batman's sending Nimrod back to jail for life. But maybe Nimrod thinks he deserves it because of that boring story I'm still not going to mention.
The Ranking
I'm sad that I don't own more of this series because I was actually enjoying it. A Batman series where nine issues in the most prominent villain he's faced (at the time) was Calendar Man? Sure, sure. He knocked out The Joker during that Reverse-Knightfall bit early on but that didn't really count. The only villain you could count in that sequence as having been a real part of the story was Amygdala. And this was when Zsasz was created so he doesn't count either. My local comic book store often has big end of the year sales so maybe I'll see if I can hunt down some more issues of this series for super duper cheap at Excalibur in a week or so.
Okay, I'm sure that's false and I just stopped buying this series because I lacked the funds to keep with it. But there's also another possibility regarding Chancer's dice. Perhaps they appear as something other than a seven when his luck goes bad! The one time his luck seems to fail him, his dice change from the usual 7 pips to 8 pips. Although how lucky is seven anyway when the majority of time, seven is the number you're trying to avoid while playing craps!
The story ends with Nimrod telling his sad tale but it's boring so forget about it. Batman rearrests him and tells him maybe when the truth comes out at Chancer's trial, Nimrod will get another chance. What a bunch of bat guano! Batman knows how the justice system works! Once it has a patsy for a crime, that shit rarely changes. Batman's sending Nimrod back to jail for life. But maybe Nimrod thinks he deserves it because of that boring story I'm still not going to mention.
The Ranking
I'm sad that I don't own more of this series because I was actually enjoying it. A Batman series where nine issues in the most prominent villain he's faced (at the time) was Calendar Man? Sure, sure. He knocked out The Joker during that Reverse-Knightfall bit early on but that didn't really count. The only villain you could count in that sequence as having been a real part of the story was Amygdala. And this was when Zsasz was created so he doesn't count either. My local comic book store often has big end of the year sales so maybe I'll see if I can hunt down some more issues of this series for super duper cheap at Excalibur in a week or so.
honestly i just wish there had been one bat-title that was strictly tim sale. instead of all those halloween specials and that stupid year long series and all the rest of it (this)-- why the fuck didn't we just have sale on The Bat for like a fucking decade, just one book for him. i would have snatched that shit up. instead they forced me to read a lot of jeph loeb in weird chunks over a long span of time...
ReplyDeletegod, wagner and sale on the bat. 90s batman should have belonged to them, instead of chuck fuckwit dixon and denny o'neill...
oh well we got grendel. the world is richer. anyhoo. i should re-read these comix. it's good sale