GRAPHIC NOVEL and TRADE PAPERBACK (TPB) REVIEWS

Batman: Night Cries 1992 (HC & SC TPB) 96 pages

Written by Archie Goodwin (plot Goodwin and Hampton). Painted by Scott Hampton.
Letters: Tracy Hampton-Munsey. Editor: Denny O'Neil.

Rating: * * * * 1/2 (out of 5)

Number of readings: 1

Additional notes: tabloid size

Suggested (somewhat) for mature readers

Batman: Night Cries is a fully painted, prestigious, tabloid-sized graphic novel delving into the gritty, slightly mature readers area of serious issues -- namely, child abuse. It's treacherous terrain for a comic book super hero to tread, skirting the edges of good taste or, equally problematic, in danger of ending up a dry, pompous lecture rather than what, ultimately, fiction is supposed to be about -- a plot and characters. Somewhat surprisingly, Night Cries manages the task quite well. I say surprisingly, in part, because I'd read reviews that complained it was too much about its "issue", and let the storytelling side of the equation slide. But I don't quite agree.

In fact, I'd argue (on reflection) that despite some preachiness here and there, and some listing of statistics, co-creators Goodwin and Hampton keep a reasonable reign on their outrage. Child abuse is an underlying theme, and is a part of the story...but it's not the whole story. And the moody, haunting result lingers long after you've closed the book.

The plot has Batman and newly appointed Commissioner Gordon investigating a series of grisly, multiple homicides that seem connected to a recent drug that's hitting the streets. Meanwhile, Batman, as philanthropist Bruce Wayne, is involved in establishing a safe house for abused kids, founded by two adult siblings. How do these threads connect? Well, that's the point. Co-plotters Archie Goodwin and Scott Hampton actually keep some cards close to their breasts, so even knowing the story will somehow be about child abuse, the plot keeps us waiting to see how it will all unfold. Which is, y'know, storytelling! They also toss in a sub-plot involving family man Gordon's personal demons, and a background of an abusive father.

Over the years, Gordon has constantly fluctuated between being just a cop liaison, and supporting character, to a figure almost as important to the comic as Batman himself. Sometimes they pull it off, making Gordon interesting and sympathetic, and sometimes they don't, rendering him dull. Fortunately, in Night Cries they pull it off, making the scenes with him, and his frustrations trying to do his job while working in an uncaring system, involving. Not that Batman/Bruce Wayne doesn't have his share of scenes and introspective captions, or that we lose sight of the fact that this is, after all, a "Batman" comic.

The painted art by Scott Hampton -- as painted art often is -- is a mixed bag. On one hand he maybe takes his "dark knight" theme too literally, and tends to lather on the blacks and dark hues, so that the book is just a little too dark overall, to the point where it's sometimes hard to make out the details. On the other hand, it is undeniably atmospheric, full of mood and pathos, complementing the intent of the story, and furthering the sense of this being a "sophisticated" story. One review I read criticized the art and compared it to Dave McKean's on Arkham Asylum -- I'd disagree, although I can see the connection. But ultimately Hampton is a reasonably realist artist -- people look like people, streets look like streets. The images are occasionally obscure because he paints it too dark, but not because the underlining pencils are weak or too abstract the way McKean's art can suffer.

There are flaws, particularly at the beginning, where, in order to set up some straw villains and create conflict, Goodwin gives us some caricaturish municipal politicians who try to hamstring Gordon and are blatantly dismissive when they hear about crime in a poor section of the city. It's cartoony and childish writing in an otherwise serious book. More, having Gordon bristle at their hypocrisy and callousness is fine...but Goodwin seems to want to contrast the entirety of the police with the sleazy politicians, as if all cops are somehow paragons of Liberal tolerance and compassion (ask people living in, say, Watts what they think of such a thesis). I've mentioned before the disturbing trend in comics, and other mediums, to constantly push an agenda which belittles democratic figures (politicians, reporters) while lionizing decidedly less democratic forces (police).

It's true the story isn't that complex. It gets a lot of mileage out of a mid-story twist, which I won't detail, and they could've offered up more suspects just to muddy the waters. Still, the plot has enough threads that it comfortably fills out its 90-some pages, and there are twists and turns as the story unfolds. I never found it dragged, or like it was just coasting between plot developments.

The late Archie Goodwin has long been regarded as a great in the comics field, bordering on a legend, at least within the biz (maybe not so much to the casual reader). But I never quite saw it. Sure, I loved his Star Wars comics for Marvel, and his Manhunter series was very good, but I'd read a lot of other stuff -- mainstream, super hero stuff, including some Batman -- that was fairly run-of-the-mill generic. But this (which he co-plotted with Hampton) is a thoughtful, mature Batman story, with some nice dialogue and effective captions, and maybe lets me see more of the Goodwin others talked about.

Ultimately, this is a haunting effort that tackles its subject matter with reasonable restraint and sensitivity, with some nice character shadings to Batman and Gordon, and if not an "action-packed thrill ride" nonetheless doesn't lose sight of the fact that, good intentions aside, it's still supposed to be a story -- an adventure-thriller. There is a case that's being investigated, and late night prowling of the rooftops, and some fist fights and action scenes.

And the whole thing builds to a final page denouement that, in both image and caption, is as unanticipated, and character revealing, as it is astonishingly powerful.

Original soft cover price: $15.50 CDN./ $12.95 USA

Batman: Nine Lives
see my review here

Batman: The Order of Beasts
   For my review at www.ugo.com, go here.

Batman: Other Realms  1998 (SC TPB) 130 pgs.

Written by Mark Kneece (story Bo Hampton), Scott Hampton. Illustrated by Bo Hampton, Scott Hampton.
Colours: Airika Lindsay, Laurie E. Smith. Letters: Tracy Hampton Munsey. Editors: Archie Goodwin, Bill Kaplan, Chuck Kim.

Reprinting: Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #35, 36, 76-78 (1992, 1995)

Rating: * * * 1/2 (out of 5)

Number of readings: 2

Two storylines from Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight, the series which publishes generally non-chronological stories -- meaning, there are no lingering subplots from one story arc to the next. The stories reprinted here are thematically related in that both are fantasy related, removing Batman from his usual urban jungle idiom, and the artists are (I assume) brothers, with styles sufficiently similiar that it almost looks like the same artist. Actually, it's a bit of family affair, since the letterer, too, is a Hampton.

The art by the Hamptons is entrancing, with a sketchy feel, as if you were looking at the original pencil lines. There are hints of Tom Yeates and Berni Wrightson (though prettier) in spots, with all the strengths and weaknesses that comparison evokes. There are even echoes of Joe Kubert from the '60s...relevant, since Kubert drew the Viking Prince, and the Viking Prince plays a part in one of the tales.

The open lettering by Tracy Hampton-Munsey suits the style nicely.

"Destiny" (#35-36, Mark Kneece/Bo Hampton)

Batman meets a Norwegian environmentalist, Jon Riksson, who's been dressing in a Viking costume to gain publicity while denouncing the criminal practices of a toxic waste disposal company. Batman and Jon have a shared past though...because Jon is the descendant of the Viking Prince (a DC Comics character back in the '50s and '60s) who once teamed with a man dressed in a bat costume, the Bat Man, to battle a Frost Giant centuries ago. The two stories have parallels to each other as they unfold.

"Destiny" is dreamlike, working as much on a mood level as anything else. The modern story is serviceable, with Batman and Jon returning to Norway to battle the company, while the historical story, told in a fairytale manner, is a little more atypical...at least for a Batman story. Both unfold with an effective, unhurried pace. But Hampton and Kneece lean a little too heavily on the ambience, putting the Artiness over nuts and bolts storytelling. The reader is ultimately kept at arms length from the characters. This is particularly true of the Viking Prince who plays second fiddle to the Bat Man character and never becomes more than just a figure on the page.

This flavouring of surrealism is maybe used to excuse odd behaviour. Batman comes upon Jon already having killed and mutilated a few of assailants with his sword, but Batman doesn't challenge Jon, confiscate his weapon, or even feel a need to notify the police. Jon may have acted in self-defence, but even Batman should feel there are procedures to be followed, and might express qualms about teaming with a man so quick to employ a lethal weapon.

All this makes "Destiny" a moody, pleasantly atmospheric read...but not entirely a gripping read.

It's a little reminiscent of some of the more off-beat Brave and the Bold comics (a comic that, in the '70s and early '80s, featured team ups between Batman and a succession of guest stars).

"The Sleeping" (76-78, Scott Hampton)

This story is even better.

After falling into a coma, Batman awakens in an eerie dream plane of desolate landscapes and monsters, where he teams with a couple of fellow travellers. They must find the Lake of Fire, the portal back to the waking world, otherwise they will succumb entirely to their comas and die.

Like "Destiny", there's a lot of mood and atmosphere at work here -- comics should be escapism, and you can't escape from your humdrum reality anymore than in a story like this. Scott Hampton's art is, perhaps, even more striking than Bo's. At the same time, he doesn't allow his premise to be an excuse for jettisoning logic or coherence. The world through which Batman and his companions travel is a world. And for all the mood and style, the characters stand-out vividly, the emotions well-realized. There's even humour.

It's a nice escape from the urban grittiness Batman usually inhabits...and some of the conservative attitudes that, as I get older, turn me off some superhero comics. Though even here, one can't escape certain subtexts. Batman, as Bruce Wayne, in his limo, with his faithful servant, Alfred, at the wheel, and a beautiful woman on his arm, gets side-swiped by an unkempt drunk in a battered pick-up. But rich, beautiful people also are responsible for drunk driving accidents, y'know.

The final chapter is a kind of mundane showdown with the local monster overlord, lacking some of the unexpected elements of the earlier two chapters. And I had kind of anticipated what I thought would make for a bittersweet ending (with one of the characters electing to stay behind to act as a guide for others as an act of penance)...but that isn't the ending Hampton goes for. The final chapter is a perfectly fine, straighforward ending -- but in this case, that's a bit of a let down after a story that had been so much more.

The colours are effective. Lindsay relies heavily on brooding earth tones for "Destiny", suited to the historical/viking motiff, while Smith uses open, brightly-muted (or muted-bright) colours on "The Sleeping", casting this story about people caught between waking and sleeping in an appropriate kind of perpetual early morning glow, making the Dreamplane both eerie and attractive.

Batman: LOTDK is a comic not published under the auspices of the Comics Code. In true comic book fashion, I don't think that means they've ever thrown in nudity or sex, but occasionally violence strays a bit, as it does here.

All in all, "Destiny" was good and "The Sleeping" truly captivating, making for a nice collection.

This is a review of the stories serialized in Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight comics.

Mature Readers. Cover price: $19.95 CDN./$ __ USA.

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