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librarimans's review against another edition
4.0
On its own this is an odd collection of vintage Batman stories. Taken from the 50s (which is often considered the forgotten age of Batman due to the sci fi nature of the stories), there is nothing obvious to connect them. However this book is more than the sum of its parts. Curated by Grant Morrison, this collection of stories is the basis for much of his run on Batman. When he set about to craft his run with the character, he did it in a way no other creator had before: he plotted it out so that every Batman story that came before him was one long continuity and actually happened to Bruce Wayne and examined how that would affect his psyche. The oddest of the stories were contained in the Black Casebook, hence the name of the collection.
If you're a casual Batman fan you can safely skip this and not miss much, but if you're a fan of Morrison's run, then this is a great supplement to better understand his motivations and inspiration.
If you're a casual Batman fan you can safely skip this and not miss much, but if you're a fan of Morrison's run, then this is a great supplement to better understand his motivations and inspiration.
glasstatterdemalion's review
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
I decided to go back and actually read through Grant Morrison's Batman run, which I had started in high school and got sidetracked before finishing, but first I wanted to actually read the collection DC Comics put out collecting some of the comics that inspired Grant Morrison's Batman work.
Stylistically these comics are much different than the way comics are written now, but you can see what Morrison saw in each of these stories. Not just the weird and wild tone, but there's what could be called unfettered imagination.
Obviously, these comics were written and drawn under stiff deadlines by people who were frequently working on 3 or 4 different comics each month, so the stories are short, easily digestible, and not too complicated. But these stories aren't weighed down by concepts of what Batman should be. They take Batman and they show just how far you can stretch the concept, either by putting him in a situation bordering the cosmic, or by bringing the alien and bizarre down to the mundane.
It's a pretty fun collection, and I would definitely read it if you're getting into Grant Morrison's Batman run and don't have an encyclopedic knowledge of the era, as several ideas (The Club of Heroes, Zur-En-Arrh, Batwoman, etc.) are important to understanding Morrison's run, but also there are several specific moments and scenes recreated or referenced on some level and it will help you catch those.
4 out of 10 or so.
Stylistically these comics are much different than the way comics are written now, but you can see what Morrison saw in each of these stories. Not just the weird and wild tone, but there's what could be called unfettered imagination.
Obviously, these comics were written and drawn under stiff deadlines by people who were frequently working on 3 or 4 different comics each month, so the stories are short, easily digestible, and not too complicated. But these stories aren't weighed down by concepts of what Batman should be. They take Batman and they show just how far you can stretch the concept, either by putting him in a situation bordering the cosmic, or by bringing the alien and bizarre down to the mundane.
It's a pretty fun collection, and I would definitely read it if you're getting into Grant Morrison's Batman run and don't have an encyclopedic knowledge of the era, as several ideas (The Club of Heroes, Zur-En-Arrh, Batwoman, etc.) are important to understanding Morrison's run, but also there are several specific moments and scenes recreated or referenced on some level and it will help you catch those.
4 out of 10 or so.
vigneswara_prabhu's review against another edition
4.0
Batman: The Black Casebook, contains several memorable Batman stories from the golden age. This was a time when Batman was the Caped Crusader, and with Robin were the dynamic duo. The Dark brooding Miller Batman would not happen until 1986. So this was the period, where writers completely embraced the camp, with interdimensional aliens, supernatural phenomenon, campy cartoonish villains, and a healthy dose of Holy Shark Repellent Bat spray Batman!
As someone who was immersed in the character and lore, through works such a Bob s Knight fall, Cataclysm, Venom and 'The Dark Knight Returns', the OG tone as penned by Bob Kane & Bill Finger took some getting used to.
There are a litany of stories from the golden age, featuring some classics such as the first appearance of 'Batmite', and the infamous 'Rainbow Batman'. But also, perhaps as a product of the age, characters are a lot cartoonish, often times devolve to racial caricatures & cliques, and there is several undertones of casual racism and sexism. Also, several unintentionally homoerotic underpinnings of the relationship between the dynamic duo. For Zod's sake, one chapter is about Robin obsessing and heartbroken about Batman replacing him with 'another man'. Hilarious stuff. The stories and plots are also simple, often light hearted. Don't come if you're expecting any of the gothic exploration of the human condition, like the modern versions.
But the collection is a good starting point for those who wish to explore the origins of one of the most iconic characters in comic book history, as well as media in general.
The Stories listed in the anthology:
> The British Batman
> A Partner for Batman
> The Batmen of all nations
> The Club of Heroes
> The First Batman
> The Rainbow Batman
> Am I really Batman?
> Batman: The Superman of Planet X
> Batman meets: Batmite
> The Rainbow creature
> Prisoners of three worlds (Three parts)
> The Secret of Ant man
> Robin Dies at dawn (Two Parts)
> DC Comics 52: Snippets from the ongoing Batman title.
As someone who was immersed in the character and lore, through works such a Bob s Knight fall, Cataclysm, Venom and 'The Dark Knight Returns', the OG tone as penned by Bob Kane & Bill Finger took some getting used to.
There are a litany of stories from the golden age, featuring some classics such as the first appearance of 'Batmite', and the infamous 'Rainbow Batman'. But also, perhaps as a product of the age, characters are a lot cartoonish, often times devolve to racial caricatures & cliques, and there is several undertones of casual racism and sexism. Also, several unintentionally homoerotic underpinnings of the relationship between the dynamic duo. For Zod's sake, one chapter is about Robin obsessing and heartbroken about Batman replacing him with 'another man'. Hilarious stuff. The stories and plots are also simple, often light hearted. Don't come if you're expecting any of the gothic exploration of the human condition, like the modern versions.
But the collection is a good starting point for those who wish to explore the origins of one of the most iconic characters in comic book history, as well as media in general.
The Stories listed in the anthology:
> The British Batman
> A Partner for Batman
> The Batmen of all nations
> The Club of Heroes
> The First Batman
> The Rainbow Batman
> Am I really Batman?
> Batman: The Superman of Planet X
> Batman meets: Batmite
> The Rainbow creature
> Prisoners of three worlds (Three parts)
> The Secret of Ant man
> Robin Dies at dawn (Two Parts)
> DC Comics 52: Snippets from the ongoing Batman title.
jameshaus's review against another edition
3.0
Mostly read it as background for Morrison's story arc. Almost unreadable as an adult. Selected Batman comics from way back when they were churned out as pulp stories for kids (with all the love of someone pounding out a story, ANY story in 5 minutes or less). But they serve as reference material for Grant Morrison's recent Batman arc. I'm glad I read it but I'll probably put it in the donate/sell pile.
zsakos's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
mimmyjau's review against another edition
4.0
The stories in this collection are WILD (in the best way possible).
walter_the_wombat's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Racism
drdena's review against another edition
3.0
This is a collection of some of the weirdest gold- and silver-age Batman stories.
They're definitely off the beaten path. They were....odd.
I can see how they inspired Morrison's Batman run, but they don't age well.
They're definitely off the beaten path. They were....odd.
I can see how they inspired Morrison's Batman run, but they don't age well.
howattp's review against another edition
3.0
I was warned about the incredibly campy content throughout, but I thought that it would be worth it as context for brilliant work Grant Morrison has done on his run with Batman. In that sense it was. Morrison shows his readers some really interesting precedents for what he's doing, drawing from the deepest recesses of Batman's history in the Golden Age.
Would I ever read full collections of Batman stories from that era? No.
Why? It's not the same as it is now--it's hardly even recognizably the same. Robin is a wimpy crybaby and I see Batman as that kind old uncle who you wish would stop talking long enough to actually do something useful. The writing is just...unfortunate.
Do I really appreciate the far-reaching grasp of Morrison's research and innovation, bringing in some obscure references and building on them for use today? Yes I do.
I was really intrigued by a lot of it, but put-off (as I was warned I would be) by quite a bit more. Read this as source material, nothing more.
Would I ever read full collections of Batman stories from that era? No.
Why? It's not the same as it is now--it's hardly even recognizably the same. Robin is a wimpy crybaby and I see Batman as that kind old uncle who you wish would stop talking long enough to actually do something useful. The writing is just...unfortunate.
Do I really appreciate the far-reaching grasp of Morrison's research and innovation, bringing in some obscure references and building on them for use today? Yes I do.
Spoiler
Some of it was really impressive, like Zur-en-arrh and Bat-Mite being reused as psychological triggers for Bruce Wayne's sanity later on, and the introduction of what would later become Batman Inc, as well as the "reappearance" of Thomas Wayne and what would become the Black Glove.I was really intrigued by a lot of it, but put-off (as I was warned I would be) by quite a bit more. Read this as source material, nothing more.
cemeterygates's review
4.0
These are the seriously weird stories from Batman's past. A lot of fun to look at them in this vacuum.