Scan barcode
georgesc's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
ferzemkhan's review
adventurous
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
gothicteletubby's review
3.5
This was enjoyable for the most part, I liked how very 70's this comics was with its characters and art style. However, you really see how aggro Bruce gets when any complication happens in his life, like I understand his reaction after A Death in the Family, but beating people to pulp because his girlfriend broke up with him is so ridiculous.
jakewritesbooks's review
3.0
(3.5) This is considered the shining jewel of the crap that was 70s DC comics. I'm no comic expert so I'll take their word. But what I will say is that for a generation like mine that was weaned on the dark aspect of the Dark Knight, this will come off as sort of corny. The story lines are all very interesting, particularly those involving Silver St. Cloud, whom I'm convinced is Batman's most believable love interest. And The Killing Fish is easily apparent as the inspiration for the chemicals plot in the Burton Batman movie. There's other stuff to like, including good Batman detective work (sorely lacking from modern Batman work) and a quality Joker write-up but I wasn't overly impressed.
cjordahl's review
2.0
Is it unfair to judge a 40-year-old comic book by my 2017 tastes? Is it uncharitable to find the 1970s style art, dialog, and narration boxes to be hokey, melodramatic, and corny? Some moments were so Adam West Batman.
It strikes me as lazy writing when characters simply blurt out their motivations or plot points from past issues to bring readers up to speed. I don't know, maybe that was the going style. I suppose the creative team probably was pressured to cover a lot of ground in limited space. But still... ugh.
It strikes me as lazy writing when characters simply blurt out their motivations or plot points from past issues to bring readers up to speed. I don't know, maybe that was the going style. I suppose the creative team probably was pressured to cover a lot of ground in limited space. But still... ugh.
just_fighting_censorship's review
4.0
These fun stories from the 1970's include appearances by Dr Phosphorus, Hugo Strange, The Penguin, Deadshot, The Joker, and ClayFace III. The lamest story was without a doubt the Penguin's but the rest were fun and full of over the top drama, love it! Bruce Wayne loves and loses, has an awkward wrestling match with Robin, and Alfred keeps butler-ing despite being a patient in the hospital.
I would not consider these must reads, but a great choice for Batman fans who want to see the best of what 1970's Batman had to offer. You are transported to a simpler time when it was acceptable to call women skirts and dumb broads and Bruce was living in a posh highrise instead of his mansion.
I would not consider these must reads, but a great choice for Batman fans who want to see the best of what 1970's Batman had to offer. You are transported to a simpler time when it was acceptable to call women skirts and dumb broads and Bruce was living in a posh highrise instead of his mansion.
birdmanseven's review
4.0
This run had a distinctive flavor to it. It's written in a serious way, but still takes the time to remind the reader that Batman is just a guy. It's nice to see some relationship stuff with Silver and Dick. Often Batman is written like a machine, but here we see him being very methodical and and very human. Overall a really good set.
We discussed this run in detail when interviewing Steve Englehart for the All the Books Show: https://soundcloud.com/allthebooks/interview-with-steve-englehart
We discussed this run in detail when interviewing Steve Englehart for the All the Books Show: https://soundcloud.com/allthebooks/interview-with-steve-englehart
plaidbrarian's review
5.0
This collects the all-too-short Detective Comics run by Steve Englehart, Marshall Rogers, and Terry Austin, which for my money, is the best run of Batman stories ever. It's not particularly innovative or unusual, just very, very good. The stories follow a definite arc - experiences are had, characters grow and change - but it doesn't require an extensive knowledge of prior continuity to appreciate beyond the bare basics of who Batman is and what it is he does. And it feels like a complete tale, with a beginning, middle, and end, and in longform serialized comics, that's a rarity.