A review by fandom4ever
Tales of the Batman: Alan Brennert by Alan Brennert

adventurous dark hopeful sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I was looking to read the story ‘Interlude on Earth-Two’ when I picked up the collection Tales of the Batman: Alan Brennert. I had no idea who Brennert was or that he favored Earth-Two and Elseworlds stories, so I went into the nine stories collected here fresh. While mostly all Batman stories, there was also a Deadman issue (‘Should Auld Acquaintances Be Forgot’) and a Black Canary issue (‘Unfinished Business’) which contained amazing character history and depth. In addition to ‘Interlude on Earth-Two, I also greatly enjoyed ‘The Autobiography of Bruce Wayne which paired nicely with Interlude and ‘To Kill a Legend’, in which our Earth’s Batman and Robin are pulled to another Earth to hopefully stop the death of Bruce’s parents. The idea of an Earth with no heroes and thus posing the question of whether it’s right to save Bruce’s parents at the cost of Earth not getting a hero in Batman either, was powerful and I loved it. And lastly, the Elseworlds story ‘Holy Terror’ was an unexpected pleasure. Here was a dark tale where America and England are a theocracy and corrupt to the core. I found the way that heroes were introduced was well-done in an uncomfortable sort of way. 

There is an introduction done by Alan Brennert that gives you a further look into his history, both in and out of comics. The art in this collection was also great. I’m always one to enjoy well-done what-if stories and this collection hit the spot. If you want some stories not set on our Earth, that really speak to the humanity of these superhero characters, then I would recommend this collection.