Batman: The Devastator #1 - A Review

The Dark Knights continue to carve their way across Earth Zero. The Knight known as The Devastator - a Batman who turned himself into a monster born of Kryptonian science to stop the corrupted Superman of his world - is about to pay a visit to Lois Lane and make his mark on Metropolis.


If nothing else was accomplished by Batman: The Devastator #1, it gave me a new level of respect for Frank Tieri and James Tynion IV. I shan't spoil the hows or details but the flashback sequence detailing the creation of The Devastator puts a nail in the coffin of the idea that Batman would easily beat Superman in a fight given enough time and resources. Emphasis on the word "easily". The artwork by Tony Daniel and Danny Miki proves equally impressive, being vividly detailed yet smoothly presented.

The Final Analysis: 10 out of 10. A Must-Read for all fans of Superman and Batman. 

Batman #40 - A Review

This is it! The final battle between The Dark Knight and The Clown Prince Of Crime. This one is for all the rupees! The soul of Gotham!  Everything hangs in the balance and things will never be the same again!


It's rather difficult to review this issue clinically and without spoilers. Having had the status quo of the Batman books post-Convergence spoiled for me, I am reluctant to do the same for others. Suffice it to say Scott Snyder writes a very satisfying conclusion to the current arc and writes one hell of a Batman vs. Joker fight scene.  Let us leave it at that for now.


Greg Capullo and David Miki do their usual stellar job on the artwork. What really makes this issue stand out, however, is the color art by FCO Plascencia. Vibrant, neon hues that would not look out of place in Joel Schumacher's vision of Gotham City help to visually punctuate the action of the issue in a surprisingly effective way.

Batman #39 - A Review

As Joker's madness-inducing virus spreads over Gotham and a raid on the Batcave yields trophies for a macabre parade, Batman will be forced to make an equally mad choice.  With his allies and resources limited, he will turn to the rest of his rogue's gallery for help fighting The Joker.  But will even they be enough to tip the balance of power in Gotham City?


Scott Snyder's story continues to spiral out of control. Whether that spiral is going up or down remains to be seen but the ride is an enjoyable one so long as you don't worry too much about the sudden stop at the end.  Greg Capullo and Danny Miki's artwork continues to be a real treat - the ice cream on the pie that is Snyder's script.


The best part of the issue, however, may come at the end.  James Tynion IV's twisted take on The Canterbury Tales - where a number of Arkham inmates related how Joker had told them all the REAL story of how he became The Joker - has been a fairly amusing tale so far. But this issue - in which we learn the doctor's story and "the truth" that The Joker gave her - takes this story to a whole other level.  And the artwork by Dustin Nguyen and Derek Fridoles makes this conclusion even stronger.

Batman #38 - A Review

Things in Gotham City have gone from bad to worse.  Not only has The Joker released a virus that spreads his unique form of madness but he's found a way to give himself a superhuman healing factor!  But Gotham's salvation may lie in the hands of one Dr. Paul Dekker - a soft tissue specialist committed to Arkham, who may be even crazier than The Joker!


Scott Snyder excels at delivering the unexpected and his run on Batman has contained a number of surprises.  Yet I think this issue, which finds a way to establish Crazy Quilt in the modern day, may prove to be his biggest surprise yet.  Not because of the reveal but because of how well it is carried out.  And the artwork of Greg Capullo and Danny Miki has never seemed more ominous and creepy than it does here.


The same can be said of the back-up story. The artwork by Sam Kieth - another veteran horror artist - proves a perfect fit for James Tynion IV's tale this month.  This story involves a madman who spins a tale about being recruited for a secret army of Batmen - a tale that seems less outlandish in the wake of Batman Incorporated.

Batman #37 - A Review

The Joker has released his greatest creation yet - an air-borne Joker toxin that acts like a virus!  Not only does it transform the infected into a giggling, murderous zombie - it also turns every victim into a carrier, whose laughter helps to spread the disease!  Will Batman be able to stop The Clown Prince of Crime? Or will The Joker get the last laugh?


Scott Snyder has enjoyed a successful run on Batman, but I fear that he may have tripped over the finish line with this issue. The end of this chapter - coupled with the back-up story by James Tynion IV - suggests a para-natural origin for The Joker.  While the concept of The Joker as a metaphorical agent of primordial Chaos is a well explored avenue, actually making him some manner of immortal monster does a disservice to the core concept of the character. More than likely this is all a fake-out but the possibility they might go this route seems real enough.  Then again, that may be the joke...


Thankfully, the artwork continues to be as excellent as ever.  Greg Capullo and Danny Miki provide their usual quality performance for the main story. The back-up this month is seen to by John McCrea, whose disturbing, cartoonish style is a good fit for the horrific legend about the first clown to curse Gotham City.

Batman #36 - A Review

Batman took down a Justice League possessed by Joker Venom.  But now he faces his greatest challenge ever - a Superman with all the madness of The Joker and none of the scruples of The Man of Steel.  And even if he survives, he must still deal with the clown behind the curtain...


It's no surprise that Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo and Danny Miki continue to deliver one of the best Batman comics in years with this issue, with a thrilling script and atmospheric artwork.  What is surprising is that Snyder manages to put a neat spin on the now cliche Batman Vs. Superman fight, if only by hanging a lampshade on the age-old argument.  Who wins?  Nobody.


The back-up story by James Tynion IV and Graham Nolan is no less enjoyable.  Continuing last month's tale of a number of Arkham inmates telling stories of their encounters with The Joker, this one centers upon a technophobe who killed the family she feared were turning into robots.  It's not a bad story but there's little to separate it from last week's tale save for the circumstances of why this maniac was in Arkham.  Still, Nolan's artwork is a marked contrast from the style of Kelley Jones, who penciled last month's issue, which helps to make the story seem somewhat more unique.

Earth 2: World's End #1 - A Review

If you've been reading Earth 2, then this first chapter of Earth 2: World's End will offer some welcome information about the history behind the Earth/Apokolips War that kicked off the start of the series.  And if you haven't been reading Earth 2, may the gods of all the pantheons have mercy upon you should you attempt to muddle your way through this book.  This book isn't entirely incomprehensible to new readers, but for every point of The Story So Far it explains, another two go untouched.


Case In Point: The book does a great job of explaining the back-stories of Supergirl and Robin (Now Power Girl and Huntress) and depicting their journey to Earth One and back. But the issue does nothing to explain the story of the new Superman, Val-Zod, or the importance of Jimmy "Accountable" Olsen.  This is doubly vexing since this book unloads a major bombshell that isn't easily understood unless you already know about Jimmy Olsen's superpower in this reality.

That's the damnable paradox of this issue.  It is meant to be bringing new readers up to speed with the story of Earth 2 so far but it is so incredibly piece-meal as to what information it chooses to offer up that it is completely useless as an entry point for new readers. This is doubly unfortunate because there are a number of highly touching scenes in this issue once you get past all the history.  My favorite is Power Girl's reunion with her mother, Lois Lane.  Well, the Red Tornado body housing Lois Lane's personality... but why quibble? It is still a touching scene.


I have little to say about the art on this book.  With eight artists working together, there is very little consistency or visual continuity, but that's been a problem with most of DC Comics' weekly titles.  The nicest thing I can say is that there isn't any artwork that is glaringly awful but I still think these books would benefit from having one artist each week rather than a team working on three or four pages every issue.

Batman #35 - A Review

There's no easy way to summarize the main story of Batman #35 so I'll just come right out and say it. It's one year in the future, sometime after the events of Batman Eternal, and Batman fights most of the Justice League. If you just said "Oh, awesome!" then that's all you really need to know regarding whether or not you'll like this book.  It is as awesome as it sounds.


If, perhaps, you are somewhat cynical about the quality level of yet another story where Batman effortlessly takes down superheroes with more powers and just as much experience as him, know this. He doesn't exactly take them down easily and the methods employed by Batman as designed by Scott Snyder are well and truly unique. No Kryptonite rings or vibrating bullets this time!  If nothing else, this issue is worth picking up to see the ever astonishing Greg Capullo and Danny Miki give us their visual spin on The Justice League.


But if superheroic slug-fests are not your cup of tea, you may find the back-up story more to your liking. Written by James Tynion IV, it concerns five Arkham inmates telling stories about The Joker.  The tone is a bit closer to the Batman comics of the 1990s than more recent fare and it seems a bit more appropriate for a Vertigo title as a result.  It seems fitting then that this story should be illustrated by the indescribable Kelley Jones, who did a fair bit of work on both Batman and Sandman back in the day.  Jones' horrific style is a perfect match for Tynion's tale and this issue is well worth picking up for this story alone.

Batman #33 - A Review

Having read Batman #33, I cannot envision a more perfect comic with which to mark Batman's 75th anniversary.  Not only does it prove an epic conclusion to the Zero Year and Savage City storylines but it also proves a celebration of everything that makes a good Batman story.  We even get a new origin for The Bat-Signal in the bargain and get to see The Riddler defeated in a way that does nothing to mitigate his brilliance or his new-found sense of menace.


Scott Snyder's script pays tribute to the rich history of Batman while simultaneously exploring new ground.  While the concept that Bruce Wayne may be as crazy as the villains he faces each night is nothing new, Snyder explores the mental depths to which Bruce Wayne has truly sunk as no writer ever has.  Fans of the theory that Bruce Wayne is another victim of the madness that envelopes Gotham City and those who see him as one who has taken up the idealized path of the knight errant in the modern day will both find evidence to support their viewpoints in this story.


In a word, the artwork by Greg Capullo and Danny Miki is excellent.  Unlike the vast majority of Batman art teams in recent years, Capullo's pencils are light and airy and Miki's inks match them perfectly.  This is one of the brightest-looking Batman comics in history and that uniqueness makes it stand out all the stronger in a series where the artwork is usually drowned in ink.

This book should be on every comic-lover's pull list.

Batman #32 - A Review

Zero Year and Savage City continue, as Batman #32 finds Batman, Jim Gordon and Lucius Fox launching a three-wave attack to end The Riddler's control of Gotham City.  But is the Prince of Puzzles one step ahead of them again?  If not, he's certainly doing a good job of playing it cool...


Scott Snyder continues to excel on the writing duties on this title.  The Riddler has never been so dangerous and Snyder has done a fine job of establishing Edward Nygma as a credible threat after years of being stuck in the comic relief corner of Batman's rogues gallery.  Yet for all the high-pctane action in this issue, there are also a number of touching emotional scenes, such as Bruce Wayne leaving a final message for Alfred.


Greg Capullo and Danny Miki do a fantastic job on the issue's artwork.  They are one of the best creative teams to work on Batman in years and they are worthy of any awards it is possible to nominate them for.  Everything is dark and atmospheric, as it should be in a Batman book, but without seemingly overly obscured or the fine detail of the pencils being muddied.

Batman #31 - A Review

I don't think I need to say anything about the excellent artwork of Greg Capullo and Danny Miki after sharing this image.


I want this image as a poster. Hell, I want a Souped-Up BMX Batman action figure based on this scene.

What?  It wouldn't be the stupidest variant action figure ever associated with the Batman brand.  Ever see any of the Knight Force Ninjas?  *shudders*


In all seriousness, this is one of the best Batman books in years and you're doing yourself a disservice if you aren't reading it.  Scott Snyder has restored The Riddler to his status as a major player after years of being a bad joke worthy of The Joker.  More, Batman is honestly having to struggle against an opponent after years of being depicted as the perfect strategist who sees everything coming.  That is a far more interesting character to read about for what my money is worth.  And as you can see, the artwork is damn good.

Batman #30 - A Review

Batman #30 is simultaneously the final act of Zero Year and part one of Savage City.  We finally learn the meaning of the title Zero Year, as The Riddler - now firmly in charge of Gotham City - elected to establish a new calendar when he took over.  It remains to be seen how this will affect Julian Day but I'd just love it if The Calendar Man wound up saving the day instead of Batman, as he fights for the concept of time itself!  This is probably why I review comics instead of writing them.


I appreciate Scott Snyder's attempts to turn The Riddler into a more credible villain but what The Riddler has accomplished here strains credibility.  At least, that's what I thought until Eddie showed his face on the jumbotron in Gotham's equivalent of Times Sqare and Snyder reveals that while the stakes of the game may have been raised, Riddler is still the same know-it-all who has to prove he's smarter than everyone else.  What makes this story so revolutionary is that - for the first time in a long while - you actually believe Edward Nygma is as smart as he thinks he is.  And perhaps even more astonishingly, Batman has actually lost a battle to him.  Twice even!


I hate to dismiss the awesome artwork of Greg Capullo and Danny Miki by describing their work on this issue as "up to their usual standard" or some equally humdrum phrase.  And yet, that sentence - while dull - would be accurate.  Capullo and Miki consistently bring their A-game to this title and it is one of the best looking books on the shop stands as a result.

Batman #29 - A Review

After my review of Batman #28, Scott Snyder sent me a private message on Twitter.  He thanked me for the kind review and also addressed my complaint that the Batman: Zero Year storyline had been subverted for a month to give us a preview of Batman: Eternal. This after months of relatively slow build-up and a lot of telling us how dangerous The Riddler was without really showing us much of anything.

The action picks up in 29.  Promise. :)

The action picks up, he says.  Boy, is that an understatement!


Batman #29 is pretty much all action and those who were annoyed by the slow boil of previous issues will be gratified to see that the wait was worth it.  Yet there is much more to this issue than base thrills - though the scenes with Batman piloting his new Bat Blimp toward The Riddler's airborne base in the middle of a thunderstorm are thrilling.  There's also a number of nods - in both the text and the art - to the rich legacy of Batman.  Some - like the existence of the Gotham City Police Blimps - are subtle and unlikely to draw much comment.  Others, like one of Capullo and Miki's splash pages - are blatant in their homage.


I don't want to spoil any more of this issue than that but I will say it was gratifying to see Scott Snyder do something with this story I don't think has been done with Batman in a long time.  This is a must-read comic for all fans of the genre and the character.  It is also surprisingly accessible to new readers, given how much material was required to build up to this point.

Batman #27 - A Review

Batman #27 continues the on-going epic that is Batman: Zero Year.  The Riddler - in his first public caper - has knocked out all the power in Gotham City in the wake of an oncoming hurricane.  The corrupt police commissioner is more interested in hunting down the vigilante Batman than dealing with the current crisis and a message from The Riddler implying that Batman is his disgruntled ex-partner in crime offers all the excuse he needs to send the SWAT teams after Batman in-force.  Luckily, there's one cop in Gotham who believes in what Batman is trying to do... but can Bruce Wayne bring himself to trust anyone else in his war on crime?


Scott Snyder's script has a lot of great character moments.  The flashback where Jim Gordon recounts precisely how he came to decide to stand against the corruption in his own department because of a young Bruce Wayne is a powerful one.  As is a scene where Alfred speaks to his fears that Bruce's quest will devour him if he tries to bear the weight of the world on his shoulders alone. 

Good as this is, the script is not flawless.  The action of the issue falls a bit flat in the end and for a storyline that is meant to be all about The Riddler there's been very little of the Question Mark Criminal.  We see the effects of his actions and are told about what he's doing but see nothing of Mr. Nygma himself.  It's also worth noting that we've yet to see any riddles in all of this.



Thankfully, Greg Capullo and Danny Miki's artwork is as good as ever.  Capullo's pencils are crisp and clear and the man is a great visual storyteller.  Miki's inks enhance without enveloping and - unlike many Batman comics in the past - do not drown the original pencils in darkness.

Batman #26 - A Review

I may stand alone in feeling somewhat cheated by Batman: Zero Year so far.  Don't get me wrong - it's a fine story!  I'll not deny that!  Yet it is a far cry from what I expected when Scott Snyder spoke of his renvisioning of The Riddler (one of my favorite Batman baddies) and his first major joust with The Dark Knight.

The Riddler's role in Dark City thus far has been a supportive one.  True, The Riddler's presence looms ever-large in the background, with everyone's favorite genius having cut the power to much of Gotham City as the hurricane of the century closes in on Gotham's shoreline.  Yet most of the action of this issue is concerned with a new villain called Doctor Death, who is nowhere near as interesting as Edward Nygma despite a truly gruesome gimmick. 

Despite this, Snyder does find ways to keep things interesting.  Perhaps the biggest change in this retelling of the Batman origin is a novel twist - that Bruce Wayne might not trust the police of Gotham City, disbelieving the idea of any honest cops like Jim Gordon existing.  Given Bruce's background, it makes sense that he might have issues with authority and it answers the question oft-asked since the Silver Age - why didn't Bruce Wayne try to become a police officer or some other kind of lawman?


Greg Capullo and Danny Miki do their usual stellar job on the artwork.  Capullo was born to draw Batman and his character designs, while differing from the classic characters in some degree (i.e. Bruce Wayne with a Marine-issue hair-cut and The Riddler with mutton-chops) are memorable and unique.  Likewise, Danny Miki bucks the trend so common among Batman inkers of slathering shadows on every page, limiting his inks to astonishing effect.

Batman #25 - A Review

After last issue's cliffhanger, I fear that Batman #25 is something of a disappointment.  Promised our first dramatic battle between The Batman and The Riddler, we are left instead with a high-action escapade rather than a battle of wits.  The story here is about Batman contending with the efforts of a police department more concerned with catching him than the criminals who are taking advantage of Edward Nygma's cutting all the power in Gotham City and the chaos caused by the approach of a major hurricane.

Putting aside my disappointment over a serious Riddler deficit, there's very little to recommend this issue on its own merits.  We do get glimpses of certain Batman mainstays before they became the characters we know and love.  We also get to see some of Batman's wonderful toys, such as the first Batmobile - which more closely resembles Speed Racer's Mach 5 than any previous Batmobile.  This is fascinating on an intellectual level but ultimately as pointless as this issue's introduction of a new villain - Doctor Death.  The uninspired name says it all.  


Even the back-up feature is lackluster, focusing once more upon Harper and Cullen - Scott Snyder's favorite P.O.V. normal Gothamites.  The best bit of this sequence is a two-page splash poster depicting all the heroes that were in Gotham helping people during the disaster.  This is marred only slightly by the fact that this page primarily exists as an advertisement/check-list for all the Zero Year tie-in issues one might have missed.  


Thankfully, the artwork is top-notch as usual.  Greg Capullo and Danny Miki add a manic energy to the main portion of the book.  Andy Clarke adopts a spookier, more somber tone with the back-up feature, perfectly capturing the aura of a dark and spooky night as seen from a child's perspective.

Alas, this is not enough to make this issue worth buying.  Particularly with its' inflated $4.99 price tag!  My advice would be to wait for the collected edition of this storyline.  It may well prove cheaper in the long run.

Batman #24 - A Review

Visually, Batman #24 is a stunning book from start to finish.  This should prove no surprise to regular readers, who have grown used to amazing imagery on a regular basis thanks to penciler Greg Capullo and inker Danny Miki.  Yet this issue seems even stronger for the contributions of colorist FCO Plascencia, whose vibrant watercolor-style gradients lend a cinematic aura to the artwork, with alternating oranges and blues dominating most of the palette.    

This may be the first Hunter S. Thompson reference in a mainstream DC Comics book ever.

The issue's imagery borrows a lot from the Batman films of Christopher Nolan.  The idea of Bruce Wayne marking his territory with his symbol  is a reoccurring theme.  It comes off somewhat better here than in the Nolan films, however, as Bruce has good reason to announce his presence beyond showy displays of force.  There's also a greater element of fun, as Bruce creates a Bat-symbol out of squirming members of the Red Hood gang not only to announce his presence but also because it amuses him to do this behind the back of one minion and then whisper into the thug's ear "My bat... it still needs a head." 

Sure, he knocked out power to a good portion of the city to do this... but it's still awesome!
Scott Snyder's plot and dialogue also borrow heavily from the Nolan films and herein lies the issue's one weakness - unoriginality.  We've seen this same origin story for Batman and The Joker played out ad nauseam.  We've heard The Joker - still in his guise as The Red Hood - give similar speeches about the futility of hope.  The fact that the whole affair is well-written does nothing to change the fact that we've heard this story before. 

Thankfully, Snyder does include enough original ideas to make the familiar scenes bearable for long-time Bat-fans.  The best of these is the conceit of Bruce Wayne becoming as much a symbol of Hope in Gotham City as Batman.  Snyder previously established the death of Thomas and Martha Wayne as the inspiration for The Red Hood's philosophy of nihilistic absurdism and Bruce Wayne speaking publicly of Gotham City as a place where people can be made better through adversity is as much a blow to The Red Hood's work and world view as anything Bruce Wayne had done before as a faceless vigilante.



These ideals come full-circle in the back-up story by Snyder and James Tynion IV, with art by the equally awesome Rafael Albuquerque of American Vampire fame.  The story does little more than set-up the next big story detailing Batman's first battle with The Riddler but it does feature a very good speech by Alfred.  On the surface it's about the nature of masks and theater but really it's about fiction and the power of a good story.  It works on both levels and it alone would make this comic a must-read, even if the rest of the issue weren't excellent as well.

Batman #23 - A Review

Batman: Zero Year continues to impress even as it renovates.  Curiously, this series is doing less to define the past and character of Batman than it is to explore the history and motivations of his rogues' gallery.  Then again, perhaps that isn't such a surprise given that Batman is defined as much by his enemies as he is by his history.

If there were any doubts that Scotty Snyder's new take on The Red Hood was intended to be The Joker before he became The Joker, they were eliminated with this issue as we learn the nihilistic philosophy behind The Red Hood's crimes.  I'm uncertain how to feel about how Snyder has tied The Red Hood's origins, albeit indirectly, to the same incident that inspired Bruce Wayne's war on crime.  I do, however, approve of Snyder's revamped Riddler, who begins his career as a consulting criminal ala Jim Moriarty in the BBC Sherlock series. 


The back-up story by Snyder and James Tynion IV is brief but memorable.  Another flashback tale of Bruce Wayne's travels around the world, this one finds Bruce Wayne learning the art of combat in what is meant to be a battle-to-the-death pit fight.  "The Queen" who oversees the arena means to teach Wayne a lesson in how one must be ready to kill to be a warrior.  Yet Wayne learns another lesson and teaches one of his own by issue's end.


The artwork is amazing in both stories.  Greg Capullo and Danny Miki give the greater part of the comic their usual stunning neo-Noir aesthetic.  American Vampire artist Rafael Albuquerque goes even darker for his flashback tale, which almost looks like it was taken from a Conan The Barbarian comic.  This book looks as well drawn as it is well-written and it should be required reading for all comics fans.

Batman #22 - A Review

When I first heard about Batman: Year Zero, I must admit a part of me rolled my eyes.  Aren't we all familiar enough with the origins of Batman by this point that we don't need to retell them anymore?  What more can possibly be said? 

Plenty, it turns out.

Scott Snyder avoids the usual traps by focusing not on Batman and the villains he fights but on Bruce Wayne before he even conceived of the idea of a Batman.  The conflict here is not between Batman and the mysterious Red Hood gang - it is between who Bruce Wayne is becoming and who Bruce Wayne should be.  This conflict is beautifully summarized by Alfred, who makes the point echoed by so many critics of the superhero genre - couldn't Bruce Wayne do more good with his fortune than through vigilante justice?  





The stylized artwork by Greg Capullo and Danny Miki remains as strong as Snyder's scripts.  Capullo has a unique sense of aesthetics and design, which is given free reign to play throughout the issue.  Perhaps the best example of this is a sequence where an ancient Eygptian board game becomes the panels for a circular conversation between Bruce Wayne and a pre-Riddler Edward Nygma.  


The back-up story, with art by American Vampire artist Rafael Albuquerque proves equally skilled and enjoyable.  Co-written with collaborator James Tynion IV, Snyder tells another brief tale of a young Bruce Wayne's travels around the world. This time, the young Wayne is learning the fine arts of mechanical engineering with an ex-Soviet scientist who also teaches Bruce an important lesson on the value of creative thinking.
   

Batman #21 - A Review

There's no small irony that I should read this story on what is Father's Day in America because the scene in this first chapter of Batman: Zero Year that most surprised and delighted me involves fathers.  It's a short flashback where we see a young Bruce Wayne with his father, as the elder Wayne works on a car and lectures Bruce about wandering off and exploring the city.  Before this moment, I never really thought about how very little we see Bruce interact with his father in all the various retellings of Batman's origins and how this moment, more than any scene I can think of, shows the depth of love required to make Bruce choose to become Batman. 


Of course there's far more action to Scott Snyder's story than that.  There's a flash-forward depicting a Gotham besieged, Batman's first encounter with The Red Hood and an entirely different threat in the form of Bruce Wayne's treacherous uncle.  All of this will be pleasing to Bat-Fans, of course, but the heart of the issue lies in the aforementioned flashback and the art team of Greg Capullo and Danny Miki do their usual stellar job in depicting it all.


The back-up story by Snyder and James Tynion IV proves equally enjoyable.  This story tells another tale from Bruce Wayne's past as he wandered the world seeking out the teachers and trainers who would help shape The Bat.  In this case, Bruce learns how to drive from a master thief in Rio.  The action and excitement of this story, set entirely during a high-speed police chase, is perfectly depicted by American Vampire artist Rafael Albuquerque.