In the Make-Up, Batman: Gotham Adventures 39 Review

There are strange occurrences going on with the production of Shakespeare's Macbeth. Legend has it that the play is troubled and haunted, to the point that performers do not refer to it by name or title, it's simply referred to as "The Scottish Play". Thespian Alfred Pennyworth enlightens Barbara and Dick on the legend of the play. 

Barbara continues to investigate as more and more strange occurrences happen. Eventually Dick and Bruce are drawn in. Obviously, it turns out that Matt Hagen has been drawn to the production like a moth to a flame. Performing and theatrics are just part of his make-up, no matter his guise.

It's such a fun, yet tragic story by Peterson, Levins and Beatty. The focus upfront is more on the play and the accidents which inevitably lead to Matt Hagen's other identity. His other guy enters, "stage left" for a brief curtain call. Clayface nearly brings down the house battling The Dark Knight.

"Acts", Batman: Gotham Adventures 39 earns four stars.

    

A Genuine Mystery, Batman: Gotham Adventures 38 Review

Batgirl and Robin team-up for a real-world mystery!

There's a reason why comic books feature colorful, gimmicky characters. In the very early days of The Golden-Age, super-heroes fought gangsters, saved people sentenced to death-row, and were involved in actual war. The only downside to that is it raises the question: If a super-hero can easily and simply solve real-world problems, such as crime, poverty, hunger and war, why can't those issues be solved in the actual real-world? If criminals are indeed a "superstitious, cowardly lot", why not scare them and put an end to crime? The answer is that no matter how a real-world issue is addressed, it will never truly be solved. There will always be crime. There will always be poverty. Probably because there will always be human nature.

Maybe that's why characters like The Joker, Catwoman, The Penguin, Two-Face and The Riddler were introduced. A way to personify a specific trait of human nature and provide a solution. The Joker is chaos and arrogance. Batman provides order.

It's quite possible that Batman faces the deadly virtues of human nature and solves them.

Here, Batgirl and Robin solve a mystery. All across Gotham City, men of a certain age are being attacked. The attacks are quite vicious and severe. They are left nearly crippled, needing surgery and rehabilitation. The reason behind it is quite tragic. The thread-line is that Batman and his companions meet people on their worst day. It turns out that all the attacks are the result of desperation.

Cover artists Bob Smith and Terry Beatty breathe genuine mystery into Peterson's story. Loughridge once again is enjoyable. Legendary Albert T. De Guzman steps in as letterer.

"Sticking" is an off-beat story. It's atypical. Quite possibly an "After School Special" story. Peterson's story earns three stars.      

He Knows What Evil Lurks... Batman: Gotham Adventures 27 Review

Batman and Batgirl visit Law professor Sven Svenson in prison. He's been convicted of murdering mob boss Billy Chang. There's an eyewitness. The case against him was rock-solid and airtight. Even Commissioner Gordon is convinced he's guilty. The question is: Why?

Batman decides to dig deeper. 

He visits Pieter Danner, the eyewitness. Danner admits that Gino Tivolli threatened him. He was going to recant but didn't want to face perjury. 

Unfortunately, Professor Svenson shouldn't have involved The Darknight Detective.

Swedish Mafia and Swedish Mob Boss are funny Easter eggs of a joke. Peterson and Levins offer yet another gripping suspense mystery. The more Batman digs the more dirt he actually uncovers. Beatty, Loughridge and Harkins are in fine form under a mysterious Bob Smith, Terry Beatty cover.

The final page, final panel lesson is pretty much the sound of one hand clapping.

"Lessons", Batman: Gotham Adventures 27 earns four stars. 

Can a Girl Get a Little Attention - Or Does That Make Her High-Maintenance? Batman: Gotham Adventures 24 Review

Whoa! That cover! Terry Beatty and Bob Smith really grab attention with Batman, Nightwing, Batgirl and Robin all tumbling down - into darkness! What could this possibly mean? This is definitely a "grab-me-and-read-me" page-turner cover!

Inside, Tim Drake is the first to be trapped!

Dick Grayson is on a rare date but has to leave to meet a buddy. His date is not happy. He's the next one to fall into the trap.

Meanwhile Batman and Batgirl rescue a father and son from a traffic accident on the bridge. Their car is dangling precariously off the bridge, about to plunge into the drink! After the rescue, Alfred relays a message that he's lost contact with Nightwing. 

Meanwhile, Killer Croc joins Robin and Nightwing. They argue. They fight in close quarters.

When Batman and Batgirl show up, Catwoman reveals herself and the reason she's set the trap. Typical, Batman is completely clueless.

Yes, Peterson's stories do follow a formula. Things happen. As the story progresses, everything falls into place and things make sense. Yes, there is a lesson or a moral, just like a typical Saturday-morning cartoon. Tim Levins' art works very well with Peterson's stories. Although, I still prefer the Mike Parobeck design for Croc. Beatty, Loughridge and Harkins are awesome as usual.

It's a fun night out in Gotham City! Batman: Gotham Adventures 24 earns four stars. 

 

The Things We Do For Family... Batman: Gotham Adventures 22 Review

"We make out choices in life and we live with the consequences."

Batgirl and Commissioner Gordon are in the middle of a prison riot. They find out from the warden that Ned and Ted Spencer made a daring escape during the riot. Ned's a small-time troublemaker. Ted's a convicted murderer and known to be a psychopath. Now they're free.

The pair had help. A getaway car was used from Northstar Brokerage Company. Betty Spencer Welsh helped her brothers escape.

Bullock tips Gordon and Batgirl that the brothers next stop was the Darwin Bar and Grill. They got fake IDs from the bartender.

The trail ends at Gotham General Hospital.

The lesson Barbara Gordon learns from the adventure is that family is important. Another lesson learned is not to waste valuable time with family.

Once again, Scott Peterson's story is phenomenal. Tim Levins' art is awesome. Big panels. Wide eyes. Lots of expressions. Levins is backed up again by Beatty, Loughridge and Harkins.

Batman: Gotham Adventures 22 earns four stars.

What The Blind Man Saw... Batman Gotham Adventures 21 Review

When a little girl named Stephanie Herst is abducted from her home, Commissioner Gordon uses the bat signal to summon The Darknight Detective to the roof of police headquarters. He offers a photo, a locket and a glass tube as clues. Back at the Batcave, he and Tim Drake are puzzling over the clues. Dick Grayson points out that the glass tube is a slide that jazz guitarists use. Batman and Nightwing connect with blind jazz guitarist B. L. Pledge. He gives them a description of the man that was carrying little Stephanie.

Barbara Gordon interviews Stephanie's parents. Her mother works at a bank. Her father is a video editor at a television news station.

Batman gathers information from the underworld that leads to a mob boss. Turns out a mysterious hitman was captured on video for an expose.

Scott Peterson's script is riveting. Tim Levins' art is fantastic, highlighted by Terry Beatty's inks, Lee Loughridge's colors and Tim Harkins lettering.

The lesson of the story is that a handicap, is not really a handicap. B. L. Pledge turns out to be just an older version of Matt Murdock. Blind, his other senses pick up the slack. The story wraps with Pledge telling Batman that even a blind man can recognize the good guys from the bad guys.

Batman: Gotham Adventures earns four stars.