Not Built in a Day, Batman: Gotham Adventures 34 Review

A true mystery: construction workers in Gotham City are disappearing!

It turns out that Maxie Zeus is capturing them. He's "hiring" construction workers to rebuild Rome! The urgency is that a Hollywood film is being released and the tie-in is an amusement park based on Rome!

It all starts with Batman battling a roman centurion. Tim Levins' art is grand and spectacular. Scott Peterson's story bobs and weaves about, dropping clues here and there. Zeus is more of a comic figure than a mortal enemy. He's played for laughs. He's a gangster with god-like aspirations. "Small 'g', big 'o' - 'd'." He's pompous and arrogant like most of the members of Batman's infamous rogues gallery, yet he comes off more like Egghead or Louie the Lilac.

Dick and Barbara manage to figure out the plot and join Bruce and Tim for the grand finale.

It's a pretty light-hearted romp of a story. Beatty, Loughridge and Harkins are on back-up, inking, coloring and lettering. 

"When in Rome" Batman: Gotham Adventures 34 earns three stars.   

The Scarecrow Says "Boo!" Batman: Gotham Adventures 32 Review

The Scarecrow's re-designed look is just horrible. For an animated series that is supposedly aimed at kids and should be somewhat family friendly, The Scarecrow now is more horrific and scarier. There was nothing wrong with the original design. It was cartoony or cartoonish enough. Legend has it that the Batman characters were re-designed for a more cartoonish look. That may work for some characters. It really does not work for The Scarecrow. Since when did he become taller?

"The Remote Controller" finds Batman and Robin coming across a man having a heart attack. While trying to provide aid, they are overrun by panicked Gothamites. They avoid being crushed in the stampede and get the man to Gotham General before stopping by Commissioner Gordon's office to view The Scarecrow's video. Using a form of mass hypnosis, the former Professor Crane convinces everyone watching of panic! Chaos in the streets all because Crane dictated it!

The thing is to find Crane and undo the damage!

Scott Peterson and Tim Levins are back, with Beatty, Loughridge and Harkins on backup.

The Scarecrow has managed a wicked plot that Batman and company must unravel!

Batman: Gotham Adventures 32 earns three stars.

"Chaos Theory" Batman: Botham Adventures 31 Review

Ty Templeton and Terry Beatty capture the mad random chaos that is The Joker! "Madness and Chaos and All 'cause of Me!" finds The Clown Prince of Crime plunging Gotham into an electromagnetic blackout! He captures the engineers at Eastern House Research Laboratories (obviously a one-off of Westinghouse) and the electromagnetic pulse generator. Just as he is about to launch the pulse, he pauses, expecting Batman to swoop in and stop him. However, Batman is otherwise preoccupied.

The pulse is quite crippling considering the progress and advancements in modern technology. Telephones and automobiles are out along with everything else electrical. The purpose is to plunge the city into chaos. Rioting and looting. Bringing out the worst elements in the city.

As The Batman Family races to restore order, The Joker has trouble taking credit. In all the chaos, conspiracy theories abound. The Joker forgot to televise his announcement and claim before launching the blackout.

It's a pretty simple, silly, by-the-numbers Joker story, with just a bit of a spin. Beatty and Zylonol handle the art chores with Harkins on Lettering.

Batman: Gotham Adventures 31 earns three stars.