Review: Batman:Noel (graphic novel)

I owe my friend Lee double.  Not only did he give me this graphic novel as a very thoughtful gift, but he also gave me the bright idea of reviewing it on this blog.  For as big as comics are in my life currently, I never thought to give them any 'print' space. With that said, HERE WE GO!

Batman: Noel is quite simply a Batman-ified take on the Charles Dickens tale of finding one's true worth and purpose on Christmas.

Likes - There were a number of things I liked about this novel.  First of all, I really enjoyed the art.  The whole book was painted. You can really tell this was a work of love.  There is a lot of effort put into the details.  More so, you really feel like you're in the middle of winter in Gotham.  Linked to that was the wording.  There are no speech bubbles.  All the words are white written directly over the pages.  It's a small detail but I thought it smart and novel to take this approach. It gave the book a different feel then your typical comic book.
Lastly, the overall story was really good. The narrative gave one impression of a story while the panels played out something different.  The back and forth between the two created an interesting tale.  What I also enjoyed was that Batman was portrayed as Scrooge.  For as much as Batman is regarded as a hero, he has his own shortcomings.  It was nice to see that even  his heart grow two sizes.

Dislikes - For this particular book, I didn't find anything I didn't like.  This wasn't a stand out, standard changing title but it was a fun holiday read.

Overall - I really enjoyed this book.  Especially reading it around Christmastime, it really had a specialness to it.  It was like watching a TV special unfold in front of you.  Cheesy at time but overall, a great, fun take on a classic.  GO buy it for yourself or anything Batman fans you know!

Review: Batman: Year One

BATMAN! Do you even need to ask why I watched this? If you do, shut up and read my review.

Batman: Yea One follows Bruce Wayne, returning to Gotham after years away, secretly training for a mission that was unclear to him. Upon his arrival, he sees the city he left behind fallen more into corruption and depravity.  Concisely - Gotham is fallen victim to crime.  At the same time, Lieutenant James Gorden has come to Gotham as well.  He feels his coming to Gotham is an appropriate punishment for his past misconduct, He grieves though over bringing his wife, and eventually, his son, to such a immoral place.  The film follows both men as they come to terms with their home and how best to fight for it.

Likes - This was a very good adaptation for Frank Miller's masterpiece.  The filmmakers faithfully brought to life those pages drawn so long ago.   Some instances, its understandable to try and provide a new spin on an old story.  This approach wouldn't work here though.  Batman: Year One is both hallowed ground and a solid story.  Making any changes would ruin it.
Similarly to Batman Begins, we see the original inspiration for Batman.  Not the costumed likes of the Joker or the Riddler.  No, crime, both organized and petty, were what made Bruce Wayne begin his endless, unrelenting crusade.  We see Batman doing more 'mundane' tasks like saving old ladies from runaway trucks.  We also see him using his dectivie skills to weed out the information he needs.  We also see Batman get theatrical.  Keep in mind most people do not even believe he exists.  He needs to strike fear into the criminal underworld, even if it means putting on a show. Also, we see Batman make mistakes, criticize himself, and even act unsure of his his next move.  All this is a very refreshing side of the classic character.

Dislikes - For one, I wanted more! The animation seemed too crisp and clean for such a gritty story.  I think it might have hurt the story some.  Also, the voice actors were different from the usual talents associated to these films.  This isn't bad so much as it's disarming a bit.  Still, they did a very good job.

Overall - I think any fan of Batman, diehard to luke warm, should watch this.  It was a very good, mature take on the caped crusader.  Overall 5 out of 5.