1087 ( )

I swapped this with a coworker for The Court of Owls (thanks Candace, if you're reading this!) and it was a Good Decision. Paul Dini has got a bunch of good, fun Batman tales. The opener with Ra's al Ghul is pretty cool with a fun villain who wouldn't have been out of place on the Adam West show and one of the best moments in the collection (Ra's repossessing the special globe from Batman because he bought it from Faberge in the 1900s, even whipping out the receipt). The story with the Mad Hatter is a little lacking, but quickly made up for by a two-parter with the new Ventriloquist and Zatanna -- I hadn't really been thrilled by them replacing Wesker, but I've warmed to the idea of the Peyton Riley Ventriloquist-as-gun-moll. There's a pretty good one-off with Batman exploring a mysterious suit of armor's origin, and then the really cool "The Riddle Unanswered", with Batman matching wits with a gone-straight Riddler.

Yeah, the stories have got their flaws, but I like to think that the star they lose there is made up for by Paul Nguyen's wonderful art. Go read it! ( )

A collection of short adventures. Batman goes up against Ra's al Ghul, the Mad Hatter, Scarface, his own darker impulses, and the victim of a reformed criminal. The art is pretty, and the plots just a little more convoluted than in ordinary comic books. Batman gets to show off his detective work and has a few great lines ("Of course. More ninjas."). Overall, good but not astounding. ( )

A collection of Batman stories by Paul Dini and Peter Milligan, with pretty good artwork by Dustin Nguyen. The stories feature such players as Ra's al Ghul, the Mad Hatter, Scarface, the Riddler, Zatanna and Catwoman. My favorite of the group is the one with Zatanna, as an unusually human Bruce Wayne contemplates a relationship with the magician. ( )

Merideth says: Dini knows Batman, and it shows in this collection of short stories that highlight Batman's relationships with friends and foes alike. A strong knowledge of Batman's rogue's gallery is needed to get the most out of these tales, but even casual fans can appreciate the masterful storytelling and beautiful artwork on display. ( )