Batman the Dark Knight #2

             Even though I am starting to like Dick Grayson as Batman, I have and forever will like Bruce Wayne better. I was exited to see a Batman series with a very classic feel to it, but I was a little worried that I didn't love the first issue. I know that David Finch is a good author, and I didn't not like the issue, I thought it was pretty good, but for a Batman series starring Bruce Wayne I want my expectations to be shot out of the water.
            In this issue Batman is interrogating the Penguin for more information about Dawn Golden, but the Penguin's guards all have there guns pointed at Batman. Batman gets away and chases after the Penguin. He finally gets him. But Batman starts breaking bones as an interrogation, and Alfred is shocked. Before Penguin does talk Killer Croc comes up from behind and knocks Batman out. A girl randomly steals the Batmobile, and some guys are talking about how someone is picking off their group one at a time.  Then Jason Blood turns into Etrigan. Then Batman is hooked up to a chair being beaten up by Killer Croc, but if Batman's hart rate goes up he will die, and finally someone who looks like Ragman (and probably is Ragman) atacks one of the members of the group I mentioned earlier.
           This issue didn't shoot my expectations out of the water either, but it was incredibly close. I wasn't to sure about using the Penguin and Killer Croc as the first two villains in the new series, instead of the Joker, but these two are turning out to be great. I really liked the darkness and the intensity of this issue, it's what I've missed about Bruce Wayne. This had a very "Bruce Wayny" fell to it, and I liked it a lot. I'm also very happy to see the Batmobile, and Batman's cool toys, I've missed those a lot. My one complaint is that there was a section in the middle that just seemed like a bunch of random unrelated things were all going on at once. The thing with the girl, the gang, and then the demon all happened really, really fast. I wish that had been spread out more over maybe a longer issue, or just save some stuff for next issue. I did very much like how changed Bruce is, he's still good old Batman, but the thing where he was breaking the Penguin's bones, and how shocked Alfred was, was just very interesting, and it's nice to see something new brought to Bruce Wayne.
So over all this was a really great issue, that I recommend highly to everyone, but for people who really want Bruce Wayne back in all Batmen series, u should definitely pick this up.



Grade: 9/10
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Joker's Asylum 2: The Riddler

                My favorite hero is Batman. I do like the character, but what really gets me are his villains. I love them, absolutely. My favorite of course is the Joker. So naturally a series about his villains narrated by my favorite one appealed to me. I read Joker's Asylum one, and it was okay. This one was very good.
In this issue the Riddler is in the middle of stealing a painting (this is before he became a private eye) when a girl says "What do you think you're doing?" Riddler begins to fall in love with this girl. But then of course, there couldn't be a story with a Batman villain, without the Batman. So Batman brakes in and stops the crime. Riddler finds out who this girl is via the internet. Her name is Jessica Duchamp. Riddler sends her all sorts of gifts, but she is a respectable girl and sends them all back. So Riddler tries to reform, this still doesn't work. Villains come to his door asking for help in various plots, he turns them all down. He sits and drinks his passion for this girl away. Some undefined guest shows up at his door. We do know he or she is a villain of Batman's, we do not know his/her identity (I have a guess: Black Mask). So he/she goes to her and makes her pretend to fall in love with Riddler. He thought he had cracked the riddle of her heart. Turns out he was in love with the riddle of why she didn't love him, not the girl him self.
            In order to keep the guest's identity secret, Calloway made many villain visit the Riddlers door, he mastered the voice of all of them. It was perfect. Harley sounded like Harley, Bane sounded like Bane. The only voice he didn't get quite right was the voice of the narrator, the Joker. There were some on and off moments, sometimes the voice was good, sometimes it wasn't. I also didn't care for the plot, but the ending made it all worth it. Lastly the cover art made the riddler look like a different crazy then he is. He is an intellectual who is obsessed with riddles, not a... a... just look at the cover and you will know what I'm saying. So I was happy with this comic over all. I'm very exited for the next Joker's Asylum 2 books coming out this month. Killer Croc, Harley Quin, Mad Hatter, and Clay face.

Grade: 8.5/10
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Arkham Reborn 1-3

These comics are good, with a kind of disappointing end. Amadeus Arkham's original Arkham Asylum is no more now in its place is Jeremiah Arkham's new design, it's new, gothic buildings, sweets, and positive rehabilitation has completely changed Arkham Asylum. Everything is running smoothly in the first issue, Arkham is mainly working with Raggedy man. I think that was a bad choice of villain. David Hine should have picked someone a little more known. Don't get me wrong, I do understand why he picked Raggedy man, a crazy, child killing freak, with an obsession with a can opener. What could be more perfect? I think he should have picked someone like Zsas or Two-Face, someone with a phycological disorder, but was still moderately intelligent. My views changed when I read the third issue, but Ill explain that when the time comes.
After visiting the tortured childhood of Raggedy man, we visit the life, and past of Alice sinner. Her parents belonged to the cult of light, and when the time came to pass over the entire cult drank cyanide, and she dumped her's out. (or so we think) Right after that she goes to the Festival of Masks, where of course she met with the destroyer of Arkham Asylum himself the Black Mask, where she has a discussion about the destruction of Arkham.

In issue number two Sinner and Mask's plan begins to unravel. Killer Crocks tank overflows, Mr. Freezes mask breaks, and someone pollutes the food of Clay face which obvious

ly can't have a good result. Of course the most obvious thing to do is have a party. (said in a sarcastic tone). Arkham makes it very clear to Bruce Wayne that he did not make an investment in the new asylum, he made a donation. Meanwhile, Raggedy man is running under the floors of the facility and finding dolls singing the raggedy man song.

The plot of the third issue was fairly obvious, the inmates at Arkham over run it, the security system shuts down, and many many guards are killed. One thing I didn't like was that when Batman came, he beat all the villains to quickly. Alice Sinner had Raggedy man crawl through a whole and bugs went inside his body, where he carved them out with a can opener. I'm not going to ruin the ending for all you readers, but I will tell you it was a surprise, and a disappointment.

At first when I read these books, I liked them allot, but as I wrote its review I realized t

hat the only reason I fell involve with it is that I like the Batman villains and the idea of placing a comic series their was the greatest thing I had ever thought of. I would not highly recommend it, but I will recommend it a little. The book is good, but not that good.

Grade: C+

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