It's vacation time - that means its time for some great superhero graphic novels. Here are the ones I've read so far:
By taking advantage of the media's fascination with pain, cruelty, novelty, and celebrity, a "reformed" Joker sets up Batman through the use of staged pictures that put Batman on the wrong side of the law. Joker is able to do this by manipulating a key media mogul who is haunted by a secret from the past that he and Bruce share - a secret the Joker uses to his advantage. I really enjoyed the haunting artwork in this graphic novel. Joker is downright spooky and terrifying at times. Batman looks awesome. I particularly enjoyed Joker's attempt to get Batman to laugh.
By manipulating the time stream, three aliens take advantage of Superman and Batman's defining moments. They kill the Kents and take the baby Kal-el (soon to be Superman) from the Kryptonian spaceship. They also kill the man who murdered Bruce Wayne's parents after he has shot them and then take young Bruce with them as well. The three raise Clark and Bruce to be evil world emporers. Thus begins a graphic novel with more time travel loops than you can possibly imagine. We see Superman and Batman die numerous times as the time stream is tweaked in order to bring things back to normal. It was great fun to see Superman and Batman as world dictators.
At the botton of Gotham Bay Batman discovers a mysterious spaceship that holds Kara Zor-el, Superman's cousin, and soon-to-be Supergirl. Bruce remains suspicious while Superman immediately takes her in. Darkseid attempts to take her in order to make Supergirl his new Barda. Superman and Batman descend to Apokolips - the hell-world of Darkseid - to recover Supergirl. Batman is the key figure who is able to conquer Darkseid because Batman - unlike Superman - is willing to destroy the entire planet of Apokolips if Darkseid will not assent to his demands. This is a killer match-up between Batman and Darkseid, and proves once more why Batman rules! But then in the final chapter when Superman takes on Darkseid we see why Superman rules as well. Superman plasters Darkseid on the wall of the Source. Epic!
This is a touching story of the first encounter between Captain Marvel and Superman. Captain Marvel is really young Billy Bratson, a homeless boy who has been given the power of the gods by the wizard shazam. By speaking the word of power, Billy Bratson transforms into Captain Marvel. In the course of this adventure, Marvel and Superman cross paths. Marvel's best friend, another young homeless boy, is shot by Marvel's enemies. After Marvel almost kills his enemy, he runs away. Superman finds him and consoles him. Recognizing that he is only a small boy, Superman reveals his identity to the boy, and begins to mentor him as Clark Kent. This graphic novel was surprisingly touching. I almost cried.
Gotham in 2039 is a corrupt state. No one can be trusted. No one has any privacy, except for one anamoly, the Batman. The Batman uncovers corruption at the highest level while seeking to preserve his anonymity. Unfortunately we never learn if this is really Bruce Wayne, or someone carrying on the Batman tradition (my guess is that it is the latter).
Leob and Sale retale Superman's coming-of-age story beginning with his final year in Smallville, his first moments in Metropolis, his return to Smallville, and his final acceptance of his life mission. This is a classic tale told in a fresh new way. Really good stuff.
Superman's powers are intensified by the close proximity to the sun - the source of his powers - that was required to save some scientists. However, his molecules are breaking apart and he doesn't have long to live. He tells Lois his secret and spends a special day with her as she shares his powers. Clark Kent interviews Lex Luther who is on death row, and we get to learn "the gospel according to Lex." Finally, Jonathan Kent - Clark's father - dies in the final story and we discover what "gospel" guides Superman - a "gospel" given to him by his father. Absolutely fantastic artwork. Great storytelling.
A wicked incarnation of Superman and Batman from another timestream kill a superhero in another dimension, but things are not as they seem. Bat-mite's possession of Joker and Mxyzptlk are behind this crazy (and rather convoluted) plot. Not one of my favorites, but still fun.
This is a fantastic and intricate tale about a covert operation masterminded by one villain to completely mess with Batman's mind. Throughout the story we are left guessing at who is behind the whole operation.
When Wonder Woman's golden lasso reveals two competing truths offered by two different people, her lasso breaks and all objective reality begins to fade away, being replaced by the billions of subjective realities experienced by every individual on earth. This creates a chaos and instability. Wonder Woman must set "truth" right again by restoring the lasso. The story reflects the clash of ideals that erupts when people hold competing truths. Wonder Woman urgues us to find a better solution than violence to deal with these truths. In all, a very satisfying story. The main story is framed by two short stories - one about the endless battle of the Justice League, and the other a touching story about Batman confronting Plastic Man's estranged son. The Batman is particularly good in the last story. Also, throughout all the stories, Plastic Man is a riot.
The Justice League battles Z, an ancient enemy who travels the stars, bringing terror and destruction while testing a planet's heroes. Z attempts to use fear to destroy the Justice League, but Z wasn't quite ready for meta-humans and, of course, Batman.
This continues the Elseworld's story, The Nail, in which Martha and John Kent did not discover baby Kal-El because of a tire blowout caused by a nail. At the end of that story, Kal-El is discovered in an Amish community. Now the Amish Superman is growing in power and eclipses the powers of all other metahumans. But an ancient cosmic planet-devouring evil lurks on the horizon. Everyone assumes that only Superman can thwart it, but he is not powerful enough. In the end, Green Arrow is given the body of a powerful superhero and shoots the Omega Doom into the heart of the alien evil with his trusted arrow. This one is full - and I mean full - of superheroes.
This is a collection of six Detective Comics. In each story, it is Batman's brain rather than his brawn that saves the day. In the stories he faces the Joker, a reformed Riddler, the Penguin, and a terrified Poison Ivy. My favorite story is the final one in which Joker takes a bound and gagged Robin on a terrifying death cruise at Christmas time. It is Robin's knowledge of the Marx Brothers that saves the day. In this story, Joker comes off as the crazed, evil, heartless villain that he is.
Superman awakes in a bizarre world where everything is upside-down and irrational. Ultimately, he discovers that Joker has assumed Mxyzptlk's divine power and created a world completely in his vicious, sadistic, and evil image. It is up to Superman to attempt to awaken the heroes and the world to the truth and reverse the situation. In the end, Joker is so intimately connected to the Batman that the solution lies with him. Great fun!
This takes place after Superman's death and return. After experiencing four fake supermans, people are suspicious of the authenticity of the present Superman. Superman proves he is the real thing by his willingness to sacrifice himself and place his trust in his fellow superheroes.
I had a hard time following this story, but the artwork by Ed and Mariah Benes is absolutely fantastic!
This is a monster and hard to follow. By the end the story is so convoluted, I could hardly follow it. For example, Steel on page 398 says, "Listen... if B13 succeeds in joining Warworld and Apokolips with the geo-dynamic power of the Earth as amplified through the Lextower... It's all over!" In the end, Superman plunges into the sun and becomes an unbelievably powerful force. I just wish I cared at that point!
Great realistic artwork in this one. It's always fun to see Superman and Batman working together.
An epic story that cultimates in Superman vs. Superman. Because of all the parallel worlds, I had a hard time following this.
This takes place one year after "Infinite Crisis." Superman has lost his powers and enjoying life with Lois. Luthor arises with a villainous plan involving the use of Kryptonite and Kryptonian crystals. Eventually, Superman is pulled back into his destiny. This was a great read. This would make a great movie!
This is one fantastic graphic novel! Maxwell Lord has taken over Superman's mind and convinced him that Brainiac, Darkseid, and Doomsday are killing Lois. Superman believes he is fighting his enemies. In reality, he is almost mortally wounding Batman. Wonder Woman takes it into her hands to stop Superman and his controller, Maxwell Lord. This results in one of the most intense battle sequences ever (in Part 4 of 4). The only way to stop Superman is to kill Maxwell Lord - and this is exactly what Wonder Woman does! Obviously, this does not bode well with Superman or Batman. There's a great sequence at the end of "Wonder Woman 220" where she confesses to Batman what she has done, assuming he would understand. Batman simply responds, "Get out." Superman then has to wrestle with his responsibility to human life. He realizes that he is not simply battling machines or monsters, but people. In an exchange between Superman and Batman, Superman says, "We're not responsible for..." Batman interrupts, "You're the most powerful man on earth! You don't get the luxury of that excuse!" This is one great story! [Another great section where Lois speaks of Superman's super-sight: "He can micro-focus his vision so fine he can identify individual strands of D.N.A. A second later, he can macro-focus and see the edge of the universe."]
Another fantastic work. I love Superman's playful confidence bordering on cockiness exhibited throughout this adventure - even when he is being beat. One of my favorite sequences involves a beaten and tattered Superman who proclaims to his opponents: "So, you all think you can make a rep for yourselves by taking me out in my weakened condition? Maybe. I'm wounded and tired, and not in full control of myself. But the need to protect innocent lives coupled with my weakness has now become your problem. See - my enormous strength requires an incredible amount of control. You human beings are such fragile things. You break pretty easily." One enemy accuses him of bluffing and Superman knocks him out of the orbit. After the enemies scatter, Superman collapses. He was bluffing. I also love the sequence where Wonder Woman is caring for an unconcious Superman. She is asked, "Do you love him?" She responds, "You saw him, today. Lungs punctured, stab wounds, holes riddling his body--and he's still thinking of others. Protecting the innocents. The victims. The wounded. Of course I love him." There is also some great dialogue between Lana Lang and Superman concerning his relationship with Lois. All in all, a delightful read!
An epic tale of the necessary compromises needed to preserve the Justice League and protect the loved ones of the superheroes. No team - no matter how good - is without skeletons in the closet. Great story!
Eclipso's attempt to find a new human host results in Spectre's attempt to destroy all magic.
Short epic story of the attempt to deceive Superman by a being who believes he is being worshiped as a god on earth and thus desires the same treatment.
While Superman battles foes at home, Lois is half-way around the world on the frontlines in the Umec war. Great art. Good dialogue. Superman admits he cannot show favoritism for one side during the war. In the end, Lois is shot, and there is a great sequence where Superman hears her voice from half-way around the world and shoots to her side in less than three seconds. Awesome!
"No miracles. No mercy. Above all, no redemption." This is a fantastic story concerning Batman's blindness because of his own obsession. In the story, it is obvious that a person he is pursuing has turned a new leaf and found redemption. However, Batman refuses to view her as any more than a liar. He can't possibly imagine that she could change. His inability to see this almost leads to disaster for truly innocent others. A great story!
One of the best Batman's I've ever read. It focuses on the major turning points in Batman's career - particularly in regard to his relationship with Commissioner Gordon. From their first uneasy moments of partnership to Gordon's distrust of Azrael - Batman's secret and murderous replacement while Bruce Wayne recovers from a broken back. The stress of this relationship causes both men to nearly resign themselves to despair, that is, until they see the fruits of their labor in the form of a little girl. All five stories are great! Batman at his best!
A collection of Detective Comics from #827-834. Good stories overall. I especially liked the one about the mad bomber Vox and his attempt to destroy Wayne Tower and also Batman's teamup with Zatanna in order to combat the evil magician who is more than a magician.
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