Immersing Myself in Bat-Lore Part 3

Wasting no time at all, I finished 4 Batman graphic novels this past week:

The Long Halloween by Jeph Loeb & Tim Sale.

This was enjoyable. While Jeph Loeb has regressed as a writer in recent years, he was at point very capable and has written some critically claimed and best selling series, this being one of them. As far as plot goes, it was pretty good, although I predicted the ending by the third chapter, I still enjoyed the story. A lot of Batman stories are a bit formulaic in the fact that they are crime/murder mysteries, but the key is in the execution. The writing was fine, but the art is really what stands out. Tim Sale's work on this is magnificent, it perfectly captures Batman's rogues gallery, especially Two-Face and Joker. Overall, a good read, but not as good as critics say.

Arkham Asylum by Grant Morrison and Dave McKean

The graphic novel that made Grant Morrison very wealthy. This, along with the Killing Joke, Batman: Year One, and The Dark Knight Returns, are all cited as being seminal takes on the Batman mythology. This goes into the back story of Arkham, the infamous asylum that houses Batman's beyond criminally insane rogues. You get an inside look at the terror of this facility as it has been cursed b Amadeus Arkham, the founder. McKean's artwork is suitably creepy, and Morrison always brings the weird. It was enjoyable.

Dark Victory by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale

The sequel to the Long Halloween. Pretty good, and it continues the themes and plot developed in "The Long Halloween." Once again, Tim Sale excels. I gotta say, the ending was just okay. However, for me it wasn't as telegraphed as it was in "The Long Halloween."

Batman: Earth One by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank

One of the more recent takes on Batman in my current study, this was REALLY REALLY enjoyable. A great, fresh take on the character that WORKS. Geoff Johns is one of the best writers DC has ever had, and he does not disappoint here. He updates Batman in a way that both makes sense and feels right. The Batman  of Earth One is way more vulnerable and prone to make mistakes. He's still a work in progress, and that is definitely a Batman we have rarely seen. Great stuff here.