Batman: War Games - Act 01 - Outbreak - Softcover

Grade 10 Up–This frantically plotted installment in the series supposedly introduces monumental changes in the Batman saga. For someone who isn't a regular reader of the comics, though, it is more likely to set the stage for a series migraine. The basic premise is that one of Batman's gang of antiheroes has unleashed a Dark Knight's own war game scenario on Gotham City. The result is utter chaos, with rival gangs fighting for control and the police hopelessly outgunned. In the ensuing jumble of fistfights, arson, and shoot-outs, a mysterious assassin is methodically hunting down, torturing, and killing both mob bosses and members of Batman's team. This is a huge story line, stretching across several issues of the comics that reflect different visual and written interpretations of the various heroes and villains. While it is interesting to see the different interpretations, the change in drawing and coloring styles can be confusing. The characterizations, too, could be a problem for casual Batman fans, as familiar figures such as Batman, Robin, and Batgirl are very different from their recently successful graphic-novel counterparts. Although the overarching story is complex, the graphic compositions and plot points are often sophomoric in their attempts to show flesh without sex and violence with no seeming repercussions. Appealing to a specific demographic, this is like an R-rated movie edited to receive a PG-13 rating. There are many other great stand-alone Batman graphic novels that are more self-contained and have clearer, better story devices.–Steev Baker, Kewaskum Public Library, WI
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