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| Batman: Strange Apparitions | 
 enlarge | Authors: Steve Englehart, Len Wein, Marshall Rogers
Publisher: DC Comics
Category: Book
List Price: $12.95
Buy Used: $6.43
You Save: $6.52 (50%)
Avg. Customer Rating:  18 reviews
Sales Rank: 422918
Media: Paperback
Reading Level: Young Adult
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 176
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 10.1 x 6.6 x 0.2
ISBN: 1563895005
Dewey Decimal Number: 741.5973
EAN: 9781563895005
ASIN: 1563895005
Publication Date: December 1, 1999
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Library stamps/stickers. Buy with confidence! FREE USPS tracking on every order.
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| Customer Reviews:
| Showing reviews 1-5 of 18 | | NEXT » |
a 70's throwback to the Golden Age August 17, 2008
This collection written in the seventies is very much a throwback to the Golden Age Batman comics of the forties, not only in the resurrection of long-forgotten Golden Age characters, but also in its overall style and tone... From the strained relationship between Batman and the Gotham City Police Department, to the Joker's method of publicly announcing his targeted victims and their times of death before penetrating police cordons with ingeniously elaborate murders (outwitting both batman & the police), this Batman arc was retro and nostalgic even when it was brand new!
 The Englehart/Rogers Batman: Batman Evolves July 28, 2008
If you have not read these stories, you should first be aware that you know them. Or rather - you know this Batman. From the time these stories debuted, this has been described as the "definitive" Batman. This is Batman as we knew him from the 1970s onward, in comics, in film, on TV.
In 1977, these stories were a shocking bolt from the blue: They presented Batman with deadly villains, real consequences, a complex personal life and internal conflicts without easy answers.
Prior to these stories, Bruce Wayne didn't have much of a life, beyond flirting with Catwoman and some father-son scenes with Robin. Englehart changed all that by giving Bruce Wayne an evolving relationship with the beautiful Silver St. Cloud. She fulfilled him, made him happy enough to consider giving up his alter ego. She was a 3-D woman smart enough to determine Batman's identity from hundreds of feet away, given how well she knows the man under the mask. And her reaction is realistic - she becomes scared, torn, and the discovery upends their relationship.
Previously, Robin had been shuffled off to college to make Batman a solitary character once more. But Englehart seamlessly reintegrates Robin back into Batman's world, while evolving their relationship: Dick Grayson goes after Batman, testing him, displaying maturity and level-headedness. Englehart presents Robin as a nearly-grown up partner, someone Batman can consider a friend, rather than a protege.
Ahh, the Joker: The "Laughing Fish" story is often named THE Joker story. In it he is more than crazy: He possesses a guile and murderous streak that suggests a twisted sense of irony. He kills randomly - not because death or violence are funny, more because of the shock and uncertainty it creates. He finds THAT humorous.
Englehart and Rogers also return two villains from the 1940s - Dr. Hugo Strange and Deadshot, though taking some time to revamp the characters and their motivations. Similar care is given to two new villains as well. Also included is a follow-on story by writer Len Wein, who provided a wonderful coda to the main arc: A new iteration of Clayface that resonates with the prior story.
As for Marshall Rogers' art: He had an architectural background, and his rendering of Gotham's landscapes has an authenticity and sense of realism. There is shadow, weight, atmosphere. His ability to convey character emotions was also ahead of its time. The art here became the style sheets by which editors coached new artists for the next 10 years after.
The reaction to these stories was universal: Fans immediately began calling these stories "definitive", a term that has stuck. And with good reason.
Upon reading these stories Michael Uslan became convinced they would make a fantastic Batman film for adults. After 10 years of trying - and several script drafts by Englehart himself - the Batman film of 1989 debuted to rave reviews and revitalized Batman's place in pop culture. The follow-on Batman Animated Series of the 1990s was even more influenced by Englehart and Rogers, with several stories being adapted wholesale.
Again - this is the Batman we all know...just done in a mature, more three-dimensional and realistic fashion. If you like Batman at all, you owe it to yourself to witness this critical step in Batman's evolution.
In honor of Marshall Rogers, 1950 - 2007. May he rest in peace.
 Wonderful moments, but the writing is too dated for my tastes.... March 28, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Batman: Strange Apparitions (1999) - Steve Englehart, Len Wein (Writers) Marshall Rogers, Walt Simonson (Artists)
First of all, I would like to mention that although the "Strange Apparitions" trade was released in 1999, it actually collects classic Batman stories that originally came out in a string from 1977-1978.
It could just be me, but, with the exception of a few key works (such as Stan Lee's early Fantastic Four stuff, Jack Cole's Plastic Man, etc.), older mainstream superhero comics (basically pre-Alan Moore) just don't appeal to me. The art is definitely fine, and a lot of it is brilliant. It's the writing that's the problem. Compared to the much more literary comic writing of today, most of the old stuff just doesn't compare. Just to put a little more emphasis on my point, notice how I didn't say that modern comic book writing is darker, or more serious, or anything like that. It's just more literary. I understand that older comic book writing is attempting to present a specific style and, in a way, capture a specific kind of innocence, but to me, it just comes off as bad writing, plain and simple. In other words, you will almost never find writing like this in most novels, plays, or even children's literature. However, you may say that comics are a visual medium. The writing is only secondary to the art. After all, there are many great comics that have no writing at all. This is true, but I feel that in mainstream superhero comics, dialogue is a huge aspect in developing character and personality, which is just as important as the action and plot. And, that's where older writing fails in general because they do a relatively bad job at portraying actual personality and character. Most of the cast that appears in older superhero comics are almost all the same. They have gimmicks that represent personality, but no actual, true personality. Thus, there is no depth of character at all, which leads to the problem of me not caring for any of the heroes themselves. Therefore, finally, they are only light fun, and, even then, they are not that much fun. Ok, I'm finished with my tangent.
Steve Englehart, thankfully, is one of the better old school writers, although he still has a lot of the same problems, such as the character narrating his actions and thoughts out. However, he actually has the ability to create some personality and character in his writing. I am referring specifically to his EXCELLENT portrayal of the Joker. This is by far the most insane Joker I have seen in a comic. He is insane not because of the crazy things he does (which is how most writers try to portray this insanity) but because he has an insane sense of logic that still somehow makes sense (and also makes it funny). This is the same sort of logic that occurs in a lot of the crazy characters in Lewis Carrol's wonderful "Alice" novels and is also the kind of insanity that I find truly creepy. So, I definitely give congrats to Englehart's writing in this department. His Batman is refreshing when compared to the much more gloomy (and sometimes downright depressing) modern day Batman, but Frank Miller's reinvention is so strong that I still feel that his version is the definitive Batman. However, like I said, its still refreshing to read about a much more lighthearted Batman.
Now, as stated earlier, the problem with the writing is in the characterization. However, the plots themselves are interesting. In fact, some of them are great. "The Laughing Fish", in particular, is a standout. I hear that its a classic Batman and Joker story and I can clearly see why. There is a great premise and plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader hooked.
The absolute best part of this trade and series is the gorgeous art of Marshall Rogers. I had never seen any work by this man before, which is amazing considering how good he is, both technically and artistically. His technical skill is evident in his use of crisp, clear lines to create extremely realistic settings and characters that still retain an edgy, gritty look. His artistic skill is even better because this man is a master of imagery, which no amount of technical skill can teach you. He has the ability to create images that resonate and stick in your consciousness long after you finish the comic. Particularly striking ones include the Joker's smile (used on the fish, cat, fake Batman, etc.), Hugo Strange's ghost, Helena the dummy, and Batman's dark silhouette (which is a common image now, but I had not seen it used as effectively before Rogers). He is also a master storyteller, using multiple panels (an unfortunate rarity nowadays) to elaborate and depict the plot that Englehart produces. All in all, the man is fantastic.
So, although the writing is definitely dated, there is enough good stuff in this trade for me to recommend it. So go buy it now!
And by the way, if anyone heavily disagrees with my earlier tangent on old comic book writing and feels that they do have a strong level of artistic merit, I would love to hear them out. I am a very open-minded person and would love to give credit where its due; it's just I don't see it as of right now.
Batman in the 70s February 26, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
This was an excellent story arc. Definitely after reading this, I can appreciate the impact it has had on the history of modern Bat tales. Just like Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams, Englehart and Marshall played a part in making Batman what he is today.
This book doesn't really have a definitive storyline. The story lines carry over from one issue to the next and so there's a continuity to it all, but could be read as stand alone stories. The most interesting arcs in here are the budding relationship between Bruce and Silver St. Cloud, plus the ghost of Hugo Strange that haunts Boss Rupert Thorne. Along with Silver and Thorne, Dr. Phosphorus is introduced here. It was cool to read how he originated having read a recent Detective Comic that he appeared in.
In addition to that, Pengin, Deadshot, Clayface and The Joker make appeances. They all get their own story line and one usually carries over into the next. The classic "Laughing Fish" tale is included here as well as "The Sign of The Joker" which were also included in The Greatest Joker Stories Ever Told collection. That was where I first read them, but I got a lot more out of them this time around seeing how some of the other story elements like Bruce's relationship with Silver and Thorne's fear of Strange carried over. Taken out of context the stories still work, but this is the way you're meant to read it.
I will agree with a previous reviewer who stated that certain elements dated this story such as the narration, but don't let that deter you from enjoying a truly great collection of Batman stories.
 Bats in the belfry June 11, 2007
4 out of 10 found this review helpful
A reviewer here correctly stated that every Bat-fan will have his or her own idea of what constitues "definitive" Batman: Caped Crusader? Master Detective? Dark Knight? Heck, I even know someone who didn't care much for the excellent (and, in my mind, an example of definitive) movie Batman Begins because he thought "It wasn't funny enough." He apparently prefers the high camp of Adam West's Batman. So it is that I, sadly, have to diagree with those who enjoyed this book. I had high hopes, based on the reviews here, but I ended up agreeing with the person who said this collection simply hasn't aged well. It's not all bad... I think the art is excellent for its time, especially that of the late Marshall Rogers. His work can certainly be described as definitive in that helped shape the look of Batman for years to come. It's more straightforward, and "old school" by today's standards, but it's still a classic look, and not just for Bats (Silver St. Cloud is SEXY). That's great.
My problems are with the writing. I can certainly tell that the roots of the (mostly) wonderful Batman: The Animated Series were planted here (I'd always wondered where Rupert Thorne came from), but the writing just pales compared to what I expect today. Each storyline with a particular villain (aside from Thorne) seems rushed, and then that villain is whisked away and it's on to the next one (I would have liked more development of both Dr. Phosphorus and Clayface). And the dialogue? In a word: HOKEY. The book is loaded with all that stilted, old-fashioned "comic"-speak that doesn't come to close to sounding how people talk in real life. One example of this is the annoying trait of having characters speak their thoughts aloud, even if no one else is there. It really bogs this book down. It's something that both the animated Batman of the 90's and the comics today (thankfully) fixed.
The plots leave a lot to be desired too. We see Bruce and Silver speak a lot about how deep their relationship has become, but why don't we see any of that? I'm not sure when they spent all their time together, because there's very little of that in these pages. As much as liked the St. Cloud character, this just wasn't believable. And why does Penguin leave such blatant clues, allowing Batman to easily figure out what he's up to? Isn't that Riddler's M.O.? Again, it's weak and rushed. Also disappointing was the fate of Hugo Strange. I liked him in the animated series, and in the recent "Batman and the Monster Men" collection. He's one of Batman's earliest villains, but his death was a surprise. He's the "Strange" apparition of this book, but why wasn't any of this explained? His ghost appears, and starts haunting Thorne. Was it real or imagined? This book doesn't bother to explain it, and I don't know if it ever was explained... It sure makes the final story in the collection (the Clayface one) seem tacked on and not really fitting in with the rest, aside from mentions of Silver and Thorne. Has Strange ever returned after that? I could've sworn he had (who honestly stays dead in comics?), but I may have to go back through my comic collection and see.
There's a certain nostalgic quality to this collection, like all those editors notes that the bottom of a panel (another thing I'm glad the comics of today have largely done away with), as well the use of an omniscient narrator. How many times could they say "Batman does not reply!" in one book? I lost count. If this the kind of comic storytelling you grew up with -- where a guy can make a RUBBER MASK of someone he's impersonating and actually fool people -- then you might really enjoy this. Count me amongst those who enjoys the later, darker, edgier Batman tales however: Dark Knight Returns, Year One, Killing Joke, The Cult, Blind Justice, Hush, The Long Halloween, and plenty of other more recent gems I could name.
Oh, and what's with the cover? It's nice, but there's no scene with a gravestone for Bruce Wayne in any of the collected stories. Very misleading.
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