Post by Timothy on Jun 7, 2007 14:04:59 GMT -5
1.) Gotham Knights #24 "The Devil You Know" (February 2002)
For me, this story was a milestone in Bruce Wayne's character development, because it showcased two interesting aspects of his personality. One, he has an almost pathological fear of guns, and two, he has strong scizophrenic tendencies. All of this makes sense due to his extremely traumatic childhood, and until this point, I (as well as others) looked at Batman as an amazing individual who pulled himself up from his tragedy and trained himself to fight crime. How I look at the character now is that, yes, he is still the hero that I know and love, but he was so deeply scarred by that night so long ago that he needed to develop a separate persona to deal with the large and small things in life.
2.) Detective Comics #0 (October 1994)
(Sorry about the size of this thumbnail
)
This story was fantastic to give to new readers (which was DC's intention in the first place), as it tells you how Batman came to be, while showcasing how he created the first Batmobile, batsuit, and Batcave. That, and the main plot of rescuing hostages was well "timed", in that the action continued and flowed in an almost effortless effect.
3.) JLA #0 (July 2006)
Admitedly, this book's story wasn't that fantastic, as it revolved around flashbacks throughout Wonder Woman, Superman, and Batman's history together. It was great for die-hards like me who got the references, but for the casual reader, it was probably "so-so" to "so what?"
However, there were two moments that I absolutely enjoyed, with the first being Superman meeting with Batman after defeating a super villain with the help of fellow costumed heroes. Superman describes how it was the first time he'd ever seen Batman afraid... Not afraid of super villains or criminals... But of the world growing smaller thanks to the arrival of newer, more powerful heroes; and when you're the lone human defending humanity amongst beings rivaling gods, that means something.
The last section that really touched me was seeing Batman happy. He was alive, full of almost youthful exuberence, and ready to take on the world... All because of his newest addition to the Robin lineage, Jason Todd. I interpreted this section as a father's joy at seeing his son succeed, which is why the death of Jason was (and still is) extremely painful for Bruce to deal with... He let someone (a youth who was very similar to Bruce) become almost part of his innermost circle, before losing that very boy to death.
4.) Detective Comics 1995 Annual
This was the comic that allowed me to understand the Riddler's motivations (he cheated to gain attention from his teachers, parents, or anyone who would notice him), and proved to me that you can create an interesting and emotional story of a criminal genius without going "over the top".
5.) Detective Comics Annual #2 (1989
There's just something about the early years of the Caped Crusader that I love so much. I believe he is the only character that you can write for that is interesting before, after, and during his career as Batman. As such, this tale of a 20-something Bruce Wayne solving a complex murder case in the South appealed to me on the level that you don't need the costume to have a fantastic Batman story.
*NOTE: I do not, nor will I ever, support or tolerate the actions of terrorist organizations such as the Klu Klux Klan (K.K.K), or the fictional organizations featured in this issue.
Well, those are my top 5 issues... What are yours and why?
For me, this story was a milestone in Bruce Wayne's character development, because it showcased two interesting aspects of his personality. One, he has an almost pathological fear of guns, and two, he has strong scizophrenic tendencies. All of this makes sense due to his extremely traumatic childhood, and until this point, I (as well as others) looked at Batman as an amazing individual who pulled himself up from his tragedy and trained himself to fight crime. How I look at the character now is that, yes, he is still the hero that I know and love, but he was so deeply scarred by that night so long ago that he needed to develop a separate persona to deal with the large and small things in life.
2.) Detective Comics #0 (October 1994)
(Sorry about the size of this thumbnail
)This story was fantastic to give to new readers (which was DC's intention in the first place), as it tells you how Batman came to be, while showcasing how he created the first Batmobile, batsuit, and Batcave. That, and the main plot of rescuing hostages was well "timed", in that the action continued and flowed in an almost effortless effect.
3.) JLA #0 (July 2006)
Admitedly, this book's story wasn't that fantastic, as it revolved around flashbacks throughout Wonder Woman, Superman, and Batman's history together. It was great for die-hards like me who got the references, but for the casual reader, it was probably "so-so" to "so what?"
However, there were two moments that I absolutely enjoyed, with the first being Superman meeting with Batman after defeating a super villain with the help of fellow costumed heroes. Superman describes how it was the first time he'd ever seen Batman afraid... Not afraid of super villains or criminals... But of the world growing smaller thanks to the arrival of newer, more powerful heroes; and when you're the lone human defending humanity amongst beings rivaling gods, that means something.
The last section that really touched me was seeing Batman happy. He was alive, full of almost youthful exuberence, and ready to take on the world... All because of his newest addition to the Robin lineage, Jason Todd. I interpreted this section as a father's joy at seeing his son succeed, which is why the death of Jason was (and still is) extremely painful for Bruce to deal with... He let someone (a youth who was very similar to Bruce) become almost part of his innermost circle, before losing that very boy to death.
4.) Detective Comics 1995 Annual
This was the comic that allowed me to understand the Riddler's motivations (he cheated to gain attention from his teachers, parents, or anyone who would notice him), and proved to me that you can create an interesting and emotional story of a criminal genius without going "over the top".
5.) Detective Comics Annual #2 (1989
There's just something about the early years of the Caped Crusader that I love so much. I believe he is the only character that you can write for that is interesting before, after, and during his career as Batman. As such, this tale of a 20-something Bruce Wayne solving a complex murder case in the South appealed to me on the level that you don't need the costume to have a fantastic Batman story.
*NOTE: I do not, nor will I ever, support or tolerate the actions of terrorist organizations such as the Klu Klux Klan (K.K.K), or the fictional organizations featured in this issue.
Well, those are my top 5 issues... What are yours and why?
