A fixture in the Bat titles from 1999-2011, and again since Rebirth, Cassandra Cain was the second full time Batgirl. Trained from birth to be a living weapon, Cassandra had to learn not just how to fit in with the Bat family, but how to fit in among normal people. This week, just in time…
Batman’s hunt for the kidnapped James Gordon Jr. leads him and Robin to Arkham Asylum. A clue received there leads him to hunt another rogue as the new Holiday shootings continue in Batman: The Long Halloween — The Last Halloween #2, written by Jeph Loeb, drawn by Klaus Janson, colored by Dave Stewart and lettered…
And we have reached the end of October, the spookiest of months, and this the end of villains month. And to wrap it up, we’re getting one of the spookiest of Batman villains: Man-Bat. Dr. Kirk Langstrom has an origin really out of the pages of Spider-Man, but someone has wound up a fixture in…
The Princess of Hell has reached Man’s World. Learn the origin of the Wonder Woman of the new DC Earth in Absolute Wonder Woman #1, written by Kelly Thompson, drawn by Hayden Sherman, colored by Jordie Bellaire and lettered by Becca Carey. A serial killer is targeting young criminals in Gotham, and they seem to…
Black Mask was Hush before Hush: a villains obsessed not with Batman but with Bruce Wayne, seeking to bring down Bruce for childhood grudges. But over the years he has evolved into a more sadistic figure. As villains month nears its end, we read three stories featuring Roman Sionis: his first appearance, his return in…
Three months ago, Batman took in an orphan. Now, it’s time for the world to meet Robin, the Boy Wonder. On his first night out, a run-in with Two-Face leads to questions about a new, and far greater, threat. Batman & Robin: Year One #1 is written by Mark Waid, drawn and colored by Chris…
Killer Croc is a character who has evolved a great deal over his time, and that pun is only half unintended. He has been a mobster, a monster and an anti-hero. This week, for Villains Month, we look at three different interpretations of Croc. In one, he’s a barely human monster running from humanity. In…
A new world, a new Caped Crusader. Absolute Batman #1 is written by Scott Snyder, drawn by Nick Dragotta, colored by Frank Martin and lettered by Clayton Cowles.Things seem to be improving in Gotham. Bruce Wayne’s new nonprofits are making a difference, and Batman is able to work less. But things never stay that way….
The second week of villains month, and we love a theme, so why not use this week to have our second Two-Face episode? We’ve covered a lot of Two-Face stories both for the podcast and the column, and we’re swinging back to some classics. We have the first appearance of Two-Face (a two-parter, of course),…
It’s the dawn of a new age. The heroes of the DC Universe have survived Amanda Waller, and now they’re trying to make a better world for themselves and everyone. But as that hopeful day begins, something darker arrives, too. Darkseid is here, on a mission like never before, and his attack will create something…
It’s October, the spookiest month of the year. So what better time to focus on the villains of the Batman universe? There are five Thursdays, and we’ll be focusing on five villains, all but one we haven’t had a spotlight on before. The first villain is a favorite of Matt’s, one who has appeared in…
Ram V’s operatic run on Detective Comics reaches its conclusion. What more is there to say? The lead story of Detective Comics #1,089 is written by Ram V, drawn by Guillem March, colored by Luis Guerrero and lettered by Ariana Maher. In the backup, we see the effects of Batman’s confrontation on his enemies and…
Our very first Dick Grayson backer, Josh Weil, makes his return to the podcast this week, but he’s not It’s strange to think that Jason Todd has been back from the dead longer than he was actually dead now. For those of us who read Batman comics in the 90s, the death of Jason was…
Our very first Dick Grayson backer, Josh Weil, makes his return to the podcast this week, but he’s not picking the stories. Instead, he has gifted his picks this month to our youngest backers, his sons, David and Alexander. They give us stories that show they love sidekicks, young butlers, and giant monsters. In this week’s BatChat…
Back in Gotham, Damian talks to the school counselor about who he is, and has to answer somewhat vaguely since he’s thinking about his and Batman’s confrontation with Bane and the Cult of Kobra on Dinosaur Island. Batman & Robin #13 is written by Joshua Williamson, drawn and colored by Juan Ferreyra and lettered by…