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Batman Post-Crisis #80
Batman: Contagion
A lethal virus has been released on the unknowing inhabitants of Gotham City, causing excruciating pain and ultimate death within 48 hours. Batman races to contain the chaos and find a cure, with help from Robin, Nightwing, Azrael, Huntress, Catwoman and Poison Ivy. Full-color illustrations. Graphic novel format.
Collects:
- Shadow of the Bat: #48, #49
- Detective Comics: #695, #696
- Robin: #27, #28
- Catwoman: #31, #32
- Azrael: #15, #16
- Batman #529
- The Batman Chronicles #4
Collects:
- Shadow of the Bat: #48, #49
- Detective Comics: #695, #696
- Robin: #27, #28
- Catwoman: #31, #32
- Azrael: #15, #16
- Batman #529
- The Batman Chronicles #4
504 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1996
12 people are currently reading
725 people want to read
About the author
Chuck Dixon
3,429 books1,031 followersCharles "Chuck" Dixon is an American comic book writer, perhaps best-known for long runs on Batman titles in the 1990s.
His earliest comics work was writing Evangeline first for Comico Comics in 1984 (then later for First Comics, who published the on-going series), on which he worked with his then-wife, the artist Judith Hunt. His big break came one year later, when editor Larry Hama hired him to write back-up stories for Marvel Comics' The Savage Sword of Conan.
In 1986, he began working for Eclipse Comics, writing Airboy with artist Tim Truman. Continuing to write for both Marvel and (mainly) Eclipse on these titles, as well as launching Strike! with artist Tom Lyle in August 1987 and Valkyrie with artist Paul Gulacy in October 1987, he began work on Carl Potts' Alien Legion series for Marvel's Epic Comics imprint, under editor Archie Goodwin. He also produced a three-issue adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit for Eclipse with artist David Wenzel between 1989 and 1990, and began writing Marc Spector: Moon Knight in June 1989.
His Punisher OGN Kingdom Gone (August, 1990) led to him working on the monthly The Punisher War Journal (and later, more monthly and occasional Punisher titles), and also brought him to the attention of DC Comics editor Denny O'Neil, who asked him to produce a Robin mini-series. The mini proved popular enough to spawn two sequels - The Joker's Wild (1991) and Cry of the Huntress (1992) - which led to both an ongoing monthly series (which Dixon wrote for 100 issues before leaving to work with CrossGen Comics), and to Dixon working on Detective Comics from #644-738 through the major Batman stories KnightFall & KnightsEnd (for which he helped create the key character of Bane), DC One Million , Contagion , Legacy , Cataclysm and No Man's Land . Much of his run was illustrated by Graham Nolan.
He was DC's most prolific Batman-writer in the mid-1990s (rivalled perhaps in history by Bill Finger and Dennis O'Neil) - in addition to writing Detective Comics he pioneered the individual series for Robin , Nightwing (which he wrote for 70 issues, and returned to briefly with 2005's #101) and Batgirl , as well as creating the team and book Birds of Prey .
While writing multiple Punisher and Batman comics (and October 1994's Punisher/Batman crossover), he also found time to launch Team 7 for Jim Lee's WildStorm/Image and Prophet for Rob Liefeld's Extreme Studios. He also wrote many issues of Catwoman and Green Arrow , regularly having about seven titles out each and every month between the years 1993 and 1998.
In March, 2002, Dixon turned his attention to CrossGen's output, salthough he co-wrote with Scott Beatty the origin of Barbara Gordon's Batgirl in 2003's Batgirl: Year One. For CrossGen he took over some of the comics of the out-going Mark Waid, taking over Sigil from #21, and Crux with #13. He launched Way of the Rat in June 2002, Brath (March '03), The Silken Ghost (June '03) and the pirate comic El Cazador (Oct '03), as well as editing Robert Rodi's non-Sigilverse The Crossovers. He also wrote the Ruse spin-off Archard's Agents one-shots in January and November '03 and April '04, the last released shortly before CrossGen's complete collapse forced the cancellation of all of its comics, before which Dixon wrote a single issue of Sojourn (May '04). Dixon's Way of the Rat #24, Brath #14 and El Cazador #6 were among the last comics released from the then-bankrupt publisher.
On June 10, 2008, Dixon announced on his forum that he was no longer "employed by DC Comics in any capacity."
His earliest comics work was writing Evangeline first for Comico Comics in 1984 (then later for First Comics, who published the on-going series), on which he worked with his then-wife, the artist Judith Hunt. His big break came one year later, when editor Larry Hama hired him to write back-up stories for Marvel Comics' The Savage Sword of Conan.
In 1986, he began working for Eclipse Comics, writing Airboy with artist Tim Truman. Continuing to write for both Marvel and (mainly) Eclipse on these titles, as well as launching Strike! with artist Tom Lyle in August 1987 and Valkyrie with artist Paul Gulacy in October 1987, he began work on Carl Potts' Alien Legion series for Marvel's Epic Comics imprint, under editor Archie Goodwin. He also produced a three-issue adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit for Eclipse with artist David Wenzel between 1989 and 1990, and began writing Marc Spector: Moon Knight in June 1989.
His Punisher OGN Kingdom Gone (August, 1990) led to him working on the monthly The Punisher War Journal (and later, more monthly and occasional Punisher titles), and also brought him to the attention of DC Comics editor Denny O'Neil, who asked him to produce a Robin mini-series. The mini proved popular enough to spawn two sequels - The Joker's Wild (1991) and Cry of the Huntress (1992) - which led to both an ongoing monthly series (which Dixon wrote for 100 issues before leaving to work with CrossGen Comics), and to Dixon working on Detective Comics from #644-738 through the major Batman stories KnightFall & KnightsEnd (for which he helped create the key character of Bane), DC One Million , Contagion , Legacy , Cataclysm and No Man's Land . Much of his run was illustrated by Graham Nolan.
He was DC's most prolific Batman-writer in the mid-1990s (rivalled perhaps in history by Bill Finger and Dennis O'Neil) - in addition to writing Detective Comics he pioneered the individual series for Robin , Nightwing (which he wrote for 70 issues, and returned to briefly with 2005's #101) and Batgirl , as well as creating the team and book Birds of Prey .
While writing multiple Punisher and Batman comics (and October 1994's Punisher/Batman crossover), he also found time to launch Team 7 for Jim Lee's WildStorm/Image and Prophet for Rob Liefeld's Extreme Studios. He also wrote many issues of Catwoman and Green Arrow , regularly having about seven titles out each and every month between the years 1993 and 1998.
In March, 2002, Dixon turned his attention to CrossGen's output, salthough he co-wrote with Scott Beatty the origin of Barbara Gordon's Batgirl in 2003's Batgirl: Year One. For CrossGen he took over some of the comics of the out-going Mark Waid, taking over Sigil from #21, and Crux with #13. He launched Way of the Rat in June 2002, Brath (March '03), The Silken Ghost (June '03) and the pirate comic El Cazador (Oct '03), as well as editing Robert Rodi's non-Sigilverse The Crossovers. He also wrote the Ruse spin-off Archard's Agents one-shots in January and November '03 and April '04, the last released shortly before CrossGen's complete collapse forced the cancellation of all of its comics, before which Dixon wrote a single issue of Sojourn (May '04). Dixon's Way of the Rat #24, Brath #14 and El Cazador #6 were among the last comics released from the then-bankrupt publisher.
On June 10, 2008, Dixon announced on his forum that he was no longer "employed by DC Comics in any capacity."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
July 26, 2020
I'm new to the Batman Comics but they've become my current obsession.
The contagion arc is a dark one. Apocalyptic. The stakes are high. I'm looking forward to completing Batman: Legacy where Ra's al Ghul's influence can be found and Bane & Talia make appearances.
My favorite part in Contagion was when Gordan saves Batman's ass from Poison Ivy in the nick of time.
I know I'll enjoy seeing the beginning of their partnership in Batman: Year One.
I've always enjoyed crime noir films. Last year I discovered I enjoyed reading crime noir after reading The Maltese Falcon. I see the crime noir influences in the Batman comics...and I like it. A lot. I def see myself enjoying Frank Miller's gritty realism. The dark humour is a plus too.
Before moving to Frank Miller I'll probably finish the comics featuring Bane. Out of all the comic Supervillains he truly has the most moving origin story.
The contagion arc is a dark one. Apocalyptic. The stakes are high. I'm looking forward to completing Batman: Legacy where Ra's al Ghul's influence can be found and Bane & Talia make appearances.
My favorite part in Contagion was when Gordan saves Batman's ass from Poison Ivy in the nick of time.
I know I'll enjoy seeing the beginning of their partnership in Batman: Year One.
I've always enjoyed crime noir films. Last year I discovered I enjoyed reading crime noir after reading The Maltese Falcon. I see the crime noir influences in the Batman comics...and I like it. A lot. I def see myself enjoying Frank Miller's gritty realism. The dark humour is a plus too.
Before moving to Frank Miller I'll probably finish the comics featuring Bane. Out of all the comic Supervillains he truly has the most moving origin story.
April 15, 2022
- don't like pandemic storylines, never had, and the current world state isn't helping either
- gordon's unemployment arc was cool, love my guy Gordon
- that one scene where Bruce and Gordon jumped out the window and Bruce was like "do you trust me" and Gordon was like "how dare you ask me such a stupid question" and I was like *crying* and then Gordon was like "can I ask you as stupid question though? are you the real you?" and Bruce was like "the one and only" and then they jump out the window, I really liked that
- Tim and Selina. Fave duo. She's like "be careful kid I scratch. but also no really be careful I care about you. not more than I care about the money though. if I had to save money or you I would save you though. Jean-Paul was there.
- the wild goose chase for the person with the antidote is fun but also there's three people and obviously the first 2 would be useless so that was just a bit boring.
- TIM GETTING HIT BY THE PLAGUE??? DICK CARRYING HIM TO THE CAVE??? ALL OF THEM TRYING TO ACT STRONG IN FRONT OF HIM???????? cried.
- Tim getting better but still having a fever and passing out and having Catwoman finding him and making fun of him and then seeing he's actually sick and being worried and saving him? great
- Huntress
- Huntress and the child
- Huntress and the child and the batman on the rooftop
- gordon's unemployment arc was cool, love my guy Gordon
- that one scene where Bruce and Gordon jumped out the window and Bruce was like "do you trust me" and Gordon was like "how dare you ask me such a stupid question" and I was like *crying* and then Gordon was like "can I ask you as stupid question though? are you the real you?" and Bruce was like "the one and only" and then they jump out the window, I really liked that
- Tim and Selina. Fave duo. She's like "be careful kid I scratch. but also no really be careful I care about you. not more than I care about the money though. if I had to save money or you I would save you though. Jean-Paul was there.
- the wild goose chase for the person with the antidote is fun but also there's three people and obviously the first 2 would be useless so that was just a bit boring.
- TIM GETTING HIT BY THE PLAGUE??? DICK CARRYING HIM TO THE CAVE??? ALL OF THEM TRYING TO ACT STRONG IN FRONT OF HIM???????? cried.
- Tim getting better but still having a fever and passing out and having Catwoman finding him and making fun of him and then seeing he's actually sick and being worried and saving him? great
- Huntress
- Huntress and the child
- Huntress and the child and the batman on the rooftop
October 13, 2016
Precioso. Batman en estado puro.
November 27, 2014
Весна 1996 года. Первый большой “готэмский” ивент после завершения “Knightfall”. Двенадцать или тринадцать выпусков, из которых только шесть или семь вошли в бумажный танкобончик, что зачастую является самой популярной претензией к этому изданию.
Вирус “эбола”, усовершенствованный культистами из ордена святого Дюмаса, приходит на улицы Готэма. Первыми жертвами становятся обитатели элитного кондоминиума “Вавилонские башни” (писатели, актеры, политики, миллионеры), которые все же успевают объявить награду за вакцину от вируса.
Пять миллионов баксов - торг уместен.
Единственный потенциальный источник вакцины - кровь тех, кто выжил в предыдущей вспышке эпидемии, которая случилась в Гренландии пару месяцев назад. Три случайных человека: путешественник-хиппи, китайский гангстер и девушка-эскимоска. Где они находятся - неизвестно. Пока Робин, Азраил, Женщина-Кошка и еще с десяток менее альтруистичных охотников за наградами носятся по планете в поисках этой троицы, на улицах Готэма начинается полный хаос. Брюс, Грейсон и (внезапно) Хантресс пытаются прекратить уличные беспорядки. Джеймсу Гордону удается собрать под своим началом самых смелых копов и остановить толпу, после чего прокурорша Мэрион Грэндж силой смещает на посту мэра тряпку Армана Крола.
Злодеи тоже не дремлют. Пингвин сеет хаос и пытается рубить бабло, Ядовитый Плющи пытается рубить бабло и сеет хаос. Томми Монахану (кроссовер с “Hitman” от Энниса - лучшая глава ивента) удается даже оставить с носом самого Бэтмэна и именно здесь получить легендарный заказ на Джокера.
Несмотря на заявленные (вроде бы) серьезность и эпик, спасают “Contagion” только шутки. Точнее, идиотские ситуации. Типа бессмертного китайца и Азраила, решившего пройти с письмом все блокпосты.
Пафосный замысел столкнуть Бэтмэна с врагом, которого он не может победить в рукопашной - то есть с вирусом “эбола” - пока терпит фиаско. Не последнюю роль в этом играет графика. Местами - очень и очень стремачная.
Вот, например, Пойзон Айви.
И остальные.
Вирус “эбола”, усовершенствованный культистами из ордена святого Дюмаса, приходит на улицы Готэма. Первыми жертвами становятся обитатели элитного кондоминиума “Вавилонские башни” (писатели, актеры, политики, миллионеры), которые все же успевают объявить награду за вакцину от вируса.
Пять миллионов баксов - торг уместен.
Единственный потенциальный источник вакцины - кровь тех, кто выжил в предыдущей вспышке эпидемии, которая случилась в Гренландии пару месяцев назад. Три случайных человека: путешественник-хиппи, китайский гангстер и девушка-эскимоска. Где они находятся - неизвестно. Пока Робин, Азраил, Женщина-Кошка и еще с десяток менее альтруистичных охотников за наградами носятся по планете в поисках этой троицы, на улицах Готэма начинается полный хаос. Брюс, Грейсон и (внезапно) Хантресс пытаются прекратить уличные беспорядки. Джеймсу Гордону удается собрать под своим началом самых смелых копов и остановить толпу, после чего прокурорша Мэрион Грэндж силой смещает на посту мэра тряпку Армана Крола.
Злодеи тоже не дремлют. Пингвин сеет хаос и пытается рубить бабло, Ядовитый Плющи пытается рубить бабло и сеет хаос. Томми Монахану (кроссовер с “Hitman” от Энниса - лучшая глава ивента) удается даже оставить с носом самого Бэтмэна и именно здесь получить легендарный заказ на Джокера.
Несмотря на заявленные (вроде бы) серьезность и эпик, спасают “Contagion” только шутки. Точнее, идиотские ситуации. Типа бессмертного китайца и Азраила, решившего пройти с письмом все блокпосты.
Пафосный замысел столкнуть Бэтмэна с врагом, которого он не может победить в рукопашной - то есть с вирусом “эбола” - пока терпит фиаско. Не последнюю роль в этом играет графика. Местами - очень и очень стремачная.
Вот, например, Пойзон Айви.
И остальные.
December 2, 2018
What would happen if a lethal, fast-spreading virus were to be unleashed on a massive city like Gotham? This event spent a year tackling that premise to mixed but overall solid results.
For all of the tonal shifts, uneven characterization and massive swings in art that come with these 90s events, I can’t help but feel nostalgic for them. This is just a good idea executed pretty well that helped pave the way for better events that followed (Legacy, Cataclysm, No Man’s Land).
For all of the tonal shifts, uneven characterization and massive swings in art that come with these 90s events, I can’t help but feel nostalgic for them. This is just a good idea executed pretty well that helped pave the way for better events that followed (Legacy, Cataclysm, No Man’s Land).
August 19, 2020
This is one of two Batman stories focusing on a virus spreading through Gotham City. Seeing the times we are in, seemed like a good time to reread. I have been a fan of Batman since I was a little boy and the thing about Batman I always enjoyed, was his skill as a detective. The Contagion story is strong because they are fighting a virus and it is his mind that will be the most effective weapon. Cool read if you are a Batman or comics fan.
November 27, 2025
Actually pretty enjoyable for a story about Gotham dealing with an ebola virus epidemic.
September 3, 2024
Part of my Batman comic book reread project. Continued from Ghosts.
4.5 stars rounded down to four.
Before we get to "Contagion," Batman deals with a new Spellbinder and Mr. Freeze while Robin takes on Charaxes in some Underworld Unleashed crossover issues. We find out one of Bruce's ancestors was a kind of vigilante helping slaves on the underground railroad. Mayor Krol is out, Mayor Grange is in, she gives Sarah Gordon a new job and returns Jim Gordon to commissioner, but that will have to wait until the inauguration because Krol fills the position with a lackey who is woefully unprepared for the job though this is intentional on Krol's part; he wants to leave as big a mess for the new mayor as possible. (Sour grapes.)
A man the media calls Weedwhacker is using bombs and herbicide to try to kill every plant in Gotham City which naturally upsets Poison Ivy who decides to attend to this matter herself. And why is Weedwhacker so intent on his mission, you ask? Are you ready for this? You're sure? Okay. Ahem... He has really bad allergies.
Only in Gotham. Why don't you just move to the desert, or something?
In a Legends Christmas story, Wayne Manor is robbed and Batman puts aside all other cases to track down one thing that was stolen, his favorite thing. It takes him a couple of days, but he gets it back. And what was it that was stolen, you ask? Are you ready for this? You're sure? Okay. Ahem... It was his train set from when he was a boy because it was the last thing his parents ever gave him before they were killed.
Actually, I kind of understand that one.
Now cut that out! Two-Face kidnaps Siamese twins who have a third eye in the middle on their face with a mouth and nose to each side and a third arm in his/their chest. (We're not shown what's going on at the pelvis, but there are only two legs.) Two-Face uses him/them to get a conviction against the freak show owner who committed a murder. It was the only conviction Harvey Dent wasn't able to get back when he was just Harvey Dent. Naturally the sentence was "execution." One of Tim Drake's classmates starts packing heat for protection though he ends up killed by other gang bangers, so Robin takes care of matters. In Legends, someone is marketing Batman merchandise which creates a frenzy and a lot of crime while a serial killer in a weird bat mask causes some mayhem, but Bats is up to the task of dealing with the killer while Bruce is able to handle the business side.
And that brings us to the...
"Contagion" review.
A manmade virus, a pandemic, an inept mayor, quarantine, riots, martial law, a curfew, a shutdown, a useless "vaccine," natural immunity, shameless opportunists, abuse of political power... Seems like I've heard about all this before, and not so long ago... Where was it? Oh yeah. Real life. The difference here is that what was going on in Gotham wasn't a mountain out of a molehill scenario.
...
You know, you're probably right. If I don't rein this in, I have a feeling I will be pissing off some of y'all who regularly read my reviews. That could be as many as three people, and y'all don't deserve that. Besides, I have a sinking feeling that Stephen King's Holly Gibney book supposedly due out later this year, which is supposed to be a pandemic story, will give me an ample platform to release the Kraken and deliver my very soul on the matter. Will I resist then? (9/2/24 update: Not really, but I could've been much, much worse.) King and I have opinions regarding the Rona which are on opposite sides of the spectrum. Will I make it through the book without blowing a gasket? Will this constant reader even make it through the book at all? Time will tell. Why am I talking about this? Get back to Batman, you dolt.
This was a great story even if I can't help viewing it through a different lens post 2020. There are some improbabilities, but hey, it's a comic book; whaddya expect? (The main one is how does this highly contagious disease stay confined to Gotham even with the city quarantined and entrances and exits sealed off. Robin, Catwoman, and Azrael have very little trouble getting in and out of town, not to mention Tracker. Surely somebody carrying the plague left before everything was sealed. I think the scenario presented in The Stand is much more likely.)
Robin & pals mentioned above try to find an antidote by tracking down the source of the plague outside of Gotham while Batman tries to keep things from going to hell in a handcart in Gotham, an endeavor doomed to failure like always. I mean, it's friggin' Gotham. .
There really isn't a lot more to tell, but it's fun watching everything play out over the course of 11 issues. 12 if you also catch the spring of 1996 Batman Chronicles. (Chronicles came out quarterly so there'd always be a weekly title even during five week months. It's never part of the main story in anything going on in the other four monthly titles, but always provided three short side stories. This one included a touching one involving Robin . I have no idea if the Chronicles bit is in the trade paperback for this, but even if it isn't, "Contagion" is well worth a read.
(If you get the individual issues, beware the covers that say they're parts four and five; they're wrong. Azrael 15 is listed as part four while Catwoman 31 claims to be part five. Don't you believe it. They're accidentally switched. Of course I didn't find this out until after I had read them out of order and was rather confused for a few minutes.)
A word from our sponsors:
Bio-Dome... I didn't watch it when it came out in 1996 and I wish I can say I made it through my entire life without ever seeing it at all, but alas, I caught it about 10 years later. A friend rented it and brought it over one evening. She had never seen it either, but friends of ours ranted and raved about how hilarious it was. After we were done watching it she simply turned to me and said. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I had no idea." I was sorry too as it was two hours of our lives we would never get back. I guess that says it all.
Next checkpoint: The Long Halloween
4.5 stars rounded down to four.
Before we get to "Contagion," Batman deals with a new Spellbinder and Mr. Freeze while Robin takes on Charaxes in some Underworld Unleashed crossover issues. We find out one of Bruce's ancestors was a kind of vigilante helping slaves on the underground railroad. Mayor Krol is out, Mayor Grange is in, she gives Sarah Gordon a new job and returns Jim Gordon to commissioner, but that will have to wait until the inauguration because Krol fills the position with a lackey who is woefully unprepared for the job though this is intentional on Krol's part; he wants to leave as big a mess for the new mayor as possible. (Sour grapes.)
A man the media calls Weedwhacker is using bombs and herbicide to try to kill every plant in Gotham City which naturally upsets Poison Ivy who decides to attend to this matter herself. And why is Weedwhacker so intent on his mission, you ask? Are you ready for this? You're sure? Okay. Ahem... He has really bad allergies.
Only in Gotham. Why don't you just move to the desert, or something?
In a Legends Christmas story, Wayne Manor is robbed and Batman puts aside all other cases to track down one thing that was stolen, his favorite thing. It takes him a couple of days, but he gets it back. And what was it that was stolen, you ask? Are you ready for this? You're sure? Okay. Ahem... It was his train set from when he was a boy because it was the last thing his parents ever gave him before they were killed.
Actually, I kind of understand that one.
Now cut that out! Two-Face kidnaps Siamese twins who have a third eye in the middle on their face with a mouth and nose to each side and a third arm in his/their chest. (We're not shown what's going on at the pelvis, but there are only two legs.) Two-Face uses him/them to get a conviction against the freak show owner who committed a murder. It was the only conviction Harvey Dent wasn't able to get back when he was just Harvey Dent. Naturally the sentence was "execution." One of Tim Drake's classmates starts packing heat for protection though he ends up killed by other gang bangers, so Robin takes care of matters. In Legends, someone is marketing Batman merchandise which creates a frenzy and a lot of crime while a serial killer in a weird bat mask causes some mayhem, but Bats is up to the task of dealing with the killer while Bruce is able to handle the business side.
And that brings us to the...
"Contagion" review.
A manmade virus, a pandemic, an inept mayor, quarantine, riots, martial law, a curfew, a shutdown, a useless "vaccine," natural immunity, shameless opportunists, abuse of political power... Seems like I've heard about all this before, and not so long ago... Where was it? Oh yeah. Real life. The difference here is that what was going on in Gotham wasn't a mountain out of a molehill scenario.
...
You know, you're probably right. If I don't rein this in, I have a feeling I will be pissing off some of y'all who regularly read my reviews. That could be as many as three people, and y'all don't deserve that. Besides, I have a sinking feeling that Stephen King's Holly Gibney book supposedly due out later this year, which is supposed to be a pandemic story, will give me an ample platform to release the Kraken and deliver my very soul on the matter. Will I resist then? (9/2/24 update: Not really, but I could've been much, much worse.) King and I have opinions regarding the Rona which are on opposite sides of the spectrum. Will I make it through the book without blowing a gasket? Will this constant reader even make it through the book at all? Time will tell. Why am I talking about this? Get back to Batman, you dolt.
This was a great story even if I can't help viewing it through a different lens post 2020. There are some improbabilities, but hey, it's a comic book; whaddya expect? (The main one is how does this highly contagious disease stay confined to Gotham even with the city quarantined and entrances and exits sealed off. Robin, Catwoman, and Azrael have very little trouble getting in and out of town, not to mention Tracker. Surely somebody carrying the plague left before everything was sealed. I think the scenario presented in The Stand is much more likely.)
Robin & pals mentioned above try to find an antidote by tracking down the source of the plague outside of Gotham while Batman tries to keep things from going to hell in a handcart in Gotham, an endeavor doomed to failure like always. I mean, it's friggin' Gotham. .
There really isn't a lot more to tell, but it's fun watching everything play out over the course of 11 issues. 12 if you also catch the spring of 1996 Batman Chronicles. (Chronicles came out quarterly so there'd always be a weekly title even during five week months. It's never part of the main story in anything going on in the other four monthly titles, but always provided three short side stories. This one included a touching one involving Robin . I have no idea if the Chronicles bit is in the trade paperback for this, but even if it isn't, "Contagion" is well worth a read.
(If you get the individual issues, beware the covers that say they're parts four and five; they're wrong. Azrael 15 is listed as part four while Catwoman 31 claims to be part five. Don't you believe it. They're accidentally switched. Of course I didn't find this out until after I had read them out of order and was rather confused for a few minutes.)
A word from our sponsors:
Bio-Dome... I didn't watch it when it came out in 1996 and I wish I can say I made it through my entire life without ever seeing it at all, but alas, I caught it about 10 years later. A friend rented it and brought it over one evening. She had never seen it either, but friends of ours ranted and raved about how hilarious it was. After we were done watching it she simply turned to me and said. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I had no idea." I was sorry too as it was two hours of our lives we would never get back. I guess that says it all.
Next checkpoint: The Long Halloween
April 5, 2019
This was one of the first Batman books I had read , part of the set up for the No-man's-land storyline , I recently did a re-read . My first read had left me with high impressions of the book , sadly the re-read made me realize how poorly it has aged .
This is not to say that the story is bad , in fact it's still good , but the dialogues, plot progression and art style were really bad . The art style in particular , despite various artists working on it , I don't think I liked any of the style , even keeping in mind of the time of publication of this book .
Again , having read this as a kid , I really had high standards set on my mind for this book, but re-reading it I cringed a lot . Specially every moment of Catwoman's appearance had tagged along with a heavy dose of cringe
But at the end of the day the plot still holds up well enough for me to say that it is readable and entertaining (if you ignore the cringey dialogues and the art) it does have a real campy feel to it , despite the artist trying to portray it as dark .
This is not to say that the story is bad , in fact it's still good , but the dialogues, plot progression and art style were really bad . The art style in particular , despite various artists working on it , I don't think I liked any of the style , even keeping in mind of the time of publication of this book .
Again , having read this as a kid , I really had high standards set on my mind for this book, but re-reading it I cringed a lot . Specially every moment of Catwoman's appearance had tagged along with a heavy dose of cringe
But at the end of the day the plot still holds up well enough for me to say that it is readable and entertaining (if you ignore the cringey dialogues and the art) it does have a real campy feel to it , despite the artist trying to portray it as dark .
July 4, 2023
Going back and reading older stories I missed the first time around. Pretty dark and hopeless story but interesting to see the Bat Family take on something besides a villain.
March 8, 2016
I've been going back and reading Batman stories from the mid 90's lately ad I've been so surprised with the quality of them. This one was no exception.
Gotham is hit by a mysterious plague called 'The Clench', which is a strain of the Ebola virus. And the whole Bat gang are in a race against time to find a cure.
This story is spread over a bunch of titles like Batman, Robin, Catwoman, Huntress and Azrael. But it tells a completely cohesive story, which I was surprised at. A lot of the time they have jumps from story to story, but this had a great pace I thought. Chuck Dixon doing a majority of these issues, and he does a really solid job. He seems to be a big part of the Batman mythos around the mid 90's and I can see why. This was a bunch of fun. And although the conclusion wasn't as big as it could be, I'm assuming this picks up in Batman: Legacy. Where they find out who was behind the plague. Too bad that book is hella hard to find, or it costs mega buckos!
I really dig the art in this too. Super cartoony, but it really works. And I have to mention Nightwings ponytail, it needs to be said. It's ridiculous in this. Sometimes it's at a normal ponytail length, and other times it's literally meters long blowing in the wind! Glad that didn't last long.
Looking forward to working onto Cataclysm next, then working through to the big 'No Mans Land' event I've been wanting to read for ages!
Gotham is hit by a mysterious plague called 'The Clench', which is a strain of the Ebola virus. And the whole Bat gang are in a race against time to find a cure.
This story is spread over a bunch of titles like Batman, Robin, Catwoman, Huntress and Azrael. But it tells a completely cohesive story, which I was surprised at. A lot of the time they have jumps from story to story, but this had a great pace I thought. Chuck Dixon doing a majority of these issues, and he does a really solid job. He seems to be a big part of the Batman mythos around the mid 90's and I can see why. This was a bunch of fun. And although the conclusion wasn't as big as it could be, I'm assuming this picks up in Batman: Legacy. Where they find out who was behind the plague. Too bad that book is hella hard to find, or it costs mega buckos!
I really dig the art in this too. Super cartoony, but it really works. And I have to mention Nightwings ponytail, it needs to be said. It's ridiculous in this. Sometimes it's at a normal ponytail length, and other times it's literally meters long blowing in the wind! Glad that didn't last long.
Looking forward to working onto Cataclysm next, then working through to the big 'No Mans Land' event I've been wanting to read for ages!
November 5, 2023
Update (2023)
Empecé la trilogía del desastre en orden inverso ahora (No man's land, Cataclysm y Contagion) y... te das cuenta de todo lo mal que estuvo esta.
2.5/5
---
(2017)
Mes de Batman 07/23
Se recompone el camino. Se reconstruye la bat-family (con todo y azrael, para pesar de muchos).
Todo era felicidad hasta que HOLA VIRUS MORTAL. Nunca ha sido el mejor lugar para vivir (Gotham) pero vaya en la década de 1990 era mucho peor... y todo apenas comenzaba.
¿Pero de dónde salió ese virus? Se preguntaban todos los personajes en el comic.
TODOS los lectores lo sabíamos: It must be R'as, c'mon guys. It must be fucking him. Y eso que era una época muy sencilla, con internet básico y prácticamente sin la existencia de spoilers. Con todo y todo, esto era el inicio.
3.6/5
Empecé la trilogía del desastre en orden inverso ahora (No man's land, Cataclysm y Contagion) y... te das cuenta de todo lo mal que estuvo esta.
2.5/5
---
(2017)
Mes de Batman 07/23
Se recompone el camino. Se reconstruye la bat-family (con todo y azrael, para pesar de muchos).
Todo era felicidad hasta que HOLA VIRUS MORTAL. Nunca ha sido el mejor lugar para vivir (Gotham) pero vaya en la década de 1990 era mucho peor... y todo apenas comenzaba.
¿Pero de dónde salió ese virus? Se preguntaban todos los personajes en el comic.
TODOS los lectores lo sabíamos: It must be R'as, c'mon guys. It must be fucking him. Y eso que era una época muy sencilla, con internet básico y prácticamente sin la existencia de spoilers. Con todo y todo, esto era el inicio.
3.6/5
March 23, 2020
Batman y sus socios enfrentan el brote de una letal enfermedad en Ciudad Gótica, con el tiempo en contra para hallar una cura mientras deben frenar el caos que se apodera de las calles... aunque la premisa es bastante sugestiva -e incluye sendos paralelos con La máscara de la muerte Roja firmada por Poe-, su desarrollo se siente ligero y falto de profundidad, quizás debido a los varios equipos creativos que intervienen. Ni las aproximaciones individuales (Tim Drake operando mientras piensa en cómo estará su padre; James Gordon impotente al haber sido alejado de su cargo) ni las consecuencias sociales del contagio cuajan en una saga afectada por subtramas innecesarias y un final apurado, promisoria pero dispareja. Sin estar mal, pudo ser mucho mejor.
April 18, 2017
CHECK OUT VIDEO REVIEW HERE -- https://youtu.be/wIq-HWrMoO4 .. this is a story about an evola virus that's spreading quick sending people into a frenzy & Gotham to hell. I like the way each character is introduced & they give u a little bit of backround on them so u can get an idea of who they are if youre new to them. the dialogue is very good & the story flow's nicely but the ending leaves a lot to be desired & the cure to this virus just seem's to be given to u last minute. I give this a - 6.5/10 ..
May 17, 2013
Good story. I always like a big Batman family team-up. I actually liked Azrael and particularly enjoyed the Robin/Catwoman team-up. The resolution felt a little rushed, but other than that it was solid.
April 3, 2016
Public library copy.
Since this collection features a rotation. of different writers and artists the vision and quality has its highs and lows. I particularly like Kelly Jones on art and unfortunately the deceased-too-soon, ever wonderful Mike Wieringo above all others.
Since this collection features a rotation. of different writers and artists the vision and quality has its highs and lows. I particularly like Kelly Jones on art and unfortunately the deceased-too-soon, ever wonderful Mike Wieringo above all others.
November 23, 2017
Batman se enfrenta a un enemigo que no puede vencer con sus puños...
El Batman de los años 90’s es algo muy extraño, marcado por dos grandes arcos argumentales que han dejado huella, estos fueron Knightfall y No Mans Land, de ahí en fuera lo demás fue materia grisácea, donde se buscaba crear uniformidad en las aventuras de los héroes.
Knightfall dio precedente a empezar con un arco argumental lleno de Crossovers en los que veíamos cómo se mezclaban entre sí los cómics de Batman, detective cómics, shadows of the Bat, robin y catwoman. Esto fue realizado de manera magistral y funcionó. Parece que Tan satisfactorio fue el resultado que decidieron seguir con lo mismo pero ahora a mayor escala y el resultado es Contagio.
Después de ese contexto, se entiende la forma en la que se desarrolla la historia y al mismo tiempo se puede ver porque carece de solidez y coherencia. Muchas manos metidas en una historia no es la mejor idea, hay capítulos que tienen mucha importancia y solidez y hay unos que son puro relleno.
Lo positivo de este arco es que vemos como Batman se apoya en otros personajes como Azrael, robin, catwoman,nightwing y huntress, además de Jim Gordon que aunque no es comisionado, los oficiales confían en su liderazgo. Todos estos personajes colaboran para frenar la violencia y al mismo tiempo buscar una cura para el virus que se ha apoderado de Gotham.
Repito, hay capítulos interesantes como el de Poison Ivy infiltrándose a las torres babilónicas vendiendo “una cura”; pero también hay mucha paja como los primeros capítulos en donde robin azrael y catwoman viajan a buscar una cura consiguiendo nada.
La tensión aumenta cuando vemos uno de los personajes principales contrae el virus y estar al borde de la muerte, hace mucho más “personal” para Batman la urgencia por encontrar la cura.
Uno de mis problemas con Contagio es el final tan abrupto, no tiene sentido todo lo que leímos capítulos antes, ya que SPOILER
La cura la descubre Azrael de manera casual en su casa leyendo uno de sus libros antiguos, encontrando la conexión existente del virus con la orden de San Dumas.... podría haber hecho eso desde el primer o segundo cómic...en fin.
En conclusión, Contagio no es malo pero tampoco uno de los mejores acontecimientos del murciélago, es interesante para entender mejor lo que sucede posteriormente en Legacy y No Mans Land.
El Batman de los años 90’s es algo muy extraño, marcado por dos grandes arcos argumentales que han dejado huella, estos fueron Knightfall y No Mans Land, de ahí en fuera lo demás fue materia grisácea, donde se buscaba crear uniformidad en las aventuras de los héroes.
Knightfall dio precedente a empezar con un arco argumental lleno de Crossovers en los que veíamos cómo se mezclaban entre sí los cómics de Batman, detective cómics, shadows of the Bat, robin y catwoman. Esto fue realizado de manera magistral y funcionó. Parece que Tan satisfactorio fue el resultado que decidieron seguir con lo mismo pero ahora a mayor escala y el resultado es Contagio.
Después de ese contexto, se entiende la forma en la que se desarrolla la historia y al mismo tiempo se puede ver porque carece de solidez y coherencia. Muchas manos metidas en una historia no es la mejor idea, hay capítulos que tienen mucha importancia y solidez y hay unos que son puro relleno.
Lo positivo de este arco es que vemos como Batman se apoya en otros personajes como Azrael, robin, catwoman,nightwing y huntress, además de Jim Gordon que aunque no es comisionado, los oficiales confían en su liderazgo. Todos estos personajes colaboran para frenar la violencia y al mismo tiempo buscar una cura para el virus que se ha apoderado de Gotham.
Repito, hay capítulos interesantes como el de Poison Ivy infiltrándose a las torres babilónicas vendiendo “una cura”; pero también hay mucha paja como los primeros capítulos en donde robin azrael y catwoman viajan a buscar una cura consiguiendo nada.
La tensión aumenta cuando vemos uno de los personajes principales contrae el virus y estar al borde de la muerte, hace mucho más “personal” para Batman la urgencia por encontrar la cura.
Uno de mis problemas con Contagio es el final tan abrupto, no tiene sentido todo lo que leímos capítulos antes, ya que SPOILER
La cura la descubre Azrael de manera casual en su casa leyendo uno de sus libros antiguos, encontrando la conexión existente del virus con la orden de San Dumas.... podría haber hecho eso desde el primer o segundo cómic...en fin.
En conclusión, Contagio no es malo pero tampoco uno de los mejores acontecimientos del murciélago, es interesante para entender mejor lo que sucede posteriormente en Legacy y No Mans Land.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 17, 2018
Batman: Contagion is a story arc that ran through the various Batman family comic book series that was published by DC Comics. It concerns the outbreak of a lethal disease in Gotham City, and Batman's attempts to combat it. This trade paperback collects: Batman: Shadow of the Bat #48–49, Detective Comics #695–696, Robin #27–28, Catwoman #31–32, Azrael #15–16, Batman #529, and The Batman Chronicles #4.
Batman: Contagion has a mysterious and lethal virus unleashed on the unknowing inhabitants of Gotham City, causing excruciating pain-and ultimately death-within 48 hours of contact. Batman, Robin and Nightwing must race to contain the chaos while finding a cure with the help of unlikely allies Azrael, Huntress, Catwoman and Poison Ivy. Things intensify when Tim Drake as Robin falls prey to the contagion.
With many writers, graphic artists and colorist it rather difficult to rate this trade paperback. For the most part, I rather enjoyed the narrative and penciling throughout the story arc there were four main writers: Alan Grant, Dennis O'Neil, Chuck Dixon, and Christopher Priest and for the most part they mess somewhat well with each other. The penciling styles were myriad and the artistic flow jarred a tad with the few pencilers that did not mesh well with the majority.
All in all, Batman: Contagion is a wonderful story arc that has Batman and his allies – some unexpected to team up with each other to fight a virus and who set it loose on Gotham City.
Batman: Contagion has a mysterious and lethal virus unleashed on the unknowing inhabitants of Gotham City, causing excruciating pain-and ultimately death-within 48 hours of contact. Batman, Robin and Nightwing must race to contain the chaos while finding a cure with the help of unlikely allies Azrael, Huntress, Catwoman and Poison Ivy. Things intensify when Tim Drake as Robin falls prey to the contagion.
With many writers, graphic artists and colorist it rather difficult to rate this trade paperback. For the most part, I rather enjoyed the narrative and penciling throughout the story arc there were four main writers: Alan Grant, Dennis O'Neil, Chuck Dixon, and Christopher Priest and for the most part they mess somewhat well with each other. The penciling styles were myriad and the artistic flow jarred a tad with the few pencilers that did not mesh well with the majority.
All in all, Batman: Contagion is a wonderful story arc that has Batman and his allies – some unexpected to team up with each other to fight a virus and who set it loose on Gotham City.
August 31, 2023
Genuinely so good. Highlights:
-I am obsessed with the way Kelley Jones draws Batman. How did I not know that he drew Batman like the little freak he is (women are a completely different story though)
-Tim and Catwoman! I love their teamup! Him calling her "Catty" and then Babs calling her "Catty" means everything to me! I always love when Tim teams up with anti-heroes or even Rogues. They just can't help but not see him like their little brother. He has elite little brother energy.
-that was just wrong of Alfred. I won't spoil but come on... not cool, dude. After everything? I agree with Dick, you SHOULD get bent.
-"Azrael tends to get a little... Medieval" I'm going to tattoo this on my body
-Ah yes, the answer to all illnesses: magic
-also: Azrael being dramatic and not using modern technology to expedite the process is so on brand for him
-honestly? I, too, was getting a little sick of Poison Ivy during this run. Bruce, I hate to sympathize with you when it comes to Rogues but for once, I agree.
-I was so confused when I saw bright colors and then I realized the setting was in Florida (sunshine? in Gotham? Joker is more likely to stay imprisoned)
Overall, I had a lot of fun with this one! It was a really fun read and I liked seeing all the different art styles. My favorite is probably Catwoman's because whoever does the art for Robin does heads really weird and while I love eldritch horror Batman, Jones draws women super badly. But, hey, what else can we expect? Comic book artists deserve to go to horny jail.
-I am obsessed with the way Kelley Jones draws Batman. How did I not know that he drew Batman like the little freak he is (women are a completely different story though)
-Tim and Catwoman! I love their teamup! Him calling her "Catty" and then Babs calling her "Catty" means everything to me! I always love when Tim teams up with anti-heroes or even Rogues. They just can't help but not see him like their little brother. He has elite little brother energy.
-that was just wrong of Alfred. I won't spoil but come on... not cool, dude. After everything? I agree with Dick, you SHOULD get bent.
-"Azrael tends to get a little... Medieval" I'm going to tattoo this on my body
-Ah yes, the answer to all illnesses: magic
-also: Azrael being dramatic and not using modern technology to expedite the process is so on brand for him
-honestly? I, too, was getting a little sick of Poison Ivy during this run. Bruce, I hate to sympathize with you when it comes to Rogues but for once, I agree.
-I was so confused when I saw bright colors and then I realized the setting was in Florida (sunshine? in Gotham? Joker is more likely to stay imprisoned)
Overall, I had a lot of fun with this one! It was a really fun read and I liked seeing all the different art styles. My favorite is probably Catwoman's because whoever does the art for Robin does heads really weird and while I love eldritch horror Batman, Jones draws women super badly. But, hey, what else can we expect? Comic book artists deserve to go to horny jail.
May 12, 2025
So, here I was, naively reading through the 1996 run of Nightwing to get a good grasp of the character. So far, so good. I get to issue #19 and oh, Nightwing is going to Gotham to help with an earthquake! I dig around a bit and realise this is part of a Batman crossover story called Batman: Cataclysm.
Wanting to get the whole context, I innocently decide to read the Batman comics leading up to the earthquake. Before I know it, I’ve read Batman: Contagion, Batman: Legacy, Batman: Cataclysm, Batman: Aftershock, and Batman: No Man’s Land, and I’m down a complete rabbithole. Thank you DC.
On this specific storyline, an Ebola plague is ravishing Gotham and Batman is rushing to find a cure. Having just been through a pandemic pretty recently, I was baffled by the fact that the virus is somehow contained to Gotham and all of our vigilantes are wandering around handling victims without any PPE. This is made worse by the fact that Huntress is seen using a mask in a later issue to avoid the spread, and Robin almost dies after exposing himself helping a sick person. Isn’t Batman meant to be prepared?
This was pretty fun but nothing special, and the cure came out of nowhere. I actually had to re-read a few pages because I missed where they found it.
3.25 stars.
Wanting to get the whole context, I innocently decide to read the Batman comics leading up to the earthquake. Before I know it, I’ve read Batman: Contagion, Batman: Legacy, Batman: Cataclysm, Batman: Aftershock, and Batman: No Man’s Land, and I’m down a complete rabbithole. Thank you DC.
On this specific storyline, an Ebola plague is ravishing Gotham and Batman is rushing to find a cure. Having just been through a pandemic pretty recently, I was baffled by the fact that the virus is somehow contained to Gotham and all of our vigilantes are wandering around handling victims without any PPE. This is made worse by the fact that Huntress is seen using a mask in a later issue to avoid the spread, and Robin almost dies after exposing himself helping a sick person. Isn’t Batman meant to be prepared?
This was pretty fun but nothing special, and the cure came out of nowhere. I actually had to re-read a few pages because I missed where they found it.
3.25 stars.
November 16, 2024
A good idea in concept, but the execution isn’t there. One problem that massive crossover events in general suffer from is that they become unwieldy and bloated, with too much happening but not enough of it mattering. Such is the case here. This is a story that could’ve been told in 3 or 4 issues but that somehow takes 12. (Remember how grand-scale and efficiently paced a story “The Dark Knight Returns” or “Batman: The Cult” is able to tell in just 4 issues?) Because this is a crossover, we have multiple different writers and artists, resulting in vastly different art styles across the story; on the one hand an opportunity to showcase different talents, but on the other hand, it gets jarring having to switch styles constantly. The deus ex machina ending and a few glaring plot holes are just infuriating. The reason to read this is if you’re either trying to take in 1990s Batman comics in general or if you’re trying to get some of the lead-up to “No Man’s Land.”
February 15, 2025
An ebola-like virus infects in a Gotham industrialist returning home from overseas. The virus begins its spread across Gotham, resulting in a quickly rising death toll as Batman and his allies race to find out the origins and hopefully a cure.
What a snooze. The pandemic event concept is executed without much pathos, outside of a sappy Robin subplot, and the narrative is poorly constructed including a laughable and out of place occult resolution. Outside of a few issues by Kelley Jones and John McCrea, I also found the art uninteresting and filled with the worst of 90s superhero sensibilities from oversized proportions to garish character designs. This type of 90s art somehow *feels* more dated to me than most golden age art produced a half century earlier.
What a snooze. The pandemic event concept is executed without much pathos, outside of a sappy Robin subplot, and the narrative is poorly constructed including a laughable and out of place occult resolution. Outside of a few issues by Kelley Jones and John McCrea, I also found the art uninteresting and filled with the worst of 90s superhero sensibilities from oversized proportions to garish character designs. This type of 90s art somehow *feels* more dated to me than most golden age art produced a half century earlier.
October 25, 2025
Very good book, with an intriguing story and fairly decent artwork. Some art in issues are definitely better than others, but the main strength of this book is the interesting plot of the deadly virus that has hit Gotham. I found this book very easy to read multiple issues at a time and was always invested in the plot.
The story has a great selection of characters (Catwoman, Azrael, Nightwing etc.) and witnessing how the events that unfold affect each person was fun to see.
One part I was particularly fond of was Alfred’s care and ability to cope during a deadly moment when one of the Bat family actually contract the disease and are seemingly dying. I felt this section of the story was executed very well.
Overall, good book that I’d recommend!
The story has a great selection of characters (Catwoman, Azrael, Nightwing etc.) and witnessing how the events that unfold affect each person was fun to see.
One part I was particularly fond of was Alfred’s care and ability to cope during a deadly moment when one of the Bat family actually contract the disease and are seemingly dying. I felt this section of the story was executed very well.
Overall, good book that I’d recommend!
September 3, 2018
I read the expanded graphic novel but I'm reviewing this version because I wouldn't have given the expanded version a perfect score since it had a lot of filler issues in the end. On the other hand, I really enjoyed the original 11-part story of Contagion. I was worried at first that it might be like Knightfall because it spanned so many titles as well. The thing that I didn't like about Knightfall is the number of filler issues that it has that wasn't connected to the main story. I'm pleased to say that the 11 issues of Contagion were pretty cohesive and fast-paced. My only problem is how quickly they resolved the outbreak.
January 15, 2022
This is a collection of linked stories about a contagion that was released in Gotham City with snippets from comics featuring Batman, Huntress, Robin and Azrael. The artwork, by various artists, are rather different in style, colours and more, with some excellent artwork and some rather poor renderings. The result is a mish-mash of jarring colours, unrecognisable characters, detracting from the overall narrative. The story is a rather formulaic, standard story of looking for a cure. There were other stories included in the collection that were somewhat tangential to Contagion. All in all, the collection isn't an essential and doesn't break any new ground.
January 10, 2025
Increasing feelings of eeriness and desperation unlike almost any other Batman arc. Facing a threat you can’t see and seeing the city burn due to a rapid virus is something that was interesting to see Batman and crew face. I think the ending felt a little lacklustre as the chase for the cure was so dramatic and took up a majority of the run all for the epilogue to wrap it up a little quickly for my taste. But it’s a very relevant story especially today, and a story that I actually wouldn’t mind seeing adapted into a feature film or limited series at WB it’s got the right amount of tension and pacing for it.
March 13, 2018
oh, what could have been...
Always going to be hit and miss when doing so many character title crossovers into one story, (I really only sought it out to complete my Catwoman run from 90s) and this is no exception. The concept is good, and during the period this was written, quite popular. (Outbreak etc)
Entertaining, yes, of course, but this is a big story that could have done with even more space, it wraps up too quickly and easily.
In the right hands Contagion could have been a cracker of a novel...
Always going to be hit and miss when doing so many character title crossovers into one story, (I really only sought it out to complete my Catwoman run from 90s) and this is no exception. The concept is good, and during the period this was written, quite popular. (Outbreak etc)
Entertaining, yes, of course, but this is a big story that could have done with even more space, it wraps up too quickly and easily.
In the right hands Contagion could have been a cracker of a novel...
September 7, 2021
'Batman fights Covid' was what attracted me to this, but it's kinda all over the place. Obviously, written in 1996, it doesn't map exactly to the present. The setup is great, with wonderfully eerie opening chapters as the virus takes hold, but then the plot takes lots of digressions away from Gotham and the effects of the virus for adventures with side characters, before having a really bizarre conclusion to the main virus plot. Some nice character moments sprinkled throughout, but wouldn't recommend
September 17, 2025
Cool idea and cool vibes. It's a unique challenge for Batman to go up against, one that makes him feel more powerless than ever. I liked parts of it, but it ends really poorly. The way the disease is treated is really strange. People don't really seem to be worried about coming into contact with it for the most part, and it infects whoever the plot wants it to infect. People who come into close contact with it don't get infected while other people catch it from I dunno somewhere. I like the idea of this one a lot more than the execution.
June 1, 2021
One year into the global pandemic, and I have found this in my local library. Borrowed it in an instant.
Batman Contagion is a graphic novel (!) spread over a few different comic series featuring major DC characters like Batman, Robin, Catwoman, Nightwing, Azrael, Deadman etc. The story had kept the focus and velocity till about 2/3rd of the storyline, after which it does lose its way.
A virus, just like Novel Corona Virus that started the global pandemic of CoVid 19, spreads over Gotham. Due to the nature of the cruel death it brings, the virus gets the name of 'clench'. Now there were only 4 known survivors in the world before the Clench was released from a lab, and Batman et al makes it their mission to find a vaccine to stop mass death.
As Melbourne enters another lockdown in the end of May 2021, this story-arc from mid nineties makes a really nice read.
Batman Contagion is a graphic novel (!) spread over a few different comic series featuring major DC characters like Batman, Robin, Catwoman, Nightwing, Azrael, Deadman etc. The story had kept the focus and velocity till about 2/3rd of the storyline, after which it does lose its way.
A virus, just like Novel Corona Virus that started the global pandemic of CoVid 19, spreads over Gotham. Due to the nature of the cruel death it brings, the virus gets the name of 'clench'. Now there were only 4 known survivors in the world before the Clench was released from a lab, and Batman et al makes it their mission to find a vaccine to stop mass death.
As Melbourne enters another lockdown in the end of May 2021, this story-arc from mid nineties makes a really nice read.
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