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Batman
Batman: The Chalice
Thomas Wayne's son receives an old box from a strange man, and the contents of the box soon make him the target of villains and mercenaries alike.
96 pages, Hardcover
Published December 1, 1999
5 people are currently reading
193 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."
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
July 15, 2017
I think Chuck Dixon might be the worst Batman writer of all time. If he’s not, he’s definitely in the running.
Bruce Wayne discovers that he’s related to one of the Grail Knights (of course he is) and is given the actual Holy Grail by one of his descendants. Ra’s Al-Ghul and some other rogues want it - boring shenanigans ensue.
Tedium would be an upgrade for what I felt when reading The Chalice. No idea why John Van Fleet’s art is so very black (because I’m Batman!) but I was squinting most of the time at the page right in front of me in daylight - not great.
Predictable, uninteresting, uninspired, and absolutely pointless, it’s easy to see why this toilet paper masquerading as a comic is out of print. Let’s hear it for Chuck Dixon everybody! BOOOOO!!!
Bruce Wayne discovers that he’s related to one of the Grail Knights (of course he is) and is given the actual Holy Grail by one of his descendants. Ra’s Al-Ghul and some other rogues want it - boring shenanigans ensue.
Tedium would be an upgrade for what I felt when reading The Chalice. No idea why John Van Fleet’s art is so very black (because I’m Batman!) but I was squinting most of the time at the page right in front of me in daylight - not great.
Predictable, uninteresting, uninspired, and absolutely pointless, it’s easy to see why this toilet paper masquerading as a comic is out of print. Let’s hear it for Chuck Dixon everybody! BOOOOO!!!
January 30, 2021
Bruce Wayne inherits the Holy Grail from one of his ancestors because the Wayne family is now descended from one of Knights of the Round Table. So dumb. Of course, even though it's stayed hidden for 2,000 years, everyone knows he has it. Enter Ra's al Ghul, Catwoman, Penguin, and the Merovingians, who from lore are descended from Christ to all try and take it. There's an abrupt rushed ending as Dixon runs out of pages.
John Van Fleet seems to only paint with black. The art is so dark and blocky, I couldn't tell what was happening at times.
John Van Fleet seems to only paint with black. The art is so dark and blocky, I couldn't tell what was happening at times.
June 23, 2024
2 stars for gothic art.
December 6, 2016
Read this review and more on my blog.
Another day, another Batman book.
I am no idea where this went wrong.
The art style at times was stunning! I would happily have a few panels printed and put up on my wall but for the majority of the time, it was sloppy. It did not compliment what was happening and do not get me started on the ‘facial expressions’. It was the speech bubbles that conveyed the meaning behind the words, not the face.
I am still confused about the story line. Unlike Indiana Jones, Batman does not suit a religious setting. With him facing the villains that he does an socialise with the likes of Superman, it just does not fit.
If you give this a miss then you won’t regret it.
Another day, another Batman book.
I am no idea where this went wrong.
The art style at times was stunning! I would happily have a few panels printed and put up on my wall but for the majority of the time, it was sloppy. It did not compliment what was happening and do not get me started on the ‘facial expressions’. It was the speech bubbles that conveyed the meaning behind the words, not the face.
I am still confused about the story line. Unlike Indiana Jones, Batman does not suit a religious setting. With him facing the villains that he does an socialise with the likes of Superman, it just does not fit.
If you give this a miss then you won’t regret it.
November 14, 2022
(Zero spoiler review) 2.75/5
A reasonable idea with mostly flawed execution. It should be noted that I borrowed this from the library. Had I parted with any of my hard earned, I might be being slightly less charitable to this right now. That said, going slightly against the grain with many of the other reviews I skimmed through here, I don't feel Dixon's contributions to be the problem here. He might not have covered himself in glory here on this particular outing, but its Van Fleet's art that truly dragged this one down in average town. Whilst his architectural backgrounds are often quite stunning, his character models and facial expressions are severely lacking, especially when it comes to kinetic story telling. This really, really feels very static. Very muddy. hell, even very amateurish at times. There were some panels that looked like a young child drew them, and I'm not even slightly joking. Occasionally it all comes together and looks rather nice, but this is for the most part, a visually unappealing book, which does little to anything to elevate the written material, which is stronger, yet equally mixed at times. You can tell there is a good writer under there at times, with the sparse dialogue carrying me away now and then, only to fall flat a little too often, when it gets a little too contrived or silly.
There were times when I thought I was going to score this higher, and times when I thought I was going to score this lower. Somewhere about the middle seems about right. Worth cautionary exploration, although may be best to sample if possible before purchase just to be safe. 2.75/5
OmniBen.
A reasonable idea with mostly flawed execution. It should be noted that I borrowed this from the library. Had I parted with any of my hard earned, I might be being slightly less charitable to this right now. That said, going slightly against the grain with many of the other reviews I skimmed through here, I don't feel Dixon's contributions to be the problem here. He might not have covered himself in glory here on this particular outing, but its Van Fleet's art that truly dragged this one down in average town. Whilst his architectural backgrounds are often quite stunning, his character models and facial expressions are severely lacking, especially when it comes to kinetic story telling. This really, really feels very static. Very muddy. hell, even very amateurish at times. There were some panels that looked like a young child drew them, and I'm not even slightly joking. Occasionally it all comes together and looks rather nice, but this is for the most part, a visually unappealing book, which does little to anything to elevate the written material, which is stronger, yet equally mixed at times. You can tell there is a good writer under there at times, with the sparse dialogue carrying me away now and then, only to fall flat a little too often, when it gets a little too contrived or silly.
There were times when I thought I was going to score this higher, and times when I thought I was going to score this lower. Somewhere about the middle seems about right. Worth cautionary exploration, although may be best to sample if possible before purchase just to be safe. 2.75/5
OmniBen.
October 5, 2017
Este estuvo casi tan mal como la otra porquería que perpetró esta dupla, "el ankh"
November 6, 2021
this was BORING. the art was too dark and muddy. just not great.
September 18, 2024
The Batman and the Last Crusade, sign me up
January 21, 2011
You can almost see the way they photographed models for each panel. What am I saying? That's ALL you see. And if you look close enough, many of the models are likely people in their mid- to late twenties, early thirties. The story didn't distract well-enough from the artist's transparent cheating methods to make panels. Well-trained hacks, all.
But you may not mind if you like "Ex-Machina" (which, I kind of do, though the too-real, yet unrealistically-posed art bothered me there, too).
I just finished this, so I'm feeling particularly vehement about it. But I'm biased, so pay me no nevermind about it.
But you may not mind if you like "Ex-Machina" (which, I kind of do, though the too-real, yet unrealistically-posed art bothered me there, too).
I just finished this, so I'm feeling particularly vehement about it. But I'm biased, so pay me no nevermind about it.
August 2, 2013
Stunning art and a good story to go with it, although I have a hard time believing that Bruce has faith in God. It's unusual to see religion explicitly confirmed like this in comics, and I'm glad that DC usually doesn't, but as a one-shot, this was good. The only thing I would have changed was to have fewer villains making unnecessary appearances, and more consideration of the philosophical and religious consequences.
June 15, 2015
Besides people behaving out of character (though not awfully so), the plot feels rather thin and contrived; a product of its time, I suppose. Artwork is very evocative, but I feel Van Fleet is a better illustrator than a comic book artist - the visual storytelling borders on the incomprehensible at times.
May 29, 2011
A spectacularly awful and clumsy melding of a pointless, aimless, name-checking Batman strip (why is Harvey Dent in this?) and a patchy, dumbed-down history of the grail presented in a lazy, headache-inducing style.
Avoid.
Avoid.
January 2, 2024
Part 1: The Chalice
The Guardian of Gotham becomes the Guardian of May be too big for Batman to handle. I'm not in love with the art style for comic action. The tale is generally clear but a few points get muddied and the dialogue/progression doesn't always flow smoothly. The concept is interesting, as I'm fan of Arthur legend or Knights of the Round, and especially of Jesus. Part 1 has an array of interested parties, some of which do not get cleared up, but Ra's Al Ghul and Batman get squared away. I hope some points get straightened out like the
Character Referebce:
Part 2: The Ankh
"Magic wedded to science to defeat death ..."
An unwilling participant is cursed with The art leaves a lot to be desired and even loses clarity in muddled scenes or action sequences. Interesting tale, though not heavily exciting.
Character Reference:
The Guardian of Gotham becomes the Guardian of May be too big for Batman to handle. I'm not in love with the art style for comic action. The tale is generally clear but a few points get muddied and the dialogue/progression doesn't always flow smoothly. The concept is interesting, as I'm fan of Arthur legend or Knights of the Round, and especially of Jesus. Part 1 has an array of interested parties, some of which do not get cleared up, but Ra's Al Ghul and Batman get squared away. I hope some points get straightened out like the
Character Referebce:
Part 2: The Ankh
"Magic wedded to science to defeat death ..."
An unwilling participant is cursed with The art leaves a lot to be desired and even loses clarity in muddled scenes or action sequences. Interesting tale, though not heavily exciting.
Character Reference:
August 13, 2020
When Bruce Wayne is bequeathed an ancient artifact he soon finds himself facing off against a host of enemies who covet its mythical power, including Penguin, Catwoman and Ra's al Ghul.
This is a graphic novel which I liked less and less as it went on.
The core concept is an intriguing one, with Batman coming into possession of the Holy Grail giving the story a nice mythic quality. I was also enjoying John Van Fleet's dark and moody fully-painted artwork to begin with too, having previously liked the covers he did for the YA Star Wars series 'Last of the Jedi' (by Jude Watson).
Unfortunately these elements soured for me as the book went on.
The longer the premise of Batman having the Holy Grail sits with you, the more you realise not only how out of place that feels but also how monumental an event it should be. However, it's treated surprisingly casually and shrugged off as a curiosity by the end of the book. Dixon was clearly going for an Indiana Jones vibe (like where the lost Ark just gets packed off in a warehouse) but actually it clashes badly with the Batman tone and franchise as a whole.
The artwork similarly became less appealing as the book went on. Sure there are some great images on offer, but Van Fleet's work feels fairly static and the few times he actually tries to impart some dynamism into the artwork it actually just becomes confusing and messy.
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.com/ *
This is a graphic novel which I liked less and less as it went on.
The core concept is an intriguing one, with Batman coming into possession of the Holy Grail giving the story a nice mythic quality. I was also enjoying John Van Fleet's dark and moody fully-painted artwork to begin with too, having previously liked the covers he did for the YA Star Wars series 'Last of the Jedi' (by Jude Watson).
Unfortunately these elements soured for me as the book went on.
The longer the premise of Batman having the Holy Grail sits with you, the more you realise not only how out of place that feels but also how monumental an event it should be. However, it's treated surprisingly casually and shrugged off as a curiosity by the end of the book. Dixon was clearly going for an Indiana Jones vibe (like where the lost Ark just gets packed off in a warehouse) but actually it clashes badly with the Batman tone and franchise as a whole.
The artwork similarly became less appealing as the book went on. Sure there are some great images on offer, but Van Fleet's work feels fairly static and the few times he actually tries to impart some dynamism into the artwork it actually just becomes confusing and messy.
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.com/ *
September 11, 2022
Batman and the Last Crusade.
Chuck Dixon was one of the frequent writers of Batman in the 90s and, along with Dennis O'Neil, is one of the best. Not the edgy psycho Batman of Frank Miller but the stable detective that filled the monthly issues.
Batman holds in his hands the means to cure Oracle, the holy grail. He is tasked with protecting it from many of Gotham's villain's who seek to abuse it. The characters are consistent they all react in a way that is true to their nature. The story is driven by incident which never feels too contrived.
Unfortunately this leads to a final conflict between three characters who have been in similar situations so often it edges too close to cliché. And the final ending is too easily resolved and slight.
The artwork, is dark and more painterly than usual. The style of art from the cover is pretty much what you get inside.
Dixon can write Batman great. His chapters in Knightfall, Legacy are superb as is his Joker story Devil's Advocate. This doesn't reaches those heights but it's still decent.
Chuck Dixon was one of the frequent writers of Batman in the 90s and, along with Dennis O'Neil, is one of the best. Not the edgy psycho Batman of Frank Miller but the stable detective that filled the monthly issues.
Batman holds in his hands the means to cure Oracle, the holy grail. He is tasked with protecting it from many of Gotham's villain's who seek to abuse it. The characters are consistent they all react in a way that is true to their nature. The story is driven by incident which never feels too contrived.
Unfortunately this leads to a final conflict between three characters who have been in similar situations so often it edges too close to cliché. And the final ending is too easily resolved and slight.
The artwork, is dark and more painterly than usual. The style of art from the cover is pretty much what you get inside.
Dixon can write Batman great. His chapters in Knightfall, Legacy are superb as is his Joker story Devil's Advocate. This doesn't reaches those heights but it's still decent.
November 29, 2019
In this story, Batman is entrusted to protect the Holy Grail because the Wayne's are duty-bound to protect it (Yes, Dixon couldn't come up with a better explanation on how Batman got ahold of the grail). I don't think the story was that good but it had a lot of small details that I enjoyed. I also loved the cameos of various villains and members of the Bat family.
Van Fleet's art was decent. It's not every day that you get to see paintings used as interior art. My only problem with his paintings is that they don't seem to convey action scenes that well. Also, I'm still not used to seeing Alfred with glasses.
Van Fleet's art was decent. It's not every day that you get to see paintings used as interior art. My only problem with his paintings is that they don't seem to convey action scenes that well. Also, I'm still not used to seeing Alfred with glasses.
March 5, 2025
El mismo sentimiento de leer los Elseworlds, un tema específico donde Bruce/Batman se vuelve un elemento, con peleas medio absurdas y finales concluyentes a la amenaza.
Pero sí se diría que de lo mejor que he leído en cohesión dentro de estas historias cortas, que a la vez siguen el canon de DC/Batman y a la vez son una historia que no necesariamente repercute en la trama lineal.
Lo que me encantó fue ver a Alfred y Selina pelando juntos. El final no me lo esperaba, y tampoco que no se desacreditara nada al final. También los personajes que eran obvios a aparecer, con relación a la religión.
El arte es muy bueno, me gustó cómo se ve Bruce.
Pero sí se diría que de lo mejor que he leído en cohesión dentro de estas historias cortas, que a la vez siguen el canon de DC/Batman y a la vez son una historia que no necesariamente repercute en la trama lineal.
Lo que me encantó fue ver a Alfred y Selina pelando juntos. El final no me lo esperaba, y tampoco que no se desacreditara nada al final. También los personajes que eran obvios a aparecer, con relación a la religión.
El arte es muy bueno, me gustó cómo se ve Bruce.
April 10, 2023
Making Bruce Wayne a descendant of some Christian person was a pretty weak premise for a story. He's a Jewish man anyways. The Chalice was a pretty terrible story even if you ignore that (and man, I tried to.)
The Ankh was alright. Not worth slogging through The Chalice for, but alright. Stories about the fear of immortality are interesting enough, and I had gotten used to the artwork by then.
The Ankh was alright. Not worth slogging through The Chalice for, but alright. Stories about the fear of immortality are interesting enough, and I had gotten used to the artwork by then.
August 13, 2020
This is a good story neatly wrapped up in one shot,
The Grail , The Batman and some of the people who desire it for whatever reasons THEY believe in.
Eventually it all comes down to pride and faith.
This is one of the better “one shots” that have come out and it’s always a tale worth rereading.
The Grail , The Batman and some of the people who desire it for whatever reasons THEY believe in.
Eventually it all comes down to pride and faith.
This is one of the better “one shots” that have come out and it’s always a tale worth rereading.
May 5, 2018
This was a lame storyline in an art style I did not enjoy. #notmybatman
August 30, 2020
A beautifully drawn story that features a host of Batman villians, all fighting to take posession of the Holy Grail. This is a cracking stand-alone story and well worth a look!
January 19, 2021
Religious mystery stuff meets artwork that doesn’t do anything for me.
April 5, 2021
So the Wayne family are the heirs to the holy grail....what a silly premise.
May 9, 2021
Algo que podría ser una premisa genial se diluye en absolutamente LA NADA a lo largo de 100 páginas. La segunda estrella es por el arte que está dentro de todo bastante bien.
August 19, 2023
Strong Story married to Moody art - sweet European linkage, but the twist is the realization of the limit, and calling on the Extra-Terrestrial to guard the supernatural.
November 14, 2025
A well-balanced and thoughtful tale, not just a punchy-punchy snoozer.
March 6, 2017
This is certainly one of the weirder Batman stories I've read. The art is nice and reminds me of Alex Maleev's work, but overall, the story lacks substance and is just kinda dumb.
November 4, 2015
Into Bruce Wayne's hands is entrusted an object for safekeeping. Once sought and guarded by his medieval ancestors, the house of Gevain, the Holy Grail -- for this is it, a relic missing since the time of the Crusades -- proves a dangerous legacy for Wayne to guard, even when he is in his guise of Gotham City's finest, Batman. Shall I list those who also seek the cup for its power? Ra's al Ghul, the Penguin, Catwoman, Ubu, the Brotherhood of the Merivingians [sic] for a start. Lined up on the caped crusader's side are Alfred, Azrael, the Oracle and Commissioner Gordon, but will they be enough to hold off the dark forces that hanker after the sacred receptacle? Or will Bruce be forced to call upon a more superior being to spirit it away.
The standout feature of this graphic novel is John Van Fleet's distinctive art, which graces not only the cover but also the interior. The inside art features bold outlines and dark contrasts against impressionist colour washes or subtle but detailed background images. The effect is rather like playing with the digital editing facilities on your camera phone app. The noir-ish results are entirely in keeping with classic Batman comics from the 50s and 60s allied with the re-vamping that happened in the late 70s and 80s as the caped crusader's exploits became darker in tone and character. Unlike the camp treatment of half a century ago, where comic panels didn't require much effort to visually scan, this more shadowy presentation makes increased demands on the viewer: concentration and attention seem to be the watchwords of many graphic novels.
Chuck Dixon's story is a little more workaday. The dark knight has to battle a succession of enemies, dodging bullets and withstanding physical assaults -- so what's new? -- but ultimately has to give up the struggle by *spoiler alert* sending the grail via another DC character to the Fortress of Solitude. I liked the notion of the Guardian of Gotham becoming a Guardian of the Grail via the supposed derivation of Wayne from Gevain ('Gawain', one assumes), but after a promising beginning there seemed little meat in the narrative, no real climax to a succession of shoot-em-ups and beat-em-ups. And the unquestioning assumption that the Grail was genuinely miraculous via some questionable medieval theology sits badly with the heightened realism underlying the action that one associates with the Batman mythos.
Am I being too analytical? Perhaps. Probably the best thing is to enjoy the ride and especially the scenery.
http://wp.me/s2oNj1-batman
The standout feature of this graphic novel is John Van Fleet's distinctive art, which graces not only the cover but also the interior. The inside art features bold outlines and dark contrasts against impressionist colour washes or subtle but detailed background images. The effect is rather like playing with the digital editing facilities on your camera phone app. The noir-ish results are entirely in keeping with classic Batman comics from the 50s and 60s allied with the re-vamping that happened in the late 70s and 80s as the caped crusader's exploits became darker in tone and character. Unlike the camp treatment of half a century ago, where comic panels didn't require much effort to visually scan, this more shadowy presentation makes increased demands on the viewer: concentration and attention seem to be the watchwords of many graphic novels.
Chuck Dixon's story is a little more workaday. The dark knight has to battle a succession of enemies, dodging bullets and withstanding physical assaults -- so what's new? -- but ultimately has to give up the struggle by *spoiler alert* sending the grail via another DC character to the Fortress of Solitude. I liked the notion of the Guardian of Gotham becoming a Guardian of the Grail via the supposed derivation of Wayne from Gevain ('Gawain', one assumes), but after a promising beginning there seemed little meat in the narrative, no real climax to a succession of shoot-em-ups and beat-em-ups. And the unquestioning assumption that the Grail was genuinely miraculous via some questionable medieval theology sits badly with the heightened realism underlying the action that one associates with the Batman mythos.
Am I being too analytical? Perhaps. Probably the best thing is to enjoy the ride and especially the scenery.
http://wp.me/s2oNj1-batman
November 15, 2020
This book is my husband's and it's been on our shelves forever and I finally picked it up out of curiosity for a prompt for a reading challenge. The story was Batman meets The Holy Grail, and right away I was like, "wait, what?" There were demons and immortals, and I guess I prefer my Batman villains a little more human-sized, because it just didn't mesh for me. I did enjoy the brief Alfred-Catwoman team-up, however.
November 28, 2018
This a bit of a nothing story and c'mon Batman believing in god? Um... Ok?
I quite enjoyed the art. But the story is weirdly paced and seems rushed towards the end with a unsatisfying conclusion.
Batman and the holy grail is an odd choice, props for doing something different but it just didn't work.
I quite enjoyed the art. But the story is weirdly paced and seems rushed towards the end with a unsatisfying conclusion.
Batman and the holy grail is an odd choice, props for doing something different but it just didn't work.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews