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Batman
Batman: False Faces
Written by Brian K. Vaughan Art by Scott McDaniel, Scott Kolins, Rick Burchett, Marcos Martin, Karl Story, Mark Pennington and others Cover by McDaniel & Andy Owens Don't miss this hard-hitting volume from award-winning writer Brian K. Vaughan (EX MACHINA, Y: THE LAST MAN, Lost), collecting BATMAN #588-590, DETECTIVE COMICS #787, WONDER WOMAN #160-161 and BATMAN GOTHAM CITY SECRET FILES #1. In the first of these tales of the DCU, Bruce Wayne adopts the guise of Matches Malone - the seedy identity he uses to infiltrate the Gotham underworld. But when Matches is shot, it's up to Batman to determine what really happened...and how Scarface is involved! Plus, in other stories, Batman takes on the Mad Hatter, and Wonder Woman and Donna Troy square off against Clayface!
160 pages, Hardcover
First published February 6, 2008
8 people are currently reading
451 people want to read
About the author
Brian K. Vaughan
1,057 books14.1k followersBrian K. Vaughan is the writer and co-creator of comic-book series including SAGA, PAPER GIRLS, Y THE LAST MAN, RUNAWAYS, and most recently, BARRIER, a digital comic with artist Marcos Martin about immigration, available from their pay-what-you-want site www.PanelSyndicate.com
BKV's work has been recognized at the Eisner, Harvey, Hugo, Shuster, Eagle, and British Fantasy Awards. He sometimes writes for film and television in Los Angeles, where he lives with his family and their dogs Hamburger and Milkshake.
BKV's work has been recognized at the Eisner, Harvey, Hugo, Shuster, Eagle, and British Fantasy Awards. He sometimes writes for film and television in Los Angeles, where he lives with his family and their dogs Hamburger and Milkshake.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 130 reviews
July 31, 2017
Besides Batman, Bruce Wayne has another alter-ego: Matches Malone, a sleazy gangland informant. In False Faces, Bruce receives a baffling call from Oracle: Matches Malone has been shot in a downtown Gotham bar! Say whuuuut!?
Brian K. Vaughan’s Batman comics aren’t half bad though unfortunately the book starts with the best stuff and get progressively worse from there.
I’ve always liked Matches Malone and Vaughan’s origin of how Bruce came by the persona was pretty compelling and the conundrum of how one of Bruce’s characters seemingly came to life by itself was intriguing. Vaughan goes a bit too far at the end in suggesting Bruce is almost consumed by Matches’ identity (I feel like his mind is stronger than that) but otherwise it was a solid tale.
The Mad Hatter issue was very average. Yet another aspect of Lewis Carroll’s fiction is realised in Gotham – I’ve never understood why Alice in Wonderland came to feature so heavily in Batman – and the Dark Knight must battle the Jabberwock. Guess who wins? Snoozer-snack.
Though Batman’s not in them, I’m guessing the two Wonder Woman issues were included partly because they feature one of Batman’s rogues, Clayface, and partly because they were written by Vaughan and tie-in to the book’s identity theme. It’s a very formulaic superhero-fights-supervillain story - I was even less interested in these issues than I was the Mad Hatter one. The book closes out with the an unmemorable and tedious short story on an obscure villain imaginatively called The Skeleton, again hitting the identity theme.
The cartoony art styles of Scott McDaniel, Rick Burchett and Scott Kolins combined with Vaughan’s accessible, safe and done-in-one writing made me think of this book as a collection of decent would-be episodes from the Batman Animated Series. Though it’s not too impressive and the stories’ quality is uneven, you could do worse than False Faces for a Batman book – it’s an ok read and worth a look if you’re a fan of Matches Malone like me.
Brian K. Vaughan’s Batman comics aren’t half bad though unfortunately the book starts with the best stuff and get progressively worse from there.
I’ve always liked Matches Malone and Vaughan’s origin of how Bruce came by the persona was pretty compelling and the conundrum of how one of Bruce’s characters seemingly came to life by itself was intriguing. Vaughan goes a bit too far at the end in suggesting Bruce is almost consumed by Matches’ identity (I feel like his mind is stronger than that) but otherwise it was a solid tale.
The Mad Hatter issue was very average. Yet another aspect of Lewis Carroll’s fiction is realised in Gotham – I’ve never understood why Alice in Wonderland came to feature so heavily in Batman – and the Dark Knight must battle the Jabberwock. Guess who wins? Snoozer-snack.
Though Batman’s not in them, I’m guessing the two Wonder Woman issues were included partly because they feature one of Batman’s rogues, Clayface, and partly because they were written by Vaughan and tie-in to the book’s identity theme. It’s a very formulaic superhero-fights-supervillain story - I was even less interested in these issues than I was the Mad Hatter one. The book closes out with the an unmemorable and tedious short story on an obscure villain imaginatively called The Skeleton, again hitting the identity theme.
The cartoony art styles of Scott McDaniel, Rick Burchett and Scott Kolins combined with Vaughan’s accessible, safe and done-in-one writing made me think of this book as a collection of decent would-be episodes from the Batman Animated Series. Though it’s not too impressive and the stories’ quality is uneven, you could do worse than False Faces for a Batman book – it’s an ok read and worth a look if you’re a fan of Matches Malone like me.
July 5, 2018
This book had some excellent stories with Batman as the cool character we all know and love. The first story, “Close Before Striking” brings in a thug named Matches Malone who Batman has an interesting relationship with. The whole story is in this book. So, Yay!
The second story is also complete, “Mimsy Were the Borogoves.” It dives into a children’s novel.
For our third story we head to NYC and Wonder Woman. She goes up against one of Batman’s adversaries. (She is so cool!) Once again the whole story is there. Yay!
So, of course I’m thinking about how much I love graphic novels because the whole story is there and it moves the story along nicely. Then the last few pages happen.
Now, I’m begging one of the cool comic book readers out there to please answer a huge question for me...who is Skeleton? The story is set up with him taking on the personas of The Riddler, The Joker and Mr. Freeze to do bad guy stuff. The last bit hints that he is someone Bruce Wayne knows quite well. Someone Bruce has been close to for years. You’ll notice, it’s not Batman he’s close to.
I could weep! Who is this guy and what is the next book so I can read it? 🙏🏻📖
The second story is also complete, “Mimsy Were the Borogoves.” It dives into a children’s novel.
For our third story we head to NYC and Wonder Woman. She goes up against one of Batman’s adversaries. (She is so cool!) Once again the whole story is there. Yay!
So, of course I’m thinking about how much I love graphic novels because the whole story is there and it moves the story along nicely. Then the last few pages happen.
Now, I’m begging one of the cool comic book readers out there to please answer a huge question for me...who is Skeleton? The story is set up with him taking on the personas of The Riddler, The Joker and Mr. Freeze to do bad guy stuff. The last bit hints that he is someone Bruce Wayne knows quite well. Someone Bruce has been close to for years. You’ll notice, it’s not Batman he’s close to.
I could weep! Who is this guy and what is the next book so I can read it? 🙏🏻📖
August 4, 2017
I'm not going to hold Brian to this book too much. This is really early work, when he was still finding his way, and it shows. There's some decent dialog at play but Batman doesn't sound very Batman and even Wonder Women feels off. I still enjoyed it, as it's a quick and easy read, but at the same time I won't be remembering this much. Early work from Brain is interesting because he does become my favorite writer of all time but this isn't a good showcase for him.
June 24, 2016
I actually read this a while ago, but forgot to mark it read on Goodreads. It was pretty good. I ship Batman and Wonder Woman, so it was nice to see them team up on a case in this. Unfortunately, I don't remember a lot of this, so I'll just have to leave it at I enjoyed it. :)
July 5, 2022
Not bad, not nearly as bad as Mr Vaughan claims in the forward to this volume. Considering the era these were inspired by and then published in the early 2000's these are good. Sure there are few bits that make a modern reader cringe but the rest of the story is sold. The first story is told like a full on detective noir story with an imperfect Batman which was fun. A solid 3 stars might even a 3.5.
May 3, 2021
Batman False Faces is a collection of Brian K Vaughn's work with DC. It collects two Batman stories and a Wonder Woman story, along with a strange "background" mini-story about Batman's enemies.
The art is good, never great.
The first Batman story was rather good. Someone has killed Matches Malone, except Batman is Matches Malone. This was interesting in that it helped to explain the whole "Matches Malone" story, as well as the persona.
The second Batman story wasn't bad either. The Mad Hatter is loose and Batman must bring him to heel. Again a good story.
The third story is a Wonder Woman story. This one wasn't as good (a 2 star story). Wonder Woman must face Clayface. It turns out that Clayface can um "eat" Wonder Woman, in a non-prurient way, and snag extra powers. So Wonder Woman and Donna Troy must team up to defeat Clayface. Meh.
"Lost Pages: Skullduggery" was the final story. Actually it's more of a 6 page look at some of Batman's villains and it introduces some new guy I've never heard of and then ends. Ummm ok I get that it was written by Vaughn, but seriously?
Anyways..a good collection of Vaughn's DC works. Not bad but will not blow you away. Neither in terms of overall quality nor in terms of art. Still, it is not awful either.
The art is good, never great.
The first Batman story was rather good. Someone has killed Matches Malone, except Batman is Matches Malone. This was interesting in that it helped to explain the whole "Matches Malone" story, as well as the persona.
The second Batman story wasn't bad either. The Mad Hatter is loose and Batman must bring him to heel. Again a good story.
The third story is a Wonder Woman story. This one wasn't as good (a 2 star story). Wonder Woman must face Clayface. It turns out that Clayface can um "eat" Wonder Woman, in a non-prurient way, and snag extra powers. So Wonder Woman and Donna Troy must team up to defeat Clayface. Meh.
"Lost Pages: Skullduggery" was the final story. Actually it's more of a 6 page look at some of Batman's villains and it introduces some new guy I've never heard of and then ends. Ummm ok I get that it was written by Vaughn, but seriously?
Anyways..a good collection of Vaughn's DC works. Not bad but will not blow you away. Neither in terms of overall quality nor in terms of art. Still, it is not awful either.
December 27, 2018
I quite enjoyed this, to be honest.
Vaughan does that thing I love (and don't see enough in the Batsy books I've read) where, instead of just telling a story, he actually delves into who Bruce is as a person. It's quite a crazy thing for someone to decide, their best course of action would be to dress up as a giant bat and fight crime. The psych major in me desperately wants to pick his brain to understand what years of that work has done to his brain.
The first story is mostly about Dick chasing Bruce who's devolved into more of Matches Malone's personality than is entirely healthy. Dick wants to make sure that he won't break his one rule and kill Scarface. It's interesting and I like seeing more of Dick worrying about his father.
There's a story about Man Bat that really just made me wonder about Bruce's philosophy on mental illness. Some writers write him with more sympathy and compassion for his enemies. Those stories are mainly Bruce trying to get them back in Arkham where they can get the help they need. Some writers write him as a bit merciless. In this one, Bruce basically admits that he doesn't have the patience and temperament that his father had. It's interesting, if a bit sad.
I didn't really like the Wonder Woman story. But, that's okay. I very much enjoyed the rest of this book.
Vaughan does that thing I love (and don't see enough in the Batsy books I've read) where, instead of just telling a story, he actually delves into who Bruce is as a person. It's quite a crazy thing for someone to decide, their best course of action would be to dress up as a giant bat and fight crime. The psych major in me desperately wants to pick his brain to understand what years of that work has done to his brain.
The first story is mostly about Dick chasing Bruce who's devolved into more of Matches Malone's personality than is entirely healthy. Dick wants to make sure that he won't break his one rule and kill Scarface. It's interesting and I like seeing more of Dick worrying about his father.
There's a story about Man Bat that really just made me wonder about Bruce's philosophy on mental illness. Some writers write him with more sympathy and compassion for his enemies. Those stories are mainly Bruce trying to get them back in Arkham where they can get the help they need. Some writers write him as a bit merciless. In this one, Bruce basically admits that he doesn't have the patience and temperament that his father had. It's interesting, if a bit sad.
I didn't really like the Wonder Woman story. But, that's okay. I very much enjoyed the rest of this book.
February 1, 2020
Brian K. Vaughan is undoubtedly one of the best writers working in comics today.. based on this collection, however, it seems he is best when working with his own ideas, and not existing worlds. The writing here is pretty poor - plots that feel either uninspired, or just plain uncharacteristic for the Batman. Dialogue verges on the painful, at times.
Thank god for Saga and Paper Girls, to name a few.
Thank god for Saga and Paper Girls, to name a few.
March 7, 2017
2.5 Stars
According to the preface of this book this is a collection of stories from very early in BKV's career. The first is a three parter about one of Batman's underworld identities, Matches Malone. I'm not sure if this has become canon but it was interesting to find out how Batman came by this identity. McDaniel's art is fine, but can be a little cartoony at times.
Another story pits Wonder Woman against Clayface, which BKV writes and I agree with, is an interesting match-up for the clay angle. There are two other one-shots that were so-so, one attempting to introduce a new villain to the gallery but apparently wasn't interesting enough to continue.
It's not a bad read, maybe slightly above average.
According to the preface of this book this is a collection of stories from very early in BKV's career. The first is a three parter about one of Batman's underworld identities, Matches Malone. I'm not sure if this has become canon but it was interesting to find out how Batman came by this identity. McDaniel's art is fine, but can be a little cartoony at times.
Another story pits Wonder Woman against Clayface, which BKV writes and I agree with, is an interesting match-up for the clay angle. There are two other one-shots that were so-so, one attempting to introduce a new villain to the gallery but apparently wasn't interesting enough to continue.
It's not a bad read, maybe slightly above average.
May 7, 2021
Batman: False Faces collects Batman issues 588-590, Detective Comics 787, Wonder Woman 160-161, and Batman: Gotham City Secret Files 1 all written by Brian K. Vaughan.
This trade collects many of BKV's early work at DC Comics. The "main" story in the collection revolves around Batman solving the shooting of Matches Malone, one of Batman's aliases. We also get Batman versus Mad Hatter and Wonder Woman vs Clay Face.
I really enjoyed the Matches Malone arc and it is probably the strongest story collected here. Wonder Woman vs Clay Face was good but felt like it could have been a longer arc. I'm not a big Mad Hatter fan but I did enjoy how BKV wrote the character. The art is hit or miss for me throughout the book. Some of the art is definitely a product of it's time and looks very "cartoony." Overall I really liked the collection and it would have been interesting to see what BKV could have done with a long run on a main DC title. But, I'm glad his career went the way it did or we possibly wouldn't have got some of the best comic series of all time: Y The Last Man or Saga.
This trade collects many of BKV's early work at DC Comics. The "main" story in the collection revolves around Batman solving the shooting of Matches Malone, one of Batman's aliases. We also get Batman versus Mad Hatter and Wonder Woman vs Clay Face.
I really enjoyed the Matches Malone arc and it is probably the strongest story collected here. Wonder Woman vs Clay Face was good but felt like it could have been a longer arc. I'm not a big Mad Hatter fan but I did enjoy how BKV wrote the character. The art is hit or miss for me throughout the book. Some of the art is definitely a product of it's time and looks very "cartoony." Overall I really liked the collection and it would have been interesting to see what BKV could have done with a long run on a main DC title. But, I'm glad his career went the way it did or we possibly wouldn't have got some of the best comic series of all time: Y The Last Man or Saga.
October 1, 2017
Bait-and-switch / spoiler warning - despite the slightly dramatic cover art, Bats and WW do not team up for any ass-kicking (or other type of) action in this book. A missed opportunity, to be sure.
That said, this is an okay collection of unrelated stories. Actually, the 'Matches Malone' opener was good, the best in this collection - it was great to see Batman briefly experiencing Donnie Brasco-like identity confusion; the Mad Hatter follow-up was nothing special (illustrated to somewhat resemble a mediocre episode of the early 90's animated series); and the Wonder Woman segment was not bad - makes a brief cameo - but it seemed sort of an odd inclusion. The very brief finale - which attempted to introduce a new villain to the storied Gotham lineup - was intriguing but annoying in hindsight since there was no further development of it.
That said, this is an okay collection of unrelated stories. Actually, the 'Matches Malone' opener was good, the best in this collection - it was great to see Batman briefly experiencing Donnie Brasco-like identity confusion; the Mad Hatter follow-up was nothing special (illustrated to somewhat resemble a mediocre episode of the early 90's animated series); and the Wonder Woman segment was not bad - makes a brief cameo - but it seemed sort of an odd inclusion. The very brief finale - which attempted to introduce a new villain to the storied Gotham lineup - was intriguing but annoying in hindsight since there was no further development of it.
September 18, 2018
Picked this up mostly because I saw Brian K. Vaughan’s name on it and I enjoyed this.
Never sure on how to review comics but I do love reading about the different stories that can happen with Batman and the people he works with. There’s Nightwing and Barbara, and seeing Nightwing reminds me I need to pick up a comic about him and read his story! In this we get to see Batman turning into his alter-ego Matches and making a promise that defies his moral code.
There are two stories here about Mad Hatter and Wonder Woman after the Matches-Batman story (which took up the most space this bind up). It’s different stories and I’m still not sure if they’re linked and maybe it isn’t. But I don’t like when comic books do that. Suddenly a different story and different illustrators and it could be that it’s a glimpse into another bind up or series but I don’t even know if that is the case. I usually read it at another time so I don’t confuse myself with the ending of the first story.
Never sure on how to review comics but I do love reading about the different stories that can happen with Batman and the people he works with. There’s Nightwing and Barbara, and seeing Nightwing reminds me I need to pick up a comic about him and read his story! In this we get to see Batman turning into his alter-ego Matches and making a promise that defies his moral code.
There are two stories here about Mad Hatter and Wonder Woman after the Matches-Batman story (which took up the most space this bind up). It’s different stories and I’m still not sure if they’re linked and maybe it isn’t. But I don’t like when comic books do that. Suddenly a different story and different illustrators and it could be that it’s a glimpse into another bind up or series but I don’t even know if that is the case. I usually read it at another time so I don’t confuse myself with the ending of the first story.
November 28, 2018
Batman by Brian K. Vaughn collects all the things Vaughn wrote that feature an element of Batman. It contains a three issue Matches Malone story, a one issue Mad Hater tale, and two issues of Wonder Woman where she fights Clayface.
The Clayface story is fun but has a better idea than execution. The Mad Hatter story has good art that tells the story itself but the dialogue in this story left me wanting at times, and the Matches story I like. I enjoy the exploration of identity by adding a third one to Batman and Dick trying to bring him back around is never a bad thing. My problem with the Matches story is that while it's a cool idea that's executed well both in writing, art, and continuity upkeep it's a story I don't think the Batman title ever needed to tell.
Yeah you could say that for most of comics or stories about Batman but this one feels contrived because Matches to my knowledge has always been a made up entity by Bruce and this is the one exception. That's probably because this is the best I could see a story like that being and as is this collection is worth a look especially if you like Vaughn and is interesting to look at because there are so many references to a point in continuity I'm only passingly familiar with (post No Man's land but before Morrison or Brubaker got on the title. Seriously though Nightwing went to the Police Academy at this point in time.)
Overall if anything I just said spiked your interest it's worth checking out.
3 stars.
The Clayface story is fun but has a better idea than execution. The Mad Hatter story has good art that tells the story itself but the dialogue in this story left me wanting at times, and the Matches story I like. I enjoy the exploration of identity by adding a third one to Batman and Dick trying to bring him back around is never a bad thing. My problem with the Matches story is that while it's a cool idea that's executed well both in writing, art, and continuity upkeep it's a story I don't think the Batman title ever needed to tell.
Yeah you could say that for most of comics or stories about Batman but this one feels contrived because Matches to my knowledge has always been a made up entity by Bruce and this is the one exception. That's probably because this is the best I could see a story like that being and as is this collection is worth a look especially if you like Vaughn and is interesting to look at because there are so many references to a point in continuity I'm only passingly familiar with (post No Man's land but before Morrison or Brubaker got on the title. Seriously though Nightwing went to the Police Academy at this point in time.)
Overall if anything I just said spiked your interest it's worth checking out.
3 stars.
October 11, 2022
Four Stories.
1. “Close Before Striking” Art by Scott McDaniel. Supporting Characters: Matches Malone, Nightwing, Oracle and The Ventriloquist.
2. “Mimsy Were The Borogoves” Art by Rick Burchett. Supporting Characters: Lieutenant Bullock, Dr. Langstrom, Mad Hatter.
3. “A Piece Of You” Art by Scott Kolins. Supporting Characters: Clayhouse, Wonder Woman, Wonder Girl, Nightwing
4. “ Skullduggery” Art by Marcos Martin. Supporting Characters:
1. “Close Before Striking” Art by Scott McDaniel. Supporting Characters: Matches Malone, Nightwing, Oracle and The Ventriloquist.
2. “Mimsy Were The Borogoves” Art by Rick Burchett. Supporting Characters: Lieutenant Bullock, Dr. Langstrom, Mad Hatter.
3. “A Piece Of You” Art by Scott Kolins. Supporting Characters: Clayhouse, Wonder Woman, Wonder Girl, Nightwing
4. “ Skullduggery” Art by Marcos Martin. Supporting Characters:
February 3, 2023
It was pretty good! This was my first ever Batman comic I've ever read, and can't wait to read more!
June 30, 2024
Close Before Striking - 3/5
Mimsy Were the Borogoves - 4/5
A Piece of You - 1/5
Skullduggery - 3/5
Mark Chiarello’s art in Mimsy Were the Borogoves was really great! I like that cartoony touch.
That WW story, I couldn’t care less, to be honest…
Mimsy Were the Borogoves - 4/5
A Piece of You - 1/5
Skullduggery - 3/5
Mark Chiarello’s art in Mimsy Were the Borogoves was really great! I like that cartoony touch.
That WW story, I couldn’t care less, to be honest…
May 5, 2021
Barbra: "Yeah, but Batman isn't exactly your average Narc, Dick. For god's sake, he's the best there is, bar none!"
Dick: "So was Sherlock Holmes...and he was a heroin addict. Being the greatest doesn't mean you're infallible."
Barbra: "Well, that's debatable about Holmes. Besides, Sherlock's a fictional character. Bruce Wayne is real."
Dick: "Now that's debatable. I mean, in a lot of ways, Bruce is just a mask that Batman wears when he needs him, right?"
I really enjoyed the first story Close Before Striking.
I don't actually think Batman would ever lose hold of himself quite like that, but I liked the story all the same.
There were a lot of good elements that made this story the best of the volume... Nightwing was very on character and I always love him and Batman together... especially when Dick is trying to take care of Bruce.
The opening was strong and funny and also a little sad as Batman is overly critical of Nightwing's performance.
I liked how Nightwing went to Barbra to talk about Batman and there's a bit of sexual tension and a lot of hurt when he tries to call her Batgirl.
I liked the Ventriloquist as the main baddy here.
Close Before Striking is a bit of a mob story, but it's also a bit psychological thriller, getting Batman's "personalities" side by side with the Ventriloquist's.
Having Matches speak for himself was also pretty great.
Nightwing to Batman: "But...what if you lose yourself again?"
Batman: "I trust you'll be there to help me find my way."
<3
This story on its own gets 5 stars from me.
The rest of the volume is OK, but not great. 2.5 other stories that don't hold up the book as well.
Mimsy Were The Borogoves is OK. I don't know how I feel about the whole plot revolving around the Doctor starting to wear a yarmulke to work. As a religious Orthodox Jew, it's rare (if ever) for me to see any kind of representation in comics. And I dunno...I was just underwhelmed by it? I thought it was a throwaway? I'm not sure.
It was interesting that the Doctor thought Hatter was just trying to get his Doc to understand himself better by making him into a confused monster.
I actively disliked A Piece Of You. I didn't like the art or the story. Wonder Woman was written stiffly...? Oddly...? Not sure, but I didn't like it.
The only thing that made me chuckle was the MTA employee that yelled at Clayface for skipping the turnstile.
The last story/vignette Skullduggery is weird & I'm obviously missing something.
3 stars for the whole volume, which is only held up by the first story.
Dick: "So was Sherlock Holmes...and he was a heroin addict. Being the greatest doesn't mean you're infallible."
Barbra: "Well, that's debatable about Holmes. Besides, Sherlock's a fictional character. Bruce Wayne is real."
Dick: "Now that's debatable. I mean, in a lot of ways, Bruce is just a mask that Batman wears when he needs him, right?"
I really enjoyed the first story Close Before Striking.
I don't actually think Batman would ever lose hold of himself quite like that, but I liked the story all the same.
There were a lot of good elements that made this story the best of the volume... Nightwing was very on character and I always love him and Batman together... especially when Dick is trying to take care of Bruce.
The opening was strong and funny and also a little sad as Batman is overly critical of Nightwing's performance.
I liked how Nightwing went to Barbra to talk about Batman and there's a bit of sexual tension and a lot of hurt when he tries to call her Batgirl.
I liked the Ventriloquist as the main baddy here.
Close Before Striking is a bit of a mob story, but it's also a bit psychological thriller, getting Batman's "personalities" side by side with the Ventriloquist's.
Having Matches speak for himself was also pretty great.
Nightwing to Batman: "But...what if you lose yourself again?"
Batman: "I trust you'll be there to help me find my way."
<3
This story on its own gets 5 stars from me.
The rest of the volume is OK, but not great. 2.5 other stories that don't hold up the book as well.
Mimsy Were The Borogoves is OK. I don't know how I feel about the whole plot revolving around the Doctor starting to wear a yarmulke to work. As a religious Orthodox Jew, it's rare (if ever) for me to see any kind of representation in comics. And I dunno...I was just underwhelmed by it? I thought it was a throwaway? I'm not sure.
It was interesting that the Doctor thought Hatter was just trying to get his Doc to understand himself better by making him into a confused monster.
I actively disliked A Piece Of You. I didn't like the art or the story. Wonder Woman was written stiffly...? Oddly...? Not sure, but I didn't like it.
The only thing that made me chuckle was the MTA employee that yelled at Clayface for skipping the turnstile.
The last story/vignette Skullduggery is weird & I'm obviously missing something.
3 stars for the whole volume, which is only held up by the first story.
January 5, 2018
This four story collection by writer Brian K. Vaughan and various pencillers and inkers wasn't anything special. Except the first and lengthiest story, the others was either poorly written, poorly drawn or too short. This tpb gets a 2/5 only for the 4-part "close before striking", the plot was intriguing and somewhat different from the casual neo-noir batman norme and Scott McDaniel's design tied in nicely.
Stories 2&3, "Mimsy were the borogoves" and "a piece of you" were ultimate crap in every aspect, and the 4th one, "Skullduggery" was a four page prequel of the shorts, so you can't form an opinion based on that.
I would reccomend only if found on a good price. It happens that 2 days ago I read "The Pride of Bagdad", another comic where Vaughan writes the script. "Batman" being my second attempt with this writer, I wander why all the fuss. Still I haven't tried Ex Machina or Y, or even Saga, so I hope this impression changes.
Stories 2&3, "Mimsy were the borogoves" and "a piece of you" were ultimate crap in every aspect, and the 4th one, "Skullduggery" was a four page prequel of the shorts, so you can't form an opinion based on that.
I would reccomend only if found on a good price. It happens that 2 days ago I read "The Pride of Bagdad", another comic where Vaughan writes the script. "Batman" being my second attempt with this writer, I wander why all the fuss. Still I haven't tried Ex Machina or Y, or even Saga, so I hope this impression changes.
September 24, 2013
I'm a huge Brian K. Vaughan fan but this was not his best work. In fact, it might be some of his worst. I have never cared for Bruce Wayne's portrayal of Matches Malone and this story was all about Matches in the past and present. Unfortunately, it was forced and unnatural. It was not helped by Nightwing's over-protectiveness of Batman, especially considering everything they've both been through. The art by Scott McDaniel didn't fit the storyline very well at all. The second half of the book involving Wonder Woman's fight with Clayface was very one note and was pointless. Overall, a disappointing read.
December 16, 2015
Some early BKV; obviously not his best work, but still more readable than some of what passes for good comics nowadays. Recommended for fans of Vaughan and/or Batman. Or Matches Malone, for that matter.
May 2, 2017
Given my love of Vaughn's indie work, and how much I enjoyed his take on Dr Strange, this was a pretty big disappointment. All the characters felt wrong, the story didn't connect and it lacked all the I CAN'T STOP READING magic of his other comics.
February 25, 2012
accidentally read a second time. It wasn't any better.
January 3, 2012
A collection of good little Batman adventure stories; some a little corny and some just good serial-art fun.
February 1, 2021
Reprints Batman (1) #588-590, Detective Comics (1) #787, Wonder Woman (2) #160-161, and Batman: Gotham City: Secret Files & Origins #1 (April 2000-December 2003). Batman deals with his secret underworld identity of Matches Malone and suffers a break in reality when another Matches Malone shows up on the scene. Wonder Woman finds herself facing off against Batman’s villain Clayface who has special interest in Diana and her past. The Mad Hatter kidnaps his doctor from Arkham and utilizes Dr. Kirk Langstrom to enact his plan. Meanwhile, a mysterious villain called the Skeleton plots against Batman.
Written by Brian K. Vaughan, Batman by Brian K. Vaughan is a writer comic book collection. The volume collects stories from Batman: Gotham City: Secret Files & Origins #1 (April 2000), Wonder Woman (Volume 2) #160-161 (September 2000-October 2000), Batman (Volume 1) #588-590 (March 2001-May 2001), Detective Comics (Volume 1) #787 (December 2003) and features art by Scott McDaniel, Rick Burchett, Scott Kolins, and Marcos Martin. Issues in the collection were also featured in Batman: False Faces.
I love the creator based collections. Series like The Flash, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Superman, and Batman have really benefited from them. Generally the collections are part of a large swath of stories that come from long-runs of creators like Geoff Johns or Mark Waid, but Batman by Brian K. Vaughan is a smaller, less connected collection.
Brian K. Vaughan was never a regular writer on Batman so the collection is a scattershot of Batman based stories (Batman never actually appears in two of the stories). His stories are generally shoehorned in-between bigger story runs. As a result as a “Batman” collection, the series is rather weak. The first storyline involving Matches Malone (aka Batman’s underworld identity) clears up how Bruce Wayne established Matches and why it still works in the modern day. The second Batman story comes from Detective Comics and features Batman going after the Mad Hatter. It is a relatively simple story which is improved by the fun art of Rick Burchett.
The other stories in the collection circle around Batman. In the Wonder Woman issues, Wonder Woman faces off against Batman villain Clayface. I always like when superheroes “switch up” their villains because it provides not only a unique encounter, but it also usually finds different ways of dealing with the threat. The second “Batman-less” stand-alone story is more of a mystery. Vaughan introduces “The Skeleton” who has big plans for Bruce Wayne…so much so that he impersonates the Joker, Mr. Freeze, and the Riddler. The story never was followed up. The character seemed rather interesting and there have been villains made from a lot less, so it will be interesting if some day someone will decide to resurrect the Skeleton and reveal his plans for Bruce Wayne.
Batman by Brian K. Vaughan is a short and sweet collection. It isn’t Vaughan’s best work and it isn’t the best Batman stories but it still has some moments of interest. If you are a fan of Vaughan’s other work and a completionist, it is a quick read that shows some of Vaughan’s work outside of his titles for which he is known. So many writers have touched Batman over their careers, and it is interesting to see how he is portrayed by each.
Written by Brian K. Vaughan, Batman by Brian K. Vaughan is a writer comic book collection. The volume collects stories from Batman: Gotham City: Secret Files & Origins #1 (April 2000), Wonder Woman (Volume 2) #160-161 (September 2000-October 2000), Batman (Volume 1) #588-590 (March 2001-May 2001), Detective Comics (Volume 1) #787 (December 2003) and features art by Scott McDaniel, Rick Burchett, Scott Kolins, and Marcos Martin. Issues in the collection were also featured in Batman: False Faces.
I love the creator based collections. Series like The Flash, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Superman, and Batman have really benefited from them. Generally the collections are part of a large swath of stories that come from long-runs of creators like Geoff Johns or Mark Waid, but Batman by Brian K. Vaughan is a smaller, less connected collection.
Brian K. Vaughan was never a regular writer on Batman so the collection is a scattershot of Batman based stories (Batman never actually appears in two of the stories). His stories are generally shoehorned in-between bigger story runs. As a result as a “Batman” collection, the series is rather weak. The first storyline involving Matches Malone (aka Batman’s underworld identity) clears up how Bruce Wayne established Matches and why it still works in the modern day. The second Batman story comes from Detective Comics and features Batman going after the Mad Hatter. It is a relatively simple story which is improved by the fun art of Rick Burchett.
The other stories in the collection circle around Batman. In the Wonder Woman issues, Wonder Woman faces off against Batman villain Clayface. I always like when superheroes “switch up” their villains because it provides not only a unique encounter, but it also usually finds different ways of dealing with the threat. The second “Batman-less” stand-alone story is more of a mystery. Vaughan introduces “The Skeleton” who has big plans for Bruce Wayne…so much so that he impersonates the Joker, Mr. Freeze, and the Riddler. The story never was followed up. The character seemed rather interesting and there have been villains made from a lot less, so it will be interesting if some day someone will decide to resurrect the Skeleton and reveal his plans for Bruce Wayne.
Batman by Brian K. Vaughan is a short and sweet collection. It isn’t Vaughan’s best work and it isn’t the best Batman stories but it still has some moments of interest. If you are a fan of Vaughan’s other work and a completionist, it is a quick read that shows some of Vaughan’s work outside of his titles for which he is known. So many writers have touched Batman over their careers, and it is interesting to see how he is portrayed by each.
January 5, 2021
Batman: False Faces is a collection of four comic stories written by Brian K. Vaughan and deals with the duality of identities. Batman: False Faces collects four stories: "Close Before Striking", "Mimsy Were the Borogroves", "A Piece of You", and "Lost Pages: Skullduggery".
"Close Before Striking" (★★★☆☆) is a three-issue storyline (Batman #588–590), which has Bruce Wayne as Batman having an unexpected meeting with the long-believed-dead Matches Malone. He grapples with his multiple identities when Matches is shot by Scarface for actions Batman committed while using his identity. It was penciled by Scott McDaniel.
"Mimsy Were the Borogroves" (★★★★☆) is a standalone story (Detective Comics #787), which has Bruce Wayne as Batman faces Jervis Tetch as the Mad Hatter and his latest deadly creation, a gigantic, flying, real-life Jabberwock. It was penciled by Rick Burchett.
"A Piece of You" (★★★☆☆) is a two-issue storyline (Wonder Woman #160–161), which has Diana Prince as Wonder Woman and Donna Troy square off against Cassius Payne as Clayface, when he tries to absorb the holy clay Wonder Woman is constructed of. It was penciled by Scott Kolins.
"Lost Pages: Skullduggery" (★★☆☆☆) is a short comic (Batman: Gotham City Secret Files and Origins), which introduces a mysterious new villain working behind the scenes named Skeleton – a master of disguise of unknown gender who has a hatred for Bruce Wayne and wants to kill him. It was penciled by Marcos Martin.
Brian K. Vaughan penned the trade paperback. For the most part, it is written moderately well. Vaughan does a surprisingly mediocre job in writing these stories. The main story "Close Before Striking" seemed rather forced with uninteresting narrative and "A Piece of You" does nothing but demonstrate Wonder Woman's incongruous position in the DC Universe, and "Lost Pages: Skullduggery" has an interesting villain, but never caught on, which makes this story rather pointless. "Mimsy Were the Borogroves" faired batter – comparatively and marginally so.
Scott McDaniel (Batman #588–590), Scott Kolins (Wonder Woman #160–161), Rick Burchett (Detective Comics #787), and Marcos Martin (Batman: Gotham City Secret Files and Origins) penciled the trade paperback. For the most part, the penciling styles of each artist meshed well with each other, which make the artistic flow of the trade paperback rather smoothly.
All in all, Batman: False Faces is a mediocre collection of stories written by famed writer Brian K. Vaughan.
"Close Before Striking" (★★★☆☆) is a three-issue storyline (Batman #588–590), which has Bruce Wayne as Batman having an unexpected meeting with the long-believed-dead Matches Malone. He grapples with his multiple identities when Matches is shot by Scarface for actions Batman committed while using his identity. It was penciled by Scott McDaniel.
"Mimsy Were the Borogroves" (★★★★☆) is a standalone story (Detective Comics #787), which has Bruce Wayne as Batman faces Jervis Tetch as the Mad Hatter and his latest deadly creation, a gigantic, flying, real-life Jabberwock. It was penciled by Rick Burchett.
"A Piece of You" (★★★☆☆) is a two-issue storyline (Wonder Woman #160–161), which has Diana Prince as Wonder Woman and Donna Troy square off against Cassius Payne as Clayface, when he tries to absorb the holy clay Wonder Woman is constructed of. It was penciled by Scott Kolins.
"Lost Pages: Skullduggery" (★★☆☆☆) is a short comic (Batman: Gotham City Secret Files and Origins), which introduces a mysterious new villain working behind the scenes named Skeleton – a master of disguise of unknown gender who has a hatred for Bruce Wayne and wants to kill him. It was penciled by Marcos Martin.
Brian K. Vaughan penned the trade paperback. For the most part, it is written moderately well. Vaughan does a surprisingly mediocre job in writing these stories. The main story "Close Before Striking" seemed rather forced with uninteresting narrative and "A Piece of You" does nothing but demonstrate Wonder Woman's incongruous position in the DC Universe, and "Lost Pages: Skullduggery" has an interesting villain, but never caught on, which makes this story rather pointless. "Mimsy Were the Borogroves" faired batter – comparatively and marginally so.
Scott McDaniel (Batman #588–590), Scott Kolins (Wonder Woman #160–161), Rick Burchett (Detective Comics #787), and Marcos Martin (Batman: Gotham City Secret Files and Origins) penciled the trade paperback. For the most part, the penciling styles of each artist meshed well with each other, which make the artistic flow of the trade paperback rather smoothly.
All in all, Batman: False Faces is a mediocre collection of stories written by famed writer Brian K. Vaughan.
Read
January 29, 2020Close Before Striking (Batman 588-590). It’s fallen by the wayside over the years, but I kind of love Batman’s Matches Malone persona. Apparently so does Vaughan, as this story explores the history behind Matches, both the disguise and the real man. It’s a fun read but also a tragic one, and ends up being a surprisingly nuanced meditation on identity. Well done.
Mimsy Were the Borogoves (Detective Comics 787). Nothing special here. Vaughan delivers a Mad Hatter story that, while entertaining, isn’t too memorable. Rick Burchett’s pencils recall the Animated Series, of which this issue could easily be an episode.
A Piece of You (Wonder Woman 160-161). How has no one thought of Wonder Woman fighting Clayface before? They’re both made from clay! That’s the general idea here, and it’s a fun one. There are delightful cameos in this story (including Nightwing and Robin, strengthening the Batman connection) and the fight through New York has some good moments. Vaughan writes a compassionate and collaborative Diana, though there are times when her character feels off.
Skyllduggery (Gotham City Secret Files and Origins 1). This short about a villain named Skeleton never caught on. Maybe the idea of another shape shifting villain just wasn’t needed at the time. Marcos Martin’s art is good at least.
Overall, Vaughan’s Batman work isn’t exactly deep storytelling, but the operative word I’d use is “fun.” His writing is good for someone so early in his career, with plenty of the witty, realistic dialogue he’s known for. Interestingly, all stories deal with identity in some way. The Matches Malone story was Vaughan’s tryout to be the regular Batman writer. DC went with Ed Brubaker instead, and while I understand their decision, part of me would have liked to see a more lighthearted and fun Batman run.
Mimsy Were the Borogoves (Detective Comics 787). Nothing special here. Vaughan delivers a Mad Hatter story that, while entertaining, isn’t too memorable. Rick Burchett’s pencils recall the Animated Series, of which this issue could easily be an episode.
A Piece of You (Wonder Woman 160-161). How has no one thought of Wonder Woman fighting Clayface before? They’re both made from clay! That’s the general idea here, and it’s a fun one. There are delightful cameos in this story (including Nightwing and Robin, strengthening the Batman connection) and the fight through New York has some good moments. Vaughan writes a compassionate and collaborative Diana, though there are times when her character feels off.
Skyllduggery (Gotham City Secret Files and Origins 1). This short about a villain named Skeleton never caught on. Maybe the idea of another shape shifting villain just wasn’t needed at the time. Marcos Martin’s art is good at least.
Overall, Vaughan’s Batman work isn’t exactly deep storytelling, but the operative word I’d use is “fun.” His writing is good for someone so early in his career, with plenty of the witty, realistic dialogue he’s known for. Interestingly, all stories deal with identity in some way. The Matches Malone story was Vaughan’s tryout to be the regular Batman writer. DC went with Ed Brubaker instead, and while I understand their decision, part of me would have liked to see a more lighthearted and fun Batman run.
March 21, 2017
Normally I love Brian K. Vaughan, but man, this collection of short comic stories (two Batman stories, a Wonder Woman story, and the introduction of a Batman villain) might be the worst thing of his I've ever read. The stories are lighthearted and quick, which is actually kind of a nice change from the typically brooding, super serious Batman of the last few decades. However, Vaughan's writing is overly wordy and heavy-handed, and his depiction of Batman feels very paint-by-numbers. There's nothing here that even the casual Batman fan hasn't seen done, and done better, numerous times before. He fares slightly better in the Wonder Woman story, enough so that I can say I'd be interested to see what he could do with the character in a longer format. The final story, which clocks in at a scant five pages, is pretty much a throwaway. It comes off like the kind of idea a high school kid might scribble down in the back of a spiral notebook.
The art is similarly uninteresting with the exception of Scott Kiolins work on the Wonder Woman story. Well, to be fair, Marco Martins work on the last story isn't bad, but it's hard to make out through the overwhelming volume of bright pink panels that crowd every page.
I would recommend this title to younger (10-15) year old fans of Batman, but I don't think most older readers are going to get anything out of it.
The art is similarly uninteresting with the exception of Scott Kiolins work on the Wonder Woman story. Well, to be fair, Marco Martins work on the last story isn't bad, but it's hard to make out through the overwhelming volume of bright pink panels that crowd every page.
I would recommend this title to younger (10-15) year old fans of Batman, but I don't think most older readers are going to get anything out of it.
June 11, 2020
Close Before Striking-3 stars- At first I was super psyched to see Matches Malone, because I think he is hilariously over the top, but that part of the story started to feel more like a bad soap opera. Who on earth wanted a Matches Malone origin story anyways? Ventriloquist and Scarface were also involved, which was fun as they are really underused in general. The story arch is three issues, about 1 issue too long.
Mimsy Were the Borogoves-2 stars- A Mad Hatter story that is pretty forgettable. He is one of my least favorite villains so maybe I'm biased.
A Piece of You-4 stars- The best story in the bunch and Batman doesn't even make an appearance. This 2 issue story has Wonder Woman team up with Wonder Girl to take on Clayface. The story has an interesting concept and I love when heroes take on villains normally associated with other heroes. Plus the artwork is solid. It also does a great job of introducing the reader to Wonder Girl in a quick efficient manner.
Skullduggery-4 stars-Super short and wordy, but still fun. Again, this story has no Batman. Instead we are taken through the evil plans of some of Gotham's most notorious criminals...or are they?
Mimsy Were the Borogoves-2 stars- A Mad Hatter story that is pretty forgettable. He is one of my least favorite villains so maybe I'm biased.
A Piece of You-4 stars- The best story in the bunch and Batman doesn't even make an appearance. This 2 issue story has Wonder Woman team up with Wonder Girl to take on Clayface. The story has an interesting concept and I love when heroes take on villains normally associated with other heroes. Plus the artwork is solid. It also does a great job of introducing the reader to Wonder Girl in a quick efficient manner.
Skullduggery-4 stars-Super short and wordy, but still fun. Again, this story has no Batman. Instead we are taken through the evil plans of some of Gotham's most notorious criminals...or are they?
December 15, 2018
Here we have four short stories of varying length and quality. My recommendation is to pick it up at a library if you are interested. (And no, Batman and Wonder Woman don't actually team up in this. Sorry.)
First is a three-part story showing how Batman used a false identity as a common criminal to interrupt Scarface / The Ventriloquist. This is the strongest of the stories since it shows some depth to Batman's character.
Then there is a two-part story featuring the Mad Hatter which is easily forgettable.
Third is a two-part story of Wonder Woman versus Clayface. It was a good idea but ended up cheesy.
The fourth story is a super short introduction to a character that didn't serve a point and is fully out of context here. It felt like it was added to help with the page count.
Overall this is just ok.
First is a three-part story showing how Batman used a false identity as a common criminal to interrupt Scarface / The Ventriloquist. This is the strongest of the stories since it shows some depth to Batman's character.
Then there is a two-part story featuring the Mad Hatter which is easily forgettable.
Third is a two-part story of Wonder Woman versus Clayface. It was a good idea but ended up cheesy.
The fourth story is a super short introduction to a character that didn't serve a point and is fully out of context here. It felt like it was added to help with the page count.
Overall this is just ok.
May 11, 2017
Certainly a mixed bag. One story isn't even Batman; it's Wonder Woman facing off against a Batman villain (Clayface). Glad I borrowed from the library instead of buying. Seems like a cheap grab at customers who will buy solely on name recognition.
The Matches Malone story was okay; I love that alterego, but I don't think the story went a way that fit with Batman's training. The Mad Hatter one-shot was a very unique story. The Wonder Woman story was original but ultimately didn't go anywhere interesting. Lastly, Skullduggery was supposed to be the start of a new villain, but the arc never went any further.
The Matches Malone story was okay; I love that alterego, but I don't think the story went a way that fit with Batman's training. The Mad Hatter one-shot was a very unique story. The Wonder Woman story was original but ultimately didn't go anywhere interesting. Lastly, Skullduggery was supposed to be the start of a new villain, but the arc never went any further.
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