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The Batman Chronicles (Reprints) #10
The Batman Chronicles, Vol. 10
The graphic novel series collecting every Batman adventure ever published in chronological order continues with this new, eighth volume featuring stories from the 1940s! Includes appearances by Two-Face, the Cavalier, the villainous duo Tweedledee and Tweedledum, the Crime Surgeon, and more.
168 pages, Paperback
First published December 14, 2010
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About the author
Bill Finger
652 books106 followersWilliam "Bill" Finger was an American comic strip and comic book writer best known as the uncredited co-creator, with Bob Kane, of the DC Comics character Batman, as well as the co-architect of the series' development. In later years, Kane acknowledged Finger as "a contributing force" in the character's creation. Comics historian Ron Goulart, in Comic Book Encyclopedia, refers to Batman as the "creation of artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger", and a DC Comics press release in 2007 about colleague Jerry Robinson states that in 1939, "Kane, along with writer Bill Finger, had just created Batman for [DC predecessor] National Comics".
Film and television credits include scripting The Green Slime (1969), Track of the Moon Beast (1976), and three episodes of 77 Sunset Strip.
-Wikipedia
Film and television credits include scripting The Green Slime (1969), Track of the Moon Beast (1976), and three episodes of 77 Sunset Strip.
-Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 2, 2024
The Batman Chronicles series is great artifact for Batfans. The stories and art are exactly what they should be- geared towards young boys in the early 1940s. That does not translate well for a modern reader, but they are still decent reads in small doses.
July 5, 2024
I love The Chronicles line of trade paperbacks. I would never have been able to afford delving into the history of DC Comics if not for this line of books. Sure, there are Archives of this material, but I simply cannot afford taking on three more lines to get this material in that format. I also dislike how DC split the three titles collected here in three lines rather than one line like they do here. The way that they are presented here makes for a more comprehensive read and makes my completist OCD turn green.
Golden Age Batman is so much fun to read. I enjoy the fashions and car styles of this time. My favorite story in this book is the one with Rob Callender, a Time Thief from the year 2043. What was 100 years in the future at the time of original publication is now a mere 31 years away. I sat there and thought what people in 1943 would think of 2012. I think that they'd be blown away in many ways (the way that we communicate and entertain ourselves), and disappointed in others (you mean that you sold out all of the rights that we bled for, and you fight amongst yourselves while the fat cats get fatter?).
The restoration is pretty bad in the bulk of the Detective Comics issues in this book, the result of DC's crude restoration methods in the days before 1200dpi scanning. DC uses old film, and sometimes it's not always in great shape. The majority of this book looks great, but there are a few stories where it is just off. It's a pity that DC doesn't do what Marvel does and go back and remaster their stuff when advances in technology allow for improvements. DC is still using VHS restoration in the Blu-Ray era.
Great reads one and all! I love Golden Age Batman, as these stories are way fun and bleed charm. Alfred debuts here is Issue 16, and is quite a bit different than he would be later on, being an amateur sleuth and all. Also in issue 16 is "The Grade A Crimes", a wonderful story about robbers who double as milkmen. The old tyme-y street lamps and two-color traffic signals also help paint this as a quaint period piece. It's funny how these things would be inserted into retro-flavored stories today to help create atmosphere, but here they are simply contemporary background things. I love it. The Joker, the Robber Baron, and the Penguin are the stars of the rogues gallery this time out.
In Issue 17's "Adventure of the Vitamin Vandals", Batman tangles with a shark. Unlike the 1966 movie, however, he uses a knife rather than a can of shark repellent. The story from World’s Finest Comics No. 10, "The Man With The Camera Eyes" is somewhat contemporary. In the tale, a man uses his photographic memory to memorize documents, written music, etc., which is referred to here as "other people's ideas". In this day and age we use the term intellectual property, but this tale shows the grey areas pertaining to theft and crime, and the perception thereof. That is what it made me think of, at least. Individual mileage may vary.
One interesting thing about these issues is that while there are 'Buy war Bonds' logos on the splash pages of most of the stories, Batman steers clears of politics for the most part. Unlike Timely's heroes (Marvel as they were called back then), Batman does not engage in fisticuffs with the Nazis or the Japanese. I am sorry if I spoiled any of the above stories for you, but comic books that are nearly 70 years old are exempt from spoiler tags.
The restoration on the Detective Comics stories seems crude, especially when compared to the great job that DC did on the core series. I would love to see DC remaster the aforementioned stories, and compile them in nice, chunky hardcovers like Marvel's Omnibus line. My cheap ass can't afford to buy 30 different Archives, plus I like the chronological by release date format of The Chronicles line.
Golden Age Batman is so much fun to read. I enjoy the fashions and car styles of this time. My favorite story in this book is the one with Rob Callender, a Time Thief from the year 2043. What was 100 years in the future at the time of original publication is now a mere 31 years away. I sat there and thought what people in 1943 would think of 2012. I think that they'd be blown away in many ways (the way that we communicate and entertain ourselves), and disappointed in others (you mean that you sold out all of the rights that we bled for, and you fight amongst yourselves while the fat cats get fatter?).
The restoration is pretty bad in the bulk of the Detective Comics issues in this book, the result of DC's crude restoration methods in the days before 1200dpi scanning. DC uses old film, and sometimes it's not always in great shape. The majority of this book looks great, but there are a few stories where it is just off. It's a pity that DC doesn't do what Marvel does and go back and remaster their stuff when advances in technology allow for improvements. DC is still using VHS restoration in the Blu-Ray era.
Great reads one and all! I love Golden Age Batman, as these stories are way fun and bleed charm. Alfred debuts here is Issue 16, and is quite a bit different than he would be later on, being an amateur sleuth and all. Also in issue 16 is "The Grade A Crimes", a wonderful story about robbers who double as milkmen. The old tyme-y street lamps and two-color traffic signals also help paint this as a quaint period piece. It's funny how these things would be inserted into retro-flavored stories today to help create atmosphere, but here they are simply contemporary background things. I love it. The Joker, the Robber Baron, and the Penguin are the stars of the rogues gallery this time out.
In Issue 17's "Adventure of the Vitamin Vandals", Batman tangles with a shark. Unlike the 1966 movie, however, he uses a knife rather than a can of shark repellent. The story from World’s Finest Comics No. 10, "The Man With The Camera Eyes" is somewhat contemporary. In the tale, a man uses his photographic memory to memorize documents, written music, etc., which is referred to here as "other people's ideas". In this day and age we use the term intellectual property, but this tale shows the grey areas pertaining to theft and crime, and the perception thereof. That is what it made me think of, at least. Individual mileage may vary.
One interesting thing about these issues is that while there are 'Buy war Bonds' logos on the splash pages of most of the stories, Batman steers clears of politics for the most part. Unlike Timely's heroes (Marvel as they were called back then), Batman does not engage in fisticuffs with the Nazis or the Japanese. I am sorry if I spoiled any of the above stories for you, but comic books that are nearly 70 years old are exempt from spoiler tags.
The restoration on the Detective Comics stories seems crude, especially when compared to the great job that DC did on the core series. I would love to see DC remaster the aforementioned stories, and compile them in nice, chunky hardcovers like Marvel's Omnibus line. My cheap ass can't afford to buy 30 different Archives, plus I like the chronological by release date format of The Chronicles line.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews