Batman : Year 100Year 100 isn’t just a futuristic Batman story. It isn’t an alternate future tale in which the writer/artist Paul Pope has taken every liberty with the character possible. No, year 100 is at its core one of the truest Batman stories perhaps ever written. Set in the year 2039, the Bat-Man has returned and framed for murder. Now he must solve the case, run from the cops all while surviving in city he’s unfamiliar with. The brilliance of this 2007 mini-series lies in the fact that the real mystery is: Who is the Bat-Man? Pope takes Batman to the extremes of “super”, but while he’s pressing his limits he shows the realistic consequences of his actions. Year 100 is gritty, dark and filled with the intense feelings of possible failure. The cards are stacked against the Bat-Man as he tries to survive in a future that is teetering on something out of “Minority Report”. Fans of the “Dark Knight Returns” will find similarities with this rough and tough Batman fighting against impossible odds.
Batman : Dark Detective Mini-Series
Batman : Cacophony
This three issue series was written by comedian/director Kevin Smith (of Clerks fame). The humor is easily recognized amongst fans as being his, but apart from the humor, this mini-series shows the relationship between The Joker and Batman in a very dramatic way. The artwork is done by Walt Flannigan, bringing Smith's imagination to life. This series will most likely find fans in both old and new, although some may not appreciate the way The Joker is treated as more of a second rate villain.
Batman: Death and the Maidens
Ra’s Al Ghul is being killed… by Batman… in directly. As it’s commonly known Ghul survives via the Lazarus pits. In trying to stop Ghul, Batman has made it his mission to seal or destroy of the pits. Now all that remains are a scattered few. Ghul begs him to stop destroying the pits and offers him a chance to talk to his dead parents in return. Writer Greg Rucka (Detective Comics) taps into the rich history of these two characters and their supporting cast. He not only makes Ghul relevant in the modern era of comics, but he also makes him human with flaws to which the character has never had. The story largely follows Ghul and reveals key elements of his past including a woman – Nyssa - that is also in power struggle for the pits. Nyssa is out for revenge and captures Talia. She tortures by killing her and resurrecting her over and over again in the pits, driving Talia to brink of madness. Fans of Rucka’s Detective Comic’s run should pick up the nine issue series to see just what an unbridled Rucka is capable of.
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