Batman: The Dark Knight Rises - KnightsEnd

DECIPHERING DC

Writers: Doug Moench, Chuck Dixon, Alan Grant, Dennis O'Neil, Jo Duffy
Artists: Mike Manley, Graham Nolan, Bret Blevins, Tom Grummett, Ron Wagner, Jim Balent, Barry Kitson

Hello and Welcome to yet another edition of Deciphering DC. This time, we take a look at the conclusion of the Knights Saga, KnightsEnd. Of course, Bruce comes back to regain the mantle of the Bat. Subsequently, Dick Grayson takes up the Bat costume, albeit for a short time, in the next arc, Prodigal.

The Dark Knight Rises - KnightQuest: The Search

DECIPHERING DC

Welcome to yet another edition of Deciphering DC. We continue our look at Knightfall, now focusing on KnightQuest: The Search. It follows Bruce Wayne and Alfred in their quest for Jack Drake and Shondra Kinsolving. This phase of the Dark Knight has never been collected, and chances are, it still won’t be.

The storyline crosses over three titles –

- Justice League Task Force issues 5 & 6 written by Dennis O’Neil (incorrectly solicited as David Michelinie on one cover) and art and covers by Sal Velluto

- Batman: Shadow of the Bat issues 21-23 written by Alan Grant, art by Bret Blevins and covers by Brian Stelfreeze

- Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight issues 59-61 written by Dennis O’Neil, art by Ron Wagner and covers by Norm Breyfogle

Countdown to The Dark Knight Rises - Prelude to Knightfall

Welcome back to another edition of Deciphering DC. With the Dark Knight Rises all the rage all over the media, I think it’s high time I gave the whole saga a comprehensive look. DC thought the same, and that is why we saw a collection called Batman vs Bane, that collected for the first time ever, Batman: Vengeance of Bane 1 and the miniseries Batman: Bane of the Demon.

Among other collections released were a reprint of Batman: Venom (see review here), with the first appearance of the drug of the same name, which the antagonist Bane uses and Batman: Birth of the Demon (see review here), featuring the trilogy of graphic novels featuring Ra’s Al Ghul, probably a major player in this enterprise as well. And finally, an expanded collection featuring the Knightfall saga and tie ins.

Countdown to The Dark Knight Rises - Batman: Venom

Writer: Dennis O'Neil

Artists: Trevor Von Eeden, Russell Braun, Jose Luis Garcia Lopez

Collects: Batman: Legends of The Dark Knight #16-20



Welcome to another edition of Deciphering DC. This once, in anticipation of the upcoming movie, The Dark Knight Rises, which features Bane, DC Comics has decided to release a few Bane centric trades in the hopes of cashing on. This is one, the others are Batman Vs Bane (collects Batman: Vengeance of Bane 1 and Batman: Bane of the Demon 1 - 4) and a remastered edition of Batman: Knightfall, again in three (huge) volumes but this time complete with KnightsQuest and Prodigal.

Aalok Deciphers DC - The Question

Welcome to another edition of deciphering DC. Today, we take a look at one of the most acclaimed, oft requested to be collected and now finally here series from the late 80s, featuring erstwhile Charlton Comics character, THE QUESTION.

Writer: Dennis O’Neil

Artists: Denys Cowan, Rick Magyar, Malcolm Jones III, Bill Wray

I never thought reading DC Comics would be so intellectually stimulating. Apart from the standard stereotyped superheroes (aka Superman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Flash & the Justice League) the ones that would really seem different would be the detective (Batman & Detective Comics) but the truth is, everything DC was doing after the Crisis was dashingly different, turning Superman into a conflicted hero (here & here), Batman into the dark Knight (here) and the Justice League into….well, something completely different (here) and unveiling (now) classic takes on older, established DC Comics characters the all new, and sometimes all Brit way (Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing , Neil Gaiman’s Black Orchid & Sandman, Grant Morrison’s Doom Patrol & Animal Man, & Jamie Delano’s Hellblazer). Amidst all of this, is it any wonder that a morally dark, suggested for mature readers title gets the short shift?