Batman Vs Bane

Writer: Chuck Dixon

Artist: Graham Nolan

Collects: Batman: Vengeance of Bane 1, Batman: Bane of The Demon 1-4, origin pages from 52 issue 46, Countdown to Final Crisis 4 and 7

This trade is actually a misnomer. The title says Batman Vs Bane, and Batman faces Bane just for a few panels, and nothing of substance actually happens in those panels. It's got a few good things (other than good creators and stories) running for it though. Vengeance of Bane is actually the first appearance of Bane, and has never before been collected (it should have been included in the first volume of Knightfall). Neither has Bane of The Demon. The other good thing is the price.

REVIEW!! Year One: Batman / Ra's Al Ghul

Writer: Devin K Grayson
Art: Paul Gulacy
Collects: Year One: Batman/Ra’s Al Ghul issues 1 and 2

After so long, we return to the caped crusader in a series of one shots titled as Year One which detail the first meetings of Batman and his cohorts with Gotham city psychopaths (Year One: Two Face, Year One: Scarecrow) or just detail their experiences with handling the hero job (Batgirl Year One, Robin Year One, Nightwing Year One, Metamorpho Year One). Nowadays, any title which connects to Batman’s early days or preliminary experiences with crime fighting is automatically considered to be a Year One story (Batman and the Monster Men, Batman and the Mad Monk, Batman: The Long Halloween), all brought about by the phenomenal success of the original, one and only one Batman: Year One with story by Frank Miller and art by David Mazzuchelli (see review here).


Well, this isn’t one of them.

Aalok deciphers DC - The Demon's Head

Welcome to another edition of Deciphering DC.

You shall judge a man by his foes as well as by his friends. - Joseph Conrad

That said, I thought for Bat Week, let’s take a look at Batman’s “adversary” Ra’s Al Ghul. While many people use the term adversary, I prefer the term "reluctant ally".

The Joker is the Batman’s opposite number; where the Batman stands for order, the Joker represents the forces of chaos. But Ra’s isn’t Batman’s enemy; if anything, he’s a like minded soul. Batman agrees with Ra’s motives, but not with his methods, and nurses a romantic relationship with his daughter Talia.

BATMAN: TALES OF THE DEMON

Writer: Dennis O’Neil

Artists: Neal Adams, Dick Giordano, Ed Hannigan and others

This book collects almost all of Ra’s Al Ghul pre-Crisis adventures written by his creator, Dennis O’Neil.