Batman: War Games, Act One - Outbreak [Paperback] Various

Written by Ed Brubaker, Andersen Gabrych, Devin Grayson, Dylan Horrocks, A.J. Lieberman, and Bill Willingham; Art by Ramon Bachs, Raul Fernandez, Al Barrionuevo, Francis Portela, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Lorenzo Ruggiero, Paul Gulacy, Jimmy Palmiotti, Kinsun, Mike Lilly, Andy Owens, Sean Phillips, Brad Walker, Troy Nixey, Pete Woods and Nathan Massengill; Cover by James Jean The opening act of 2004's hit crossover starring Gotham City's heroes can be found in BATMAN: WAR GAMES ACT ONE TP featuring an all-new cover by Eisner Award-winning artist James Jean. This volume includes BATMAN: THE 12-CENT ADVENTURE, DETECTIVE COMICS #797, BATMAN #631, BATMAN: LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT #182, NIGHTWING #96, BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHTS #56, ROBIN #129, BATGIRL #55 and CATWOMAN #34. A clash between Gotham's underworld families erupts into a wave of chaos that engulfs the city. Batman must use every available asset - Oracle, Batgirl, Nightwing, Orpheus, Onyx and Tarantula - to preserve life and contain the chaos!

Grade 10 Up–This frantically plotted installment in the series supposedly introduces monumental changes in the Batman saga. For someone who isn't a regular reader of the comics, though, it is more likely to set the stage for a series migraine. The basic premise is that one of Batman's gang of antiheroes has unleashed a Dark Knight's own war game scenario on Gotham City. The result is utter chaos, with rival gangs fighting for control and the police hopelessly outgunned. In the ensuing jumble of fistfights, arson, and shoot-outs, a mysterious assassin is methodically hunting down, torturing, and killing both mob bosses and members of Batman's team. This is a huge story line, stretching across several issues of the comics that reflect different visual and written interpretations of the various heroes and villains. While it is interesting to see the different interpretations, the change in drawing and coloring styles can be confusing. The characterizations, too, could be a problem for casual Batman fans, as familiar figures such as Batman, Robin, and Batgirl are very different from their recently successful graphic-novel counterparts. Although the overarching story is complex, the graphic compositions and plot points are often sophomoric in their attempts to show flesh without sex and violence with no seeming repercussions. Appealing to a specific demographic, this is like an R-rated movie edited to receive a PG-13 rating. There are many other great stand-alone Batman graphic novels that are more self-contained and have clearer, better story devices.–Steev Baker, Kewaskum Public Library, WI
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