Date: September 2013 Publisher: DC Comics Cover Price: $3.99 Stats: 30 color pages Writer: Jeff Parker Artists: Jonathan Case and Wes Abbot Notable Notes: The Dynamic Duo returns – to comic books!
I was born just after the original Batman TV show ran its course – but I saw plenty of re-runs when I was a kid and later in life. Honestly, I was never a fan of the show – it just seemed too silly for me, although I realize now that the campiness was part of the allure. I had no plans to pick up this comic book series when it debuted several years ago, but all the rave reviews made me change my mind and grab the first trade paperback. I’m glad I reconsidered because this series has turned out to be loads of fun to read! Read the rest of this entry »
A gift for you, dear readers! Here is a list of high quality Batman comics that you can read online for free! It took me a long time to scour the web and compile this list, so I hope you enjoy it and make great use of it! Presented in alphabetical order, here are what I believe to be 24 great Batman comics to read online for free: Read the rest of this entry »
Date: April 1985 Publisher: DC Comics Cover Price: 75¢ 2017 Price Range: $2 – $16 Stats: 32 color pages plus Crisis Beginnings column. (No ads!) Writers: Marv Wolfman, Len Wein and Robert Greenberger Artists: George Perez, Dick Giordano, Anthony Tollin and John Costanza Notable Notes: DC finally decides to clean up its continuity and parallel Earths!
I picked up this entire series 18 years ago, and am just now getting around to reading it for the first time! Sheesh – I feel like such a comic slacker. I know it is one of the most influential comic series of all time, but my desire to experience it hasn’t been very high. When I was a kid I never read DC comics, and it wasn’t until I was an adult that I started getting into them at all. So there’s that – plus for some reason I always thought this was a serious, no-fun series whose only goal was correcting horrible DC continuity problems. That last part may be true, but this first issue turned out to be really cool, and I am excited to read more! In the introduction the writer even states that a fun and interesting series is one of the goals. So I am happy to verify that, for this issue anyway, it was accomplished! Read the rest of this entry »
Comic book history often rewards those willing to dig through long boxes and overlooked back issues, searching for stories that have aged well or grown in reputation over the decades. A good review treats each issue as a small artifact, weighing the writers and artists who shaped its pages against the era in which it was published. From the earliest days of costumed heroes to the experimental graphic novels of later generations, every era offers something worth prospecting for, whether the appeal lies in iconic cover art or in quieter moments between splash pages that reward a careful read.
Major crossover events tend to reshape the landscape of a publisher's line, condensing years of continuity into a single high-stakes narrative that reboots characters and resets relationships. Readers approaching such storylines for the first time often discover how layered these tales really are, with callbacks to earlier issues and cameos that only make sense once the full context is known. Reviewers can help newcomers navigate these dense moments by highlighting which threads matter most and which tie-ins are essential, turning what could feel like an intimidating commitment into a manageable reading journey that unfolds across multiple issues and creative teams.
The joy of comic prospecting lies as much in the hunt as in the read, in flipping through dollar bins and back-issue shelves looking for forgotten gems. Independent publishers and overlooked series often sit alongside the famous superhero titles, offering quieter character studies, genre experiments, and artistic risks that mainstream books rarely attempt. A thoughtful review gives long-neglected work a second chance at discovery, pointing curious readers toward writers and artists whose styles deserve a fresh audience. Whether the preference runs toward bold colors and dynamic action or toward thoughtful dialogue and atmospheric storytelling, there is always another issue waiting to be found and appreciated.
Date: July 1998 Publisher: DC Comics Cover Price: $1.95 2014 NM Value: $3.00 Stats: 22 color pages Writer: Ty Templeton Artists: Rick Burchett, Terry Beatty, Lee Loughridge, Tim Harkins Notable Notes: In which we get a glimpse of Two-Face’s dysfunctional family!
Trouble with one’s parents seems to make for good story lines. This issue shows the problems Two-Face had with his old man, but we can also look to other comics for this common theme. Daredevil had minor issues with his father, and so did Peter Parker. I guess Clark Kent got along pretty well with his dad – in fact, maybe I’ve got this all backwards! Maybe fathers played a big, important role in most heroes’ lives. You know – just like real-life dads do!
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Date: December 1970 Publisher: DC Comics Cover Price: 15¢ 2014 Price Range: $15 – $350 Stats: 22 color pages plus ads, “Letters to the Batman”, Direct Currents, 1 page Casey the Cop story and Daily Planet Extra. Writer: Denny O’Neil Artists: Irv Novick and Dick Giordano Notable Notes: Batman rescues Alfred’s niece!
Last fall I decided that I wanted to collect and read some of the Batman issues in the early 200s. I started with #224 and worked my way up from there. This one, #227, proved the most difficult and expensive to get so far. I didn’t realize it before, but it has a few things going for it that makes it so collectible. First, the awesome cover art is a swipe from Detective Comics #31 , which itself is the classic “Batman over castle” image from 1939. Second, the cover is by the great Batman artist Neal Adams. And third, there is a wonderful classic Batman story inside by none other than legendary scribe Denny O’Neil! Put those three things together and you can see why I spent weeks on eBay bidding for copies, and finally ended up paying $50 for a mid-grade copy. And you know what? I am totally happy with it too!
Date: November 1970 Publisher: DC Comics Cover Price: 15¢ 2014 Price Range: $6 – $80 Stats: 22 color pages plus ads, “Letters to the Batcave” and 4 page backup story Writer: Frank Robbins Artists: Irv Novick and Dick Giordano Notable Notes: Origin of The Man with Ten Eyes!
Would being blind be so bad? I’m not saying I want to try it, just that blind people seem to live incredibly full lives – especially in comic books. I’ve mentioned before that when I was a little kid I would wrap a blindfold around my head and play for long stretches of time while pretending to be blind. And Daredevil doesn’t do too bad does he? In this issue Batman is temporarily blinded, and has a tangle with another blind man – but the other man has a secret that Bats doesn’t know about!
Date: June 1998 Publisher: DC Comics Cover Price: $2.95 2014 NM Value: $4.00 Stats: 38 color pages Writer: Ty Templeton Artists: Rick Burchett, Terry Beatty, Lee Loughridge Notable Notes: Joker gets a big, big price on his head!
The rational, non-fun, part of me has always been a little bit disappointed that the Joker is still running around being crazy after all these years. It seems like if Batman isn’t able to put the kibosh on this villain, then maybe there is another, better way? This issue addresses that very topic, and shows us that one dedicated and vengeful man can come up with a clever method for bringing down the Joker once and for all!
Date: September 1970 Publisher: DC Comics Cover Price: 15¢ 2013 Price Range: $6 – $80 Stats: 24 color pages plus ads and “Letters to the Batcave” Writers: Denny O’Neil and Mike Friedrich Artists: Irv Novick, Dick Giordano and Mike Esposito Notable Notes: Batman the murderer?
It’s not a unique idea – in fact it is quite common – when good guys become the bad guys… or appear to do so! I think that it would be every legitimate peace-keeper’s fear that a powerful superhero would turn into their worst enemy. That is what happens in this issue… well, almost, anyway. This time it turns out that Batman is framed, and he must use all his Bat-skills to evade the police long enough to prove his innocence!
Date: August 1970 Publisher: DC Comics Cover Price: 15¢ 2013 Price Range: $6 – $80 Stats: 24 color pages plus ads and “Letters to the Batcave” Writer: Denny O’Neil Artists: Irv Novick and Dick Giordano Notable Notes: Batman travels to New Orleans to avenge a Jazz man’s death!
I’ve been wanting to read some classic Batman stories lately. After doing a little bit of research I decided that I could financially delve into some of the popular Denny O’Neil stories from the early 1970s. Here is my first foray into a character I really enjoy, but haven’t read a lot of – at least in pre-modern comics.
Date: October 2012 Publisher: DC Comics Cover Price: $2.99 Stats: 20 color pages plus ads and 2 pages of #0 covers Writer: China Miéville Artists: Mateus Santolouco, Tanya & Richard Horie, Steve Wands, Brian Bolland Notable Notes: Nelse teams up with Squid to save Manteau!
This issue of Dial H really says a lot about friendship and loyalty. We get to see how when one person is a self-centered jerk it usually ruins friendships, and we also see how a loyal friend can help out someone in need – even if a super hero identity isn’t available!
Over the past year I have been searching for web sites where I can read comic books online for free . Guess what? There are loads of places to get free comics, and a lot of sites for online comic books too – but it has been difficult to find high quality sites which are legal. Nevertheless I persevered and have scoured the web looking for the best sites. (* See below for the criteria I used when searching for good sites) Anyway, I have finally come up with a list of what I believe are the 11 best sites for free, online comic books:
Date: September 2012 Publisher: DC Comics Cover Price: $2.99 Stats: 20 color pages plus ads, “Fleet Week at DC Entertainment” and 2 pages of #0 covers Writer: China Miéville Artists: Mateus Santolouco, Tanya & Richard Horie, Steve Wands, Brian Bolland Notable Notes: Nelse and Manteau fix his phone!
Do long, gangely fingers equal alien or monster hands? I think so, at least in the comic book world. This issue has loads of stringy, creepy fingers and I’ll tell you right now they usually don’t indicate that sunshine and happiness are about to follow!
Date: 1986 Publisher: DC Comics Cover Price: 75¢ 2013 NM Price: $4.00 Stats: 22 color pages plus ads and Wonder Woman preview Writer & Penciller: John Byrne Other Artists: Dick Giordano, John Costanza, Tom Ziuko Notable Notes: Clark returns to Smallville.
This issue brings to a close the 6 issue mini-series from DC. Overall it has been quite enjoyable, but I wish there would have been more seamless transitioning between the issues. To me it felt like each of them were one shots. Still, a very cool series and one I would recommend to any comics fan!
Date: August 2012 Publisher: DC Comics Cover Price: $2.99 Stats: 20 color pages plus ads Writer: China Miéville Artists: Mateus Santolouco, Tanya & Richard Horie, Steve Wands, Brian Bolland Notable Notes: Crazy superheroes battle Darren’s old gang!
Did you ever dream up your own superheroes when you were a kid? (Do you still do that?!) I sure did. Mostly I pretended to be Daredevil, but sometimes I would make up my own super powers – like magical rainbow-colored eyes that could control people! Mwa-ha-ha-ha! Um, anyway, here is comic book with some wonderfully strange superheroes. Give it a try – you may like it!
Date: 1986 Publisher: DC Comics Cover Price: 75¢ 2013 NM Price: $4.00 Stats: 23 color pages plus 12 page “Mask” insert and ads Writer & Penciller: John Byrne Other Artists: Dick Giordano, John Costanza, Tom Ziuko Notable Notes: The origin of Bizarro!
Why is it that in science fiction in general, and comics specifically, the cloning process always seems to have some fatal flaw? Has no big-brained superhero figured out how to correctly do it yet? C’mon people – we can clone sheep here in the “normal” world why can’t you folks clone a fantastic superhero of unknown origins? Sheesh! 😉
