This is a review of Legends of the Dark Knight: Norm Breyfogle, Volume One. Mr. Breyfogle filled the art duties on Batman very capably in the 1980’s and early 1990’s. He mostly worked with English writers Alan Grant and John Wagner, who is best known for his work on Judge Dredd. If you haven’t read Judge Dredd, you don’t know what you’re missing.
Who cares about Dredd, how’s those Batman comics? Well, pretty good! We don’t see much of Bruce Wayne or his life at all here. Batman is depicted as an obsessive man who despises criminals. The art is great at showing him breaking and fracturing bones, which he seems to relish. This is a very violent comic – people are murdered in the most callous and stupid ways in almost every issue.
A few of the stories are ridiculous – the anti-drug story is an eye-roller – and a few would be controversial today. When a terrorist kills a group of Vietnam veterans and flees to London, Batman follows. It turns out the terrorist is a diplomat, and he tells Batman – jeez, it’s wonderful how your country has never overthrown governments or killed any innocent people lulz. Considering the events of 1993 and 2001, this comic seems almost prescient. The other high point of this issue is watching Batman drive around London, asking people how to get to Parliament.
The creators give us a number of new Batman villains. We have the Ratcatcher, who has trained sewer rats to attack human beings and who imprisons the men who put him in jail, years ago. There’s also Cornelius Stirk, who has weird psychic abilities – he can look like Jesus, or Honest Abe Lincoln. Stirk feeds off fear, and will use his psychic powers to scare you to death.
But my favorite Bat Villain of this volume is the Corrosive Man, who was double-crossed and seeks vengeance. An explosion in a toxic waste factory means that he’s a walking chemical factory, as happens sometimes, and his touch is deadly! The writers opt to find the humor in the situation, with the Corrosive One falling out of chairs, through floors, and down flights of stairs.
The highlight of this volume is the Mud Pack saga, when the four people who have taken on the mantle of Clayface team up. Well, it’s three people and a hunk of clay, because the second Clayface is dead. I kept waiting for him to spring back to life, but it didn’t happen. The original Clayface was a ham actor who murdered a bunch of people. He’s joined by Clayface #3, who has just broken up with his mannequin girlfriend, and Clayface #4, a woman who can mimic anyone and gain their abilities. They team up, because reasons, and end up giving Batman a psychic lobotomy. Luckily, guest star Looker – of Batman & The Outsiders fame – is there to help!
This is a solid volume, but it’s pricey, so wait until it goes on sale.
Abandoned Places 