All Star Batman & Robin, The Boy Wonder # 8 - Episode Eight

First of all, Im like a addict for these issues, they only get better. So Im Byas...But this issues art was (dare I say) even better; and the Neal cover is what a variant cover should be. I ordered it in advance... Miller takes Batman where he belongs--his inner thoughts, wise cracks, bitter crime fighter, and true detective. Lee masters the artwork for this one. Plus the Joker has the coolest tattoo. The only thing I did not like was the appearance of the nazi symbol on the chick. The Grayson boy is ready to be Robin, picking out costumes. The Joker is on the edge, all the bad, evil direction you expect from a insane clown face killer. This is where Batman lives, the crime infested streets of Gotham. And the streets are not ready for the dark Knight. This issue introduces more and more. If you love Batman, this series is where perfection comes alive. In my opinion this is some of Millers and Lees best work. This series will only be fully appreciated only when read in succession

I mean how can I hate this title so much with art like Jim Lee has. He is really really talented. Every character from Green Lantern to the new look of the Joker is great.

Frank Miller is trying to shock just to shock and that is how I take his work nowadays. I do hope that when this title ends that Jim Lee goes back on a mainstream Bat book or do a Vertigo Bat book that is more continuity based. I The Robin and Batman relationship is getting better here and the Joker is about to team with Catwoman...and I like that...Green Lantern was a welcome surprise...I have to keep remembering though how bad Batman's attitude is here...But overall a good book this time.

Things are still taking a while to get started and Frank keeps tossing things in, but this was still a pretty good issue. Even though All Stars is kind of jumbled and choppy Jim Lee still manages to tie it in nicely with some slammin' art work.

Ok, All Stars is different but not worth getting your panties in a knot. It's a good read for people interested in a gritty and slightly odd twist on characters.

That nice dragon tattoo the Joker was sporting, well, to be honest I haven't see him shirtless in a while so this isn't that big a deal.

Hal shows up,

Alfred shows up,

Dick is almost Robin,

And Bruce is still showing us some good ol' fashioned Batdickery.

If you're expecting classic Frank you may as well walk away now, but that's not a bad thing, granted it's different but I think it's worth holding out for.

Calling this the best book out there would be an enormous lie. Reading this issue has dropped my liking of Frank Miller more then before. I find him over rated and teaming him up with a talented man like Jim Lee surprisingly didn’t help. The beginning scene with the Joker made the book seem like it was going somewhere, but unfortunately the book kept going down from there. The way Frank establishes Grayson’s and Wayne’s partnership wasn’t at all a nice read and the scene with Green Lantern was so random and out of place, the comic would have worked better without it. Luckily enough, you my trusting readers will have the chance to save your change for another more worthy book.