Batman Adventures: Rogues Gallery #1

I think this was my first introduction into the world of comics. I was given it at a library convention which had an assorted group of people (like comic con, but for libraries from all around the country). I got lots of books (including a signed book by Marc Brown..of the Arthur the aardvark series. even got to tell him how I was going to be a writer. He told me that maybe someday he would be waiting in line for one of my books), including this one.
 
I love the stories, perhaps because it is part of my childhood, but it could also be that the stories are just awsome. I mean it doesn't really domb the stories down for children. It is like they respected children enough to allow them to read more detailed stories (maybe the newer children's stories like the batman brave & the bold comic series could learn from this series). Like the title suggest, this volume collects stories relating to Batman's rogue gallery. Now, these stories aren

't the usual "batman fights villian, then batman wins, etc" It actully gives depth to the characters who are normally the antagonists. One can not read "My boyfriend's back" and not root for Harley Quinn as she tries to get the Joker out of his peaceful loving mood (he is actually creepier this way). And the whole story arc where Ra's and his whole society of shadows tries to give Batman the present of the death of his whole gallery is very interesting. The story about the Riddler trying to go straight hooked me onto that character and as you can see I have been a fan ever sense.
 
Finally, I love cameos and this collection is littered with them. For example, we see a young Bruce and parents watching the 1940s movie The Mark of Zorro (starring Tyrone Power, Linda Darnell and * Basil Rathbone* yay!). Of course, being of the animated universe they did have to give a cameo to Bruce's television inspiration: the Gray Ghost on a sign for the future site of Mammoth Studios. In the same story as the Zorro cameo (which is hosted by a cavalier story), we see a newsstand with magazines including Life, Timely (parody on Time), Vague and MAD (with a cameo of Alfred E. Neuman's head). In Riddler's story we see lots of television parodies including Star Track (star Trek with Spock and Kirk cameos) and leave it to gopher (leave it to beaver). Clever and fun!