Directionless and Flashy without Substance
Somewhere along the way, "Batman" became an excuse for "excessive violence," perhaps because DC was jealous of Punisher MAX or something. I do not deny Batman (as an idea/world) has a dark side - as much as I enjoy the Adam West Batman, the "Dark Knight" aspect to the character is just as true. But that does not mean we need this much blood: removed faces, blown-out brains (Night of the Owls), etc. As Daniel even proves himself by the end of this collection, he can tell decent Batman stories without grotesque indulgences appealing only to the base visceral impulses of man. I'm sure many of you will disagree with me and my weak tummy - that's fine. Part of my frustration with the violence in the Dollmaker story was the sheer absence of any meaningful payoff: it goes nowhere, delivers predictable moments of "detection" and suspense, and stops. The second group of stories is a little better, but it also either expects too much of us, or just assumes we know what is going on, or uses too much flashback with Batman knowing too much to be very believable - or possibly a combination of all of them. I know Daniel didn't stay long on the series, but he did show a little bit of promise - it just doesn't go anywhere meaningful here.
