This Classic 70's Tale of the Batman introduces Ras Al Ghul. Easily one of the best villians in the Batman Rogues Gallery. Ras appears out of the darkness of the Batcave with his faithful bodyguard Ubu along side him. He comes to Batman not as a villian but as an ally in search of his daughter who Batman had met several issues earlier. Ras has had his organization investigate that he and Bruce Wayne are one in the same.He asks for his assistance in finding both Robin and Talia. The tale revisits Batmans and Robins origin briefly as  the Batman recollects as he sits on the Plane to India with Ras. Taking a page from James Bond movies, Denny O'Neil writes and brings the Batman to places around the globe . Here in this issue he visits Calcutta and the Himalayas. I think at the time it was a great touch at reinvigorating the new Batman that Denny O'Neil was working on  especially along with artist Neal Adams who renders the story beautifully.He adds to the realistic tone to the localesas well as the main character. Its definitely a must -read for any Bat -fan.

Through the Batman and Dark Knight archives, I have gotten a chance to read the books I could never afford. The early Batman  and Detective comics had a quality that is so appealling there is no wonder this character has endured as long as he has. "The First Batman" lends itself to the Batmans origin story 8 years prior where Joe Chill was named the killer of Bruce Waynes parents. Here building on that classic Batman issue #47 we find that Bruce has found his fathers diary and clues to reopen his parents murder case.  Here it seems someone may have paid Joe Chill to kill the Waynes. I don't like to give alot away but it is a classic story that's only 10 to 12 pages long but it delivers. A great issue to read and It can be found along with the Batman #47 origin story in the trade " Batmans Greatest Stories volume1" . A great trade with alot of classic Batman through the decades.

This issue continues Stan Lees greatness from issue  FF#25. Jack Kirby shows how effortleess he can show dynamic  action and storytelling. Although the Thing' and the Hulks battle is the most central part of the story , all the Avengers along with the FF gets a shot at the Hulk. with the most unlikely to take the Hulk down. All in all this is a great early marvel age story done by the masters. I hope you enjoy this one,this is one of my favorites.

• If the Colonel can have his chicken, why can't the Joker have his fish?  They have his looks, his smile. That is the question writer Steve Englehart poses as The Joker manages to outsmart the Batman several times and reveals himself only (after he has killed enough of the employees’ of the copyright commission) when he is ready.

Englehart concludes his brilliant run with this the 1st of a 2-part Joker-Fish story. Although his run lasted only 7 issues from issue #469- #476, it left an indelible mark on the way the Batman is to be done not to mention his villains. The art of Marshall Rogers doesn't hurt either especially with Terry Austin inking. The artwork is definitely inspired by the writing. “The Joker Fish" maybe first runner up for the best Joker story of the 70's.It’s definitely a classic and a must read for Batman fans. It can be found in the trade paperback Strange Apparitions" 

This comic is amazing and is a prelude for things to come for artists Frank Miller & Klaus Janson. Their illustrations shine here (with also a little help on inks from Josef Rubenstein) with a great battle between the Hulk and DareDevil called "Blind Alley"written by Roger McKenzie. Again this is a mis-match but DareDevil once again proves he is the Man without Fear. Maybe if Matt wasn't blind he wouldn't rush in the way he does.. The part that was great to me was when the Hulk actually comes to an awareness. He recognizes after injuring DareDevil ,that the blind man that helped him earlier and DareDevil are one in the same and  he has just hurt  maybe his only friend. Another great battle among Marvel Heroes.

This is a great read. Witness the "Battle of the Century".  Read it. When Jack Kirby and Stan Lee created the Marvel Universe It wasn't just by chance. Two creative men finally getting to do comics the way they wanted to. Then it snowballed,culminating in a few years , these new super powered characters that would stand the test of time. To this pinnacle moment where they would come together for the first time in the"Worlds Greatest Comic Magazine" the Fantastic Four. Marvels flagship title of the time. The fight between Hulk and Thing Kirby style. I read this in the trade Marvels Greatest Battles and it still remains my favorite. The fact that the Hulk could shake the whole building was just so crazy funny, but the flow of the action and story kept you at a pace that you didn't take time out for plausability. They fought through out the city in this issue and the next along side the Avengers.  They just could not contain the Hulk. Just great vintage comic book entertainment.

This was the first issue naming Joe Chill as the murderer of Bruce Waynes parents. It has been reprinted many times but I never get enough of it . Bill Finger makes  Batman history a little richer here. Finger expanded on Batmans origin by crafting a normal story of investigating a crime and Batman coming across a picture of his parents killer accidentally. Dick Sprang's art  is always great  but shines here with this one of the better crafted stories of the time. Batman tells Robin maybe for the first time that he is doing this one alone.The Batman busts up Joe Chill rackets and finally confronts Chill  about the Wayne murders and then revealing himself as Bruce Wayne. Chill runs to his boys looking for protection from Batman. He tells them a long time ago he committed a murder and the people he killed were the parents of the Batman. The boys angry at Chill for creating Batman unload their weapons on him. They never discover the identity of the Batman as the secret dies with Chill.  Seek out this story its worth reading. I am pretty sure its in the Batmans Greatest Stories Trade.

Daredevil takes to the Streets of Hells Kitchen trying to figure out who is behind the synchronised crimes.While in Rykers prison the Gladiator seems to have killed two inmates with no recollection of doing it. Murdock gets a call from Foggy warning him about the situation of the Gladiator and that they should stay away from the case. While Becky convinces Matt to take the case. By the books end the Gladiator has killed another inmate and now a prison guard again claiming he didn't do it. This issue is dark and somber in tone. The artwork by Lark and Gaurdiano gives this issue of Daredevil a sense of realism. We find him trying to clean up Hells Kitchen, wanting to find out who is trying to reorganize crime there.This renews Daredevil's  purpose. Brubaker writes to solidify Matt Murdock/Daredevil as a character after his of being outed as a lawyer and arrested .He uses all of the supporting cast and villians in such a way it grounds the book closer to reality. Overall a great start to Brubakers new arc.

Having read  all the Daredevil issues, this story is one of the best battles of the early Marvel universe when Stan Lee reigned supreme. The Submariner was being used alot at the time hitting almost every title especially Fantastic Four and finally made his way to Daredevil. Here the Submariner visits the Law firm of Matt Murdock wanting to sue the human race for depriving his people of their birthright, the surface of the earth."Murdock tells the Submariner his case would be thrown out of court . It doesn't quite work out for the Submariner and he goes nuts causing havok . FF and the Avengers are not in town. So Daredevil has to bring him down. It doen't quite work out for him either . The Submariner hands it to him. Daredevil does not give up until he collapses. The best is when Daredevil falls into unconciousness the Submariner says of Daredevil,"Out of all the super powered humans I have fought, none have been more courageous than he ,the most vulnerable of all. " and out of respect for him spares mankind again returning to the sea.. The artwork is beautifully done by Wally Wood. This can be read in Daredevil's Marvel Masterpieces vol1.

I always liked Kelley Jones art and enjoyed his classic run on Batman a few years back .This is why I am interested in this book. His work on the Batman is reminescent of Bernie Wrightson. In this the first of twelve, Jones' art  is still very moody and atmospheric making the Batman the creature of the night he is. Jones for me makes Batman work.

This book starts with the Batman narrating the story while capturing the Scarecrow ,who recently escaped from Arkham Asylum. The Batman finds matches on him and the words Eat n Park on the cover . Then writer Steve Niles seemingly introduces a new villian at the stroke of midnight on a single page of artwork but what his name is I am not sure and maybe and that was the writers intention.The two pages of the Batman's meeting with Gordon on Police HQ rooftop is worth owning. Jones' art here is amazing. Here we learn the Axeman had escaped from Arkham along with Scarecrow. Back at the Batcave the art seems uninspired as it looks like something from the set of a Joel Schumacher Batman film. At the books end The Batman arrives at Eat n Park and is taken down by gangsters and  thugs with tommyguns. The Axeman is there and wants to take his head off. One of the gang reminds Axeman of the agreement and believe they have killed the Batman.

Steve Niles seems to have the pacing down making this issue a quick and easy read. He does not divulge a whole lot  of where the series is going to go in this first issue. He leaves us a cliffhanger to anticipate the next issue but not so much wondering about Batman's fate and predicament but who the new villian is. Overall a nice lead in to a 12 issue miniseries. I'm in for the next issue.