Batman: Black and White, Vol. 3

Batman: Black and White (Collected Editions) #3

by Mark Chiarello (Editor), Ed Brubaker, Jill Thompson (Illustrator)

A new collection of classic Batman tales in black and white, featuring unique visions of the Dark Knight from such comics luminaries as Brian Azzarello, Darwyn Cooke, Judd Winick, Jill Thompson, Michael Wm. Kaluta and many more!

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Batman, Dc Comics, Comic Book, Crime, Sequential Art

288 pages, Hardcover

First published May 2, 2007

About the author

Mark Chiarello was born on Halloween in 1960. His book "Heroes of the Negro Leagues" (Abrams Publishing) was named the second best sports book of 2007 by Amazon.com. A graduate of Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY, Mark was fortunate enough to have as roommates, Kent Williams, John Van Fleet, and George Pratt. He worked as an illustrator for DisneyWorld for a short time in the 1980’s, then went on to work for Marvel Comics and ultimately DC Comics, where he is currently Art Director.

Mark lives in Maplewood, NJ with his wonderful wife Catherine and wonderful kids, Jack and Rose, and his almost wonderful dog, oscar.

Reviews

[Drew Canole · Rating 2 out of 5]

Beautiful short story by Darwyn Cooke. The rest are mostly mid. Nice artwork on some, some just sketchbook quality.

[Mina Villalobos · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some really good stories in this book -young Bruce talking with the spirit of the Bat in the cave, Batman finding the remains of a lost girl in the subway, the ghost of Jason Todd with super cute art, gargoyles, crazy architecture, escape artists, seedy bars, redemption stories- but there are also a bunch of very weird, or very boring stories. I guess the ratio was pretty good for me, I read more good stories than bad ones, and thus enjoyed the trade a lot. Lots of bits of insight into the character.

One of my favorites, though, has to be a brochure for Gotham city. It adds a lot of depth to the everyday life of Gotham for me, the kind of people who live there, the kind of people who visit it.

Fun times.

[Blindzider · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not much I liked in this volume. Brubaker's and Geoff Johns' stories were the only really good ones. I did enjoy the bonus section which showed some of the sketches for the Black and White statues that have been done.

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

The black-and-white tales of the Dark Knight reach a third volume, sharing creative takes on the Batman in simple and stark illustrative styles. While some stories focus on the nightly routines of Gotham's protector, others stand out and take unique chances. Mick McMahon pens an oddball tale about Gotham's "weighty" problems, using puns and exaggerated artistry to craft his contribution. Batgirl's day and night routine are juxtaposed in Mike Carlin's contribution, relying heavily on the animated-style art from Dan DeCarlo and Terry Austin to make a unified story. Beautiful line art from Jason Pearson gives Michael Golden a chance to show how little the Joker values his own henchman, while Darwyn Cooke's retro-stylings bring terrorist Madame X to life in Paul Grist's addition. An Arkham inmate uses black magic to uncover Batman's identity, conjured up by the duo of Cyrus Voris and Chris Bachalo; Harley Quinn uses a flashlight to play crime-fighter in the silent but excellent tale from Doug Alexander and Rob Haynes. A series of ever-evolving riddles showcase the history of Batman and Riddler in Judd Winick and Whilce Portacio's excellent piece, while Will Pfeifer Dean Motter each use the architecture of Gotham as a centerpint to their stories. Even fan-favorites Mike Wieringo and Dwayne McDuffie - both gone too soon - are remembered with their individual shorts collected here. Whether one is looking for campy, serious, gritty, fun, suspenseful, dramatic, touching, or even weird, there is something for every Bat-fan to find in this collection.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought Black and White Vol. 2 was a bit of a step down overall, but this volume might be better than Black and White Vol. 1 ! It has a ton of stories, but aside from the starting two, which had me worried, this volume is basically good to great stories.

Gotham Knights #17: "A Moment In the Light" written by Joe Kelly, art by Aaron Wiesenfeld 2 Stars
Cool art. Kind of lame story.

Gotham Knights #18: "Fat City" plot and script by Mick McMahon & Dave Gibbons, art by Mick McMahon 1 Star
I can barely tell what’s going on, and I don’t think I like what I can tell.

Gotham Knights #19: "The Call" written by Mark Schultz, art by Claudio Castellini 4.5 Stars
A classic pairing, and I don’t think I’ve seen this dilemma actually presented this way. I love the inclusion that Batman could call other metahumans to do the same job, but the reason he doesn’t is gold.

Gotham Knights #20: "The Lesson" plot and script by Julius Schwartz & Dan Raspler, art by Christian Alamy 3.5 Stars
There are many of these Batman origin story examinations; I’ve read and dismissed several, but this one has a really great take on Bruce’s childhood.

Gotham Knights #21: "Day & Nite in Black and White!" written by Mike Carlin, art by Dan DeCarlo & Terry Austin 4 Stars
A great concept with great art that actually has more subtext than I was expecting.

Gotham Knights #22: "The Bottom Line" written by Michael Golden, art by Jason Pearson 3.5 Stars
A really solid Batman fights goons story.

Gotham Knights #23: "Here Be Monsters" written by Paul Grist, art by Darwyn Cooke 4 Stars
Okay, this story does feel like a bit of a mash-up of other things, but the Darwyn Cooke art and the ending bring it up a notch for me.

Gotham Knights #24: "Urban Legend" written by Todd Dezago, art by Mike Wieringo 4 Stars
Especially after several Batman vs. Street-Level Crime stories, I was not expecting this one. Wieringo art is a bonus too!

Gotham Knights #25: "Last Call at McSurley's" written by Mike W. Barr, art by Alan Davis & Mark Farmer 4 Stars
The first story in Black and White Vol. 1 is a short detective story that is excellent, and this is similar. It seems like comics can do in eight pages what movies have trouble showing in three hours.

Gotham Knights #26: "Bruce Wayne is Batman!" written by Cyrus Voris, art by Chris Bachalo 3 Stars
I like the idea, but some of the execution needed more work for me.

Gotham Knights #27: "Never Say Die" written by Dwayne McDuffie, art by Denys Cowan 3 Stars
It’s another solid goon story.

Gotham Knights #28: "Thin Edge of a Dime" written by Don McGregor, art by Dick Giordano 3.5 Stars
One of the humanizing Batman stories that I really love in this collection.

Gotham Knights #29: "No Escape" written by Paul Kupperberg, art by John Watkiss 4 Stars
Another great character piece with the Riddler as the villain. Riddler really is a short form villain. D.C. has always had a piecemeal, take what you want approach to canon, and I feel like a bunch of these are now canon to me, including this one.

Gotham Knights #30: "Punchline" written by Doug Alexander, art by Rob Haynes 3.5 Stars
I laughed.

Gotham Knights #31: "Hands" written by Scott Peterson, art by Danijel Zezelj 4 Stars
And, straight from a hilarious one to one of the darkest stories in this series.

Gotham Knights #32: "Toyride" written by Mark Askwith, art by Michael William Kaluta 3 Stars
Very fun and silly.

Gotham Knights #33: "The Monument" written by Darwyn Cooke, art by Bill Wray 3.5 Stars
Also very fun and silly. I did feel like I needed two palate cleansers after “Hands.”

Gotham Knights #34: "The Delusions of Alfred Pennyworth" written by Danielle Dwyer, art by Scott Morse 3.5 Stars
The best end for [redacted].

Gotham Knights #35: "Cornered" written by Brian Azzarello, art by Jim Mahfood 3 Stars
It’s a good turn on some of the myth stories, but I’m not sure it entirely works.

Gotham Knights #37: "Fear Is the Key" written by Mike Carey, art by Steve Mannion and Hilary Barta 3 Stars
There’s about as many fear gas stories as I expected; this is one of the good ones.

Gotham Knights #38: (Untitled black and white story) written by Ann Nocenti, art by John Bolton 2.5 Stars
The start is great; the twist and end are mediocre.

Gotham Knights #39: "Sunrise" written by Alex Garland, art by Sean Phillips 4 Stars
Genuinely great. I love the unique small Batman stories.

Gotham Knights #40: "Neighborhood" written by Robert Rodi, art by Jon Proctor 2 Stars
Definitely something that’s been done before.

Gotham Knights #41: "I'll Be Watching" written by Ed Brubaker, art by Ryan Sook 3.5 Stars
A different version of the previous story, but one that’s a step up.

Gotham Knights #42: "Gargoyles of Gotham" by Dean Motter 3 Stars
I’ve read Nightmares in the Sky!

Gotham Knights #43: "snap" written by John Ostrander, art by Philip Bond 2 Stars
A worse version of “Urban Legend,” which was literally earlier in this collection.

Gotham Knights #44: "The Best of Gotham" by Jill Thompson 3.5 Stars
This is the kind of thing that’s perfect for the format. Also, the thing that Batman haters tend to ignore.

Gotham Knights #45: "Sidekick" written by Kimo Temperance, art by Nathan Fox 3 Stars
Cute

Gotham Knights #46: "Urban Renewal" written by Will Pfeifer, art by Brent Anderson 3.5 Stars
Really enjoyable, and it’s actually enhanced by referencing “Gargoyles of Gotham” and “The Best of Gotham”

Gotham Knights #47: "Riddle Me This" written by Judd Winick, art by Whilce Portacio 3 Stars
It’s a fine Riddler story.

Gotham Knights #48: "The Mob Is Dead Long Live the Mob" by Eric Cherry 2 Stars
It’s definitely a mob story.

Gotham Knights #49: "Fear Is the Key" written by Geoff Johns, art by Tommy Castillo & Rodney Ramos 3.5 Stars
The same name as number 37’s story… Weird. Johns brings a solid Scarecrow story.

Gotham Knights #36: "The Gasworks" written by Mike Mignola, art by Troy Nixey 3 Stars
The only one with color is pretty cool. I just wish there were fewer fear gas-ish stories.

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not sure why I keep reading these, as I haven't had a good opinion of one yet.

I think the problem is the format - the 8 page story works when it's wordless or simply told, but many of these stories try to jam too much into the pages. There are some bright points (a Bill Wray story about a Batman statue is good) but so much of what is here is just 10 lbs of the same ol' "Batman as a tortured soul" shoved into the 5 lb sack of the format.

There's also the problem of artists showing off rather than telling the story... but that happens in longer books, too.

This is only for hardcore Batman fans.

[Fugo Feedback · Rating 3 out of 5]

No sé si me faltará alguna historia, pero por lo que vi ojeando el tomo, todos estos capítulos los tengo y lo leí en los complementos a ala edición argentina de Batman que sacó Sticker Design hace unos cuantos años. Si lo corroboro, debería ownear a copy.

[Kaylee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another volume down. My thoughts:
-"A Moment in the Light" confused me. What was currently happening and what was a memory? And how did he defeat Mr. Zsasz?
-Superman in "The Call" seems disappointed that Batman didn't stop the bullet, as if he was somehow to blame. Not every superhero has powers like you, Clark. You just know that no one is as disappointed and blames Batman for what happened more than Bruce himself.
-The art of "Day & Night in Black & White" reminds me of the Archie comics. [Note: one of the artists Dan DeCarlo is best known for the look of Archie Comics in the late 1950s and early 1960s. That would explain it.]
-I could totally see "The Bottom Line" being made into an actual animation.
-Both "Urban Legend" and "Cornered" question whether or not Batman is more effective in preventing crime as an urban legend or as a real threat. What is scarier: the possibility that there is a giant bat-monster somewhere in the night or knowing that a muscular man will hunt you down and catch you if you break the law?
-"Last Call at McSurley's" and "No Escape" are good stories.
-"Hands" reminded me of "Hide and Seek" from volume 2. I don't know whether the ending shows that the father knew the truth already or if Batman didn't have the heart to tell him.
-The untitled story by Ann Nocenti about Batman and Catwoman was...not good. It's too confusing to understand what is happening. They're balloons?
-I love "Gargoyles of Gotham." Of course, Batman knows each and every one. I like their names, especially since Bruce calls the one guarding something important "Clark," showing how he does see Superman as a friend.
-There are 2 comics with the same name: "Fear is the Key," and of course, they both feature the Scarecrow. Both are great. "Fear is the Key" by Mike Carey has Crane and his thugs hallucinating that they're in medieval times, similar to a DND campaign (He's a nerd, and I love him). "Fear is the Key" by Geoff Johns is narrated by Crane, explaining that too much exposure to his own fear toxin has made him fearless. The only thing that can scare the Scarecrow now is Batman.

[Ben Truong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Batman: Black and White, Vol. 3 is a Batman anthology featuring black-and-white Batman short stories. Written and illustrated by various writers and pencilers, Batman: Black and White, Vol. 3 is an anthology of backup stories from Batman: Gotham Knights #17–49. This trade paperback collects Batman: Gotham Knights #17–49 backup stories.

For the most part, I really like most of these entries – the black and white gave the dark noir feeling that this anthology was trying to capture. Like most anthologies, there are weaker contributions, but that is only comparatively speaking, as even the mediocre stories were quite good.

With many writers, graphic artists and colorist it rather difficult to rate this anthology. For the most part, I rather enjoyed the narrative and penciling throughout – DC Comics has chosen their best luminaries and have them develop a short story. The penciling is a tad inconsistent, but it was not a problem as each story was rather short and the dislike of any penciling or writing style would be over quite quickly.

All in all, Batman: Black and White, Vol. 3 is a wonderful collection of short stories detective noir stories featuring Batman or one of his associates written and penciled by the crème de la crème of DC Comics best.

[Michael Emond · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got the box set of Baltman Black and White and I am currently working my way back from volume 5 to 1. This was the weakest of the three (compared to 4 and 5) but still was fun. I missed the black inserts that gave bios of the writers and artists they included in volumes 4 and 5. When I saw them in the other volumes I thought "padding pages" but now that they are gone I miss finding out who some of these unknown (to me) people were.

While this collection still has some great stories I didn't see some of the chances being taken by the writers or if they did try something new it didn't work. Jill Thompson's "Tourist guide to Gotham" stood out as a swing and a miss. Dan Decarlo - an Archie artist - did a cute night and day story with Mike Carlin which was a lot more successful.

As always - there is some insanely great art with Alan Davis blowing my mind for one story. Which sadly was MISSING THE DIALOGUE for one page in my copy (the word balloons were there but just white). Luckily I could look it up online. Volume four had page order mixed up and now this. Who is the editor for these collections? Yikes.

Overall - I still love these collections. They show the wide range of talent and the amazing creativity you can pour into an 8 page story. This speaks to the talent of these writers and artists and the versatility in using th Batman universe to craft stories in.

[Naufri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una recopilación de historias cortas sobre Batman y su ciudad, Gotham, con la particularidad de que todas ellas son en blanco y negro. La mayoría tienen un guión acertado y elocuente, y unos trazos que están a la altura, cada una con el sello característico de su autor. Contando historias sueltas sin relación entre ellas, tratan sobre el caballero oscuro o sobre cualquiera de los tantos personajes secundarios que conviven con él en esa ciudad maldita.

Ha logrado que me interese completar esta curiosa colección, que los cómic con tapa dura siempre lucen de maravilla en la estantería.

[Adam Rodgers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much like the previous volumes this is a mixed bag in regards to quality. While there is certainly a large range of storytelling delivered, it feels more like throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks rather than a curated collection. There are some great stories here (Ed Brubaker, Geoff Johns, Mike Mignola, Brian Azzarello, Darwyn Cooke, Chris Bachalo, Alan Davis are the stand out creator ones) but also some pretty poor entries. The art in general is of a high standard, if eclectic. It does feel like this collection's whole theme is running out of steam now...

[Joshua · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good collection maybe deserving of a higher score. The best stories were the ones the humanized Batman and played with his relationship to his own myth, asking the question is it better for Batman to be a real person that can be captured in a picture or for him to be an omnipresent shadow. A lot of good moments throughout liking sassing an old woman and checking in on a crook who he gave a break to.

[Sean · Rating 2 out of 5]

I understand the appeal but this collection was just too meaningless and brief for me to enjoy. Talented creators telling 8 page stories that had no connection to each other just didn't create the story I was looking for. I would love to see some of these tales expanded. Overall, this just wasn't worth the time.

[Zachary King · Rating 4 out of 5]

More of a mixed bag than the last one. Some really good, some head-scratchingly poor. Some hidden gems, like Geoff Johns doing a Scarecrow story. I’d say this is worth a look for any Bat-fan, who is guaranteed to find something of interest in a book this diverse.

[B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh boy I can't keep any of these straight anymore. They all had one or two pretty good stories and then a number of fair stories.

What's interesting is how many of them focus on Scarecrow and how few focus on the Joker. Also, few Robins.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's amazing how well some of these storytellers use eight pages and tell complete stories. My favorite in this volume (and #2 on my list of favorite Batman: Black & White stories) is "Urban Renewal" by Will Pfeifer and Brent Anderson.

[Reyel2107 · Rating 4 out of 5]

great but not the prime of the others !!!

[Kyle Berk · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's got some good Batman stories in here, some okay, a few not so great. If you like the other volumes read this.

If picking from the four, go with one or four.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful art and interesting stories

[Brent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of comics, stories, and art in this fine series: I particularly like contributions from Jill Thompson, Don McGregor & Dick Giordano, and Mark Askwith and Mike Kaluta.
Recommended.

[Casey Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

A few good stories but mostly not.

[StrictlySequential · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first half is so much better than the last.

[furious · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the best Batman B&W, but still pretty good

[tammy (eskel's version) · Rating 4 out of 5]

pleeease gimme a robin story

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great Batman collection with a variety of stories from gritty to silly!

[Aaron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having now read all three volumes of Batman Black & White, I feel it's safe to say that this is the strongest of them all. The writers and artists in this collection take the strongest advantage of the short story length, focusing often on one new or otherwise minor character and telling a very brief, personal story, or just using the visuals to punch out some really quick, compelling superheroics. Still, the volume is dragged down by an overabundance of boring, mediocre, and sometimes atrocious stories that make you wonder how they even made their way past the editing phase. Also, after reading all 3 of these volumes, it's pretty nuts how many of the exact same themes and setups are used (specifically, there were seemingly 500 stories just about Batman losing it due to Scarecrow's fear gas). I think this speaks to Batman as a whole, and also serves to highlight those stories that sought to eschew those tropes for something truly original.

As I've done with the other volumes, here are my favorite standouts in this collection:

The Call (Mark Schultz & Claudio Castellini): A thoughtful, well-considered snapshot of Batman's unstable relationship with Superman, with great art to match.

The Lesson (Julius Schwartz, Dan Raspler & Christian Alamy): A genuinely surprising and emotional look into the Batman mythos. I don't want to say much more because it deserves to be read without pre-commentary.

The Bottom Line (Michael Golden & Jason Pearson): This is probably my favorite story in this collection, and yet it features almost zero dialogue. Pearson's art does all the work here, seeming to leap off the page with life and motion. It's like reading a finely-animated film, full of action and tension.

Last Call At McSurley's (Mike W. Barr & Alan Davis): I loved this one, which takes perfect advantage of the common trope of Batman beating the hell out of people in a bar to get information. It's repetitive, but on purpose, and the ultimate payoff of the story is both funny and nostalgic.

Punchline (Doug Alexander & Rob Haynes): Another story told almost entirely without dialogue, this one has a great sense of humor and lives up to its name.

I'll Be Watching (Ed Brubaker & Ryan Sook): A small-scale, personal story of an ex-con that somehow perfectly exemplifies the Batman mythos, despite barely showing him. Really superbly drawn, as well.

I wish I could create my own personal Batman Black & White collection that just contained the stories I truly loved. I'd be more than happy to own something like that, but as it stands, the quality is just too all over the place to justify purchasing these kinds of things (unless you have a ton of free shelf space or something). So, worth checking out if you have it for free or something, but don't go out of your way.

[Steven Shinder · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another volume of black-and-white vignettes. I will just describe a few of them. In "A Moment in the Light," it is strange that Zsasz is drawn without any scars, but it was surprising to see him jam a pencil (?) into Batman's chin. "The Call" is titled as such because it refers to the fact that Batman calls Superman to help him save someone when he has made a second mistake in his career. They are accurately described as a light and a shadow who need each other. "Urban Legend" contains shout-outs to Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams in the form of street names that intersect. "Bruce Wayne is Batman" depicts a female inmate at Arkham who is obsessed with Batman and, after praying to Mot, believes that Bruce Wayne is Batman. It is revealed that she has believed that many people are Batman, including Bill Clinton, Mick Jagger, and George Clooney (who portrayed Batman in the atrocious Batman & Robin). "The Edge of a Dime" centers on a husband and father named Oliver Blake, who tries to commit suicide after being fired and losing money, but he seems to imagine that Batman is convincing him not to do so. "Gargoyles of Gotham" contains a sculptor character named Leonard Oldman, who reminded me of Gary Oldman, the actor who portrayed Jim Gordon in The Dark Knight trilogy. "The Best of Gotham" is essentially an article showcasing the highlights of Gotham, including Joker's on You, a show in which Garry Blatt portrays The Joker, making me wonder what The Joker's reaction would me. Bruce Wayne's generosity is apparent in "Urban Renewal," during which he allows Mr. McKinley to publish a coffee table book about Gotham architecture, an idea about which Mr. Orostin lacked enthusiasm. "Riddle Me This" has a plethora of Riddles accompanied by panels of Batman encountering The Riddler. There appear to be two stories titled "Fear is the Key," both of which feature Scarecrow. I have often wondered if Scarecrow himself ever inhaled his fear toxin for pleasure, and the second story confirmed my suspicions. Apparently, he fears everything until his body develops an immunity and the only thing that he fears is fearlessness. A similar hallucinogen in the form of liquid developed by Doctor Yang is used by Manny and Stan against Batman in "The Gasworks," which, at the time, was the final story in the Black and White series. It is also the only story in this volume to have a color, which is the shade of red used to depict the hallucinogen. Batman turns the drug against them, and they see him as a bat, causing them to fall out a window of a three-story building. This echoes the bat flying through Bruce Wayne's window when he first decided to become Batman. As you may be able to tell, is an amazing collection to read.

[Cale · Rating 2 out of 5]

The longer this series goes, the lower the overall quality of collected stories gets. This collection actually includes a story where a never-seen creature is sucking the fat out of people, and a story where Batman takes a baby with him while attacking a factory removing guns from pinatas. Those are actual plots in this collection. And the overall quality of the artwork has taken a nose dive as well; there are highlights (the tourists guide to Gotham has some nice artwork between its articles, and punchline manages to capture the style of the animated series pretty well. The series has also expanded to focusing on other characters (I think there are two attempts at Riddler and a Scarecrow story), but all of it just highlights that the quality of the series has seemingly run its course directly into a drain. Sunrise and The Delusions of Alfred Pennyworth are probably the story highlights, and they're just not good enough to put up with so much of the garbage that fills this collection. I've got another volume to read through and I'm honestly not sure I want to try.

[Joel Haas · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Batman: Black and White series is overall very good. Volume 3, though, is the weakest of the lot (my rating, fairly or not, is based in part on the expectation built by having already read volumes 1, 2, and 4).

The stories in this one are much more homogeneous than the other editions with many addressing the same themes. It is Batman so, while there are only so many places one might be able to go, the others really do provide excellent and much more well-rounded approaches. Too many of the creators in this entry looked into the concept of 'Batman is aided by being an urban legend.' It is a nice trope, but about half a dozen of the stories contained here looked at that exact premise.

It led to an unfortunate lack of surprise or fun. Even the art did not have the variety of the other books. There are certainly a few gems (the guy who always feels Batman is looking after him was nice) and this book does have its value, but it falls short of the high bar of this series.