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Batman: Black and White (Collected Editions) #1
Batman Black and White, Vol. 1
The Dark Knight stars in this extraordinary collection of short stories illustrated in stark black and white by some of the world's most respected comics artists and writers. This collection examines every aspect of Batman with startling new approaches--detective, crimefighter, avenger, hero, creature of the night, and more. 200 pp.
BATMAN BLACK AND WHITE
The Title is Simple. The Talent is Spectacular.
Winner of the 1997 Will Eisner Comic Industry Award for Best Anthology and Best Short Story ("Heroes" by Archie Goodwin and Gary Gianni), and the winner of the 1998 Harvey Award for Best Graphic Album of Previously Published Work.
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
89 people are currently reading
4397 people want to read
About the author
Mark Chiarello
97 books16 followersMark 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.
Mark lives in Maplewood, NJ with his wonderful wife Catherine and wonderful kids, Jack and Rose, and his almost wonderful dog, oscar.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 197 reviews
May 4, 2019
Rating upgraded to 4 stars.
I tried again and re-read Batman: Black and White and this time things get a lot better! I really love the Batman + Joker short story written by Neil Gaiman (the guy really can do no wrong) in A Black and White World, the artwork and character design are awesome, and I whole-heartedly love the idea of Batman and Joker ! Plus I'm shocked to discovery, Katsuhiro Otomo, the creator of Akira also drew a short story called The Third Mask to add into the Batman mytho! Although the story itself isn't all that great, still Otomo's artwork is exquisite!
Clearly, there were a lot of great comic artists and writing talents involved with this comic and most of the stories turned out interesting! Aside from the two awesome short stories mentioned above, I also like the following stories a lot!
(1) The Devil's Trumpet: Batman + Jazz Age + all the funky Jazz music aura!
(2) Leavetaking: Batman in a very bad place........his mind, I guess.
(3) A Slaying Song Tonight: Batman + Christmas
(4) Heroes: Batman in the WWII era fighting Nazi spies! No wonder this short story is an award-winning one! The artwork is also awesome!
(5) Two of a Kind: the tragic love story of Two Face/Harvey Dent
(6) Heist
I just adore the different styles of artwork so much! Just all those lines and shadows! Must be one hell of a bitch to manage all those highly qualified drawings like this!
Original review in 2018
Rating: 2 stars. I gave up. A handful of stories are good, for example 'Two of A Kind' etc and the artwork is impressive, but I just can't get into the rest of the stories. 2 stars only.
I tried again and re-read Batman: Black and White and this time things get a lot better! I really love the Batman + Joker short story written by Neil Gaiman (the guy really can do no wrong) in A Black and White World, the artwork and character design are awesome, and I whole-heartedly love the idea of Batman and Joker ! Plus I'm shocked to discovery, Katsuhiro Otomo, the creator of Akira also drew a short story called The Third Mask to add into the Batman mytho! Although the story itself isn't all that great, still Otomo's artwork is exquisite!
Clearly, there were a lot of great comic artists and writing talents involved with this comic and most of the stories turned out interesting! Aside from the two awesome short stories mentioned above, I also like the following stories a lot!
(1) The Devil's Trumpet: Batman + Jazz Age + all the funky Jazz music aura!
(2) Leavetaking: Batman in a very bad place........his mind, I guess.
(3) A Slaying Song Tonight: Batman + Christmas
(4) Heroes: Batman in the WWII era fighting Nazi spies! No wonder this short story is an award-winning one! The artwork is also awesome!
(5) Two of a Kind: the tragic love story of Two Face/Harvey Dent
(6) Heist
I just adore the different styles of artwork so much! Just all those lines and shadows! Must be one hell of a bitch to manage all those highly qualified drawings like this!
Original review in 2018
Rating: 2 stars. I gave up. A handful of stories are good, for example 'Two of A Kind' etc and the artwork is impressive, but I just can't get into the rest of the stories. 2 stars only.
January 15, 2021
Who isn't a batman fan?
I bet everyone likes batman.
I would have loved to read something good and different, this wasn't though. Moving on to next batman comic.
I bet everyone likes batman.
I would have loved to read something good and different, this wasn't though. Moving on to next batman comic.
September 14, 2022
Shorter stories -- less than 10 pages -- commissioned from some of the best creators around. Me personally, I really liked this collection and hope to see similar quality from the rest of the series.
March 6, 2018
When you think of superhero comics, those old-school, delightfully tacky ones, you think of blazing colours, the Booms and Whams and Ka-Pows and dudes wearing their speedos over tights. And if anyone could pull off an achromatic black and white style in that world, it’s definitely Batman. Just imagine him brooding over the rainy rooftops of Gotham City like a gloomy gargoyle.
In addition of being black and white, the stories are roughly 8 pages each and focusing on one situation or twist rather than a full story. Like with all anthologies, the quality varies greatly.
For instance: I was vexed with Teddy Kristiansen’s toddler-esque sketches, with Sienkiewicz’ overburdened, ridiculous whatever it is that he made, with Kent Williams’ frenetic, tense lines. Similarly, Jan Strnad’s and Dennis O’Neill’s stories feel of-key with Batman. Brian Bolland’s work is beyond remarkable, but after “The Killing Joke” it does feel too recycled.
In another example, Neil Gaiman’s story is brilliantly funny and meta, full of romantic irony, still staying true to the characters but different from anything else in this volume. And it is awfully ill served by artwork that absolutely doesn’t suit its tone and looks like something made by a spider with a caffeine overdose. Personally, I think that Bruce Timm’s style (the man behind the animated series) would have been a perfect pairing to Gaiman’s plot. (Bonus: Timm’s contribution is the only one here not focusing on Batman.)
As my favourite of the lot, Matt Wagner’s story and artwork bring back the sixties vibe of gangsters and heists, shows like “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” and Adam West’s “Batman”, and a sense of lurking in the shadows to trap goons. It’s mesmerising and elevating. And with colour, with bright and shiny blues and yellows and reds, you’d get an ingenious Lichtenstein-ian pop-art take on Batman. I’d love to see that, too. But while the black and white rendition is perfect for the story, the hypothetical coloured version would make a great poster.
Joe Kubert creates a perfectly fit and completed story and fantastic artwork. The story probably wouldn’t be the best of the lot as such, and probably neither would the artwork. But the combination of both, including bringing Batman back to his roots of nocturnal crime-fighting, gloominess and tacky superhero lines, makes this a pure little gem on the whole.
Archie Goodwin is featured twice (though not only he). One story is absolutely brilliant in itself (The Big Easy, jazz trumpets and voodoo curses), but has no natural need for Batman, so that his appearance feels forced. The other story is equally good, with childhood heroism and adult bravery and combined with Gary Gianni’s breath-taking old-school style, but this time Batman is incorporated into the plot as a supporting character well enough to give it an additional romantic flair.
Batman aside, this volume sheds light on the core elements of comics: the writing, the drawing and the colouring. I don’t know about you, but I sometimes have the feeling that something just doesn’t sit well with me with a comic, but I can’t put my finger on it at first. Here every itchy aspect stands out instantly. Maybe a story is just too ambitious to fit into a five page frame. Maybe it just doesn’t meet the already formed and familiar characters and settings well. Maybe some artwork and particular style don’t work well without colouring. Maybe the writer and inker both have a very specific and good style or idea, but they don’t fit well together. This anthology is a delight to read because of the so varied styles and portrayals and because you get little 5-minute-stories that are like finger food in comic form. At the same time, it can be a really good guide into reading comics by analysing them rather than just passively absorbing.
In addition of being black and white, the stories are roughly 8 pages each and focusing on one situation or twist rather than a full story. Like with all anthologies, the quality varies greatly.
For instance: I was vexed with Teddy Kristiansen’s toddler-esque sketches, with Sienkiewicz’ overburdened, ridiculous whatever it is that he made, with Kent Williams’ frenetic, tense lines. Similarly, Jan Strnad’s and Dennis O’Neill’s stories feel of-key with Batman. Brian Bolland’s work is beyond remarkable, but after “The Killing Joke” it does feel too recycled.
In another example, Neil Gaiman’s story is brilliantly funny and meta, full of romantic irony, still staying true to the characters but different from anything else in this volume. And it is awfully ill served by artwork that absolutely doesn’t suit its tone and looks like something made by a spider with a caffeine overdose. Personally, I think that Bruce Timm’s style (the man behind the animated series) would have been a perfect pairing to Gaiman’s plot. (Bonus: Timm’s contribution is the only one here not focusing on Batman.)
As my favourite of the lot, Matt Wagner’s story and artwork bring back the sixties vibe of gangsters and heists, shows like “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” and Adam West’s “Batman”, and a sense of lurking in the shadows to trap goons. It’s mesmerising and elevating. And with colour, with bright and shiny blues and yellows and reds, you’d get an ingenious Lichtenstein-ian pop-art take on Batman. I’d love to see that, too. But while the black and white rendition is perfect for the story, the hypothetical coloured version would make a great poster.
Joe Kubert creates a perfectly fit and completed story and fantastic artwork. The story probably wouldn’t be the best of the lot as such, and probably neither would the artwork. But the combination of both, including bringing Batman back to his roots of nocturnal crime-fighting, gloominess and tacky superhero lines, makes this a pure little gem on the whole.
Archie Goodwin is featured twice (though not only he). One story is absolutely brilliant in itself (The Big Easy, jazz trumpets and voodoo curses), but has no natural need for Batman, so that his appearance feels forced. The other story is equally good, with childhood heroism and adult bravery and combined with Gary Gianni’s breath-taking old-school style, but this time Batman is incorporated into the plot as a supporting character well enough to give it an additional romantic flair.
Batman aside, this volume sheds light on the core elements of comics: the writing, the drawing and the colouring. I don’t know about you, but I sometimes have the feeling that something just doesn’t sit well with me with a comic, but I can’t put my finger on it at first. Here every itchy aspect stands out instantly. Maybe a story is just too ambitious to fit into a five page frame. Maybe it just doesn’t meet the already formed and familiar characters and settings well. Maybe some artwork and particular style don’t work well without colouring. Maybe the writer and inker both have a very specific and good style or idea, but they don’t fit well together. This anthology is a delight to read because of the so varied styles and portrayals and because you get little 5-minute-stories that are like finger food in comic form. At the same time, it can be a really good guide into reading comics by analysing them rather than just passively absorbing.
October 6, 2015
As a reader and collector of fine graphic novels, I think I would like more of DC Comics' GN/DVD bundle. It's significantly more expensive than a regular hard cover collection but the DVD/Blueray movie included seems like a great deal. The graphic novel has a code for a digital version of it on Comixology.
The creator line-up for Black and White is stacked. Someone likened them to the 1927 New York Yankees. The analogy is kind of lost to me, but a quick trip to Wikipedia and in basketball terms, they are kind of like the Showtime Lakers (I'm unabashedly a bigger basketball fan than a baseball fan, I'm Filipino after all and it's kind of a local religion). The creative cast is artist-heavy, which caters to the black and white format. One has to pretty good to work without color, which I noticed when reading. Color helps a lot in storytelling, which is pretty clear in Bill Sienkiewicz's contribution. This is the first time I've seen his lines without color and I could see a lot of its punch was lost without it.
The short form anthology format allows for the creator to bring out the best Batman story he can in six pages. It makes for instantly iconic interpretations of the character. My favorite short stories from it would be, the Bruce Timm story and the Neil Gaiman and Simon Bisley collaboration.
The DVD included was rather apt. Batman: Gotham Knight is also a collection of short stories about the Dark Knight but this time, stringed in an order to tell a cohesive story. It is a nice companion to the hardcover.
The creator line-up for Black and White is stacked. Someone likened them to the 1927 New York Yankees. The analogy is kind of lost to me, but a quick trip to Wikipedia and in basketball terms, they are kind of like the Showtime Lakers (I'm unabashedly a bigger basketball fan than a baseball fan, I'm Filipino after all and it's kind of a local religion). The creative cast is artist-heavy, which caters to the black and white format. One has to pretty good to work without color, which I noticed when reading. Color helps a lot in storytelling, which is pretty clear in Bill Sienkiewicz's contribution. This is the first time I've seen his lines without color and I could see a lot of its punch was lost without it.
The short form anthology format allows for the creator to bring out the best Batman story he can in six pages. It makes for instantly iconic interpretations of the character. My favorite short stories from it would be, the Bruce Timm story and the Neil Gaiman and Simon Bisley collaboration.
The DVD included was rather apt. Batman: Gotham Knight is also a collection of short stories about the Dark Knight but this time, stringed in an order to tell a cohesive story. It is a nice companion to the hardcover.
August 15, 2022
Rating 4 out of 5 | A Grade; Enthralling
A menagerie of short stories featuring the caped crusader, sometimes kicking ass & taking names. Sometimes putting the fear of ever loving God into goons, sometimes solving impossible crimes, and sometimes just helping the neighborhood lady get the cat out of the tree. All the different aspects of the Dark knight, the facets of the person underneath the cowl, and a glimpse into the never ending, impossible mission which he has assigned for himself. Tell me where to sign up!
Bruce Wayne is not just some dude who decided to put on an animal themed costume to beat up goons and flirt with the ladies; although he does that a lot. Batman is someone who believes in people, and sees the good in them. He wants to genuinely help them, to save them from themselves and not so gently guide them towards their personal ideal. Even at the cost of his own personal safety. In this aspect, he represents the best of us, an ideal to strive for. Much like his Kryptonian counterpart. Unsurprisingly some of the best Batman stories in any media are those where he is helping the common people of Gotham.
This anthology of 20 or so stories, has a wide range of emotions, facets and psychology of the character and the world to be explored. It is like a mystery box of unknown treats (not the stale J.J. Abrams kind) which keeps you waiting in anticipation over what the next tale has to offer.
Some of the stories that really stuck with me from the bunch, are also the ones which humanized the Detective. The ones like ‘Perpetual Mourning’, ‘Monster Maker’, ‘Dead Boys Eyes’, ‘A Black & White world’, ‘In Dreams’, ‘Bent Twigs’ and ‘Leave taking’.
Plus, the artwork is just gorgeous. If there is any character which benefits from the 'Black & White' treatment, It's the Caped Crusader.
____________________________
Stories:
1. Perpetual Mourning: Ted McKeever:
The ones I couldn't get to. The ones I couldn't save in time. Those are the ones I carry around inside me. Those are the ones I mourn forever.
Batman has a midnight tryst, with a dead chick, in a morgue; It’s not what you think. This story shows how broken a man Batman is behind the façade. And his empathy, humanity, which can at times be debilitating. The way he suffers over the loss of life he was unable to stop.
2. Two of a kind: Bruce Timm
Man, Harvey Dent has no luck in Love. First it was Rene Montoya, now this broad. Bruce Timm is a master at humanizing Batman’s Rogue gallery. This could’ve been a good addition to the Animated Series.
3. The Hunt: Joe Kubert
My man batman, with his characteristic dry humor, and being a flagbearer for gender equality long before any of this SJW stuff
4. Petty Crimes: Howard Chaykin
We have Gotham's version of the Grammar Nazi. Someone who is out killing people for ; you guessed it, petty crimes. Not that I blame the guy. Sometimes there are those people who you really want to ream into. Not that I have entertained such thoughts, cough.
5. Devil's trumpet: Jose Munez
A man makes a deal with the devil to become the best saxophone player in town. Now, his allegedly cursed instrument is highly sought after, and leaves death in its wake. I really don't know if this story fits in with the whole theme. It's a decent story, but weakened by the fact that Batman only cameos at the end. And unlike the superior 'Two of a kind', doesn't tie in with the Batman mythos. Batman doesn't even need to be present for the story to happen.
6. Legend: Water Simonson
Far too short of a story, one which gave me vibes of Batman Beyond. As well as that one episode of Justice League the animated series, where alternate reality Bats is the leader of the resistance.
7. Monster Maker: Richard Corben
Faced with the deep rooted crime of Gotham, one that has seeped into even the youngest of its generation, Batman is confronted with an enemy he can't just punch away.
8. Dead Boys Eyes: Kent Williams
Underneath the cowl, the gadgets, the fanatical training and skills, the legend, the myth, the persona. Underneath it all, Bruce is still the young boy, who saw his parents get shown down in cold blood. And it’s that haunted boys, his eyes, their thirst for justice which fuels his never ending insurmountable quest for justice.
9. The Devil's Children: Jorge Zaffino
This one has to be one of the weakest stories. Just your run of the mill investigative story, the type you’d find in your weekly police procedural.
10. A Black & White world: Simon Bisley & Neil Gaiman
Leave it to Gaiman to add a meta twist on the Batman joker dynamic which has you grinning and uncomfortable in equal parts. The whole premise of Batman is played as a Saturday morning TV series; a much darker version of the Adam west TV series. The men behind the mask are pity inducing to see the least. Another reason why you shouldn’t want to meet your heroes in real life.
11. Good evening, Midnight: Klaus Janson
Now I know where they got the Intro for the Arkham Knight Game from.
We get to see the other side of Batman's crime fighting. As his pseudo father Alfred who keeps things going at home, and remembers the legacy of Thomas Wayne. How many nights, how many birthdays has he missed, hunched over the table, looking out the window, at the Batsignal fearing that today is the day when his life of crime fighting will catch up with the man. A glass raised for the ever loyal Alfred.
12. In Dreams: Liberatore & Helfer
This was reminiscent of the Batman-Ace episode in JLU, Epilogue. Batman helps a young woman to overcome her trauma and repressed memories of a kidnapping from when she was a child.
I think it's the contrast between the big bad scary batman, being kind and considerate of innocents. And he is actually trying to help them. I just love these stories, which show that, for Batman, it is all about the people, the innocents in Gotham. Again, harkening back to the ‘Perpetual Mourning’ storyline, the fact that he remembers what happened to the women when she was a child, when she herself doesn’t, and takes the effort to relieve that trauma is just heartwarming.
13. Heist: Matt Wagner
A straightforward light hearted story of how the Batman takes down a group of Burglars, Arkham Style.
14. Bent Twigs: Bill Sienkiewicz
Damn, Bats is a cat's guy. A stressed, single father with some mental issues throws his son’s cat, a brood mother, off the top of the building, killing her. Unfortunately for him, Bats is right around the corner. And he doesn’t abide by injustice, whether committed to man or beast.
As mentioned before, I love stories where Batman is helping the common people, instead of just beating them up. The theme of the story, where Batman confronts the domestic neglect of the boy at the hands of his father, is reminiscent of that one story in All Star Superman, with Supes and the girl who was about to jump off a building.
Better, it shows that the father is not just some abusive monster, just a man broken, after loss, life, and the trials of being a single parent. And Batman coming to the realization that some problems cannot be punched away, and required more institutionalized solutions. Sucks for Mamma cat, at least her kittens would be taken care of. That guy is lucky that it’s not Hellboy who found him that night.
15. A Slaying Song tonight: Teddy Kristensen
Batman helps good ol Saint Nick help some holiday joy. Or at least make sure there is no unholiday grief going around.
16. An Innocent Guy: Brian Boland
Sometimes the worst monsters are not the genetic engineered abominations, lab rats, freaks of nature, eldritch abominations or aliens. But your unassuming next door neighbor named Bob, or something. Which makes them all the more dangerous.
17. Monster in the Closet: Kevin Nowlan
Batman meets Frankenstein, as the caped crusader witnesses the horrors of a man scientist that has perverted nature’s creations.
18. Heroes: Gary Gianni
Batman vs a Nazi secret agent, with blimps involved. Enough said.
19. Leave Taking: Brian Stelfreeze
We get a ring side seat to Batman’s nightmare, as he once again becomes that 10 year old boy, who has to stand there helpless, as he sees the life drain out of his parents’ eyes. And the trauma which keeps giving and propelled Bruce in this self destructive quest for justice.
20. The Third Mask: Katsuhiro Otomo
A zany tale about Batman and multiple personalities by the manga author of ‘Akira’. But frankly I was expecting more.
_________________________
A menagerie of short stories featuring the caped crusader, sometimes kicking ass & taking names. Sometimes putting the fear of ever loving God into goons, sometimes solving impossible crimes, and sometimes just helping the neighborhood lady get the cat out of the tree. All the different aspects of the Dark knight, the facets of the person underneath the cowl, and a glimpse into the never ending, impossible mission which he has assigned for himself. Tell me where to sign up!
Bruce Wayne is not just some dude who decided to put on an animal themed costume to beat up goons and flirt with the ladies; although he does that a lot. Batman is someone who believes in people, and sees the good in them. He wants to genuinely help them, to save them from themselves and not so gently guide them towards their personal ideal. Even at the cost of his own personal safety. In this aspect, he represents the best of us, an ideal to strive for. Much like his Kryptonian counterpart. Unsurprisingly some of the best Batman stories in any media are those where he is helping the common people of Gotham.
This anthology of 20 or so stories, has a wide range of emotions, facets and psychology of the character and the world to be explored. It is like a mystery box of unknown treats (not the stale J.J. Abrams kind) which keeps you waiting in anticipation over what the next tale has to offer.
Some of the stories that really stuck with me from the bunch, are also the ones which humanized the Detective. The ones like ‘Perpetual Mourning’, ‘Monster Maker’, ‘Dead Boys Eyes’, ‘A Black & White world’, ‘In Dreams’, ‘Bent Twigs’ and ‘Leave taking’.
Plus, the artwork is just gorgeous. If there is any character which benefits from the 'Black & White' treatment, It's the Caped Crusader.
____________________________
Stories:
1. Perpetual Mourning: Ted McKeever:
The ones I couldn't get to. The ones I couldn't save in time. Those are the ones I carry around inside me. Those are the ones I mourn forever.
Batman has a midnight tryst, with a dead chick, in a morgue; It’s not what you think. This story shows how broken a man Batman is behind the façade. And his empathy, humanity, which can at times be debilitating. The way he suffers over the loss of life he was unable to stop.
2. Two of a kind: Bruce Timm
Man, Harvey Dent has no luck in Love. First it was Rene Montoya, now this broad. Bruce Timm is a master at humanizing Batman’s Rogue gallery. This could’ve been a good addition to the Animated Series.
3. The Hunt: Joe Kubert
My man batman, with his characteristic dry humor, and being a flagbearer for gender equality long before any of this SJW stuff
4. Petty Crimes: Howard Chaykin
We have Gotham's version of the Grammar Nazi. Someone who is out killing people for ; you guessed it, petty crimes. Not that I blame the guy. Sometimes there are those people who you really want to ream into. Not that I have entertained such thoughts, cough.
5. Devil's trumpet: Jose Munez
A man makes a deal with the devil to become the best saxophone player in town. Now, his allegedly cursed instrument is highly sought after, and leaves death in its wake. I really don't know if this story fits in with the whole theme. It's a decent story, but weakened by the fact that Batman only cameos at the end. And unlike the superior 'Two of a kind', doesn't tie in with the Batman mythos. Batman doesn't even need to be present for the story to happen.
6. Legend: Water Simonson
Far too short of a story, one which gave me vibes of Batman Beyond. As well as that one episode of Justice League the animated series, where alternate reality Bats is the leader of the resistance.
7. Monster Maker: Richard Corben
Faced with the deep rooted crime of Gotham, one that has seeped into even the youngest of its generation, Batman is confronted with an enemy he can't just punch away.
8. Dead Boys Eyes: Kent Williams
Underneath the cowl, the gadgets, the fanatical training and skills, the legend, the myth, the persona. Underneath it all, Bruce is still the young boy, who saw his parents get shown down in cold blood. And it’s that haunted boys, his eyes, their thirst for justice which fuels his never ending insurmountable quest for justice.
9. The Devil's Children: Jorge Zaffino
This one has to be one of the weakest stories. Just your run of the mill investigative story, the type you’d find in your weekly police procedural.
10. A Black & White world: Simon Bisley & Neil Gaiman
Leave it to Gaiman to add a meta twist on the Batman joker dynamic which has you grinning and uncomfortable in equal parts. The whole premise of Batman is played as a Saturday morning TV series; a much darker version of the Adam west TV series. The men behind the mask are pity inducing to see the least. Another reason why you shouldn’t want to meet your heroes in real life.
11. Good evening, Midnight: Klaus Janson
Now I know where they got the Intro for the Arkham Knight Game from.
We get to see the other side of Batman's crime fighting. As his pseudo father Alfred who keeps things going at home, and remembers the legacy of Thomas Wayne. How many nights, how many birthdays has he missed, hunched over the table, looking out the window, at the Batsignal fearing that today is the day when his life of crime fighting will catch up with the man. A glass raised for the ever loyal Alfred.
12. In Dreams: Liberatore & Helfer
This was reminiscent of the Batman-Ace episode in JLU, Epilogue. Batman helps a young woman to overcome her trauma and repressed memories of a kidnapping from when she was a child.
I think it's the contrast between the big bad scary batman, being kind and considerate of innocents. And he is actually trying to help them. I just love these stories, which show that, for Batman, it is all about the people, the innocents in Gotham. Again, harkening back to the ‘Perpetual Mourning’ storyline, the fact that he remembers what happened to the women when she was a child, when she herself doesn’t, and takes the effort to relieve that trauma is just heartwarming.
13. Heist: Matt Wagner
A straightforward light hearted story of how the Batman takes down a group of Burglars, Arkham Style.
14. Bent Twigs: Bill Sienkiewicz
Damn, Bats is a cat's guy. A stressed, single father with some mental issues throws his son’s cat, a brood mother, off the top of the building, killing her. Unfortunately for him, Bats is right around the corner. And he doesn’t abide by injustice, whether committed to man or beast.
As mentioned before, I love stories where Batman is helping the common people, instead of just beating them up. The theme of the story, where Batman confronts the domestic neglect of the boy at the hands of his father, is reminiscent of that one story in All Star Superman, with Supes and the girl who was about to jump off a building.
Better, it shows that the father is not just some abusive monster, just a man broken, after loss, life, and the trials of being a single parent. And Batman coming to the realization that some problems cannot be punched away, and required more institutionalized solutions. Sucks for Mamma cat, at least her kittens would be taken care of. That guy is lucky that it’s not Hellboy who found him that night.
15. A Slaying Song tonight: Teddy Kristensen
Batman helps good ol Saint Nick help some holiday joy. Or at least make sure there is no unholiday grief going around.
16. An Innocent Guy: Brian Boland
Sometimes the worst monsters are not the genetic engineered abominations, lab rats, freaks of nature, eldritch abominations or aliens. But your unassuming next door neighbor named Bob, or something. Which makes them all the more dangerous.
17. Monster in the Closet: Kevin Nowlan
Batman meets Frankenstein, as the caped crusader witnesses the horrors of a man scientist that has perverted nature’s creations.
18. Heroes: Gary Gianni
Batman vs a Nazi secret agent, with blimps involved. Enough said.
19. Leave Taking: Brian Stelfreeze
We get a ring side seat to Batman’s nightmare, as he once again becomes that 10 year old boy, who has to stand there helpless, as he sees the life drain out of his parents’ eyes. And the trauma which keeps giving and propelled Bruce in this self destructive quest for justice.
20. The Third Mask: Katsuhiro Otomo
A zany tale about Batman and multiple personalities by the manga author of ‘Akira’. But frankly I was expecting more.
_________________________
December 26, 2012
This is an anthology of short black and white Batman strips written and drawn by some of the best writers and artists in comics. The artists include Jim Lee, Frank Miller, Bruce Timm, Joe Kubert, Klaus Janson, Simon Bisley, Richard Corben, Alex Toth, Brian Bolland, Howard Chaykin, and Matt Wagner, while the writers include Denny O’Neil, Neil Gaiman, and Chuck Dixon.
Despite this impressive roster of big names, I found the collection to be made up of some very average stories. Granted, they’ve got just half a dozen pages to come up with a story but even so they mostly centre around someone who commits a crime and then Batman shows up in the final panel.
Neil Gaiman finds a way through, writing a meta story where Batman and Joker are actors who “film” their strips, chatting away in the green room waiting for their scenes, going over their lines, which was a pretty interesting angle. Brian Bolland’s story of a crazed loner Mark Chapman wannabe who fantasises about assassinating Batman is great too but if you’ve read the deluxe edition of “Killing Joke” then you’ve already read this - in colour too.
But the real winner is the art. With so many talented artists, you get numerous pages of amazing Batman art. I recently read “Batman: Gothic” which Klaus Janson illustrated and I wasn’t impressed with his treatment of Grant Morrison’s story but seeing his art in black and white made me re-evaluate him as an artist - without colour, his art is grandiose, moody and mesmerising. Frank Miller and Jim Lee’s covers were amazing while seeing Batman depicted by all the artists listed above was a joy for a fan like me.
“Black and White”’s not an amazing anthology, the writing is sketchy and the storylines trite and/or boring, but the artwork is amazing - something about taking away colour suits Batman perfectly - so if the drawings themselves are your bag, pick this up, if it’s not enough, give this a miss.
Despite this impressive roster of big names, I found the collection to be made up of some very average stories. Granted, they’ve got just half a dozen pages to come up with a story but even so they mostly centre around someone who commits a crime and then Batman shows up in the final panel.
Neil Gaiman finds a way through, writing a meta story where Batman and Joker are actors who “film” their strips, chatting away in the green room waiting for their scenes, going over their lines, which was a pretty interesting angle. Brian Bolland’s story of a crazed loner Mark Chapman wannabe who fantasises about assassinating Batman is great too but if you’ve read the deluxe edition of “Killing Joke” then you’ve already read this - in colour too.
But the real winner is the art. With so many talented artists, you get numerous pages of amazing Batman art. I recently read “Batman: Gothic” which Klaus Janson illustrated and I wasn’t impressed with his treatment of Grant Morrison’s story but seeing his art in black and white made me re-evaluate him as an artist - without colour, his art is grandiose, moody and mesmerising. Frank Miller and Jim Lee’s covers were amazing while seeing Batman depicted by all the artists listed above was a joy for a fan like me.
“Black and White”’s not an amazing anthology, the writing is sketchy and the storylines trite and/or boring, but the artwork is amazing - something about taking away colour suits Batman perfectly - so if the drawings themselves are your bag, pick this up, if it’s not enough, give this a miss.
March 20, 2018
While the premise was great - various established authors / illustrators contributing twenty short Batman stories, and restricted to a black / white / gray palette - the overall result felt sort of routine. Two of the good stories - 'Two of a Kind' (Bruce Timm) and 'A Black and White World' (Bisley / Gaiman) - were not exclusive to this book. The other stand-outs are 'In Dreams' (Liberatore / Helfer), about a traumatized young woman, and 'A Slaying Song Tonight' (Kristiansen / O'Neil), which perfectly mixes Christmas and the Dark Knight with an upbeat ending. The remaining stories - and that's like 75% of the book - were not really memorable or often too brief to make an impact.
March 27, 2013
Most of the stories are decent, but forgettable. There are a few standouts that make the collection worth reading, though. Bruce Timm's Two of a Kind is the one that I remember best from my previous read of Black and White. Not only is a great Two-Face story, it works really, really well in black and white. Also worth reading are Neil Gaiman's A Black & White World and Brian Bolland's chilling An Innocent Guy. I don't remember any truly bad stories, but there were quite a few mediocre ones.
August 8, 2013
I love it when Batman is stripped back to his absolute core - a detective on the mean streets of Gotham.
While there’s still a lot of stuff in this volume that takes the Caped Crusader in totally different directions, the majority of the stories rely heavily on the gritty Gotham streets in which Batman uses his intellect to conquer crime. The absolutely stellar opener, Ted McKeever's "Perpetual Morning", is flat out one of the best Batman tales I've ever read. Nominated for an Eisner Award, The Dark Knight conducts an autopsy on a murder victim, internally narrating why he does what he does and how those he had failed live on within him.
Other standouts include Bruce Timm's "Two of a Kind", a tale of Harvey Dent’s attempt at redemption, Neil Gaiman’s amazing "A Black and White World" in which Batman and Joker are actors inside the comic, breaking the fourth wall Deadpool style. There's also Bill Sienkiewicz's strange "Bent Twigs" wherein Batman plays family counselor for a strained father/son relationship. It's a strange premise but for whatever reason, it works.
There's a few duds but the good definitely outweighs the bad here. I can see why people may have initially been hesitant about the style but it ultimately works when you apply the kind of storytelling that they all seem to share.
While there’s still a lot of stuff in this volume that takes the Caped Crusader in totally different directions, the majority of the stories rely heavily on the gritty Gotham streets in which Batman uses his intellect to conquer crime. The absolutely stellar opener, Ted McKeever's "Perpetual Morning", is flat out one of the best Batman tales I've ever read. Nominated for an Eisner Award, The Dark Knight conducts an autopsy on a murder victim, internally narrating why he does what he does and how those he had failed live on within him.
Other standouts include Bruce Timm's "Two of a Kind", a tale of Harvey Dent’s attempt at redemption, Neil Gaiman’s amazing "A Black and White World" in which Batman and Joker are actors inside the comic, breaking the fourth wall Deadpool style. There's also Bill Sienkiewicz's strange "Bent Twigs" wherein Batman plays family counselor for a strained father/son relationship. It's a strange premise but for whatever reason, it works.
There's a few duds but the good definitely outweighs the bad here. I can see why people may have initially been hesitant about the style but it ultimately works when you apply the kind of storytelling that they all seem to share.
July 19, 2015
Naslov je jednostavan.Talenat je spektakularan.
May 27, 2023
So this is a bunch of short stories about Batman's various bit sized adventures pencilled and writted by a variety of authors , portraying different styles to their narrative and often, but not always, focussing on deeper meaning in their storylines , and other times simply focussing on action , adventures and pure fun.
It was a very enjoyable read , much of the time feeling like more Batman -esque in their plot and characters portrayal than many modern day Batman story. The only difference here is that , as the name suggests, all the stories are in black and white .
I reduced half a star for this book since some of the art style was really painful to watch , i know many would defend such styles but sometimes style could hamper vision and ergo sometimes style should be second to simplicity .
Over-all it was a fast read that was enjoyable throughout and had so many brilliant moments that i lost count .
It was a very enjoyable read , much of the time feeling like more Batman -esque in their plot and characters portrayal than many modern day Batman story. The only difference here is that , as the name suggests, all the stories are in black and white .
I reduced half a star for this book since some of the art style was really painful to watch , i know many would defend such styles but sometimes style could hamper vision and ergo sometimes style should be second to simplicity .
Over-all it was a fast read that was enjoyable throughout and had so many brilliant moments that i lost count .
March 27, 2017
Another reread for me and this just reminded me of the mixed bag that it is. I like the simple concept, bring together a writer/artist combination (or one and the same) to create an 8 page black and white only story about Batman. Some of these have fantastic stories, but ok art, some have incredible, unique art, but the story is lackluster. There are a few however, that are simply outstanding.
My favorites from this volume:
Two of a Kind by Bruce Timm
A Black and White World by Bisley/Gaiman
Good Evening, Midnight by Klaus Johnson
Bent Twigs by Bill Sienkiewicz
An Innocent Guy by Brian Bolland
Heroes by Gianni/Goodwin
There are also some nice pinups in here too.
My favorites from this volume:
Two of a Kind by Bruce Timm
A Black and White World by Bisley/Gaiman
Good Evening, Midnight by Klaus Johnson
Bent Twigs by Bill Sienkiewicz
An Innocent Guy by Brian Bolland
Heroes by Gianni/Goodwin
There are also some nice pinups in here too.
March 24, 2022
Well… antalogie různejch, extrémně rozdílnej autorů, takže samozřejmě je to kus od kusu. Některý povídky jsou geniální, některý strašlivý. Ale těch strašlivejch je málo a kolem a kolem je to zábavný čtení.
December 18, 2019
Batman Black and White reúne una veintena de historias protagonizadas por el Hombre Murciélago, cuyo único rasgo común es la ausencia de color. Cada una está realizada por un guionista y por un ilustrador diferentes, de manera que el tono y la calidad de las historias es muy desigual.
“Perpetual Mourning”, la primera historia de la colección, recupera la atmósfera detectivesca y noir que tradicionalmente le corresponde a Batman. En otras, el Caballero de la Noche se enfrenta a casos de violencia doméstica (“Bent Twigs”), a traumas infantiles (“In Dreams”) y a científicos locos hellboyanos (“Monsters in the Closet”). Una de mis favoritas es “Petty Crimes” , en donde el villano, Civic Virtue, es una especie de versión retorcida del propio Batman. Si este último se enfrenta a grandes criminales sin emplear la fuerza letal, Civic Virtue hace exactamente lo contrario. En el cómic se lo identifica como un asesino serial, si bien él se autopercibe como un superhéroe –hasta el punto de ofrecerle a Batman que sea su sidekick.
Otro caso de un villano atípico es el que protagoniza la dostoievskiana “An Innocent Guy”, escrita por Brian Bolland. Aunque estas innovaciones son interesantes, es una lástima que la colección no recurra más a la rogue’s gallery clásica de Batman. La excepción es “Two of a Kind”, centrada en un Harvey Dent que intenta redimirse de su obsesión con la dualidad.
March 20, 2022
Troppi autori e troppi disegnatori.
Alcune storie molto belle altre meno; tanta voglia di sembrare colti cerebrari artistici impegnati.
Insomma: pesante, davvero troppo pesante.
Alcune storie molto belle altre meno; tanta voglia di sembrare colti cerebrari artistici impegnati.
Insomma: pesante, davvero troppo pesante.
August 10, 2020
A nice collection of black and white stories by a variety of well know authors, both in the art and writing department. As with all anthologies, the quality of the sotires ansd artwork varies significantly, but the good ones far outweight the bad ones. The only problem I had with this volume was that the edition that I read was from Portugal, and featured selections from several of the "Black and White" series and sadly did not include Paul Dini's and Alex Ross' contributions to the Dark Knight Black and White anthology, which means I will probably have to purchase the english editions as well. But other than that, very enjoyable read with stories that ranged from very dark, campy, and even funny. My favorites were Gaiman's and Archie Goodwin's contribution to the anthology,a nd one whose artist escapes me at the moment in which Batman investigates a series of murders that seem to have been motivated by uncivic behaviour on the part of the victims.
February 24, 2020
This is a compilation of Batman stories from different writers, and different settings and scenarios. Sometimes its a dark and gritty scenario, sometimes over the top and funny, maybe even a bit psychological.
In conclusion, this is a compilation and should be treated as such.
Just pick it up when you are bored, flip to a random short story that you might end up enjoying.
In conclusion, this is a compilation and should be treated as such.
Just pick it up when you are bored, flip to a random short story that you might end up enjoying.
February 14, 2024
Batman short stories in black and white done by the best artists in the industry. What's not to like? Well, the problem is that they all tend to run together when the stories are as short as the ones here. But the standouts are some of the best Batman pieces you'll see anywhere. A fine idea that was well-executed.
January 16, 2025
Se me escapó un par de lagrimones con el relato del cumple de batman. Te amo Batman.
November 18, 2025
More of a 3.5. The art work is really amazing though. The stories are all right.
March 10, 2022
The drawing deserves 5 stars, the writing 3 stars. This has got to be one of the best gatherings of artists ever to happen in comic books. I can't think of anything that comes close except the old EC Comics and the Warren days, which are cited in the introduction here. The stories, on the other hand, are sometimes great, sometimes just rough sketches. An indispensable read for Batman fans, nonetheless.
May 10, 2014
First off for those wondering yes I am a Batman fan, yes I am biased and YES I have given it top ratings. Ok why - as if those points were not a give away. Well the thing is as the title states its black and white - the various stories, but different authors, in styles and even eras all have one thing in common (oh go on look surprised) they are in black and white (with a few shades of grey thrown in (but NOT those shades)
But what does this mean for the stories (and there are many), well for me I think it brings Batman back to his roots, a bleak driven antihero who is driven by his own sense of justice and who is without limit in sacrificing to see it achieved all apart from his principles. The stories are atmospheric and moody with a glimpse in to the eternal night that Batman is best suited to. The book I think is all the stronger for various artists and writers - as for me yes there are some truly classic Batman books out there - but they are solo efforts - one artist, one writer one storyline - (ok there are exceptions but still it is just one book with one story) where as here you get to see the full spectrum of what Batman is (not only to the reader but also those who contributed to the book) ironically all in black and white.
But what does this mean for the stories (and there are many), well for me I think it brings Batman back to his roots, a bleak driven antihero who is driven by his own sense of justice and who is without limit in sacrificing to see it achieved all apart from his principles. The stories are atmospheric and moody with a glimpse in to the eternal night that Batman is best suited to. The book I think is all the stronger for various artists and writers - as for me yes there are some truly classic Batman books out there - but they are solo efforts - one artist, one writer one storyline - (ok there are exceptions but still it is just one book with one story) where as here you get to see the full spectrum of what Batman is (not only to the reader but also those who contributed to the book) ironically all in black and white.
January 19, 2016
I, like many others, and not generally a fan of short story collections/compilations. The quality is usually too varied, and I prefer longer story arcs. Batman: Black and White is a huge exception to this. Every single story is much better than average; the art is phenomenal; the short stories are well-conceived.
I'm not quite sure why fans of "Western"/superhero comics aren't generally fans of black an white art (ironic, since it seems like the opposite with photography). The examples in Batman: Black and White are superlative, and black and white is perfect, not only because Batman is all about operating from the shadows, but because the artists use the "restriction" to black and white to capture the cohesive moodiness of each short story.
Some stories are closer to "cannon," such as Bruce Timm's, while others are only tangentially related to Batman in plot, but fitting because of their mood and themes. I'm glad that the editors and creators pushed this through, in spite of concerns that no one would buy it!
I'm not quite sure why fans of "Western"/superhero comics aren't generally fans of black an white art (ironic, since it seems like the opposite with photography). The examples in Batman: Black and White are superlative, and black and white is perfect, not only because Batman is all about operating from the shadows, but because the artists use the "restriction" to black and white to capture the cohesive moodiness of each short story.
Some stories are closer to "cannon," such as Bruce Timm's, while others are only tangentially related to Batman in plot, but fitting because of their mood and themes. I'm glad that the editors and creators pushed this through, in spite of concerns that no one would buy it!
June 22, 2014
Free comic! ("A Black & White World" - Written by Neil Gaiman, art by Simon Bisley.)
My review of just one story in one issue of one volume of Batman: Black and White:
Cute.
More generally, I think this cute meta-ness is a common theme in many free comics. Mabye the process goes like this: "Hey, this is a fun comic where we don't take the medium or themes or character seriously. This will show that what we're doing is tongue in cheek, that we have a sense of humor! This will appeal to those who don't yet know and buy our comic."
So that means about half of all the comics I've ever read have been about comics, and half of the superhero comics I've read have been about the concept of superheroes, not actually a story featuring those characters doing what they do. This is done well in Watchman, done adequately in this short story, and boringly in every other instance I've read.
If you want me to continue reading your story after the free issue, make it an interesting story!
My review of just one story in one issue of one volume of Batman: Black and White:
Cute.
More generally, I think this cute meta-ness is a common theme in many free comics. Mabye the process goes like this: "Hey, this is a fun comic where we don't take the medium or themes or character seriously. This will show that what we're doing is tongue in cheek, that we have a sense of humor! This will appeal to those who don't yet know and buy our comic."
So that means about half of all the comics I've ever read have been about comics, and half of the superhero comics I've read have been about the concept of superheroes, not actually a story featuring those characters doing what they do. This is done well in Watchman, done adequately in this short story, and boringly in every other instance I've read.
If you want me to continue reading your story after the free issue, make it an interesting story!
April 3, 2015
Interesantísima antología con autores de primera línea dando su albinegra versión del viejo y querido Batman. Creo que las historias que más me gustaron fueron la de McKeever, la de Bruce Timm, la de Gaiman con Bisley y la de Sienkiewicz (y con dibujos igual de geniales pero historias que me convencieron menos, la de Corben y la de Otomo); pero la mayoría del resto están muy bien.
July 7, 2013
La excusa del blanco y negro permite a un selecto grupo de artistas perfilar una soberbia revisión del Hombre Murciélago. Historias breves y autoconclusivas que beben del pulp y el noir para recrear al héroe en su aspecto más primigenio, confirmando de paso su vigencia en una antología recomendable para el lector casual e imprescindible para el fanático.
February 27, 2016
A strong collection of short comics. It was excellent because you could pick it up and read an entire story in 5 minutes. Unfortunately there were a few forgettable stories mixed in with the bunch, this was, however, countered by the by the amazing variation in artwork that was captivating in itself.
September 6, 2011
Some really amazing short Batman stories, and some really so-so ones. The Neil Gaimen one stands out as doing something very different with the characters. And this volume is worth it just for that story.
August 6, 2015
An anthology of very short Batman stories, all in black and white art, from the cream of writers and artists. A dream! Some of the contributions are a bit pedestrian, but some are truly brilliant. A great book.
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