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Batman Grendel #1-4
Batman/Grendel
Complete in one volume for the first time, the acclaimed stories that pit Gotham's dark detective against the embodiment of evil, written and drawn by Grendel creator Matt Wagner!
Sleepless protector of his troubled but beloved city, Batman uncovers a new threat when Hunter Rose, the original Grendel, arrives in Gotham. It is a battle of might and minds as the Dark Knight faces off against this sophisticated and deadly assassin.
Years later, Batman's ceaseless vigil is disturbed once again, this time by the twisted cyborg Grendel-Prime. Seeking an artifact of terrible dimensions, Prime will stop at nothing to achieve his ends!
Sleepless protector of his troubled but beloved city, Batman uncovers a new threat when Hunter Rose, the original Grendel, arrives in Gotham. It is a battle of might and minds as the Dark Knight faces off against this sophisticated and deadly assassin.
Years later, Batman's ceaseless vigil is disturbed once again, this time by the twisted cyborg Grendel-Prime. Seeking an artifact of terrible dimensions, Prime will stop at nothing to achieve his ends!
208 pages, Paperback
First published April 9, 2007
1 person is currently reading
287 people want to read
About the author
Matt Wagner
968 books232 followersMatt Wagner is an American comic book writer and artist. In addition to his creator-owned series' Mage and Grendel, he has also worked on comics featuring The Demon and Batman as well as such titles as Sandman Mystery Theatre and Trinity, a DC Comics limited series featuring Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
June 9, 2015
Another one of my favorites that I'm finally getting around to doing a proper review for. This edition of Batman/Grendel collects both of the two prior Batman/Grendel crossovers in one pleasantly satisfying package. After writing (and drawing) a couple of Batman books before, Matt Wagner finally got a chance to introduce his creator owned property to the one and only Dark Knight and I loved it.
The first half of the collection is set earlier in Batman’s career (sans Robin) shortly after Year One and is probably my favorite of the pair. The Hunter Rose iteration of the Grendel character is the one that I was first interested by and he truly fits in well with the rest of Batman’s rogues’ gallery. Having read all of Wagner’s previous Grendel stuff, I had a leg up in regards to his motivations and personality. Probably not required, but it certainly didn’t hurt having some familiarity with Hunter and his alter ego. Matt tells the story from four different perspectives in this one. The Batman/Bruce Wayne, Grendel/Hunter Rose, Rachel King (an art gallery director), and Hillary Ferrington (a book publisher’s liason). I really dug the idea of using "normal" women with previous ties to one another to tell the story from other angles. And by "normal" I mean no tight costumes, boob windows, or gratuitous ass shots. Ironically, all the shit I typically appreciate in comics. I thought it was innovative of Wagner to have the ladies mix it up with Bruce Wayne and Hunter Rose to bring everything together. And the girls were a little like the Odd Couple. Pretty much opposites that contrasted well with Bruce and Hunter.
The second half of the book is a little more of a straight forward action tale that focuses on another Grendel. Grendel Prime has returned from the future ala’ Terminator to retrieve what is considered in that time to be a holy relic. The skull of the original Grendel, Hunter Rose. Prime is a much different animal than the previous Grendel and his battle with the Dark Knight is much less a game of cat and mouse. Grendel Prime is a fuckin’ BAD ASS. Honed to a keen edge as a soldier from a war ravaged future, he presents much more of a physical challenge for Bats. Not that Bruce isn’t up to the task. Bat-gadgets galore, kids. Matt also actually wrote a Grendel prequel (Grendel: Devil Quest) to this tale for Dark Horse to give a little back story as to what leads up to Prime’s road trip to Gotham. I really love how Matt makes his character’s interactions from both stories with the Batman official cannon in his creator owned universe. He actually explains a mystery mark on the skull that had never been explained in the previous Grendel stuff. It isn’t just a “one off” like some of Batman’s other crossovers. Cool little surprise cameo at the end of this one as well.
Matt’s artwork is so good. His art-deco style lends itself well to Batman’s universe and I love his stuff. So simple and clean. I really wish he would do more. I liked the subtle change in art between to the 2 crossovers. He gave the 2nd series a noticeably more modern look that set it apart from the first half of the book.
I recommend this one to anyone that likes Wagner or any of his other Batman work (Faces, The Monster Men, The Mad Monk, or Trinity) . Grendel enthusiasts will probably get a little more out of it than someone that’s not familiar with the characters or their universe, but don’t let that stop you from checking this one out.
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April 1, 2018
If there’s anything I’ve learned over the past few years about comic book folk it’s this: they’re a frivolous folk. If their favorite superhero or team-up is written, drawn, or made to be different from their unalterable notions these people are liable to go bonkers. So, I wasn’t the least bit surprised when people were basically calling Matt Wagner Adolf Hitler in reviews here.
Maybe he is the Führer of comics but, I had to see it for myself. And I’ll be the first person to admit I’m the last person to agree with the masses. Yet, I’ll also admit I’m a hater myself. Lo and behold, I’m gonna have to side with the haters on this one.
There’s a lot of moving parts going on here both in character and in plot. When the author/illustrator (the one and the same) Matt Wagner The Devil tries to rope four separate strands of narrative together as reflective foils of eachother, we get a muddy, swampy mess. Lest we forget, what happened to ol’ Narcissus when he looked into his reflection…
I normally appreciate the experimental in any artistic format but to be applied to any of the “cape” universes, is foolish to put it mildly. The laid in stone rules of Batman’s immutable rule-book: e.g. No Murder, is uncomfortably placed next to particularly edgy topics such as abortion and kidnapping. Even relatively harsh language, not the least bit becoming of a Batman comic, feels oddly misplaced.
However, the most grievous sin of misplacement deals with the atrocious paneling within. It’s bad enough to utilize a cursive font (which is always a chore to read in any comic) for Grendel’s thought but, since there’s four separate threads all going on simultaneously, there is an excess of panels going on within each page. Literally, each turn of the paper is suffused with 4-5 medium sized panels and no less than 10 micro-panels for the ancillary characters’ actions. This creates a jarring density that is violently claustrophobic. Again, just like ol’ Narcissus, I literally felt like I was drowning in this story.
The seen is damnable and the unseen is a trifle shitty as well. Beyond Grendel’s lighting fast introduction, we learn no more about him beyond the fact that he’s Bruce Wayne’s thematic foil; another rich-ass playboy leading a double life as a costumed alter-ego at night. No cool motivations, no cool backstory, he’s a villain for no other reason than to fulfill the platonic mold of a Batman comic.
With no connection to the character, nor impetus for his dastardly deeds, when we go through the repetitive action it feels less that a plot is being moved forward. Instead it feels like the characters are just going through the motions. The only difference here is a Venom/Spawn styled hood with a sharpened tuning fork as a weapon. Really – a goddamn tuning fork.
All these aspects are compounded in this crudely convoluted excuse for a comic book. If the crushing density doesn’t annoy you every step of the day, the asinine ending will. I doubt The Fueher Matt Wagner has caused the death of six million people but if reviews on GoodReads are any indication, he’ll always be plagued with a vast swathe of detractors.
This hater included.
Two thumbs down.
Maybe he is the Führer of comics but, I had to see it for myself. And I’ll be the first person to admit I’m the last person to agree with the masses. Yet, I’ll also admit I’m a hater myself. Lo and behold, I’m gonna have to side with the haters on this one.
There’s a lot of moving parts going on here both in character and in plot. When the author/illustrator (the one and the same) Matt Wagner The Devil tries to rope four separate strands of narrative together as reflective foils of eachother, we get a muddy, swampy mess. Lest we forget, what happened to ol’ Narcissus when he looked into his reflection…
I normally appreciate the experimental in any artistic format but to be applied to any of the “cape” universes, is foolish to put it mildly. The laid in stone rules of Batman’s immutable rule-book: e.g. No Murder, is uncomfortably placed next to particularly edgy topics such as abortion and kidnapping. Even relatively harsh language, not the least bit becoming of a Batman comic, feels oddly misplaced.
However, the most grievous sin of misplacement deals with the atrocious paneling within. It’s bad enough to utilize a cursive font (which is always a chore to read in any comic) for Grendel’s thought but, since there’s four separate threads all going on simultaneously, there is an excess of panels going on within each page. Literally, each turn of the paper is suffused with 4-5 medium sized panels and no less than 10 micro-panels for the ancillary characters’ actions. This creates a jarring density that is violently claustrophobic. Again, just like ol’ Narcissus, I literally felt like I was drowning in this story.
The seen is damnable and the unseen is a trifle shitty as well. Beyond Grendel’s lighting fast introduction, we learn no more about him beyond the fact that he’s Bruce Wayne’s thematic foil; another rich-ass playboy leading a double life as a costumed alter-ego at night. No cool motivations, no cool backstory, he’s a villain for no other reason than to fulfill the platonic mold of a Batman comic.
With no connection to the character, nor impetus for his dastardly deeds, when we go through the repetitive action it feels less that a plot is being moved forward. Instead it feels like the characters are just going through the motions. The only difference here is a Venom/Spawn styled hood with a sharpened tuning fork as a weapon. Really – a goddamn tuning fork.
All these aspects are compounded in this crudely convoluted excuse for a comic book. If the crushing density doesn’t annoy you every step of the day, the asinine ending will. I doubt The Fueher Matt Wagner has caused the death of six million people but if reviews on GoodReads are any indication, he’ll always be plagued with a vast swathe of detractors.
This hater included.
Two thumbs down.
July 3, 2019
Batman/Grendel contains two separate two-part stories, and the first, Devil's Riddle/Devil's Masque, is one of the secret best-Batman-stories-of-all-time, an intricately-plotted and emotionally complex noir. Even if Wagner isn't your favorite artist, and even if you don't care for Batman, Grendel, or stories featuring either character, R/M is also a masterclass in visual storytelling, with incredibly complicated layouts on each page that never lag in quality or become too disorienting for their ambition. This is the main comic I had next to me on my desk when I began making my own comics, and it never left top-shelf status in the entire span of time I was illustrating or even designing layouts for my own work.
As always, a chief criticism of Wagner's writing is how poorly he handles women characters and gender dynamics in general -- even in R/M, which features two women as protagonists, there's still just a lot of commentary about how women can't be trusted, are too emotional to make good decisions, and are generally 'good' or 'bad' depending on how well they fit into domestic stereotypes of being good wives, girlfriends, or mothers. Considering how much R/M offers in terms of genre, design, and story construction, this is an incredible shame, and can perhaps only be forgiven as a comic that did, after all, come out of the hypermasculine 1990's, in which having women as main characters at all was a bit of a novelty.
The collection's second two-parter, Devil's Bones/Devil's Dance, is pretty much a write-off. It can most charitably be described as a Terminator homage -- Wagner's pencils are fine enough, but the story's pacing, design, and larger themes are all lacking (or, in the latter case, don't seem to exist at all). I personally think that finding Riddle/Masque in their original two-issue forms is a better purchase, and they're perfect-bound, so they sit on a bookshelf just as easily.
As always, a chief criticism of Wagner's writing is how poorly he handles women characters and gender dynamics in general -- even in R/M, which features two women as protagonists, there's still just a lot of commentary about how women can't be trusted, are too emotional to make good decisions, and are generally 'good' or 'bad' depending on how well they fit into domestic stereotypes of being good wives, girlfriends, or mothers. Considering how much R/M offers in terms of genre, design, and story construction, this is an incredible shame, and can perhaps only be forgiven as a comic that did, after all, come out of the hypermasculine 1990's, in which having women as main characters at all was a bit of a novelty.
The collection's second two-parter, Devil's Bones/Devil's Dance, is pretty much a write-off. It can most charitably be described as a Terminator homage -- Wagner's pencils are fine enough, but the story's pacing, design, and larger themes are all lacking (or, in the latter case, don't seem to exist at all). I personally think that finding Riddle/Masque in their original two-issue forms is a better purchase, and they're perfect-bound, so they sit on a bookshelf just as easily.
July 25, 2017
Hunter Rose. Wagner's Grendel stories are often very dense, deep stories, and that's surely the case for the first Batman/Grendel story, featuring Hunter Rose. It's the story of Rose, Batman, and two women whose lives they intercept. It feels like a very natural Rose story and a good Batman story too, which makes it all around a success: one could believe that this crossover occurs in both of their universes [7/10].
Prime. Surely a simpler and more simplistic story than the Hunter Rose tale. Basically, Prime and Batman fight. But it's got some great insights into what Prime is, some nice reveals about the end of Grendel's tale, and some cool Terminator references. And, like the Hunter Rose tale, it feels like it fits right into both of their continuities. [6/10].
Prime. Surely a simpler and more simplistic story than the Hunter Rose tale. Basically, Prime and Batman fight. But it's got some great insights into what Prime is, some nice reveals about the end of Grendel's tale, and some cool Terminator references. And, like the Hunter Rose tale, it feels like it fits right into both of their continuities. [6/10].
August 29, 2010
Really, really good. Finally--women! As characters! Not in latex! The multi-perspective and background work and spiky art and fantastic, one-off foe made this a pleasure to read. I didn't much even care about the outcome (of the arc's mystery, I mean). I just wanted to learn more about everyone involved and wanted them to have more conversations and/or fights.
I didn't know anything about Grendel before reading this, and that was okay. I caught on pretty quickly that he's got his own fabulously kick-ass thing happening in New York. Reading this made me want to read more Matt Wagner and more Grendel, though.
I didn't know anything about Grendel before reading this, and that was okay. I caught on pretty quickly that he's got his own fabulously kick-ass thing happening in New York. Reading this made me want to read more Matt Wagner and more Grendel, though.
January 1, 2011
My first venture into actual Superhero comics due to Portland writer and artist Matt Wagner writing it. I don't need to read any more Batman but I can't wait to start with Grendel.
May 2, 2019
Damn! This was SO GOOD!
I haven’t read a solid graphic novel that tickles my fancy in a while and this sure did it. I knew that Matt Wagner was like the successor to Alan Moore when I first read Devil by the Deed, but for some reason I really, truly felt the weight of that after reading Batman vs Grendel.
How do Batman and Grendel end up in the same proximity? (Also, how is there a Gotham City AND a New York City in the same universe?) I don’t know how to answer the second question, but Hunter Rose/Grendel finds himself on a little business trip to Gotham City and ends up extremely bored. So he wreaks a little villainy masquerading as The Riddler from afar until he comes face to face with both Bruce/Batman as well as Commissioner Gorden. There’s also a parallel B and C plot following two women who are connected to Hunter and Bruce both through their work, but they get tied up in the mayhem and actually become a major part of the conclusion.
Just like with Alan Moore, Scott Snyder, and Frank Miller I feel like I’m reading a piece of classic literature when diving into a Wagner story. The way he introduces each character and weaves their stories in and out of each other until the climactic final convergence at the end reminded me very much of Charles Dickens.
This was also the first Grendel related book that made me hate Hunter/Grendel. I get that he’s a villain. Hunter is a kingpin in New York City and kills or saves depending on what he needs for his crime empire. But I was always on his side and against Argent’s even though Argent was helping the police—it was always about sinful beauty vs hideous righteousness. I loved Hunter’s snobbish, educated, entitled, genius, and violent character. But after seeing him standing next to Batman/Bruce Wayne I absolutely hate the arrogant little b*tch. Next to the Dark Knight who constantly and vigilantly defends those with less and inspiring others to do good, Hunter looks like (and truly is) an arrogant little punk who thinks he’s better than everyone else and let’s his intelligence amplify his narcissism. So what if he has a soft spot for protecting children! He still put one in danger in this volume and accidentally almost got the kid killed.
I wanted to see Hunter defeated in this book, but if you’ve read any Grendel you know this isn’t the last battle for Hunter. This volume makes me want to hunt down other Matt Wagner creations. Maybe I’ll go get into The Shadow and then I can read Grendel vs The Shadow.
I recommend this book if you like either Batman or Grendel. Or both.
I haven’t read a solid graphic novel that tickles my fancy in a while and this sure did it. I knew that Matt Wagner was like the successor to Alan Moore when I first read Devil by the Deed, but for some reason I really, truly felt the weight of that after reading Batman vs Grendel.
How do Batman and Grendel end up in the same proximity? (Also, how is there a Gotham City AND a New York City in the same universe?) I don’t know how to answer the second question, but Hunter Rose/Grendel finds himself on a little business trip to Gotham City and ends up extremely bored. So he wreaks a little villainy masquerading as The Riddler from afar until he comes face to face with both Bruce/Batman as well as Commissioner Gorden. There’s also a parallel B and C plot following two women who are connected to Hunter and Bruce both through their work, but they get tied up in the mayhem and actually become a major part of the conclusion.
Just like with Alan Moore, Scott Snyder, and Frank Miller I feel like I’m reading a piece of classic literature when diving into a Wagner story. The way he introduces each character and weaves their stories in and out of each other until the climactic final convergence at the end reminded me very much of Charles Dickens.
This was also the first Grendel related book that made me hate Hunter/Grendel. I get that he’s a villain. Hunter is a kingpin in New York City and kills or saves depending on what he needs for his crime empire. But I was always on his side and against Argent’s even though Argent was helping the police—it was always about sinful beauty vs hideous righteousness. I loved Hunter’s snobbish, educated, entitled, genius, and violent character. But after seeing him standing next to Batman/Bruce Wayne I absolutely hate the arrogant little b*tch. Next to the Dark Knight who constantly and vigilantly defends those with less and inspiring others to do good, Hunter looks like (and truly is) an arrogant little punk who thinks he’s better than everyone else and let’s his intelligence amplify his narcissism. So what if he has a soft spot for protecting children! He still put one in danger in this volume and accidentally almost got the kid killed.
I wanted to see Hunter defeated in this book, but if you’ve read any Grendel you know this isn’t the last battle for Hunter. This volume makes me want to hunt down other Matt Wagner creations. Maybe I’ll go get into The Shadow and then I can read Grendel vs The Shadow.
I recommend this book if you like either Batman or Grendel. Or both.
November 25, 2016
I've been a Matt Wagner fan for a long time. I think his Grendel is a very compelling character, and his previous Batman work (Batman: Faces) was very interesting, so I was intrigued by the idea of these two characters crossing paths.
The first half of the book is the original 1993 Batman/Grendel crossover. The story appears to be set quite early in Batman's career, and features the original Grendel incarnation Hunter Rose. The crossover was a nice change of pace from the typical "heroes meet for the first time, beat the crap out of each other before realizing they're on the same side, team up and fight the real bad guys" story. Grendel is a villain, and a really dangerous one at that. Honestly, he's so cool and calculating that he'd make a great addition to Batman's gimmick-obsessed rogues gallery. This story does a fairly good job of capturing the classic aspects of both characters, as well as the classic Matt Wagner style. I thought there was perhaps too much time spent on the supporting characters, but the parallels Wagner established did make for a more interesting overall story.
The second half of the book contains the 1996 crossover, which apparently takes place several years after the first (Jim Gordon is considerably grayer and the Tim Drake Robin makes an appearance). In this story, Grendel Prime (from the Grendel: War Child epic) accidentally travels back to Gotham, wreaking massive havoc in his quest for the skull (and perhaps soul) of Hunter Rose. This story was a little disappointing, as it came off as a Terminator rip-off. Unlike the War Child series, I had a hard time mustering any sympathy for Grendel Prime in this story. He might as well have been a runaway robot that Batman had to put down.
The first half of the story is worthy of 4 stars; the second half barely 3. If you're not already a Grendel and/or Matt Wagner fan, I don't know how much you'd get out of a collection like this. As Batman stories go, it's perfectly decent, but not essential by any means.
The first half of the book is the original 1993 Batman/Grendel crossover. The story appears to be set quite early in Batman's career, and features the original Grendel incarnation Hunter Rose. The crossover was a nice change of pace from the typical "heroes meet for the first time, beat the crap out of each other before realizing they're on the same side, team up and fight the real bad guys" story. Grendel is a villain, and a really dangerous one at that. Honestly, he's so cool and calculating that he'd make a great addition to Batman's gimmick-obsessed rogues gallery. This story does a fairly good job of capturing the classic aspects of both characters, as well as the classic Matt Wagner style. I thought there was perhaps too much time spent on the supporting characters, but the parallels Wagner established did make for a more interesting overall story.
The second half of the book contains the 1996 crossover, which apparently takes place several years after the first (Jim Gordon is considerably grayer and the Tim Drake Robin makes an appearance). In this story, Grendel Prime (from the Grendel: War Child epic) accidentally travels back to Gotham, wreaking massive havoc in his quest for the skull (and perhaps soul) of Hunter Rose. This story was a little disappointing, as it came off as a Terminator rip-off. Unlike the War Child series, I had a hard time mustering any sympathy for Grendel Prime in this story. He might as well have been a runaway robot that Batman had to put down.
The first half of the story is worthy of 4 stars; the second half barely 3. If you're not already a Grendel and/or Matt Wagner fan, I don't know how much you'd get out of a collection like this. As Batman stories go, it's perfectly decent, but not essential by any means.
March 28, 2018
I'm not sure I realized, until Wagner mentioned it in the book's sketchbook, that the original Batman/Grendel two-parter is the very first crossover between a corporate superhero and an independently created and owned character.
Batman Grendel has two stories in it: The first has Batman facing off against the original Grendel, author/crime boss/debonair man about town Hunter Rose. Playing Rose's multi-layered schemes against Batman's detective skills, this book is a mystery first and foremost. Batman constructing theories based on a string of unlikely clues, while Rose attempts to manipulate players to his own benefit. To keep readers off-balance, Wagner uses four protagonists/narrators, Batman, Hunter, and a tandem of young women, roommates and best friends, one an upbeat assistant editor assigned to work with Hunter Rose, the other an ambitious corporate go-getter involved in a transaction with Wayne Enterprises. All four characters are carefully crafted, and Wagner keeps you guessing with lots of good twists and surprises. Plus, honestly, the big Batman vs. Grendel fight at the end is one of my favorite comic book fights - one page, thirty panels of thrust, parry, block and hit. It's a great way to depict lots of action in a short time and capture the balance of the battle.
The second story is pure superhero bombast, as the cyborg Grendel Prime from the far future of the Grendel timeline winds up thrown back to modern-time Gotham. Borrowing liberally from Terminator, Wagner's unstoppable warrior mows through police like a weedwacker and gives Batman a solid bruising. Relentless action, serious property damage, and Wagner's wonderful iconic imagery make it a blast to read.
Batman Grendel has two stories in it: The first has Batman facing off against the original Grendel, author/crime boss/debonair man about town Hunter Rose. Playing Rose's multi-layered schemes against Batman's detective skills, this book is a mystery first and foremost. Batman constructing theories based on a string of unlikely clues, while Rose attempts to manipulate players to his own benefit. To keep readers off-balance, Wagner uses four protagonists/narrators, Batman, Hunter, and a tandem of young women, roommates and best friends, one an upbeat assistant editor assigned to work with Hunter Rose, the other an ambitious corporate go-getter involved in a transaction with Wayne Enterprises. All four characters are carefully crafted, and Wagner keeps you guessing with lots of good twists and surprises. Plus, honestly, the big Batman vs. Grendel fight at the end is one of my favorite comic book fights - one page, thirty panels of thrust, parry, block and hit. It's a great way to depict lots of action in a short time and capture the balance of the battle.
The second story is pure superhero bombast, as the cyborg Grendel Prime from the far future of the Grendel timeline winds up thrown back to modern-time Gotham. Borrowing liberally from Terminator, Wagner's unstoppable warrior mows through police like a weedwacker and gives Batman a solid bruising. Relentless action, serious property damage, and Wagner's wonderful iconic imagery make it a blast to read.
December 31, 2022
So, this is half and half. The first story is a convoluted mess with entirely too much text, which is quite hard to read due to at least 5 different types of lettering, some of which is calligraphic, and the type is very, very small. Furthermore, Wagner chokes the visual narrative with too many, too small panels. And the gist of the story was some unlikelyhood about the Sphinx's head being exhibited in Gotham, and Grendel wanting to carve his signature mask onto its face because he's been bored by Argent's absence and the lack of challenge. Everything else, which would make a more meaningful story, is really collateral. Hard, hard pass.
Now, the second story, four years later when Hunter Rose aka Grendel is dead, is much more interesting, as Grendel-Prime ends up in Gotham due to a time-stream mishap. It becomes much more classic Batman fare, with a vastly stronger and tougher opponent going on a cold rampage in Gotham City, trying to acquire Rose's skull and return to its own timeline. Meanwhile, there are some very interesting human elements like reactions to a Gotham villains exhibition, where the argument of unrestrained academia clashes with societal influence and consequence. Furthermore, there is an interesting secondary lead in the form of a programmer who came to Gotham as an immigrant and was saved from xenophobic thugs by Batman. That, in turn, inspired him to do his best to rid Gotham of Grendel-Prime, even if that meant sacrificing himself or helping it return to its own time.
So, half and half. In the first story, Wagner tries to shove too much into the narrative, and package it like Dark Knight Returns, which fails. In the second story, he has ample space to tell his story and everything is the better for it.
Now, the second story, four years later when Hunter Rose aka Grendel is dead, is much more interesting, as Grendel-Prime ends up in Gotham due to a time-stream mishap. It becomes much more classic Batman fare, with a vastly stronger and tougher opponent going on a cold rampage in Gotham City, trying to acquire Rose's skull and return to its own timeline. Meanwhile, there are some very interesting human elements like reactions to a Gotham villains exhibition, where the argument of unrestrained academia clashes with societal influence and consequence. Furthermore, there is an interesting secondary lead in the form of a programmer who came to Gotham as an immigrant and was saved from xenophobic thugs by Batman. That, in turn, inspired him to do his best to rid Gotham of Grendel-Prime, even if that meant sacrificing himself or helping it return to its own time.
So, half and half. In the first story, Wagner tries to shove too much into the narrative, and package it like Dark Knight Returns, which fails. In the second story, he has ample space to tell his story and everything is the better for it.
Read
February 4, 2023DNFd this after the first two part story arc. This is the first comic featuring Batman I’ve done that with.
Maybe my distaste for this is partially my fault, because I had no idea who Grendel was until picking this up. The idea of a hyper intelligent anti hero/ villain going up against Batman is pretty neat, but holy shit was this comic just a mess.
The plot follows the dealings around the shipment of a sphinx head into Gotham. Hunter rose aka Grendel is really dead set on blackmailing this woman whose involved with the shipment…. For some reason. I never got an idea for what the hell his motivation for any of this convoluted nonsense was, and again maybe that’s just because I’m unfamiliar with the comics he originated from. But the plot is painfully boring. It’s just this woman and her roommate both being used by Grendel and Batman for the purpose of, I think, one upping the other?
Pages have so much text in them, and each one is a different type depending on who is narrating. Often times you get fragments of narration from multiple characters in the same panel. It came across as a total mess, and made it tough to follow at times.
The only redeeming quality here is the artwork, which is a nice, bold style that feels old school in many ways. But that can’t help the comic with its languid pace, uninteresting plot and cast, and convoluted page layouts.
If the purpose of a crossover is to get me interested in either character, this failed in both respects. It’s a very weak Batman story and it did nothing to make me want to check out Grendel comics. Skip it
Maybe my distaste for this is partially my fault, because I had no idea who Grendel was until picking this up. The idea of a hyper intelligent anti hero/ villain going up against Batman is pretty neat, but holy shit was this comic just a mess.
The plot follows the dealings around the shipment of a sphinx head into Gotham. Hunter rose aka Grendel is really dead set on blackmailing this woman whose involved with the shipment…. For some reason. I never got an idea for what the hell his motivation for any of this convoluted nonsense was, and again maybe that’s just because I’m unfamiliar with the comics he originated from. But the plot is painfully boring. It’s just this woman and her roommate both being used by Grendel and Batman for the purpose of, I think, one upping the other?
Pages have so much text in them, and each one is a different type depending on who is narrating. Often times you get fragments of narration from multiple characters in the same panel. It came across as a total mess, and made it tough to follow at times.
The only redeeming quality here is the artwork, which is a nice, bold style that feels old school in many ways. But that can’t help the comic with its languid pace, uninteresting plot and cast, and convoluted page layouts.
If the purpose of a crossover is to get me interested in either character, this failed in both respects. It’s a very weak Batman story and it did nothing to make me want to check out Grendel comics. Skip it
August 24, 2023
A compendium of two separate Grendel tales from creator Matt Wagner, published many years apart, and indicative of a career.
The first, essentially Batman versus the first (known) Grendel—Hunter Rose; criminal mastermind—is an unsung Batman tale, pitting the Dark Knight Detective against an elusive and highly competent foe. Told in many-stringed narratives, effortlessly weaving multiple character stories in, out, and around each other in a complex piece of visual storytelling, beautifully, and simply, presented, and treating both Grendel and Batman fairly, and to the best of their abilities. Five Stars.
The second features the far-future cyborg Grendel Prime, sent (accidentally?) back in time as part of quest to commune with the Grendel-spirit of Hunter Rose, and fighting Gotham PD and the Batman in its mission. It's a simple enough action tale (doing little to dispel—in fact, exacerbating—the obvious Terminator influences on the Grendel Prime character), and ending abruptly. The storytelling here is simple, even simplistic, and shows Wagner's art taking a jagged, even more mainstream look: a minor tale in both characters' histories. Three Stars, at best.
The first, essentially Batman versus the first (known) Grendel—Hunter Rose; criminal mastermind—is an unsung Batman tale, pitting the Dark Knight Detective against an elusive and highly competent foe. Told in many-stringed narratives, effortlessly weaving multiple character stories in, out, and around each other in a complex piece of visual storytelling, beautifully, and simply, presented, and treating both Grendel and Batman fairly, and to the best of their abilities. Five Stars.
The second features the far-future cyborg Grendel Prime, sent (accidentally?) back in time as part of quest to commune with the Grendel-spirit of Hunter Rose, and fighting Gotham PD and the Batman in its mission. It's a simple enough action tale (doing little to dispel—in fact, exacerbating—the obvious Terminator influences on the Grendel Prime character), and ending abruptly. The storytelling here is simple, even simplistic, and shows Wagner's art taking a jagged, even more mainstream look: a minor tale in both characters' histories. Three Stars, at best.
September 27, 2019
There are only three true long-form comic book stories about Hunter Rose, not counting Devil By the Deed, which is essentially a summary of an epic saga that doesn't exist in fully developed form. Of those three, his encounter with Batman is the first, and perhaps the most stylistically ambitious. It's also the first real Matt Wagner Batman story, and it demonstrates right out the gate that this is a man born to write and draw Batman comics.
The sequel pits Batman against Grendel Prime, who I find less interesting as a character, but this gives Batman a peak at the nightmarish future of the Grendel timeline, where the world is reshaped by nuclear war, vampire popes, and finally Devil-worshipping samurai cultists, and that has some juice. It also has Wagner depicting a more mature, superheroic version of Batman; the first story feels like it could be a direct sequel to Batman: Year One, and the second feels like a Batman who could be part of the Justice League, hanging out with Martian Manhunter and fighting alien invasions.
The sequel pits Batman against Grendel Prime, who I find less interesting as a character, but this gives Batman a peak at the nightmarish future of the Grendel timeline, where the world is reshaped by nuclear war, vampire popes, and finally Devil-worshipping samurai cultists, and that has some juice. It also has Wagner depicting a more mature, superheroic version of Batman; the first story feels like it could be a direct sequel to Batman: Year One, and the second feels like a Batman who could be part of the Justice League, hanging out with Martian Manhunter and fighting alien invasions.
May 31, 2022
Entretenido crossover, Batman contra Grendel. Argumento: "Matt Wagner, autor de Batman y los hombres monstruos, Batman y el monje loco y Rostros (Leyendas de Batman núm. 4) presenta un crossover sin igual. Batman y Grendel (personaje de creación propia de Wagner) se enfrentan en dos historias muy diferentes que son un clásico en lo que a crossovers de Batman se refiere. En la primera parte, Bruce Wayne y Hunter Rose libran una batalla intelectual y física como pocas, en un estilo de Wagner que recuerda a trabajos suyos como el mencionado Rostros. En la segunda parte, Batman ha de hacer frente al legado de Hunter Rose en una historia más proclive a la acción que sirve como complemento perfecto al primer crossover. Un libro de lujo con uno de los crossover entre editoriales más interesante del panorama norteamericano".
September 11, 2019
I'm rereading all of the Grendel comics in preparation of the Devil's Odyssey in October (which may or may not be Grendel's Dark Finale).
Batman/Grendel is totally uncecessary but as with anything the Art Deco movement (as the art is inspired by) it's quite decadent, indulgent and fun. This is basically obstensibly an early chapter in both Batman and Grendel's careers--and they're true rivals to each other. The panels are well-designed but busy--standard 80s graphic designer flair.
Basically, Argent is missing and Grendel is looking for a challenge, so he investigates the opportunity to expand his empire into Gotham City.
Batman/Grendel is totally uncecessary but as with anything the Art Deco movement (as the art is inspired by) it's quite decadent, indulgent and fun. This is basically obstensibly an early chapter in both Batman and Grendel's careers--and they're true rivals to each other. The panels are well-designed but busy--standard 80s graphic designer flair.
Basically, Argent is missing and Grendel is looking for a challenge, so he investigates the opportunity to expand his empire into Gotham City.
May 9, 2017
what a crossover should be !!!!
January 10, 2023
Non il mio stile, troppo pesante e confusionario , comprato per avvicinarmi a grendel, ma non proseguirò con volumi dedicati al personaggio
February 5, 2025
Very much enjoyed. Classic Batman story. Well written and good art. Also my beautiful girlfriend got me this book so that made me happy.
July 22, 2014
This was a combination re-read and first read. My interest in Matt Wagner's Grendel was piqued recently because he is bringing back the Hunter Rose version of the character to be used in a Shadow story he is writing. To say that there are similarities between the Shadow and Batman is an understatement so...
The first half was the re-read. Hunter Rose seeks a challenge and change in his life so the New York City crime lord travels to Gotham and as part of his working vacation decides to take on Batman. As an artist Wagner's Rose/Grendel stories were likely his best, and here his visual story telling uses some tropes, panel executions as an example, rarely used by other artists. Rose/Grendel is the one I think Wagner has the best grip on along with Orion Assante/Grendel in regards to his iterations of the Grendel character. Character wise Wagner nails Rose/Grendel and the supporting characters. His Batman seems off, not quite as OCD as some writers have him.
The second half involves time travel and Grendel-Prime from a possible far future. Less plot/story driven and pretty much an execution in fight scenes. Frankly kind of boring.
There are some early Hunter Rose stories I think I would like to catch up on, but I will pass on the later Grendel-Prime stories based on what I read here.
The first half was the re-read. Hunter Rose seeks a challenge and change in his life so the New York City crime lord travels to Gotham and as part of his working vacation decides to take on Batman. As an artist Wagner's Rose/Grendel stories were likely his best, and here his visual story telling uses some tropes, panel executions as an example, rarely used by other artists. Rose/Grendel is the one I think Wagner has the best grip on along with Orion Assante/Grendel in regards to his iterations of the Grendel character. Character wise Wagner nails Rose/Grendel and the supporting characters. His Batman seems off, not quite as OCD as some writers have him.
The second half involves time travel and Grendel-Prime from a possible far future. Less plot/story driven and pretty much an execution in fight scenes. Frankly kind of boring.
There are some early Hunter Rose stories I think I would like to catch up on, but I will pass on the later Grendel-Prime stories based on what I read here.
February 5, 2009
While the art was nice and there were things to like about this, ultimately it came down to poor plotting (for no purpose does the Grendel seem to launch his plot, actually, but that may be his character--see below) and the silliness of a cyborg Grendel fromt he future. The creator of Grendel did this, and he assumes you know about Grendel--a guy in a black super-villain suit who carries a long, pronged blade on a staff--so we never get a description of him or what his motivations are--other than he's, you know, evil. Two disappointing Batman's in a row, I don't know man.
October 14, 2011
Wagner should stick to cover art. The artwork is wonderful, unfortunately it does not redeem this book. There is barely a plot. Grendel is not developed as a character. All you know about him is he is the devil, which becomes very annoying after reading it on every other page. The second story features a terminator Grendel who wants the original Grendel's bones for some unknown reason. Even Batman admits to being confused at the end of the book. Wagner puts more focus on his own character, who is seemingly one step ahead of the Batman at all times. Not recommended for fans of Batman.
April 19, 2008
This is a weird one for me, because if had just collected the first story I would have given it 4 stars, but that second story was just awful and required too much knowledge of the Grendel mythology (Wagner's not the poem) and I wouldn't even give that one star. The whole premise of Terminator Grendel wanting Hunter Rose's skeleton was a sort of "who cares? Just give the robot the bones and send him packing. I did love the first story.
January 25, 2009
A paperback containing a pair of stories of the two different publishing house characters written in 93 and 96. Dark House Publishing lended Grendel, and DC their Batman for one great mystery, suspense story that fits wonderfully alongside any of Miller's middle 1980's work, with lots of panels, facial expression and dialouge. The second story is incredibly forgettable 90's comics cliches ending with Batman shooting a large gun. guh.
August 1, 2009
A graphic novel that relies heavily on background knowledge of the Grendel character, Matt Wagner's brilliant artwork and solid writing create a gripping tale of parallels in the first story, but leave unaware readers lost and confused in the second.
While I have no doubt that the first book is a reasonable introduction to Grendel, the second one relies too heavily upon the mythos and does not provide a satisfactory story for the uninitiated.
While I have no doubt that the first book is a reasonable introduction to Grendel, the second one relies too heavily upon the mythos and does not provide a satisfactory story for the uninitiated.
September 7, 2012
Probably my favorite crossover compilation. If you can get past some of the tiny lettering it is an excellent read. The graphic design of the panels is very well thought out in my opinion. I quite enjoyed the story as well. Like it that the "devil" comes to Gotham for a visit...trades in a wolf for a bat.
Read the initial stories in their original form back in 1993.
Read the initial stories in their original form back in 1993.
November 2, 2011
In one of my favorite Batman crossovers Batman goes up against two iterations of Grendel. The first part is particularly entertaining because Hunter Rose is sort of an twisted version of Bruce Wayne to begin with.
Want to read
March 18, 2011Creo que en papel tengo el tomito #2 de Zinco, así que me faltaría el 1 para leérmelo de corrido. Cuando consiga algo, seguro actualice.
August 20, 2011
read this while supposed to be studying for economics.
August 21, 2011
Interesting - and nicely written mix of punk and comic and well written
September 1, 2012
Worth reading.
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