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Batman by Paul Dini Omnibus (New Edition)
Paul Dini's series run on Batman is collected in an omnibus for the first time!
Paul Dini has a magnificently successful career writing about Batman in both television and comic book form and now his legendary work is collected in an omnibus for the first time! From Dini's take on Selina Kyle's path of vengeance against Hush, all the way to Batman's incredible journey on Detective Comics #1000, this omnibus includes some of Paul Dini's best work on the Caped Crusader's iconic adventures.
Collects Batman #685 (1940-), Batman Annual #1 (2016-), Batman Black and White #3 (2013-), Batman: Gotham Knights #14 (2000-), Batman: Streets of Gotham #1-4, #7, #10-14, #16-21, DCU Holiday Special #1, Detective Comics #821-824, #826-828, #831, #833-834, #837-841, #843-850, #852, #1000
Paul Dini has a magnificently successful career writing about Batman in both television and comic book form and now his legendary work is collected in an omnibus for the first time! From Dini's take on Selina Kyle's path of vengeance against Hush, all the way to Batman's incredible journey on Detective Comics #1000, this omnibus includes some of Paul Dini's best work on the Caped Crusader's iconic adventures.
Collects Batman #685 (1940-), Batman Annual #1 (2016-), Batman Black and White #3 (2013-), Batman: Gotham Knights #14 (2000-), Batman: Streets of Gotham #1-4, #7, #10-14, #16-21, DCU Holiday Special #1, Detective Comics #821-824, #826-828, #831, #833-834, #837-841, #843-850, #852, #1000
125 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2020
37 people are currently reading
395 people want to read
About the author
Paul Dini
726 books718 followersPaul Dini is an American television producer of animated cartoons. He is best known as a producer and writer for several Warner Bros./DC Comics series, including Star Wars: Ewoks, Tiny Toon Adventures, Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series, The New Batman/Superman Adventures, Batman Beyond and Duck Dodgers. He also developed and scripted Krypto the Superdog and contributed scripts to Animaniacs (he created Minerva Mink), Freakazoid, Justice League and Justice League Unlimited. After leaving Warner Bros. In early 2004, Dini went on to write and story edit the popular ABC adventure series Lost.
Paul Dini was born in New York City. He attended the Stevenson School in Pebble Beach, California on an art scholarship. He attended Emerson College in Boston, where he earned a BFA degree in creative writing. (He also took zoology classes at Harvard University.)
During college, he began doing freelance animation scripts for Filmation, and a number of other studios. In 1984, he was hired to work for George Lucas on several of his animation projects.
The episodes of the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon that were written by Dini have become favorites amongst the show's fans over the internet, although despite this as well as contributing to interviews on the released box sets of the series, Dini has made no secret of his distaste for Filmation and the He-Man concept. He also wrote an episode of the Generation One Transformers cartoon series and contributed to various episodes of the Ewoks animated series, several of which included rare appearances from the Empire.
In 1989, he was hired at Warner Bros. Animation to work on Tiny Toon Adventures. Later, he moved onto Batman: The Animated Series, where he worked as a writer, producer and editor, later working on Batman Beyond. He continued working with WB animation, working on a number of internal projects, including Krypto the Superdog and Duck Dodgers, until 2004.
He has earned five Emmy awards for his animation work. In a related effort, Dini was also the co-author (with Chip Kidd) of Batman Animated, a 1998 non-fiction coffee table book about the animated Batman franchise.
Dini has also written several comics stories for DC Comics, including an acclaimed oversized graphic novel series illustrated by painter Alex Ross. (A hardcover collection of the Dini and Ross stories was published in late summer 2005 under the title The World's Greatest Superheroes.) Other books written by Dini for DC have featured his Batman Animated creation Harley Quinn as well as classic characters Superman, Batman, Captain Marvel and Zatanna.
Best known among Dini's original creations is Jingle Belle, the rebellious teen-age daughter of Santa Claus. Dini also created Sheriff Ida Red, the super-powered cowgirl star of a series of books set in Dini's mythical town of Mutant, Texas. Perhaps his greatest character contribution is the introduction of Harley Quinn (along with designs by Bruce Timm) on Batman: The Animated Series.
In 2001 Dini made a cameo appearance in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back during the scene in which Jay and Silent Bob wear ridiculous looking costumes for a film being directed by Chris Rock, in which Dini says to them "you guys look pretty bad ass".
In 2006, Dini became the writer for DC Comics' Detective Comics. That same year, he announced that he was writing a hardcover graphic novel starring Zatanna and Black Canary. In 2007, he was announced as the head writer of that company's weekly series, Countdown. Paul Dini is currently co-writing the script for the upcoming Gatchaman movie. Dini is also currently writing a series for Top Cow Productions, based in a character he created, Madame Mirage.
Paul Dini is an active cryptozoologist, hunter and wildlife photographer. On a 1985 trip to Tasmania, he had a possible sighting of a Thylacine. He has also encountered a number of venomous snakes, a Komodo Dragon and a charging Sumatran Rhi
Paul Dini was born in New York City. He attended the Stevenson School in Pebble Beach, California on an art scholarship. He attended Emerson College in Boston, where he earned a BFA degree in creative writing. (He also took zoology classes at Harvard University.)
During college, he began doing freelance animation scripts for Filmation, and a number of other studios. In 1984, he was hired to work for George Lucas on several of his animation projects.
The episodes of the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon that were written by Dini have become favorites amongst the show's fans over the internet, although despite this as well as contributing to interviews on the released box sets of the series, Dini has made no secret of his distaste for Filmation and the He-Man concept. He also wrote an episode of the Generation One Transformers cartoon series and contributed to various episodes of the Ewoks animated series, several of which included rare appearances from the Empire.
In 1989, he was hired at Warner Bros. Animation to work on Tiny Toon Adventures. Later, he moved onto Batman: The Animated Series, where he worked as a writer, producer and editor, later working on Batman Beyond. He continued working with WB animation, working on a number of internal projects, including Krypto the Superdog and Duck Dodgers, until 2004.
He has earned five Emmy awards for his animation work. In a related effort, Dini was also the co-author (with Chip Kidd) of Batman Animated, a 1998 non-fiction coffee table book about the animated Batman franchise.
Dini has also written several comics stories for DC Comics, including an acclaimed oversized graphic novel series illustrated by painter Alex Ross. (A hardcover collection of the Dini and Ross stories was published in late summer 2005 under the title The World's Greatest Superheroes.) Other books written by Dini for DC have featured his Batman Animated creation Harley Quinn as well as classic characters Superman, Batman, Captain Marvel and Zatanna.
Best known among Dini's original creations is Jingle Belle, the rebellious teen-age daughter of Santa Claus. Dini also created Sheriff Ida Red, the super-powered cowgirl star of a series of books set in Dini's mythical town of Mutant, Texas. Perhaps his greatest character contribution is the introduction of Harley Quinn (along with designs by Bruce Timm) on Batman: The Animated Series.
In 2001 Dini made a cameo appearance in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back during the scene in which Jay and Silent Bob wear ridiculous looking costumes for a film being directed by Chris Rock, in which Dini says to them "you guys look pretty bad ass".
In 2006, Dini became the writer for DC Comics' Detective Comics. That same year, he announced that he was writing a hardcover graphic novel starring Zatanna and Black Canary. In 2007, he was announced as the head writer of that company's weekly series, Countdown. Paul Dini is currently co-writing the script for the upcoming Gatchaman movie. Dini is also currently writing a series for Top Cow Productions, based in a character he created, Madame Mirage.
Paul Dini is an active cryptozoologist, hunter and wildlife photographer. On a 1985 trip to Tasmania, he had a possible sighting of a Thylacine. He has also encountered a number of venomous snakes, a Komodo Dragon and a charging Sumatran Rhi
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
November 27, 2020
This omnibus collects Paul Dini's work on Batman in the comic book medium. Dini is, of course, mostly well know for his work as writer and producer for batman - The Animated Series, Superman - The Animated Series, Justice League and Justice League Unlimited. He is also the creator of the now extremely famous Harley Quinn. However, he has also written some of the best comic book runs in the Batman universe.
This omnibus collects his work on Detective Comics and Steets of Gotham, as well as some loose stories from a few other books. Honestly, this is some of the best Batman books I have ever read. Its comprised of both smaller on-off stories, and some longer arcs, and they are mostly some of the best Batman ever published. Dini knows these characters extremely well, and not only does he writes them very in charcater, but expands and further improves some others (like Hush and a new take on Scarface). This is at times dark, humorous, or all at once. Its really brilliant writing.
The longer arcs were, for me, the least interesting - specifically the ones related to Hush, a Batman villain who I just can't seem to think much of. Altough Dini serioulsy improves and adds much needed depth to the character so shallowy created by Loeb and Lee, he remains, to me, a very uninteresting villain, and sadly, about 300 pages of this book is related to Hush. But that's a personal quibble, and if you happen to like Hush, these stories are the best ever written about him.
I was actually surprised at how dark some of these stories were, specially in the Streets of Gotham issues. I hadn't pegged Dini as someone who would write such dark stories in tone. There is a Zasz story that is quite disturbing, and its one of the best in this collection. On the other side, though, House of Hush is excessively somber and dark in tone, and for me, by far the weakest of the collection, and, that was, at times, unncessarily nasty, specifically in a way they treated a minor character - a child, no less. I'm used to somber and dark comic books (Vertigo Hellblazer being on of my favorite comic book titles), but I don't really think something like that belongs in a Batman comic, specially considering that most of DIni's stories were alot less darker throughout the rest of the book.
As for the artwork, it s very good. Its mostly drawn by the same two artists - Don Kramer and Dustin Nguyen. The first one is a good artist, but not terribly remarkable. Nguyen, however, is an amazing artists, and his pages are vibrant, exciting and dynamic. I can't praise him enougth, and his art comprises most of this book, which is great news, of course.
Despite the shortcomings I pointed out above, it is however, a five stars thorugh and through - out of the 1000 + pages, there were maybe about 300 I didn't that much care for, but that really comes down to personal tastes, as the writing remains great throughout, as does the artwork. Highly recommended.
This omnibus collects his work on Detective Comics and Steets of Gotham, as well as some loose stories from a few other books. Honestly, this is some of the best Batman books I have ever read. Its comprised of both smaller on-off stories, and some longer arcs, and they are mostly some of the best Batman ever published. Dini knows these characters extremely well, and not only does he writes them very in charcater, but expands and further improves some others (like Hush and a new take on Scarface). This is at times dark, humorous, or all at once. Its really brilliant writing.
The longer arcs were, for me, the least interesting - specifically the ones related to Hush, a Batman villain who I just can't seem to think much of. Altough Dini serioulsy improves and adds much needed depth to the character so shallowy created by Loeb and Lee, he remains, to me, a very uninteresting villain, and sadly, about 300 pages of this book is related to Hush. But that's a personal quibble, and if you happen to like Hush, these stories are the best ever written about him.
I was actually surprised at how dark some of these stories were, specially in the Streets of Gotham issues. I hadn't pegged Dini as someone who would write such dark stories in tone. There is a Zasz story that is quite disturbing, and its one of the best in this collection. On the other side, though, House of Hush is excessively somber and dark in tone, and for me, by far the weakest of the collection, and, that was, at times, unncessarily nasty, specifically in a way they treated a minor character - a child, no less. I'm used to somber and dark comic books (Vertigo Hellblazer being on of my favorite comic book titles), but I don't really think something like that belongs in a Batman comic, specially considering that most of DIni's stories were alot less darker throughout the rest of the book.
As for the artwork, it s very good. Its mostly drawn by the same two artists - Don Kramer and Dustin Nguyen. The first one is a good artist, but not terribly remarkable. Nguyen, however, is an amazing artists, and his pages are vibrant, exciting and dynamic. I can't praise him enougth, and his art comprises most of this book, which is great news, of course.
Despite the shortcomings I pointed out above, it is however, a five stars thorugh and through - out of the 1000 + pages, there were maybe about 300 I didn't that much care for, but that really comes down to personal tastes, as the writing remains great throughout, as does the artwork. Highly recommended.
May 16, 2021
Starts of with stand alone short stories that are more "Batman the detective" and less action heavy. So initially I thought “neat, I can read an issue or two whenever I need a batman fix between the other stuff I'm reading”.
But as you go on things start recurring, and the stories are more and more intertwined. After 200 or so pages you notice that everything is connected in some way creating a bigger narrative. Sometimes a small detail referring to a previous story, other times a character that is suddenly a lot more important than you thought it would be.
So the idea of reading some issues now and then when I wanted turned into binge reading the whole thing. And honestly, it was too good not to read in one go, I could not stop. I almost paused to read (part of?) Morrison's run though, cause I think certain events in their books have an effect on this omnibus.
Some downsides: the first stories are very forgettable and the mapping of The Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul does not make sense to me. Only a small part is included in here. Either give us the whole story (or at least enough to make sense) or remove it altogether.
4.5 rounded down to 4. Highly recommend Batman omnibus.
But as you go on things start recurring, and the stories are more and more intertwined. After 200 or so pages you notice that everything is connected in some way creating a bigger narrative. Sometimes a small detail referring to a previous story, other times a character that is suddenly a lot more important than you thought it would be.
So the idea of reading some issues now and then when I wanted turned into binge reading the whole thing. And honestly, it was too good not to read in one go, I could not stop. I almost paused to read (part of?) Morrison's run though, cause I think certain events in their books have an effect on this omnibus.
Some downsides: the first stories are very forgettable and the mapping of The Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul does not make sense to me. Only a small part is included in here. Either give us the whole story (or at least enough to make sense) or remove it altogether.
4.5 rounded down to 4. Highly recommend Batman omnibus.
October 26, 2020
The Hush stories were great, but I really loved all the stand-alone issues—felt like I was watching new episodes of the Animated Series.
October 25, 2024
A great choice for spooky season, Paul Dini’s Batman run was a treat. The first half of the book is mostly a series of single issue mysteries and several issue stories. In the second half, Dini does justice to the villain Hush, who I’d never really liked before. The transition in the second half to longer stories works well in that it continues to offer those little mysteries throughout.
Enjoy some proper detection work with this one!
Enjoy some proper detection work with this one!
October 23, 2021
(Zero spoiler review) 3.75/5
I thought I would like this more than I did. I came into this having laboured through a flat and flaccid Deadpool omni (which I'm still trudging through) and the opening page of this collection was a breath of fresh air. The sublime art. The thick noir-ish vibes. I literally stopped, closed my eyes and breathed deep at how much better this was. Sadly, the remaining run was a series of ups and downs, none of which ever managed to capture the sheer joy this first page gave me.
I understand Dini is very highly regarded with the character. Whilst I could somewhat see why at times, too often I was left shaking my head at the mans indifference to allowing the most grotesque of plot holes into his work, not to mention the ridiculous premises and contrivances that regularly fill the pages, just to push the plot along. As I don't do spoilers, I won't mention any of them here, but far too often I was shaking my head at the sheer stupidity on display. I'm not the biggest superhero fan for this reason, as too often such nonsense happens far too regularly for my liking, although its dialled up to 11 here at times. Not only this, but I lost count of the amount of times that a decent story was cut short. With only a panel dedicated to a scene that needed a page. Or a single issue arc that easily could have been fleshed out to a more enjoyable and realised double. Nothing here is terrible by any means, but it really could have been done better. The two artists here are very good. Ngyuen, who features more prominently, is perhaps the most versatile artist I have come across in my semi limited time within the medium. The man has so many styles he pulls off effortlessly. I much prefer his heavier inks and painted scenes over his highly stylised cartoony panels, which sadly make up the majority of the book. It took a long while to get used to, but I grew to appreciate it nonetheless, even if the eclectic style made it seem like there were multiple artists on a book. The guy doesn't draw very attractive women either, faces especially. Despite my criticisms, I did enjoy this for the most part. Just like I said with the Sale/Loeb omnibus, I just expected a bit more. 3.75/5
OmniBen.
I thought I would like this more than I did. I came into this having laboured through a flat and flaccid Deadpool omni (which I'm still trudging through) and the opening page of this collection was a breath of fresh air. The sublime art. The thick noir-ish vibes. I literally stopped, closed my eyes and breathed deep at how much better this was. Sadly, the remaining run was a series of ups and downs, none of which ever managed to capture the sheer joy this first page gave me.
I understand Dini is very highly regarded with the character. Whilst I could somewhat see why at times, too often I was left shaking my head at the mans indifference to allowing the most grotesque of plot holes into his work, not to mention the ridiculous premises and contrivances that regularly fill the pages, just to push the plot along. As I don't do spoilers, I won't mention any of them here, but far too often I was shaking my head at the sheer stupidity on display. I'm not the biggest superhero fan for this reason, as too often such nonsense happens far too regularly for my liking, although its dialled up to 11 here at times. Not only this, but I lost count of the amount of times that a decent story was cut short. With only a panel dedicated to a scene that needed a page. Or a single issue arc that easily could have been fleshed out to a more enjoyable and realised double. Nothing here is terrible by any means, but it really could have been done better. The two artists here are very good. Ngyuen, who features more prominently, is perhaps the most versatile artist I have come across in my semi limited time within the medium. The man has so many styles he pulls off effortlessly. I much prefer his heavier inks and painted scenes over his highly stylised cartoony panels, which sadly make up the majority of the book. It took a long while to get used to, but I grew to appreciate it nonetheless, even if the eclectic style made it seem like there were multiple artists on a book. The guy doesn't draw very attractive women either, faces especially. Despite my criticisms, I did enjoy this for the most part. Just like I said with the Sale/Loeb omnibus, I just expected a bit more. 3.75/5
OmniBen.
January 6, 2022
Really enjoyed my time with this giant book. Featuring gorgeous artwork, countless cameos, thrilling action, intricate investigations and a variety of stories Paul Dini's Batman is a damn good time even during its slower paced sections. My only gripes would be some of the lackluster villains and having to seek elsewhere to complete some of the stories.
November 22, 2020
Fantastic run, excellent all around. This is classic Batman in Gotham City with great collection of villains for some truly fantastic stories. Highly recommend, no prior reading necessary although a few issues will mention some other story plot points.
October 20, 2020
Review incoming but it gets the full 5 because a star is just for the Nguyen art used in the omnibus design
November 7, 2025
DNF - I'm sorry I know a lot of people love Paul Dini work. but I find this run so boring. just not for me.
October 28, 2020
This omnibus is like a distillation of Paul Dini’s animated series scripts in comic form....except all in the main canon DC continuity, so extra rad.
Slay Ride is hands down my standout favourite story in this book, managing to be a funny, concise and at the same time utterly terrifying Joker story all snuggly fit into one issue (we also get a neat showcase of my favourite Robin, Tim Drake)
The other stories are all great too (although I do wish they’d done for this omnibus the same thing they’d done in the first Grant Morrison Omni and filled in the gaps for the resurrection of Ra’s Al Ghul storyline)
The art all around is a winner, with Dustin Nguyen being the masterful majority.
This book rocks.
Slay Ride is hands down my standout favourite story in this book, managing to be a funny, concise and at the same time utterly terrifying Joker story all snuggly fit into one issue (we also get a neat showcase of my favourite Robin, Tim Drake)
The other stories are all great too (although I do wish they’d done for this omnibus the same thing they’d done in the first Grant Morrison Omni and filled in the gaps for the resurrection of Ra’s Al Ghul storyline)
The art all around is a winner, with Dustin Nguyen being the masterful majority.
This book rocks.
January 6, 2021
Dini just gets the characters, as Batman the Animated Series proved. With each storyline neatly wrapping up with a satisfying "The End" this 1,000+ page Omnibus was an extreme pleasure to read. with such a mix of characters over the last 80 years to draw from, Dini hand picks the lineup in every story and you are instantly swept into their world...highly recommended.
September 2, 2022
Il volume presenta storie sparse scritte da Dini sulla testata Detective Comics o su qualche raccolta (es. Batman Black and White) e alcuni dei suoi mini cicli più importanti su Bat.
Le prime storie sono autoconclusive, con dei casi da risolvere: 3 stelle.
Il ciclo su Ra's Al Ghoul è abbastanza anonimo: 2 stelle.
I casi collegati a Scarface, con Joker e Zatanna come guest stars, sono abbastanza carini e ben fatti: 3.5 stelle
Il top del top si raggiunge con Cuore di Hush: una storia da brividi che merita 5 stelle.
Si passa a Streets of Gotham: 3.5 stelle.
Il volume si chiude con storie "extra" prese da varie raccolte particolari (una sul Natale, una da Batman B/W, una da un Annual, ecc.): 2 stelle.
In generale, l'omnibus è discretamente valido, ma oscilla tra le 3 e 4 stelle.
Molte storie si collocano durante la sparizione di Batman per mano di Morrison (ciclo parallelo) e post suo ritorno.
Consiglio di leggere prima il Bat di Morrison per capire in che periodo sono ambientate.
Le prime storie sono autoconclusive, con dei casi da risolvere: 3 stelle.
Il ciclo su Ra's Al Ghoul è abbastanza anonimo: 2 stelle.
I casi collegati a Scarface, con Joker e Zatanna come guest stars, sono abbastanza carini e ben fatti: 3.5 stelle
Il top del top si raggiunge con Cuore di Hush: una storia da brividi che merita 5 stelle.
Si passa a Streets of Gotham: 3.5 stelle.
Il volume si chiude con storie "extra" prese da varie raccolte particolari (una sul Natale, una da Batman B/W, una da un Annual, ecc.): 2 stelle.
In generale, l'omnibus è discretamente valido, ma oscilla tra le 3 e 4 stelle.
Molte storie si collocano durante la sparizione di Batman per mano di Morrison (ciclo parallelo) e post suo ritorno.
Consiglio di leggere prima il Bat di Morrison per capire in che periodo sono ambientate.
March 17, 2025
I’m a huge Paul Dini fan for his writing days on Batman Animated Series. I bought a lot of these issues as they came out in the mid 2000’s but hadn’t revisited since then . It was nice to read them chronologically in one collection.
It starts off very strong with a lot of solid one-shot stories and slowly the stories become intertwined with reoccurring characters and stories.
I really loved his new take on the ventriloquist. He does a great job of having them in the background and slowly building them into the bad guy.
The storylines did a get bit messy when they had to tie into the Batman run that was running concurrently. Those stories felt like I was missing information and playing catch up. That made the final Hush story fall flat in my opinion.
Overall a solid omnibus collection.
It starts off very strong with a lot of solid one-shot stories and slowly the stories become intertwined with reoccurring characters and stories.
I really loved his new take on the ventriloquist. He does a great job of having them in the background and slowly building them into the bad guy.
The storylines did a get bit messy when they had to tie into the Batman run that was running concurrently. Those stories felt like I was missing information and playing catch up. That made the final Hush story fall flat in my opinion.
Overall a solid omnibus collection.
November 4, 2024
Solid collection. I like how much of the rogues gallery Dini uses and the particular characters he chooses to spend a lot of time with.
March 13, 2023
This was a blast. A largely episodic Detective Comics run acting as a companion to Morrison's Batman work coinciding with the storylines from "Batman & Son" through "The Return of Bruce Wayne". Dini's run is primarily focused on smaller side stories and character development both of which it executes to great success. I love basically every path taken with the characters in this series; Riddler trying his hands at a being a private eye, the appearance of "Abuse" who brands villains with brass knuckle punches, the will they / won't they romantic plot with Zatanna and Bruce, the role of Hush when Bruce disappears, the flashback scenes with the romantic history between Martha and Thomas Wayne... I could go on and on. The fun and creative one shot issues these characters appear in are also damn satisfying with episodes like "Business", about a real estate agent for Gotham's super criminals, delivering stories I never knew I wanted from a Batman series. The longer 4-5 issue storylines aren't as thoroughly entertaining, mostly dragging in the middle with the first Hush arc, but the direction taken is still interesting and often good fun. I wasn't sure how I felt about Nguyen's art when he took over for Kramer but I grew to love it by the end and it fit the tone of the series perfectly (much like Cooke's work in Catwoman of East End). If you're someone who likes more light hearted Batman stories or desires compelling character development for his rogue's gallery this series is for you. Give me more of "The Broker" and "The Carpenter"! 8.5/10
December 27, 2022
Paul Dini's run is focused on Batman as a detective and everything in these stories is interjoined whether you know it or not on first read. It's a joy to see minor events and characters take on greater significance the longer you read. As a fair note, this collection is definitely improved by being read quickly so you can keep track of all that has happened and who is who. Additionally, not every story here is a winner but most are enjoyable and are improved as a whole by how they all eventually link together.
Unfortunately, Dini's retrograde characterization of women and his constant fetishization of Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy occasionally brought down this collection for me. Dini is a great Batman writer but his writing of women is often super cringy.
However, as a whole the stories work together and it's nice to see everything tie together even if there's a few misses story wise. If you want to read some Batman that also functions as a great detective story then this one is for you. A great omnibus.
Unfortunately, Dini's retrograde characterization of women and his constant fetishization of Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy occasionally brought down this collection for me. Dini is a great Batman writer but his writing of women is often super cringy.
However, as a whole the stories work together and it's nice to see everything tie together even if there's a few misses story wise. If you want to read some Batman that also functions as a great detective story then this one is for you. A great omnibus.
February 6, 2024
[3.3]
This is a real fat omnibus. I had a little fatigue after a while, and should probably have read half of it, take a break and read other stuff in between.
That said, there are some great short stories and a decent Hush collection in here. Detective-heavy Batman and a good mix of classic Bruce Waynery. Beautiful and interesting women, multi faceted villains. Not something a "modern", family oriented story would allow for.
Like Sale and Loeb's omni, this one includes a variety of appearances from Batman's rogue gallery. The stories tie well into each other to create the sense of a continuing timeline.
The quality of the storytelling is good and the art is good throughout. Some of Dustin Nguyen's panels are superb. I remember one in particular, that shows characters and their reflections in mirrors that elongate or otherwise distort them.
While there aren't many things from this omnibus that I will remember for a long time, it is a solid read and I would recommend it to people that enjoy Batman
This is a real fat omnibus. I had a little fatigue after a while, and should probably have read half of it, take a break and read other stuff in between.
That said, there are some great short stories and a decent Hush collection in here. Detective-heavy Batman and a good mix of classic Bruce Waynery. Beautiful and interesting women, multi faceted villains. Not something a "modern", family oriented story would allow for.
Like Sale and Loeb's omni, this one includes a variety of appearances from Batman's rogue gallery. The stories tie well into each other to create the sense of a continuing timeline.
The quality of the storytelling is good and the art is good throughout. Some of Dustin Nguyen's panels are superb. I remember one in particular, that shows characters and their reflections in mirrors that elongate or otherwise distort them.
While there aren't many things from this omnibus that I will remember for a long time, it is a solid read and I would recommend it to people that enjoy Batman
October 11, 2022
Batman by Paul Dini.. That sure got a nice ring to it. Dini ofcourse is most known for Batman The Animated Series but also scripted The Arkham Games and worked on Batman Beyond, he is also the co creator of Harley Quinn, he knows his stuff. This omnibus is great and has alot of one shots giving this a very Batman animated style, as that series also had alot of one shots, later in you find out that those shorts are really connected but in small ways. There are also bigger arcs with a very big story arc featuring Hush. Don Kramer and Dustin Nguyen do most of the artwork and both ace it, Kramer is a very classic artist and Nguyen is a really great fit for the caped crusader. There are also a couple shorts included writen by Dini and drawn by Alex Ross and Neal Adams, this book is at times Batman heaven. The story also focuses on the badguys at times, cool but not all stories hit the mark sadly, but all in all this is a spectacular Batman book.
July 9, 2025
Paul Dini's iteration of Batman through Batman: The Animated Series and the Arkham video games has always been the quintessential take on the character for me. So, I was excited when I found out about his Detective Comics run from the mid-2000s. Essentially, this run follows an episodic story structure, but with reoccurring characters such as the Riddler, Scarface, Zetana, and Hush. This run also includes the Heart of Hush and House of Hush storylines, but for the most part, expect it to be reading episodic stand-alone stories. A large focus of these stories is on solving mystery. Similar to stories, you would've seen the episodes of the BTAS. As someone who grew up watching Batman: The Animated Series and played the Arkham video games, this comic run felt like a continuation of the Batman from my childhood. Paul Dini's take on Batman still holds as my definitive version of the character.
April 4, 2024
An excellent collection of Batman stories written by the great Paul Dini. I was familiar with Dini prior to reading this omnibus because I am a fan of the animated series, which he played a major role in developing and writing. I saw his name attached to this and decided to purchase it. It was a great read. I enjoyed most of the stories. The only story I disliked was one of the Poison Ivy stories. I did not like that story at all, and Poison Ivy is not one of my favorite Batman villains does not help at all. Nevertheless, I still give this omnibus five stars because, as I stated before, the stories are excellent. There are one off stories and then stories that connect to the previous story.
August 5, 2025
I've only read the run that is in Detective Comics so my review is only for that. I love the story since every issue is different from one another and Batman doesn't really have this big bad villain he have to defeat. It's just mostly him doing normal Batman stuff being a detective and beating up bad guys. I think this is my start on having a crush for Zatanna and Catwoman as well. They're both so fine... Anyways, I also loved the Hush run in this, I always thought that Hush's motives were kind off weird and it doesn't stick to me very well, but after reading this and knowing that he pretty much gets abused and compared every single day, it makes much more sense. I love this run
September 21, 2025
Fantastic Batman stories in the first half. A little too much “Hush” in the last half.
Still, what a fantastically written book by a man who truly understands the characters in a way that only so many do. Paul Dini is a Bat-legend, and that comes through in his comics as well. Between Batman The Animated Series, Batman Arkham Asylum and Arkham City, and now this omnibus, Dini has truly written my favorite Batman time and time again.
The one-off single issues felt like episodes of the animated series I grew up on (except more adult). Reading this straightforward book in tangent with Grant Morrison’s more conceptual and trippy books probably made me appreciate it even more.
Still, what a fantastically written book by a man who truly understands the characters in a way that only so many do. Paul Dini is a Bat-legend, and that comes through in his comics as well. Between Batman The Animated Series, Batman Arkham Asylum and Arkham City, and now this omnibus, Dini has truly written my favorite Batman time and time again.
The one-off single issues felt like episodes of the animated series I grew up on (except more adult). Reading this straightforward book in tangent with Grant Morrison’s more conceptual and trippy books probably made me appreciate it even more.
May 9, 2022
Besides the Hush storyline, much of Paul Dini’s work for Batman IN comic format is forgetful. I enjoyed his work on the Animated Series (Heart of Ice) mostly but, he’s not my fav when it comes to him writing the character for graphic novel runs. Some of the art is cool. Dustin slowly grew on me as I kept flipping the pages.
However, some of the storylines were simply thrown in with no preface so you may be a bit lost if you haven’t read the missing issues from this omnibus. Otherwise, it’s nice to own for any Batman collector.
However, some of the storylines were simply thrown in with no preface so you may be a bit lost if you haven’t read the missing issues from this omnibus. Otherwise, it’s nice to own for any Batman collector.
September 5, 2024
This book has one of my favorite Batman runs, with an emphasis on self-contained single-issue stories, in which Bruce Wayne gets as much attention as Batman and several members of his rogue's gallery are reinvented in clever ways that make for interesting stories. When the book is forced to cross over with or react to Grant Morrison's simultaneously published Batman series, it's less successful, and the omnibus format is bulky and awkward to read. But it's nice to have the entire run on my shelves, including a few stories by Dini that were published later and which I never read before.
December 22, 2024
Maybe 2.5 stars. Maybe. I really enjoyed the first third until Detective Comics 846 where it becomes the Hush omnibus. Hush is in the background or foreground of every story afterwards.
The Don Kramer issues are the highlights. I enjoyed those one and done issues.
Covers by Bianchi and Nguyen are fantastic, the issues by Nguyen aren't for me.
The Don Kramer issues are the highlights. I enjoyed those one and done issues.
Covers by Bianchi and Nguyen are fantastic, the issues by Nguyen aren't for me.
September 23, 2025
Paul Dini's Batman run is happening in parallel to Grant Morrison's famous run and I think it's by far the better one. Dini is less focused on big status quo changes and more on fun single issue stories for underused villains. This is more of an ensemble book where Batman is just one of many weirdos in this city. Also it somehow managed to turn Hush into an interesting character.
January 17, 2024
All solid. I read the non-Dini issues that filled the gaps in both the Detective Comics run and the Streets of Gotham run, and the filler dragged down the experience. I probably should've skipped it. All the Dini stuff was minimally 4 stars.
October 31, 2024
If you read Grant Morrison's Batman, and Hush by Jim Lee, this is a must-read, one of the best Batman I have ever read! I loved this too much, never felt like the story dragged on, every story is interesting and keeps you interested to read more.
April 27, 2021
Not essential reading, but a fun collection of solid Batman stories.
January 22, 2022
You wouldn’t think ordinary stories about a character almost 100 years old could still pop, but they do in the hands of Paul Dini. Gotham comes alive. Worth every penny.
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