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Elseworlds: Batman #1
Elseworlds: Batman Vol. 1
For the first time ever, Batman’s Elseworlds tales are featured in a new graphic novel collection.
In Elseworlds, heroes are taken from their usual settings and put into strange times and places-some that have existed, or might have existed; and others that can’t, couldn’t or shouldn’t exist. The result: stories that make characters who are as familiar as yesterday seem as fresh as tomorrow.
Featuring Batman as a holy priest, Harry Houdini alongside the Dark Knight, Dr. Wayne reanimating a Frankenstein-like Bat-Man, Batman as a Green Lantern, a supernatural Bat-Man fighting the evil wizard known as the Dark Joker, a future Robin fighting off an alien invasion, and other tales!
Collects BATMAN: HOLY TERROR, BATMAN: THE BLUE, THE GREY, AND THE BAT, ROBIN 3000 #1-2, BATMAN/DARK JOKER: THE WILD, BATMAN/HOUDINI: THE DEVIL’S WORKSHOP, BATMAN: CASTLE OF THE BAT, BATMAN: IN DARKEST KNIGHT and BATMAN: DARK ALLEGIANCES!
In Elseworlds, heroes are taken from their usual settings and put into strange times and places-some that have existed, or might have existed; and others that can’t, couldn’t or shouldn’t exist. The result: stories that make characters who are as familiar as yesterday seem as fresh as tomorrow.
Featuring Batman as a holy priest, Harry Houdini alongside the Dark Knight, Dr. Wayne reanimating a Frankenstein-like Bat-Man, Batman as a Green Lantern, a supernatural Bat-Man fighting the evil wizard known as the Dark Joker, a future Robin fighting off an alien invasion, and other tales!
Collects BATMAN: HOLY TERROR, BATMAN: THE BLUE, THE GREY, AND THE BAT, ROBIN 3000 #1-2, BATMAN/DARK JOKER: THE WILD, BATMAN/HOUDINI: THE DEVIL’S WORKSHOP, BATMAN: CASTLE OF THE BAT, BATMAN: IN DARKEST KNIGHT and BATMAN: DARK ALLEGIANCES!
534 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 26, 2016
66 people are currently reading
287 people want to read
About the author
Doug Moench
2,071 books122 followersDoug Moench, is an American comic book writer notable for his Batman work and as the creator of Black Mask, Moon Knight and Deathlok. Moench has worked for DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Dark Horse Comics and many other smaller companies; he has written hundreds of issues of many different comics, and created dozens of characters, such as Moon Knight. In 1973, Moench became the de facto lead writer for the Marvel black-and-white magazine imprint Curtis Magazines. He contributed to the entire runs of Planet of the Apes, Rampaging Hulk (continuing on the title when it changed its name to The Hulk!) and Doc Savage, while also serving as a regular scribe for virtually every other Curtis title during the course of the imprint's existence. Moench is perhaps best known for his work on Batman, whose title he wrote from 1983–1986 and then again from 1992–1998. (He also wrote the companion title Detective Comics from 1983–1986.)
Moench is a frequent and longtime collaborator with comics artist Paul Gulacy. The pair are probably best known for their work on Shang-Chi: Master of Kung Fu, which they worked on together from 1974–1977. They also co-created Six from Sirius, Slash Maraud, and S.C.I. Spy, and have worked together on comics projects featuring Batman, Conan the Barbarian and James Bond.
Moench has frequently been paired with the artist and inker team of Kelley Jones and John Beatty on several Elseworlds Graphic Novels and a long run of the monthly Batman comic.
Moench is a frequent and longtime collaborator with comics artist Paul Gulacy. The pair are probably best known for their work on Shang-Chi: Master of Kung Fu, which they worked on together from 1974–1977. They also co-created Six from Sirius, Slash Maraud, and S.C.I. Spy, and have worked together on comics projects featuring Batman, Conan the Barbarian and James Bond.
Moench has frequently been paired with the artist and inker team of Kelley Jones and John Beatty on several Elseworlds Graphic Novels and a long run of the monthly Batman comic.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
November 11, 2017
*sigh* Elseworlds sucked. Yep I said it. Cool concept that falls flat with shitty stories. Yep, I said that too. The first story-set in a world where Cromwell won is likely the best (and that's not saying much). The rest? Simple and unadulterated dreck. Don't know how to define "dreck"? No worries-read Elseworlds and you'll see.
After the first one, the rest were so bad I just flipped through this. Also the crappy Robin 3000 or 4000 is also junk. I'm not going to waste too much time on this crappy book. Almost was a DNF. Don't bother unless you're a masochist.
After the first one, the rest were so bad I just flipped through this. Also the crappy Robin 3000 or 4000 is also junk. I'm not going to waste too much time on this crappy book. Almost was a DNF. Don't bother unless you're a masochist.
March 24, 2020
I love the Elseworlds comics. This volume collects several of my all time favorite ones starring Batman Holy Terror, BATMAN/HOUDINI: THE DEVIL’S WORKSHOP & BATMAN: IN DARKEST KNIGHT. It also has one of the worst to me: BATMAN/DARK JOKER: THE WILD. Great read with very good art. Very recommended
August 20, 2017
I can see why this has such a low rating. I lost interest in a lot of the stories in this omnibus about half way through, so I just flipped through them until the end.
I would say unless you specifically want to read everything Batman-related you can just skip this one.
I would say unless you specifically want to read everything Batman-related you can just skip this one.
September 12, 2016
This was uber bad and extremely tasteless. The only one that was mildly entertaining was the Houdini one. Don't waste your time picking this up.
January 1, 2023
If you are a Batman fan, you might be interested in reading Batman in different time period both the historical past and far future. And if this describes you then this volume would be something you might want to get since it collects various stories from DC Comic’s Elseworlds which presents various stories that takes place in alternative worlds. I really think this is such a cool idea and allows writers and illustrators to exercise more creativity artistically and with story-telling.
There were a total of eight stories that were collected, and I group Robin 3000 as one even though the book list part one and part two, since Robin 3000 is longer. The first story is Batman Holy Terror and it has a V for Vendetta feel to it with the story of evil people using religion to tyrannize the masses while the leaders are depraved, hypocritical and power hungry. Next is a Batman story that takes place during the American Civil War called “Batman: The Blue, the Grey and the Bat.” I read this previously and I enjoyed it immensely, its one of the top stories in this volume. I didn’t really care for Robin 3000 as much and it was more of a future sci-fi space story, although the story wasn’t bad. After that is a Batman/Dark Joker story that goes back in time followed by a late 1800 and early 1900s era story where Batman teams up with Houndini in a story that was too dark for me. Then there’s a castle era story, a story called “Batman: In Darkest Knight” that feature Batman as a Green Lantern kind of character and a final story called “Batman: Dark Allegiances” which gives an alternative history of Batman fighting the Nazis during the period of World War Two and feature historical characters like FDR, Hitler, etc. I did like the last story.
I started being a fan of Batman comics relatively late compared to most fans (in my late 20s) and have recently been interested with older stories like these from the 1980s, largely because I think there was more time spent on storytelling in each issue which made them enjoyable (sometimes newer Batman seems to have issues that were more fillers and a simple story can take forever covering many issues such as Batman marrying Catwoman). It was also great to read these comics from a previous generation. Overall I recommend this though I don’t think every story was equally good; and some were not so great.
There were a total of eight stories that were collected, and I group Robin 3000 as one even though the book list part one and part two, since Robin 3000 is longer. The first story is Batman Holy Terror and it has a V for Vendetta feel to it with the story of evil people using religion to tyrannize the masses while the leaders are depraved, hypocritical and power hungry. Next is a Batman story that takes place during the American Civil War called “Batman: The Blue, the Grey and the Bat.” I read this previously and I enjoyed it immensely, its one of the top stories in this volume. I didn’t really care for Robin 3000 as much and it was more of a future sci-fi space story, although the story wasn’t bad. After that is a Batman/Dark Joker story that goes back in time followed by a late 1800 and early 1900s era story where Batman teams up with Houndini in a story that was too dark for me. Then there’s a castle era story, a story called “Batman: In Darkest Knight” that feature Batman as a Green Lantern kind of character and a final story called “Batman: Dark Allegiances” which gives an alternative history of Batman fighting the Nazis during the period of World War Two and feature historical characters like FDR, Hitler, etc. I did like the last story.
I started being a fan of Batman comics relatively late compared to most fans (in my late 20s) and have recently been interested with older stories like these from the 1980s, largely because I think there was more time spent on storytelling in each issue which made them enjoyable (sometimes newer Batman seems to have issues that were more fillers and a simple story can take forever covering many issues such as Batman marrying Catwoman). It was also great to read these comics from a previous generation. Overall I recommend this though I don’t think every story was equally good; and some were not so great.
January 25, 2018
Ive actually moved this down a star in hindsight. Some of the tales in here were really good and quite clever takes, for example the one written in a era where there was an inquisition but an awful lot did not quite work as well as it should have and the changes in quality, relevance and strengths in the tales made it a tough read.
There were a couple of times I could have stopped in particular tales and one managed to feel like a poorly told and rushed introduction rather than a story of its own right. I appreciate that there has to be experimentation and I appreciate that sometimes it will work better than others but the variance in quality mean that it never quite gelled for me.
Its not awful or bad. The artists are still good, but it does not have any internal consistency.
Sorry
There were a couple of times I could have stopped in particular tales and one managed to feel like a poorly told and rushed introduction rather than a story of its own right. I appreciate that there has to be experimentation and I appreciate that sometimes it will work better than others but the variance in quality mean that it never quite gelled for me.
Its not awful or bad. The artists are still good, but it does not have any internal consistency.
Sorry
February 7, 2017
This are reissues of the classic Batman related Elseworlds, unlike Volume Two, which consist of a coherent Elseworld series written primarily by Doug Moench, there is a lot of diversity of authors and artists in this first volume.
Batman: Holy Terror by Alan Brennert and Norm Breyfogle is the story of Batman in a semi-feudal theocracy ran by a corrupt church. Bruce Wayne discovers the church has his parents killed and becomes the Dark Knight to avenge them. The art here is very period, but impressive nonetheless, and the storytelling is solid if a little obvious. This definitely feels like a coherent Batman story in a different universe.
Batman: The Blue, the Grey, and the Bat by Elliot S. Maggin and José Luis García is a Western in the style of Zorro and Lone Ranger. It's high camp fun, although it does not really feel that related to Batman as a concept at all.
Robin 3000 by Byron Preiss and P. Craig Russell is strange stuff. Obviously originally created as Tom Swift graph novel, it becomes very clear that the Robin connection is forced for marketing and a tie to Batman. Originally for Simon and Schuster but remarketed for DC, the story seems aimless and based on a world that is both far future but almost completely removed from anything essentially related to Batman.
Batman / Dark Joker: The Wild by Doug Moench and Kelly Jones is a dark fantasy with tons of violence, and lots of gore. While dark like Meonch and Jones Dracula, Batman:Vampire series, the cannibalism and seemingly completely unmotivated violence make this one hard to enjoy. The Batman character doesn't have a lot of character, and the magical violence doesn't make a lot of sense.
Batman / Houdini: The Devil's Workshop by Howard Chaykin, John Francis Moore and Mark Chiarello. Chaykin's pulpy period writing works well in this setting of Houdini and Batman together. The art is solid and wonderfully atmospheric. The use of different perspectives is also helpful, adding a literary gloss to the comic. Easily the best story in the collection.
Batman: Castle of the Bat by Jack C. Harris and Bo Hampton is Batman as the monster and Bruce Wayne as Dr. Frankenstein. Very little of Batman's atmosphere or essence make it into what is essentially a gothic literature comic retelling. Bo Hampton's gothic art does keep me interested here but the story is fairly thin.
Batman: In Darkest Night by Mike W. Barr and Jerry Bingham is in many ways, this almost feels more like a silver age book than an early 1990s Elseworld, although there are other Batman titles from the time period that have this level of "cheesiness." The combination of Batman and Green Lantern is interesting as in a having Bruce Wayne answer to a cosmic body is interesting, but the development of conflict is rushed, and the entering feels extremely rushed. It would have benefited from being double the page count. The art is workman-like: figures are consistent, and it does the job. It's a decent quick read, but it could have been more given its premise.
Batman: Dark Allegiances by Howard Chaykin's Batman is packedcommunists, fascists and political intrigue. Pulpy and delightful, but not entirely coherent in my mind. It's fun, but it doesn't stick with you.
Overall, it is interesting, but there is a whole of this that don't seem like classic Elseworlds and don't really fit into the Batman atmosphere.
Batman: Holy Terror by Alan Brennert and Norm Breyfogle is the story of Batman in a semi-feudal theocracy ran by a corrupt church. Bruce Wayne discovers the church has his parents killed and becomes the Dark Knight to avenge them. The art here is very period, but impressive nonetheless, and the storytelling is solid if a little obvious. This definitely feels like a coherent Batman story in a different universe.
Batman: The Blue, the Grey, and the Bat by Elliot S. Maggin and José Luis García is a Western in the style of Zorro and Lone Ranger. It's high camp fun, although it does not really feel that related to Batman as a concept at all.
Robin 3000 by Byron Preiss and P. Craig Russell is strange stuff. Obviously originally created as Tom Swift graph novel, it becomes very clear that the Robin connection is forced for marketing and a tie to Batman. Originally for Simon and Schuster but remarketed for DC, the story seems aimless and based on a world that is both far future but almost completely removed from anything essentially related to Batman.
Batman / Dark Joker: The Wild by Doug Moench and Kelly Jones is a dark fantasy with tons of violence, and lots of gore. While dark like Meonch and Jones Dracula, Batman:Vampire series, the cannibalism and seemingly completely unmotivated violence make this one hard to enjoy. The Batman character doesn't have a lot of character, and the magical violence doesn't make a lot of sense.
Batman / Houdini: The Devil's Workshop by Howard Chaykin, John Francis Moore and Mark Chiarello. Chaykin's pulpy period writing works well in this setting of Houdini and Batman together. The art is solid and wonderfully atmospheric. The use of different perspectives is also helpful, adding a literary gloss to the comic. Easily the best story in the collection.
Batman: Castle of the Bat by Jack C. Harris and Bo Hampton is Batman as the monster and Bruce Wayne as Dr. Frankenstein. Very little of Batman's atmosphere or essence make it into what is essentially a gothic literature comic retelling. Bo Hampton's gothic art does keep me interested here but the story is fairly thin.
Batman: In Darkest Night by Mike W. Barr and Jerry Bingham is in many ways, this almost feels more like a silver age book than an early 1990s Elseworld, although there are other Batman titles from the time period that have this level of "cheesiness." The combination of Batman and Green Lantern is interesting as in a having Bruce Wayne answer to a cosmic body is interesting, but the development of conflict is rushed, and the entering feels extremely rushed. It would have benefited from being double the page count. The art is workman-like: figures are consistent, and it does the job. It's a decent quick read, but it could have been more given its premise.
Batman: Dark Allegiances by Howard Chaykin's Batman is packedcommunists, fascists and political intrigue. Pulpy and delightful, but not entirely coherent in my mind. It's fun, but it doesn't stick with you.
Overall, it is interesting, but there is a whole of this that don't seem like classic Elseworlds and don't really fit into the Batman atmosphere.
July 31, 2021
Some of the stories were pretty good and far enough outside Batman mythology to be good diversions. Others were just "hey what if Batman met Houdini and it was Year One also" and that's less interesting. Batman as Frankenstein? I mean don't get me wrong some of the these stories had bits that were great but also, again, Batman as Frankenstein?
The two Robin stories were pretty dumb and less Elseworlds and more failed attempts to get a story going. Why else would there be two of them?
The "Batman as a monster that for one panel is a man" story seemed more forced to have the Wayne/Batman angle than an Elseworlds story. Like someone came in with it and DC said "hey add this and let's go".
The two Robin stories were pretty dumb and less Elseworlds and more failed attempts to get a story going. Why else would there be two of them?
The "Batman as a monster that for one panel is a man" story seemed more forced to have the Wayne/Batman angle than an Elseworlds story. Like someone came in with it and DC said "hey add this and let's go".
March 7, 2020
An average rating of all of the stories. Certainly some were better than others. Not a real pleasure. Probably reserved for only the true Batman completionist.
October 19, 2019
This was the first of seven large collections of old Elseworlds stories I checked out via Inter-Library Loan (meaning it took some time and effort, and with more strict due dates). By the time I finished this one and got a few issues in to Crisis on Infinite Earths: The Team-Ups (because I wanted to read some good Flash comics, if they exist - I really just wanted a collection of "Flash Facts" that I've heard people talk about), I was pretty burnt out on 70s/80s/90s DC comics.
I recorded my rating of each of the 8 stories within this collection that I read (I skipped pt. 2 of Robin 3000 because the first was so bad.), in case people want to cherry pick from these collections, or seek out other printings of particular stories. Like my ratings Elsewhere on Goodreads, these are out of 5 stars, with half-stars allowed.
Holy Terror: 4 stars
The Blue, Grey, and the Bat: 2.5 stars
Robin 3000 pt. 1: 2 stars
Dark Joker: 3 stars
Batman/Houdini - Devil's Workshop: 3 stars
Castle of the Bat: In Darkest Knight: 2 stars
In Darkest Knight: 2 stars
Dark Allegiances: 2.5 stars
I liked the truly unexpected setup of Holy Terror (not to be confused with Frank Miller's unholy abomination of the same name!) and the anti-state, anti-authoritarian vibes. Dark Joker was better than I expected, and the pairing of Batman with Houdini was smart. But other than those things, these Elseworlds comics are a lot of decent but half-cooked ideas. Reading these older Batman stories - all written by writers I've never heard of - really just makes me grateful for everything Batman+ comics have become since Grant Morrison's All-Star Batman [and Robin], continuing through Scott Snyder's lengthy run, and through to the most recent, fantastically conceived and executed stories by Tom King (I'm pissed at DC for firing him!). Honorable mention to James Tynion IV for having shadowed Scott Snyder and so quickly picked up various important duties in creating scripts for Gotham's rich cast of characters.
I'm mostly convinced that the old-timers (including some of my personal favorite writers) only cast so much praise at the feet of the silver and (bronze?) age of superhero comics out of nostalgia and brand loyalty for the sake of their careers.
If anyone reading this really loves some particular Batman or Justice League Elseworlds stories, leave them in the comments and I'll try to track them down again.
I recorded my rating of each of the 8 stories within this collection that I read (I skipped pt. 2 of Robin 3000 because the first was so bad.), in case people want to cherry pick from these collections, or seek out other printings of particular stories. Like my ratings Elsewhere on Goodreads, these are out of 5 stars, with half-stars allowed.
Holy Terror: 4 stars
The Blue, Grey, and the Bat: 2.5 stars
Robin 3000 pt. 1: 2 stars
Dark Joker: 3 stars
Batman/Houdini - Devil's Workshop: 3 stars
Castle of the Bat: In Darkest Knight: 2 stars
In Darkest Knight: 2 stars
Dark Allegiances: 2.5 stars
I liked the truly unexpected setup of Holy Terror (not to be confused with Frank Miller's unholy abomination of the same name!) and the anti-state, anti-authoritarian vibes. Dark Joker was better than I expected, and the pairing of Batman with Houdini was smart. But other than those things, these Elseworlds comics are a lot of decent but half-cooked ideas. Reading these older Batman stories - all written by writers I've never heard of - really just makes me grateful for everything Batman+ comics have become since Grant Morrison's All-Star Batman [and Robin], continuing through Scott Snyder's lengthy run, and through to the most recent, fantastically conceived and executed stories by Tom King (I'm pissed at DC for firing him!). Honorable mention to James Tynion IV for having shadowed Scott Snyder and so quickly picked up various important duties in creating scripts for Gotham's rich cast of characters.
I'm mostly convinced that the old-timers (including some of my personal favorite writers) only cast so much praise at the feet of the silver and (bronze?) age of superhero comics out of nostalgia and brand loyalty for the sake of their careers.
If anyone reading this really loves some particular Batman or Justice League Elseworlds stories, leave them in the comments and I'll try to track them down again.
July 29, 2016
LOVE that DC is re-issuing these in collections! A lot of them are well-known but getting difficult to find now. Not every story is genius, but all of them are interesting, and some very good indeed -- usually if there's a problem, it's just that the Elseworlds books weren't a good length. A little too long, so the basic idea gets dragged out a bit, but not long enough to really spin it into a more-complex world, even though a lot of these AUs totally deserved full-fledged graphic novels. But honestly they're better read all together, and the quality of this book is much nicer than the first versions, and I highly recommend it.
October 22, 2018
Let's go through this one at a time, shall we? Elseworlds is basically a way of authors saying "what if?" and re-imagining famous heroes in different ways. I've actually read the entirety of the Batman Vampire story and quite enjoyed it, but this anthology offers up a mixed bag to say the least.
Holy Terror- Imagine if the US was a Theocracy, with fundamentalist Christianity reigning supreme (depending on who you ask, it already does!). Batman is a priest in this one, but also seeks vengeance on the church system that had his parents executed. There's some interesting stuff at play here, with him having a crisis of faith and trying to decide how to maintain his faith while bringing down the system that uses that same belief system to oppress people. It sadly doesn't live up to its potential. Batman learns that a member of the state is experimenting with genetics to create what essentially amounts to the Justice League, but there is no resolution to this story. It ends abruptly, with little sense of closure.
The Blue, the Grey, and the Bat- Bruce is a member of the Union army who works closely with Abe Lincoln to fight the rebellious south, and he wears a bat costume while he does it. To be honest, this was just so goddamn absurd and stupid that I kind of loved it. It's not very good, but it's extremely entertaining, even though a lot of names get thrown around and it can be hard to follow at points. But for God's Sake, there's a group of freed slaves that now fight the south called the Dark Knights, and that is so horrendously tasteless that you have to read it.
Robin 3000 1 and 2- Set in a dystopian future where Batman and Robin are descendants of the originals, except this time they're freedom fighters who plots against the Skulp, a race of aliens that have enslaved humanity by making them believe that they're being treated well. This one was bizarre, and while I understand that the point of these stories is to posit some what ifs, this barely felt like a Batman story at all and instead seems like an idea the writer had for a space opera that they slapped the Batman name onto to get made and like Holy Terror, this one does not technically have a resolution, as the immediate villain is defeated, but humanity isn't free or anything by the end. Probably the weakest entry in this anthology.
Batman/ Dark Joker: The Wild- This is a surprisingly bloody dark fantasy where Batman is a creature created by two magic users to combat the Dark Joker, a homicidal and maniacal wizard that seeks to wipe out the world. This one, despite somewhat generic high fantasy art, was pretty enjoyable for me, as it was really violent and had some interesting themes and surprising body horror.
Batman/ Houdini: The Devil's Workshop- Set during the heyday of Houdini, this odd tale sees Batman team up with the renowned magician to investigate the disappearances of children all around Gotham. Using a gorgeous art style that really helps sell an oppressive atmosphere, this strange but effective tale is once again surprisingly gruesome, with genuine, hard hitting brutality that doesn't pull punches. It could be seen as a companion piece to Gotham by Gaslight due to its period setting, and it's probably the most effective tale in the collection.
Castle of the Bat- Essentially a retelling of Frankenstein where Bruce Wayne is the doctor and the monster is actually the Batman. It's a weird mash up, to be sure, and at times it's eye rolling, but the art helps sell the kind of stupid concept, making it work far better than it should be, and this is coming from someone who couldn't get through Frankenstein.
In Darkest Knight- Essentially, Batman if he was apart of the Green Lantern Corps. From what little I know of that DC series, I don't particularly care for the lore or characters, and this basically just turns Batman into a space travelling Superman, with all that implies. The one cool thing is that Sinestro, (a famous Green Lantern villain IIRC) fuses himself with Joe Chill, leading to what could have been an interesting tale, but it's mostly just shenanigans until the end, which, as a common theme with the worst bits of this collection, is a cliffhanger that doesn't resolve anything.
Dark Allegiances- Set right near the end of the 1930's, this is a noir style thriller where Batman uses the money of corrupt and outright racist senators who belong to the KKK to fund his nightly hobbies. Eventually he gets entangled with a conspiracy to destabilize US relations with other nations during WWII. This one was convoluted and tough to follow at times, but was entertaining enough. Plus, the opening where he invades a KKK rally is absolutely great.
Holy Terror- Imagine if the US was a Theocracy, with fundamentalist Christianity reigning supreme (depending on who you ask, it already does!). Batman is a priest in this one, but also seeks vengeance on the church system that had his parents executed. There's some interesting stuff at play here, with him having a crisis of faith and trying to decide how to maintain his faith while bringing down the system that uses that same belief system to oppress people. It sadly doesn't live up to its potential. Batman learns that a member of the state is experimenting with genetics to create what essentially amounts to the Justice League, but there is no resolution to this story. It ends abruptly, with little sense of closure.
The Blue, the Grey, and the Bat- Bruce is a member of the Union army who works closely with Abe Lincoln to fight the rebellious south, and he wears a bat costume while he does it. To be honest, this was just so goddamn absurd and stupid that I kind of loved it. It's not very good, but it's extremely entertaining, even though a lot of names get thrown around and it can be hard to follow at points. But for God's Sake, there's a group of freed slaves that now fight the south called the Dark Knights, and that is so horrendously tasteless that you have to read it.
Robin 3000 1 and 2- Set in a dystopian future where Batman and Robin are descendants of the originals, except this time they're freedom fighters who plots against the Skulp, a race of aliens that have enslaved humanity by making them believe that they're being treated well. This one was bizarre, and while I understand that the point of these stories is to posit some what ifs, this barely felt like a Batman story at all and instead seems like an idea the writer had for a space opera that they slapped the Batman name onto to get made and like Holy Terror, this one does not technically have a resolution, as the immediate villain is defeated, but humanity isn't free or anything by the end. Probably the weakest entry in this anthology.
Batman/ Dark Joker: The Wild- This is a surprisingly bloody dark fantasy where Batman is a creature created by two magic users to combat the Dark Joker, a homicidal and maniacal wizard that seeks to wipe out the world. This one, despite somewhat generic high fantasy art, was pretty enjoyable for me, as it was really violent and had some interesting themes and surprising body horror.
Batman/ Houdini: The Devil's Workshop- Set during the heyday of Houdini, this odd tale sees Batman team up with the renowned magician to investigate the disappearances of children all around Gotham. Using a gorgeous art style that really helps sell an oppressive atmosphere, this strange but effective tale is once again surprisingly gruesome, with genuine, hard hitting brutality that doesn't pull punches. It could be seen as a companion piece to Gotham by Gaslight due to its period setting, and it's probably the most effective tale in the collection.
Castle of the Bat- Essentially a retelling of Frankenstein where Bruce Wayne is the doctor and the monster is actually the Batman. It's a weird mash up, to be sure, and at times it's eye rolling, but the art helps sell the kind of stupid concept, making it work far better than it should be, and this is coming from someone who couldn't get through Frankenstein.
In Darkest Knight- Essentially, Batman if he was apart of the Green Lantern Corps. From what little I know of that DC series, I don't particularly care for the lore or characters, and this basically just turns Batman into a space travelling Superman, with all that implies. The one cool thing is that Sinestro, (a famous Green Lantern villain IIRC) fuses himself with Joe Chill, leading to what could have been an interesting tale, but it's mostly just shenanigans until the end, which, as a common theme with the worst bits of this collection, is a cliffhanger that doesn't resolve anything.
Dark Allegiances- Set right near the end of the 1930's, this is a noir style thriller where Batman uses the money of corrupt and outright racist senators who belong to the KKK to fund his nightly hobbies. Eventually he gets entangled with a conspiracy to destabilize US relations with other nations during WWII. This one was convoluted and tough to follow at times, but was entertaining enough. Plus, the opening where he invades a KKK rally is absolutely great.
December 15, 2024
Generally, I like Elseworld stories because they tend to be short "What if?" stories where knowing about previous storylines and continuity is not required. The stories in this collection are...kinda strange in my opinion, dealing with AUs (alternate universes).
Batman: Holy Terror
In a world where Oliver Cromwell ruled longer, America is still a commonwealth. Bruce becomes a priest, but also dresses like a bat in order to avenge his parents' deaths after Inquisitor Gordon admits that it was the Church that had them killed. Other characters, such as Barry Allen (The Flash), Arthur [Curry] (Aquaman), and a witch who cast spells be speaking backwards (Zatanna), also appear.
Batman: The Blue, Grey, and the Bat
During the American Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln sends Colonel Bruce Wayne/Batman to Nevada to "secure the greatest source of wealth in a generation for the forces of the Union". On the way/during this mission, he meets Agent R/Redbird (Nightwing?), Agent H (Wild Bill Hickok), and Samuel Clemens/Mark Twain. It's basically a Western with a mix of Zorro and the Lone Ranger.
Robin 3000 #1 and #2
While I was reading this story, I kept thinking that it wasn't really a Batman story. Names could be changed and the story would still be the same. [Edit: Originally, it was supposed to be a futuristic version of the Stratemeyer Syndicate character Tom Swift (which I have no clue who that is). It would've been "Tom Swift 3000".] An alien race called the Skulp have taken contol of earth, and Tom Wayne (Robin) is the last Wayne alive. After escaping a Skulp prison, Tom gets a cybornetic hand and discovers that an android is impersonating him to give the Skulp good PR. There's also something about the alien Dregon and a woman named Genra who reluctantly works for Dregon. The thing that upsets me the most is there is no real conclusion.
Batman/Dark Joker: The Wild
In Medieval times, Dark Joker is an evil sorcerer. Only a literal Bat-Man, the child of Majister and Lilandra, can defeat him...but only once the ritual is completed.
Batman/Houdini: The Devil's Workshop
Narrated by the master escape artist, Harry Houdini and Batman team up to solve the mysterious crime of child abductions. The man they are after is known as Jack Schadenfreude (The Joker). But there is more to this crime... The artwork is really nice. However, and I understand that it was used during this time period, there is use of an antisemitic word.
Batman: Castle of the Bat
Have you ever wanted a Batman and Frankenstein crossover? In this story, Bruce Wayne is Dr. Frankenstein and Batman is the creature. Alfred is Igor. What else can I say? The artwork is also great.
Batman: In Darkest Night
This story was more like I was expecting. What if Bruce was chosen by the Green Lantern ring right as he decides to become Batman? His mission for vengence and the Green Lantern Corps' orders conflict. Bruce wants to stay on Earth and fight crimes, while the Guardians on Oa want him to serve his entire sector. They disagree with his rash decisions, including how he defeated Sinestro. Now he has to fight not just Sinestro, but also avoid the Green Lanterns that were sent to get his ring back.
Batman: Dark Allegiances
It's the late 1930's, there are fascists/Nazis and white supremacists/KKK/White Legion. At night, industrialists Bruce Wayne is Batman, who beats up "people I [Bruce] don't like." It's his hobby. Bruce must play nice with Milt Biggsley (The Penguin) and Senator Caldecott Pewtie (Two-Face) while also trying to taken them down as Batman, even when he realizes actress Kitty Grimalkin (Catwoman) is being blackmailed. Hitler makes an appearance.
Batman: Holy Terror
In a world where Oliver Cromwell ruled longer, America is still a commonwealth. Bruce becomes a priest, but also dresses like a bat in order to avenge his parents' deaths after Inquisitor Gordon admits that it was the Church that had them killed. Other characters, such as Barry Allen (The Flash), Arthur [Curry] (Aquaman), and a witch who cast spells be speaking backwards (Zatanna), also appear.
Batman: The Blue, Grey, and the Bat
During the American Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln sends Colonel Bruce Wayne/Batman to Nevada to "secure the greatest source of wealth in a generation for the forces of the Union". On the way/during this mission, he meets Agent R/Redbird (Nightwing?), Agent H (Wild Bill Hickok), and Samuel Clemens/Mark Twain. It's basically a Western with a mix of Zorro and the Lone Ranger.
Robin 3000 #1 and #2
While I was reading this story, I kept thinking that it wasn't really a Batman story. Names could be changed and the story would still be the same. [Edit: Originally, it was supposed to be a futuristic version of the Stratemeyer Syndicate character Tom Swift (which I have no clue who that is). It would've been "Tom Swift 3000".] An alien race called the Skulp have taken contol of earth, and Tom Wayne (Robin) is the last Wayne alive. After escaping a Skulp prison, Tom gets a cybornetic hand and discovers that an android is impersonating him to give the Skulp good PR. There's also something about the alien Dregon and a woman named Genra who reluctantly works for Dregon. The thing that upsets me the most is there is no real conclusion.
Batman/Dark Joker: The Wild
In Medieval times, Dark Joker is an evil sorcerer. Only a literal Bat-Man, the child of Majister and Lilandra, can defeat him...but only once the ritual is completed.
Batman/Houdini: The Devil's Workshop
Narrated by the master escape artist, Harry Houdini and Batman team up to solve the mysterious crime of child abductions. The man they are after is known as Jack Schadenfreude (The Joker). But there is more to this crime... The artwork is really nice. However, and I understand that it was used during this time period, there is use of an antisemitic word.
Batman: Castle of the Bat
Have you ever wanted a Batman and Frankenstein crossover? In this story, Bruce Wayne is Dr. Frankenstein and Batman is the creature. Alfred is Igor. What else can I say? The artwork is also great.
Batman: In Darkest Night
This story was more like I was expecting. What if Bruce was chosen by the Green Lantern ring right as he decides to become Batman? His mission for vengence and the Green Lantern Corps' orders conflict. Bruce wants to stay on Earth and fight crimes, while the Guardians on Oa want him to serve his entire sector. They disagree with his rash decisions, including how he defeated Sinestro. Now he has to fight not just Sinestro, but also avoid the Green Lanterns that were sent to get his ring back.
Batman: Dark Allegiances
It's the late 1930's, there are fascists/Nazis and white supremacists/KKK/White Legion. At night, industrialists Bruce Wayne is Batman, who beats up "people I [Bruce] don't like." It's his hobby. Bruce must play nice with Milt Biggsley (The Penguin) and Senator Caldecott Pewtie (Two-Face) while also trying to taken them down as Batman, even when he realizes actress Kitty Grimalkin (Catwoman) is being blackmailed. Hitler makes an appearance.
October 9, 2023
Okay this is a mixed bag so I’m going to rate it by story then rate it overall by average.
BATMAN: HOLY TERROR
This one is pretty bad and confusing. Batman is like this holy warrior and his parents were killed for betraying the government. Nothing else to say. 1 STAR
BATMAN: THE BLUE, THE GREY, AND THE BAT
This one is bad as well. It’s set during the civil war and Batman is a Union Soldier. He tries to recruit more people to fight in the war. He has a sidekick named Red Bird I think. He’s very obviously a Ripoff of X-Men’s Thunder-Bird. Yeah this one sucks! 1 STAR
ROBIN 3000
Okay this is set In the future. (Bet you couldn’t guess that) Robin Is Bruce’s nephew. Bruce Dies. Robin Sad. This was the worst one in the book I stopped reading right after Robin got his arm. I couldn’t even finish it it was SO BORING….. 0 STAR
BATMAN/DARK JOKER: THE WILD
This was the most confusing! So in the beginning Bruce parents are doing some kind of ritual. And then Joker kills them. And Batman Is this mutated bat thing. I dunno it’s really confusing it say just go read it but it’s not worth your time.. 1 STAR
BATMAN/HOUDINI: THE DEVIL’S WORKSHOP
This was so boring I didn’t finish it but unlike Robin 3000 the art was beautiful! It’s got this old timey painting style to it and just for the art it gets….. 2 STARS
BATMAN: CASTLE OF THE BAT
I did not read it. But the art look similar to the previous one so it gets….. 2 STARS
BATMAN: IN DARKEST KNIGHT
OKAY FINALLY A GOOD ONE! So Batman get a green lantern ring. So he goes and uses it to stop a robbery. A floating hologram head tells him to stop Sinestro. You know what this one is good I won’t spoil it! 4 STARS
BATMAN: DARK ALLEGIANCES
In this one Batman takes down the KKK *cough* I mean the White Legion. And meets the sexiest version of Catwoman I have seen to date. See what im talking about the story is so dry I have to talk about how sexy catwoman is. 1 STAR
OVERALL
This is a really cool idea but the execution is really fucking bad. This is a really interesting idea that just pumps out shitty stories. Like I barely could read them. I didn’t even finish them all. And I only liked one. If this was shorter like What If? Or in a funnier light again like What If? Then maybe this would be better but for me Elseworlds just falls short. 1.5 STARS
BATMAN: HOLY TERROR
This one is pretty bad and confusing. Batman is like this holy warrior and his parents were killed for betraying the government. Nothing else to say. 1 STAR
BATMAN: THE BLUE, THE GREY, AND THE BAT
This one is bad as well. It’s set during the civil war and Batman is a Union Soldier. He tries to recruit more people to fight in the war. He has a sidekick named Red Bird I think. He’s very obviously a Ripoff of X-Men’s Thunder-Bird. Yeah this one sucks! 1 STAR
ROBIN 3000
Okay this is set In the future. (Bet you couldn’t guess that) Robin Is Bruce’s nephew. Bruce Dies. Robin Sad. This was the worst one in the book I stopped reading right after Robin got his arm. I couldn’t even finish it it was SO BORING….. 0 STAR
BATMAN/DARK JOKER: THE WILD
This was the most confusing! So in the beginning Bruce parents are doing some kind of ritual. And then Joker kills them. And Batman Is this mutated bat thing. I dunno it’s really confusing it say just go read it but it’s not worth your time.. 1 STAR
BATMAN/HOUDINI: THE DEVIL’S WORKSHOP
This was so boring I didn’t finish it but unlike Robin 3000 the art was beautiful! It’s got this old timey painting style to it and just for the art it gets….. 2 STARS
BATMAN: CASTLE OF THE BAT
I did not read it. But the art look similar to the previous one so it gets….. 2 STARS
BATMAN: IN DARKEST KNIGHT
OKAY FINALLY A GOOD ONE! So Batman get a green lantern ring. So he goes and uses it to stop a robbery. A floating hologram head tells him to stop Sinestro. You know what this one is good I won’t spoil it! 4 STARS
BATMAN: DARK ALLEGIANCES
In this one Batman takes down the KKK *cough* I mean the White Legion. And meets the sexiest version of Catwoman I have seen to date. See what im talking about the story is so dry I have to talk about how sexy catwoman is. 1 STAR
OVERALL
This is a really cool idea but the execution is really fucking bad. This is a really interesting idea that just pumps out shitty stories. Like I barely could read them. I didn’t even finish them all. And I only liked one. If this was shorter like What If? Or in a funnier light again like What If? Then maybe this would be better but for me Elseworlds just falls short. 1.5 STARS
November 12, 2025
This collection was a really mixed bag, so I'll review the stories individually:
-HOLY TERROR: (3/5) An interesting concept, but it could have used some more development in another issue. While this one does have an appropriate cliffhanger with the story effectively being the origin of this Christian-dominated universe's Batman, I would have liked to see more of this world's versions of classic DC characters.
-ROBIN 3000: (1/5) Not very engaging and really overstays its welcome. This story is hardly recognizable as a Batman/Robin story at all with how little it uses the characters, the plot has no real resolution after 2 issues, and everything is very generic early sci-fi shlocky. It was a very strange choice to put this as the 2nd story in the collection, and I imagine it might have turned some people off on it as a whole if they opened to it while paging through the book in the store.
THE BLUE, THE GREY, AND THE BAT: (3.5/5) A funny little western where there really is not much reason for Bruce to be Batman other than for the gag of cowboy batman. The twist villains were definitely a surprise, and we also get guest appearances by several famous people from the era. I feel obliged to take points off though for the period accurate racism & sexism.
-BATMAN/DARK JOKER: THE WILD: (3/5) A really out of left field high-fantasy reinterpretation of Batman and the Joker. Fine, but weird.
-BATMAN/HOUDINI: THE DEVIL’S WORKSHOP: (5/5) Excellent! Great art and a fun plot that I'm not going to spoil, even with the spoiler censor. 19th Century Batman also has a great costume design.
-CASTLE OF THE BAT: (2.5/5) Intentionally derivative of Frankenstein , but derivative nonetheless. The art's nice, and I give it some bonus credit for being one of the stories in this collection that actually has an ending, but if you've ever engaged with its inspiration there aren't that many surprises.
-IN DARKEST KNIGHT: (2/5) Fine, but really felt like it should have been included in a Green Lantern Elseworlds collection instead. It's also weird to see Batman with a green power ring instead of a yellow one (I expected him to jack Sinestro's at the end, but no).
-DARK ALLEGIANCES: (4/5) It was fun to get to see more alternate versions of characters besides just one or two like in most of the other stories, and the plot was relatively good, but I don't know how to feel about the chocolate brown Batsuit/Batmobile, nor the partially communist-sympathizing Bruce.
Overall, this is a fine collection of one-off stories, but your mileage may vary depending on your tastes.
-HOLY TERROR: (3/5) An interesting concept, but it could have used some more development in another issue. While this one does have an appropriate cliffhanger with the story effectively being the origin of this Christian-dominated universe's Batman, I would have liked to see more of this world's versions of classic DC characters.
-ROBIN 3000: (1/5) Not very engaging and really overstays its welcome. This story is hardly recognizable as a Batman/Robin story at all with how little it uses the characters, the plot has no real resolution after 2 issues, and everything is very generic early sci-fi shlocky. It was a very strange choice to put this as the 2nd story in the collection, and I imagine it might have turned some people off on it as a whole if they opened to it while paging through the book in the store.
THE BLUE, THE GREY, AND THE BAT: (3.5/5) A funny little western where there really is not much reason for Bruce to be Batman other than for the gag of cowboy batman. The twist villains were definitely a surprise, and we also get guest appearances by several famous people from the era. I feel obliged to take points off though for the period accurate racism & sexism.
-BATMAN/DARK JOKER: THE WILD: (3/5) A really out of left field high-fantasy reinterpretation of Batman and the Joker. Fine, but weird.
-BATMAN/HOUDINI: THE DEVIL’S WORKSHOP: (5/5) Excellent! Great art and a fun plot that I'm not going to spoil, even with the spoiler censor. 19th Century Batman also has a great costume design.
-CASTLE OF THE BAT: (2.5/5) Intentionally derivative of Frankenstein , but derivative nonetheless. The art's nice, and I give it some bonus credit for being one of the stories in this collection that actually has an ending, but if you've ever engaged with its inspiration there aren't that many surprises.
-IN DARKEST KNIGHT: (2/5) Fine, but really felt like it should have been included in a Green Lantern Elseworlds collection instead. It's also weird to see Batman with a green power ring instead of a yellow one (I expected him to jack Sinestro's at the end, but no).
-DARK ALLEGIANCES: (4/5) It was fun to get to see more alternate versions of characters besides just one or two like in most of the other stories, and the plot was relatively good, but I don't know how to feel about the chocolate brown Batsuit/Batmobile, nor the partially communist-sympathizing Bruce.
Overall, this is a fine collection of one-off stories, but your mileage may vary depending on your tastes.
February 12, 2022
Like any compilation of comics from a certain era, wildly varying in just about every respect. This mix of annuals and Prestige one-shots (remember those) means that the art ranges from Mark Chiarello's delicate watercolor work to, well, bog-standard 90s DC art. Similarly, the ideas range wildly from the somewhat pedestrian (Batman as various Universal Monsters) to Alan Brennert's pretty wild alternate history where Cromwell lived for another decade, making the US a cruel theocracy with Batman as a priest, to one where I'm pretty sure the editorial pitch boiled down to "Kelly Jones' art is kewl let's make the Joker a wizard so he can do Frazetta shit."
More interesting as a capsule of the era than anything else, but a fun time nonetheless.
More interesting as a capsule of the era than anything else, but a fun time nonetheless.
May 4, 2019
Loads of variety
The best part of Elseworlds tales is the freedom that these creators are given in reinventing our old and familiar heroes. Some of these stories are better than others. My favorites are closer to the end of the book, but you may like something else. There's a Batman of the old West, a Robin of the distant future, a Bruce Wayne that resurrects his father Thomas, thus creating a Frankenstein's monster version of the Batman, and more.
Remember, this is an anthology of Elseworlds tales. These stories do not (usually) impact the main continuity of the main DC Universe. Think of it as The Twilight Zone for DC.
The best part of Elseworlds tales is the freedom that these creators are given in reinventing our old and familiar heroes. Some of these stories are better than others. My favorites are closer to the end of the book, but you may like something else. There's a Batman of the old West, a Robin of the distant future, a Bruce Wayne that resurrects his father Thomas, thus creating a Frankenstein's monster version of the Batman, and more.
Remember, this is an anthology of Elseworlds tales. These stories do not (usually) impact the main continuity of the main DC Universe. Think of it as The Twilight Zone for DC.
February 2, 2019
As I read through this there were a lot of times where I was disappointed, like big time, but so many other moments were actually thoughtful and speculative in the most intriguing way, and ending with a Commie AntiFa Batman shitkicking Klan members is maybe the exact gift America needs right now, you know? Love these elseworlds entries, and wish more mainstream comic art was still done in some of these styles.
April 21, 2022
Overall- Meh
Some of the stories are better than others and some are downright atrocious. For example, Robin 3000 is a terrible read without an ending just filling space in this. Some of the better stories still come across as half-baked where a premise had been conceived of, but thought into the story just wasn't fully realized, as if the writers got halfway through developing the story and got bored of it themselves. Not worth the money and moreover- your time.
Some of the stories are better than others and some are downright atrocious. For example, Robin 3000 is a terrible read without an ending just filling space in this. Some of the better stories still come across as half-baked where a premise had been conceived of, but thought into the story just wasn't fully realized, as if the writers got halfway through developing the story and got bored of it themselves. Not worth the money and moreover- your time.
December 18, 2023
Elseworlds: Batman Vol 1
The 'Elseworlds' stories were a great idea. Rewrite the origin or circumstances of superheroes and write an independent story outside the main narrative continuity.
In this collection, readers are offered a good mixture of tales, perhaps the most interesting being Abin Sur choosing Bruce Wayne rather than Hal Jordan as Earth's Green Lantern.
Writers and artists, both given free rein, have excelled themselves and the stories have aged well.
The 'Elseworlds' stories were a great idea. Rewrite the origin or circumstances of superheroes and write an independent story outside the main narrative continuity.
In this collection, readers are offered a good mixture of tales, perhaps the most interesting being Abin Sur choosing Bruce Wayne rather than Hal Jordan as Earth's Green Lantern.
Writers and artists, both given free rein, have excelled themselves and the stories have aged well.
February 24, 2023
That was solid fun. Nice to see some art styles and compositions from decades ago, and I love the concept of taking familiar characters and placing them in a new time or environment to see how the story could be affected. All but one story really engrossed me, but all in all this was a fun read. I look forward to volume 2.
August 29, 2025
Hop Boy!
Reading these was almost like going down the rabbit hole. Some I could enjoy. Some I could see continuing. The rest, what did I just read? Were they different from the Batman I grew up with? Oh, my God, yes! I don't know when they came out, but some of them were freaky. It's up in the air if I continue to the next volume.
Reading these was almost like going down the rabbit hole. Some I could enjoy. Some I could see continuing. The rest, what did I just read? Were they different from the Batman I grew up with? Oh, my God, yes! I don't know when they came out, but some of them were freaky. It's up in the air if I continue to the next volume.
March 23, 2017
What if Batman..?
Elseworlds is basically DC's "What if.".. consists of 8 stories that puts the Batman mythos in different situations/timelines and reimagines what would happen.. refreshing and varied, but requires some knowledge of Batman's world and history to truly appreciate this unique collection..
Elseworlds is basically DC's "What if.".. consists of 8 stories that puts the Batman mythos in different situations/timelines and reimagines what would happen.. refreshing and varied, but requires some knowledge of Batman's world and history to truly appreciate this unique collection..
December 17, 2017
I actually give this book as a whole only 2.5 stars out of 5, but I rounded up rather than down since there is a lot of nice potential for these tales. my favorites were the frankenstein twist, lantern-bat, and dark allegiances.
December 25, 2021
Uma ótima coleção de contos "Elseworlds" de Batman. Aqui no Brasil algumas já foram publicadas pelo selo "Túnel do Tempo". Merece uma republicação pela Panini conforme a edição original da DC Comics. Tem Volume 2 e 3 também. Recomendo!
August 22, 2023
Truly one of the most Batshit (heh) collections I've ever encountered, and that's saying something for DC. Bruce Wayne always seems to get mixed up in unhinged fascism, oppression, billionaire BS, secret societies... and it makes me question why anyone likes Batman at all.
May 5, 2017
I only bought this for the GL tale. 👍
June 26, 2017
A couple stories are good, but many are really bad. Robin 3000? Trash. They sure don't age well.
November 12, 2017
Hit and miss
A hodgepodge of hit and miss stories. Mostly miss, in my opinion. Some were really bad, I'm sorry to say. Not recommended.
A hodgepodge of hit and miss stories. Mostly miss, in my opinion. Some were really bad, I'm sorry to say. Not recommended.
January 8, 2018
interesting read
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