Elseworlds: Batman Vol. 3

Elseworlds: Batman #3

by Doug Moench, Max Allan Collins, Mike Grell

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 tales of Batman and Eliot Ness taking on Al Capone, a future league of Batmen protecting the night with an iron fist, a mysterious knight defending Camelot as an armor-clad Bat and a 19th-century Batman entwined in an operatic tale of love, horror and obsession.

Now, for the first time, Batman’s Elseworlds tales are featured in a new graphic novel collection. Collects Batman: Brotherhood of the Bat, Batman: Dark Knight of the Round Table #1-2, Batman: KnightGallery, Batman: Masque and Batman: Scar of the Bat!

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Batman, Dc Comics, Superheroes, Fantasy, Crime

328 pages, Paperback

First published June 19, 2018

About the author

Doug 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.

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 2 out of 5]

A mixed bag of Batman Elseworld stories from the 90's. Batman mixes it up with Al Capone, King Arthur, and Phantom of the Opera. The blurb lists 5 books but Knight Gallery is just the costume designs from Brotherhood of the Bat.

Individual reviews:
Batman:Brotherhood of the Bat - 2 Stars
Batman Knight Gallery - 1 Star
Batman: Scar of the Bat - 3 Stars
Batman: Masque - 3 Stars
Batman: Knight of the Round Table - 1 Star

[Little Timmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice collection of alternate world Batman stories. I enjoy seeing a familiar character placed in new settings and times. Good art and writing. Recommended

[Kaylee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another collection of Elseworlds stories. I skipped Vol. 2 because...the library didn't have it. Simple as that. I think I liked these stories better than Vol. 1.

Batman: Brotherhood of the Bat
It's been just over 50 years since a deadly virus was released, killing a majority of the world's population. Batman is dead, but Ra's Al Ghul is still alive thanks to his Lazarus Pits. The Demon's Head finds Batman's alternative outfits and creates his own army of Batmen with the goal to destroy all crime...by any means necessary. A young man named Tallant is told by his mother that he is Batman's son. Can Tallant defeat the other Batmen and find a cure for the deadly virus?

Batman: Knight Gallery
Related to the previous story, these are Batman's notes as he designed his iconic Batsuit. It even has his notes about Robin's outfit and the Batmobile.

Batman: Scar of the Bat
A mix of the Batman mythos and history. Set in Chicago during Prohibition, Eliot Ness tells his ghostwriter about how he and his team, The Untouchables, worked to take down Al Capone and his empire of crime. They are unexpectedly helped by a mysterious vigilante: Batman. But this Batman is not Bruce Wayne so who is the man behind the mask?

Batman: Masque
Batman + The Phantom of the Opera = a comic I never knew I needed until now. Yes, Two-Face is the Phantom.

Batman: Dark Knight of the Round Table #1 and #2
The House of Waynesmoor is one of many exiled by King Arthur in an attempt to avoid a prophecy of Mordred killing him. On the voyage, Morgana LeFay sends monstrous bat creatures to end the House of Waynesmoor in an effort to avoid her own fate of her death. While his family (and everyone else on the ship) has perished, Bruce has survived and wakes up on the shores of Avalon. He vows to have his vengence on King Arthur, a promise to kill the king he clings to as he grows into a man. Under the guidance of the wizard Merlin, Bruce learns that he is to be England's champion and end Morgana and Mordred. He is sent to Camelot, wearing powerful and dark armor, and helps the Knights of the Round Table battle Mordred's forces. He joins the Knights of the Round Table while King Arthur is gone and takes in a young boy named Richard Grayson as a squire. Batman, this dark knight, reluctantly agrees to help King Arthur and save England, driven by spite and the desire to cross swords with the king once Morgana and Mordred are no more. Bruce still blames King Arthur for his family's deaths despire knowing the truth that Morgana LeFay was the true culprit. The House of Ra's Al Ghul is also involved in the battle between good and evil. If you know of Le Morte d'Arthur, you can already guess how it ends.

[Luis Reséndiz · Rating 3 out of 5]

revisar obras antiguamente veneradas es duro. como en este caso, uno se da cuenta de que lo que parecía genial eran apenas chispazos medianamente ejecutados. por supuesto, sigue habiendo algunas historias buenas, como la de batman/eliot ness o batman/el rey arturo, tan absurdas como divertidas, pero hay otras que de plano no la mueven. igual sigue siendo una lectura, como mínimo, entretenida.

[sam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pass on it

Not very interesting for a Batman/Elseworld book. Phantom of the Opera, Knights of the round table, Eliot Ness, and post-apocalypse yet still all kind of boring and slow. I would check for another collection over this one. There are good Elseworlds stories, but none of them are in this book.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mixed bag of stories but I enjoy the concept. The art brings it up another star for me especially the Mike Grell story though all the art is of a high quality. Batman versus Al Capone was always going to be a highlight.

[Mhorg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some decent tales

Elseworlds has always been my favorite of DCs imaginary stories. These, the third volume to feature Batman are all enjoyable.

[শুভঙ্কর শুভ · Rating 3 out of 5]

এটাও খারাপ না। তবে...

[Doctor Doom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent, but not great, stories of "Batman". Some of the stories were better than others. None were horrible but none were great.