Tales of the Batman: Gerry Conway, Vol. 3

Tales of the Batman: Gerry Conway #3

by Gerry Conway

From the time his first story was published in 1969, Gerry Conway became one of the most prolific and highly regarded comics writers of the era. He wrote for nearly every character being published at the time, and his original creations--including Firestorm, Steel and Vixen--changed comics history forever. Conway's work had a profound effect on the legacy of Batman, with his creations Killer Croc and Jason Todd becoming mainstays in the legend of the Dark Knight.

Illustrated by artists including Gene Colan, Don Newton, Klaus Janson and José Luis García-López and featuring guest appearances by Superman, Man-Bat, and the whole Bat-Family, these classic tales showcase one of the greatest talents ever to write for the Caped Crusader!

Collects Batman #349-359 and Detective Comics #515-526.

Genres: Comics, Batman, Graphic Novels, Dc Comics, Comic Book, Superheroes, Crime

504 pages, Hardcover

First published September 3, 2019

About the author

Gerard Francis Conway (Gerard F. Conway) is an American writer of comic books and television shows. He is known for co-creating the Marvel Comics' vigilante the Punisher and scripting the death of the character Gwen Stacy during his long run on The Amazing Spider-Man. At DC Comics, he is known for co-creating the superhero Firestorm and others, and for writing the Justice League of America for eight years. Conway wrote the first major, modern-day intercompany crossover, Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man.

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tales of the Batman: Gerry Conway, Volume 3 collects Detective Comics 515-526 and Batman 349-359, written by Gerry Conway.

My favored version of Batman ends with Crisis on Infinite Earths so for me, this is Batman in his heyday. I have a handful of the issues collected between this book's covers but most of it was new to me. The cover price is $49.99 but I watched it until I was able to snap it up for a cool 20 bucks.

First off, the artists. This collection has a good mix, from all-times like Gene Colan, Don Newton, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, and Curt Swan to newcomers at the time like Dan Jurgens. I was five when I read one of the Gene Colan issues and thus missed the significance of Gene Colan doing a vampire Batman story. The art is all pretty moody. Colan is my favorite artist of the bunch by a long chalk but JLGL and Dandy Don Newton also produced some great stuff.

As for the writing, this is Gerry Conway at his peak. He's always got a B and C plot on the back burner and manages to do slow burns on a lot of the stories while still having the issues be fairly self-contained. While The Joker gets an issue and Catwoman makes a couple appearances, Conway focused on deep cuts and new characters. Daedshot, Hugo Strange, and The Monk all get several issue arcs and Conway introduces Killer Croc in a multi-parter. I'll just gloss over Colonel Blimp and The Squid, if I may.

Gerry Conway's Batman is far from the unbeatable character he's become in the ensuing decades. Croc hands his ass to him on three occasions and both Dick and Bruce become vampiri for a time. Conway also explores the corruption in Gotham City. Gordon gets booted off the force and forms a detective agency with Jason Bard while biding his time. The Human Target guest stars in a few issues as someone is convinced Bruce Wayne is Batman and puts a contract out on him.

I really can't say enough good things about this collection. The vampire story and the Hugo Strange issue were easily my favorites, partly because of childhood nostalgia and partly because they hold up so well today.

Tales of the Batman: Gerry Conway Volume 3 is pre-Crisis Batman at his best. 4.5 out of 5 Batarangs.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although a bit melodramatic in places, and some of these comics already printed in the Gene Colan books, I enjoyed reading these again after nearly 35 years. (Yikes!) Not too many interesting villains but this does contain the first appearance of Killer Croc, not to mention Jason Todd's debut before his origin got changed. (Here he is basically Dick Grayson part deux.)

Lots of art by the great Don Newton, with the aforementioned Colan and the return of Irv Novick to the Batman titles.

Conway was a better scripter on solo titles than group books like JLA or the Legion. Recommended for a look at Batman before the darkness overtook the character so heavily.

[JD Comics · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tales of the Batman: Gerry Conway, Vol. 3 is the final volume that collects Gerry Conway's run. This book is hard to find. It sells for over $100 because it contains the first appearance of Killer Croc and Jason Todd (a redhead Jason Todd).

This volume picks up on what happened in volume 2, and a lot of things happened in volume 2, namely:
- Jim Gordon resigned as commissioner;
- Vicky Vale believes Bruce Wayne is Batman. Vale is such an underrated character;
- The return of Rupert Thorne; and
- Dick Grayson is obsessed with a mysterious lady. In his own words, he described himself as a "love-sick jerk".

This volume has a lot of good story arcs, but my favorite is the Rupert Thorne saga. Thorne wants Vale's photo evidence to discover Batman's secret identity, but at the same time, he's haunted by Hugo Strange (I suggest reading Batman: Strange Apparitions first). I think this is my favorite Hugo Strange story.

While that's happening, Gordon wants to take down the Mayor, Robin gets captured, and Alfred seeks the help of the Human Target to protect Bruce's identity. Actually, many other things happen on the side, but the story doesn't feel convoluted. It's like an epic soap opera, and I haven't even talked about the Killer Croc story arc yet.

I didn't expect Killer Croc's first appearance to be interesting. I thought it was just a one-off issue, but it spanned several issues. He was just lurking in the shadows, biding his time before the grand reveal. This arc also introduces Jason Todd and the flying Todds. It is hilarious that Jason has almost the same backstory as Dick. The Todds discover something in this story, and I want to find out what happens next. Unfortunately, DC has not yet collected Doug Moench's 1980s run. Gerry Conway's Batman run is one of my favorite Batman runs. It truly is underrated.

My Batman Collected Editions Instagram page

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

This isn't peak Batman like Frank Miller is peak Batman, this is peak comic book work in a certain style that I'm flabbergasted hasn't gotten more attention over the years. I said in a previous review and I'll say again, Conway is an absolute master of spinning plates, setting the narrative flow, allowing the comicbook to segue from issue to issue, introducing new elements of the week whilst having intriguing ongoing catastrophes. Step back and it's dazzling - this isn't the dark or psychological Batman readers have come to prefer, though, so that could be the answer.

The Vampire story is, of course, epic, but everything here is great including the Catwoman jealousy strand, and the epic origins of Killer Croc. My only disappointment is that Conway tried to end the saga with such a bang that it fell over itself trying to introduce too many elements in one extended anniversary issue. I guess he deserved it but it doesn't work.

And look, Jason Todd was editorially mandated. It's well written but, sure, we could have done with a fresher origin here. That said I love the idea of having Dick Grayson move on and take up the mantle of Nightwing. It'd been 50 years afterall and apparently that Teen Titans book is pretty good.

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Placeholder for Bat Bronze Age Omni v6 Detective #506-26 & Batman #340-59, A8

1981-3 gems include Dr. 13 hunts Man-Bat, Man-Bat escapes into the Batcave, Pharaoh debuts, Two-Face Catman, Dagger destroys the Batmobile, Carroll Lewis debuts, Robin decks Ivy, Mirage apes Dr. Destiny, Dr. Death dusts Gotham, Vicki Vale can’t photograph Dala, Margo & Batman impersonate Two-Face, Dynamic Duo drops the penny, Alfred hires Human Target, Mad Monk vamps Robin, Bard & Gordon opens, Mad Monk vamps Batman, vampire Batman backhands Alfred & Mad Monk backhands a slave, vampire Dynamic Duo fight over Vicki, Deadshot almost assassinates Human Target, Ra’s & Batman drink then duel, Bruce insults Human Target, Batplane tracks Col. Blimp, Joker does serpent-up-the-sleeve, Batman breaks out Deadshot, Dr. 13 solves Boss Thorne’s haunting, Catwoman whips Vicki, Batman uppercuts Diablo, Batman v. Batstrange in Batcave, Batman incinerates Grundy, Jason Todd debuts, Croc snipes Squid, Batman breaks into Croc’s apartment, Jason wants to know about Wonder Girl, Killer Croc becomes King Croc, & Batman, Talia, & Catwoman vs. all the rogues

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jason Todd.

There. I've said it! Jason, the boy who would be Robin, at one time the most-hated Bat-family character. However, looking back at stories I haven't read, for the most part, since 1983, I find I didn't hate Jason so much as was indifferent to him. Alan Moore and Mike W. Barr wrote some great stories featuring him before Max Allan Collins introduced a different Jason for the post-Crisis DC universe. But that's a story for a different collection.

In re-reading the stories that fill the three volumes that make up TALES OF THE BATMAN: GERRY CONWAY, I have discovered that, as with the works of Denny O'Neil, Len Wein, Mike W. Barr, and Steve Englehart -- especially Englehart -- these are central to what my ideal version of the Batman will always be.

[Nate Deprey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Conway seems to be trying to write Batman stories that aren't as campy as the 1960s TV series but aren't as gritty as some of the stories that came out in the 1970s and worlds tamer than Frank Miller's Batman. The vampire and Solomon Grundy story lines worked for me but both were over before you know it. At the same time, Jason Todd and Killer Croc's initial appearances are slow rolled and never reach the heights they should.

[Mohammad Aboomar · Rating 2 out of 5]

Same drag as the 2 previous volumes. The worst story was the last one, the oversized 500th appearance celebration of Batman in Detective Comics.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The most stand-out chapter of this collection features Batman turning into a vampire with art by Gene Colan. Feels to me like Marvel did Colan and vampires much better.