Batman: Black and White Omnibus

Batman: Black and White (Collected Editions) #1-4

by Mark Chiarello, Jim Lee (Illustrations), Lee Bermejo (Illustrations)

THERE'S GOOD. THERE'S EVIL. THERE'S BATMAN BLACK AND WHITE.

The title is simple. The talent is spectacular. Collecting all the Batman: Black and White series and the Batman: Gotham Knight backups for the first time in one expansive volume, Batman: Black and White Omnibus features the talent of:

Neal Adams, Brian Bolland, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, Ted McKeever, Dustin Nguyen, Bill Sienkiewicz, Rafael Albuquerque, Michael Cho, Dave Gibbons, Mike Mignola, Paul Pope, Marc Silvestri, Michael Allred, Gene Colan, Klaus Sanson, Frank Miller, Eduardo Risso, Walter Simonson, Lee Bermejo, Darwyn Cooke, Joe Kubert, Sean Murphy, Alex Ross, Bruce Timm, Simon Bisley, Alan Davis, Jim Lee, Moebius, P. Craig Russell, Matt Wagner.

And that barely covers the talent showcased within this volume. A work of art, this book is an essential addition to the library of all Batman fans.

Genres: Comics, Batman, Dc Comics, Comic Book, Comics Manga, Superheroes, Short Stories

904 pages, Hardcover

First published December 17, 2019

About the author

Mark Chiarello was born on Halloween in 1960. His book "Heroes of the Negro Leagues" (Abrams Publishing) was named the second best sports book of 2007 by Amazon.com. A graduate of Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY, Mark was fortunate enough to have as roommates, Kent Williams, John Van Fleet, and George Pratt. He worked as an illustrator for DisneyWorld for a short time in the 1980’s, then went on to work for Marvel Comics and ultimately DC Comics, where he is currently Art Director.

Mark lives in Maplewood, NJ with his wonderful wife Catherine and wonderful kids, Jack and Rose, and his almost wonderful dog, oscar.

Reviews

[Mia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a mixed bag, but overall, I like it.

[Nate Deprey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection of over 100 eight page black and white Batman written and illustrated by like, everyone. With this format there are going to be highs and lows and there sure are, but more than that the glass ceiling this collection keeps beating its head against is also its mission statement. There is zero cerialization in these stories, each one is meant to stand on its own. While that lets each story serve as a potential good jumping off point for new readers none of these stories can build to anything beyond themselves.

[D' · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I first started this collection of stories I expected it wouldn't take long to get through this book. It did end up taking longer than planned, this is not something that is really meant to be consumed in a single setting. I have utmost respect for the for artists and writers that contributed but honestly this collection was a mixed bag. For some of these I think a longer story length would have helped.

[Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

After chipping at this book for over six months, I finally finished it. Over 100, 8-page short stories.

On the one hand, it's all the Batman Black & White stories in one book, a great way to discover new writers & artists, and to read Batman stories by your favorite creators.

On the other hand - and inevitably, as with any short story collection - not every story appeals, and the reader's interest is hard to sustain. Best taken in small bursts.

[Frankie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a huge fan of the DC Collectibles Black and White Batman figures, I have plenty of them. So I was very excited for this read.
I hate to say it, and will probably be in the minority, but I did not like most of the stories. And i found the artwork quite difficult to follow/read in some instances.
I wouldn't say not to read it if you're a fan of Batman and the artists; but, for me it left a lot to be desired.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Batman. Anthology. Comic. Two things that may be too outlandish....but could it work? The editor at DC at the time was thinking about it.....when he pondered how these great old horror comics, like "Creepy" "Eerie", and all of those books...had some of the best artists working on them.

Alex Toth, Richard Corban, Frank Frazetta, Steve Ditko, and many more, so many greats!
That's when the idea came to be: "Why not an anthology comic in black and white like those old horror comics? With some of the best talents in comic arts and writing?" Yeah, that idea had promise..and it was laughed at! "No one reads black and white comics!" "No one reads anthology comics anymore!"

Many years later, editor Marc Chariello, with the help of the Batman books editors at the time, made it happen!
The project began with child-like excitement, the best writers and artists sent in their visions of The Dark Knight, ready for a six issue mini-series that had "classic" written all over it! And it paid off! The book did so well, we got TWO more mini-series! Now we take you to the here and now.

All three volumes are here in one amazing omnibus hardcover. It's all here, and it's just what you think this tome is. The best artists, the best writers, many of them legendary. There's 80 plus tales of action, adventure, horror, humor, and suspense in this oversized volume!

Great art and writing from greats like Neil Gaiman, Paul Dini, Paul Pope, Joe Kubert, Sean Murphy, Harlan Elison, Matt Wagner, Alex Ross, and many more! What stories did I like the best?
My top 13.

1. Bent Twigs
A cold winter's night...a child in crisis over loss...a surprising bad guy...and Batman in caught in it. (BTW..I read the dad's lines in Gilbert Gotfried's voice..."What? Too soon??")

2. Black and White World
A fun one. What if comic book heroes...were like actors?

3. Heroes
A pulpy tale from Batman's roots as a masked mystery man. This one won an award!

4. Flipside
This one has Two-Face with a crime in mind...and Batman's not around..but we do have..NIGHTWING!!!

5. Best of Gotham
Very unique! Done in the style of a magazine with hot-spots and trendy joints around Gotham City. (I so gotta go to "The Pie Hole")

6. Batman and Robin, the boy wonder!
It's 1952, a throwback tale! It's good fun! Holy Flashback!

7. The Bet
Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy have a bet...how many kisses can they get from Arkham guards?

8. To Become the Bat
As Batman trails a killer, we see small flashbacks to his training to see how he utilized what he learns.

9. Here be monsters...
Batman takes on a new baddie who uses wild drugs...

10. The Third Mask
From the manga-ka Katsuhiro Otomo, the creator of "AKIRA"! Comes..Bat-MANGA!!!

11. Fear is the key
Scarecrow know fear...but what does HE fear?

12. Legend
In the near future...a mother tells her son a tale of a legendary hero...

HONORABLE MENTIONS
Broken Nose
The Riddle
Rule Number 1
Sunrise
Day and Night
The Call

13. Case Study
Alex Ross's art. Paul Dini's writing. BATMAN. AMAZING.

Give this book a read, you will not be let down!

[Hugo Emanuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

There aren't many characters that lend themselves to various interpretations and styles as Batman.
Batman can fit into an horror gothic setting; a detective noir asthetic; a goofy sci-fi extravaganza; wild comedy; kitchen-sink drama - you name it.

His 85 years plus history allowed for varied interpretations on the character, and its a testament its power and malleability that it meshes so well with so many different styles and takes.
This omnibus collects Vol.1 to 4 of the original Black and White anthology series. There's a 5th volume, but it was released after this omnibus , so its contents are not included. Each story is about 8 to 10 pages long, and are in black and white (altough there is one who includes red). I happen to be a big fan of the anthology format across various mediums, and being a massive fan of Batman, I imagined I'd at least, enjoy it. Turns out I absolutely loved it.

The talent included in this anthology omni is unbelievable. Writers such as Archie Goodwin, Dennis O'Neil, Doug Moench, Neil Gaiman, Brian Azzarello, Chuck Dixon, Paul Dini, Dwayne McDuffy, Ed Brubaker, among many others, collaborate on it.
But the main draw in this anthology for me is the artwork, and the talent involved is staked. Alex Ross, Klaus Jansen, Simon Bisley, Brian Bolland, Neil Adams, Kelley Jones, Darwyn Cooke, Matt Wagner, Cliff Chiang, Eduardo Risso, Sean Phillips, Bruce Timm, Howard Chaykin, Frank Cho, Bill Sienkiewicz, Katsuhiro Otomo, Jim Lee, John-Paul Leon, José-Luis Garcia Lopez, Dave Gibbons are just some of the artists providing artwork for these stories, with pin-ups by some of those already mentioned, as well as the likes of Mike Mignola and P.Craig Russell.

It looks gorgeous, and its stories and styles range from Lovecraftian horror, noir, heartfelt tales and meta-fictional escapades, to zany sci-fi adventures. There's a bit of everything, and I was surprised at how an anthology of over 100 stories featured very little poor ones.

The book also includes some cool extras, such as sketches and explanations about them; a pin-up gallery, and even photos of statues that have been created based on the collection's artists designs (which I would love to own, but sadly, never will, considering their prices).
I highly recommend this to Batman fans, and its a very good book to pick up when one's in the mood for a none too complex quick read (altough some stories pack a surprising amount of depth for their size).

9/10.

[ダンカン · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading Batman: Black & White Omnibus is a dream project come true. I love short stories, especially when these short stories about Batman is their version of the writers and artist wants it to be. This, I feel, is a good collection of short-stories, eight pages in length, of what their version of Batman is in glorious black and white. Although most of these stories are good, there are some that is just alright or okay, none that is bad but there are some that are a little weird. I had fun reading this omnibus and if you are a Batman fan, pick it up and read it during our partial lockdown of Covid-19.

[drown_like_its_1999 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of single issue black & white Batman stories each developed by different creative teams.

As a big fan of anthologies this was right up my alley, delivering compelling variety in both art and storytelling. While there are certainly a handful of forgettable issues, the vast majority of the episodic content was intriguing and a few of short stories were fantastic. Among my favorites were "I'll be Watching" by Brubaker / Sook, "Sunrise" by Garland / Phillips, and "Urban Renewal" by Pfeiffer / Anderson. It was also a big treat getting stories and art from those who rarely, if at all, have produced bat stories before like Katsuhiro Otomo, Enrique Breccia, Dave Gibbons, Mike Carey and many more.

The variety of art here is also a treat. Everything from the cartoony line work of Bruce Timm to the scratchy kineticism of Bill Sienkiewicz to the intricate detail of Brian Bolland always yields something interesting to look at. The work also produced a myriad of styles that are rarely seen in a bat title which was a unique pleasure.

[Luis García · Rating 5 out of 5]

Algunas de estas miniaturas de ocho páginas están, probablemente, entre lo mejor que se haya hecho acerca del personaje y de su mundo (por ejemplo la de McKeever, la de Gaiman/Bisley, la de Bolland). Claro, hay historias que no son la gran cosa, pero las que sí lo son hacen del tomo una joya.

[Rory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some incredible Batman short stories here. And a lot of not-so-great to average Batman stories. Worth it for the absolute legends who participated.

[José Antonio Gutiérrez Guevara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Los mejores escritores e ilustradores de Batman mostrando diferentes versiones de este personaje es la mejor manera de celebrar el Batman Day.

[John Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic anthology book of stories. By an absolute line up of legendary writers and artists. A must read for Batman fans.

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finished reading this more than a month ago and have had a hard time writing a review for it, because I hate to write negative reviews. It's a beautifully produced book and the art is top notch. The art, for me was why I bought the book, in fact. The problem is with the very concept of Batman, I think. This is a collection of 8-page Batman stories and they range from silly to what I can inly think the authors feel are deep psychological explorations of the human psyche. The silly stories are fine, enjoyable, even. The problem is that the concept of Batman is so ridiculous -- a billionaire who, rather than use his vast resources to fund some sort of Socialist paradise, instead dresses as a bat and beats the crap out of the mentally ill and economically disadvantaged -- that adding any psychological weight to it makes it fall apart like wet tissue paper.

So, the art is a five and the story is a 2 at best. Thus my 3-star rating for this book on Goodreads. Only the most serious Batman fan should purchase this, which makes me wonder why the hell I bought it...

[Aidan]

I skipped around this, most of the stories are there for the art and the writing can feel like an afterthought. A couple clever stories sneak their way in, but nothing that really sticks in my memory. The more ambitious or specific the better usually, the more depressing, moralistic, or “real world” the worse. The real world grit Lee Bermejo Robin story was a surprise stand out exception. This did make Jim Lee’s talent shine, I have no clue why he works with the colorists and inkers he does, they clearly drag him down.