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Batman Arkham Collections #14
Batman Arkham: Victor Zsasz (Batman
No remorse, no mercy...just ruthless death: Victor Zsasz has long been one of Batman's most formidable enemies, and now his most infamous stories have been collected! This volume includes Zsasz's debut story arc and much more, including a never before published story by writer Devin Grayson and artist Roger Robinson! Collects Batman: Shadow of the Bat #1-4, Batman: Streets of Gotham #10-11, a story from Batman Chronicles #3, Batman: Batgirl #1, Detective Comics #815-816, a story from Detective Comics (2011) #18, Rogues Gallery #1, and an unpublished story intended for Batman: Gotham Knights #12!
262 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 11, 2020
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About the author
Alan Grant
1,711 books144 followersAlan Grant was a Scottish comic book writer known for writing Judge Dredd in 2000 AD as well as various Batman titles during the late 1980s and early 1990s. He is also the creator of the character Anarky.
Alan Grant first entered the comics industry in 1967 when he became an editor for D.C. Thomson before moving to London from Dundee in 1970 to work for IPC on various romance magazines. After going back to college and having a series of jobs, Grant found himself back in Dundee and living on Social Security. He then met John Wagner, another former D.C. Thompson editor, who was helping put together a new science fiction comic for IPC, 2000 A.D., and was unable to complete his other work. Wagner asked Grant if he could help him write the Tarzan comic he was working on; so began the Wagner/Grant writing partnership.
The pair eventually co-wrote Judge Dredd. They would work on other popular strips for the comic, including Robo-Hunter and Strontium Dog using the pseudonym T.B. Grover. Grant also worked on other people's stories, changing and adding dialogue, most notably Harry Twenty on the High Rock, written by Gerry Finley-Day. Judge Dredd would be Grant's main concern for much of the 1980s. Grant and Wagner had developed the strip into the most popular in 2000AD as well as creating lengthy epic storylines such as The Apocalypse War. Grant also wrote for other IPC comics such as the revamped Eagle.
By the late 1980s, Grant and Wagner were about to move into the American comic market. Their first title was a 12-issue miniseries called Outcasts for DC Comics. Although it wasn't a success, it paved the way for the pair to write Batman stories in Detective Comics from issue 583, largely with Norm Breyfogle on art duties across the various Batman titles Grant moved to. After a dozen issues, Wagner left Grant as sole writer. Grant was one of the main Batman writers until the late 1990s. The pair also created a four issue series for Epic Comics called The Last American. This series, as well as the Chopper storyline in Judge Dredd, is blamed for the breakup of the Wagner/Grant partnership. The pair split strips, with Wagner keeping Judge Dredd and Grant keeping Strontium Dog and Judge Anderson. Grant and Wagner continue to work together on special projects such as the Batman/Judge Dredd crossover Judgement on Gotham. During the late 1980s, Grant experienced a philosophical transformation and declared himself an anarchist. The creation of the supervillain Anarky was initially intended as a vehicle for exploring his political opinions through the comic medium. In the following years, he would continue to utilize the character in a similar fashion as his philosophy evolved.
Grant's projects at the start of the 90s included writing Detective Comics and Strontium Dog, but two projects in particular are especially notable. The first is The Bogie Man, a series co-written by Wagner which was the pair's first venture into independent publishing. The second is Lobo, a character created by Keith Giffen as a supporting character in The Omega Men. Lobo gained his own four issue mini series in 1990 which was drawn by Simon Bisley. This was a parody of the 'dark, gritty' comics of the time and proved hugely popular. After several other miniseries (all written by Grant, sometimes with Giffen as co-writer), Lobo received his own ongoing series. Grant was also writing L.E.G.I.O.N. (a Legion of Super-Heroes spin-off) and The Demon (a revival of Jack Kirby's charac
Alan Grant first entered the comics industry in 1967 when he became an editor for D.C. Thomson before moving to London from Dundee in 1970 to work for IPC on various romance magazines. After going back to college and having a series of jobs, Grant found himself back in Dundee and living on Social Security. He then met John Wagner, another former D.C. Thompson editor, who was helping put together a new science fiction comic for IPC, 2000 A.D., and was unable to complete his other work. Wagner asked Grant if he could help him write the Tarzan comic he was working on; so began the Wagner/Grant writing partnership.
The pair eventually co-wrote Judge Dredd. They would work on other popular strips for the comic, including Robo-Hunter and Strontium Dog using the pseudonym T.B. Grover. Grant also worked on other people's stories, changing and adding dialogue, most notably Harry Twenty on the High Rock, written by Gerry Finley-Day. Judge Dredd would be Grant's main concern for much of the 1980s. Grant and Wagner had developed the strip into the most popular in 2000AD as well as creating lengthy epic storylines such as The Apocalypse War. Grant also wrote for other IPC comics such as the revamped Eagle.
By the late 1980s, Grant and Wagner were about to move into the American comic market. Their first title was a 12-issue miniseries called Outcasts for DC Comics. Although it wasn't a success, it paved the way for the pair to write Batman stories in Detective Comics from issue 583, largely with Norm Breyfogle on art duties across the various Batman titles Grant moved to. After a dozen issues, Wagner left Grant as sole writer. Grant was one of the main Batman writers until the late 1990s. The pair also created a four issue series for Epic Comics called The Last American. This series, as well as the Chopper storyline in Judge Dredd, is blamed for the breakup of the Wagner/Grant partnership. The pair split strips, with Wagner keeping Judge Dredd and Grant keeping Strontium Dog and Judge Anderson. Grant and Wagner continue to work together on special projects such as the Batman/Judge Dredd crossover Judgement on Gotham. During the late 1980s, Grant experienced a philosophical transformation and declared himself an anarchist. The creation of the supervillain Anarky was initially intended as a vehicle for exploring his political opinions through the comic medium. In the following years, he would continue to utilize the character in a similar fashion as his philosophy evolved.
Grant's projects at the start of the 90s included writing Detective Comics and Strontium Dog, but two projects in particular are especially notable. The first is The Bogie Man, a series co-written by Wagner which was the pair's first venture into independent publishing. The second is Lobo, a character created by Keith Giffen as a supporting character in The Omega Men. Lobo gained his own four issue mini series in 1990 which was drawn by Simon Bisley. This was a parody of the 'dark, gritty' comics of the time and proved hugely popular. After several other miniseries (all written by Grant, sometimes with Giffen as co-writer), Lobo received his own ongoing series. Grant was also writing L.E.G.I.O.N. (a Legion of Super-Heroes spin-off) and The Demon (a revival of Jack Kirby's charac
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
October 22, 2022
This volume collects:
Batman Shadow of the Bat #1-4
Batman Chronicles #3
Batgirl #1
Detective Comics #815-816
Batman: Streets of Gotham #10-11
Detective Comics #18
and one unpublished Zsasz story.
This is a collection of Batman/Zsasz stories. Most are really good and a few (Batgirl, Det Comics 18) are just meh. The art is good throughout the stories. If you like the character of Zsasz, the merciless serial killer who marks his body with a cut after each victim, then this is a good collection. I enjoyed it. Had some of the stories not seemed more like filler, then this would have been a five star volume.
Batman Shadow of the Bat #1-4
Batman Chronicles #3
Batgirl #1
Detective Comics #815-816
Batman: Streets of Gotham #10-11
Detective Comics #18
and one unpublished Zsasz story.
This is a collection of Batman/Zsasz stories. Most are really good and a few (Batgirl, Det Comics 18) are just meh. The art is good throughout the stories. If you like the character of Zsasz, the merciless serial killer who marks his body with a cut after each victim, then this is a good collection. I enjoyed it. Had some of the stories not seemed more like filler, then this would have been a five star volume.
May 26, 2020
Not the greatest comics ever written, but it was a fun anthology. Gotta love super-villain serial killers.
May 6, 2020
Batman Arkham: Victor Zsasz is a compilation of some of the best representative of Victor Zsasz stories over the years centering on an iconic foes in the Batman Rouges Gallery. This collection features Victor Zsasz in all his many incarnations throughout the years.
This trade paperback collects Batman: Shadow of the Bat #1–4, a story from Batman Chronicles #3, Batman: Batgirl #1, Detective Comics #815–816, Batman: Streets of Gotham #10–11, a story from Detective Comics (2011) #18, and the never-before-published story "Draining" originally intended for Gotham Knights #12.
Victor Zsasz is a fictional supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Batman: Shadow of the Bat #1. He is a sadistic and psychopathic serial killer who carves a tally mark onto himself for each of his victims. A recurring adversary of the superhero Batman, Zsasz belongs to the collective of enemies that make up Batman's rogues gallery.
As a whole, Batman Arkham: Victor Zsasz is a rather mediocre anthology of Victor Zsasz stories. Story selection must have been difficult to say the least. Victor Zsasz, while a newer villain, has a long and varied history and has been featured or cameos in many stories over many titles and it is no easy feat to pick out the best or favorite from the masses.
The thing is those measuring sticks are subjective and will never reach perfect consensus. Actually, readers can agree that in a collection like this, we could all agree on one story: Batman: Shadow of the Bat #1 – the first appearance of Victor Zsasz, which this anthology includes, the first storyline – all four issues. However, the rest is debatable. This anthology served its purpose – giving the reader a nice overview of Victor Zsasz.
Regardless, I think the editors picked a somewhat nice selection, would I swapped some stories out for others – sure I have my favorites, but it is difficult if not impossible to please everyone, since everyone is different. Overall, I was happy of which stories were presented.
All in all, I think Batman Arkham: Victor Zsasz is a somewhat good selection of stories that gives a nice glimpse into the psyche of one of the most sadistic and murderous villain in Batman's Rouge Gallery – Victor Zsasz. It is a good anthology for both the avid and subdued fan alike. However, for the newly initiated I would recommend a collection that is more substantial and cohesive.
This trade paperback collects Batman: Shadow of the Bat #1–4, a story from Batman Chronicles #3, Batman: Batgirl #1, Detective Comics #815–816, Batman: Streets of Gotham #10–11, a story from Detective Comics (2011) #18, and the never-before-published story "Draining" originally intended for Gotham Knights #12.
Victor Zsasz is a fictional supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Batman: Shadow of the Bat #1. He is a sadistic and psychopathic serial killer who carves a tally mark onto himself for each of his victims. A recurring adversary of the superhero Batman, Zsasz belongs to the collective of enemies that make up Batman's rogues gallery.
As a whole, Batman Arkham: Victor Zsasz is a rather mediocre anthology of Victor Zsasz stories. Story selection must have been difficult to say the least. Victor Zsasz, while a newer villain, has a long and varied history and has been featured or cameos in many stories over many titles and it is no easy feat to pick out the best or favorite from the masses.
The thing is those measuring sticks are subjective and will never reach perfect consensus. Actually, readers can agree that in a collection like this, we could all agree on one story: Batman: Shadow of the Bat #1 – the first appearance of Victor Zsasz, which this anthology includes, the first storyline – all four issues. However, the rest is debatable. This anthology served its purpose – giving the reader a nice overview of Victor Zsasz.
Regardless, I think the editors picked a somewhat nice selection, would I swapped some stories out for others – sure I have my favorites, but it is difficult if not impossible to please everyone, since everyone is different. Overall, I was happy of which stories were presented.
All in all, I think Batman Arkham: Victor Zsasz is a somewhat good selection of stories that gives a nice glimpse into the psyche of one of the most sadistic and murderous villain in Batman's Rouge Gallery – Victor Zsasz. It is a good anthology for both the avid and subdued fan alike. However, for the newly initiated I would recommend a collection that is more substantial and cohesive.
July 11, 2021
zsasz is a great character, but this edition is not the best, still a little good.
March 5, 2021
These were very cool. Very creepy, and very scary.
If I had to make one complaint it would be the wild inconsistencies that come with Zsasz. Batman stands toe-to-toe against people with super powers, and is routinely considered the smartest man in the world. Zsasz is just a guy with a knife who clenches his butt all day. It seems a little ridiculous that Batman would even remotely struggle against this enemy.
Still, ignore that and these are some intense and gory stories. These are everything you really want from a Batman story. A mixture of old enough to be a little hokey, but new enough to be intense and creepy. Batman isn't fighting a gangster wanting to rob a jewelry store with a kangaroo or something, but nor is he sitting there brooding the whole time about how dark and intense he is. You get several well-contained little stories, some awesome drawings, and a little more insight into his rogues gallery.
Well worth a little time on a cloudy day.
If I had to make one complaint it would be the wild inconsistencies that come with Zsasz. Batman stands toe-to-toe against people with super powers, and is routinely considered the smartest man in the world. Zsasz is just a guy with a knife who clenches his butt all day. It seems a little ridiculous that Batman would even remotely struggle against this enemy.
Still, ignore that and these are some intense and gory stories. These are everything you really want from a Batman story. A mixture of old enough to be a little hokey, but new enough to be intense and creepy. Batman isn't fighting a gangster wanting to rob a jewelry store with a kangaroo or something, but nor is he sitting there brooding the whole time about how dark and intense he is. You get several well-contained little stories, some awesome drawings, and a little more insight into his rogues gallery.
Well worth a little time on a cloudy day.
March 9, 2022
Reprints Batman: Shadow of the Bat #1-4, Batman Chronicles #3, Batman: Batgirl #1, Detective Comics (1) #815-816, Batman: Streets of Gotham #10-11, and Detective Comics (2) #18 (June 1992-May 2013). Victor Zsasz is killer. Raised a privileged youth but an accident broke him. Left penniless, Zsasz took up a new interest…and a knife. Zsasz now is one of Gotham’s biggest killer, and the only thing standing between him and an increasing body count is Batman and his allies. Zsasz is on a rampage, and Batman must stop him!
Written by Alan Grant, Kelly Pucket, Shane McCarthy, Paul Dini, and John Layman, Batman Arkham: Victor Zsasz is a DC Comics superhero comic book collection. Featuring art by Norman Breyfogle, Jennifer Graves, Jim Balent, Cliff Chiang, Dustin Nguyen, Henrik Johnsson, and Roger Robinson, the collection is part of the Batman Arkham series featuring collections about Batman’s biggest enemies and villains. The story also contains an unpublished story called “Draining” by Devin Grayson and Roger Robinson.
Victor Zsasz is a rather bland Batman villain and a villain of a much darker turn in Batman. While characters like Penguin and Riddler often dress up in outlandish costumes and have gimmicky crime techniques, Zsasz is a straight killer…Zsasz is a maniac.
The story starts at the beginning where Zsasz almost appears as a mini-supporting character. He is introduced in a way that is almost like we are supposed to know the character and it is a rather unspectacular introduction in that way. Zsasz continues to pop-up off and on following “The Last Arkham”, but he never feels like a fully developed character…and this collection doesn’t change him much.
The character is written kind of strange in that he comes off as a sociopath, but he’s also presented as a guy who has lost everything and then lost his mind…which doesn’t necessarily mesh well. Joker has the crazy locked up in Gotham, and Zsasz is just a killer. It is a bit lazy in that sense. It might be necessary to have a villain with no motive, but it feels a bit more like a generic foil that can be thrown in stories.
It would be interesting to get Zsasz out of Gotham. Here, you see only interactions with the Batman Family, but a Victor Zsasz story that has someone like Green Arrow or Vigilante or someone who is a scrapper fighting him would be a change of pace. That doesn’t fit the format of this collection, but it would also be hard to have a logical reason for Zsasz to get out of Gotham…but maybe have the “heroes” come to him.
Batman Arkham: Victor Zsasz is a rather weak collection, but it isn’t because of the stories involved. If you have to tell the story of Zsasz, these are probably decent choices…but Zsasz’s story isn’t that compelling and maybe doesn’t need to be collected. Zsasz is fine as a back-up character, a supporting henchman, or an issue-to-issue foil, but he definitely isn’t Batman top tier. If you read this collection, you will probably find that as well.
Written by Alan Grant, Kelly Pucket, Shane McCarthy, Paul Dini, and John Layman, Batman Arkham: Victor Zsasz is a DC Comics superhero comic book collection. Featuring art by Norman Breyfogle, Jennifer Graves, Jim Balent, Cliff Chiang, Dustin Nguyen, Henrik Johnsson, and Roger Robinson, the collection is part of the Batman Arkham series featuring collections about Batman’s biggest enemies and villains. The story also contains an unpublished story called “Draining” by Devin Grayson and Roger Robinson.
Victor Zsasz is a rather bland Batman villain and a villain of a much darker turn in Batman. While characters like Penguin and Riddler often dress up in outlandish costumes and have gimmicky crime techniques, Zsasz is a straight killer…Zsasz is a maniac.
The story starts at the beginning where Zsasz almost appears as a mini-supporting character. He is introduced in a way that is almost like we are supposed to know the character and it is a rather unspectacular introduction in that way. Zsasz continues to pop-up off and on following “The Last Arkham”, but he never feels like a fully developed character…and this collection doesn’t change him much.
The character is written kind of strange in that he comes off as a sociopath, but he’s also presented as a guy who has lost everything and then lost his mind…which doesn’t necessarily mesh well. Joker has the crazy locked up in Gotham, and Zsasz is just a killer. It is a bit lazy in that sense. It might be necessary to have a villain with no motive, but it feels a bit more like a generic foil that can be thrown in stories.
It would be interesting to get Zsasz out of Gotham. Here, you see only interactions with the Batman Family, but a Victor Zsasz story that has someone like Green Arrow or Vigilante or someone who is a scrapper fighting him would be a change of pace. That doesn’t fit the format of this collection, but it would also be hard to have a logical reason for Zsasz to get out of Gotham…but maybe have the “heroes” come to him.
Batman Arkham: Victor Zsasz is a rather weak collection, but it isn’t because of the stories involved. If you have to tell the story of Zsasz, these are probably decent choices…but Zsasz’s story isn’t that compelling and maybe doesn’t need to be collected. Zsasz is fine as a back-up character, a supporting henchman, or an issue-to-issue foil, but he definitely isn’t Batman top tier. If you read this collection, you will probably find that as well.
December 4, 2025
I think this is the last one for now. Here we have a collection of comics about Mr. Zsasz. I have been waiting to get my hands on this book for a while. I will admit, I like Victor Zsasz (especially Anthony Carrigan's portrayal of him in the TV show Gotham) better than some of the other characters. Now he is definately not a good person; he's an unredeemable monster (like The Joker), but marking the number of people he has killed on his body is peak serial killer. If I lived in Gotham, hearing Mr. Zsasz escaped Arkham Asylum would be more terrifying than hearing someone like The Riddler or Poison Ivy escaped. Zsasz doesn't target certain people; he will kill anyone: man, woman, and child.
I liked the 2-part story "Victims" (Detective Comics #815-816), and "Draining" (Unpublished) was interesting. However, the lack of color made it a bit confusing (at least to me) who/how many Zsasz was counting. Of course, my favorite was the 4-part story "The Last Arkham" (Batman: Shadow of the Bat #1-#4), which was Victor Zsasz's first appearance!
I liked the 2-part story "Victims" (Detective Comics #815-816), and "Draining" (Unpublished) was interesting. However, the lack of color made it a bit confusing (at least to me) who/how many Zsasz was counting. Of course, my favorite was the 4-part story "The Last Arkham" (Batman: Shadow of the Bat #1-#4), which was Victor Zsasz's first appearance!
May 22, 2021
Overall, I found the collection to be a decent read.
Granted, he's not one of my favorite villains as I find him a bit one-dimensional (and a bit boring) for my tastes. But I did find the four-part story arc with his first appearance, The Last Arkham, to be a strong debut. Zsasz is one of the more modern members of Batman's vogues gallery, first introduced in 1992, an unhinged serial killer through and through with an odd fascination with isometrics.
Granted, he's not one of my favorite villains as I find him a bit one-dimensional (and a bit boring) for my tastes. But I did find the four-part story arc with his first appearance, The Last Arkham, to be a strong debut. Zsasz is one of the more modern members of Batman's vogues gallery, first introduced in 1992, an unhinged serial killer through and through with an odd fascination with isometrics.
January 10, 2023
I like Zsasz as a character, which in and of itself is strange, because I'm not a 'serial killer guy'. But he is something different in the wild zoo of Batman villains.
So this works out as do most of these Batman Arkham volumes - some middling to good stuff, and quite a lot of disappointing work. Makes me think there must be better Zsasz stories.
So this works out as do most of these Batman Arkham volumes - some middling to good stuff, and quite a lot of disappointing work. Makes me think there must be better Zsasz stories.
August 4, 2023
Zsasz has always struck me as a rather flat and one note villain but this collection demonstrates the character's power, particularly when he seems utterly trapped. Some very good stories on offer here.
July 2, 2020
*3 and a half stars* Not amazing but a solid collection of stories. Better than some of the Batman Arkham compilations.
March 11, 2022
Wasn't too big of a fan that it was merely a hodgepodge of different story lines BUT the stories, as well as the artwork, were... no ARE phenomenal.
January 5, 2024
I really enjoyed this compilation of comics. Victor Zsasz is a fascinating character.
March 24, 2024
Beautiful book.
Great collection of Victor Zsasz stories. Last story in particular was a short masterpiece. One of the better books of this rogue collection. Add it to your library. Its perfect.
Great collection of Victor Zsasz stories. Last story in particular was a short masterpiece. One of the better books of this rogue collection. Add it to your library. Its perfect.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews