Batman/Deadman: Death and Glory

Batman One-Shots

by James Robinson, John Estes (Illustrator)

Unknowingly possessed by an evil spirit, Batman brutally slaughters a restaurant full of customers. Regaining consciousness with no recollection of the events, the Dark Knight Detective must solve the mystery of his own killing spree. Aided by the mystical Deadman, Batman begins to piece together the clues of his possession. But as the involvement of malevolent mages and a supernatural emissary of Satan is discovered, Batman must find a way to combine his human abilities with Deadman's paranormal powers to defeat this unholy evil.

Genres: Comics, Batman, Graphic Novels, Dc Comics, Superheroes, Horror, Fiction

96 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

James Dale Robinson is a British writer of American comic books and screenplays.

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one's all about the art. John Estes paints a badass Batman. This sucker looks amazing.



Unfortunately it's saddled with weird dialogue out of a bad 90's Vertigo comic like "But as the music ebbs to a quiet bleat, so new tunes begin. A choir of seagulls and cauliflowers." That's some grade A pretentious bullshit that makes no sense. It's like James Robinson was playing a game of flowery words Mad Libs with the narration.

[Sud666 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Death and Glory is a very well drawn Comic. The underlying story? It's not terrible.

One moment Batman is fighting the Joker and then, seemingly in an instant, he is brutally slaughtering a restaurant full of civilians. Outside, Commissioner Gordon is screaming for Batman to be shot on sight. Things are definitely not shaping up to be a normal day for Bats.

The story then covers the story and evil mage that seeks to substitute a victim's soul for his own. Batman, aided by Deadman, seeks to unravel the mystery of his own murderous actions, Gordon's obsession and trying to unravel the mystery of the mage, as he and Deadman battle the "Clown".

If that sounds like a fairly convoluted and twisted plot, it is. The "detective" aspects of the story are there, but it seems to be centered around unraveling the mystery behind the supernatural events. Were this judged on story alone, it would fall somewhere between a 2 and a 3 star rating. However, the beauty of the art elevates this story to 4 star heights.

John Estes has drawn a truly beautiful comic. While, due to the spiritual nature of the subject, the art seems odd and vague the beauty of the painted art shines through. A few of the panels were worth just admiring for moments. Thus while the story is decent, at best ok, coupled with this beautiful art it makes this a visual feast.

Go easy on the story and appreciate the art. An interesting Batman/Deadman mash-up.

[Peter William Warn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Summary: Holy character assassination! Batman is unbelievably stupid in perhaps the worst story told about the character in more than 70 years.

_____


Tom Joad does not yell at his chauffeur. Scout Finch doesn't lynch people. Sherlock Holmes doesn't get stuck doing the TV Guide crossword puzzle.

That's because John Steinbeck, Harper Lee and Arthur Conan Doyle understand their characters. They don't insult their readers and waste our time by having them behave in ways that are not in keeping with their natures.

James Robinson does insult us and waste our time with the irritating Batman/Deadman: Death and Glory. Robinson in his acclaimed series of Starman comic books has created many characters as memorable as any in, say, Dickens. But here he has Batman, known for more than half a century as "The World's Greatest Detective", stumble through page after page after page absolutely baffled by something that is obvious even to those of us with intellects as withered as raisins.

To make clear the dimwittedness of Robinson's Batman, it is necessary to give away a large portion of the story. This isn't spoiling anything because Robinson has already spoiled everything.

Batman/Deadman: Death and Glory begins with Batman butchering several people. Of course this is not what one expects of the hero and it quickly becomes clear that he wasn't himself. Batman had been possessed by an evil spirit that forced him to commit the carnage.

For most of the rest of the book, Commissioner James Gordon wants to butcher Batman. The Caped Crusader can't figure out why. He says he's "never known Jim this . . . vengeful. Especially against me. It's . . . ." And then he struggles for words to make sense of what mystifies him.

Much later, he is stunned when Gordon uses helicopters and sharpshooters to try to catch him. "Jim," he sputters, "I'm your friend." Gordon snarls, "Not anymore." Later still, Batman is puzzled when Gordon knows something he shouldn't. "How did he know --," Batman wonders, while Gordon pummels him with his fists. "He must be --."

Possessed. That is the word Batman is searching for but doesn't find. Readers have known for more than 70 pages. Batman should know too. He remembers that he was taken over by a malevolent force and so there is no reason for it not to occur to him that perhaps the same thing has happened to Gordon. No reason, that is, besides careless storytelling.

Batman is one of the most complex characters in all of fiction. Dozens of writers and artists have made him everything from a dark avenger to a clown, from an elemental force for justice to a campy TV show punchline. But Batman has never been stupid.

Robinson's Batman is. That destroys a tale that could have been engaging, one which features supernatural elements and spotlights Deadman, a ghost who serves a divine being that embodies all the gods that have ever been.

Usually in comic books and graphic novels, the art serves the story. Here it saves it. John Estes draws on influences from Hieronymus Bosch, Salvador Dali and others but he creates something unique. His images are surreal, dreamlike and otherworldly. The visions he conjures are as evocative as Robinson's story is clumsy.

Take a look at Batman/Deadman: Death and Glory for Estes' art but read Grant Morrison's and Dave McKean's Batman: Arkham Asylum, A Serious House on Serious Earth for a Batman book in which haunting illustrations serve a superior story.

[Matthew Konkel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Death and Glory is okay. Is has a good dark edge to it and the art is beautiful but I don’t generally like comic stories that venture into supernatural territory. This kind of element is, I believe, counter-conceptual to the Batman character. Batman stories should be and need to be based in as much reality as possible. He is, after all, just a human being like the rest of us.

[Lynda · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have to get in the habit of looking at ratings. Don't waste your money.

[Fugo Feedback · Rating 4 out of 5]

Siempre me gustaron las historias sobrenaturales con Batman, y esta no fue la excepción. Si bien se supone que la gracia de Batman es que es un superhéroe mucho más realista y verosímil que aquellos que tienen poderes -teoría con la que no estoy de acuerdo-, al formar parte de un universo mayor como es el de DC Comics, esto pierde validez automáticamente. Y si bien está bueno que la mayoría de las historias de Batman sean de corte urbano, también me gusta que se muestre la otra cara de la moneda, y que no por ser un personaje más o menos realista se tenga que limitar a contar historias policiales puras y duras.
Esta historia comienza de una manera lenta y algo desconcertante, sensación a la que ayuda el casi surrealista dibujo, pero va ganando sentido y disfrute con el correr de las páginas. El conflicto central y su resolución están muy bien llevados y eleva el cómic a una obra bastante redonda, con falencias disimulables y hasta entendibles. Mención especial a la edición de Vid, y que tanto en papel como en presentación, traducción y letreado el tomo supera por mucho a las feúchas producciones a las que nos tenía acostumbrados la ¿extinta? editorial mexicana.

[Ben Truong · Rating 3 out of 5]

Batman/Deadman: Death and Glory is a graphic novel and is written by James Robinson and illustrated by John Estes. It is a story that teams up Bruce Wayne as Batman and Boston Brand as Deadman to solve a murder mystery that has Batman as the main suspect.

Bruce Wayne as Batman is awakened to a brutally slaughters customers in a restaurant. Regaining consciousness with no recollection of the events, he must solve the mystery of his own killing spree. Aided by the mystical Deadman, Batman begins to piece together the clues of his possible possession. However, as the involvement of malevolent mages and a supernatural emissary of Satan is discovered, Batman must find a way to combine his human abilities with Deadman's paranormal powers to defeat this unholy evil.

Batman/Deadman: Death and Glory is written and constructed moderately well. Robinson's plot handicaps Batman effectively, as the Gotham City Police Department is after him for the massacre and his usage of Deadman's ability to possess people was done well. A wealthy man has been buying immortality in increments, which requires sacrifice, not a matter that concerns him, but his victims have other ideas. Narrative-wise, it is a suitably chilling counterpart to Deadman. Estes uses mixed media techniques to bring that to life the mystical afterlife as well as the real world.

All in all, Batman/Deadman: Death and Glory is a mediocre graphic novel that combines the mystical with the macabre rather well with a team-up with Batman and Deadman against a wealthy man vying for immortality.

[BruceSB · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disappointment

I was so full of excitement as I started reading this story and so full of disappointment as I finished!
Although I tried I can’t think of anything good to say about this one.
The story was weak and I guessed the key plot ingredient at the beginning.
The story itself was so small and so stretched out.
If it were a rubber band band it would have broken way before the half way mark.
The artwork was also a letdown.
There was no sharpness to it.
It was as though the artist did the artwork then left it in the rain to go blurry.
What a disappointment.
I am quite a Deadman fan so this was a real letdown.
Not recommended.
My take away from this is that DC Comics are variable.
Some are great and some are terrible.
To put a slant on the saying ‘you pays your money and you take your chances’.
I hope my next ‘read’ is better than this one.
Hope this review helps someone else avoid disappointment.
Bruce

[Joseph R. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Batman is fighting the Joker when he suddenly shifts to a restaurant with piles of dead bodies...and he seems to be the killer. Commissioner Gordon is extremely upset because a close friend was killed in the massacre and he blames Batman. He even sets out to kill Batman. At the Batcave, Batman can't figure out what happened. Alfred suggests a supernatural angle, so Batman summons Deadman. Deadman is a former circus acrobat who died in a performance and is cursed to wander the Earth search for his killer. In the mean time, he fights crime as a spirit of can possess people. He's a natural to have the scoop on what might have possessed Batman.

The slightly convoluted premise slowly unpacks over the course of the story. I found the plot only mildly interesting. The art is quite incredible, much better than the story that is being told. Without a good story underpinning it, the art is not enough to carry the rest of the book.

Not recommended.

[Andrew Garvey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Batman and Deadman have a long history of collaboration, dating back to the late 1960s. I've read a fair bit of their history together and never seen anything illustrated quite this distinctively. John Estes' painted art doesn't always hit the mark but there are some absolutely stunning panels here. Deadman's fight with the Clown has one spread that's incredible. I may have spent longer staring at that than I did reading the rest of the book.

The story is decent enough, even though it hugely overdoes the whole 'people being possessed by...' thing. There's one 'big reveal' that is blindingly obvious from almost the very beginning that undermines its impact but it's entertaining throughout. A good one-shot that really is made by the artwork.

[Marlan Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Robinson writes a reliably solid story about the nature of death and how one gets there. The Deadman is an excellent character and he pairs well with Batman. The artwork, however, is a challenge. Estes is a terrific and unique artist, but he has chosen to change his style from page to page, to a disconcerting effect (that doesn't help). One page is pencil sketches, the next is a lush painted portrait, the next is a little of both, for no discernible reason. This book would have benefited from a more uniform overall art style, but still worth checking out for another solid Batman story by Robinson.

[Rodolfo Santullo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Relectura de unitarios de Batman, 3. Este es raro. Como raro es el misterio que ocurre, con un Batman por completo fuera de personaje -haciendo hechizos, magia negra, sacrificios de sangre- y rara es la interacción con Deadman. Incluso, para tratarse de un guión del capo de James Robinson, es todo bastante desganado y deslucido, sin vuelo ninguno. El dibujo de Estes no hace ningún favor tampoco. Poco narrativo, zafa en las splash pages pintadas, que son lindos cuadros pero viñetas nunca. Deja mucho sabor a poco.

[RND · Rating 2 out of 5]

This feels like a work commissioned in the wake of Arkham Asylum's success, trying to capitalize on the painted comics/psychological angle, and it's alright. The story's kind of silly for Bats and how would they explain two ghosts fighting in a jury? Anyway, Estes gets to have fun and displays a range of styles, which is good; it might've gotten boring sticking to one style. But there are better Batman stories, and better Robinson ones, too.

[Nate]

Gorgeous painted art by John Estes - reminds me of equal parts Bill Sienkiewicz and Alex Ross. The story on the other hand is unexciting and convoluted. There’s a massive exposition dump halfway through that almost made me stop reading. Also, the scene of Batman performing magic was... odd. I only hung on because of the art.

[Zachary King · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty basic Batman story with Deadman bringing in the supernatural angle. Lush unique art, but the story is somewhat middling.

[Adrian Fulneczek · Rating 5 out of 5]

The style of the drawings is incredible!

[Ken · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sorry was good but not at the quality of the art, the art is amazing!

[Brannigan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring story and bad art.

[Ana Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

i liked this way more than i thought i would. the art is breathtaking and the story fits perfectly with this time of the year.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

the inclusion of AIDS is not handled with grace. the art is impeccable.

[Josh · Rating 1 out of 5]

Great art can't fix stupid.

[Seth Abernethy · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Disclaimer: This review is based off two separate readings of this book. I had to read this a second time before I really "got it", as the first time I didn't like it very much. The second time around I approached it at a different angle and ended up loving it.)

A nostalgic Brave and the Bold callback with a 90's supernatural twist! Batman/Deadman: Death and Glory is a terrifically intense team-up story with paranormal elements that elevate what would be a normal Batman story to one far more appropriate for the appearance of DC's most haunting hero, Deadman. Batman being framed for murder is, however, already a shaky plot idea. Having his own hands actually commit the act is even riskier. Perhaps another author would not have been able to do that concept justice, but Robinson delivers on his silent promise to entertain the reader and makes that plot work more than well. This is, in all ways that matter, a murder mystery. But unlike other cases the Dark Knight Detective tries to deduce, he himself is the perpetrator. But why? What could have led the Batman to cold blooded murder, and why can't he remember committing it? And even more mysteriously, why is Boston Brand here?! Something not from this world is clearly afoot, and it's up to the old team of Batman and Deadman to figure out what. This is as thrilling as it is eerie, and the striking art of John Estes brings this tale into its full, haunting glory. Any traditional comic artist would not have been able to convey properly what Estes does seemingly effortlessly here, and one could argue that this is his finest work. Add this to your Halloween reading list, and Deadman fans rejoice: Death and Glory is not going to let you down.

[· · Rating 3 out of 5]

(16 February, 2023)

Fun to read but a head scratcher if one digs too deep. Why wouldn't Deadman possess anyone and everyone, at any time, to help Batman in this case (or any other hero, or himself, in general)? He does have certain limitations (not discussed here), true, but it is still just a plot contrivance.

Batman saving others from certain death, as a categorical imperative, is always commendable but saving this criminal jackass, Joker, makes me uncomfortable for myriad reasons. Thankfully, it is only a very small incident here so I'll just skip it (and process arguments for and against at a later date).

A graphic novel with Batman and Deadman would make anyone hope for a dark, adult-themed story but alas, this is not the case. Still good but it seems like an awful lot of potential wasted.

In a world where an afterlife does exist, I am at a loss to explain why some dirtbag would sell his soul for temporary riches... then it hit me: most people would do exactly that. Humans seem to lack forethought when material riches, or personal gratification, are involved. Which just makes me love my sometimes Kantian Batman even more!

[Jason Lineberger · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book bothered me. Why is Batman fighting the devil over the soul of the next Messiah? That's not the kind of story that I expect or want from a Batman book. The art threw me at first, though I came to appreciate it by the end of the book. That said, it doesn't fit Batman either. And then there's characterization (Batman as muscle bound necromancer?) and dialogue. Here's one line from this book, "But as the music ebbs to a quiet beat, so the new tunes begin. A choir of seagulls and cauliflowers."

Really? No thanks.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a strange one. Stunning artwork, particularly the 30s flashback. Batman finds himself prime suspect in a massacre and dead man comes to the rescue. Batman does magic which is really out of character, a shame because otherwise this book might have got 4 stars. The interactions between dead man and batman are a lot of fun to read. A good book.

[Rich · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lame. Bats is my favorite, and I like Deadman, although he can get hokey ( i loved how Alan Moore handled him.). But the tone is totally wrong for The Batman, and all the characters are just really out-of-whack. And while I could appreciate the beautifully-painted artwork, I found it totally incongruous with the story.

[Brett]

Graphic Novel

[Adrian · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's alright, but ultimately not very memorable.

[Josef Ploski · Rating 3 out of 5]

An especially dark Batman story dealing with the Devil himself and forces darker and more sinister then any of Batman's traditional rogue's gallery.

[Gabriel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Cool art, bad story and dialogue. Comes off like a third rate Hellblazer rip-off. Avoid this one.