Batman: Scar of the Bat

Batman: Elseworlds

by Max Allan Collins, Eduardo Barreto

comic book

Genres: Batman, Comics, Graphic Novels, Crime, Dc Comics, Comic Book, Historical Fiction

48 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Received the Shamus Award, "The Eye" (Lifetime achievment award) in 2006.

He has also published under the name Patrick Culhane. He and his wife, Barbara Collins, have written several books together. Some of them are published under the name Barbara Allan.

Book Awards
Shamus Awards Best Novel winner (1984) : True Detective
Shamus Awards Best Novel winner (1992) : Stolen Away
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1995) : Carnal Hours
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1997) : Damned in Paradise
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1999) : Flying Blind: A Novel about Amelia Earhart
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (2002) : Angel in Black

Japanese: マックス・アラン・コリンズ
or マックス・アラン コリンズ

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Max Allan Collins shoehorns Batman into The Untouchables. Collins has written a lot of great historical fiction based around Frank Nitti, Al Capone, and Elliott Ness. See Collin's Nathan Heller series if you want to find out more. They're a blast! But I digress. In this version of Ness's takedown of Capone, he's also secretly dressing up as Batman to scare information out of criminals. I did like the parallel of Batman using an actual baseball bat like Capone would to people who disappointed him.

[Ill D · Rating 1 out of 5]

For all its presumed historical accuracy, a great chunk of Scar of the Bat is quite unrealistic. While it might succeed on the micro level in regards to clothing and quotes (as stated by Max Allens Collins in the afterward) the macro level is a convoluted mess that hops and scotches all over the place. Instead of a more linear offering, the ubiquity of comic muck is all over the place, clogging the arteries of what could be a more properly functioning tale.

If they’re not manipulated, all liberties taken within end up abbreviated. The most stunning example of this barbarism is when a truly Procrustean Bed is implemented, seeing fit to hack off the tragedies of the ever crucial Batman Origin tale, leaving the mere image of the vampiric, flying mammal to inspire Wayne to don the garb of the Bat. By greedily reducing Bruce’s raison d'être, this example not only well exemplars most every other aspect of the story, but like a curse, foreshadows the stage for the awfulness that is set to unfold.

While Procrustes hacked up individuals to fit them upon a bed ill-fitting of their bodies, the perverted posse behind Scar of the Batman takes complex figures within the realms of the Real – e.g. Ness and Capone and the Fictionalized – e.g. the Batman Mythos, and amputates them to their barest of bones to fit the paper-thin length of ~50 pages. This attempt is as brutal as it is sickening at every level. And all the more insulting is the copious wealth of readily available primary and secondary sources for both realms to be thoughtfully applied here.

I’m not sure what the point was here but, it feels more slipshod than anything. If I didn’t know any better, I would actually assume that the creative team had no before-knowledge of the Batman. More facsimile than flesh, mere holographic images replace the bodies and characters that they are supposed to inhabit instead.

In either case, Scar of the Bat is far more of a cluster-fuck, than a properly bodied pastiche. Haphazard at every level the best way to describe this comic would be the equivalent of MalPractice applied to the realm of the sequential storytelling. Except here there is no accompanying insurance and everyone except those running the scam get screwed.

To bring it all full circle you gotta understand that Procrustes hacked up bodies just because he was a dick. For the So-and-So’s behind Scar of the Bat, the brutalization here (serving absolutely no purpose) buggers the mind. Like a Black Mass being performed in the middle of a Cathedral on Easter Day, this one is utter sacrilege at every possible level.

[Olivia Plasencia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am such a huge fan of Else World story lines, although sometimes they can go way off base or a certain character can just be plugged into a bad time line for them. Like when Batman was alive during the Civil War. Ugh! However being a huge fan of the prohibition era and mobsters this story line was exciting. Historically accurate and violent I was happy with the results. The drawings also were rich but the color scheme was a little toned down so you kind of got a vintage feel. The only Else World I enjoyed more than this one was Speeding Bullets!

[Ben Truong · Rating 3 out of 5]

Batman: Scar of the Bat is an Elseworld one-shot published by DC Comics in 1996. The story is by Max Allan Collins and illustrated by Eduardo Barreto. It centers on Eliot Ness and his squad of Untouchables as they are losing the war with mobster Al Capone – until they mysterious Batman arrives.

In Prohibition-era Chicago the Untouchables wage war on Al Capone and his criminal empire who are aided by a mysterious Batman who may be more foe than friend. Eliot Ness and his Untouchables are desperate in putting Al Capone behind bars, but are losing the fight and the unexpected arrive of a costumed Batman may change in their favor – if Ness could trust him.

Max Allan Collins penned the entire trade paperback. For the most part, it is written moderately well. Collins blends the Prohibition Era of the United States and Batman somewhat well. There were some anachronisms and the story was a tad predictable as the identity of Batman was unsurprising – at least in my point of view.

Eduardo Barreto penciled the entire trade paperback. Since he was the only penciler, the artistic flow of the trade paperback flowed exceptionally well. For the most part, Barreto's penciling depicts the narrative rather well – not outstandingly well, but serviceable at least.

All in all, Batman: Scar of the Bat is a serviceable narrative about a Batman story set in the violent times of Prohibition Era Chicago with Eliot Ness and Al Capone.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mash-up of Batman with Eliot Ness? Yes please. Taking only the idea of a bat-clad vigilante and using none of the associated tropes or characters, MAC produces a wonderfully entertaining and realistic Elseworlds installment (and fleshes it out with a few concluding notes as well).

[David M. M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its shortness is the worst thing about it. I'd happily read a graphic novel set in this concept -- A non-canon Batman vs Al Capone -- if it was five times as long. As it is, it's pretty rushed, and the reveal of who Batman is doesn't carry enough weight. But the dialogue is fun, the art is great, and again the concept is just so damn good. I truly do wish there was a longer version of this somewhere. I love noir stories, and my favorite Batman villain has always been just the regular actual mob.

[Little Timmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good alternate universe Batman story of the gangster era. Recommended

[David Cordero · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cool story with great artwork.

[jcw3-john · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the most insightful Batman story I've ever read - frankly this story is barely about Batman, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's a clumsy but well-meaning and fun enough Batman oneshot where Batman is just kind of jammed into the story of Eliot Ness, his Untouchables, and Al Capone. Seems like Collins definitely knows his stuff on the issue.

Batman being Eliot Ness who goes off and murders mobsters with a baseball bat and tommy gun won't be everyone's cup of tea, but the fact that this isn't Bruce Wayne makes any potential offense from that concept fade for me. Have to imagine the real man himself would be a bit offended that he would turn into a murderous vigilante, though.

Noticed some coloring errors in the print edition - made it hard to tell apart Ness and his men. We've all read far worse - curious little story, good but not great, C+ or B-. Interesting thing to pair with It's Superman! by Tom de Haven, the more famous 1930s DC period piece.

[H · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. It’s basically “The Untouchables” (Elliot Ness is even drawn to look like Kevin Costner) with a vigilante thrown wearing a Batman mask. I can’t even call the vigilante “Batman” because there’s virtually no element of the Batman mythos at play in this story. Even Batman’s “no guns, no killing” rule doesn’t exist. There’s nothing particularly interesting about the artwork and the story is entertaining enough but nothing at all special. One little detail I did like: the accurate detail that Capone’s preferred nickname was actually “Snorky,” not “Scarface.”

[Centauri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Elliot Ness dressed as batman to help thrawt Capone, getting the idea from Zorro, and knowing the law may not get the job done quick enough? Okay, I can see it - LOL.
Definitely a fantastic spin on history and the legend that is the Untouchables.

[Glenn Proven · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun read. What if Elliot Ness were Batman? The writer did his research on the G-man. It made for a good tale.

[drown_like_its_1999 · Rating 2 out of 5]

As Elliot Ness finishes his book "The Untouchables", which describes the takedown of mob boss Al Capone by his team of federal agents, he reflects on the omission of an unlikely ally in that of the Batman. The story flashes back to the events of the day and shows how the caped crusader helped bring down the windy city's most famous criminal.

This was a pretty fun period action tale that makes entertaining use of Al Capone as an adversary for a Tommy Gun wielding Batman. The story sidelines Ness significantly which is a shame given how compelling his real world story is but it still delivers a fun romp nonetheless. The art is pretty nice, especially in the depiction of action but nothing on display is spectacular. Doesn't quite cross the threshold to "good" but this story was still an entertaining read.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just a single issue quick read, but it's pretty fun for what it is, which is a mash-up of classic mobster stuff, some historical events (centering on Eliot Ness and The Untouchables), and, well, Batman. Pretty predictable as far as that goes, but no worse for knowing basically where it's going the whole time.

[Micah Siegmund · Rating 3 out of 5]

Batman meets The Untouchables in the Prohibition era. An interesting Elseworlds tale where Eliot Ness is after the notorious Al Capone. Decent story by Max Allan Collins and understated art by Eduardo Barreto suitable to the subject matter. Overall a nice read but fell flat in places and didn't quite live up to the promise of the premise.

[Andrew Ives · Rating 4 out of 5]

More like the Untouchables than a Batman book, this was for me, probably one of the best one-off Elseworlds episodes. Decent artwork throughout with intelligent writing, this may have been even better without Batman in it!

[James Clark · Rating 2 out of 5]

A really good idea that was very badly executed. Mixing the two just didn't seem to work, and not having Bruce Wayne in it made me lose all interest in the 'Batman' character. Such a shame as it was very well drawn, and the story (though a bad idea) was well balanced.

[Indah Threez Lestari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tidak ada Bruce Wayne di komik ini, begitu pula Gotham City.

Ini Chicago jaman Al Capone, bung, jadi the man behind the bat mask adalah Eliot Ness. Try to picture Kevin Costner as Batman...

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

Batman and the Untouchables, bit predicatable. Not that original really.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great film-noir spin on Batman

[Brannigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elliot Ness becomes the Bat-Man to fight Al Capone. Pretty fun.

[Earl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I have to watch that Brian dePalma flick.

[Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

What if "Bat-man" was a reference to his weapon of choice instead of an animal?

This was a pretty short and sweet story. Prohibition era Batman with Elliot Ness and Al Capone involved.