Just Imagine: Batman

Just Imagine... #Batman

by Stan Lee

Comics legend Stan Lee, the co-creator of Spider-Man and the X-Men, offers his own interpretations of DC's finest super-heroes' origins. We meet Wayne Williams, an African American man framed for robbery. Consumed with thoughts of revenge against those who framed him, Wayne is freed from prison with a powerful physique and a bold new purpose.

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

48 pages, Paperback

First published July 25, 2001

About the author

Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber) was an American writer, editor, creator of comic book superheroes, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics.

With several artist co-creators, most notably Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, he co-created Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, Thor as a superhero, the X-Men, Iron Man, the Hulk, Daredevil, the Silver Surfer, Dr. Strange, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Scarlet Witch, The Inhumans, and many other characters, introducing complex, naturalistic characters and a thoroughly shared universe into superhero comic books. He subsequently led the expansion of Marvel Comics from a small division of a publishing house to a large multimedia corporation.

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau]

Stan Lee rewrites the origin of Batman - fanboy dream come true. I am very biased as far as this book is concerned; just the fact that it is done by Stan Lee makes me partial to it. One of the things that I like about this book is that BM is very different here - very different, but you can see that the 'spirit' of BM is very much here.

[A.J.]

Just Imagine...if Batman was a terrible character and Stan Lee fucked up the DC Unverse. Well you don’t have to True Believer, because Just Imagine exists! Yay!

I will be reading all of these since I found them in an old longbox, but this was a horrible start. Not horrible in a “so bad it’s good” way, more like “Oh Jesus Christ why the fuck was this published” kind of way.

[James DeSantis]

This is a must read.

A must read like Frank Millar's run on Batman All Star.

This is some "I'm the goddamn batman" level laughing.

So basically this Bruce/Wayne Williams is black, and in a shitty city of Gotham, and this is earth 6, so this is different and interesting. Then it goes bad....Because everyone is dressed so badly, and this takes place in early 2000, but we have like a pimp looking dude in the first few pages...also Wayne is a piece of shit...like SO much good can come of this background and character but it was horrible.

Oh and it just takes Spider-man story of being a wrestler and such, which was crap to start with, but then pushes it further to wanting Bruce to be the BEST wrestler of all time or some shit. Oh and the Bat suit? THE WORST THING EVER...And the ending...and batman killing...and...ugh just ugh, but lolz

This story made me laugh a lot though. On how bad it is. For that people should read it. But it's not good...at all.

[John Yelverton]

Awful doesn't begin to describe this book, and that makes me so glad that Stan Lee had nothing to do with the creation of the DC Universe.

[Eugene booker]

I loved it it swas diffrent but then it was typical lets make the character black thats the way tio do it. But anyway I liked it it was great, I liekd the artwork and the writing, Id read it again!

[Andrew Ives]

Stan's original take on Batman, that is really very different to the DC Batman we know and love, and actually rather more like Spiderman in many ways. Some very nice artwork, especially the larger panels, and well written in a Marvel style. The ending is a bit abrupt, and there's a 4-page 'On The Street' epilogue 'silent' story which is amusing. I rather enjoyed it all. 4.25/5

[Marcos_e.e]

Nota 4,5.
Nem tão ruim, mas nem tão bom.
Tem uma ideia legal de trazer um Bruce Wayne negro e a partir daí subverter a origem. Só que não é bem feito, simplesmente não é. Pra falar bem, a arte do Joe Kubert é muito boa e as cores são interessantes. O vilão "Handz" é péssimo, quem diabos tem poderes de mãos fortes?? A vingança toda é fraca. O Wayne Williams (nova versão do personagem) fica rico no meio da história de uma página para a outra. O pai dele morre e isso é contado pra você no começo por diálogo e a mãe falece no meio da história e ele recebe a notícia na prisão por carta, só que tem um problema... Nenhuma das vezes você vê acontecer, só é falado basicamente. E o Wayne não mostra muita vulnerabilidade, principalmente no caso da mãe. Você nunca tem um senso de que esses casos foram fatídicos como na versão original dessa história, que você sente que depois dali o personagem nunca mais foi o mesmo. A HQ é apressada e se torna genérica muito rápido.
Enfim, o Stan Lee pegou uma história icônica e transformou num bagulho desinteressante. Pra somar a isso, a fantasia que escolhem pro Batman aqui deve ser Top 5 Piores Uniformes de Herói da História. Se você quer ler algo interessante sobre uma versão negra do Batman, leia Poder Supremo do Straczynski, é muito melhor.

[Redwan Orittro]

No Bruce Wayne in this one. Pretty decent but I will not call it Batman.

[CJ]

Well it appears that now Batman's "woke" so to speak. What's next a gay transexual, lesbian, shim?

[Indah Threez Lestari]

What if Batman is Black with a realistic bat costume?

[Camron Wallace]

As a Marvel fan, I enjoyed this. It's interesting to see a different take on Batman's origin. When you read this, think of it as a different take, not a traditional Batman story.

[Obi Juan]

Olvídense de Gotham y Alfred. Stan Lee invierte todo lo básico de Batman en su versión. Y funciona. Le da tiempo además, para hacerse un auto homenaje (¿que otra cosa podría ser el poner a Wayne Williams a ganar dinero como luchador?). Lo que menos me gusta, el traje.

[Fugo Feedback]

No me gustó para nada esta reinterpretación melodramática cuando la leí. Quizás hoy en día lo veo distinto, pero no me veo releyendo los Just Imagine pronto.

[Juan Jose]

Reads like Spider-Man, and the art of Joe Kubert is amazing!

[Just a Girl Fighting Censorship]

I love Stan Lee, but thank God he didn't create Batman, this was abysmal.

[Dony Grayman]

Uno de los tomos de Just Imagine que no encuentro dónde quedó...