Gavin > Recent Status Updates

Detective Comics #441

These 'morality plays' are great fun. A little hokey, I guess, but enjoyable.

This one was surprisingly bleak in the end compared to what's gone before.

Detective Comics #440

These are starting to feel like morality plays.

Another solid story which challenged my 'must embrace the silliness' mantra.

I like how this picks up from an event in Tales of the Demon.

A story with a message, kids.

Batman is beautifully drawn by Jim Aparo.

Detective Comics #437

I really enjoyed this issue. Drugs, mystical masks, jealousy and superb Jim Aparo artwork.

Maybe I can be a fan of 'vintage' Batman.

Detective Comics #489

Must...remember...to...embrace...the...silliness

If anyone can explain how Batman worked out where the kidnapped geologist was, please get in touch to claim your prize. 😆

Detective Comics #485

Annoyingly characters are being referenced that I've not encountered yet. I guess this is the problem with a Batman readthrough where I'm not really working chronologically.

I did enjoy the fight scenes but again, it's all a little Boys Own, with poison wearing off at the right moment and hoodlums being mere fodder for the Caped Crusader.

DC Special Series #15

Batman gets married. Two minutes later in the 'honeymoon suite' he knocks his wife out so he can chase the bad guys. Very 70s. 😆

Talia is dressed in a bikini for obvious reasons and the bad guys are as crap as ever.

must...remember...to...embrace...the...silliness

Batman #244

I'm not sure why Batman has to have a shirtless duel to the 'death' or why Talia is constantly bailing Batman out yet still supports her father. It cant purely be down to her feelings for The Caped Crusader can it? I feel I've missed out on the story where she fell on love with him.

Great art, dodgy story. I'm embracing the silliness. 😆

Batman #243

I need to embrace the silliness. There's a lot to like here. The fight scenes are exciting and brilliantly drawn.

Who the hell is Molly? Batman conveniently bumped into her and now she's rugby tackling Talia and leaping about on a jet-ski. 😆

This issues finale was excellent. As I said, I think I need to EMBRACE THE SILLINESS.

Batman #242

I'm all for Batman being brilliant and outfoxing the bad-guys, but this issue is hilariously daft.

A master of disguise and able to switch in a mannequin of himself to take a knife to the chest is testing my beliefparameters. Yes, its a comic but I think this might be why I prefer the grittier, later Batman. This one flirts with '66 a bit too much.

Batman #240

Accidentally administering an amnesia serum instead of truth was rather amusing.

Another old-school issue, which was fun but the more I read, the more I think this era may not be for me as a priority read.

Batman looks fantastic throughout. No wonder Talia is constantly swearing her undying love 😆

Batman #235

Old-school fun, I guess.

It's all a bit daft story-wise but the art is fantastic.

Batman #232

Some gorgeous artwork feels a little wasted on such a cheesy, dated story.

Did we really need to see another origin story?

No disrespect, but this is very Saturday matinee type of storytelling. Enjoyable enough, with its Boy's Own charm but in 2026 it's all a bit weak.

Dont get me started on 'my darling Talia loves you!'

Loved the editors notes.

Detective Comics #411

Love a villain that spills the beans upon capture. So cheesy, yet enjoyable. Doctor Darrk claiming a woman wouldn't shoot him as she was 'far too sweet'. Batman naming a bull, Ferdinand.

All very 1970s.

Loved the artwork with some panels featuring punchy, exciting action but the issue was underwhelming story-wise. 2/5

I'm not seeing this as an origin story at all. I've yet to read any of the other books, but Pendergast is fully in control here. He's running rings around senior police and constantly making convenient assumptions that are incredibly close to the truth.

And I'm having a great time with it. The mystery is certainly intriguing and has my attention.

Pacey, enjoyable but Pendergast is too bloody perfect. I'm really hoping he messes something up.

This is my first Pendergast book, he already appears to be proficient at pretty much everything. I'm starting to wonder what the purpose of this book is to fans of the books since The Relic in 1995.

For me, I'm having fun with it, but Pendergast does seem to have hit the ground running.

I'm really enjoying the fast paced, punchy writing and the story certainly has me intrigued. My only real issue is that Pendergast appears to be a little too good at what he does. I guess there's still time for him to mess things up but so far he's been annoyingly brilliant. There's also a moment of convenient plotting that irked me. Not book breaking but it felt a cheap way to get the characters from a to b.

I'm really enjoying this. The book is working for me as a first time Pendergast reader, although I'm sure there have been several winks to knowing, experienced, readers.

Pendergast is working for me as a character as is his 'mentor' Chambers. I'm particularly invested in this serial killer storyline. Very intriguing.

After 118 pages, I've read enough to commit to the Pendergast book series.

This is the first book in my Pendergast readthrough.

57 pages in and there's been a superbly written piece of misdirection. There's also been a line so cheesy, it made me laugh. It was an absolute pearler.

I'm really enjoying this so far. Fast paced, punchy, featuring a character the authors obviously love.

I'll sit on my thoughts for a while and post something closer to the April publication date.

Most of the issues I had with the book were addressed in the Story Notes at the back of the book. It's as if Adam knew. 😆

Nevill's prose is as sumptuous as ever and the story offers plenty of horrors.

I'll admit I prefer slow burn scary Nevill. Monumental is very much in your face, almost action, Nevill.