Dave-El's Spinner Rack: Batman Now and Then

The theme of today's post of Dave-El's Spinner Rack is Batman Now and Then.

The "now" is a new run Batman by writer Jeph Loeb, penciller Jim Lee, inker Scott Williams and colorist Alex Sinclair.

It may be Batman Now but it's a story line steeped in nostalgia.

Batman is in pursuit of the Joker who has poisoned the Gotham water supply. The fish have been "Jokerized" like the "Laughing Fish" introduced by Steve Englehart & Marshall Rogers back in 1978.  

The Joker himself has been abducted to a certain abandoned amusement park, like the one from "The Killing Joke" by Alan Moore & Brian Bolland.  

The Joker is being slowly and methodically tortured by someone with the expertise of a surgeon.  Loeb & Lee are calling back to their own work, the first Hush storyline. 

While this new storyline is billed as "Hush 2", this is NOT the first time Tommy Elliot, aka Hush has returned since that first series by Loeb & Lee.  

Props to the art team of Lee, Williams & Sinclair whose art is filled with action, sinister darkness and graphic detail.  

Still I am not completely sold on these "greatest hits" tour that writer Jeph Loeb has embarked upon.  

Looking towards Batman Then, I am still enjoying the hell out of Batman & Robin: Year One by Mark Waid and Chris Samnee.  

The main storyline of the criminal mastermind known as The General continues to cause problems for our nascent Dynamic Duo.  Using the shape shifting abilities of Clayface, the General is instigating a crime war between Gotham's crime families.

The main appeal of this series is the developing relationship between Batman and Robin and by extension Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson.   

Batman is irked by Robin's impetuous nature and accuses him of having no sense of discipline. Robin angrily denies this, citing his training as an aerialist in the circus, 10 hours a day starting at age 3. How dare Batman accuse of him of not having any discipline. 

Batman is impressed by this.

Bruce Wayne is less impressed that he can't get Dick Grayson to clean his room and stay out of trouble in school.  

Speaking of impressed, I'm still loving Chris Samnee's art on this book, his fluidity of motion and clean simple lines juxtaposed with shadows and negative space. 

Batman & Robin: Year One remains a fun read and my favorite Batman project right now.