Review:
The days before a wedding are so busy, fille with countless tasks and decisions, parties and preparations. Now imagine how much more complicated it must be for a pair of celebrity costumed characters with secret identities to protect. And so few people to ask for help.
This book collects all the one-shot prelude comics. All are written by Tim Seely and include Robin vs. Ra's al Ghul, Nightwing vs. Hush, Batgirl vs. Riddler, Red Hood vs. Anarky and Harley Quinn vs. The Joker. From Bachelor and Bachelorette parties to the Joker's obsession with his (lack of) invitation to the nuptials (most visible in the DC Nation story by Tom King that leads off the collection), Seely gives us some intense interaction between key people in Batman and Catwoman's circle.
An extreme close-up of the Joker peering through a mail slot kicks off this book, the full-page splash for DC Nation #0. In this prelude to the Preludes, King gives us a darkly funny short tale of the Joker holding hostage a man while they eagerly await the day's mail delivery. The mail must - MUST - contain an invitation for the Joker. Filled with Dad-jokes and twisted humour, this tale does not end happily but it is a joy to read. Clay Mann's clean, straight-forward art is a nice nod to the history of these characters.
The Robin vs Ra's al Ghul tale is highlighted by a sweet bonding moment between Damian and Selina. Beyond that, though, this is a violent, trippy guilty pleasure of a tale. Cheeky, arrogantly over-confident Damian must battle some of al Ghul's assassins, and the man himself, despite being buzzed by some psychedelic drugs they slipped into him.
The Nightwing vs Hush tale begins with a costumed bachelor party at the classy (?) Bat Burger diner. An accidental trip through a portal leaves Nightwing and Hush trapped in a Negative Zero dimension, trying to avoid an army of "Gone Men." The dark horror-inspired aspects and apparent death of Hush fail to overcome the otherwise elevated levels of silliness in this one.
Batgirl takes on the Riddler to solve a series of increasingly high-stakes riddles and battles. In a clever device, the Riddler never speaks directly, only via cassette tape. This Prelude is the best of the bunch. Artist Minkyu Jung faithfully portrays the increasingly beat-up face of Batgirl as the long, hard night continues and she battles hench-people, including fishnet-stockinged Riddlerettes. Is this a Wedding Prelude? Maybe a little. But it is a lot of fun.
If the Bachelor party happened in Nightwing vs Hush, the Bachelorette party appears in the Red Hood vs Anarky prelude. Red Hood has been assigned a rather paternalistic role of supervising the ladies as they party. Of all these Prelude tales, this is the only one to hint at something larger going on, outside of the Epilogues. Not that anything comes of it, but there is the clear sense that someone is behind all these attacks. The tension between the beautiful partying people is also a palpable wrinkle that Seely handles well.
The final prelude is Harley Quinn vs the Joker. It has a wonderful series of nods to the classic Death Traps of earlier comics eras, especially the Silver Age and the 1960s TV series. My personal favourite is Harley's attempt to drown Mistah J in pudding - an instant classic! Unfortunately, this tale does not have much else going for it. The tensions between former lovers and silliness in the plot are too much at odds and this one fails to land.
In all, this collection of Preludes to the Wedding is a mixed bag, leaning more toward uninspiring but saved somewhat by the opening DC Nation story and the Batgirl vs the Riddler tales. We give it 3 capes out of five.
Description:
You are cordially invited...
Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle are about to tie the knot, uniting two of Gotham's greatest vigilantes in the wedding of the century. But the city's deadliest villains are determined to crash the party, and only Batman and Catwoman's closest allies stand in their way!
Robin vs. Ra's al Ghul: It's grandson versus grandfather as the son of the Bat faces the head of the Demon in a fatal family feud!
Nightwing vs. Hush: Batman's original partner turned best man squares off against Bruce Wayne's oldest friend turned bitterest enemy!
Batgirl vs. the Riddler: Two of Gotham City's greatest minds clash as the one-time Oracle and the overlord of Zero Year launch a war of wits!
Red Hood vs. Anarky: Agents of chaos collide in a battle between the Dark Knight's rogue Robin and the underworld's most unpredictable mastermind!
Harley Quinn vs. The Joker: Once upon a time, they too might have said, "I do." Now the Clown Prince of Crime and the Mistress of Mayhem are at each other's throats, with all nine of Catwoman's lives hanging in the balance!
Writer Tim Seeley and an all-star wedding band of artists proudly present Batman: Preludes to the Wedding, a killer collection of action-packed matrimonial madness that will help determine the fate of comics' greatest couple!
Collects: Batman: Prelude to the Wedding: Robin vs. Ra's al Ghul, Batman: Prelude to the Wedding: Nightwing vs. Hush, Batman: Prelude to the Wedding: Batgirl vs. Riddler, Batman: Prelude to the Wedding: Red Hood vs. Anarky, Batman: Prelude to the Wedding: Harley Quinn vs. The Joker, DC Nation #0 and #2
Authors: Tim Seeley, Tom King
Artists: Brad Walker, Travis Moore, & more
Published By: DC Comics
Published When: Sept. 11, 2018
Parental Rating: Teen
ISBN: 978-1401286545
Pages: 144 pages
No comments:
Post a Comment