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Deathtrap A-Go-Go! / The Couch
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Main Story
Written by Gabe Soria
Art by Dean Haspiel
Colors by Zylonol
Lettering by Nick J. Nap
Cover by Dean Haspiel
Asst. Editor Harvey Richards
Editor Joan Hilty
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Back-Up
Written by Vito Deslsante
Art by Dean Haspiel
Colored by Zylonol
Lettered by Rob Leigh
Asst. Editor Harvey Richards
Editor Joan Hilty |
Issue #09 - Deathtrap A-Go-Go! / The Couch
Cover Date - February 2004. Released December 17th.
Batman beats a death trap and Bruce Wayne stumps a head shrinker! |
Review
Every group, once it gets large
enough, is guaranteed to have an underachiever or a
black sheep within its ranks. US Presidents have Richard
Nixon, the Beatles have Ringo, the Green Lantern Corps
has G’Nort, and the otherwise-stellar seventeen issue
run of Batman Adventures has #9.
When this issue’s main story first hit comic stands,
most readers were not pleased. To be fair, the issue is
not the unmitigated disaster it is often made out to be.
After eight months of the trademark Slott/Templeton/Burchett
style, any change in storytelling as drastic as that
seen in issue #9, regardless of actual quality, was not
likely to be appreciated. The fill-in team had their
work cut out for them. And in this tale, which features
Batman recounting some of his many brushes with death to
Robin, there are a few genuinely strong moments. Batman
is at his most unflappably cool, staring death in the
face while maintaining a veneer of absolute calmness.
The various death traps devised by members of Batman’s
rogue gallery offer up small insights into the many
villains featured. And the premise is somewhat clever;
astute Batman fans might notice that it’s basically
“Almost Got `Im” with a reversed viewpoint.
Yet the venom often projected at this issue is not
without merit, and is indeed largely accurate. The
story, written by Gabe Soria, has an enjoyable premise
and logical pacing, but is so thoroughly packed with
inane dialogue that one can scarcely wait for it to end.
Indeed, the script reads as if it was a lost episode of
the sixties Batman show (mentally using Adam West and
Burt Ward’s voices when reading the story does,
admittedly, make it a good deal more amusing). Robin is
at the height of annoying kid cliché, and there are
moments, however brief, where you wish he’d just die
already. Ultimately, when the resolution hits, you’re
more likely to have the “thank God that’s over” feeling
than the more desirable “I wish this was longer”
feeling.
The art, by Dean Haspiel, doesn’t make matters any
better. Though stylish and unique, it looks clunky and
off-model, and the pages difficult to follow and
occasionally quite unpleasant to look at. Haspiel takes
the Timm style as little more than a suggestion, and the
payoff isn’t pretty.
The backup, penned by Vito Delasante, stands in stark
contrast to the main story. The premise is simple,
compelling, and novel: Bruce Wayne attends a required
corporate therapy session. Though little new insight
into Batman is offered, it’s a nice summation of the
character, his world, and his motivations. The
suggestion is made that perhaps Batman is a little more
serene than most give him credit for, and it’s an
intriguing notion.
Though this issue is a definite disappointment when
weighed against the rest of the series, it’s important
to remember that it is, after all, merely a fill-in
issue. They are a reality for any comics fan, and in the
grand scheme of things, Batman Adventures #9 does its
job adequately. It’s a placeholder, but that’s not awful
in and of itself. If nothing else, it’s an easy enough
issue to ignore, if it ever comes to that.
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