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1535 ( )

While the titular arc is pretty weak, the Gordons-centric backup "Skeleton Cases" is a rare example of a "Batman story without Batman" that actually works. ( )

Genuinely compelling, I haven't read a Batman story without Bruce Wayne and I thought Dick Grayson was Batman was a really nice touch - even visually you can tell under the cape and cowl it's not Bruce Wayne.

The story seemed all over the place at first, but all lines up really nicely in the end. James Gordon felt a bit cliche, but interesting enough to keep me reading, and quickly. Art style and dialogue all seem like classic Batman and I couldn't put it down.

I will say reading it in Hoopla on Action Mode makes the whole experience ten times better, I wish I had figured that our earlier. I'm on a bit of a Batman binge here and I'm not stopping anytime soon! ( )

The Black Mirror was actually all kinds of wonderful, in my opinion. I've been so focused on doing all the others, the alternatives in the DC world, thinking that I knew my Supermans and Batmans from movies and tv, that I just never really considered, you know, READING them.

Silly me.

This was all sorts of creepy and fun. It's all about Grayson, too.

Now, I'll also be honest, I've also been becoming a superfan of James Gordon JR ever since I read about him in Suicide Squad, and seeing him shine in this volume was an especially good treat.

New and old villains share the spotlight, of course, and I'm always blown away by the joker who has gotten mightily creepy in his older age. Really fun stuff.

I'm thinking I might have to hunt around or ask opinions as to the best of the Batmans and Supermans now. I've avoid d them for far too long. ;) ( )