‘Batman Vs. Ra’s Al Ghul #1’ (review)

Written and Illustrated by Neal Adams
Published by DC Comics

Every so often there comes a book that is so painfully bad that you actually can’t help but laugh.

That’s been pretty much every book Neal Adams has worked on since Batman: Odyssey came stinking up the scene a few years back. Every book he has done since seems to get worse and worse.

But he may have topped himself here. This is the book that is so bad, you may find yourself howling with laughter. I just couldn’t help myself.

The opening scene features Batman chasing an old man and a dog who has dynamite strapped to it. Batman basically yells at the old man and then picks the dog up and throws it. There is an explosion. Then, we see that instead of killing it, Batman saves the dog and gives him back to the old man. Then he runs off.

But what the hell is going on?

Then, Deadman appears because you know, why not?

Gotham seems to be blowing up and Batman is either going nuts or being a hero or maybe both. Who the heck knows? There’s an outbreak of some kind which I thought might be hemorrhoids at first because of the way Adams draws everyone (mouth open and anguished), but what the hell I was invested now. Let’s see where this crazy train takes us!

Batman joins up with Deadman and they go and meet up with Commissioner Gordon and Ra’s Al Ghul. Nobody is happy and they all just blame each other because “why not” again?!

There’s no subtlety, but if you accept each panel as reality then you might sleep better after reading this. You know, rather than pull your hair out trying to make a lick of sense out of any of it.

Batman and Deadman fight the villains who are causing the outbreak (I think) and then at the end Batman dies.

But Bruce Wayne is alive. And he’s somehow become chums with Ra’s Al Ghul. At that point it seems that the characters in the book are even more confused than the reader is. Maybe.

Let’s just be honest. This book stinks on ice. The story is terrible and the art makes you want to cry your eyes out and wipe away your tears with copies of Batman #251.

Still, it’s Neal Adams doing this. And respect must be paid. He changed comics forever. He really did. But if these get any worse, he will change comics forever again. But in the complete opposite direction.

Oh by the way, I thought this issue wasn’t very good.

RATING: F