Books : Batman: Under the Hood, Vol. 1

In association with Amazon.com

Rating:

- A ghost from the past
It is a shame that some people cannot allow themselves to view this story with an open mind, primarily because of the return of Jason Todd, and for some, a strong disliking for writer Judd Winick. Since I had no previous exposure to the character or to Winick, and thus had no bias pro or con towards them, I was able to judge this story on its' own merits, and they are many. Among them are action packed scenes that are exciting and not just there to fill a quota or pad pages, witty dialogue, and numerous quality guest stars, hero and villain alike, who actually enhance the story and do not just appear to fill a different quota. In Todd, you have the prototype antihero who is willing to cross the line that Batman won't. In Black Mask, you have a cool villain who is both a total bad guy but humorous also, somewhat like the Joker is supposed to be but rarely is. And with Batman, we have a man experiencing pain and anguish that has haunted him for years, and his current confusion and loss over what to do about the apparent appearance of a ghost. If used properly, Todd could fill a void in the DCU for his type of character, even as the person you love to hate, and be an interesting foil for Batman to confront in the years to come. Hopefully DC will find a niche for him within the Bat family and take advantage of future story possibilities that his inclusion would provide.

Rating:

- Good for catch up!
I was out of comics for a while, and picked this Graphic Novel, great way to catch up!

Rating:

- Graphic SF Reader
Another example of the often overused device of bringing super characters back from the dead. It is not done too badly here, though. The Jason Todd character, who people voted to get rid of, is brought back to be a destabilising force in Gotham City. He has become a vigilante, Punisher style, taking out the crooks around the place in a permanent shuffle off the mortal coil fashion.

Rating:

- Surprised Me
You know... I read some of the flaming reviews and thought this book was going to be horrible. I was wrong. The more I read it, the better I liked it, and the more I got into it. It's the first part of a two book series and I was really into it by the end of it. The art is fantastic! I don't know why the haters flamed this book. It's got some really great writing and super-duper art. I think the writer is that guy from the real world. Maybe that's why people were flaming him. I wasn't really into the guy on the real world but after watching iFanboy's video podcast on Revision3 and them picking one of his books I bought this book. It was great. He really knows what he's doing. I normally follow comic writers more than I follow characters and I'll be sure to pick up another one of his books. I really dug this book, not in the it was the most brilliant book ever, but in the it was really solid and enjoyable.

Rating:

- One more great Bat-book *WARNING* Spoilers
Few writers have the ability to truly capture Batman's essence. But Judd Winick pulls it off with little effort.
The art work here is nothing short of great, but it's not quite as good as Jim Lee's work in "Hush." Still, if you're looking for some great art and one of the best interpretations of The Joker, this is a book you shouldn't miss.
The story picks up shortly after War Games and Identity Crisis and leads directly into Infinite Crisis, if you read both volumes.
This first volume really concentrates on where Batman is as a hero and as a person.
During War Games Stephanie Brown, The Spoiler and Robin IV, is killed. For those who didn't know, Tim Drake quit soon after Identity Crisis due to the death of his father. It was very tragic, I suggest you read it before reading this. War Games lacks as a story but it's important to understand the events of this story.
Here we get the re-introduction of a character known as The Red Hood. He's out to take over the crime in Gotham City and sees both Black Mask and Batman as problems. However, his efforts are more concentrated on taking out Black Mask.
For those who remember, The Red Hood was the original identity used by The Joker before his chemical bath. This is a clue to Red Hood's actual identity, which most people figured out long before it was revealed in volume two.
Winick deserves a lot of credit for getting inside each of the characters he chose to focus on. Here he demonstrates a deep love and understanding of what makes Batman who he is.
The only person who probably understands Batman better than Winick is Jeph Loeb. However, given where this story eventually winds up, even Loeb might not have been able to pull this piece off with as much grace and style as Winick.
The problems with this book are few but they are there.
Some people will complain that this story undoes years of history and that it violates the character of Jason Todd and Batman and that Infinite Crisis was used as a cheap way of bringing Jason Todd back to life.
Maybe, but Jason Todd has played an intricate role in Batman's life ever since his death and it stands to reason that he would eventually make another appearance. Especially given that his death was caused by a 1-900 number instead of an editorial decision. His death was a clear example of why fans should not be allowed to determine the outcome of a story arc.
Given the choice between killing someone and letting them live, fans always seem to want death. Probably because they didn't actually believe DC would go that far.
Jason Todd really has made for a great villain and, in the hands of such good writers and artists, he's really making the most of his new lease on life.
Another thing Winick does better than most other writers is working humor into his stories. The dialogue Black Mask has with Mr. Freeze and The Red Hood is simply hilarious. I never knew just how funny his character could be until this story.
This story ends with a nice cliffhanger so you'll have to get the second volume to find out what happens. I suggest you do so and ignore the unjustifiable criticism, judge it for yourself.

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