Back Issues: "Batman: City of Crime" (2005)

- by Ninja Ross, 10 September 2014

Do you want more Batman? DO YOU WANT MORE BATMAN?!? Of course you want more Batman! Who doesn’t want more Batman? We all want more Batman. Here’s some more Batman, just in case you don’t have enough Batman. BATMAN.

Trade cover

Of course, there’s a lot of Batman. He’s been going for 75 freaking years and is showing no sign of quitting. Even when he’s killed, he’s still around. The point is, with all the Batman stories available, it can be hard to find the best stories. That’s what we’re here for!

City of Crime, written by David Lapham, with art by Ramon Bachs, follows Batman on the hunt for the murderer of a young girl, Cassie Welles. This leads to an illegal adoption ring, crazy masks and some mud. Yeah, mud.

Batman crosses paths with another young girl, Haddie McNeil, while attending a fancy rich people party as Bruce Wayne (DID YOU KNOW BATMAN IS ALSO BRUCE WAYNE?!?). Wayne witnesses Haddie attract a lot of men, drinking a lot of champagne and generally not acting her age.

She sets her sights on Bruce and he turns her down, harshly. Soon after, she winds up dead with a needle in her arm.

Batman does what Batman does; he hunts down the drug dealer and beats the crap out of him. But, just before he goes too far, his attention is caught by a building fire not too far away. This is where the adoption thing kicks in; in that building, young girls are kept in a small room where they’re impregnated in order for some bad guys to profit by selling the little bundles of joy.

Batman, believing himself guilty of driving Haddie to drugs, immediately links the two situations and begins to obsess over everything. Especially when a mother comes forward, claiming her Cassie, her missing daughter may be one of these girls.

And it only gets crazier from there! And darker! Batman unravels a huge conspiracy that involves the Penguin, Scarface, Mr Freeze and a new, mysterious enemy. It’s cray cray, folks.

It’s a very dark story, full of twists and dramatic moments. It has more disturbing elements than your average Batman book, but it’s never overdone or out of place. It flows very naturally.

No one leaves until I kick the crap out of them!

It’s also nice to see Scarface used in a Batman book. That block of wood is never used enough, just like Zsasz or Riddler. Let’s have more villains that aren’t Joker!

But this book is just as much about Gotham as it is Batman; it’s littered with narration about the city itself, how the city is “gleefully willing to consume itself.” Lapham presents the city as both insane and evil, trying to kill itself and anyone in it.

The book is also full of horror, which we don’t really see enough of in modern Batman books. Plenty of violence, shadows and fear, especially with the aforementioned new enemy.

One of the original covers. Click to enlarge.

But what comic would be complete without art? It’s a pretty necessary thing for the industry.

A book like this needs a talented artist, who can match the gloomy atmosphere presented by Lapham. This book needs some Ramon Bachs! And Ramon Bachs it gets!!!

Bachs’ artwork here is outstanding in every way; it’s gritty and beautiful at the same time. Bachs uses plenty of detail but doesn’t let the details overshadow the bigger picture. His take on Batman looks to be a bit of the gothic variety, with the flowing cape and shadows.

And colouring in a book like this is always important; the tone needs to be perfect to keep the atmosphere from dying. Jason Wright does this masterfully, keeping everything looking fantastic.

This book is full of what makes Batman so great: mystery, horror and fun villains. And Batman, of course. Batman makes Batman awesome.

So, get this book! The collection is available where you buy these things from (Book stores or the internet or whatever). Get it! Read it! Dress up as Batman! Beat people up! Do these things!


And comment below!

Tagged: comics, Back Issues.

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