Batman Illustrated by Neal Adams Vol. 2

Rating:
Summary: This is what it reprints
Review: It reprints all of the Neal Adams stories in chronological order. Vol #2 includes Detective Comics #393-411, Batman #217,219-222,224-227,229-231, Brave and the Bold #88-90,93,95, and World's Finest #199,200,202.

Rating:
Summary: The Most Essential Batman Book on the Market
Review: With the possible exception of Strange Apparitions, Batman Illustrated by Neal Adams Volume 2 is the best Batman book currently available and is vastly superior to volume 1 of the series. The improvement lies in the quality of the writing, because, while Neal Adams' artwork was unquestionably brilliant in volume one, most of the stories in that volume were tripe from the typewriter of Bob Haney, whose stories were often, for lack of a better word, goofy. Volume 2 begins to reprint the stories where Adams was teamed with writers worthy of his talent, and Adams talent is unsurpassed. This book consists of tales by two of the greatest writers (O'Neil and Robbins) in Batman's illustrious history, and the man who is, without a doubt in my mind, the greatest artist in the history of the comics medium. Anyone with even a passing interest in comics should consider Batman Illustrated Volume 2 must reading, because it shows what a great character Batman can be in the hands of the right talent.
That is not to say the book is perfect. I found some it somewhat off-putting that Adams decided to redraw and "improve" some of the artwork. There isn't much tinkering, just a panel or two here and there, but to be honest, I found the original work to be superior in every case. Of course, Adams is the artistic genius and I'm just a reader, so I will defer to his judgment. However, none of the stories after "Paint a Picture of Peril" appears to have any redrawing, so I guess that isn't really a major problem.
Volume 2 contains the following stories:
"You Can't Hide From a Dead Man" Batman attempts to find Deadman's killer in this team-up. Although not great, the story is not that bad, which is surprising considering Bob Haney's authorship. Still, one of the weaker stories in the book and, fortunately Adams last work with Haney. My main complaint is that I've always loved this tale's splash panel and Adams apparently redrew it. The original was better.
"Secret of the Waiting Graves" Adams first collaboration with writer Denny O'Neil is the story that broke Batman out of the TV mode and returned him to his roots as a grim avenger of the night. Quite simply, it is one of the greatest stories in Batman history. Highlights include the Batman's rescue of a policeman who is plummeting from a hot-air balloon and the scene where a drugged Batman fights off an attack from a group of falcons. While the creature of the night Batman on display here may seem cliché to modern readers, the story must have been quite a shock to the audience used to Adam West-ish TV show high-jinks. Graves is one of the two best stories in the book. I can't recommend it highly enough.
"Silent Night of the Batman" This tale of Batman singing Christmas carols (?) while his image inspires Gotham's citizenry is the only lame tale in the book. Still, Adams artwork shines and that last panel of Batman swinging through the city is awesome.
"Paint a Picture of Peril" is one of the weakest O'Neil/Adams collaborations. The story isn't bad, but the team would produce other work that was far superior. Batman confronts an insane madman who steals valuable works of art based on their resemblance to his lost love. Reportedly, O'Neil based his story on Orson Welles' Citizen Kane. Every picture of Bruce Wayne in this story seems to have been redrawn from the original. In fact, this is the story that Adams seemed to tweak the most.
"Challenge of the Man-Bat" The premier chapter in the Man-Bat trilogy is Neal Adams first collaboration with writer Frank Robbins. The full three-part story has always been one of my favorite Batman sagas, although this first part is the weakest of the three. Scientist Kirk Langstrom takes a Bat-extract to heighten his senses, but is transformed into a hybrid of a human and a bat. The only real flaw in the story is the page where Batman confronts the Black-out Gang and admits to them that he tracked them with a device that enhanced his hearing, allowing the Gang to plot an escape. Why would he do that? Still, one bad page can't ruin 15 excellent ones.
"Man or Bat" The second part of the Robbins/Adams Man-Bat trilogy is probably the most exciting. Langstrom searches for a cure as he continues to grow more savage, while Batman tracks him. This story introduces Langstrom's fiancée, Francine, who tries to help Batman in his quest. Action packed and top notch!
"Ghost of the Killer Skies" is an excellent murder mystery in which Batman tracks a killer on the set of a movie about World War I fighter pilot (and DC character) Enemy Ace. There are a couple of panels where Denny O'Neil gets a little too political for my tastes, but otherwise another fine O'Neil/Adams collaboration. By the way, the panel of Batman leaping over the World War 1 plane to grab a roll of dynamite is simply beautiful.
"Marriage: Impossible" (aka the Bride of Man-Bat) is the thrilling conclusion of the Man-Bat trilogy by Adams and writer Frank Robbins. Now driven totally insane by his transformation, Langstrom makes Francine take the Bat extract to prove her love for him. Perhaps it is a bit melodramatic for today's audiences, but I love this story. I think it has a great "70s horror movie" feel, and I love the splash page. Also, while it may seem far-fetched that someone would turn themselves into a human bat for love, I think I have known people that were probably that stupid.
"Red Water, Crimson Death" may be a bit confusing to people unfamiliar with DC's House of Mystery title. The story serves as a Batman/House of Mystery "team-up" and is narrated by Cain, who "told" all the tales in HOM. The actual plot deals with a vacationing Batman summoned to action to expose a gang of criminals staging fake haunting in an Irish castle in an attempt to cover their schemes. I can't say I was crazy about the ending, but otherwise a very entertaining O'Neil/Adams thriller.
"The House that Haunted Batman" is a great idea that could have been executed better. This is an early story by writers Len Wein and Marv Wolfman, both of whom would improve greatly over their careers. Of course, Adams art is, as always, excellent. This story is still FAR superior to anything DC is putting out in any of the current Bat-titles, and the only thing that knocks the story from being great to merely good is the ridiculous death trap.
"A Vow from the Grave" is the story that writer Denny O'Neil sites as his best collaboration with Neal Adams, and I certainly wouldn't disagree with him. This story is another murder mystery with Batman tracking an escaped killer through a nearly deserted town inhabited only by a group of circus freaks. To be honest, it is one of the two best stories in the book, "Secret of the Waiting Graves" being the other, and is one of the greatest in Batman history. Highly recommended.