Rating: 
Summary: Batman story with spectacular photo-like artwork!
Review: Alex Ross continues to amaze with his range of artwork. He is a worthy successor to Norman Rockwell (what would a Batman by Rockwell be like?) The story is good but its the artwork that tells the tale of the caped crusader in his daily efforts to rid Gotham City of crime. Bruce Wayne also plays a large role in this story. Very fine addition to the DC mythos.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful Art and Fine Story
Review: Alex Ross delivers a beautiful rendering of Batman and his war on crime. The story is not as powerful as Superman: Peace on Earth, but Ross and Dini deliver a realistic peek into the dual life of Batman and Bruce Wayne.
Rating: 
Summary: Absolutely beautiful art
Review: Better than photorealistic artwork fills every oversized page of this incredible graphic novel! The story is pleasantly focused on our hero, rather than a overglorification of villians, which is very easy to do. (The villians are usually the more interesting ones, aren't they? Rather than going up against super villians, this time we see Batsy going after your much more realstic white-collar and blue-collar criminals.
The whole time, Batman is struggiling with a question. If things were different, and he had not been wealthy, would he have turned twoard a life of crime instead of becoming a crime fighter? We see Bruce Wayne incognito, both in the world of the very poor and the very rich, which is a unqiue perspective. It is short, but well written, and Alex Ross is an truly incredible artist.
Rating:
Summary: By a team who knows Batman like no other
Review: Continuing the collaboration started with Superman: Peace on Earth, Dini/Ross continue their look at DC's Big Three (+ Captain Marvel) :-) with Batman: War on Crime.No one--and I mean *no one* (I'm looking at you, Frank Miller!)--knows Batman better than Dini. How he continues to have fresh ideas after writing x number of Batman: The Animated Series episodes I'll never know, but god bless him for it. His Batman is an amalgamation of the Batman shown to us by all the major creators who have come before: at once campy, grim, obsessive, frightening, determined, even possibly crazy. And yet Dini puts his own mark on the Dark Knight Detective. Ross's artwork, of course, is unspeakably gorgeous. Highest possible recommendation.
Rating: 
Summary: Great art, worthless story
Review: Depending on your comic budget this might make sense. For me, this was a total waste. You'll read over this thing like once--maybe twice. Nothing like Kingdom Come... As other reviewers have said, nothing new here that we haven't heard before. Read this one in the comic store and walk away. Just...walk..away. Meanwhile, I'll be selling my copy in the auctions section. If you must buy a copy, buy mine.
Rating:
Summary: Great comic/picture book hybrid
Review: First of all, the art is basically the reason to buy this book. Yeah, there's a story, and yeah, it ain't bad, and yeah, Dini can write this stuff really well, but come on, people: ALEX ROSS! That said, the art, in case you hadn't yet gotten the impression, is incredible, as it is in the book's predecessor, Superman: Peace on Earth. One thing you should know: this isn't really a comic book in the sense that you normally think of comic books, as pictures with speech and thought bubbles on them. It's narrated by Batman, and nobody else gets to say anything that we don't hear from Batman's perspective. It's kind of a cross between a comic book and a picture book. If you're a fan of Batman, this is definitely worth owning. Just don't expect it to be in comic book format. Not that you'll be disappointed anyway.
Rating:
Summary: What Batman's all about...
Review: Hey Bat-Squad Blue Boys and Girls! Greetings from the soon-to-be-no-more No Man's Land! Oh yeah Happy New Year 2000...anyways, down to business. BATMAN: WAR ON CRIME is a phenomenal work by Alex Ross and Paul Dini because it captures the Dark Knight's raison d'etre...to fight crime in all its elements. Whether it be the grim and gritty streets or the jaded halls of high society, Batman/Bruce Wayne is there to go about the business of justice, and it is this principle that is so eloquently captured by this book: justice. It was refreshing to see Batman not just combat the symptoms of crime but also its causes in his guise as Bruce Wayne, and this is something that you rarely see in comics or superhero-related literature. Alex Ross' artwork is breathtaking, and I wholeheartedly agree with the previous reviewer about making a comparison to Norman Rockwell's art...Ross has certainly done 'im proud. Paul Dini once again offers us a concise, heartfelt story that is touching on many levels. All in all, BATMAN: WAR ON CRIME is a worthy successor to the legacy created by the team who did SUPERMAN: PEACE ON EARTH...in fact, I must say that B:WOC is a timeless story that encapsulates the fight for justice in fiction as well as in real life. Until next time, swingin' around the city on a nearly broken line... - Gary da M3 Jetstorm
Rating:
Summary: ... Plot? Who cares?
Review: I have read many reviews of this book and many dwell on the thin plot to detract from the work. That line of thought is entirely moot as everyone, unless they are lying, picked this up for the artwork of Alex Ross. Just as he did with Marvels, Ross makes live action movies that happen to be still paintings; and better than Tim Burton ever could (even though I like Tim Burton). My two favorite pieces in the book are pretty basic images. One, the cover image, simply Batman's face in costume. The eyes are incredible, just looking out with the pain of murdered parents and the burden of being Gotham's protector. The second image is that of Bruce Wayne rising from bed with his ribs bandaged, maybe broken. Batman is often spoken in the same breath with Superman, but the latter is impervious to bodily harm. Batman is just a man, an athlete honed to near perfection but prone to injury. After a huge fight, basically getting the ... knocked out of him, he will be injured. That is the magic of this comic book. This is a must have for any Batman fan.
Rating:
Summary: ... Plot? Who cares?
Review: I have read many reviews of this book and many dwell on the thin plot to detract from the work. That line of thought is entirely moot as everyone, unless they are lying, picked this up for the artwork of Alex Ross. Just as he did with Marvels, Ross makes live action movies that happen to be still paintings; and better than Tim Burton ever could (even though I like Tim Burton). My two favorite pieces in the book are pretty basic images. One, the cover image, simply Batman's face in costume. The eyes are incredible, just looking out with the pain of murdered parents and the burden of being Gotham's protector. The second image is that of Bruce Wayne rising from bed with his ribs bandaged, maybe broken. Batman is often spoken in the same breath with Superman, but the latter is impervious to bodily harm. Batman is just a man, an athlete honed to near perfection but prone to injury. After a huge fight, basically getting the ... knocked out of him, he will be injured. That is the magic of this comic book. This is a must have for any Batman fan.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful artwork more than makes up for moderate storyline
Review: If anyone else had done the artwork for this book, it would rank as 2 or 3 stars, at best. The storyline, while interesting, is nothing all that original or captivating and certainly is not some of Paul Dini's best work. However, Alex Ross is one of the few artists whose art alone makes a graphic novel worth buying. He is among an elite few in the comics industry whose sensational artwork can make even a substandard plotline seem marvelous (some others being early '90's Todd McFarlane, and perhaps Frank Miller -- although Miller's writing is so good that the artwork scarcely needs to make up the difference). Ross beautifully captures the "dark, gritty" feel of the classic Batman tales from the last 15 years; but the painted artwork makes the images feel as if they transcend mere artwork. When I finished reading this book, I didn't remember much of the storyline and I didn't care -- the artwork is simply too good to overlook. If you are a Batman fan of any age, this is not one to be missed!
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