Cover Gallery: DCAU tie-in books
It still strange for me to realize, but I truly think that the best Batman comics of the past twenty-five years are the ones published throughout the four tie-in series for Batman: The Animated Series. Just like the show, these comics are pure, classic Batman, timeless tales that are rich in character and fun, even when they lack actual plot developments. If there were allowed to have an overall plot arc, I'd argue that they're the long-form Batman equivalent to All-Star Superman.
Virtually all of the characters in the show got chances to shine in the comics, which gave even the villains a new dimensions not even realized in TAS. Harvey is no exception. Bear in mind, he was only explored as a character in two episodes (Two-Face and Second Chance), which the rest of his appearances reducing him to being a plain villain or supporting rogue. The comics went a bit further, some of which I include among my Top Ten Two-Face stories.
Stupid scanner, not being able to properly capture this great cover for a great issue. This was actually my least favorite of the Two-Face TAS comic appearances until I reread it a couple weeks back. Kelley Puckett's stories were, at their best, shining examples of elegant simplicity in comics storytelling, but they lacked the focus on character that made Dini and Templeton's stories so great.
I wrote this particular story off as being very rote and standard, only to discover, upon reread it, that it presents a wonderfully elegant possibility for Harvey still retaining his humanity and showing how he's not entirely lost to the monster. At least, not yet. Puckett does this by ascribing special significance to the coin as more than just a choice-maker or tie-breaker, but as an actual lifeline to Harvey's soul.
Such mixed feelings about this two-part story. It an excellent tale, wherein the Joker plays Iago to Harvey's Othello, but the ending has always bothered me. It destroys the one thing that should never be destroyed in Harvey's life, not if he's to ever be more than just a villain, and the result is just plain depressing. Nonetheless, it's an excellent story, and one of the all-time most gloriously evil things that TAS Joker has ever done, in my opinion. I also love seeing Ty Templeton's interiors, which I wish we saw more of in subsequent issues that he wrote himself. But at least he was still doing covers:
Yeah, the interior art in now way matches the expertise of that cover. Love, love, LOVE it. It has the sharpness of the last season's designs with the dimension of the previous seasons (well, except for the flat Batman). The most distracting part of the cover is the fact that the coin's a quarter, nor a silver dollar, but that's actually the point of the story. Templeton writes a masterful Harvey Dent, and this story's no exception, especially as it gives a tiny touch of atonement for Harvey after the previous storyline. Such a great tale.
Ugh, I just... the redesigns for season 4. The only one I really loved was for Penguin, as that's the classic Pengers I've always loved. And yet, Paul Williams' exquisite vocal performance just works better coming out of the mouth of the more freakish Devito Penguin. It creates a wonderful dissonance for the gentleman monster of Ozzie.
Of course, sharp-eyed observers will note that the Penguin on this cover IS the original design, as is Croc, rather than the season 4 redesigns. I guess Templeton didn't get all the references when drafting this cover. Unfortunately, he DID get the redesigned Two-Face. God, I hate that new look. He looks flat, angular, and inhuman due to his lack of eyebrow and flattened hair. It takes skill to make that design work. What's one way to do that?
That works, keep him in shadow and make the character suggestive. He's still too flat, but at least now he looks like a living art deco design, like something out of a classic movie or racing poster, so that works well enough. This is another story which I'd have loved to have actually seen as an animated episode. If you haven't read it, I urge you to do so. Templeton manages to introduce Harvey's abusive father in a unique manner, thus giving the coin a new significance that sets this Two-Face apart from the one in comics. It's a great story, and one of the few times that it does not actually suck to be Harvey Dent.
And then, we're reminded that it still does almost always suck to be Harvey Dent, even (ESPECIALLY) when he's trying to do good with his life. Why the hell don't more writers explore the idea of Two-Face: Part-Time Vigilante? This great story, which I posted here, scratches the surface of that story's possibilities, while also fleshing out the troublesome TAS episode, Judgment Day, before sweeping the Judge persona under the rug and moving on.
Even then, this tale feels too short, opening the door for greater development with the character which, sadly, never comes about in the DCAU comics. This is the last time Harvey gets any real exploration or development in the TAS comics, since he gets relegated to supporting character status from here onward.
This is another story I didn't like that first, particularly because the focus was far more on the relationships of the Robins with Bruce with Harvey as seemingly nothing more than the standard villain in the background. But when I actually delved deep into the issue, I was surprised at just how much nuance was going on here, and how subtly perfect Harvey was for this story. This is a perfect example of how Two-Face can really excel as a psychological threat to the Bat-family, behind all the deathtraps and SAW-like non-choices he presents. Editor Scott Peterson--evidently the heart and soul of the TAS Bat-comics--took over writing these comics for several years, and stories like this were a perfect example of how he could expertly balance Templeton's basis on character with Puckett's elegant simplicity of storytelling.
I love Darwyn Cooke. I know there are those who don't, including some great artists themselves, but damn it, I love 'im. This isn't his best-drawn piece, but it's oodles of fun. I don't know if Cooke did the colors himself, but I love that this piece forces back on elements lost in the redesigns, namely the Riddler's mask and the Joker's red lips. Also, is it intentional that Harvey is holding the initials to his two names? I certainly hope so.
And thus we reach the end, so it's only fitting that Harvey's final comic cover appearance from the Timmverse could be drawn by Bruce Timm himself. It's decidedly more complex and detailed that TAS Harvey has looked in any of his previous versions, while incorporating elements of both designs. Furthermore, I love the possibility that Harvey's hair may now be brown, because I prefer a brown-haired Harvey for reasons I'll go into in its own post.
It's a real shame that Harvey never got more than a cameo appearance in this last run of the TAS comics, right in this very issue. Templeton and Dan Slott did a wonderful job crafting several story arcs over several issues, bringing in Black Mask and the False Face Society plus introducing a new Red Hood (whose identity was never revealed, due to the book's cancellation!). I have my problems with Slott these days--namely for how he has a way of doing things like picking a fight at my own Henchgirl's LJ--but he helped deliver some stellar Batman tales here. His take on Eddie is particularly excellent. It's such a shame that they never got to finish this story.
Hopefully someday there will be a renaissance of interest in these comics. Even at the time, it was clear that they were popular, rightly celebrated for being superior to the actual Batman comics being released at any given time, yet they remain out of print.
Why? God knows. Probably something to do with the WB's fickle treatment of the animated properties, shunning all but the current televised take as the only version. And while I utterly adore The Brave and the Bold, the TAS stories are still the finest Batman stories ever produced in any medium, and these comics are no exception. I hope that they will see the love and respect they deserve for a whole new generation.
Virtually all of the characters in the show got chances to shine in the comics, which gave even the villains a new dimensions not even realized in TAS. Harvey is no exception. Bear in mind, he was only explored as a character in two episodes (Two-Face and Second Chance), which the rest of his appearances reducing him to being a plain villain or supporting rogue. The comics went a bit further, some of which I include among my Top Ten Two-Face stories.
Stupid scanner, not being able to properly capture this great cover for a great issue. This was actually my least favorite of the Two-Face TAS comic appearances until I reread it a couple weeks back. Kelley Puckett's stories were, at their best, shining examples of elegant simplicity in comics storytelling, but they lacked the focus on character that made Dini and Templeton's stories so great.
I wrote this particular story off as being very rote and standard, only to discover, upon reread it, that it presents a wonderfully elegant possibility for Harvey still retaining his humanity and showing how he's not entirely lost to the monster. At least, not yet. Puckett does this by ascribing special significance to the coin as more than just a choice-maker or tie-breaker, but as an actual lifeline to Harvey's soul.
Such mixed feelings about this two-part story. It an excellent tale, wherein the Joker plays Iago to Harvey's Othello, but the ending has always bothered me. It destroys the one thing that should never be destroyed in Harvey's life, not if he's to ever be more than just a villain, and the result is just plain depressing. Nonetheless, it's an excellent story, and one of the all-time most gloriously evil things that TAS Joker has ever done, in my opinion. I also love seeing Ty Templeton's interiors, which I wish we saw more of in subsequent issues that he wrote himself. But at least he was still doing covers:
Yeah, the interior art in now way matches the expertise of that cover. Love, love, LOVE it. It has the sharpness of the last season's designs with the dimension of the previous seasons (well, except for the flat Batman). The most distracting part of the cover is the fact that the coin's a quarter, nor a silver dollar, but that's actually the point of the story. Templeton writes a masterful Harvey Dent, and this story's no exception, especially as it gives a tiny touch of atonement for Harvey after the previous storyline. Such a great tale.
Ugh, I just... the redesigns for season 4. The only one I really loved was for Penguin, as that's the classic Pengers I've always loved. And yet, Paul Williams' exquisite vocal performance just works better coming out of the mouth of the more freakish Devito Penguin. It creates a wonderful dissonance for the gentleman monster of Ozzie.
Of course, sharp-eyed observers will note that the Penguin on this cover IS the original design, as is Croc, rather than the season 4 redesigns. I guess Templeton didn't get all the references when drafting this cover. Unfortunately, he DID get the redesigned Two-Face. God, I hate that new look. He looks flat, angular, and inhuman due to his lack of eyebrow and flattened hair. It takes skill to make that design work. What's one way to do that?
That works, keep him in shadow and make the character suggestive. He's still too flat, but at least now he looks like a living art deco design, like something out of a classic movie or racing poster, so that works well enough. This is another story which I'd have loved to have actually seen as an animated episode. If you haven't read it, I urge you to do so. Templeton manages to introduce Harvey's abusive father in a unique manner, thus giving the coin a new significance that sets this Two-Face apart from the one in comics. It's a great story, and one of the few times that it does not actually suck to be Harvey Dent.
And then, we're reminded that it still does almost always suck to be Harvey Dent, even (ESPECIALLY) when he's trying to do good with his life. Why the hell don't more writers explore the idea of Two-Face: Part-Time Vigilante? This great story, which I posted here, scratches the surface of that story's possibilities, while also fleshing out the troublesome TAS episode, Judgment Day, before sweeping the Judge persona under the rug and moving on.
Even then, this tale feels too short, opening the door for greater development with the character which, sadly, never comes about in the DCAU comics. This is the last time Harvey gets any real exploration or development in the TAS comics, since he gets relegated to supporting character status from here onward.
This is another story I didn't like that first, particularly because the focus was far more on the relationships of the Robins with Bruce with Harvey as seemingly nothing more than the standard villain in the background. But when I actually delved deep into the issue, I was surprised at just how much nuance was going on here, and how subtly perfect Harvey was for this story. This is a perfect example of how Two-Face can really excel as a psychological threat to the Bat-family, behind all the deathtraps and SAW-like non-choices he presents. Editor Scott Peterson--evidently the heart and soul of the TAS Bat-comics--took over writing these comics for several years, and stories like this were a perfect example of how he could expertly balance Templeton's basis on character with Puckett's elegant simplicity of storytelling.
I love Darwyn Cooke. I know there are those who don't, including some great artists themselves, but damn it, I love 'im. This isn't his best-drawn piece, but it's oodles of fun. I don't know if Cooke did the colors himself, but I love that this piece forces back on elements lost in the redesigns, namely the Riddler's mask and the Joker's red lips. Also, is it intentional that Harvey is holding the initials to his two names? I certainly hope so.
And thus we reach the end, so it's only fitting that Harvey's final comic cover appearance from the Timmverse could be drawn by Bruce Timm himself. It's decidedly more complex and detailed that TAS Harvey has looked in any of his previous versions, while incorporating elements of both designs. Furthermore, I love the possibility that Harvey's hair may now be brown, because I prefer a brown-haired Harvey for reasons I'll go into in its own post.
It's a real shame that Harvey never got more than a cameo appearance in this last run of the TAS comics, right in this very issue. Templeton and Dan Slott did a wonderful job crafting several story arcs over several issues, bringing in Black Mask and the False Face Society plus introducing a new Red Hood (whose identity was never revealed, due to the book's cancellation!). I have my problems with Slott these days--namely for how he has a way of doing things like picking a fight at my own Henchgirl's LJ--but he helped deliver some stellar Batman tales here. His take on Eddie is particularly excellent. It's such a shame that they never got to finish this story.
Hopefully someday there will be a renaissance of interest in these comics. Even at the time, it was clear that they were popular, rightly celebrated for being superior to the actual Batman comics being released at any given time, yet they remain out of print.
Why? God knows. Probably something to do with the WB's fickle treatment of the animated properties, shunning all but the current televised take as the only version. And while I utterly adore The Brave and the Bold, the TAS stories are still the finest Batman stories ever produced in any medium, and these comics are no exception. I hope that they will see the love and respect they deserve for a whole new generation.