Review: John Byrne's BATMAN 3D: EGO TRIP, plus an all-star Batman pin-up gallery in 3D!
Today, I bring you a post which I fear may be unreadable. At least, if you don't own old-school 3D glasses. And even then, can 3D be viewed on a computer screen? Either way, I'm gonna ask you to bear with me as we look at selections from Batman 3D: Ego Trip, a graphic novel by comics legend John Byrne with effects by 3D master Ray Zone.
I enjoy Byrne's story and art here quite a lot, but I had a damn hard time settling into it in either two or three dimensions. Obviously, 3D isn't meant to be viewed without glasses, and while the actual 3D effects are often spectacular beyond the sheer novelty value, my eyes can't really handle it for long stretches. I wish they'd rerelease this story in 2D with coloring, so Byrne's story and artwork could be appreciated on their own merits, even with all the panels of various objects COMIN' RIGHT ATCHA!
So as I'm going with the assumption that we're all here to focus on the story, let's squint and try to take a look at Ego Trip, a Batman caper written in 1990 but with a distinctly old-school feel, guest-starring four of his greatest villains (including, naturally, Two-Face, who gets a slightly tweaked origin here) as they torment Batman and cause him to trip balls:
Oh Oswald, you charming jerk, you. As you'll soon find out, Ozzie is revealed to be the main villain of this story, even if he's accompanied by other big names including the Joker. It's a rare story that gives Ozzie the spotlight as the main mastermind, and as you'll learn, he has his reasons beyond merely being a awesome criminal.
As for where Batman is, he's currently chasing a villain who should also be a mastermind. But unfortunately for said villain, Byrne is firmly in Silver/Bronze Age mode here:
Yes, even the Riddler himself here apparently can't tell the difference between jokes and riddles! This is why so many people think that Eddie is Joker Lite. At least this Eddie seems to pride himself on being genuinely funny, or so he thinks. Still, he seems to enjoy what he does, and that's fun enough to watch, I guess?
What I find most interesting about this story is Byrne's view of the villains and their relationship with Batman, which the latter considers after discovering a way out of the Riddler's underwater deathtrap:
The best writers depict the Riddler this way, and as we've seen in The Laughing Fish, some writers treat the Joker as the most gloriously, darkly obsessed example of this idea. But it's interesting to think of most or ALL of the classic Bat-villains operating on this level, treating Batman as their one worthy opponent in some great ongoing game. On one hand, there's something charmingly romantic (not in a slashy way, although it could be interpreted that way) about that notion. On the other hand, it really does lend credence to the idea that Batman creates these enemies, or else acts as a lightning rod for their mayhem, with all of Gotham caught in the middle.
After Batman escapes, he discovers that the Riddler's left him clues as to the whereabouts of the other three big escapees at large, with one location being the subway system:
I've said it before and I'll say it again: I love how Byrne draws Harvey. Oh, and in case you're wondering about the next panel, Harvey does indeed have twin henchgirls. They're expert martial artists, naturally.
Yeah, I'm not sure why Byrne changed the acid attack to a street corner instead of in the courtroom, but I guess it works just as well for quick origin purposes. And again, I love how he draws Two-Face.
After catching the reader up on how he always tries to treat Harvey with hope and compassion for a return to sanity, Batman quickly finds himself captured in the one thing he cannot possibly escape: a net. Harvey, you monster!
I appreciate how Batman allowed for the possibility that Harvey wasn't purposely trying to create a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation that would give Batman no choice, since that skirts too close to cheating in my book. However, that ambiguity is smashed later on, when Harvey gloats that he stuck Batman in "the perfect no-win situation," so it's clear that we're dealing with a Sprang-style Two-Face who's less interested in fairness, good, evil, or duality, and more about "dichotomy." Basically, he's just another death-trap villain with a gimmick, only it's a coin-flip rather than riddles. But again, he's still drawn very nicely.
Also, notice the "riddles" line. In this story, everybody is a little bit Riddler! Well, Riddler by way of Saw, which seems to be a troubling pattern of late.
Batman manages to swing out of the train's path, and proceeds to visit the Twine murder scene:
Man, Eddie really is a loser in this story, isn't he? On the plus side, he has a snazzy new hat! IN 3D, NO LESS!
While the Riddler refuses to break under interrogation, Batman and Gordon use poor Eddie as bait, leaking to the press that the Riddler confessed to the Twine murder. This not only infuriates the Penguin but also provokes the Joker to break Eddie out of his holding cell, killing several cops in the process. Because Mister J knows how to get the job done! Of course, the Joker is none to pleased to hear about Eddie's "confession," much to the Riddler's adamant denial:
Yep, not only is the Riddler outright described as a pale Joker rip-off, but also kind of an unrefined moron! Faaaan-tastic. Joker hooks Eddie up to an IV drip to sloooowwwwly administer Joker Venom, but they're both soon interrupted by Two-Face and his henchgirls, who plans to kill them both. Harvey decides to take this opportunity to have a quick chat with Eddie, which I believe marks the very first time the Batman Forever pair actually have face-time:
Well, aside from the eyebrow-raising "liberal times" line, I like this callback to the very first Two-Face appearance, where he kills his own henchman for personal reasons but adds that, as D.A., he would have sent that criminal to the chair. Still, what the hell has the Riddler--especially THIS Riddler--ever actually accomplished that was so dastardly that he'd earn the dreaded (say it with me and/or take a drink) DEATH PENALTY!!1!?
Batman manages to subdue Harvey's henchgirls and save the Riddler, then proceeds to track down the Joker through a carnival of dangers which ARE ALL COMIN' ATCHA WHOOAAAAAAA!
So, was anyone else surprised to hear that this story takes place after Jason's murder? Somehow, the Joker of The Killing Joke/A Death in the Family and the Joker this lighter Silver/Bronze Age style doesn't quite fit. This story might be better suited as an Elseworlds, or a more purposeful throwback to fit with the retro gimmick.
After Joker admits that he didn't kill Twine, that leaves no other answer but to take the Penguin's original taped confession as the truth! Man, what a roundabout way to get to the guy who admitted it to the police on the very first page. Well, I guess Batman had to be absolutely certain, but he sure would have saved time if he hasn't gone after Harvey in the first place, especially considering that he might have found Harvey anyway. When Batman heads to Penguin's penthouse, he finds that Harvey got there first, only to find himself walking into Penguin's trap:
Poor Harvey. And you were doing so well. But like I said, Ozzie's the big mastermind here.
Aaaaand Batman proceeds to trip balls on not-fear-toxin.
In case you're wondering, yes, that page works a lot better in 3D. Really, between this and Batman/Scarecrow: 3D, it seems like wacky drug-induced hallucinations are the way to go with 3D Batman comics. Quick, do another one with Spellbinder or Count Vertigo!
I like how Byrne had long ago stopped even trying to come up with Riddler riddles, even bad ones. But more, I love the two-headed Harvey, which is also something which looks rather impressive in 3D. Of course, they're all just hallucinations, so Batman focuses on the reality of the Penguin and defeats the Bird of Banditry in a manner which would give all readers the rare chance to view Ozzie from a certain unfortunate angle, and in a whole new dimension no less:
Back in the Batcave, Bruce proceeds to explain to Alfred what the hell the story was actually about. As you can imagine, this is a last-minute information dump of the worst kind, spending many words to fill us on on something the story should have been telling us all along. But then, this was a story that had to be focused on action anyway, so what the hell, let's go with this Psychiatrist-in-Psycho-style exposition... in 3D!
Bruce explains that it was all a competition by the four criminals kicked off by Penguin, who went to school with (and was subsequently bullied relentlessly by) Hardiman Twine.
Gotta admit, I love that this was personal for Ozzie, and that he managed to rope several of his colleagues into the plan just as a backup in case he failed. Which he didn't! And since Ozzie's going to escape from prison (Arkham? It's never explained where all four escaped from) anyway, the Penguin technically won this one, even if he didn't get away with it. And he would have too, if he hadn't confessed to the police! That's the thing about Ozzie: he's so good, he probably gets away with a lot more than anyone actually knows about!
More than that, I like this subtle way in which Batman acknowledges a certain kinship with (and/or sympathy for?) Ozzie, which we almost never see in the comics. While the story was fun and light fluff throughout, that last panel there brings it right around with a small touch of somber weight. Very nice. That was enough to make this feel less like a gimmick and more like a story... with a gimmick.
As a bonus, Batman 3D also included a pin-up gallery by an all-star roster of artists. Because I love Batman pinups, here's the whole lot!
Alex Toth was the man.
Norm Breyfogle still IS the man.
Dave Gibbons, rocking the retro Silver Age style like no one else.
Barry Windsor Smith. This piece is stunning in 3D. If ever I wanted you to actually read a page with 3D glasses, it's this one.
George Perez. Awesome.
Arthur Adams. Also awesome! Good lord, every single person here is awesome!
Mike Zeck. A fantastic artist, but it's not my favorite piece. Harvey just looks like a Punisher villain.
Jerry Ordway. Nice, but kinda meh. Still, a Superman 3D comic would be a great idea! Wait, wait, I take it back, I take it back!
Jim Aparo. It so saddens me to admit that this is my least favorite piece. Late-period Aparo can be so depressing.
Mike Mingola. It's really weird to see such a flat artist rendered in 3D.
Klaus Janson. No, wait, THIS is probably my least favorite. I love Janson's Batman, but eh, kind of a boring piece. What grave is his standing on? Is he perched on his parents' tombstone? Or is it someone else's? WHAT ARE YOU DOING UP THERE, BRUCE? THAT'S DISRESPECTFUL.
Also disrespectful: did anyone notice somebody featured in the story who didn't get a pin-up here? Poor, poor Riddler. Even Man-Bat is held in higher esteem than you. Frickin' Man-Bat. Seriously.
As always (well, as usually), I've made certain to post no more than 1/3rd of the graphic novel's content, so there's plenty more to read for those who can track down this hard-to-find book. It's available for pretty cheaply used on places like Amazon.com, although there's no telling whether any copies will still have their glasses. Proceed with caution! If you have a local comic shop that might carry it, always try for that first. It's definitely worth checking out in whole. Hopefully someday, it'll find a new audience. In either dimension.
I enjoy Byrne's story and art here quite a lot, but I had a damn hard time settling into it in either two or three dimensions. Obviously, 3D isn't meant to be viewed without glasses, and while the actual 3D effects are often spectacular beyond the sheer novelty value, my eyes can't really handle it for long stretches. I wish they'd rerelease this story in 2D with coloring, so Byrne's story and artwork could be appreciated on their own merits, even with all the panels of various objects COMIN' RIGHT ATCHA!
So as I'm going with the assumption that we're all here to focus on the story, let's squint and try to take a look at Ego Trip, a Batman caper written in 1990 but with a distinctly old-school feel, guest-starring four of his greatest villains (including, naturally, Two-Face, who gets a slightly tweaked origin here) as they torment Batman and cause him to trip balls:
Oh Oswald, you charming jerk, you. As you'll soon find out, Ozzie is revealed to be the main villain of this story, even if he's accompanied by other big names including the Joker. It's a rare story that gives Ozzie the spotlight as the main mastermind, and as you'll learn, he has his reasons beyond merely being a awesome criminal.
As for where Batman is, he's currently chasing a villain who should also be a mastermind. But unfortunately for said villain, Byrne is firmly in Silver/Bronze Age mode here:
Yes, even the Riddler himself here apparently can't tell the difference between jokes and riddles! This is why so many people think that Eddie is Joker Lite. At least this Eddie seems to pride himself on being genuinely funny, or so he thinks. Still, he seems to enjoy what he does, and that's fun enough to watch, I guess?
What I find most interesting about this story is Byrne's view of the villains and their relationship with Batman, which the latter considers after discovering a way out of the Riddler's underwater deathtrap:
The best writers depict the Riddler this way, and as we've seen in The Laughing Fish, some writers treat the Joker as the most gloriously, darkly obsessed example of this idea. But it's interesting to think of most or ALL of the classic Bat-villains operating on this level, treating Batman as their one worthy opponent in some great ongoing game. On one hand, there's something charmingly romantic (not in a slashy way, although it could be interpreted that way) about that notion. On the other hand, it really does lend credence to the idea that Batman creates these enemies, or else acts as a lightning rod for their mayhem, with all of Gotham caught in the middle.
After Batman escapes, he discovers that the Riddler's left him clues as to the whereabouts of the other three big escapees at large, with one location being the subway system:
I've said it before and I'll say it again: I love how Byrne draws Harvey. Oh, and in case you're wondering about the next panel, Harvey does indeed have twin henchgirls. They're expert martial artists, naturally.
Yeah, I'm not sure why Byrne changed the acid attack to a street corner instead of in the courtroom, but I guess it works just as well for quick origin purposes. And again, I love how he draws Two-Face.
After catching the reader up on how he always tries to treat Harvey with hope and compassion for a return to sanity, Batman quickly finds himself captured in the one thing he cannot possibly escape: a net. Harvey, you monster!
I appreciate how Batman allowed for the possibility that Harvey wasn't purposely trying to create a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation that would give Batman no choice, since that skirts too close to cheating in my book. However, that ambiguity is smashed later on, when Harvey gloats that he stuck Batman in "the perfect no-win situation," so it's clear that we're dealing with a Sprang-style Two-Face who's less interested in fairness, good, evil, or duality, and more about "dichotomy." Basically, he's just another death-trap villain with a gimmick, only it's a coin-flip rather than riddles. But again, he's still drawn very nicely.
Also, notice the "riddles" line. In this story, everybody is a little bit Riddler! Well, Riddler by way of Saw, which seems to be a troubling pattern of late.
Batman manages to swing out of the train's path, and proceeds to visit the Twine murder scene:
Man, Eddie really is a loser in this story, isn't he? On the plus side, he has a snazzy new hat! IN 3D, NO LESS!
While the Riddler refuses to break under interrogation, Batman and Gordon use poor Eddie as bait, leaking to the press that the Riddler confessed to the Twine murder. This not only infuriates the Penguin but also provokes the Joker to break Eddie out of his holding cell, killing several cops in the process. Because Mister J knows how to get the job done! Of course, the Joker is none to pleased to hear about Eddie's "confession," much to the Riddler's adamant denial:
Yep, not only is the Riddler outright described as a pale Joker rip-off, but also kind of an unrefined moron! Faaaan-tastic. Joker hooks Eddie up to an IV drip to sloooowwwwly administer Joker Venom, but they're both soon interrupted by Two-Face and his henchgirls, who plans to kill them both. Harvey decides to take this opportunity to have a quick chat with Eddie, which I believe marks the very first time the Batman Forever pair actually have face-time:
Well, aside from the eyebrow-raising "liberal times" line, I like this callback to the very first Two-Face appearance, where he kills his own henchman for personal reasons but adds that, as D.A., he would have sent that criminal to the chair. Still, what the hell has the Riddler--especially THIS Riddler--ever actually accomplished that was so dastardly that he'd earn the dreaded (say it with me and/or take a drink) DEATH PENALTY!!1!?
Batman manages to subdue Harvey's henchgirls and save the Riddler, then proceeds to track down the Joker through a carnival of dangers which ARE ALL COMIN' ATCHA WHOOAAAAAAA!
So, was anyone else surprised to hear that this story takes place after Jason's murder? Somehow, the Joker of The Killing Joke/A Death in the Family and the Joker this lighter Silver/Bronze Age style doesn't quite fit. This story might be better suited as an Elseworlds, or a more purposeful throwback to fit with the retro gimmick.
After Joker admits that he didn't kill Twine, that leaves no other answer but to take the Penguin's original taped confession as the truth! Man, what a roundabout way to get to the guy who admitted it to the police on the very first page. Well, I guess Batman had to be absolutely certain, but he sure would have saved time if he hasn't gone after Harvey in the first place, especially considering that he might have found Harvey anyway. When Batman heads to Penguin's penthouse, he finds that Harvey got there first, only to find himself walking into Penguin's trap:
Poor Harvey. And you were doing so well. But like I said, Ozzie's the big mastermind here.
Aaaaand Batman proceeds to trip balls on not-fear-toxin.
In case you're wondering, yes, that page works a lot better in 3D. Really, between this and Batman/Scarecrow: 3D, it seems like wacky drug-induced hallucinations are the way to go with 3D Batman comics. Quick, do another one with Spellbinder or Count Vertigo!
I like how Byrne had long ago stopped even trying to come up with Riddler riddles, even bad ones. But more, I love the two-headed Harvey, which is also something which looks rather impressive in 3D. Of course, they're all just hallucinations, so Batman focuses on the reality of the Penguin and defeats the Bird of Banditry in a manner which would give all readers the rare chance to view Ozzie from a certain unfortunate angle, and in a whole new dimension no less:
Back in the Batcave, Bruce proceeds to explain to Alfred what the hell the story was actually about. As you can imagine, this is a last-minute information dump of the worst kind, spending many words to fill us on on something the story should have been telling us all along. But then, this was a story that had to be focused on action anyway, so what the hell, let's go with this Psychiatrist-in-Psycho-style exposition... in 3D!
Bruce explains that it was all a competition by the four criminals kicked off by Penguin, who went to school with (and was subsequently bullied relentlessly by) Hardiman Twine.
Gotta admit, I love that this was personal for Ozzie, and that he managed to rope several of his colleagues into the plan just as a backup in case he failed. Which he didn't! And since Ozzie's going to escape from prison (Arkham? It's never explained where all four escaped from) anyway, the Penguin technically won this one, even if he didn't get away with it. And he would have too, if he hadn't confessed to the police! That's the thing about Ozzie: he's so good, he probably gets away with a lot more than anyone actually knows about!
More than that, I like this subtle way in which Batman acknowledges a certain kinship with (and/or sympathy for?) Ozzie, which we almost never see in the comics. While the story was fun and light fluff throughout, that last panel there brings it right around with a small touch of somber weight. Very nice. That was enough to make this feel less like a gimmick and more like a story... with a gimmick.
As a bonus, Batman 3D also included a pin-up gallery by an all-star roster of artists. Because I love Batman pinups, here's the whole lot!
Alex Toth was the man.
Norm Breyfogle still IS the man.
Dave Gibbons, rocking the retro Silver Age style like no one else.
Barry Windsor Smith. This piece is stunning in 3D. If ever I wanted you to actually read a page with 3D glasses, it's this one.
George Perez. Awesome.
Arthur Adams. Also awesome! Good lord, every single person here is awesome!
Mike Zeck. A fantastic artist, but it's not my favorite piece. Harvey just looks like a Punisher villain.
Jerry Ordway. Nice, but kinda meh. Still, a Superman 3D comic would be a great idea! Wait, wait, I take it back, I take it back!
Jim Aparo. It so saddens me to admit that this is my least favorite piece. Late-period Aparo can be so depressing.
Mike Mingola. It's really weird to see such a flat artist rendered in 3D.
Klaus Janson. No, wait, THIS is probably my least favorite. I love Janson's Batman, but eh, kind of a boring piece. What grave is his standing on? Is he perched on his parents' tombstone? Or is it someone else's? WHAT ARE YOU DOING UP THERE, BRUCE? THAT'S DISRESPECTFUL.
Also disrespectful: did anyone notice somebody featured in the story who didn't get a pin-up here? Poor, poor Riddler. Even Man-Bat is held in higher esteem than you. Frickin' Man-Bat. Seriously.
As always (well, as usually), I've made certain to post no more than 1/3rd of the graphic novel's content, so there's plenty more to read for those who can track down this hard-to-find book. It's available for pretty cheaply used on places like Amazon.com, although there's no telling whether any copies will still have their glasses. Proceed with caution! If you have a local comic shop that might carry it, always try for that first. It's definitely worth checking out in whole. Hopefully someday, it'll find a new audience. In either dimension.