Tag Archives: Alan Grant

On the periphery of Batman’s rogues’ gallery

This is Gotham Calling’s 300th post! I usually take these occasions to celebrate the richness and weirdness of Batman’s extensive rogues’ gallery, which includes all sorts of odd criminals, ranging from iconic characters like the Joker and the Penguin all … Continue reading

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Batman comics on drugs – part 2

If you read the last post, you know I’ve been looking at Batman comics about drugs. Today I want to briefly discuss two stories from the early 1990s that approached this topic in extreme ways. In his many adventures, the … Continue reading

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Batman comics on drugs – part 1

Drugs have traditionally played a substantial role in Batman comics (hell, in the whole medium). The Dark Knight has put away his share of drug dealers – from run-of-the-mill villains (your prototypical crime fiction trope) to the kind of outlandish … Continue reading

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My ideal deluxe omnibus volume – part 2

If you read the last post, you know what’s going on. Here are another ten stories that would definitely be included if I had a chance to put together a giant Batman omnibus collecting personal favorites: ‘The Underworld Olympics ‘76!’ … Continue reading

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Essential Batman stories every fan should read – part 2

If you read the last post, you know what’s going on. This is the second part of my list of essential comics that serve as the best possible gateway into grasping the overall Batman meta-narrative. This week, I’m highlighting post-Crisis … Continue reading

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Spotlight on Batman’s Z-list villains

Welcome to Gotham Calling’s 200th post! Solo #7 Back when we reached the first hundred posts, Zack Snyder’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was about to come out and I wrote about a handful of oddball villains whom I … Continue reading

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Going to the movies in Gotham City

Longtime readers won’t be too surprised to find out that, as an unabashed cinephile, I am fascinated by Gotham City’s film culture. In fact, throughout the years, I think I’ve managed to piece together some of its key features… Batman #459 … Continue reading

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Great ‘No Man’s Land’ stories – part 2

If you read the last post, you know what’s going on. Here are some other great stories to come out of the 1999 crossover No Man’s Land:   ‘Dead Man’s Land’ (Hitman #37-38) Besides the captivating character work, much of … Continue reading

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The tragic fate of Sarah Essen

Batman #406 When people talk about the tendency for bestowing gruesome violence against prominent female characters in comic books – the ‘women-in-refrigerator’ trope – Sarah Essen is always one of the first names to come to my mind. She was … Continue reading

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Gothic Batman stories from the ‘90s

Goth subculture had quite a devoted fan base in the 1990s. You couldn’t miss the hordes of stylish, pretentious teens with black clothes and eyeliner back then. Tim Burton and Marilyn Manson were all the rage for a while. Bands … Continue reading

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