Tag Archives: Chuck Dixon

The despicable pre-Crisis Man-Bat

Man-Bat isn’t one of the most inspired concepts in Batman comics. Taking to the extreme the notion that great villains are an inversion of the heroes, Man-Bat’s name is a literal reversal of Batman’s… As for his origin, it’s just … Continue reading

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On prison breaks

Part of the general appeal of superhero comics is seeing how different creators face the challenges posed by the tight formulas. Some writers and artists manage to work their way around genre restrictions, others hang an amusing lampshade on them, … Continue reading

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On the discreet BATMAN DIES!!! event

In November 2000, the ‘Next Issue’ blurbs in the Batman family of comics announced that something big was about to go down… Batman #585 Catwoman (v2) #88 Robin (v4) #84 The premise of a story in which the Dark Knight … Continue reading

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Great post-‘No Man’s Land’ stories

A year ago, I did a couple of posts about the coolest stories from the 1999 mega-crossover No Man’s Land, in which Gotham City, partly destroyed by an earthquake, descended into chaos and was cut off from the rest of … Continue reading

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My ideal deluxe omnibus volume – part 3

If you read the last posts, 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:   ‘Devil’s Advocate’ (Joker: … 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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When Batman comics meet the boxing world

While I don’t particularly care for boxing in real life, I’m a huge sucker for boxing in fiction. I’m a fan of Brian De Palma’s Snake Eyes and Raoul Walsh’s Gentleman Jim. Hell, Robert Wise’s The Set-Up is up there … 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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