Batman & the Monster Men Review
Another week and another review to contribute to The Ultimate Batman Chronology. This week I take a look at Batman & the Monster Men. Written and illustrated in 2006 by Matt Wagner this trade includes Batman and the Monster Men issues #1–6 and is the first part of the two-part Dark Moon Rising series.
I will begin with the art. You can expect the style of art to be much like that of other “Year One” Batman stories. Matt Wagner does a pretty good job but I found that there were some downright ugly panels. Early in the trade we get a birds eye view of a social gathering and a man on the second floor can be spotted with a rectangular block head. It is always tough when a writer does their own artwork because they are working against time constraints. I feel that shows in this trade. The art ranges from poor to good with nothing standing out, for me, as exceptionally well done. However, the style itself is forgiving and readers who prefer modern or old art styles will find it to be satisfactory.
A high point of the artwork was the colour palette. Dave Stewart did an exceptional job of not only matching the colours with the style of art and the general “Year One” aura, but also with the themes in the trades story. This stood out for me as a high point.
A minor quip I had, that may also annoy others, is that the occasional speech or thought bubble seemed poorly placed. I often found myself reading a bubble that I should have read earlier or later. Maybe others will not have this issue, but this is the first trade where I have ever had this problem.
Although Batman: Year One leaves us with a cliffhanger that leads nicely into Batman: The Man Who Laughs, this trade takes place between the events of those two stories; several small details are filled in to tease the events that will come in the latter.
Batman and the Monster Men begins about one year after Bruce Wayne has assumed the identity of Batman and the entire story takes place in Gotham City.
The story is told through the eyes of several key characters: Julie & Norman Madison, Dr. Hugo Strange, and Bruce Wayne. Julie Madison is a law student involved in a romantic relationship with Bruce and her father, Norman, is a failing businessman. Hugo Strange is a scientist who specializes in genetic theory and was expelled from his position at a university for his radical theories. The plot does a good job of providing a mystery for Batman to solve but also focusing on the relationships he must maintain as Bruce. Further, by providing Hugo Strange as a point-of-view character, we get insight into his own psyche and why he is fascinated by the things that he is.
In an attempt to rid Gotham of organized crime Batman is investigating Sal Maroni, one of Carmine Falcone’s leading bosses. This investigation intertwines with Norman Madison and Hugo Strange in unexpected ways. The result is a massacre and threat of further killing. The plot is interesting, but didn’t really surprise me with anything. Perhaps the most interesting portions of this trade are the interactions between Bruce and Julie. Some, may prefer a brood, cold, and unloving Batman… this is fair and this trade may not be for them. However, Wagner does an excellent job of examining how the lifestyle of Batman would effect those closest to him and how he could succeed, if at all, in living some resemblance of an ordinary life.
In the following section I will provide a brief synopsis of each issue included in this trade. This section may contain some minor spoilers so if you would like to avoid any potential risk of having a minor plot-point spoiled just scroll down to the final rating.
Batman and the Monster Men #1
Julie Madison and Hugo Strange are introduced as point-of-view characters and we get some initial information to establish their place in the story to come. Batman is investigating the movements of Sal Maroni in his attempt to stop organized crime in Gotham. Bruce meets Julie’s father, Norman, and Hugo Strange makes a deal with Maroni.
Batman and the Monster Men #2
We start to see how hard it is for a woman to be with Bruce Wayne. He is kind but full of secrets. Norman strikes a reluctant deal with Maroni to save his company and Hugo Strange continues his experiments with the money he received from Maroni.
Batman and the Monster Men #3
Bruce struggles to juggle both his relationship with Julie and his pursuit of a brutal and dangerous killer. He cannot afford to give them both his time. Norman is threatened by Maroni’s goons.
Batman and the Monster Men #4
Hugo Strange meets Batman and becomes completely infatuated by his physical prowess and skill. This changes the trajectory of his work. Strange also decides that Maroni will no longer be of use to him.
Batman and the Monster Men #5
We meet Commissioner Loeb’s replacement, Grogan, and he tells Jim that he wants the investigation on The Batman reopened. Norman plans a meeting with Maroni to discuss his daughters safety. Strange plans an assault on Maroni’s hideout and Batman intends to stop him. We see the Bat-mobile, in its modern conception, for the first time.
Batman and the Monster Men #6
Batman faces off against Maroni, Strange, and the Monster Men but Dr. Hugo Strange has one final trick up his sleeve.
Conclusion
The artwork is mediocre but nothing really stood out and the speech/thought bubbles could be frustrating. The colour palette was a high. The story was alright but also nothing special.
Final Rating: Unimportant
This trade should be considered unimportant. The story was enjoyable and if you find Hugo Strange to be an interesting villain it is definitely worth the read. Further, the relationship between Bruce and Julie brings to light an interesting facet of Batman that we don’t commonly experience. How does his crusade effect those whom he tries to maintain interpersonal relationships with? Those he loves? However, if you choose to skip this trade, you won’t miss anything crucial to the canon and (unless you have a deep interest in Strange or Julie) I wouldn’t recommend it.
If you’re interested in purchasing this trade, it can be found here.
If you would like to see how I review and rate trades, you can find that here.
Finally, if you’re interested in viewing The Ultimate Batman Chronology (for trades) that I am putting together, click here.
