GRAPHIC NOVELS

Legends of the Dark Knight: Alan Davis

by Mike W. Barr
Davis, Alan & . DC Comics. 2013. 272p. ISBN 9781401236816. $39.99. SUPERHEROES
COPY ISBN
In 1986–87, after the publication of Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, Davis (Excalibur; Avengers Prime) and Barr (Batman: Birth of the Demon) collaborated on some stories that were the antithesis of Miller's grim take on Batman. Those more lighthearted tales, enlivened by a young wisecracking Robin (in this case, Jason Todd), are collected in the first half of this attractive hardcover, including an enjoyable Joker/Catwoman story and one featuring the Elongated Man and the godfather of all detectives, Sherlock Holmes. Things become more serious when Robin is injured and new facets of Batman's tragic origin are revealed, leading to a dramatic "Batman: Year Two" storyline not presented in full, as Davis illustrated only part of it.
VERDICT Davis's art is ideally suited to the book's more colorful first half; his appealingly rendered human figures are lively in face and gesture, while his action scenes put the "dynamic" in the Dynamic Duo. His work on the later episodes is more sober but no less accomplished. Not a must-buy—not all of the material is stellar—but still a volume with much appeal.
Reviewed by Steve Raiteri , Jan 01, 2013
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