All Star Batman and Robin: The Boy Wonder #6 Review

Wow, look at this, another issue of All Star Batman. And only two months after the last issue came out. Glad to see DC tightening the shipping schedule on this title. The Revolution loved the last issue of All Star Batman. I’m digging Miller’s over the top version of the goddamn Batman. And Jim Lee is cranking out some excellent artwork. I’m sure that All Star Batman and Robin: The Boy Wonder #6 will be another entertaining read. Let’s do this review.

Creative Team
Writer: Frank Miller
Penciler: Jim Lee
Inker: Scott Williams

Art Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
Story Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 8.5 Night Girls out of 10

Synopsis: We begin with the goddamn Batman kicking some ass down at the docks and noticing the arrival of a new “amateur” in the Black Canary. We then cut to Barbara Gordon all full of youth, hope and optimism arriving at her apartment. Her dad, Jim Gordon is on the phone with his lover and talking to her about the Batman and the copycat heroes like Batgirl. Meanwhile, Barbara’s mother is busy getting drunk and texting her lover.

We see Barbara go to her room and change into her Batgirl outfit. Her reading collection in her room shows that she likes 300, Sin City, Gen 13 and the Watchmen. Batgirl then hops out the window and goes to seek adventure.

We shift to Jimmy Olsen rushing to Vicki Vale’s hospital room. Vicki asked Jimmy to come to her in the hospital with all the files from the Daily Planet about the Flying Graysons, Dick Grayson and the Bat-Man. Jimmy Olsen is in love with the hottie Vicki Vale. Vicki changes out of her hospital gown and Jimmy has trouble not sneaking a peak.

We cut back over to the docks where Black Canary is squaring off against two thugs. Black Canary proceeds to kick the crap out of the two thugs. Black Canary searches the thugs for any cash they might have so she can pay her rent. Suddenly, a bunch of thugs appear out of nowhere with their guns drawn on Black Canary.

We slide over to the goddamn Batman on another part of the docks watching a crooked Gotham police officer driving Jocko-boy Vanzetti to the docks. The cop tells Vanzetti that he must have some powerful connections in order to get set free like this. Jocko is still hallucinating from the snake poison that Batman fed him last time they met.

Batman launches into action and kicks through the windshield of the cop car and talks out the dirty cop. Batman grabs Jocko-boy, but it interrupted by the sounds of automatic gunfire. Batman realizes that the amateur he saw earlier must be in trouble. Batman punches out Jocko-boy and says that they will catch up later.

We cut to Black Canary outnumbered by a bunch of thugs. Batman admires that Black Canary is skilled, fast and ruthless. Black Canary gets pinned down behind some crates. Batman comes up behind her and tells Black Canary to keep her head down and leave the thugs to him. Black Canary is shocked at the appearance of the goddamn Batman. Batman then attacks the thugs. End of issue.

Comments
The Good: All Star Batman #6 was a great read. I am having an absolute blast reading this title. I know that a lot of people have been put off by Miller’s goddamn Batman especially when Batman locked Dick Grayson in the Batcave and left him to feed off rats. Personally, I don’t mind this version of Batman at all. It is Frank Miller, people. Miller has never been shy about his writing style. Miller is not hard to gauge. You know exactly what you are going to get when you read a Frank Miller comic book. You will get a film noir themed story full of testosterone, whiskey and cigarette smoke. The women are women and the men are men and they can all kick ass.

All Star Batman #6 moves along at a nice pace. Miller gives a story that has a nice balance of action scenes with Batman and Black Canary kicking butt as well as dialogue heavy scenes that move various plots forward with Batgirl and Vicki Vale.

I definitely like Miller’s hard boiled dialogue. It goes with Miller’s distinctive style and works with a two fisted street based hero like the early Batman. The reader has to remember that this isn’t the Batman that we now have with years of experience. This is a younger, angrier and brasher Batman. And Miller gives this younger Batman the proper voice.

I am digging the team of Vicki Vale and a young Jimmy Olsen. Poor Jimmy with all that lust, I mean love in his eyes. What sixteen-year old wouldn’t want to work with a sexy vixen like Vicki Vale? And just what is Vale up to? Has she already figures out Batman’s secret identity? She is definitely determined to find out what is going on with Batman and young Dick Grayson.

Now, what surprises me is that I actually like Miller’s Batgirl. Normally, teenage sidekicks that a pure derivative characters annoy the hell out of me. Especially teenage female sidekicks. However, Miller manages to capture the hope, unbridled optimism and enthusiasm that teenage heroes possess. It is a refreshing contrast to Batman’s jaded view of the world and helps to balance this story a bit. I’m actually looking forward to when Batgirl and Batman cross paths with each other.

I love how Miller handles Mr. and Mrs. Gordon and their miserable marriage and life together. It is such a painfully bleak and pathetic marriage. Gordon on the phone with his lover while his wife text messages her lover. Miller does a nice job capturing that failing marriage that dominates American culture. What is pretty amazing is how Barbara Gordon is able to keep such a positive outlook on life despite the fact that her family life is a broken mess.

I am a huge fan of Miller’s Batman. Miller gives us a purely visceral Batman. Batman is brutal, violent, twisted and sadistic. On the surface, it would appear that a character like Punisher or Wolverine who kill criminals is more twisted than Batman. However, Miller shows us that that belief is simply untrue.

Batman is actually worse than a killer. Batman is a sadistic twisted freak who enjoys inflicting horrid pain. Batman relishes in inflicting such terrible damage that causes permanent injuries that the criminal will live with for the rest of their life. Batman’s desire to cause permanent pain and anguish shows a much more demented nature than a character who simply kills criminals. For Miller’s Batman, death is too simply, quick and nice. Permanent pain and anguish is the just punishment that Batman gives criminals.

I love the gruff and primal personality of Miller’s Batman. This is exactly the kind of person that I would expect Batman to turn out to be. He saw his parents’ murder before his eyes when he was just a boy. There is absolutely no way that he would ever turn out to be a mentally stable and healthy man. Miller’s sick version of Batman makes perfect sense given his origin.

Jim Lee provides the reader with plenty of fantastic artwork. Lee gives us one seriously smoking hot Black Canary. Lee also draws one viciously bad-assed Batman. Lee does an excellent job brining Miller’s story to life and making this one beautiful comic book to look at.

The Bad: This title has had such massive shipping delays that it has compounded the fact that Miller’s story isn’t moving at a particularly fast pace. Miller definitely is taking his time developing this story, and if this issue came out with regularity maybe it wouldn’t seem so slow.

Overall: All Star Batman #6 was a fun read. Miller and Lee are an excellent team and really compliment each other’s talents. I really hope that DC has rectified the shipping problems with this title and that it sticks to a regular schedule. If you are a fan of Miller’s style of storytelling then you will definitely enjoy his take on a young Batman.