Review: Batman: White Knight #8

May 9, 2018

By Ben Snyder

Batman: White Knight: has been a wild and somewhat inconsistent ride. It has never reached the apex of other Batman mini series, but it never was a miserable slog. Perhaps that is why I have been so meh about the series, it rarely if ever moved any needle of excitement despite the amazing talent behind it. The mini-series finale follows suit with the rest of the series and in doing so leaves me a little disappointed. Sean Murphy and Matt Hollingsworth are a present-day dream team of talent, which also raised the expectations a little too high. But perhaps my biggest gripe with Batman: White Knight #8 is that it wrapped up the entire mini-series too neatly.

Review: Batman: White Knight #7

April 4, 2018

By Ben Snyder

As Batman: White Knight #7 crawls closer and closer to its endgame, all of its seemingly disparate intricacies are coming together. Whether it’s Batman’s sudden clear-headedness, Alfred’s note, Mr. Freeze’s technology, or Harley’s compassion/intelligence it finally seems as though Sean Murphy’s plan is beginning to make sense and feel realistic (well as realistic as many Batman stories can be). Murphy is becoming increasingly heavy-handed with his use of hinting the return of the Joker, but as this is my only major complaint Batman: White Knight #7 is perhaps the best chapter of the mini-series.

Review: Batman: White Knight #6

March 7, 2018

By Ben Snyder

Batman: White Knight #6 largely serves as the mini-series’ “I told you so” moment in which everyone realizes they may have needed Batman all along. After everyone from Jack to Commissioner Gordon to even Nightwing plot on capturing the Batman, all hell breaks loose, and his services are needed more than ever, especially with the issue ending with a surprise appearance from The Joker. While Sean Murphy has done a heroic job with the series so far, this issue feels like a bit of a letdown.

Review: Batman: White Knight #5

February 7, 2018

By Ben Snyder

Batman: White Knight #5 continues the story of a seemingly reformed Joker and how the rest of Gotham copes and deals with it. Sean Murphy has been in fine form throughout this mini-series, and issue #5 is no exception. Murphy is able to straddle a fine line with showing the mental stability of the various characters in this series and his art offers a unique spin on an already well mapped out city. But perhaps the greatest asset to this series so far has nothing to do with Murphy’s writing or art, but with the legacy of a character like the Joker. Mainly, we still don’t know how this is going to all shake out.

Best Comic Books of 2017 - #5

January 1, 2018

Welcome to the Comic Bastards end of the year list. Similar to our group reviews, each of the participating writers will be giving their picks for their best and also worst comics of 2017. Without further ado, here are our #5 picks for Best of 2017.

Review: Batman: White Knight #3

December 6, 2017

By Ben Snyder

Joker-centric stories have left a long legacy of being some of the best stories told in the Batman canon. Dating to older series such as A Death In the Family and The Killing Joke to more modern interpretations such as Scott Snyder’s Endgame arc and Brian Azzarello’s Joker mini-series. This theme has even infiltrated other mediums as many consider The Dark Knight to be one of the greatest superhero films of all time. While not quite on par with many of these classics, Sean Murphy’s Batman: White Knight still has been an enlightening read and delves deeper into the relationship between the Joker and Batman. Batman: White Knight #3 continues the story as Jack Napier, and Harleen Quinzel dig deeper into the corruption of Gotham in an attempt to oust Batman, and while it does continue to be a good read, entry #3 suffers mainly because it doesn’t offer any further insight into the mind of Jack/Joker.

Review: Batman: White Knight #1

October 4, 2017

Group Review

Welcome to the Comic Bastards group review for Batman: White Knight #1. For those unfamiliar with the site’s group review format, each of the participating writers will give their thoughts and an individual score for the issue. We don’t do averages; each person’s thoughts and score are their own. Now get your butt ready for DC and Sean Phillips’ Batman: White Knight #1.

Comic Bastards Podcast - 015 →

October 3, 2017

By Dustin Cabeal

Click here to listen to the self-hosted episode!

015 - Welcome to this week's show where I cover some new, some indie and some not even out yet! I hope you're enjoying the better audio quality... it does sound better right? I bought an expensive mic, so it better sound damn good to your ears! As always, there's a video to accompany this, but let's skip all that and dive into what's covered on this week's show!

DC Announces Sean Murphy's "Batman: White Knight"

July 7, 2017

Press Release

Superstar writer and artist Sean Gordon Murphy (PUNK ROCK JESUS, THE WAKE) brings you his tale of a twisted Gotham in a seven-issue miniseries with a massive cast of heroes and villains. BATMAN: WHITE KNIGHT is told on an epic scale, but at the heart of it all is the tragic story of a hero and a villain, The Batman and The Joker. The question is, which one is the hero and which one is the villain…?