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The Further Adventures of Batman #1
The Further Adventures of Batman : 14 All-New Adventures of The Caped Crusader
“Criminals are a superstitious, cowardly lot, so I must wear a disguise that will strike terror into their hearts! I must be a creature of the night, like a . . . a . . . a bat!”
—Bruce Wayne
It began with those words fifty years ago, a crusade that would grow into a legend. Orphaned as a child, his parents murdered before his eyes, millionaire Bruce Wayne dedicated his life to avenging their deaths, becoming in the dark of night the costume-garbed protector of Gotham City, BATMAN.
To celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of his creation, fifteen of today’s greatest writers of fantastic fiction have joined together to take you inside his world of shadows and fear in all-new tales of mystery, humor, horror, and the supernatural. These are your guides through The Further Adventures Of Batman.
—Bruce Wayne
It began with those words fifty years ago, a crusade that would grow into a legend. Orphaned as a child, his parents murdered before his eyes, millionaire Bruce Wayne dedicated his life to avenging their deaths, becoming in the dark of night the costume-garbed protector of Gotham City, BATMAN.
To celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of his creation, fifteen of today’s greatest writers of fantastic fiction have joined together to take you inside his world of shadows and fear in all-new tales of mystery, humor, horror, and the supernatural. These are your guides through The Further Adventures Of Batman.
401 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
About the author
Martin H. Greenberg
841 books162 followersMartin Harry Greenberg was an American academic and speculative fiction anthologist. In all, he compiled 1,298 anthologies and commissioned over 8,200 original short stories. He founded Tekno Books, a packager of more than 2000 published books. In addition, he was a co-founder of the Sci-Fi Channel.
For the 1950s anthologist and publisher of Gnome Press, see Martin Greenberg.
For the 1950s anthologist and publisher of Gnome Press, see Martin Greenberg.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
April 13, 2020
This is a prose collection of Batman stories that was edited by Martin H. Greenberg, who virtually owned the short fiction market outside of the genre magazines of the time, that was ostensibly published to honor the 50th anniversary of the Caped Crusader's first appearance but was probably timed to capitalize on the popularity of the new film franchise. It's a somewhat mixed bag of a book, with stories set at different times reflecting different takes of the character from the early crook-fighter through the silly sci-fi jaunts of the 1950's up to the contemporary Dark Knight vision at the time of publication. The authors represent the fields of science fiction (Asimov, Resnick, Silverberg, Sheckley, etc.) and mystery (Hoch, Collins, Wellen, Gorman, etc.) almost equally. Too, there are several different story-telling devices from diary entries to straight narrative to epistolary. There's a very short and amusing story from Mike Resnick about a costume maker that surely influenced Netflix's Daredevil, a Black Widowers tale from Isaac Asimov that didn't really fit too well, and my two favorites were by George Alec Effinger and Joe R. Lansdale.
February 7, 2013
This collection of 14 stories will have something for every kind of Batman fan, from those who prefer them dark and gothic to those who enjoyed the cheesy comics and TV series of the 60s and 70s:
1) 'Death of the Dreammaster' by Robert Sheckley (Bruce Wayne starts seeing his dead enemies alive and must uncover if they're real or not) - apart form a very shocking and gruesome first scene, this story is mostly OK, well written, but nothing exceptional.
2) 'Bats' by Henry Slesar (after Robin's death, Batman apparently goes bats) - told by Alfred and it's pretty good.
3) 'Subway Jack' by Joe R. Lansdale (Batman must stop a demon-possessed serial killer) - this one's a paranormal story which is not my personal favorite for Batman stories (I prefer him dealing with realistic enemies), and it's quite dark and gothic, and made up of something like a comic script, diary and case files entries and some parts are told from Gordon's point of view.
4) 'The Sound of One Hand Clapping' by Max Allan Collins (Joker falls in love with Mime, a pretty criminal) - this one reminded me a lot of the Batman Animated series, especially Joker, even though this story was written a few years before the series aired. Reads like a 20-minute episode too.
5) 'Neutral Ground' by Mike Resnick (heroes-and-villains outfitter Kittlemeyer has a few customers) - a very short story (just 5 pages), but one of the best in the book, although it will be more interesting for those better familiar with Batman and his adversaries.
6) 'Batman in Nighttown ' by Karen Haber and Robert Silverberg (a Batman-clad thief robs Wayne's guests)- well-written, but some of the plot twists made me wince. More of Bruce's life as Wayne rather than Batman was interesting though.
7) 'The Batman Memos' by Stuart M. Kaminsky (a Hollywood studio is looking into making a movie about Batman, when one of their actresses goes missing) - my favorite of the whole anthology. A very realistic and entertaining story, written entirely as a collection of memos between the studio executive and some of his colleagues, also Bruce Wayne who's mediates between the studio and Batman, a psychiatrist presenting Batman's psychological profile, and the studio's lawyer firm. Definitely recommended.
8) 'Wise Men of Gotham' by Edward Wellen (the Riddler again) - nothing special, reminds the Batman comics of the 80s.
9) 'Northwestward' (Black Widowers #61) by Isaac Asimov (the Black Widowers interview a man called Bruce Wayne who has a comics character named Batman based on his life) - A crossover with the Black Widowers series. Despite the big name, I just didn't care for this one. A lot of characters are from the BW series, and I've read only one BW book a very long time ago, didn't particularly liked it and don't remember much, so I didn't know who the interviewers were and that was confusing. No tights and capes here either.
10) 'Daddy's Girl' by William f. Nolan (Robin meets Joker's daughter) - mostly a Robin story and quite predictable. Style is as in 60s-70s comics/Tv (no deep plot, a damsel in distress, including insta-love, evil robots, sound effects and all). Won't miss anything if you skip it.
11) 'Command Performance' by Howard Goldsmith (Dick Grayson vs. a hypnotist who makes teens to steal for him) - another Robin (albeit out of costume) story, although a better written and not cheesy like the previous one.
12) 'The Pirate Millionaire's Cove' by Edward D. Hoch (modern pirates steal from rich yacht owners) - without depth and quite predictable too.
13) 'The Origin of the Polarizer' by George Alec Effinger (just what it says in the title - a guy supplying Wayne electronic parts figures out his secret identity and gets carried away trying to best Batman out) - despite the not-so-original premise this one is quite well written and really interesting. Before you read this one, I advise to look up the term 'plasmonics' if you don't know what that is.
14) 'Idol' by Ed Gorman (a psychopath, as in killing-his-mother-psycho, tries to kill someone who he think is an impostor of himself) - I really don't know what this one is doing in this collection. If it's wasn't included in an a collection of Batman stories, you'd never tell it had any relation to Batman. Including this story as the last one, left a bad taste. I'd recommend reading this one first, if at all, and then getting on with better and more Batman related stories.
Kudos to you if you read this far:)
1) 'Death of the Dreammaster' by Robert Sheckley (Bruce Wayne starts seeing his dead enemies alive and must uncover if they're real or not) - apart form a very shocking and gruesome first scene, this story is mostly OK, well written, but nothing exceptional.
2) 'Bats' by Henry Slesar (after Robin's death, Batman apparently goes bats) - told by Alfred and it's pretty good.
3) 'Subway Jack' by Joe R. Lansdale (Batman must stop a demon-possessed serial killer) - this one's a paranormal story which is not my personal favorite for Batman stories (I prefer him dealing with realistic enemies), and it's quite dark and gothic, and made up of something like a comic script, diary and case files entries and some parts are told from Gordon's point of view.
4) 'The Sound of One Hand Clapping' by Max Allan Collins (Joker falls in love with Mime, a pretty criminal) - this one reminded me a lot of the Batman Animated series, especially Joker, even though this story was written a few years before the series aired. Reads like a 20-minute episode too.
5) 'Neutral Ground' by Mike Resnick (heroes-and-villains outfitter Kittlemeyer has a few customers) - a very short story (just 5 pages), but one of the best in the book, although it will be more interesting for those better familiar with Batman and his adversaries.
6) 'Batman in Nighttown ' by Karen Haber and Robert Silverberg (a Batman-clad thief robs Wayne's guests)- well-written, but some of the plot twists made me wince. More of Bruce's life as Wayne rather than Batman was interesting though.
7) 'The Batman Memos' by Stuart M. Kaminsky (a Hollywood studio is looking into making a movie about Batman, when one of their actresses goes missing) - my favorite of the whole anthology. A very realistic and entertaining story, written entirely as a collection of memos between the studio executive and some of his colleagues, also Bruce Wayne who's mediates between the studio and Batman, a psychiatrist presenting Batman's psychological profile, and the studio's lawyer firm. Definitely recommended.
8) 'Wise Men of Gotham' by Edward Wellen (the Riddler again) - nothing special, reminds the Batman comics of the 80s.
9) 'Northwestward' (Black Widowers #61) by Isaac Asimov (the Black Widowers interview a man called Bruce Wayne who has a comics character named Batman based on his life) - A crossover with the Black Widowers series. Despite the big name, I just didn't care for this one. A lot of characters are from the BW series, and I've read only one BW book a very long time ago, didn't particularly liked it and don't remember much, so I didn't know who the interviewers were and that was confusing. No tights and capes here either.
10) 'Daddy's Girl' by William f. Nolan (Robin meets Joker's daughter) - mostly a Robin story and quite predictable. Style is as in 60s-70s comics/Tv (no deep plot, a damsel in distress, including insta-love, evil robots, sound effects and all). Won't miss anything if you skip it.
11) 'Command Performance' by Howard Goldsmith (Dick Grayson vs. a hypnotist who makes teens to steal for him) - another Robin (albeit out of costume) story, although a better written and not cheesy like the previous one.
12) 'The Pirate Millionaire's Cove' by Edward D. Hoch (modern pirates steal from rich yacht owners) - without depth and quite predictable too.
13) 'The Origin of the Polarizer' by George Alec Effinger (just what it says in the title - a guy supplying Wayne electronic parts figures out his secret identity and gets carried away trying to best Batman out) - despite the not-so-original premise this one is quite well written and really interesting. Before you read this one, I advise to look up the term 'plasmonics' if you don't know what that is.
14) 'Idol' by Ed Gorman (a psychopath, as in killing-his-mother-psycho, tries to kill someone who he think is an impostor of himself) - I really don't know what this one is doing in this collection. If it's wasn't included in an a collection of Batman stories, you'd never tell it had any relation to Batman. Including this story as the last one, left a bad taste. I'd recommend reading this one first, if at all, and then getting on with better and more Batman related stories.
Kudos to you if you read this far:)
July 19, 2008
I've been looking for this book forever. I have only a vague memory of the stories contained within. I must have purchased this sometime around when it came out, making me ten or eleven. I think I purchased it at a pharmacy. I remember an extremely dark and gruesome story with the Joker. The reading was a little difficult for me at that time. Actually, I remember something about his body, the Joker's, being crushed in gears and cogs? Now that I've found the book's proper title, I will read it again, and review it further.
July 1, 2020
Death of the dreammaster / Robert Sheckley
Bats / Henry Selsar
Subway Jack / Joe R. Lansdale
The sound of one hand clapping / Max Allan Collins
Neutral ground / Mike Resnick
Batman in nighttown / Karen Haber and Robert Silverberg
The Batman memos / Stuart M. Kaminsky
Wise men of Gotham / Edward Wellen
Northwestward / Isaac Asimov
Daddy's girl / William F. Nolan
Command performance / Howard Goldsmith
The pirate of Millionaires' Cove / Edward D. Hoch
The origin of the Polarizer / George Alec Effinger
Idol / Ed Gorman.
Bats / Henry Selsar
Subway Jack / Joe R. Lansdale
The sound of one hand clapping / Max Allan Collins
Neutral ground / Mike Resnick
Batman in nighttown / Karen Haber and Robert Silverberg
The Batman memos / Stuart M. Kaminsky
Wise men of Gotham / Edward Wellen
Northwestward / Isaac Asimov
Daddy's girl / William F. Nolan
Command performance / Howard Goldsmith
The pirate of Millionaires' Cove / Edward D. Hoch
The origin of the Polarizer / George Alec Effinger
Idol / Ed Gorman.
May 18, 2016
This is an anthology by the king of genre anthologies, Martin H. Greenberg, as such - some of the stories are quite good, others are so-so, and one was really pointless. This collection of fourteen stories has a disappointing line-up of authors.
I also found this book in a box of old paperbacks of mine - and it dates from 1989, and man does it show. Computers built with vacuum tubes and operated with punch cards? It's unfamthomable! And Batman's tech should be slightly futuristic not hopelessly out of date. But it wasn't just the tech that was out of date - several of these stories seemed to be based on the old 60s TV series Batman rather than the comics, and certainly not the Nolan films. It's both understandable (the book pre-dates the Nolan films by two decades plus) but it also pre-dates many of the more serious events in the history of the Batman comics books and DC comics in general.
These are short stories, a couple of which are novella length, but not graphics. I liked "Death of the Dreammaster", "Bats" was unique, and "Subway Jack" though gross did a better job of pitting Batman against a reincarnation of Jack the Ripper than I've seen before. "The Sound of One Hand Clapping" could have been really good but it fell flat. I couldn't help but compare Joker's would-be paramour to Harley Quinn and find her (The Mime) lacking. "Neutral Ground" was cute but seemed pointless - and I always figured that Bruce and Alfred made Batman's costumes and gadgets. "Batman in Nighttown" seemed totally pointless. "The Batman Memos" was cute and at least was a unique approach to story-telling. "Wise Men of Gotham" - a good mystery. "The Pirates of Millionaires Cove" - not only does the title sound like the title of a Hardy Boys Mystery - it really read like one, predictable outcome and all. "The Origin of the Polarizer" was very much like a 60s TV Batman adventure. "Idol" was really awful. It was terrible and left a bad taste in my mouth that spoiled the whole book. Honestly, it would have been better if the editor had cut the story completely. "Daddy's Girl" and "Command Performance" both feature Dick Grayson in a starring role, and I liked them both. "Daddy's Girl" was slightly predictable - and there's one scene with Batman that should have been a bit more emotional, but both were pretty good.
Overall, one should not search high and low for a copy of this no doubt out-of-print book, even if one is a big Batman fan.
I also found this book in a box of old paperbacks of mine - and it dates from 1989, and man does it show. Computers built with vacuum tubes and operated with punch cards? It's unfamthomable! And Batman's tech should be slightly futuristic not hopelessly out of date. But it wasn't just the tech that was out of date - several of these stories seemed to be based on the old 60s TV series Batman rather than the comics, and certainly not the Nolan films. It's both understandable (the book pre-dates the Nolan films by two decades plus) but it also pre-dates many of the more serious events in the history of the Batman comics books and DC comics in general.
These are short stories, a couple of which are novella length, but not graphics. I liked "Death of the Dreammaster", "Bats" was unique, and "Subway Jack" though gross did a better job of pitting Batman against a reincarnation of Jack the Ripper than I've seen before. "The Sound of One Hand Clapping" could have been really good but it fell flat. I couldn't help but compare Joker's would-be paramour to Harley Quinn and find her (The Mime) lacking. "Neutral Ground" was cute but seemed pointless - and I always figured that Bruce and Alfred made Batman's costumes and gadgets. "Batman in Nighttown" seemed totally pointless. "The Batman Memos" was cute and at least was a unique approach to story-telling. "Wise Men of Gotham" - a good mystery. "The Pirates of Millionaires Cove" - not only does the title sound like the title of a Hardy Boys Mystery - it really read like one, predictable outcome and all. "The Origin of the Polarizer" was very much like a 60s TV Batman adventure. "Idol" was really awful. It was terrible and left a bad taste in my mouth that spoiled the whole book. Honestly, it would have been better if the editor had cut the story completely. "Daddy's Girl" and "Command Performance" both feature Dick Grayson in a starring role, and I liked them both. "Daddy's Girl" was slightly predictable - and there's one scene with Batman that should have been a bit more emotional, but both were pretty good.
Overall, one should not search high and low for a copy of this no doubt out-of-print book, even if one is a big Batman fan.
April 9, 2011
I read this when I was younger and I remember a few of the stories making an impression on me. I recently bought a used copy to check it out again and it's been fun revisiting the material. The one that always stood out to me the most was the one written in screenplay form, which was an interesting choice and the first time I was exposed to that format of writing.
March 25, 2009
I remember this book being really good, and very dark in some spots. The list of authors included is pretty eclectic, including a Batman story penned by the most prolific non-fiction science author of all time, Isaac Asimov. Talk about two of my favorite things rolled into one.
March 13, 2020
This is a mixed bag of stories. The mood changes from horror to comedy, most being rather dark. Most of them have multiple POV character, one is Alfred’s diary, and one told in memos.
“Death of the Dreammaster” by Robert Sheckley: This story starts with the death of Joker. In this world, most of Batman’s allies are also dead: Robin, Batgirl, Batwoman. Not surprisingly, Bruce is somewhat depressed. Then he sees Joker’s green hair and white face on the street. He must find out what’s going on.
“Bats” by Henry Slesar: Robin is dead and Batman has apparently gone insane. Faithful Alfred is so shocked that he pours out his emotions to a diary.
“Subway Jack” by Joe R. Lansdale: This story has lots of horror elements and is somewhat choppy. Someone is killing homeless women on the subway. Batman and Gordon investigate. The writing style is somewhat gothic, with diary entries in the middle of usual prose. A couple of times Landsdale also adds descriptions of comic panels. They’re very evocative but jarred me out of reading.
“The Sound of One Hand Clapping” by Max Allan Collins: From horror to comedy, Joker is distressed because he doesn’t have a woman in his life. Then on TV he sees a female criminal calling herself the Mime and convinces himself that he’s madly in love.
“Neutral Ground” by Mike Resnick: Just five pages told from the POV of old man Kittlemeier who makes costumes to various people. He asks no names and doesn’t care what the people do with them.
“Batman in Nighttown” by Karen Haber and Robert Silverberg: In this story, Bruce is holding a masquerade party on New Year. His costume is a devil but someone else has come as Batman… and that person robs Bruce’s guests. Bruce doesn’t have time to change to his costume before driving after the “Batman”.
“The Batman Memos” by Stuart M. Kaminsky: This story is told with various memos and letters. A Hollywood exec wants to make a Batman movie and is looking into the legal and other aspects. Wayne represents Batman and comes to Hollywood. In the memos, we find out that one of the actresses goes missing.
“Wise Men of Gotham” by Edward Wellen: The Riddler is threatening wealthy men whom he calls the Wise Men of Gotham. Batman must figure out the riddles and rescue the men.
“Northwestward” (Black Widowers #61) by Isaac Asimov: A group of men calling themselves Black Widowers interview real-life Bruce Wayne on whom the fictional Batman was based on. This Wayne is over seventy years old but his minds is still sharp. He has a mystery for the group.
“Daddy's Girl” by William F. Nolan: A Robin story. Batman is in Washington and Robin is trying to catch a cat burglar. Instead, he falls through a skylight and meets a very strange and naive girl who has never left her father’s house.
“Command Performance” by Howard Goldsmith: Another Robin/Dick Grayson story. Carol is a runaway and Dick’s classmate. When she ends up on the police station after she’s tried to substitute a cheap imitation jewelry to a very expensive real one, Dick starts to look into her story of the Man who forces teens to steal. In this story, Dick’s a reporter for Gotham High School’s Clarion.
“The Pirate Millionaire's Cove” by Edward D. Hoch: A man dressed like a pirate kills a millionaire on his yacht. Bruce decides to go undercover in the Yacht club to find out who is responsible.
“The Origin of the Polarizer” by George Alec Effinger: Waters is a genius but he’s forced to work at a lowly job shipping electronics parts. However, he realizes that one Gotham City resident orders a lot of such parts and deduces that Bruce Wayne is Batman. In a (il)logical move, Waters sabotages Wayne’s next shipment and becomes a super villain, the Polarizer. He’s determined to outwit Batman. Meanwhile Batman and Robin are building their new computer with vacuum tubes and punch cards. They’re marveling how much more effective the BATIVAC will be. The story is set in 1957.
“Idol” by Ed Gorman: The strangest story in this collection, told from the POV of a psychopath who is obsessed with another man whom he sees as an impostor.
I liked most of the stories but I don’t think any of them are particularly memorable. Still, they showcase how versatile Batman is: from horror to comedy and comic book like stories. It even has two rather realistic stories. The cast of secondary characters also differs wildly: one has Vicky Vale, in another Bruce is dating wealthy socialite Vera St. Clair, two features Robin while in two Robin is dead. Commissioner Gordon is the only other character, besides Batman himself, who is pretty much the same in the stories he appears. I was a bit surprised that the only major villain making a significant appearance here is the Riddler. Joker is on a couple of pages in the first story.
“Death of the Dreammaster” by Robert Sheckley: This story starts with the death of Joker. In this world, most of Batman’s allies are also dead: Robin, Batgirl, Batwoman. Not surprisingly, Bruce is somewhat depressed. Then he sees Joker’s green hair and white face on the street. He must find out what’s going on.
“Bats” by Henry Slesar: Robin is dead and Batman has apparently gone insane. Faithful Alfred is so shocked that he pours out his emotions to a diary.
“Subway Jack” by Joe R. Lansdale: This story has lots of horror elements and is somewhat choppy. Someone is killing homeless women on the subway. Batman and Gordon investigate. The writing style is somewhat gothic, with diary entries in the middle of usual prose. A couple of times Landsdale also adds descriptions of comic panels. They’re very evocative but jarred me out of reading.
“The Sound of One Hand Clapping” by Max Allan Collins: From horror to comedy, Joker is distressed because he doesn’t have a woman in his life. Then on TV he sees a female criminal calling herself the Mime and convinces himself that he’s madly in love.
“Neutral Ground” by Mike Resnick: Just five pages told from the POV of old man Kittlemeier who makes costumes to various people. He asks no names and doesn’t care what the people do with them.
“Batman in Nighttown” by Karen Haber and Robert Silverberg: In this story, Bruce is holding a masquerade party on New Year. His costume is a devil but someone else has come as Batman… and that person robs Bruce’s guests. Bruce doesn’t have time to change to his costume before driving after the “Batman”.
“The Batman Memos” by Stuart M. Kaminsky: This story is told with various memos and letters. A Hollywood exec wants to make a Batman movie and is looking into the legal and other aspects. Wayne represents Batman and comes to Hollywood. In the memos, we find out that one of the actresses goes missing.
“Wise Men of Gotham” by Edward Wellen: The Riddler is threatening wealthy men whom he calls the Wise Men of Gotham. Batman must figure out the riddles and rescue the men.
“Northwestward” (Black Widowers #61) by Isaac Asimov: A group of men calling themselves Black Widowers interview real-life Bruce Wayne on whom the fictional Batman was based on. This Wayne is over seventy years old but his minds is still sharp. He has a mystery for the group.
“Daddy's Girl” by William F. Nolan: A Robin story. Batman is in Washington and Robin is trying to catch a cat burglar. Instead, he falls through a skylight and meets a very strange and naive girl who has never left her father’s house.
“Command Performance” by Howard Goldsmith: Another Robin/Dick Grayson story. Carol is a runaway and Dick’s classmate. When she ends up on the police station after she’s tried to substitute a cheap imitation jewelry to a very expensive real one, Dick starts to look into her story of the Man who forces teens to steal. In this story, Dick’s a reporter for Gotham High School’s Clarion.
“The Pirate Millionaire's Cove” by Edward D. Hoch: A man dressed like a pirate kills a millionaire on his yacht. Bruce decides to go undercover in the Yacht club to find out who is responsible.
“The Origin of the Polarizer” by George Alec Effinger: Waters is a genius but he’s forced to work at a lowly job shipping electronics parts. However, he realizes that one Gotham City resident orders a lot of such parts and deduces that Bruce Wayne is Batman. In a (il)logical move, Waters sabotages Wayne’s next shipment and becomes a super villain, the Polarizer. He’s determined to outwit Batman. Meanwhile Batman and Robin are building their new computer with vacuum tubes and punch cards. They’re marveling how much more effective the BATIVAC will be. The story is set in 1957.
“Idol” by Ed Gorman: The strangest story in this collection, told from the POV of a psychopath who is obsessed with another man whom he sees as an impostor.
I liked most of the stories but I don’t think any of them are particularly memorable. Still, they showcase how versatile Batman is: from horror to comedy and comic book like stories. It even has two rather realistic stories. The cast of secondary characters also differs wildly: one has Vicky Vale, in another Bruce is dating wealthy socialite Vera St. Clair, two features Robin while in two Robin is dead. Commissioner Gordon is the only other character, besides Batman himself, who is pretty much the same in the stories he appears. I was a bit surprised that the only major villain making a significant appearance here is the Riddler. Joker is on a couple of pages in the first story.
November 10, 2022
An interesting collection of Batman and Batman adjacent short stories written by writers who were popular at the time this book was compiled. This book was published in 1989, but I'm not sure when some of the stories were written. The settings of the stories included one set in 1943 and one in the 50s. Whenever the stories were written, it was interesting to see the idea of cutting-edge technology at the time. In one story, Batman and R0bin were putting together a super-computer with a database of all of the criminals they had dealt with. The computer used punchcards and vacuum tubes. In another story, Batman had a map of his own design that sounded like a touch-screen tablet that he could scroll up or down to see more areas. The story formats were interesting too. One was written entirely in the form of memos to or from David O Selznick regarding various actors and a plan to make a movie about Batman. In it, Bruce Wayne as an agent and close friend of Batman goes to Los Angeles to discuss the movie deal. Although it is never explicitly stated, it suggests that Batman becomes involved in rescuing an abducted starlet and helping to uncover her kidnapper. Another story is written in multiple POVs with descriptions of action and scenery that sound like they are describing comic book panels. Two stories were largely Robin's adventures while a couple of the stories dealt with Batman after Robin's death. One of the most unusual in my opinion was a story by Isaac Asimov about a 73-year-old man named Bruce Wayne whose contributions to crimefighting had inspired the stories of Batman. He was concerned about his butler, Cecil Pennyworth, Alfred's nephew, and his involvement in an exposition using Wayne's extensive collection of Batman memorabilia. I was amused that it even referenced the Batman TV show of the 1960s. The stories Neutral Ground by Mike Resnick about the tailor Kittlemeier and Idol by Ed Gorman about a disturbed and obsessive young man never even mentioned Batman by name but implied the character from context. I enjoyed the variety of stories and the different approaches the writers took. It was a fun read
June 19, 2017
I first read this little chappy in 89. I would have been just turning seventeen, and an avid Batfan, especially post-Dark Knight/Miller/Moore period.
I remember being vastly unimpressed with the book back then, but for two of the tales. I also remember a little brouhaha over the graphic content of the first tale, raising a mention in English tabloids.
Cut to now, twenty eight years later, and a re-reading, and I find that my feelings haven't changed. The majority of the book is shite, and the two stories that I originally enjoyed, have retained their magic. Oh joy.
'Neutral Ground' by Mike Resnick. Allusive, subtle, and almost gentle.
'Subway Jack' by Joe R. Lansdale. Bats meets the God of the Razor. Love it!
The Lansdale story is only available here, or in the more expensive, and rarer edition of A FIST FULL OF STORIES.
You know what to do...
I remember being vastly unimpressed with the book back then, but for two of the tales. I also remember a little brouhaha over the graphic content of the first tale, raising a mention in English tabloids.
Cut to now, twenty eight years later, and a re-reading, and I find that my feelings haven't changed. The majority of the book is shite, and the two stories that I originally enjoyed, have retained their magic. Oh joy.
'Neutral Ground' by Mike Resnick. Allusive, subtle, and almost gentle.
'Subway Jack' by Joe R. Lansdale. Bats meets the God of the Razor. Love it!
The Lansdale story is only available here, or in the more expensive, and rarer edition of A FIST FULL OF STORIES.
You know what to do...
November 8, 2019
"Fourteen All-New Adventures of the Caped Crusader"
Well, new thirty years ago! :-)
Joe Lansdale’s “Subway Jack” featuring the God of the Razor is far and away the best story in this collection! GOTR is one of my favorite "bad guys" and I loved reading another story about "him"!
I also enjoyed "Idol" by Ed Gorman. Two authors I like, Isaac Asimov and Max Allan Collins, have stories in here, but I didn't like them. The other ten are a mixed bag of good, ok, and not so good.
For me, I think I prefer Batman in comic form. I definitely missed the artwork. But this was an interesting aside, and Lansdale's story made it well worth it!
Well, new thirty years ago! :-)
Joe Lansdale’s “Subway Jack” featuring the God of the Razor is far and away the best story in this collection! GOTR is one of my favorite "bad guys" and I loved reading another story about "him"!
I also enjoyed "Idol" by Ed Gorman. Two authors I like, Isaac Asimov and Max Allan Collins, have stories in here, but I didn't like them. The other ten are a mixed bag of good, ok, and not so good.
For me, I think I prefer Batman in comic form. I definitely missed the artwork. But this was an interesting aside, and Lansdale's story made it well worth it!
March 20, 2021
This is a rather eclectic collection of short stories. They span different time periods and deal with Batman’s different styles and personalities through the ages. There’s an interesting variety of formats from letters and diary entries to scripts, and more standard third person narratives. Most of the stories are fairly odd. There’s even a particularly strange one by Issac Asimov.
It feels like the book might have been rushed out to capitalize on Tim Burton’s first Batman film. Certainly it could have used some more proofreading.
It feels like the book might have been rushed out to capitalize on Tim Burton’s first Batman film. Certainly it could have used some more proofreading.
July 16, 2017
I picked this up for Isaac Asimov's story "Northwestward" and it unfortunately was completely stupid. It references Batman but not really in a meaningful way. And as a mystery story goes, it had the least interesting twist, after a really boring bunch of exposition and dialogue. Other stories in here are probably better, but I doubt I'll get around to reading them. If I do, I may change my review.
July 16, 2017
I've always loved themed anthologies, particularly ones where recognize authors and novelists all tackle a topic or setting they wouldn't normally do. Though not all the stories in this anthology land (partially because Batman has been reimagined so many times that he can be almost anything to anyone), many of them are quite effective, particularly a surrealist supernatural horror installment in which Batman is pitted against an eldritch abomination that inspired Jack the Ripper.
June 22, 2019
This is a book of Batman short stories that I'm pretty sure I acquired in the 90's. I have volumes 2 and 3 as well. I wanted to read this again to see if deserved to be kept and the answer is no. Most of the stories were OK but I didn't think any of them were great. Some were campy and set in the 1950s I think. Some stories featured Robin as an active sidekick or as a dead character. I still may try to read volumes 2 and 3 but the plan is to get rid of these books.
March 17, 2019
Collection of fourteen short stories by different authors set in Gotham City. Like most anthologies, some are very good and others not so much. Weird ordering though because there are stories written after Robin has died followed by other ones where he is involved in the storyline. Worth the time though for Batman fans.
March 16, 2020
Their were several good and not so good stories in this book. The ones I think I enjoyed the most were the ones where I knew who the characters were both the good and the evil were in story were well written and fleshed out, whereas the ones where they tried something different with the story to me did not kind of work.
But overall the book was enjoyable to read.
But overall the book was enjoyable to read.
May 19, 2021
Picked this up after reading its “Joker” counterpart and was left unimpressed. Felt like it was written by authors who had never read the comics, and were only given a vague understanding of the character beforehand. Couldn’t bring myself to pass it on to anyone, couldn’t imagine anyone gaining anything from it, so I recycled my copy.
September 21, 2021
I’m not, as a rule, a fan of short stories which is why it took me 20 years to finish this book. The stories range not just in writing style but in style of Batman. One would hope that this book, published in 1989, would have been the Further Adventures of Tim Burton’s Batman. Instead it’s a collection of Golden Age to Bronze Age Batman stories of varying qualities and genres.
June 20, 2022
2.5/5
March 14, 2015
This book caught my eye – 14 authors from “traditional” publishing backgrounds tackle the subject of The Batman, including ones I was already familiar with: Max Allan Collins, Stuart Kaminsky, and Isaac Asimov.
Unfortunately, as I read through the book, I found it to be like most anthologies – some stories are excellent and really appeal to me, while others make me feel like my time would have been more productively spent watching butterflies flutter in a meadow.
Let's look at Bats, by Henry Slesar, as an example. In this tale, Batman publicly acts a little quirky, perhaps crazy. I don't think it will be much of a spoiler to reveal that the hero has a reason, and a plan. However, the Batman I've encountered in prior readings would not undertake this behavior for tactical gain, realizing that the long term implications to his reputation might be strategically unwise.
On the other side of the coin, I did enjoy “The Pirates of Millionaires' Cove” by Edward D. Hoch and “Death of the Dreammaster”, by Robert Sheckley. Both feature mysteries in which the Batman must use his problem-solving skills, coupled with his intimidation factor and combat skills.
Give it a read. Your opinion may agree or diverge with mine on any given story, but I'm sure there will be something in this collection that every Batman fan will like – but be warned, there will probably be something that the same fan will not enjoy.
RATING: 3 stars. Some stories are a 4 to 5, others a 2.
Unfortunately, as I read through the book, I found it to be like most anthologies – some stories are excellent and really appeal to me, while others make me feel like my time would have been more productively spent watching butterflies flutter in a meadow.
Let's look at Bats, by Henry Slesar, as an example. In this tale, Batman publicly acts a little quirky, perhaps crazy. I don't think it will be much of a spoiler to reveal that the hero has a reason, and a plan. However, the Batman I've encountered in prior readings would not undertake this behavior for tactical gain, realizing that the long term implications to his reputation might be strategically unwise.
On the other side of the coin, I did enjoy “The Pirates of Millionaires' Cove” by Edward D. Hoch and “Death of the Dreammaster”, by Robert Sheckley. Both feature mysteries in which the Batman must use his problem-solving skills, coupled with his intimidation factor and combat skills.
Give it a read. Your opinion may agree or diverge with mine on any given story, but I'm sure there will be something in this collection that every Batman fan will like – but be warned, there will probably be something that the same fan will not enjoy.
RATING: 3 stars. Some stories are a 4 to 5, others a 2.
February 15, 2015
Some of the stories in this collection are actually a pretty good read, but most of them are fairly sub-par.
Still, the collection provides an amusing enough read, if the awkward prose for some stories can be overlooked. A couple of the stories feel out of place, such as "Idol" or "Northwestward" which don't help the book any.
For the most part, characterization is pretty good from most of the authors; Dick Grayson reads particularly reminiscent of his Animated Series self, despite these stories having been written prior to the show's debut. The title man is a bit more hit-and-miss with his characterization, something which is not aided by most of the authors' tendency to muse a little too much on what (I think) is considered pretty common knowledge about Batman.
All in all, not a bad little book. Far from a stellar read, but for the $2.00 I got it for, I'll let it pass with three stars. (Which, is more than I've given some of the Batman comic storylines.)
Still, the collection provides an amusing enough read, if the awkward prose for some stories can be overlooked. A couple of the stories feel out of place, such as "Idol" or "Northwestward" which don't help the book any.
For the most part, characterization is pretty good from most of the authors; Dick Grayson reads particularly reminiscent of his Animated Series self, despite these stories having been written prior to the show's debut. The title man is a bit more hit-and-miss with his characterization, something which is not aided by most of the authors' tendency to muse a little too much on what (I think) is considered pretty common knowledge about Batman.
All in all, not a bad little book. Far from a stellar read, but for the $2.00 I got it for, I'll let it pass with three stars. (Which, is more than I've given some of the Batman comic storylines.)
November 20, 2015
Enjoyable, but overall mostly forgettable. I'm a big Batman fan so I enjoyed all of the stories in this collection (certainly some more than others). There seem to be a concentrated effort on the writers to shy away from the major villains. The Joker makes a few appearances (one as a side character, another as the main villain). Some readers may find this as a positive. I found that the stories I enjoyed the most were the small, quirky ones. Neutral Ground, The Batman Memos, Northwestward, and Idol were my favorite chapters. In a nutshell, I'd say Batman fans would enjoy this book, but the non-fan may not be moved by it at all.
August 29, 2012
It was oh kay. Some of the stories were really good, especially the ones with Robin. A lot of the writers seem unfamiliar with the mythos, and to a certain extent if you are more familiar with the mythos than they are, you might find some of the more blunt commentary annoying--he's not a superhero! He's super prepared, except when he's surprised! His parents are dead! Etcetera. But generally, it's probably worth it. I didn't like Isaac Asimov's story when I first read it. Now that I've thought about it, I like it a lot.
December 4, 2013
I love Batman. I love science fiction. I really thought this would be a great read. I mean, How can you go wrong with some of the best science fiction writers writing short stories about this awesome character? Obviously some of these writers should stick with what they know best and leave comic characters to the experts. Not that it was a bad book. Just had some dull stories that did nothing for the character. Surprisingly, the best shorts stories actually centered around Robin. I can't say that I would ever recommend this book to comic fans.
November 21, 2014
An instantly forgettable bunch of stories which simply fail to honour the character. Some start off promisingly but descend into dreck, others are non-starters.
The best story here, "The Batman Memos" is a novel approach to telling a Batman story, and while it's compelling throughout even this entry fails to stick the landing.
As an Asimov fan, I was disappointed that his contribution is cribbed from an old pulp crime anthology and really only a Batman story by a technicality. I suspect his "Northwestward" was only included in order to benefit from the author's starpower.
Overall, avoid.
The best story here, "The Batman Memos" is a novel approach to telling a Batman story, and while it's compelling throughout even this entry fails to stick the landing.
As an Asimov fan, I was disappointed that his contribution is cribbed from an old pulp crime anthology and really only a Batman story by a technicality. I suspect his "Northwestward" was only included in order to benefit from the author's starpower.
Overall, avoid.
October 13, 2014
I dug this old collection out with nostalgia coursing through my soul. Some things are better left in childhood.
This is a miserable collection of stories. Most are just prose versions of an average Batman comic circa 1972, cheesy and shallow and owing as much to the campy tv show as anything else. The few stories that try to do something different don't really work either, like Isaac Asimov's "Northwestward," an interesting take on a "real life" Bruce Wayne that ends on a confusing and indifferent note.
There are a couple good stories here but this collection is best forgotten.
This is a miserable collection of stories. Most are just prose versions of an average Batman comic circa 1972, cheesy and shallow and owing as much to the campy tv show as anything else. The few stories that try to do something different don't really work either, like Isaac Asimov's "Northwestward," an interesting take on a "real life" Bruce Wayne that ends on a confusing and indifferent note.
There are a couple good stories here but this collection is best forgotten.
October 2, 2012
I read this as a kid, and absolutely loved it. I was at a flee market right after college and came across the book again and snapped it right up. I enjoyed the stories just as much the second time. I love the dark and brutal Batman world that is portrayed in a lot of the stories. The story with Spring Heeled Jack is still one of my favorite short stories as well...
October 20, 2012
This is a collection of short stories about Batman, each by a different author, with a different spin. It's an excellent volume, filled with a great variety of stories that you can read in one sitting each. Highly recommended if you're at all interested in Batman, or want to be interested in Batman.
January 17, 2014
Fourteen fun stories portraying the adventures of the Dark Knight from the forties to the late eighties. Each author takes a different spin on Batman from the campy Adam West Batman to a brooding Batman of the eighties after the second Robin's death. I liked each story and I highly suggest this collection to any Batman fan.
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