Welcome to this exciting chapter in my coverage of all things DC Rebirth. This is the first crossover event and man is it a doozy. Today I am covering Batman: Night of the Monster Men. It collects Batman #7 & 8, Nightwing #5 & 6, and Detective Comics #941 & 942. (Note: Fun fact the first issue was released as a free issue on Halloween.) Hope you all remember back in the first volume of Batman how people kept yelling about the Monster Men coming and then offing themselves. I am going to split this into two posts, so let's jump right in and figure out what that was all about.
Batman #7: Night of the Monster Men, Part 1: We start in Gotham City morgue, the radio is giving a weather report. There is a hurricane about to hit Gotham. Hurricane Milton is about to hit hard and the dead bodies appear to be growing something on them.
Batman #7: Night of the Monster Men, Part 1: We start in Gotham City morgue, the radio is giving a weather report. There is a hurricane about to hit Gotham. Hurricane Milton is about to hit hard and the dead bodies appear to be growing something on them.
On a rooftop Batman and Batwoman are a little worried about the weather. Nightwing joins them, pointing out how even Batman can't control the weather. Batman is still really rattled from the death of Red Robin. So he will not lose anyone tonight. Both Batwoman and Nightwing promise to do their best.
In a basement, Hugo Strange is naked and lifting weights (looking super buff). He gets interrupted by someone named Mr. Faison telling him it is time.
Back at the morgue, those dead bodies are looking real rough.
Back at the morgue, those dead bodies are looking real rough.
In Old Gotham Jim Gordon is talking to Batman, reminding him that the police can't really work with vigilantes. Batman tells him they are just people who want to help keep each other safe. Spoiler, Clayface, and Orphan join our roof party. Batman has a plan to evacuate the flood risk neighborhoods, giving Clayface an injection so he can stay stable in the rain. They are going to take everyone up to the caves at Olsen Park. While Batman is giving orders, there is a huge explosion. Our team doesn't see it yet, but it is the ugliest looking giant baby monster ever.
Alfred reports that a monster is attacking. Batman literally jumps into action, Batwoman and Nightwing in tow. Batwoman asks Batman if he knows how to fight monsters. (Come on girl, that is all he does.) Batman attacks the giant baby monster in his jet, but is taken down in like two seconds. Batman ejects and thanks to John Henry he has a dope jetpack with wings.
On the ground Batwoman is saving all the people in the monster's path. Batman hits it with a ton of paralytic, but doesn't help. Baby monster is not a good fighter, just giant and with very thick skin. Batman blows up his super cool jetpack to finally take down the monster.
A radio is giving us an update about how the storm is getting worse. Bullock, Clayface, and Spoiler are getting people to high ground. Batwoman, Batman, and Nightwing are checking out the monster. It isn't dead, just sedated. Batman has a giant syringe (for real guy, where the heck did you get that) to collect some DNA. He sends it off to Duke and Alfred. They quickly figure out that it is part human. We recap the guy (Castro) who killed himself in Jim Gordon's office back in Batman issue #2. Batman knows that Hugo Strange is behind this.
There is another loud rumble and more people running for their lives. Batman quotes the last words of Castro with one change, "the Monster Men are here." The second monster is even bigger than the last, see picture below for this beast.
Nightwing #5: Night of the Monster Men, Part 2: In the Batcave, Duke is not happy to be on the sidelines. Claire (Gotham Girl) is scared about all the noise. Alfred reminds Duke that Tim just died, so Batman is being cautious. Duke disagrees, it should be his call if he wants to help.
Back in Gotham, Nightwing points out that this giant monster just demolished a factory like it was ripping paper. Nightwing then asks Batman about something called the tower contingency. Batman says it is too dangerous and Batwoman tells her team to expand the evacuation zone to the entire city. Batman sends Nightwing to the morgue, while he and Batwoman draw the monster's attention. Batman then calls Duke and tells him to activate his special project, codenamed the Bat-beacon.
The Bat-beacon is apparently a very souped-up version of a warning system. Many holographic Batmans show up all over Gotham telling everyone to get out of the city. Back up at the caves, more and more people keep arriving. Bullock is not sure all the people will fit in the caves or that they can even get everyone out of the city. Stephanie says this is the time, the time the monsters lose. (Girl is having a hard time with Tim's death.)
Batman and Batwoman are still trying to lead the monster. They get to a garage and get some dope rides. Batwoman is digging the Nightwing cycle, but tells Batman that Nightwing is not his sidekick anymore. Batman feels that they are all his responsibility. She is a soldier so she asks him if he thinks of himself as a soldier then he should know units are built on respect and trust. Maybe he should think about that. While they are riding and talking, the monster grows a new head.
Nightwing finally heads to the morgue and checks in with Alfred. Alfred says a lot of things that amount to whatever this thing is that made the monsters, is new. Clayface is still trying to get people out of the city. Batman shoots a net at the monster and maybe it will hold it for a moment.
At the evacuation site, we have chaos. All the people are getting angrier and some red substance appears to be taking over their minds. They start to turn on the people who brought them to the caves. At the morgue Nightwing takes out some guards while chatting with Duke about Batman (feelings are shared). He discovers there are four bodies missing. Alfred tells us things we know. All the dead bodies that are missing were people we saw before in Batman Volume 1 and are all connected to Hugo Strange.
At Blackgate Penitentiary, Monster number three shows up and it is some kind of ugly spider thing. Nightwing starts to rush there, calling out to everyone on coms. At the prison, the spider thing has some creepy dog babies. Batman tells Nightwing to wait and Gotham Girl hears the call too. She is on her way. Batman tells her no, her powers might kill her. She agrees with him, but says it doesn't matter, she needs to be Gotham Girl.
Detective Comics #941: Night of the Monster Men, Part 3: Batwoman is somehow driving the Nightwing cycle on Gotham City roofs, feeling like they are on the losing end of this fight. Everyone is trying to report in. Up in the evacuation cave Spoiler is trying to keep the calm. Nightwing is still on his way to Blackgate, way behind Gotham Girl. Alfred and Duke are still trying to figure out what made these monsters. Clayface is working hard. Gotham Girl is 10 seconds from Blackgate.
Up in the caves things are getting out of control. People are starting to get real ragey to the point that Spoiler and Orphan might have to intervene. At the prison, lots of little dog things are attacking. Nightwing is arriving, but Gotham Girl is already there. Downtown the three headed monster is knocking down buildings left and right. Clayface saves some people and now the monster has five heads.
In the caves, all the people are covered with some kind of red goop that is making them all angry. Spoiler cannot get a hold of anyone outside of the cave. Batman wants to get up to the cave and help, but Batwoman needs him there. Batman is having a real tough time accepting that things might be a little out of control.
Back in Gotham, Nightwing points out that this giant monster just demolished a factory like it was ripping paper. Nightwing then asks Batman about something called the tower contingency. Batman says it is too dangerous and Batwoman tells her team to expand the evacuation zone to the entire city. Batman sends Nightwing to the morgue, while he and Batwoman draw the monster's attention. Batman then calls Duke and tells him to activate his special project, codenamed the Bat-beacon.
The Bat-beacon is apparently a very souped-up version of a warning system. Many holographic Batmans show up all over Gotham telling everyone to get out of the city. Back up at the caves, more and more people keep arriving. Bullock is not sure all the people will fit in the caves or that they can even get everyone out of the city. Stephanie says this is the time, the time the monsters lose. (Girl is having a hard time with Tim's death.)
Batman and Batwoman are still trying to lead the monster. They get to a garage and get some dope rides. Batwoman is digging the Nightwing cycle, but tells Batman that Nightwing is not his sidekick anymore. Batman feels that they are all his responsibility. She is a soldier so she asks him if he thinks of himself as a soldier then he should know units are built on respect and trust. Maybe he should think about that. While they are riding and talking, the monster grows a new head.
Nightwing finally heads to the morgue and checks in with Alfred. Alfred says a lot of things that amount to whatever this thing is that made the monsters, is new. Clayface is still trying to get people out of the city. Batman shoots a net at the monster and maybe it will hold it for a moment.
At the evacuation site, we have chaos. All the people are getting angrier and some red substance appears to be taking over their minds. They start to turn on the people who brought them to the caves. At the morgue Nightwing takes out some guards while chatting with Duke about Batman (feelings are shared). He discovers there are four bodies missing. Alfred tells us things we know. All the dead bodies that are missing were people we saw before in Batman Volume 1 and are all connected to Hugo Strange.
At Blackgate Penitentiary, Monster number three shows up and it is some kind of ugly spider thing. Nightwing starts to rush there, calling out to everyone on coms. At the prison, the spider thing has some creepy dog babies. Batman tells Nightwing to wait and Gotham Girl hears the call too. She is on her way. Batman tells her no, her powers might kill her. She agrees with him, but says it doesn't matter, she needs to be Gotham Girl.
Detective Comics #941: Night of the Monster Men, Part 3: Batwoman is somehow driving the Nightwing cycle on Gotham City roofs, feeling like they are on the losing end of this fight. Everyone is trying to report in. Up in the evacuation cave Spoiler is trying to keep the calm. Nightwing is still on his way to Blackgate, way behind Gotham Girl. Alfred and Duke are still trying to figure out what made these monsters. Clayface is working hard. Gotham Girl is 10 seconds from Blackgate.
Up in the caves things are getting out of control. People are starting to get real ragey to the point that Spoiler and Orphan might have to intervene. At the prison, lots of little dog things are attacking. Nightwing is arriving, but Gotham Girl is already there. Downtown the three headed monster is knocking down buildings left and right. Clayface saves some people and now the monster has five heads.
In the caves, all the people are covered with some kind of red goop that is making them all angry. Spoiler cannot get a hold of anyone outside of the cave. Batman wants to get up to the cave and help, but Batwoman needs him there. Batman is having a real tough time accepting that things might be a little out of control.
Spoiler and Orphan are on their own. After netting all the people for a moment to think, Spoiler figures the sludge might be some kind of fungus or algae. Orphan thinks it is grass. Spoiler thinks for a moment and agrees. Then she explains some science stuff to Bullock that amounts to grass doesn't like fire, so time to heat things up.
At Blackgate, Gotham Girl is taking down all the little monsters, but is also hurting the people. Nightwing tries to get her to calm down, but all he does is distract her. All the little monsters start attacking her, but it does give Nightwing time to get the people to safety. Gotham Girl rips all the little monsters apart. The big spider monster is not happy.
GG while still scared out of her mind knocks the monster out pretty easily. Nightwing tells her she did a good job and again tries to calm her down, but she loses her shit and rips the monster to pieces. She calms down for a moment and apologizes. Before Nightwing can really say anything, all the blood that is covering them seems to be having a negative effect. It looks a lot like the rage that is happening in the cave. It is more than that though, they are turning into monsters.
Batwoman asks for another check-in. Clayface is still doing his best to get people to safety. Spoiler and Orphan are still doing their best but can only get static. Batman and Batwoman are still fighting the many-headed monster. Nightwing and Gotham Girl have become full monsters.
Alfred reports that a monster is attacking. Batman literally jumps into action, Batwoman and Nightwing in tow. Batwoman asks Batman if he knows how to fight monsters. (Come on girl, that is all he does.) Batman attacks the giant baby monster in his jet, but is taken down in like two seconds. Batman ejects and thanks to John Henry he has a dope jetpack with wings.
On the ground Batwoman is saving all the people in the monster's path. Batman hits it with a ton of paralytic, but doesn't help. Baby monster is not a good fighter, just giant and with very thick skin. Batman blows up his super cool jetpack to finally take down the monster.
A radio is giving us an update about how the storm is getting worse. Bullock, Clayface, and Spoiler are getting people to high ground. Batwoman, Batman, and Nightwing are checking out the monster. It isn't dead, just sedated. Batman has a giant syringe (for real guy, where the heck did you get that) to collect some DNA. He sends it off to Duke and Alfred. They quickly figure out that it is part human. We recap the guy (Castro) who killed himself in Jim Gordon's office back in Batman issue #2. Batman knows that Hugo Strange is behind this.
There is another loud rumble and more people running for their lives. Batman quotes the last words of Castro with one change, "the Monster Men are here." The second monster is even bigger than the last, see picture below for this beast.
Nightwing #5: Night of the Monster Men, Part 2: In the Batcave, Duke is not happy to be on the sidelines. Claire (Gotham Girl) is scared about all the noise. Alfred reminds Duke that Tim just died, so Batman is being cautious. Duke disagrees, it should be his call if he wants to help.
Back in Gotham, Nightwing points out that this giant monster just demolished a factory like it was ripping paper. Nightwing then asks Batman about something called the tower contingency. Batman says it is too dangerous and Batwoman tells her team to expand the evacuation zone to the entire city. Batman sends Nightwing to the morgue, while he and Batwoman draw the monster's attention. Batman then calls Duke and tells him to activate his special project, codenamed the Bat-beacon.
The Bat-beacon is apparently a very souped-up version of a warning system. Many holographic Batmans show up all over Gotham telling everyone to get out of the city. Back up at the caves, more and more people keep arriving. Bullock is not sure all the people will fit in the caves or that they can even get everyone out of the city. Stephanie says this is the time, the time the monsters lose. (Girl is having a hard time with Tim's death.)
Batman and Batwoman take down the monster for a moment, but it grows another head and pops back up. While it is doing that it wrecks a building knocking a guy from a top window. Nightwing is still around and saves the guy. Nightwing tells the holdout to get the heck out of the city. Batman tells Nightwing to get his butt to the morgue. Nightwing calls Batman out for trying to protect them. (Look everyone is having a tough time with Tim's death.)
Batman and Batwoman are still trying to lead the monster. They get to a garage and get some dope rides. Batwoman is digging the Nightwing cycle, but tells Batman that Nightwing is not his sidekick anymore. Batman feels that they are all his responsibility. She is a soldier so she asks him if he thinks of himself as a soldier then he should know units are built on respect and trust. Maybe he should think about that. While they are riding and talking, the monster grows a new head.
Nightwing finally heads to the morgue and checks in with Alfred. Alfred says a lot of things that amount to whatever this thing is that made the monsters, is new. Clayface is still trying to get people out of the city. Batman shoots a net at the monster and maybe it will hold it for a moment.
At the evacuation site, we have chaos. All the people are getting angrier and some red substance appears to be taking over their minds. They start to turn on the people who brought them to the caves. At the morgue Nightwing takes out some guards while chatting with Duke about Batman (feelings are shared). He discovers there are four bodies missing. Alfred tells us things we know. All the dead bodies that are missing were people we saw before in Batman Volume 1 and are all connected to Hugo Strange.
At Blackgate Penitentiary, Monster number three shows up and it is some kind of ugly spider thing. Nightwing starts to rush there, calling out to everyone on coms. At the prison, the spider thing has some creepy dog babies. Batman tells Nightwing to wait and Gotham Girl hears the call too. She is on her way. Batman tells her no, her powers might kill her. She agrees with him, but says it doesn't matter, she needs to be Gotham Girl.
Detective Comics #941: Night of the Monster Men, Part 3: Batwoman is somehow driving the Nightwing cycle on Gotham City roofs, feeling like they are on the losing end of this fight. Everyone is trying to report in. Up in the evacuation cave Spoiler is trying to keep the calm. Nightwing is still on his way to Blackgate, way behind Gotham Girl. Alfred and Duke are still trying to figure out what made these monsters. Clayface is working hard. Gotham Girl is 10 seconds from Blackgate.
Up in the caves things are getting out of control. People are starting to get real ragey to the point that Spoiler and Orphan might have to intervene. At the prison, lots of little dog things are attacking. Nightwing is arriving, but Gotham Girl is already there. Downtown the three headed monster is knocking down buildings left and right. Clayface saves some people and now the monster has five heads.
In the caves, all the people are covered with some kind of red goop that is making them all angry. Spoiler cannot get a hold of anyone outside of the cave. Batman wants to get up to the cave and help, but Batwoman needs him there. Batman is having a real tough time accepting that things might be a little out of control.
Back in Gotham, Nightwing points out that this giant monster just demolished a factory like it was ripping paper. Nightwing then asks Batman about something called the tower contingency. Batman says it is too dangerous and Batwoman tells her team to expand the evacuation zone to the entire city. Batman sends Nightwing to the morgue, while he and Batwoman draw the monster's attention. Batman then calls Duke and tells him to activate his special project, codenamed the Bat-beacon.
The Bat-beacon is apparently a very souped-up version of a warning system. Many holographic Batmans show up all over Gotham telling everyone to get out of the city. Back up at the caves, more and more people keep arriving. Bullock is not sure all the people will fit in the caves or that they can even get everyone out of the city. Stephanie says this is the time, the time the monsters lose. (Girl is having a hard time with Tim's death.)
Batman and Batwoman take down the monster for a moment, but it grows another head and pops back up. While it is doing that it wrecks a building knocking a guy from a top window. Nightwing is still around and saves the guy. Nightwing tells the holdout to get the heck out of the city. Batman tells Nightwing to get his butt to the morgue. Nightwing calls Batman out for trying to protect them. (Look everyone is having a tough time with Tim's death.)
Batman and Batwoman are still trying to lead the monster. They get to a garage and get some dope rides. Batwoman is digging the Nightwing cycle, but tells Batman that Nightwing is not his sidekick anymore. Batman feels that they are all his responsibility. She is a soldier so she asks him if he thinks of himself as a soldier then he should know units are built on respect and trust. Maybe he should think about that. While they are riding and talking, the monster grows a new head.
Nightwing finally heads to the morgue and checks in with Alfred. Alfred says a lot of things that amount to whatever this thing is that made the monsters, is new. Clayface is still trying to get people out of the city. Batman shoots a net at the monster and maybe it will hold it for a moment.
At the evacuation site, we have chaos. All the people are getting angrier and some red substance appears to be taking over their minds. They start to turn on the people who brought them to the caves. At the morgue Nightwing takes out some guards while chatting with Duke about Batman (feelings are shared). He discovers there are four bodies missing. Alfred tells us things we know. All the dead bodies that are missing were people we saw before in Batman Volume 1 and are all connected to Hugo Strange.
At Blackgate Penitentiary, Monster number three shows up and it is some kind of ugly spider thing. Nightwing starts to rush there, calling out to everyone on coms. At the prison, the spider thing has some creepy dog babies. Batman tells Nightwing to wait and Gotham Girl hears the call too. She is on her way. Batman tells her no, her powers might kill her. She agrees with him, but says it doesn't matter, she needs to be Gotham Girl.
Detective Comics #941: Night of the Monster Men, Part 3: Batwoman is somehow driving the Nightwing cycle on Gotham City roofs, feeling like they are on the losing end of this fight. Everyone is trying to report in. Up in the evacuation cave Spoiler is trying to keep the calm. Nightwing is still on his way to Blackgate, way behind Gotham Girl. Alfred and Duke are still trying to figure out what made these monsters. Clayface is working hard. Gotham Girl is 10 seconds from Blackgate.
Up in the caves things are getting out of control. People are starting to get real ragey to the point that Spoiler and Orphan might have to intervene. At the prison, lots of little dog things are attacking. Nightwing is arriving, but Gotham Girl is already there. Downtown the three headed monster is knocking down buildings left and right. Clayface saves some people and now the monster has five heads.
In the caves, all the people are covered with some kind of red goop that is making them all angry. Spoiler cannot get a hold of anyone outside of the cave. Batman wants to get up to the cave and help, but Batwoman needs him there. Batman is having a real tough time accepting that things might be a little out of control.
Spoiler and Orphan are on their own. After netting all the people for a moment to think, Spoiler figures the sludge might be some kind of fungus or algae. Orphan thinks it is grass. Spoiler thinks for a moment and agrees. Then she explains some science stuff to Bullock that amounts to grass doesn't like fire, so time to heat things up.
At Blackgate, Gotham Girl is taking down all the little monsters, but is also hurting the people. Nightwing tries to get her to calm down, but all he does is distract her. All the little monsters start attacking her, but it does give Nightwing time to get the people to safety. Gotham Girl rips all the little monsters apart. The big spider monster is not happy.
GG while still scared out of her mind knocks the monster out pretty easily. Nightwing tells her she did a good job and again tries to calm her down, but she loses her shit and rips the monster to pieces. She calms down for a moment and apologizes. Before Nightwing can really say anything, all the blood that is covering them seems to be having a negative effect. It looks a lot like the rage that is happening in the cave. It is more than that though, they are turning into monsters.
Batwoman asks for another check-in. Clayface is still doing his best to get people to safety. Spoiler and Orphan are still doing their best but can only get static. Batman and Batwoman are still fighting the many-headed monster. Nightwing and Gotham Girl have become full monsters.
Thoughts: Going to give a few notes here and some more thoughts later in part two. For this first crossover we are getting a lot of the Bat-fam, but really the only person added who isn't in Detective Comics is Nightwing. Another important note is there are many writers and many artists working on this story, so if it feels a little more disconnected or repetitive that is why. DC did an interesting thing here and instead of including the issues that make up this story-line in their namesake series, they published it as its own stand alone volume. So it is possible that if you were just reading say Nightwing volume one, it would look like it was just missing issues #5 and 6.
Tune in later this week for part two of this exciting story. That part will talk more about the writers and artists. I'll also share my favorite cover and favorite line of this volume.
Next Post: Batman: Night of the Monster Men, Part 2
Tune in later this week for part two of this exciting story. That part will talk more about the writers and artists. I'll also share my favorite cover and favorite line of this volume.
Next Post: Batman: Night of the Monster Men, Part 2
Last Week: Detective Comics Volume No. 1: The Rise of the Batmen, Part 1
Detective Comics Volume No. 1: The Rise of the Batmen, Part 2
Note: All images belong to DC™
Detective Comics Volume No. 1: The Rise of the Batmen, Part 2
Note: All images belong to DC™
That giant baby monster is nasty. I wonder if Dick Grayson's monster butt is as nice as his human butt. I certainly hope so and I hope we get a glimpse of it in a future volume.
ReplyDeleteHaha! His butt should always be nice, even in monster form.
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