I think that I have to start the year with my favorite character. If you guessed Batman, you are correct. All-Star Batman Volume 1: My Own Worst Enemy collects issues #1-5. All-Star Batman is a little different from your regular Batman story in that it is much more focused on a Batman mission. I am 90% sure that it is in the same universe and timeline as Rebirth Batman and Detective Comics Batman. Look, he is a busy guy, guess we better get into this story.
Mini Recap: Issue #1, jumps around in time, but the basic gist is that Batman has maybe found a cure for his best pal Harvey Dent. He just has to get Dent to the place where said cure can be administered. Two-Face, not wanting to be "killed" somehow gets a broadcast out that he will reveal every secret he knows if someone doesn't stop Batman. Literally everyone tries to stop Batman (even Alfred) so he goes radio silent. Important side note: Two-Face dropped a ton of acid (not the drug), like a week before the events of this comic burning many people.
In Issue #2, Batman is fighting so many bad guys it is out of control, but he wins of course. He is however taken down by some cops who are all too happy to help Two-Face, but a big bad, aka "The Beast" working for all the crime lords of Gotham shows up. In the cave Duke figures out something about this "cure" (it is probably a trap) and rushes off to warn Batman. We also got a glimpse of the future and it sure looks like Jim Gordon breaks into Wayne Manor and discovers an entrance to the Batcave.
Issue #3 starts with a flashback to a young Bruce and Harvey being BFFs. Then there are many pages of The Beast killing cops and almost killing Batman and Harvey. Duke shows up and saves them (aka they all run away). The crime lords are having mixed feelings about The Beast. They go to an underground hospital of sorts and get patched up. Duke tells Bruce the cure wont work and about the file that will link Bruce to Batman, but Bruce doesn't care. We flashback again and learn Bruce is taking Harvey back to the place they met at as kids (a sort of home for troubled kids that was run by the Arkhams of course). They start a trip up a pipeline and get attacked by what I think are Talons, but might have just been Two-Face guys. Then Two-Face dumps something in Batman's eyes, blinding him?
Issue #4 begins with someone trapped in a farmhouse? (You don't see anything just that someone is asking to be let out.) Then it jumps two where issue 3 left off, but you don't think a little thing like being blind would slow down Batman? Using echolocation and all his other tricks he frees himself and Duke and beats all the bad guys. Two-Face gives them the slip though by flooding the pipeline. Of course Duke and Batman get out and quickly catch up with Two-Face and knock him out. Next Batman and Duke are flying a plane (yep blind Batman is flying a plane). They have a deep chat about parents and we learn Harvey's dad would beat him. Of course The Beast shows up (how the fuck he got on the plane is unclear). Cut to our heroes and Two-Face tied up in a derelict floating casino. The crime lords show up thinking they have the upper hand, but Two-Face always has a double plan. Suddenly hundreds of people are also at the boat (something with a tracker, blaa blaa) and all these people are the ones who got burned by acid in issue 1. (P.S. the person trapped in the farmhouse was Harvey's dad, guess Two-Face just keeps him trapped there.)
Time to wrap this up with issue #5. Batman releases the boat from the dock getting away from all the burned people. Then Duke, Two-Face, and Batman use a giant floating poker chip to get away. There is of course a waterfall but Batman somehow manages to save everyone on the boat and everyone on the floating chip. We see more of Jim Gordon about to maybe enter the Batcave. Alfred is trying to stop him but it isn't going well. Finally Batman has gotten Harvey to the place where the cure is. Duke is worried that in saving Harvey it will be the end of Batman, but they press forward. They find the cure that Harvey had hidden in the house where he and Bruce first met. We learn it isn't a cure so much as a poison that will somehow kill the weaker half of a person's will (shrug). Basically Harvey is the one who dropped his diluted cure on the city and the clouds are seeded to drop the full version if Batman does use it on Harvey/Two-Face. Batman is pissed. They fight a bit and Batman does inject Harvey with the cure and tells him to turn off the clouds. Harvey does but then quickly notices nothing is happening. Batman instead injected Harvey with some kind of booster that he made to make sure that Harvey/Two-Face will always be Harvey/Two-Face, it also knocks him out. The Beast shows up again as do all of the burned people. We also see Gordon and his men going down the stairs behind the clock. Beast is going to kill everyone but Batman knocks him off a cliff (you think they are both gone) but Duke catches Batman. All the burned people are suddenly chill. Jim and team find a little man-cave/panic room. Now they just have to head home. End. JK there is this last little page. (Honestly I am not sure I get the joke happening here, just Batman being cheeky I guess.)
Thoughts: Look it is hard for me to keep things short, but I promise you I did try. There is also a mini story that takes place in the back of issues 1-4. It is called, The Cursed Wheel and is a short tale about how Batman is trying something different in his training of Duke. I am not going to recap it, but if you want a fun Duke story then I highly recommend you check it out.
This volume, in fact the entire 15 issue run, was written by Scott Snyder. He even wrote the mini story. Snyder is a very well known DC writer mostly known (to me at least) for his many many Batman stories. I do overall like his writing and while this volume is not my favorite, it is still very good. Many talented artists and editors work on this volume but I want to shout out John Romita Jr. and Declan Shalvey. They are both awesome artists and I think I enjoyed that this volume didn't feel too hyper realistic. As always if you want to see what all these people are up to feel free to click their name to check out their social media.
Best Cover Art: Now DC really loves a good cover and this volume alone had 49 covers to choose from. I settled on the one done by Declan Shalvey for issue #5. I think it perfectly shows the damage that Batman has taken in his journey to help his friend.
Favorite Line: There are also a couple of great lines in this volume. I narrowed it down to two favorites but I will mention a really funny bit between Duke and Bruce about a "metal" band that feels like fun foreshadowing and cute banter. The winners however are below.
First the moment Jim and crew find the "Man-cave" Love the look on Gordon's face.
The second is a group hug that Two-Face is not into.
As always, thank you for reading my blog. I enjoy writing it and hope to have more regular content, but there will likely still be time gaps. Life my dudes! Hope the first month of 2023 is treating you all well, until next time.
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