Dirty little secret #1 this month
People come up to me at cons and on the street, and lean in and say “I LOVED Batman Odyssey”, as if it’s a secret.
“Man, Odyssey blew me away, it had everything, and when Batman blew up Robin, sheeee-ite!” …..Then some,.. ” What was that whole thing on the net?”
So I shrug my shoulders and mumble, “I don’t know,.. I told everyone it was going to be chapters in a book, and no attempt to tell short stories. Something (shudder) new. Yet,..somehow, they wanted to know the End of the story, and they didn’t want unanswered questions.”
Then, “But you wrapped it up, and I had to go back and read it over again to…” And then ten minutes of conversation,..and then, BLAM “The last chapter,…WOW!”
So, I do the big-eyed, shake my head and smile that ‘What can you do, it’s the internet’, smile,..and happily sign their ‘Batman Odyssey’. Happy (and a little confused) Puppies all around.
NEAL
0ver 200 pages of NEW Neal Adam's art (with some other industry giants contributing to the visual feast), who wouldn't love it?
But the story was all over the place and the characterization of the major players was inconsistent with we have come to expect. The book touched on many aspects of Batman that could easily be expanded into stories of their own, but the presentation just made it all feel crammed in, and a little rushed.
You remain my touchstone in the world of comics Mr. Adams, for integrity, and ability and I look forward to your future projects.
Cesare
If I had the chance to speak to you at a convention or on the street, I would have been one of those people. Apart from anything else, it was great to see a superhero comic that was unashamedly a comic book and not merely a film treatment presented in storyboard form with word balloons. To me it really felt like Batman Odyssey was proud to be a comic book, and was willing to use every trick comic books do best. Comics do big and loud and over the top better than film. Comics do bold ideas and personal statements and stunning vistas and vivid characters. So, yeah, as a fan of the medium I loved the book. And I'd say that to you in person anytime!
You fooled everybody Neal (even me). But when I read the final issue, I knew you'd came up with another winner!