THE BATMAN CHRONICLES VOL. 10 (DC, 2010; Softcover)
Collects Batman Nos. 18, 19 and selections from Detective Comics Nos. 78-81 and World’s Finest Comics No. 11 (cover dates August- November, 1943)
Writers: Bill Finger and Joe Samachson
Artists: Bob Kane (penciler), Jerry Robinson (pencils and/or inker), Dick Sprang (pencils/inks), George Roussos (inks)
I love The Chronicles line of trade paperbacks. I would never have been able to afford delving into the history of DC Comics if not for this line of books. Sure, there are Archives of this material, but I simply cannot afford taking on three more lines to get this material in that format. I also dislike how DC split the three titles collected here in three lines rather than one line like they do here. The way that they are presented here makes for a more comprehensive read and makes my completist OCD turn green.
Golden Age Batman is so much fun to read. I enjoy the fashions and car styles of this time. My favorite story in this book is the one with Rob Callender, a Time Thief from the year 2043. What was 100 years in the future at the time of original publication is now a mere 31 years away. I sat there and thought what people in 1943 would think of 2012. I think that they'd be blown away in many ways (the way that we communicate and entertain ourselves), and disappointed in others (you mean that you sold out all of the rights that we bled for, and you fight amongst yourselves while the fat cats get fatter?).
The OCD zone- The restoration is pretty bad in the bulk of the Detective Comics issues in this book, the result of DC's crude restoration methods in the days before 1200dpi scanning. DC uses old film, and sometimes it's not always in great shape. The majority of this book looks great, but there are a few stories where it is just off. It's a pity that DC doesn't do what Marvel does and go back and remaster their stuff when advances in technology allow for improvements. DC is still using VHS restoration in the Blu-Ray era.
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