Review- BATMAN VS. THE UNDEAD

BATMAN VS. THE UNDEAD (DC, 2011; Softcover)

Collects Batman Confidential Nos. 44-48 (cover dates July- November, 2010)

Writer: Kevin VanHook

Artist: Tom Mandrake

Terrific! This is a sequel to the Batman and Superman Vs. Vampires and Werewolves mini-series (also available in the trade paperback format under the same name). I really enjoyed that book, and found this to be every bit as good, if not better, than it's predecessor. Tom Mandrake's art has an old school, creepy vibe to it and suits this material perfectly. Kevin VanHook is a good, solid comic book writer, and once again employs Herbert Combs as the mad scientist using magic in pursuit of power. I love voodoo and zombies.

I am admittedly a Marvel guy, but tend to cherry pick interesting collected editions from the Distinguished Competition. I have no idea how this sits with the DC faithful, or how it fits into any of the various DC continuities. I just enjoyed it as a book and a story arc. I wish that I could do this with modern Marvel stuff. I would probably enjoy a lot more of it, but I am a slave to continuity for Marvel. The fact that Marvel was always more cohesive, and the emotional investment that I have had in those characters over the years compounds this problem. I grew up watching Super Friends and the '60s Batman TV series in syndication, so there is some nostalgia there for me, too, I suppose. I can accept the variances in DC's continuity better than Marvel's. It's a double standard and I freely admit it. 

The OCD zone- This book has a decent weight coated stock paper and wax coated cardstock cover. What's not to like?

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