Crossovers. There are so many. Crossovers are a publisher’s way of cashing easy checks. However, every few years a crossover is made that is often overlooked. Personally I have always been a fan of both Batman and Predator, both have had movies (actually Predator was first seen on the movie screen), both are comic book characters, and both have been in novels. Batman vs Predator is a case of a crossover providing a very entertaining comic book story.
The book opens with a boxing match in Gotham. Each of the fighters are backed by two of Gotham’s biggest gangsters. When the winner of the fight is killed in his apartment shortly after the bout Batman is called to help investigate the crime. At first many believe the rival boss was angered by his fighter losing but the dead fighter had his spine and skull ripped out, which would be very unusual for a regular mob killer to do. Batman’s main goal early on is to avoid a battle on the streets of Gotham between the two mob bosses.
Batman soon pinpoints the Predator’s hideout. In a deadly duel he comes close to losing his life to the Predator. After defeating Batman the Predator begins to take out the mob bosses in a calculated fashion. Batman tries to recover from his injuries as fast as he can: he cannot even leave his bed, but the body count rises in his absence. Towards the end of the story with two mob bosses, the mayor, and countless others dead a countdown is initiated by the National Guard and SWAT. At the end of the countdown they plan to flush the Predator out of hiding by searching street by street. Batman, at last healed from his injuries, plans one last face-to-face match with the Predator.
The drawing in this book is classic Batman: published in 1992 this book takes most of its design from the Batman comics of the time. The artwork leans more towards Batman than Predator. Early in the book the imagery focuses on light, but as the story progresses the darker imagery akin to both characters comics comes back. Instead of coating the book with dark imagery throughout—both characters are known to use the shadows to their advantage—this book stands out because it goes contrary to the style the reader expects.
The story is simple, but it works. Once again Batman has to come back from near death to make one last stand to protect Gotham. He has to take his bumps and bruises before he can do this, learning about his opponent throughout. The story fits into the old man vs beast style of fiction, and does it justice. As a whole the story works: slowed down when you’re interested in knowing more, sped up when you’re ready for an ending.
In comparison to other crossovers this comic climbs above the rest. Instead of jumping right into the middle of action to keep the reader entertained this book focuses on story too. There are also a few suspenseful moments to keep the reader guessing. Batman has rarely faced a test like the one he faces here. The ending may be predictable, Batman sells more comics than Predator, but the way it’s presented makes Batman vs Predator one of the better-written Batman crossovers of the 1990s.
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Crossovers. There are so many. Crossovers are a publisher’s way of cashing easy checks. However, every few years a crossover is made that is often overlooked. Personally I have always been a fan of both Batman and Predator, both have had movies (actually Predator was first seen on the movie screen), both are comic book characters, and both have been in novels. Batman vs Predator is a case of a crossover providing a very entertaining comic book story.
The book opens with a boxing match in Gotham. Each of the fighters are backed by two of Gotham’s biggest gangsters. When the winner of the fight is killed in his apartment shortly after the bout Batman is called to help investigate the crime. At first many believe the rival boss was angered by his fighter losing but the dead fighter had his spine and skull ripped out, which would be very unusual for a regular mob killer to do. Batman’s main goal early on is to avoid a battle on the streets of Gotham between the two mob bosses.
Batman soon pinpoints the Predator’s hideout. In a deadly duel he comes close to losing his life to the Predator. After defeating Batman the Predator begins to take out the mob bosses in a calculated fashion. Batman tries to recover from his injuries as fast as he can: he cannot even leave his bed, but the body count rises in his absence. Towards the end of the story with two mob bosses, the mayor, and countless others dead a countdown is initiated by the National Guard and SWAT. At the end of the countdown they plan to flush the Predator out of hiding by searching street by street. Batman, at last healed from his injuries, plans one last face-to-face match with the Predator.
The drawing in this book is classic Batman: published in 1992 this book takes most of its design from the Batman comics of the time. The artwork leans more towards Batman than Predator. Early in the book the imagery focuses on light, but as the story progresses the darker imagery akin to both characters comics comes back. Instead of coating the book with dark imagery throughout—both characters are known to use the shadows to their advantage—this book stands out because it goes contrary to the style the reader expects.
The story is simple, but it works. Once again Batman has to come back from near death to make one last stand to protect Gotham. He has to take his bumps and bruises before he can do this, learning about his opponent throughout. The story fits into the old man vs beast style of fiction, and does it justice. As a whole the story works: slowed down when you’re interested in knowing more, sped up when you’re ready for an ending.
In comparison to other crossovers this comic climbs above the rest. Instead of jumping right into the middle of action to keep the reader entertained this book focuses on story too. There are also a few suspenseful moments to keep the reader guessing. Batman has rarely faced a test like the one he faces here. The ending may be predictable, Batman sells more comics than Predator, but the way it’s presented makes Batman vs Predator one of the better-written Batman crossovers of the 1990s.
knowing this... batman better not lose...!!!!
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by Kilroy » Thu May 03, 2007 11:59 pm 
