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Cometic Chrysler B/RB V8 .098in MLS Cylinder Head Gasket - 4.500in BoreThe Cometic MLS gasket is comprised of three to five layers of stainless steel. Cometic uses stainless steel for increased strength, its ability to rebound and resist corrosion. The outer layers of the gasket are embossed and coated on both sides with a Viton rubber material designed to meet the demands of a variety of harsh sealing environments, load conditions and surface finishes. The Viton coating is heat resistant to 250C or 482F. This Part Fits:
The Cometic MLS gasket is comprised of three to five layers of stainless steel. Cometic uses stainless steel for increased strength, its ability to rebound and resist corrosion. The outer layers of the gasket are embossed and coated on both sides with a Viton rubber material designed to meet the demands of a variety of harsh sealing environments, load conditions and surface finishes. The Viton coating is heat resistant to 250°C or 482°F.This Part Fits:
| Year | Make | Model | Submodel |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969-1974 | Bristol | 411 | Base |
| 1959-1971 | Chrysler | 300 | Base |
| 1962-1963 | Chrysler | 300 | Sport |
| 1975-1978 | Chrysler | Cordoba | Base |
| 1966-1967 | Chrysler | Imperial | Base |
| 1959-1970 | Chrysler | Imperial | Crown |
| 1959-1960,1962-1975 | Chrysler | Imperial | LeBaron |
| 1963,1966-1974 | Chrysler | New Yorker | Base |
| 1972-1978 | Chrysler | New Yorker | Brougham |
| 1961-1971,1973-1978 | Chrysler | Newport | Base |
| 1967-1976 | Chrysler | Newport | Custom |
| 1971-1972 | Chrysler | Newport | Royal |
| 1959-1960 | Chrysler | Saratoga | Base |
| 1959-1977 | Chrysler | Town & Country | Base |
| 1959-1961 | Chrysler | Windsor | Base |
| 1959-1960 | DeSoto | Adventurer | Base |
| 1959 | DeSoto | Firedome | Base |
| 1959 | DeSoto | Fireflite | Base |
| 1963-1964 | Dodge | 330 | Base |
| 1963-1964 | Dodge | 440 | Base |
| 1962-1965 | Dodge | 880 | Base |
| 1962-1965 | Dodge | 880 | Custom |
| 1974 | Dodge | B100 Van | Base |
| 1974 | Dodge | B100 Van | Sportsman |
| 1975-1978 | Dodge | B200 | Base |
| 1971-1974 | Dodge | B200 Van | Base |
| 1972-1974 | Dodge | B200 Van | Maxi |
| 1972-1974 | Dodge | B200 Van | Maxi Wagon |
| 1971-1974 | Dodge | B200 Van | Sportsman |
| 1975-1978 | Dodge | B300 | Base |
| 1971-1974 | Dodge | B300 Van | Base |
| 1972-1974 | Dodge | B300 Van | Maxi |
| 1972-1974 | Dodge | B300 Van | Maxi Wagon |
| 1971-1974 | Dodge | B300 Van | Sportsman |
| 1976-1979 | Dodge | CB300 | Base |
| 1970-1974 | Dodge | Challenger | Base |
| 1970-1971 | Dodge | Challenger | R/T |
| 1972 | Dodge | Challenger | Rallye |
| 1969-1971 | Dodge | Charger | 500 |
| 1966-1974,1976 | Dodge | Charger | Base |
| 1969 | Dodge | Charger | Daytona |
| 1967-1971 | Dodge | Charger | R/T |
| 1969 | Dodge | Charger | SE |
| 1971-1978 | Dodge | Charger | Special Edition |
| 1976 | Dodge | Charger | Sport |
| 1971 | Dodge | Charger | Super Bee |
| 1965-1970 | Dodge | Coronet | 440 |
| 1965-1970 | Dodge | Coronet | 500 |
| 1958-1959,1965-1966,1970-1976 | Dodge | Coronet | Base |
| 1971,1975-1976 | Dodge | Coronet | Brougham |
| 1971-1976 | Dodge | Coronet | Crestwood |
| 1971-1975 | Dodge | Coronet | Custom |
| 1966-1970 | Dodge | Coronet | Deluxe |
| 1967-1970 | Dodge | Coronet | R/T |
| 1968-1970 | Dodge | Coronet | Super Bee |
| 1958-1961 | Dodge | Custom | Base |
| 1975-1978 | Dodge | D100 | Custom |
| 1976-1978 | Dodge | D100 | Warlock |
| 1968-1974 | Dodge | D100 Pickup | Base |
| 1967 | Dodge | D100 Series | Base |
| 1977-1978 | Dodge | D150 | Base |
| 1978 | Dodge | D150 | Li'l Red Express |
| 1977-1978 | Dodge | D200 | Base |
| 1975-1976 | Dodge | D200 | Custom |
| 1968-1974 | Dodge | D200 Pickup | Base |
| 1967 | Dodge | D200 Series | Base |
| 1977-1978 | Dodge | D300 | Base |
| 1975-1976 | Dodge | D300 | Custom |
| 1968-1974 | Dodge | D300 Pickup | Base |
| 1967 | Dodge | D300 Series | Base |
| 1967-1968 | Dodge | Dart | 270 |
| 1962 | Dodge | Dart | 330 |
| 1962 | Dodge | Dart | 440 |
| 1960-1962,1967-1969 | Dodge | Dart | Base |
| 1969 | Dodge | Dart | Custom |
| 1967-1969 | Dodge | Dart | GT |
| 1968-1969 | Dodge | Dart | GTS |
| 1960-1961 | Dodge | Dart | Phoenix |
| 1960-1961 | Dodge | Dart | Pioneer |
| 1969 | Dodge | Dart | Swinger |
| 1958-1959 | Dodge | Lancer | Base |
| 1978 | Dodge | Magnum | XE |
| 1960 | Dodge | Matador | Base |
| 1967-1968 | Dodge | Monaco | 500 |
| 1965-1978 | Dodge | Monaco | Base |
| 1974,1977-1978 | Dodge | Monaco | Brougham |
| 1977-1978 | Dodge | Monaco | Crestwood |
| 1974 | Dodge | Monaco | Custom |
| 1975-1976 | Dodge | Monaco | Royal |
| 1975-1976 | Dodge | Monaco | Royal Brougham |
| 1960-1961 | Dodge | Phoenix | Base |
| 1961 | Dodge | Pioneer | Base |
| 1963,1968-1969 | Dodge | Polara | 500 |
| 1960-1973 | Dodge | Polara | Base |
| 1971 | Dodge | Polara | Brougham |
| 1970-1973 | Dodge | Polara | Custom |
| 1970 | Dodge | Polara | Special |
| 1974-1978 | Dodge | Ramcharger | Base |
| 1975-1978 | Dodge | Ramcharger | SE |
| 1958-1959 | Dodge | Royal | Base |
| 1975-1977 | Dodge | Royal Monaco | Base |
| 1975-1977 | Dodge | Royal Monaco | Brougham |
| 1961 | Dodge | Seneca | Base |
| 1958-1959 | Dodge | Sierra | Base |
| 1958-1959 | Dodge | Sierra | Custom |
| 1958 | Dodge | Suburban | Base |
| 1975-1977 | Dodge | W100 | Custom |
| 1968-1974 | Dodge | W100 Pickup | Base |
| 1967 | Dodge | W100 Series | Base |
| 1977-1978 | Dodge | W150 | Base |
| 1968-1974 | Dodge | W300 Pickup | Base |
| 1967 | Dodge | W300 Series | Base |
| 1960-1963 | Dual-Ghia | L6.4 | Base |
| 1959-1963 | Facel Vega | Excellence | Base |
| 1962-1964 | Facel Vega | Facel II | Base |
| 1959-1961 | Facel Vega | HK500 | Base |
| 1964-1966 | Jensen | C-V8 | Base |
| 1967-1971 | Jensen | Interceptor | FF |
| 1967-1969 | Jensen | Interceptor | MK I |
| 1970-1971 | Jensen | Interceptor | MK II |
| 1972-1976 | Jensen | Interceptor | MK III |
| 1972-1973 | Jensen | Interceptor | SP |
| 1964,1967-1972 | Plymouth | Barracuda | Base |
| 1970-1971 | Plymouth | Barracuda | Gran Coupe |
| 1959-1970 | Plymouth | Belvedere | Base |
| 1968-1970 | Plymouth | Belvedere | Satellite |
| 1965-1967 | Plymouth | Belvedere II | Base |
| 1970-1972 | Plymouth | Cuda | Base |
| 1959-1961 | Plymouth | Custom | Base |
| 1960-1963 | Plymouth | Fleet Special | Base |
| 1959-1967,1975-1978 | Plymouth | Fury | Base |
| 1971,1975 | Plymouth | Fury | Custom |
| 1968,1970-1975 | Plymouth | Fury | Custom Suburban |
| 1970,1972 | Plymouth | Fury | Gran Coupe |
| 1972 | Plymouth | Fury | Gran Sedan |
| 1970 | Plymouth | Fury | GT |
| 1974 | Plymouth | Fury | Police |
| 1970 | Plymouth | Fury | S-23 |
| 1976-1978 | Plymouth | Fury | Salon |
| 1959,1962-1971,1975-1978 | Plymouth | Fury | Sport |
| 1970-1971 | Plymouth | Fury | Sport GT |
| 1968,1970-1978 | Plymouth | Fury | Sport Suburban |
| 1968,1970-1978 | Plymouth | Fury | Suburban |
| 1966,1968-1969 | Plymouth | Fury | VIP |
| 1968-1974 | Plymouth | Fury I | Base |
| 1969,1971,1974 | Plymouth | Fury I | Suburban |
| 1965-1966,1968-1974 | Plymouth | Fury II | Base |
| 1968-1969,1973 | Plymouth | Fury II | Custom Suburban |
| 1965-1974 | Plymouth | Fury III | Base |
| 1968-1969 | Plymouth | Fury III | Sport Suburban |
| 1972-1977 | Plymouth | Gran Fury | Base |
| 1975-1977 | Plymouth | Gran Fury | Brougham |
| 1975-1976 | Plymouth | Gran Fury | Custom |
| 1972-1973,1975-1976 | Plymouth | Gran Fury | Custom Suburban |
| 1975-1977 | Plymouth | Gran Fury | Sport |
| 1972-1973,1975-1977 | Plymouth | Gran Fury | Sport Suburban |
| 1972-1973,1975-1977 | Plymouth | Gran Fury | Suburban |
| 1967-1971 | Plymouth | GTX | Base |
| 1976-1978 | Plymouth | PB200 | Voyager |
| 1974 | Plymouth | PB200 Van | Voyager |
| 1974 | Plymouth | PB200 Van | Voyager EX |
| 1974 | Plymouth | PB200 Van | Voyager EX Wagon |
| 1976-1978 | Plymouth | PB300 | Voyager |
| 1974 | Plymouth | PB300 Van | Voyager |
| 1974 | Plymouth | PB300 Van | Voyager EX |
| 1974 | Plymouth | PB300 Van | Voyager EX Wagon |
| 1968-1975 | Plymouth | Road Runner | Base |
| 1965-1974 | Plymouth | Satellite | Base |
| 1971 | Plymouth | Satellite | Brougham |
| 1971-1974 | Plymouth | Satellite | Custom |
| 1971-1974 | Plymouth | Satellite | Regent |
| 1971-1974 | Plymouth | Satellite | Sebring |
| 1971-1974 | Plymouth | Satellite | Sebring Plus |
| 1968-1970 | Plymouth | Satellite | Sport |
| 1959-1964 | Plymouth | Savoy | Base |
| 1960-1961 | Plymouth | Savoy | Deluxe |
| 1960-1961 | Plymouth | Sport Wagon | Base |
| 1959-1961 | Plymouth | Suburban | Base |
| 1960-1961 | Plymouth | Suburban | Custom |
| 1960-1961 | Plymouth | Suburban | Sport |
| 1970 | Plymouth | Superbird | Base |
| 1974-1978 | Plymouth | Trailduster | Base |
| 1967 | Plymouth | VIP | Base |
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4.8 ★★★★★
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★★★★★ 5
Dark, Brooding and 100% Batman
This review is super-spoilery. If you haven't read The Black Mirror yet, do yourself a favor and go grab a copy ASAP. You won't regret it.
No matter who we are, we can't escape our past. Where we've come from and who we've been leave indelible marks on us. Nowhere is this more true than Gotham City, and in Batman: The Black Mirror, Scott Snyder gives us a glimpse into the Darkness that lies at the core of the city.
If you're not a regular Batman reader, you may not know that everyone in the DC Comics universe thought Bruce Wayne was dead for a while. While he was gone, Dick Grayson - the original Robin - took up the mantle of the Batman. After Bruce Wayne's return, he kept Dick as the new Gotham City Batman.* Black Mirror is actually a story featuring Dick Grayson - not Bruce Wayne - as the Batman.
Snyder's story is one of the best Batman stories I've ever read. It's a dark, brooding and good, old-fashioned detective story. And it actually works better with Dick instead of Bruce under the cowl. That's a writing feat nothing short of miraculous.
Snyder's Gotham is a monstrous city that seeks to poison everyone in it. It turned both Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson into masked vigilantes. Dick was the child of circus acrobats who were murdered in Gotham. He was taken in by Bruce Wayne, who lost his own parents to Gotham criminals and trained Dick to become Robin. Eventually Dick outgrew the Robin persona and became Nightwing, working in a city near Gotham.
Joining Dick in the spotlight of Black Mirror is Commissioner James "Jim" Gordon, who's no less a victim of Gotham's darkness than Dick. He and his first wife Barbara have a son named James, Jr., who left with Barbara when she and Jim divorced. Jim also has a niece named Barbara who came to live with him after her parents died. Barbara dated Dick in high school, and she became the first Batgirl. In Alan Moore's epic The Killing Joke, the Joker shoots Barbara in the stomach, paralyzing her. In a wheelchair, she's now the Oracle. She serves as the information hub for Batman, Robin and their allies.
The Black Mirror introduces us for the first time to the adult James, Jr., who has returned to Gotham searching for a second chance. We learn from his suspicious father that James, Jr. is a clinical psychopath: he doesn't feel typical human emotion (yes, just like Dexter). But he comes claiming to be on a new medication that stimulates the brain to produce the chemicals psychopaths lack. He reveals that he's volunteering at Dr. Leslie Thompkins' free clinic.
Jim Gordon is suspicious, distrustful. But he can't stop himself from being hopeful, too. Is it possible that his son has found peace and even redemption?
Snyder keeps us guessing about James, Jr.'s true nature through the whole book. We feel the tension Jim Gordon feels, torn as he is between Oracle's pessimism and Dick's optimism. Barbara is convinced that James, Jr. is a monster who can and will never change, while Dick is hopeful.
And so with this tension established, Snyder asks us a most basic question: can we be anything other than what we have been?
We meet Sonja Branch, the estranged daughter of the mobster who killed Dick's parents. A wealthy, successful executive, Dick wonders to Jim Gordon if she's as upstanding as she seems. Dick muses that "it's nice to know that maybe, once in a blue moon, the apple does fall far from the tree in Gotham."
The expression on Jim Gordon's face as he echoes, "Once in a blue moon," reveals that he's still wondering about James, Jr. An old case has led Jim to reflect on his son to wonder yet again what made him the way he is. To wonder what he could've done differently. He concludes that Gotham is fundamentally sick. He wonders to Dick:
Do you ever feel like... like the more good you do or try to do for people out there, for strangers, the more the ones close to you, the ones you love, get hurt? ...I don't mean in general. I mean here. In Gotham... I'm talking about the damn bedrock. There are times I feel a dark heart down there, Dick. A dark, malformed heart.
Since Alan Moore's The Killing Joke, the Batman mythology has suggested that Gotham's villains arise as a response to the Batman's presence. The Joker of Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns is comatose, awaking only when news breaks that the Batman has returned to Gotham. And Heath Ledger's Joker in The Dark Knight laughs that Batman thinks Joker wants him dead - the Batman completes Ledger's Joker.
But Snyder dares to step beyond this to suggest that it's Gotham, the city itself that creates both the heroes and the monsters. Gotham created the Batman just as it created the Joker. Gotham created Robin by murdering Dick's parents. And now that Dick is the Batman, we learn that Gotham has been creating a new nightmare just for him.
Dick's opposite, his dark mirror, isn't the Joker. That surprise comes when we finally meet the newly-escaped Clown Prince of Crime after Batman tracks him down. The Joker knows instantly, chastising Batman:
Do you even know what Gotham means, little bird? ...It means a safe place for goats! And do you know what preys on goats? Bats. The bat makes the goat sick. But every bat does this in its own way. And you, you're not my bat!
So what sickness has arisen as a response to Dick's new Batman? By the time we reach Snyder's gut-wrenching, perfectly, agonizingly timed reveal, we realize it could have been no one else but James, Jr.
James, Jr. is a pure, true psychopath. He's reversed his medications - instead of stimulating the brain to produce more of the drugs that give us emotions, James, Jr.'s drug suppresses them. His master plan - an eerie successor to the Joker's inaugural caper - is to drug a factory in Gotham that manufactures infant formula. James, Jr.'s goal is to create a generation of psychopaths, to remake Gotham's children in his own image.
He calmly explains as much to Dick as he tortures his cousin, Barbara:
Gotham is a city of nightmares... in the truest sense because what's a nightmare if it isn't a warning? A vision of yourself at your weakest... Batman - the real one - he shapes Gotham out of an obsession... but you new crop, you do it out of compassion. Out of empathy. Out of weakness... And out of all of them, Dick, you're the weakest.
[Gotham] is a city of nightmares, and I'm yours. I'm the face you see in the glass. A man with no conscience. No empathy. Gotham made me to challenge you... I am Gotham's son. And the city made me so I could help usher in a new generation of children.
Dick proves that his compassion is more a weapon than a weakness, thwarting James, Jr. (probably). But Black Mirror leaves us with an unsettled, uneasy sense that this fight is darker and longer than we thought. We start to wonder if the Batman's quest is actually winnable, in the end.
But Dick Grayson never wonders. That's what separates him from the James, Jrs. of the world. That's what separates him even from Bruce. This is a different Batman. Full of optimism. Playful - he makes jokes and teases his teammates.
Dick's Batman is at once totally different from Bruce's and at the same time wholly Batman.
Most importantly, Dick is hopeful. And it's ultimately that hope that lifts us up over even a surprisingly ambiguous ending. Dick said it perfectly early in the book:
I couldn't understand why Bruce... always chose to drive through the streets, moving on the ground... when he could've just soared above it all. But I get it now. Because even back then he understood that Gotham is a place you can never get above, a place you can never see clearly... I can't help it, though. I'm built differently. Because there's something about seeing Gotham from the sky that energizes me, gives me hope, if only for a moment before I come back down to earth.
Dick hopes that Gotham can be better. It's a hope that transcends anything even Bruce has. And it's that hope that draws him and those around him - like Jim and Barbara to fight the good fight.
Bottom Line: Whether you're a long-time fan of the Batman or only know The Dark Knight, Snyder's book is a must read. The characters are amazing. The plot is fantastic. The art is breathtaking. From start to finish, The Black Mirror is a sterling example of the literary power of comics you'll want to read over and over again.
*Since DC Comics has rebooted their entire franchise, none of this is the case anymore. Bruce is back to being the Batman and Dick Grayson has returned to his role as Nightwing.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2011
★★★★★ 4
Reflections of the Dark Knight
A new Batman, a new villain, an old city, and lots of familiar faces. 'The Black Mirror' is a potent formula, and for the most part very effective.
But, I have to say at the outset, it's difficult to read a Batman story without Bruce Wayne. Scott Snyder brings all his considerable skill to bear in writing this multifaceted tale of a Gotham City finding its way, Dick Grayson trying so hard to fill the cowl of Bruce Wayne with new partners, and a long-forgotten piece of Commissioner Jim Gordon's past come back to haunt him.
There's a lot to this story, and Snyder spins it with the same wit, the same grasp of history and literature, and the same subtleties of craft as he has evidenced with the excellent 'American Vampire.' For all its newness, it's clear that Snyder "gets" the Batman, gets the importance of Gotham City as a place and as a character in its own right, gets the history of those who've come before him, and pumps all of this into the overall arc of 'The Black Mirror.'
And yet part of me can't let go - where's the Batman I know?
Similarly, artists Jock and Francesco Francavilla get the look and feel of Batman. Despite pretty dramatically different styles - Jock's harsh and jagged and nearly monochromatic, Francavilla's more colorful and less edgy - they both show well here, and the material they illustrate is well-suited to their talents. Jock expresses the drama and the darkness of the Batman, Francavilla expresses the more human side of both heroes and villains alike. For a story this complex - a story of drugs and madmen and broken families and long-held grudges - both have their piece to contribute, and they do it well.
And something still feels like it's missing.
It's a little like reading 'The Hound of the Baskervilles,' in the parts where Holmes is absent from the story. Watson is a fine investigator, and pushes the story forward in his own way, and it's still a good story. But it feels less driven, less exciting, less complete, until Holmes' return, with all his fire and fervor, to wrap the case up with his signature panache.
I kept waiting, in 'The Black Mirror,' for that moment. When Bruce Wayne returned and righted that world and brought it all back into sharp perspective. Though there were many satisfying moments to be experienced...that moment never came.
'The Black Mirror' is aptly named. It reflects aspects of Gotham City and its denizens, both those who fight for it and those who would bring it crashing down, in new and original ways. It makes us see things we haven't seen before. Scott Snyder and Jock and Francavilla represent well here, and have created a finely-crafted addition to the ongoing story of Batman.
But a reflection of a thing is not the thing itself, and that difference was felt here. A slight warping of the glass, or a flaw in its surface gave it away. Though his reflection was seen in the black mirror, the Batman was not to be found here. And that was hard to get past.
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Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2012
★★★★★ 5
The Greatest Batman Story Ever Written by Scott Snyder
Format: Paperback, Format: Paperback
Known about this volume for a long time, but I kept putting it off and just managed to finally read it a few days ago. And the first thing that came to my mind after I finished the last page and closed the comic was "Wow, that was a really good story". And I really think that sums it up perfectly, but i'll expand to give a more thorough review.
Scott Snyder is the current writer of the main Batman comic book series (Though his run is nearly at an end now), which is where the brunt of my experience with him comes from. I've read another comic by him set around the same time period that this one takes place in (Batman Gates of Gotham) and I honestly wasn't impressed with it. Definitely one of his weaker showings. This one makes up for that and then some however. The Batman featured in this, and the previous, story is Dick Grayson (Robin #1, Nightwing, and currently Agent 13 over in Grayson). Naturally, you'd expect Dick Grayson to be a different character than Bruce Wayne, and Snyder gets this. The entire story really deals with the idea that it is Dick wearing the cape and cowl and crafts an adventure that is made for him and how he would personally deal with it. He makes some mistakes here and there, but also has a lot of success specifically because of who he is. I think the stories told in this work are exciting and full of a good amount of action and character development.
Snyder has a tendency in my opinion to only focus on one overarching story, which I don't personally prefer. He avoids that here. There is one massive story being told, with one main villain at its core who is responsible for pulling our heroe's strings, but between that and the start of the story are numerous other adventures as well, with different characters and villains, who have their own motivations. I appreciate this because it's just nice to see our hero fighting against so many different people throughout the story. This also isnt' solely Dick's story. I'd say that it's as much Jim Gordon's as it is Batman's this time around, with the major villain striking really close to home. This adds a sense of emotion and tragedy to the story which you don't often see. Further more, this story is creepy. That's actually something that I don't think can be said about the majority of Batman stories out there. It's dark, depressing, and genuinely creepy at points, capable of chilling you to the bone. It's a solid change of pace and I loved it.
Despite the fact that we don't get our traditional Batman in this I would honestly rate this as one of the greatst Batman stories of all time and highly recommend it.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2016
★★★★★ 5
Great story telling, but not for everyone
WARNING: THERE WILL BE SPOILERS THROUGHOUT THIS REVIEW.
I found this book to be a really great read. I have been away from comics for a little while now and decided to pick this up after hearing Scott Snyder's interview with Kevin Smith on Fat Man on Batman. I am a fan of the dark style for Batman and this is one of my favorite books now. Granted I've been away for a while so I don't know much of the other stories (I plan on reading a lot more), but this book was an instant favorite. I will admit there are a few things I disliked at first, like Dick Grayson taking the mantle of the Bat but I soon warmed up to him.
I'll mention a bit of the storyline now:
Dick Grayson is now the Batman after the events of Infinite Crisis. He tries to fit into this new lifestyle as being the Bat and living in Bruce's penthouse. He feels uneasy and restless. So once trouble arises, he goes out as Batman to investigate (same old thing). He gets into this kind of social gathering (disguised as someone else) for the wealthy who purchase items once owned by Gotham's most notorious villains. Now the guy running the show knows he is Batman and tricks him, having some sort of toxin enter his body to make him fear everything around him. While all this is going on, Commissioner Gordon is out on patrol and learns that his son is back in town. Ever since James Jr. was a baby, he couldn't feel empathy. So whenever someone would mess with him, he would go after then ans torture them (this is where things get twisted). Long story short, the reader finds out that it was Gordon's behind all of the crimes recently commit to get back at Batman (Dick). There are also apparences by the Joker, Tim Drake, Barbara Gordon and Sonia Zucco (daughter of Tony Zucco, the man who killed Dick's parents).
Now I will say this book is pretty amazing, but like I mentioned in the title, this one isn't for everyone. This book is kinda graphic and has gore elements in it. Not to mention the use of psychotic themes and characters. I can see how some people can get disinterested in that. And the story does jump around a little so it can get a bit difficult to follow. But all in all, it is great storytelling.
If dark story-telling is your thing, I recommend checking this one out. The dialog of the characters seem so natural and so is their development. The inclusion of Gordon's son was such a wonderful experience, and not only that but to have him a little twisted in the head was incredible in my opinion. Like they have said before, having this character be twisted, he is a perfect counter-part to both Gordon and Dick; Dick is smiling and care for other people while James Jr. cannot do this, and to Gordon, his son is the one case he cannot solve. Anyways, I loved everything about it and has even inspired me to get back into the comic book genre. I hope my review helped you decide to check this book out.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 20, 2013
★★★★★ 5
A Great Batman Story. Should be in the top Five.
Scott Snyder is an amazing writer and his grasp of the Batman lore and mythos is pretty cool. I am a Batman fan. He is without question my favorite superhero. I especially like to read Batman when he is written well and the mythos of the character are seen as assets to the narrative as opposed to a liability. Given the long history of the character and his supporting cast, there are only a handful of writers who have been able to develop the core of who the character is. Snyder does no compromise that in his work. The Batman in Black Mirror is his adopted son and protege Richard 'Dick' Grayson who was the first Robin the Boy Wonder and later Nightwing.
Grayson replaced the original Batman Bruce Wayne when he "died"
and this story takes place after Bruce makes his return from the "dead".
This story should be on the top five lists of Batman tales. It is just that good. I think Scott Snyder will go down as one of the best Batman writers ever. The story is awesome and stunning. I highly recommend you pick this up especially if you are fan of Batman. You can read this as stand alone tale but if you want some background on Dick Grayson's tenure as Batman check out
Those were written by Grant Morrison. I can't say enough about Scott Snyder. If you are a current comic book fan I highly recommend his current run on Batman. (With Bruce Wayne back as Batman). That is proving to be an awesome run.
Often in the pantheon of Batman writers we tout Frank Miller as the pinnacle because of Batman Year One. I think Scott Snyder is going to be a threat to that crown when it is all said and done. This was a great book and its worth your money. It's not typical and predictable. I appreciate a writer who honors the mythos and creates something fresh and different. 5 stars for this book. Pick up this hardcover before it is sold out. Trust me it will be.I am sure it will be issued in paperback but his hardcover will be a great collectible.
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Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2011