All-Star Batman & Robin The Boy Wonder HC vol.1 (DC, 2008)

Well, I liked it! This is how a half-insane man who goes out at night dressed as a flying rat would really behave. Kicking ass, killing perps and smashing the faces of corrupt cops, dry humping a female vigilante in the rain, manhandling his manservant and totally kidnapping a pre-pubescent boy and making the boy his ward. Hell, yeah!

Does this book have a plot? Yes. Dick Grayson's parents were killed by an assassin's bullet while they were performing their trapeze act and that led to Dick Grayson becoming Robin and finding out the Joker was behind the hit. Meanwhile, the Justice League (Wonder Woman, Superman, Green Lantern and Plastic Man) mope around trying to figure out what to do about Batman. Also, Barbara Gordon tries out her new Batgirl costume and Black Canary jumps Batman's bones at the docks because apparently watching Batman kick people's faces makes her all horny.

Also, everyone calls him the goddamn Batman. Even Batman calls himself the goddamn Batman, goddammit!

Some panels of awesome in this collection:

Batman laughing maniacally while jumping off a rooftop:


Superman running across the Atlantic, not realising yet that he can fly:


Painting the entire room (and themselves) yellow as a precaution against Green Lantern:


Alfred (yes, that is Alfred) letting off some steam in the gym:

There are others like the six-page fold out of the Batcave, Wonder Woman calling a man a "Sperm bank" and then verbally ripping Superman a new one and of course, the violence. Oh the violence. This Batman slaps anyone he doesn't like and he doesn't like anyone at all. Forget the mainstream DC Universe Batman. All-Star Batman is batshit insane and a bit of a dick....and I love him for it. I also laughed out loud while reading this book and I think I was supposed to. C'mon, all you guys who have read this book, did you take it all seriously? Really? I thought it was Miller's piss take on Batman and I found it funny as all get out.

I only wish Frank Miller and Jim Lee weren't so slow with turning in their stuff for this book. At this rate, we probably won't see the conclusion to this storyline for another couple of years!