Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle Appreciation Thread (Big News!)

[Kingcrimsonprog]

Nice one, I'm buying the heck out've that for sure!

[Metamorphosis]

So...um

Was just lurking around on Amazon, and...hey...

Legends of The Dark Knight: Norm Breyfogle Vol. 1 (Batman) Hardcover – July 7, 2015

Link.

Thank you DC!

That's awesome. I'm really curious as to what's going to be collected--if it'll start with their Detective Comics work. Hoping so, since a lot of those issues are expensive / hard to find.

Regardless, it's safe to say I'll be pre-ordering this.

[Comicazzi]

'Tec #601 was my first ever Batman comic! I bought back issues of the Mud Pack. (Batman 433 was my first "Batman" comic even though it wasn't this team it was still fantastic). These guys were the greatest and in my opinion still are. I pretty much own every issue they collaborated on now. I was in 6th grade. Legends in my book. That return of the Joker story? (1st since Death In The Family) it was awesome and I buy copies of any of the parts that I come across that are cheap. It's my most memorable comic story from my childhood DC wise. I think I own 4 or 5 copies of each. No real reason besides nostalgia and appreciation.

[rpi]

Truly one of the greatest pairings a Batman title has ever had. Alan Grant was the perfect between point in the middle of Doug Moench's eccentric ramblings and Chuck Dixon's action formula, and Norm Breyfogle could draw that cape like no one's business. Some pictures he did of Batman swooping through Gotham or crashing through windows, all sharp angles and shadows and angry eyes...just fantastic stuff.

[SJNeal]

Very recently we've seen collections for the Moench and Kelley run, Peter Milligan run, Len Wein run and Max Allan Collin/Jason Todd run after years of this stuff repeatedly topping requests for uncollected material. And there is massive love out there for Grant & Breyfogle.

When/where was this one solicited??

[nepenthes]

When/where was this one solicited??

The New Adventures July 2015

For anyone interested; this will likley include Collins stuff only which is basically: a two-parter involving a batman-imposter cop (and the "last Pre-Crisis Batman arc"); two-parter introducing new Jason Todd; two-parter B&R vs Two-Face, single issue featuring The Mime and Penguin story from an Annual. Doubt it has room for any of the Jim Starlin stuff that is lead-up to Death in the Family.

Collins/Cowan "Batman" actually verges on "good comics" territory. It wins the Before They Were Famous Bronze Medal of Excellence. Because not only is it an engaging, well-told comic that says something about the character, but it also feels like a comic created by a couple of guys who wanted to take their shot at something important -- not knowing if they'd ever get another shot again.

In 1986, Max Allan Collins was the writer of the "Dick Tracy" newspaper strip, and if he was known to comic book fans it was likely for his "Ms. Tree" comics with artist Terry Beatty, a detective series which bounced around from publisher to publisher before and extended run at Renegade Press.

Collins, according to Denny O'Neil's editorial in "Batman" #403, was brought in to fill the gap before Frank Miller came in with his redefining of Batman's origin in the then-upcoming "Year One" arc. It turns out that Collins wrote a few more of the post-Miller issues as well, along with some later work on the character over the decades since, but "Batman" #403, and the Collins-written issue that preceded it, feels like an attempt to really tackle Batman, as a character and as a concept, as if it was the only shot Collins would ever get. Unlike his later "Batman" comics, this story seems like his word on who the character is.
...
It's tempting to say that "Batman" #403, in its completely entertaining way, acts as a marker between the Bronze Age and the Modern Age. The Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli issues that would immediately follow are blazingly, defiantly modern, with their redefinition of Bruce Wayne's younger days and his early struggles to become a superhero. While issue #403 is still grappling with the psychological and social realism that embodied many of the interesting comics of the preceding era. Max Allan Collins didn't yet know that comics had already changed forever, and he was still writing the story he would have written five or six years earlier.

Maybe that's true, but it's not as simple as that. There isn't a clear breaking point toward the Modern on "Batman." The old sentimental realism and the bleak nihilism would push against each other for years even after "Year One" was completed.

Instead, it's better just to say this: "Batman" #403 reads like the eager work of two youngish creators who have something to prove. And they're given the space to do it. That can make for good comics. And in this case, I'd say it almost does.

WHEN WORDS COLLIDE: Before They Were Famous: "Batman" #403

[Judge Dredd]

Very excited for the hardcover coming up. After I read about Norm I went and dug out all the Batman work they did. They did a great job on all books Detective, Batman, and Shadow of the Bat they really deserve an omnibus. Lots of great villains and stories, plus some books co-written by Wagner any time he works with Grant they produce great comics.

[CrazyOldHermit]

I really really hope the binding on that hardcover isn't garbage. I love the Breyfogle stuff...

[SJNeal]

The New Adventures July 2015

For anyone interested; this will likley include Collins stuff only which is basically: a two-parter involving a batman-imposter cop (and the "ast Pre-Crisis Batman arc"); two-parter introducing new Jason todd; two-parter B&R vs Two-Face, single issue featuring The Mime and Penguin story from an Annual. Doubt it has room for any of the Jim Starlin stuff that is lead-up to Death in the Family.




WHEN WORDS COLLIDE: Before They Were Famous: "Batman" #403

This is awesome, thanks for the info!

[JBatmanFan05]

Soooo very excited for this Breyfogle collection. I hope we see multiple volumes and that it starts from the beginning. Birth of the Demon should not end up in the collection, as it's a) later and b) just been recollected recently enough.

All this being said, I hope to see Alan Grant Omnibus someday. There was a few stories Alan did on Detective/elsewhere that were not drawn by Breyfogle. Detective 596 and 597 were non-Breyfogles, where Batman takes on snuff film makers...will this ever see collection?

[nepenthes]

Soooo very excited for this Breyfogle collection. I hope we see multiple volumes and that it starts from the beginning. Birth of the Demon should not end up in the collection, as it's a) later and b) just been recollected recently enough.

All this being said, I hope to see Alan Grant Omnibus someday. There was a few stories Alan did on Detective/elsewhere that were not drawn by Breyfogle. Detective 596 and 597 were non-Breyfogles, where Batman takes on snuff film makers...will this ever see collection?

Yep I'm expecting they'll skip Birth of the Demon and perhaps even Anarky as already collected elsewhere also (they might - I hope they don't). At 520 pages (21.6 issues) we're likely looking at the bulk of the Detective phase of the Grant/Breyfolge run, before they jumped over to Batman. This will no doubt be the best seller of the Tales/Legends volumes so far and there's more than enough remaining for an pretty killer second volume: the Tim Drake "becoming Robin" arcs take up probably at least dozen issues on their own (some collected already but long out of print), then some decent arcs with Catwoman, Killer Croc, Native Americans, an issue where Jim and Sarah just go to the movies and make out, a painted art "Case of the Chemical Syndicate". I'm optimistic on the chances! A reprint of the snuff killers though...not so much.

Great to see you back btw

[JBatmanFan05]

Yep I'm expecting they'll skip Birth of the Demon and perhaps even Anarky as already collected elsewhere also (they might - I hope they don't). At 520 pages (21.6 issues) we're likely looking at the bulk of the Detective phase of the Grant/Breyfolge run, before they jumped over to Batman. This will no doubt be the best seller of the Tales/Legends volumes so far and there's more than enough remaining for an pretty killer second volume: the Tim Drake "becoming Robin" arcs take up probably at least dozen issues on their own (some collected already but long out of print), then some decent arcs with Catwoman, Killer Croc, Native Americans, an issue where Jim and Sarah just go to the movies and make out, a painted art "Case of the Chemical Syndicate". I'm optimistic on the chances! A reprint of the snuff killers though...not so much.

Great to see you back btw

21 or so issues, didn't count it out like that. That page count may take Vol 1 shortly past Mudpack. What a volume 1 it will be. First Ventriloquist & Scarface (their best story IMHO), first Ratcatcher arc, first Cadaver and Corrosive Man, Detective #590 where Batman tackles terrorism in London, first Cornelius Stirk arc, Batman/Entrigan arc, and probably Mudpack would make it in there. And I thought the Len Wein trade was great.

Yea, Vol 2 would be great. I have the OOP trades for the Tim-becoming-Robin stories, but they really do bear reprinting on nice glossy high quality paper. Batman 465, Tim's official debut as Robin, would likely be in there (very shocking it has not been collected already).

Eventually we need another Batman tpb wishlist thread on here. I could go on and on on that thorny subject.

Thanks. Good to be back. I missed discussing diehard Batman comics stuff with fans. You do great work on here, really informative and helpful stuff for new and old readers alike.

[Naked Bat]

wow, this is awesome news! Most of us have been dying for a Grant/Breyfogle volume!

[JBatmanFan05]

I wonder if these Spanish Breyfogle titled volumes give any clues to as this upcoming collection (and possible later volumes):
http://planetadeagostini.fumetto-onl...EYFOGLE%20Norm

I found the CORRECT contents of each volume on another site:
http://proyectodc.com/ficha.php?item=3233

Vol 1: Tec 579, Tec 582-594, Tec 596.....note on Tec 596, it is part 1 of 2 of a NON-BREYFOGLE story....I want it collected in our Brey volumes, but I somehow very much doubt it (Bravo to Spain though!)
Vol 2: Tec 597 (Part 2...awkward, but ok), Tec 601-614
Vol 3: BM 448, Tec 615, BM 449 (Penguin Affair with non-Brey non-Grant parts..interesting!), Tec 616-621, and BM 455-459, and just Breyfogle's tale from Tec 627
Vol 4: BM 460-471, The Idiot arc (interesting!) which is BM 472,Tec 639, BM 473, Tec 640, and the Detroyer arc (which I love!) which is BM 474,LOTDK 27, Tec 641 (Lots of non-Brey in this volume too)
Vol 5: Return of Scarface BM 475, Tec 642,BM 476...then SOTB stuff such as 1-5, 13, 50, 66-67, and finally BM 556


If DC uses these as a guide (all this could be done in less than 5 volumes I think if you use 500some pages per Vol), then these Breyfogle volumes would be GREAT. Must owns. Capturing a huge portion of late 80s and early 90s Batman comics before old Knightfall.

As comprehensive as they are, I'd add in: BM 450 and 451 (relate to Tec 617), Breyfogle's Annual stories, and The Retroactive issue. Birth of the Demon I would not put in any volume probably.


My real bet: DC won't include many or any of these Breyfogle/non-Breyfogle arcs, because that is what they've stubbornly done in the past, sadly.

[Tupiaz]

My real bet: DC won't include many of these Breyfogle/non-Breyfogle arcs, because that is what they've stubbornly done in the past, sadly.

Well, if you do a book that celebrate the penciler it seems odd to have issues that are not don by the penciler. You could say that they should be released in a different form but when released as they are it makes sense.