Batman Legends
Encyclopedia
Panini Comics
Panini Comics is an Italian comic book publisher. A division of Panini Group, best known for their collectible stickers, it is headquartered in Modena, Italy...
for 41 issues between October 2003 and November 2006. The second volume has been published since December 2006 by Titan Magazines
Titan Magazines
Titan Magazines is the magazine-publishing division of Nick Landau's Titan Publishing Group. Titan also owns several Forbidden Planet specialist comics and collector stores .Titan Magazines' publishing director is Chris Teather.TPG also owns Titan Books,...
. Both volumes reprint Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
related comics from DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Batman Legends was the first DC Collector's Edition published for the UK and follows from the successful Marvel Collector's Editions. It has been followed by Superman Legends
Superman Legends
Superman Legends is part of the UK 'Collector's Edition' line of DC Comics published by Titan Magazines beginning March 2007. It reprints Superman related comics from DC Comics from the United States....
, Justice League Legends
Justice League Legends
Justice League Legends was part of the UK 'Collector Edition' line of DC Comics reprints published by Titan Magazines beginning June 2007. It reprinted Justice League of America related comics from DC Comics from the United States....
and DC Universe Presents Batman Superman
DC Universe Presents Batman Superman
DC Universe Presents Batman Superman was part of the UK 'Collector's Edition' line of DC Comics published by Titan Magazines. It was published between September 2007 and March 2008...
.
Format
In the first Volume each issue is 76 pages long with both modern and classic stories reprinted, always being published every four weeks.In Volume Two the page count is normally 76 pages and it no longer prints classic stories. The modern stories it prints are generally printed much more recently in the US than those featured in the first volume and whilst generally published every four weeks has also being published once every 3 weeks and once every 2 months.
Volume One
The first volume reprinted numerous arcs from Batman's recent and classic history; the key storylines being:- Issues 1-12 HushBatman: HushHush is a 2002-2003 comic book story arc that ran through the Batman monthly series. It was written by Jeph Loeb, penciled by Jim Lee, inked by Scott Williams and colored by Alex Sinclair. The story depicts a mysterious stalker called Hush, who seems intent on sabotaging Batman from afar, and it...
- Issues 13-18 Broken CityBroken City"Broken City" is a DC Comics storyline that appeared in Batman #620-625, written by Brian Azzarello and illustrated by Eduardo Risso. It features the characters Batman, Killer Croc, The Penguin and the Ventriloquist.-Storyline:...
- Issues 19-23 As The Crow FliesAs The Crow Flies (comics)As the Crow Flies is a comic book story arc that ran through the Batman monthly series. It was written by Judd Winick, penciled by Dustin Nguyen and inked by Richard Friend. It was published in episodes 626 - 630 of the series, and printed in its entirety in a single comic book recopilation in 2004...
- Issues 22-25 Batman: Year OneBatman: Year One"Year One", later referred to as "Batman: Year One", is an American comic book story arc written by Frank Miller, illustrated by David Mazzucchelli, colored by Richmond Lewis, and lettered by Todd Klein...
- Issues 24-38 War Games
- Issues 26-31 Death In The FamilyBatman: A Death in the Family"A Death in the Family" is a Batman comic book story arc first published in the late 1980s which gave fans the ability to influence the story through voting with a 900 number. "A Death in the Family" ran in Batman #426-429, published in 1988-1989...
- Issues 36-40 Superman/BatmanSuperman/BatmanSuperman/Batman was a monthly comic book series published by DC Comics that features the publisher's two most popular characters: Batman and Superman...
: Supergirl - Issues 38-41 Under The HoodRed HoodRed Hood is the alias used by several fictional characters, usually antagonists for Batman in the DC Universe.-Joker:The Red Hood first appeared in Detective Comics #168 "The Man Behind the Red Hood" . In the original continuity, the man later known as the Joker was a master criminal going by the...
It also contained numerous creator profiles, competitions and a review of Batman Begins
Batman Begins
Batman Begins is a 2005 American superhero action film based on the fictional DC Comics character Batman, directed by Christopher Nolan. It stars Christian Bale as Batman, along with Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Cillian Murphy, Morgan Freeman, Ken Watanabe, Tom Wilkinson,...
.
Volume Two
Volume Two is published by Titan Magazines and is edited by Ned Hartley.Volume Two features advertisements for Titan Books' trade paperbacks and does features on Batman related merchandise, known as "Inside the batcave!".
So far volume two has reprinted the following material as well as a couple of miscelleanous issues from various Batman comics:
- Issues 1-4, 15+ All Star Batman and RobinAll Star Batman and RobinAll Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder is an American comic book series written by Frank Miller and penciled by Jim Lee. It was published by DC Comics, with a sporadic schedule, between 2005 and 2008...
- Issues 1-4 Superman/BatmanSuperman/BatmanSuperman/Batman was a monthly comic book series published by DC Comics that features the publisher's two most popular characters: Batman and Superman...
: Public Enemies - Issues 1-4 Batman and Son
- Issues 5-10 Rules Of Engagement from Batman ConfidentialBatman ConfidentialBatman Confidential was an American monthly comic book series from DC Comics which debuted on December 6, 2006 and concluded on March 2, 2011....
- Issues 5+ Paul Dini'sPaul DiniPaul Dini is an American writer and producer who works in the television and comic book industries. He is best known as a producer and writer for several Warner Bros./DC Comics animated series, including Star Wars: Ewoks, Tiny Toon Adventures, Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated...
run on Detective ComicsDetective ComicsDetective Comics is an American comic book series published monthly by DC Comics since 1937, best known for introducing the iconic superhero Batman in Detective Comics #27 . It is, along with Action Comics, the book that launched with the debut of Superman, one of the medium's signature series, and...
from #821 - Issues 7-11 Superman/BatmanSuperman/BatmanSuperman/Batman was a monthly comic book series published by DC Comics that features the publisher's two most popular characters: Batman and Superman...
: Absolute Power - Issues 11-14 The Black Casebook
- Issues 12-17 Lovers and Madmen from Batman ConfidentialBatman ConfidentialBatman Confidential was an American monthly comic book series from DC Comics which debuted on December 6, 2006 and concluded on March 2, 2011....
- Issues 17-21 The Resurrection of Ra's Al Ghul from Detective Comics, Batman, Nightwing and Robin
- Issues 22-23 Images
- Issues 24-25 Trust from Detective Comics
- Issue 25 The fiend with nine eyes
- Issues 26+ Batman:R.I.P
- Issues 48-50 Batman and Robin Must Die and Batman 700
Controversy
Volume Two Issue 18 featured an All-Star Batman and Robin story which was controversial as it showed the Joker referring to Gotham as 'a sad old whore' and choking a woman to death; his assistant was a topless woman sporting swastikas on her breasts (a character who previously featured in The Dark Knight Returns). The issue featured no warning of this and this was discussed by parents on the Irish Radio Talkshow LivelineLiveLine
Liveline is an Irish radio interview and phone-in chat show broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1 each weekday afternoon between 13.45 and 15.00. The programme, which is currently presented by Joe Duffy and known for its slogan "Talk to Joe", seeks the public's opinion on various questions, normally one or more...
, as hosted by Joe Duffy
Joe Duffy
Joseph "Joe" Duffy is an Irish broadcaster employed by Raidió Teilifís Éireann . A Jacob's Award winner, he is the current presenter of Liveline, which is broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1, Monday - Fridays between 13:45 and 15:00.Duffy has a history as a student activist; he was President of the Union of...
. It criticized stores for featuring the magazine on the bottom shelf alongside the likes of Postman Pat
Postman Pat
Postman Pat is a British stop-motion animated children's television series first produced by Woodland Animations. It is aimed at pre-school children, and concerns the adventures of Pat Clifton, a postman in the fictional village of Greendale .Postman Pat's first 13-episode season was screened on...
. The issue was defended by fans stating that it was merely an adult storyline.
In Issue 20, Batman Legends featured a warning stating that the magazine is 'Recommended for children of 12 years or older'.
Some of the more recent issues have a "VIOLENT IMAGES" warning on the front cover of the magazine.
External links
- Panini Comics
- Batman Legands page at the Titan Comics website
- Liveline Podcast - Batman Comic Explicit Contenthttp://www.rte.ie/podcasts/2008/pc/pod-v-250408-23m13s-liveline.mp3