Comics Fondle » Doug Moench

Batman: Unseen 5 (February 2010)

Andrew — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 21:02:34 +0000

Moench leaves his Batman subplot unresolved. He still is getting less and less frightening to criminals. Soon he’ll be on cereal boxes and underwear. This inevitably is another thing Moench could have concentrated on, but did not. I like Moench and I like his writing, but the way he leaves this issue, like he’s going to turn around and continue the subplot… Unseen’s a problematic limited series. It’s written like a (lengthy) story arc in an ongoing series. It raises expectations then lets them dangle in the wind.

Some fun elements, however, include Batman fighting in his cowl and nothing else, dangling in the wind himself, though no one ever draws attention to it. Of course, Moench’s Batman has apparently never heard of infrared goggles–the solution to “seeing” the invisible man is lame and complicated, when infrared (which Batman has, right?) would have solved the whole problem.

But decent.

Batman: Unseen 4 (January 2010)

Andrew — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 20:46:54 +0000

Moench’s all-too human Batman runs into more problems this issue, which is an all action Kelley Jones issue and needs to be seen to be believed. Moench’s invisible man character is so totally unhinged, so totally insane (I forgot to mention the issue before, when he decapitates an ex-girlfriend–DC doesn’t do age warnings?), he doesn’t really fit as a Batman villain. He’s way too dangerous. The Black Mask (didn’t he feed a woman some of her husband or something in Catwoman) comes across as less dangerous.

This approach to the villain could, potentially, offer for some good material, but Batman’s seemingly unaware of this particular criminal’s viciousness, at least as compared to Batman’s regular villains.

It’s a decent issue–some great art–but Unseen is definitely never going to rise above being a time-passer. Just like most of the Legends of the Dark Knight stories.

Unfortunately.

Batman: Unseen 3 (January 2010)

Andrew — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 20:08:31 +0000

Here’s one of those “it just don’t make sense” moments. Batman versus the invisible man and Batman can’t take him in a fight. I thought Batman was a ninja and can’t ninjas fight in the dark (look at Daredevil)? Moench’s take on the character emphasizes detection over martial arts ability and, while it works in terms of providing an interesting read, it makes the Batman-oriented fight scenes awkward. Is Unseen supposed to be some kind of pre-1990s Batman Elseworlds, before all the paramilitary nonsense?

Probably not. Moench was probably just trying to it some dramatic oomph; he’s the goddamn Batman after all, he’s supposed to be able to defeat anyone.

Still, the series is hitting its stride. There is a disconnect, however, in the Bruce Wayne scene. Jones makes it excessively creepy (hulking Wayne, cowering subordinate), not matching Moench’s script at all.

Two issues left seems too many.

Batman: Unseen 2 (December 2009)

Andrew — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 02:01:45 +0000

The second issue meshes a lot better. Moench has calmed his whole, “no one’s afraid of Batman anymore” subplot (it’s still present, but he’s not drawing attention to it anymore), and he’s mostly letting Jones do an invisible man story. Batman’s all supporting in this issue, which instead concerns itself with the invisible mad scientist revolting against his gangster handlers. Both Jones and Moench seem a lot more comfortable with it, as it becomes clearer Batman really doesn’t have a place in the story. He’s an addition at this point.

However, Moench does go through the trouble of actually making Batman a detective here. I’m never impressed with Batman’s detecting skills (he seems, in the detective stories, to go through everything fist-first, like a Bogart detective, instead of actually detecting), but Moench gets close. It’s really simple stuff, but it’s a definite effort.

This issue’s better then the first.

Batman: Unseen 1 (December 2009)

Andrew — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 05:28:03 +0000

Jones’s cover art is dated 2007, which has me wondering if Unseen is really just a Legends of the Dark Knight arc DC had in a drawer. It’s definitely a retro tale (even says so on the title page) as Moench tries to work out what happens when the bad guys aren’t scared of Batman anymore. Well, that element’s more of a sub-sub-plot. Mostly it’s about the art.

Jones draws Batman fight scenes here. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anything like them. You have this incredibly liquid, murky, malleable Batman kicking some villain. Jones’s art shouldn’t lend itself to action (creepiness is his more recognized stronger suit and the rest of the issue is mostly utilizes that talent), but it does. It’s so interesting to see.

There are some disconnects, however. Moench’s bumbling bad guys (the comic relief) look positively frightening the way Jones draws them.