90's BATMAN question

[Comics N' Toons]

What are GOOD examples of single issue (non-linear/non-arc) JOKER stories from either Detective or Batman in the 90's?

Need some help with this!

 

[Cobblepot]

Hmmm Dixon and Nolan had some good ones, so did Moench and Jones. I can't remember issues though.

 

[Comics N' Toons]

I could be wrong, but I think what Moench and Jones did were multi-issue Joker stories

 

[Paste Pot Pete]

He had some great moments during Knightfall and No Man's Land, both being parts of long arcs though, obviously.

Then you've got stuff in LOTDK and SOTB like Going Sane, Demon Laughs, Last Laugh; none of 'em single issues, though.

To my knowledge, there aren't any single issue Joker stories in the 90s.

You've got Devil's Advocate, which is a one-shot TPB.

If you're just looking for good Joker stories and can go out of main continuity, there are some single issue stories in the animated Bat-books like Batman Adventures.

 

[GothamAlleys]

You mean like standalone stories? Try Detective Comics #617 or, one of my all time favorites - "Images" by Dennis Oneil from Legends of the Dark Knight #50

Heres a page from Detective Comics #617

 

[Mace Dolex]

A few good 90's Joker stories have already been mentioned sadly the mid to late 90's were bad times for Batman creatively *coughKellyJonescough*.

 

[theMan-Bat]

I love the Joker three parter "Major Arcana" from Batman #544, 545 and 546 (1997) by Doug Moench and Kelley Jones. Joker studying demonology, the occult, alchemy, and conjuring up the Demon Etrigan.

The mid to late '90s were great times for Batman creatively. After the long 1993-1994 Knightfall saga, from 1995 until 1998 Batman editor Denny O'Neil did away with crossover events in the Bat-titles for the most part as well as year long story-lines, which can alienate potential new readers and even turn off devoted fans, like myself. Instead O'Neil provided readers much more of a variety of stories by allowing writers to write short stories, thus making the books much more accessible to new readers again as they were in the Bronze Age. Batman: Death of Innocents: The Horror of Landmines (1996) written by Denny O'Neil himself and illustrated by Bill Sienkiewicz is great. The Doug Moench/Kelley Jones Batman title run is awesome. Kelley Jones truly brought atmosphere to the Batman title, accentuating the crime-noir feel. Adding a Vertigo-aura to the Batman title. Kelley Jones use of shadow is amazing! I like the fact that he rarely shows faces full on, but rather in shadow, after all, Batman's adventures take place at night. The bigger ears and obscuring his face with his huge cape go back to Bob Kane. Kelley Jones' was perfectly suited to illustrated the noirish, macabre tales Doug Moench was writing. It's nice to see Batman's title not written and drawn like every other comic book heroes book. Doug Moench reminded everyone that Batman is a detective, using clues and intuition and detection to figure things out. Most stories ran no longer than three issues and there are many single-issue stories, getting actual and complete stories in an issue rather than mere pieces of year long mega-events. A refreshing change from the usual stuff in the comics today. The result was a wide variety of stories: including Batman and Deadman traveling to Peru pursuing criminals from Gotham and confronted by Inca mummies, Batman hunting Killer Croc to Louisiana and meeting Swamp Thing who doesn't want Croc to go back to Gotham, the Spectre in Gotham sticking his ectoplasmic nose into Batman's business - and right through the stalactite-spiked ceiling of the Batcave - to demand punishment (of a capital kind), Ragman in Gotham killing neo-Nazi skinheads. And the Moench/Jones run isn't all dark, grim and gritty. There is also refreshing humor in the subplots with the resurrection of Bruce Wayne's personal life. We see Bruce actually having a daylight affair with a woman (Vasper Fairchild) and visiting WayneCorp. That Bruce would not know where his office is located is both amusing and very real. And asking Lucius Fox "if midday is always this bright. Once you've had moonlight, Lucius, sunstroke's hard to take."

 

[Mace Dolex]

Those Joker/Demon stories look intriguing since I like occult satanic stories and not that I'm dissing Jones' art but it just takes a lot to get used to it. Your right he does great use of shadow I just wish he didn't draw peoples faces all distorted.

 

[Drz]

It's such a shame alot of the 90s stuff hasn't gotten into trade. I'd love to read these stories myself.

 

[Cain]

I loved the 90's man. I was so lucky to have grown up a comic book geek back then. That whole 90's period of the Batman books even the period after contagion. Especially Grant & Breyfogle and Moench and Jones I dug a lot. The Dixon stuff varies but it's all readable IMO especially the issues with Nolan's art.

It's just not as memorable as what Moench & Breyfogle did even if Dixon in the end wrote much more. But I cherish all the comics I still have from that era. The likes of Louise Simonson and Peter Milligan would come through sometimes too with short lil gems that were done in about 3 issues at most.