Batman: Haunted Gotham Part One
“Hell’s Hunting Ground”
By: Doug Moench, Kelley Jones, John Beatty and Daniel Vozzo

In a colonial Gotham City, there is fear of death. Not from the Joker, or anything of the living, but due to the fact that the pathway to Heaven has been blocked out by ones called the Dark Lords. They rule over Gotham, allowing for many restless dead and many other anomalies such as werewolves, gremlins, talking skeletons and vampires.
All of his life, boy billionaire Bruce Wayne has been trained by his father in many things. Forced to perfect his mind and body for a battle he was oblivious of. Bruce is frustrated at his father’s secrecy over the reasons of this, but obeys to his wishes.
Following the deaths of Thomas and Martha Wayne due to a werewolf attack, a disheveled Bruce Wayne rushes to the funeral and to his home. It is there the family butler, Alfred Pennyworth, reveals the true nature of Bruce’s training… Down below the manor is a finely designed cave in which his destiny lies. He is to fight the Dark Lords and free Gotham City from its bindings. But, the catch is, he must do it… In the form of a bat.
Here he discovers a evil doctor who had ordered the deaths of Thomas and Martha Wayne, along with other resisters of the Dark Lords, has stolen body parts from each of the six slain, including his father’s head. This evil man creates a body with them and puts his soul into it, turning him into what he calls a “Patchwork Joker”.

Batman: Haunted Gotham Part 2
“Night Creatures”
By: Doug Moench, Kelley Jones, John Beatty and Daniel Vozzo

With the aide of Commissioner Gordon and his father’s ghost, Bruce Wayne, now known as the Batman, continues his fight against the Dark Lords. After battling hordes of resurrected dead, he’s now forced to face the Dark Lords and the Patchwork Joker, the man that’s wearing his father’s face. But first, he must track down the man/beast who murdered his parents.
With the information he gathers from an officer named Cassandra Knight, he tracks the werewolf down. Easily killing him, he offers his soul to the Dark Lords as a warning of what is to come. After disposing of the burning body, he moves onto a bigger game…
The Patchwork Joker tries to taunt Batman enough about not hurting his face that is his father’s… Though, it doesn’t work. When the Patchwork Joker learns that Batman will in fact fight him, he tries to beg for the Dark Lords assistance. Batman prevents them from helping him, and defeats him by cutting off his head. He restores the head to his father. At the grave, his father visits him again… It is here he learns his mother still is running and not by Thomas Wayne’s side. He also learns his duty is far from over…

Batman: Haunted Gotham Part 3
“The Shattered Serpent”
By: Doug Moench, Kelley Jones, John Beatty and Daniel Vozzo

If you’re into the snake and gore thing (with not so much gore), I recommend this little story here.
With the Patchwork Joker out of the way and his father’s head restored to the grave, Bruce Wayne AKA Batman has a new problem to deal with.
Snakes. Lots and lots of snakes. So many snakes the Commissioner, Cassie Knight and Batman have no clue what to do. The snakes come in hordes and kill, but sometimes someone disappears without a trace. Many people disappearing, and only a few ending up dead. Is there a connection?
They discover that there is a man-turned-monster that is controlling several humans to do his will, but his will is the will of his “Ancient Ones”. Cat Majik, a local psychic helping Batman, says the Ancient Ones commanding this man-snake are alien. Batman goes and finds “Ophidian” and takes him in after a large battle. Gordon and Knight want to burn him and be done with it, but Batman convinces them to build an asylum on Arkham road, on an estate he inherited from his father.
Meanwhile, they try to figure out where all the people went. They discovered a mass grave of nothing but bones, stripped of the flesh. While they investigate and continue to wonder, they discover where the flesh went when a huge, green snake comes from the ground and attacks on Gotham for meat. It’s up to Batman to figure out a way to stop him, and finds it’s way harder than he thought.

Young Justice #2
By: Peter David, Todd Nauck and Lary Stucker

As the boys continue their adventure with the Super-cycle, they find themselves in China, saving the Titanic 2 and going to an Arabic temple. Or rather, being dragged to the temple by the Super-cycle. It is there by the arrogant Superboy that “Rip-Roar” is released from his 2000 year old entrapment under the temple.
Rip-Roar battles Superboy, Impulse and the Red Tornado, and wins. Then it is up to Robin to fight him for the Super-cycle. But, it isn’t really a fight. It’s more a calling contest to see who the cycle likes more. Needless to say it’s Robin, and everything ends well… Sorta.

Young Justice #6
By: Peter David, Todd Nauck and Lary Stucker

Yet another hilarious adventure of the Young Justice League. This time, the boys go against Despero at a carneval… But isn’t he deader than a doornail?
Meanwhile, the adult JLA looks on via the Martian Manhunter and sees them battling… Ordinary people! They should be talking to the new Arrowette and Wonder Girl about being part of Young Justice, but they want to see if the guys need help. Y’see, it’s part of this deal that Impulse irrationally made with them after the disturbance started. The adults were giving them a load about being immature and irresponsible when the Super-cycle warned them of the problem. So, at first Impulse said the six YJ members could handle it in half an hour, Robin disagreed, the Flash said 15 minutes and if they didn’t do it in the allotted time, they get a permanent chaperone. And then Impulse big-mouths and says that he, Superboy and Robin could do it in 22 minutes, Robin gets even more angry, Batman makes a comment about Robin’s reluctance, and off the three boys go to save the day! Or night… It’s 9:55 PM (Look in the upper corners of the pages).
So, they do battle with Despero at the carnival while the elders look on, and Secret comes to help. What happened was that Despero found a way to use people’s bodies for his own use. More chaos, Despero freaks at the sight of Secret, he runs. The Martian Manhunter tries to help them, but his body is taken over instead.
When the other JLAers decide they should go, even though they still have four minutes, Arrowette explodes overhow they babysit the boys TOO much and storms off, just to hyper ventilate.
Needless to say, the boys get it done, and they blow the entire thing off (even though they arrived late by four minutes).

Batman Beyond #1: Batman VS. Batman
By: Hilary J. Bader, Rousseau and Leigh

I can’t tell you how much I ADORE this one. And thank God the drawing is back up to pace.
It starts off where you see the two, the Dark Knight and the Tomorrow Knight, doing battle on a sky scraper. The Tomorrow Knight insisting strength while the Dark Knight insists tact and strategy. The Tomorrow Knight goes off and the other Batman catches him, and after a flash of light, we go into flashback.
This is where we learn Terry had been grounded and Bruce Wayne had been sent a signal in the TV that Terry had gone off the deep end and was running around, destroying things. So he goes after him.
Terry goes out to get dinner after his brother has fun snapping pictures at him. He stares at the TV and gets hypnotized, until Matt flashes the camera again. Terry takes the camera and chases after Bruce.
That takes it back to the present time where they find out Spellbinder had sent a message out through the TV. Not for Bruce, not for Terry, but for Batman. That’s why both and no one else gets caught up. It’s then up to the Tomorrow Knight to put an end to the rest of Spellbinder’s takeover plans.

My opinion is that they make a Batman Beyond DC comic that’s more along the lines with the Batman DC (non-WB). I’d truly like to see Bruce Wayne and Terry McGinnis in a more realistic atmosphere of drawing. But they should still continue this series!! Like have Batman: Gotham Adventures then Batman Beyond… And then have Batman, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight and all those followed by a new line of Batman Beyond. They can get away with more in those comics, anyway (As proven in Batman: Year One and Batman: The Killing Joke).

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