A Good Batman Collection: Tales of the Batman: Alan Brennert

I'm a big fan of Batman and have been since the 1960s. I still read and collect comics (all DC Comics), but not the current run of Batman (I just don't care for the current writer). But back in the 70s and 80s, Batman stories (writers and artists) were the best!
So, I recently bought the Hardcover collection "Tales of the Batman: Alan Brennert." This writer penned some of my favorite Batman stories that involved the counterparts on Earth-2 (the Earth2 Batman, Robin, Batwoman and Catwoman), including the landmark issue where the Earth-2 Batman married Catwoman and gave birth to a daughter who grew to be her own hero, the Huntress. These were outstanding stories (all Brave and the Bold series).
The only disappointment I had was the final story called "Batman Holy Terror" from 1991. It was a Bruce Wayne that went into a religious order and wound up dressing like a "bat." Honestly, that story was so awful that I skimmed through the second half (and I won't read it again). But all the other stories were pretty awesome. So this gets a 4 of 5 stars from me... because 1 awful story doesn't spoil the amazing stories and artwork of the collection.

ABOUT THE BOOK: Penning just a handful of comic tales over two decades, writer Alan Brennert was never a prolific contributor to the DC Universe. But to fans familiar with those iconic tales, Brennert ranks among the all-time greatest Batman authors. Primarily a writer of television and literary fiction, he wrote only nine stories for DC Comics, but all were instant classics. Largely taking place outside of the main DC continuity, in the realms of Elseworlds and Earth-Two, Brennert’s comics are some of the most-thought provoking and insightful in the Dark Knight’s history.

Also featuring art by industry legends Jim Aparo, Dick Giordano, Joe Staton, Norm Breyfogle and José Luis García-López, TALES OF THE BATMAN: ALAN BRENNERT brings together for the first time the complete works of a writer who has been a staple DC “Greatest Stories” collections for decades. Collects THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #178, #181, #182 and #197, DETECTIVE COMICS #500, BATMAN: HOLY TERROR #1 and more!

Fantastic Classic Batman Comic Collection: Tales of the Batman by Gerry Conway Vol. 1

In the 1970s and 80s when I first began reading and collecting comics, one of the writers that I enjoyed the most is Gerry Conway, who wrote Batman stories for DC Comics. He wrote stories for the Batman title, Detective Comics and Brave and the Bold (that always starred Batman with another superhero co-star).
   This year, DC Comics put several of his stories in a hardcover collection called "Tales of the Batman: Gerry Conway Vol.1" and I bought it immediately. Several of them had artwork by Jim Aparo, who for me defined the look of Batman of the 1980s.
  So many of the old comics I had were either given away when I went to college, and a few collections were sold. But I loved them! Now, I have some back and I'll read and re-read them.  5 of 5 stars for this book!

WHAT'S IN THE BOOK? 
From legendary comics writer Gerry Conway with illustrations by fan-favorite artists including Jim Aparo, Carmine Infantino, José Luis García-López and Don Newton, and featuring guest appearances by Superman, Green Lantern and the whole Bat-family, these classic tales showcase one of the greatest talents ever to write for the Caped Crusader in TALES OF THE BATMAN: GERRY CONWAY.

From the time his first story was published in 1969, Gerry Conway became one of the most prolific and highly regarded comics writers of the era. He wrote for nearly every character being published at the time, and his original creations—including Firestorm, Steel and Vixen—changed comics history forever. Conway’s work had a profound affect on the legacy of Batman, with his creations Killer Croc and Jason Todd becoming mainstays in the legend of the Dark Knight.
 
Collects DETECTIVE COMICS #463, 464, 497-499, 501-504, THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #158, 161, 171-174, BATMAN #295, 305, 306, BATMAN FAMILY #17, MAN-BAT #1 and WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #250, #269.