Weldon does a great job giving an overview of the long & varied history of the character.  There's something here for everyone, whether you are a nerd or a normal.  Recommended.

Read full review at: http://thereadingarmchair.blogspot.gr/2015/08/review-whatever-happened-to-caped.html

Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? This is the question that this two-part comic is trying to answer. The very end of Batman. The title, as Neil Gaiman explains in the foreword, is a pun to Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?, which is the conclusion to the mythology of Superman. It feels appropriate and suits perfectly the feel of the story.

The plot is quite simple. Batman is dead and all of the characters, Albert, Joker, Riddler, Catwoman, attend his funeral. Each of them offers a different version of Batman's story and death. This way, this comic can work as the final Batman story in any given occasion. But the last few pages left me in awe. Both the art and the conclusion of the story were excellent.

I know that it's a common thing in comics for the heroes to die and then return again with a way or another. This version though felt different. Batman kept trying to fight crime in Gotham and his own demons, but he always ended up getting killed. It was the natural ending we all expected, despite the futility. Batman fell while fighting and it felt right. Besides every mythology needs some closure and we are offered one here.

~~Neanderthal Marries Human, by Penny Reid

(Book # 1.5 in Knitting in the City series)

Janie Morris and Quinn Sullivan meet in the building they both work in.  She and her friend spy on him and call him "Hottie McHotpants."  He is actually the owner of several businesses and has noticed her as well.

 

The next time they see one another is Janie's WORST DAY EVER!  She broke up with her boyfriend, he has her fired, and who is the hottie in uniform who escorts her out?  The sparks are a flyin' all around them from the top of the building down to the basement.  He is gentle with her and makes her take a company car home.

 

Janie ends up moving in with her long-time friend, Elizabeth.  Her apartment is just a one bedroom but makes Janie feel safe with sleeping on the couch.  She enjoys being with her friend and every night seems like a slumber party.

 

Quinn wants Janie to understand how much he is interested in a forever with her.  He shies away from telling her more of his past for fear her "labels" will send her running away in the other direction.

 

Together - they are explosive to the extreme.  He cannot seem to stay away form her, stop touching her, listen to her and so much more.  For him, this is a definite first.  For her, it is hard to trust due to her past as well.  Can they overcome the obstacles in their path?  Is love greater than all of it?  

 

I was moved with every chapter.  I found the witty banter to be extremely entertaining.  This is a book I would not only recommend - but would give as a gift.  It is the first of the Knitting in the City series, by Penny Reid. I give this book a 5/5 Kitty's Paws Up!

Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader is my second exposure to Neil Gaiman.

Earlier in the year, I read American Gods and while I loved the premise, the execution bugged me. I found it long winded and a little on the boring side. I was sure that when you put the mind of Gaiman into the Batman universe, you were going to get something very, very cool.

Truth be told, I found this to be pretty average. When I told my friend that gave this to me what I thought about the story, he responded with, "You have very high expectations of Batman". I thought that this was kind of unfair, actually. I’ve read some of the best Batman work that had ever been done with Batman: Year One, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Batman: The Long Halloween and most recently, Batman: The Black Mirror, so I’ve established in my mind what makes a great Batman story.

That’s not to say that this is a bad Batman tale, I just thought I didn’t come across as anything memorable which is really unfortunate since it apparently ends two long running Batman series (Batman & Detective Comics). It gobbled up several awards and is recognized as being a fitting ending to The Dark Knight saga.

Yar, here there be spoilers!

I suppose in the end, it isn’t an actual occurrence but a near-death experience which means Gaiman can pretty much do whatever he wants. I really wasn’t a fan of the Alfred stuff where he declares he hired his actor friends to portray villains in the beginning of Bruce’s fight against crime. It was too out-there and his reveal as The Joker was bizarre.

I think I need a bit of a break from Batman graphic novels for a while – I don’t want to get burned out.