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Batman
Batman: Ego and Other Tails
A collection of Batman and Catwoman tales.
195 pages, Hardcover
First published June 6, 2007
85 people are currently reading
1,919 people want to read
About the author
Darwyn Cooke
237books345followersDarwyn Cooke was an Eisner Award winning comic book writer, artist, cartoonist and animator, best known for his work on the comic books Catwoman, DC: The New Frontier and Will Eisner's The Spirit.
In 1985, Cooke published his first comic book work as a professional artist in a short story in New Talent Showcase #19, but economic pressure made him leave the career and he worked in Canada as a magazine art director, graphic and product designer for the next 15 years.
In the early 1990s Cooke decided to return to comics, but found little interest for his work at the major publishers. Eventually he was hired by Warner Bros. Animation after replying to an ad placed by animator Bruce Timm.
He went on to work as a storyboard artist for Batman: The Animated Series and Superman: The Animated Series, and in 1999 he animated the main title design for Batman Beyond. He then worked as a director for Sony Animation's Men in Black: The Series for a year.
DC Comics then approached Cooke about a project which he had submitted to the publisher years earlier which eventually became Batman: Ego, a graphic novel published in 2000.
The critical success of that project led to Cooke taking on more freelance work, such as X-Force, Wolverine/Doop and Spider-Man's Tangled Web for Marvel Comics and Just Imagine... Stan Lee for DC.
In 2001, Cooke and writer Ed Brubaker teamed up to revamp the Catwoman character. They started with a 4 issue serial "Trail of the Catwoman" in Detective Comics #759-762 in which private detective Slam Bradley attempts to investigate the death of Selina Kyle (AKA Catwoman).
The story led into a new Catwoman title in late 2001 by Brubaker and Cooke, in which the character's costume, supporting cast and modus operandi were all redesigned and redeveloped. Cooke would stay on the series, which was met with critical and fan acclaim, up until issue #4. In 2002 he would write and draw a prequel, the Selina's Big Score graphic novel which detailed what had happened to the character directly before her new series.
Cover to DC: The New Frontier #6.
Cover to DC: The New Frontier #6.
Cooke's next project was the ambitious DC: The New Frontier (2004), a six issue miniseries which sought to tell an epic storyline bridging the gap between the end of the golden and the start of the silver age of comic books in the DC Universe. The story, which was set in the 1950s, featured dozens of super-hero characters and drew inspiration from the comic books and movies of the period as well as from Tom Wolfe's non-fiction account of the start of the US Space Program The Right Stuff. The major DC characters are introduced in "The New Frontier" in the same order that DC originally published them, even down to the correct month and year in the story's timeline. In 2005, Cooke won an Eisner Award for "Best Limited Series", and a Joe Shuster Award for "Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Cartoonist" for his work on the series.
Most recently, Cooke contributed to DC's artist-centric anthology project Solo. His issue (#5, June, 2005) featured several different stories in different styles with a framing sequence featuring the Slam Bradley character. In 2006, Solo #5 won an Eisner Award for "Best Single Issue."
In July 2005, it was announced that in 2006 Cooke and writer Jeph Loeb would produce a Batman/Spirit crossover, to be followed shortly afterwards by an ongoing Spirit series written and drawn by Cooke. Batman/The Spirit was ultimately published in November 2006, followed in December by the first issue of Cooke's The Spirit. In June 2007, Cooke and J. Bone won a Joe Shuster Award for "Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Artists" for their work on "Batman/The Spirit", and Cooke won "Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Cartoonist" for his work on "The Spirit".
In July 2006, it was announced that Warner Bros. Animation and DC Comics would release a series of direct-to-DVD animated movies based on important DC com
In 1985, Cooke published his first comic book work as a professional artist in a short story in New Talent Showcase #19, but economic pressure made him leave the career and he worked in Canada as a magazine art director, graphic and product designer for the next 15 years.
In the early 1990s Cooke decided to return to comics, but found little interest for his work at the major publishers. Eventually he was hired by Warner Bros. Animation after replying to an ad placed by animator Bruce Timm.
He went on to work as a storyboard artist for Batman: The Animated Series and Superman: The Animated Series, and in 1999 he animated the main title design for Batman Beyond. He then worked as a director for Sony Animation's Men in Black: The Series for a year.
DC Comics then approached Cooke about a project which he had submitted to the publisher years earlier which eventually became Batman: Ego, a graphic novel published in 2000.
The critical success of that project led to Cooke taking on more freelance work, such as X-Force, Wolverine/Doop and Spider-Man's Tangled Web for Marvel Comics and Just Imagine... Stan Lee for DC.
In 2001, Cooke and writer Ed Brubaker teamed up to revamp the Catwoman character. They started with a 4 issue serial "Trail of the Catwoman" in Detective Comics #759-762 in which private detective Slam Bradley attempts to investigate the death of Selina Kyle (AKA Catwoman).
The story led into a new Catwoman title in late 2001 by Brubaker and Cooke, in which the character's costume, supporting cast and modus operandi were all redesigned and redeveloped. Cooke would stay on the series, which was met with critical and fan acclaim, up until issue #4. In 2002 he would write and draw a prequel, the Selina's Big Score graphic novel which detailed what had happened to the character directly before her new series.
Cover to DC: The New Frontier #6.
Cover to DC: The New Frontier #6.
Cooke's next project was the ambitious DC: The New Frontier (2004), a six issue miniseries which sought to tell an epic storyline bridging the gap between the end of the golden and the start of the silver age of comic books in the DC Universe. The story, which was set in the 1950s, featured dozens of super-hero characters and drew inspiration from the comic books and movies of the period as well as from Tom Wolfe's non-fiction account of the start of the US Space Program The Right Stuff. The major DC characters are introduced in "The New Frontier" in the same order that DC originally published them, even down to the correct month and year in the story's timeline. In 2005, Cooke won an Eisner Award for "Best Limited Series", and a Joe Shuster Award for "Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Cartoonist" for his work on the series.
Most recently, Cooke contributed to DC's artist-centric anthology project Solo. His issue (#5, June, 2005) featured several different stories in different styles with a framing sequence featuring the Slam Bradley character. In 2006, Solo #5 won an Eisner Award for "Best Single Issue."
In July 2005, it was announced that in 2006 Cooke and writer Jeph Loeb would produce a Batman/Spirit crossover, to be followed shortly afterwards by an ongoing Spirit series written and drawn by Cooke. Batman/The Spirit was ultimately published in November 2006, followed in December by the first issue of Cooke's The Spirit. In June 2007, Cooke and J. Bone won a Joe Shuster Award for "Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Artists" for their work on "Batman/The Spirit", and Cooke won "Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Cartoonist" for his work on "The Spirit".
In July 2006, it was announced that Warner Bros. Animation and DC Comics would release a series of direct-to-DVD animated movies based on important DC com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 393 reviews
November 10, 2015
This is a collection of Bat-themed stories written and for the most part drawn by Darwyn Cooke, who collaborated with Ed Brubaker on his most excellent Catwoman run.
The title story finds Batman having a bout of the guilts when he feels responsible for the deaths of a Joker henchman and his family. So what does Bats do? He goes back to the Batcave and does the Tears for Fears thing and shouts, shouts, let all out because these are things Batman can do without. Come on, I’m talking to you.
Who is Batman talking to? His own worst enemy. Hisself!!
And Alfred’s not around to fix him a hot toddy or caviar on toast (crusts trimmed), so it’s self-psychotherapy the hard way.
Batman exploring the abyss that is his inner nutter psyche isn’t anything new, but Cooke does a reasonably entertaining job with it.
The real star here is the Catwoman story, which is also available as a solo volume: .
Selina Kyle, the Catwoman, is presumed dead and broke and she’s having no luck in Morocco, robbing museums, so it’s back to Gotham in order to make a bundle the easy way � Stealing it.
Cooke gives some insight into Selina’s past introducing some of her shadier acquaintances.
This one is Batman-free, although he does get called a Nancy boy by one character. Cooke stirs the brew with some fine noirish storytelling and some memorable characters. And a kick-ass Selina:
The rest of the stories are decent: “Monument� is a hoot and the other Catwoman/Batman story is cute.
Shelby’s bottom line: Shelby keeps hoping for a Batman/Horsecock (from ) showdown and I keep telling her it ain’t happening.
Boo hoo! You can stop whining now, Bruce.
The title story finds Batman having a bout of the guilts when he feels responsible for the deaths of a Joker henchman and his family. So what does Bats do? He goes back to the Batcave and does the Tears for Fears thing and shouts, shouts, let all out because these are things Batman can do without. Come on, I’m talking to you.
Who is Batman talking to? His own worst enemy. Hisself!!
And Alfred’s not around to fix him a hot toddy or caviar on toast (crusts trimmed), so it’s self-psychotherapy the hard way.
Batman exploring the abyss that is his inner nutter psyche isn’t anything new, but Cooke does a reasonably entertaining job with it.
The real star here is the Catwoman story, which is also available as a solo volume: .
Selina Kyle, the Catwoman, is presumed dead and broke and she’s having no luck in Morocco, robbing museums, so it’s back to Gotham in order to make a bundle the easy way � Stealing it.
Cooke gives some insight into Selina’s past introducing some of her shadier acquaintances.
This one is Batman-free, although he does get called a Nancy boy by one character. Cooke stirs the brew with some fine noirish storytelling and some memorable characters. And a kick-ass Selina:
The rest of the stories are decent: “Monument� is a hoot and the other Catwoman/Batman story is cute.
Shelby’s bottom line: Shelby keeps hoping for a Batman/Horsecock (from ) showdown and I keep telling her it ain’t happening.
Boo hoo! You can stop whining now, Bruce.
March 22, 2019
Believe it or not, Ego is the worst story in this book. It's some claptrap where Bruce is hallucinating talking to Batman. Selena's Big Score is a trial run for Cooke's later Parker adaptations. There's even a character, Stark, who is obviously based on Parker. It's a hard-boiled, heist caper at its finest. There's also a bunch of shorter Batman gems all written or illustrated by Cooke. There's a nice contrast of Cooke's artwork between the various stories. I think I may have enjoyed these the most.
November 22, 2020
I've purchased this volume after reading somewhere Batman: Ego was the comic book inspiring upcoming The Batman (2022) movie, instead that story was a short one and rest of this hardcover book included many other stories that I already owned and had read in other formats.
Besides that this was an excellent collection of Darwin Cooke's tales, I liked almost all of them and it was a real pleasure for me to read again , probably just best Catwoman's story ever.
'Nuff said.
April 26, 2021
It's Darwyn Cooke, so of course it's a quality collection. 'nuff said.
For peak Cooke, though, I can't recommend enough.
(For peek cook, I recommend one of those mirrors you can use to see around corners; you can learn any chef's best secrets that way and they will be none the wiser.)
For peak Cooke, though, I can't recommend enough.
(For peek cook, I recommend one of those mirrors you can use to see around corners; you can learn any chef's best secrets that way and they will be none the wiser.)
June 10, 2016
Batman: Ego and Other Tails collects all of Darwyn Cooke’s Batman comics in one handy volume - and it’s a pretty good read!
The title story sees Bruce traumatised after seeing one of Joker’s henchmen kill his family and himself rather than wait for the Joker to bust out of Arkham, as he always does, and come for them as payback for ratting him out. The deaths force Bruce to question himself as he talks through his issues with a cartoonishly monstrous Batman!
It’s an interesting idea but Cooke doesn’t really raise any original points. Cooke makes Batman responsible for the Joker’s creation (that fateful night when the Red Hood entered ACE Chemicals and the Joker left) and, because Bruce’s dad instilled in his son a respect for life, responsible for the Joker’s many murders by refusing to kill him. Cooke’s solution is similarly cliched as the symbol for hope argument is made. Overall it’s a bit of clumsily written story.
There are a couple of shorts from Batman: Black and White that were very forgettable - I know because I’ve read all of Batman: Black and White and couldn’t remember reading these! Cooke’s artwork on the Paul Grist-written story is wonderful though.
This book also includes Catwoman: Selina’s Big Score which isn’t technically a Batman comic but is set within his world, using Gotham as the backdrop and the Falcone crime family as the villains. It’s a dummy run for Cooke’s later Parker adaptations at IDW that uses all of the noir/crime cliches but it’s entertaining enough.
Date Knight is written by Cooke and drawn by Tim Sale. Catwoman and Batman tangle “erotically� across the Gotham skyline in a totally pointless tale. Sale’s splash pages are good though.
The Catwoman pinup from Solo #5 is reprinted and the volume ends with the superb Batman: Deja Vu, also from the same Solo issue. Riffing on the �70s story, Night of the Stalker, Batman takes down a gang of murdering thieves all without saying a word. It’s my favourite of Cooke’s Batman stories, closing out the book on a high note.
Most of the volume features Cooke’s iconic artwork too, showcasing his different styles from using colour to working in black and white, using thicker lines for Selina’s Big Score to working expertly within the classic eight panel grid in Deja Vu. Cooke was definitely a better artist than he was a writer which isn’t really a swipe at his writing considering the high quality of his art.
Darwyn Cooke will be best remembered for his Parker adaptations and New Frontier but he wrote some damn fine Batman and Catwoman stories too - Batman: Ego and Other Tails is well worth checking out for fans of those characters.
The title story sees Bruce traumatised after seeing one of Joker’s henchmen kill his family and himself rather than wait for the Joker to bust out of Arkham, as he always does, and come for them as payback for ratting him out. The deaths force Bruce to question himself as he talks through his issues with a cartoonishly monstrous Batman!
It’s an interesting idea but Cooke doesn’t really raise any original points. Cooke makes Batman responsible for the Joker’s creation (that fateful night when the Red Hood entered ACE Chemicals and the Joker left) and, because Bruce’s dad instilled in his son a respect for life, responsible for the Joker’s many murders by refusing to kill him. Cooke’s solution is similarly cliched as the symbol for hope argument is made. Overall it’s a bit of clumsily written story.
There are a couple of shorts from Batman: Black and White that were very forgettable - I know because I’ve read all of Batman: Black and White and couldn’t remember reading these! Cooke’s artwork on the Paul Grist-written story is wonderful though.
This book also includes Catwoman: Selina’s Big Score which isn’t technically a Batman comic but is set within his world, using Gotham as the backdrop and the Falcone crime family as the villains. It’s a dummy run for Cooke’s later Parker adaptations at IDW that uses all of the noir/crime cliches but it’s entertaining enough.
Date Knight is written by Cooke and drawn by Tim Sale. Catwoman and Batman tangle “erotically� across the Gotham skyline in a totally pointless tale. Sale’s splash pages are good though.
The Catwoman pinup from Solo #5 is reprinted and the volume ends with the superb Batman: Deja Vu, also from the same Solo issue. Riffing on the �70s story, Night of the Stalker, Batman takes down a gang of murdering thieves all without saying a word. It’s my favourite of Cooke’s Batman stories, closing out the book on a high note.
Most of the volume features Cooke’s iconic artwork too, showcasing his different styles from using colour to working in black and white, using thicker lines for Selina’s Big Score to working expertly within the classic eight panel grid in Deja Vu. Cooke was definitely a better artist than he was a writer which isn’t really a swipe at his writing considering the high quality of his art.
Darwyn Cooke will be best remembered for his Parker adaptations and New Frontier but he wrote some damn fine Batman and Catwoman stories too - Batman: Ego and Other Tails is well worth checking out for fans of those characters.
July 27, 2014
Ehhhhhhh.
Didn't like the art (except for the short story illustrated by Tim Sale), and didn't like the stories very much.
I thought Ego was the dumbest of the bunch.
Bruce Wayne has some kind of a nervous breakdown, and ends up having a conversation with Batman, who turns out to be about as crazy as the Joker.
Sounds like it would be a cool story, but it's not. Really.
Selina's Big Score was ok, but nothing to write home about.
This is not a must-read (in my humble opinion).
Didn't like the art (except for the short story illustrated by Tim Sale), and didn't like the stories very much.
I thought Ego was the dumbest of the bunch.
Bruce Wayne has some kind of a nervous breakdown, and ends up having a conversation with Batman, who turns out to be about as crazy as the Joker.
Sounds like it would be a cool story, but it's not. Really.
Selina's Big Score was ok, but nothing to write home about.
This is not a must-read (in my humble opinion).
April 27, 2022
Anthology series are always a gamble when it comes to quality, and this is no exception. The two main stories are Batman: Ego and Selina's Big Score, neither of which are overly impressive narrative wise. They go for very different genres, and the variety is appreciated, but they weren't executed in a way that appealed to my personal preference of storytelling. Most of the shorter stories serve well as filler, although they are rather unmemorable in the long run. The art, however, is great! It's not surprising that it's reminiscent to BTAS at times as the author worked on the series as a storyboard artist. Fans of the cartoon-like character models will thoroughly enjoy the visual presentation of this book. This might not have been my cup of tea, but there is something so captivating about Cooke's style that I am excited to give the rest of his creations a read.
June 5, 2012
Never having read Richard Stark's Parker series, I picked up Darwyn Cooke's graphic novel adaptations. The stories themselves were awesome but what had originally grabbed me was Cooke's unique style. When I finished, I was salivating for more. Imagine how happy I was to find out he did a few runs within the Batman universe!
Contained in this compilation are six stories, five of which follow the actions of the Dark Knight while one is devoted to Catwoman. While I'm not that big of a Catwoman fan, his run with that character is easily the best of the bunch.
Batman: EGO - Cooke's signature artwork took center stage this time around while the writing left more to be desired. The idea of a conversation between Bruce Wayne and Batman was an interesting premise indeed but the presentation of Batman as this murderous presence seemed off.
Batman Black & White: Here There Be Monsters - In terms of visuals, this is easily the standout offering. I need to read more of this series! The artwork here is beautiful with blacks, whites and greys presenting the story.
Catwoman: Selina's Big Score - Taking up the bulk of this issue, we follow Selina as she seemingly returns from the dead. Having been M.I.A since fleeing to Morocco trying to capture an elusive artifact, Selina returns to Gotham to participate in an ambitious crime; steal roughly $24 million from the mob.
We're also introduced to a character named "Stark", who Cooke admits was influenced heavily by Donald Westlake's Parker. He even introduces him via a plot similar to The Hunter!
Cooke crafts a pretty compelling story here that not only has a great caper but also dabbles in the beginnings of Catwoman.
Batman Black & White: The Monument - Despite my ravings about how beautiful the black and white dynamic was earlier, this is the worst of the bunch. Cooke is strictly a writer here and the story is drawn by Bill Wray. I really found the style here unappealing and the story was nothing to write home about.
Batman: Date Night - Breaking up a crime by Catwoman, Batman ends up in a series of locations that supported by running dialouge by Catwoman, is about as close as Batman can come to going on a date. With artwork presented by one of my favorite Batman artists, Tim Sale, Cooke gives us an entertaining vision of the on again off again romantic tension between the two iconic characters.
Batman: Deja Vu - Inspired by the 70s classic Batman tale, "Night of the Stalker", Cooke gives us a story in which Batman gives us zero dialouge. Nicely drawn and a pretty cool story, Cooke finishes this book strong.
Overall, I liked this but didn't love it. While Cooke's artwork is always slick his writing can be pretty hit or miss.
Contained in this compilation are six stories, five of which follow the actions of the Dark Knight while one is devoted to Catwoman. While I'm not that big of a Catwoman fan, his run with that character is easily the best of the bunch.
Batman: EGO - Cooke's signature artwork took center stage this time around while the writing left more to be desired. The idea of a conversation between Bruce Wayne and Batman was an interesting premise indeed but the presentation of Batman as this murderous presence seemed off.
Batman Black & White: Here There Be Monsters - In terms of visuals, this is easily the standout offering. I need to read more of this series! The artwork here is beautiful with blacks, whites and greys presenting the story.
Catwoman: Selina's Big Score - Taking up the bulk of this issue, we follow Selina as she seemingly returns from the dead. Having been M.I.A since fleeing to Morocco trying to capture an elusive artifact, Selina returns to Gotham to participate in an ambitious crime; steal roughly $24 million from the mob.
We're also introduced to a character named "Stark", who Cooke admits was influenced heavily by Donald Westlake's Parker. He even introduces him via a plot similar to The Hunter!
Cooke crafts a pretty compelling story here that not only has a great caper but also dabbles in the beginnings of Catwoman.
Batman Black & White: The Monument - Despite my ravings about how beautiful the black and white dynamic was earlier, this is the worst of the bunch. Cooke is strictly a writer here and the story is drawn by Bill Wray. I really found the style here unappealing and the story was nothing to write home about.
Batman: Date Night - Breaking up a crime by Catwoman, Batman ends up in a series of locations that supported by running dialouge by Catwoman, is about as close as Batman can come to going on a date. With artwork presented by one of my favorite Batman artists, Tim Sale, Cooke gives us an entertaining vision of the on again off again romantic tension between the two iconic characters.
Batman: Deja Vu - Inspired by the 70s classic Batman tale, "Night of the Stalker", Cooke gives us a story in which Batman gives us zero dialouge. Nicely drawn and a pretty cool story, Cooke finishes this book strong.
Overall, I liked this but didn't love it. While Cooke's artwork is always slick his writing can be pretty hit or miss.
March 7, 2021
I was expecting far more from this volume.
The very first story "Ego" showed promise and I actually enjoyed it. A look at Batman's id was rather interesting. Then it went downhill. Fast. There is a nonsense Batman Black and White story that's just dumb. Followed by a way too long Catwoman does Oceans 11 story. Then another useless Black and White story. The "Date Night" illustrated by Tim Sale was at least decent. Then it ends with an ok tale. Um hmmm that wasn't very good at all. Save for the very first story and the "Date Night" story the rest sucked. But what sucked worse was the atrocious art.
Sorry, this was not to my liking at all. Shame, since the first story showed so much promise for this volume.
The very first story "Ego" showed promise and I actually enjoyed it. A look at Batman's id was rather interesting. Then it went downhill. Fast. There is a nonsense Batman Black and White story that's just dumb. Followed by a way too long Catwoman does Oceans 11 story. Then another useless Black and White story. The "Date Night" illustrated by Tim Sale was at least decent. Then it ends with an ok tale. Um hmmm that wasn't very good at all. Save for the very first story and the "Date Night" story the rest sucked. But what sucked worse was the atrocious art.
Sorry, this was not to my liking at all. Shame, since the first story showed so much promise for this volume.
January 9, 2018
As a fan of Darwyn Cooke's two-volume DC: The New Frontier (an origin story of sorts, set just prior to JFK's inauguration) I was really looking forward to Batman: Ego and Other Tails.
This one was another winner, with similar style artwork and 50'/60's atmosphere. Now, it should be noted that about half the book is a Catwoman solo story, 'Selina's Big Score,' but what an outstanding crime saga. Maybe I'm reading too much into things, but I think the 'Stark' character is modeled on author Donald Westlake's (who used the pen name Richard Stark - hint hint) expert thief 'Parker,' who was first played on the big screen by Lee Marvin in Point Blank. Additionally and pleasingly, the Stark character appears drawn to resemble tough guy actor Lee Marvin, and I imagined his gravely voice uttering Stark's dialogue the between those puffs on the ever-present cigarette. There's also a vengeful crime boss, a French-Canadian hit man, a hard-boiled private eye and various other low-lifes mixed in, of course -- it was just like a Westlake novel (and he wrote a lot of great crime stories in 40+ years), but in comic book form.
Similarly, I also really enjoyed the opener 'Ego', though it seems to be hit-or-miss with other reviewers. Instead of fully rehashing the origin story we're treated to memories of Bruce Wayne's parents (some really good scenes here) as he battles his conscience after a stressful night.
There are also a couple of black & white short stories ('Here Be Monsters' is okay, but 'The Monument' is amusing) and then two color short stories ('Date Knight' - an extended flirting / chase scene w/ Batman and Catwoman crashing through Gotham; and 'Deja Vu', with Batman in pursuit of criminals responsible for a murder that will seem familiar for readers) to complete the book.
This one was another winner, with similar style artwork and 50'/60's atmosphere. Now, it should be noted that about half the book is a Catwoman solo story, 'Selina's Big Score,' but what an outstanding crime saga. Maybe I'm reading too much into things, but I think the 'Stark' character is modeled on author Donald Westlake's (who used the pen name Richard Stark - hint hint) expert thief 'Parker,' who was first played on the big screen by Lee Marvin in Point Blank. Additionally and pleasingly, the Stark character appears drawn to resemble tough guy actor Lee Marvin, and I imagined his gravely voice uttering Stark's dialogue the between those puffs on the ever-present cigarette. There's also a vengeful crime boss, a French-Canadian hit man, a hard-boiled private eye and various other low-lifes mixed in, of course -- it was just like a Westlake novel (and he wrote a lot of great crime stories in 40+ years), but in comic book form.
Similarly, I also really enjoyed the opener 'Ego', though it seems to be hit-or-miss with other reviewers. Instead of fully rehashing the origin story we're treated to memories of Bruce Wayne's parents (some really good scenes here) as he battles his conscience after a stressful night.
There are also a couple of black & white short stories ('Here Be Monsters' is okay, but 'The Monument' is amusing) and then two color short stories ('Date Knight' - an extended flirting / chase scene w/ Batman and Catwoman crashing through Gotham; and 'Deja Vu', with Batman in pursuit of criminals responsible for a murder that will seem familiar for readers) to complete the book.
January 4, 2022
So I started this book and finished the main story ‘Ego� but never carried on because of studying but I decided to come back and start start it again. I’m rating all the stories separately then giving a conclusion at the end.
Ego: 4*
I wasn’t a huge fan of the story unfortunately, it was Batman hallucinating after being injured and dealing with his multiple identities but I felt like the representation of Batman wasn’t right and took from the story. The reason it’s 4* is because the art is amazing.
Black and White 1: 3*
A nice short story about Batman fighting a scarecrow/two face combo villain I’ve never heard of with amazing artwork.
Selina’s Big Score: 5*
An amazing heist story about Catwoman and a set of likeable characters and, not surprisingly, amazing artwork. Not much else to say about this.
Black and White 2: 3*
Another nice short story about how Batman doesn’t want to be worshipped but fights crime because it’s the right thing to do. Not sure why Batman had a massive chin though.
Solo: 2*
Not too much to say about this one, nice artwork of Batman chasing Catwoman.
Deja Vu: 3*
Yet another nice short story about a child’s parents being killed like Batman’s and him stopping the criminals. Nice artwork here too.
Batman/Spirit: 4*
Never heard of the spirit before and he was an ok character but I liked the story, had more of a cartoony feel which was nice and the artwork was once again really good.
Killin� Time: 3*
Another nice short story with lovely artwork about Harley wanting to stop time to stop her getting older because of a grey hair.
So overall these are a nice set of stories but at the same time the reason I’d recommend this book is to see Darwyn Cooke’s artwork as most of the book (the parts drawn by him) are amazing to look at.
Ego: 4*
I wasn’t a huge fan of the story unfortunately, it was Batman hallucinating after being injured and dealing with his multiple identities but I felt like the representation of Batman wasn’t right and took from the story. The reason it’s 4* is because the art is amazing.
Black and White 1: 3*
A nice short story about Batman fighting a scarecrow/two face combo villain I’ve never heard of with amazing artwork.
Selina’s Big Score: 5*
An amazing heist story about Catwoman and a set of likeable characters and, not surprisingly, amazing artwork. Not much else to say about this.
Black and White 2: 3*
Another nice short story about how Batman doesn’t want to be worshipped but fights crime because it’s the right thing to do. Not sure why Batman had a massive chin though.
Solo: 2*
Not too much to say about this one, nice artwork of Batman chasing Catwoman.
Deja Vu: 3*
Yet another nice short story about a child’s parents being killed like Batman’s and him stopping the criminals. Nice artwork here too.
Batman/Spirit: 4*
Never heard of the spirit before and he was an ok character but I liked the story, had more of a cartoony feel which was nice and the artwork was once again really good.
Killin� Time: 3*
Another nice short story with lovely artwork about Harley wanting to stop time to stop her getting older because of a grey hair.
So overall these are a nice set of stories but at the same time the reason I’d recommend this book is to see Darwyn Cooke’s artwork as most of the book (the parts drawn by him) are amazing to look at.
March 24, 2022
This is a collection of Batman related stories by Darwin Cook. I particularly liked the black and white stories. They were really successful at pulling off a noir vibe. The title story, Ego, was just OK for me. It seemed a little too on the nose for me. Rather than showing the divide between the Batman and Bruce Wayne personas, everything is explicitly explained. I would have preferred a show-don't-tell approach to the topic. The other big story in this collection is Selina's Big Score. I don't care for this story because it features a character called Stark that is a misogynistic jerk. It's not a lot of fun to read him insulting Selina or threatening to kill her page after page.
June 11, 2024
A great collection of Darwyn Cooke's DC work, the highlight being "Selina's Big Score" which is essentially just a Parker story featuring Catwoman and a guy named "Stark" hmm.
October 4, 2020
This pains me to say that I haven’t read a comic book by Darwyn Cooke, who sadly passed away in 2016. I am certainly no stranger to his art as his illustrations has a retro cartoonist style, while Cooke worked for Warner Bros. Animation, specifically the DC animated universe. With an upcoming Batman movie out next year and noticing some of the Bat-comics that I haven’t read from my bookshelf, let’s do some Bat-reading, shall we?
Collecting all of Cooke’s Batman comics in one volume, which include two original graphic novels written and drawn by the cartoonist, along with a bunch of short stories, some covers and pin-up art. Beginning with the title story Ego, Batman is left traumatised after strong-arming a thug into revealing the whereabouts of the Joker, forcing the thug to commit suicide in front of the Dark Knight. Having second thoughts about his alter-ego, Bruce Wayne suddenly faces his inner demons in the shape of Batman as a monstrous shadowy figure.
The story itself isn’t all that new, as the idea of Bruce Wayne having second thoughts about being the Bat was explored in a great episode of Batman: The Animated Series, whilst the inner voice that talks back to Bruce comes from The Dark Knight Returns. A number of creators have explored Batman’s psychological trauma before, but that’s not to say Cooke can’t make something engaging with his story, which is about looking back at your tragic past and sparking the light for a hopeful future.
Although the whole purpose of his parents is to die, I’m always open to see any scenes featuring them, that would in some way inform young Bruce, hence a touching conversation between a father and his son about the concept of death, of which Bruce accepts, despite the fate of his loving parents coming sooner than later. What saves this story � and the majority of the book for that matter � is Cooke’s art that is not only distinctive, but is able to weave through clever and abstract transitions, whether it is flashbacks or dream sequences, creating this dynamic psychological battle between the hero and his scary shadowy figure that is really himself.
Was a fan of film-noir and hard-boiled detective stories, which would lead to him, adapting Richard Stark’s Parker novels for IDW, you can see why Batman would appeal to Cooke as the character kept one foot in the world of pulp fiction. The second big story from this volume really encompasses a lot of those sources and it’s not even a Batman story. Written and drawn during the publication of his Catwoman run with writer Ed Brubaker, Selina’s Big Score follows the femme fatale assembling a crew of professionals to assist her on robbing a mob train full of unmarked cash.
There is more an element of fun than Ego as Catwoman is all about the thrills, whilst trying to find some redemption, especially in reconciling with her betrayed ex-lover Stark. With narration from Selina, Stark and Detective Slam Bradley (developed by Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster), the story can drag over the course its four issues as it spends too much time in the assembling and planning. It is ultimately saved by Cooke’s art, which can be rough around the edges, but the climatic heist is an inventive action sequence, devoted to the last issue.
In terms of the short stories, some are better than others, the best of which is “Here Be Monsters�, originally published as the Batman: Black and White series. Told in eight pages, Cooke’s art looks the best as the black-and-white presentation adds an almost painterly quality. The other short that brings out the best in his art is “Deja vu�, in which Batman chases a group of robbers who also committed another crime that resembles the Dark Knight’s tragic past. As simple the narrative is and gets the tragic message across, the coloured art is precise and the panel structure is well paced. I do want to give a shout-out to the most left-field short that is “The Monument�, of which its writing and art (by Bill Wray) feels more in line as an obscure indie comic strip that pokes fun as the mythos.
As a case of surface more so than depth, the surface is certainly impressive as the late, great Darwyn Cooke tells a variety of Batman stories from the psychological to the crime-ridden, which are far from perfect, but are fun little stories that strip the character to his timeless, essential elements.
Collecting all of Cooke’s Batman comics in one volume, which include two original graphic novels written and drawn by the cartoonist, along with a bunch of short stories, some covers and pin-up art. Beginning with the title story Ego, Batman is left traumatised after strong-arming a thug into revealing the whereabouts of the Joker, forcing the thug to commit suicide in front of the Dark Knight. Having second thoughts about his alter-ego, Bruce Wayne suddenly faces his inner demons in the shape of Batman as a monstrous shadowy figure.
The story itself isn’t all that new, as the idea of Bruce Wayne having second thoughts about being the Bat was explored in a great episode of Batman: The Animated Series, whilst the inner voice that talks back to Bruce comes from The Dark Knight Returns. A number of creators have explored Batman’s psychological trauma before, but that’s not to say Cooke can’t make something engaging with his story, which is about looking back at your tragic past and sparking the light for a hopeful future.
Although the whole purpose of his parents is to die, I’m always open to see any scenes featuring them, that would in some way inform young Bruce, hence a touching conversation between a father and his son about the concept of death, of which Bruce accepts, despite the fate of his loving parents coming sooner than later. What saves this story � and the majority of the book for that matter � is Cooke’s art that is not only distinctive, but is able to weave through clever and abstract transitions, whether it is flashbacks or dream sequences, creating this dynamic psychological battle between the hero and his scary shadowy figure that is really himself.
Was a fan of film-noir and hard-boiled detective stories, which would lead to him, adapting Richard Stark’s Parker novels for IDW, you can see why Batman would appeal to Cooke as the character kept one foot in the world of pulp fiction. The second big story from this volume really encompasses a lot of those sources and it’s not even a Batman story. Written and drawn during the publication of his Catwoman run with writer Ed Brubaker, Selina’s Big Score follows the femme fatale assembling a crew of professionals to assist her on robbing a mob train full of unmarked cash.
There is more an element of fun than Ego as Catwoman is all about the thrills, whilst trying to find some redemption, especially in reconciling with her betrayed ex-lover Stark. With narration from Selina, Stark and Detective Slam Bradley (developed by Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster), the story can drag over the course its four issues as it spends too much time in the assembling and planning. It is ultimately saved by Cooke’s art, which can be rough around the edges, but the climatic heist is an inventive action sequence, devoted to the last issue.
In terms of the short stories, some are better than others, the best of which is “Here Be Monsters�, originally published as the Batman: Black and White series. Told in eight pages, Cooke’s art looks the best as the black-and-white presentation adds an almost painterly quality. The other short that brings out the best in his art is “Deja vu�, in which Batman chases a group of robbers who also committed another crime that resembles the Dark Knight’s tragic past. As simple the narrative is and gets the tragic message across, the coloured art is precise and the panel structure is well paced. I do want to give a shout-out to the most left-field short that is “The Monument�, of which its writing and art (by Bill Wray) feels more in line as an obscure indie comic strip that pokes fun as the mythos.
As a case of surface more so than depth, the surface is certainly impressive as the late, great Darwyn Cooke tells a variety of Batman stories from the psychological to the crime-ridden, which are far from perfect, but are fun little stories that strip the character to his timeless, essential elements.
May 16, 2017
This big deluxe edition collects Batman: Ego (2000), Catwoman: Selina's Big Score GN (2003), Batman: Gotham Knights (2000-2006) #23 and 33, and Solo (2004 DC) #1 and 5. Mostly written and drawn by Darwyn Cooke, though some of it is just drawn by Cooke, some of it is just written by him. These are highly stylized and dramatic and splashily colored Batman stories.
The main story, Cooke’s first of Batman, "Ego," has Bruce Wayne and Batman speak to each other, agonizing about his role as vigilante. A lot of psychologizing in the dialogue, but the art here and throughout is bold and colorful and sixties-pop art-hip, reminiscent of Cooke’s animation career.
There’s an intro from Amanda Conner which is sweet, and Cooke’s own notes in the afterword for each of the entries are terrific. Great to have, especially now that Cooke recently (too soon, aged 53) passed away.
The main story, Cooke’s first of Batman, "Ego," has Bruce Wayne and Batman speak to each other, agonizing about his role as vigilante. A lot of psychologizing in the dialogue, but the art here and throughout is bold and colorful and sixties-pop art-hip, reminiscent of Cooke’s animation career.
There’s an intro from Amanda Conner which is sweet, and Cooke’s own notes in the afterword for each of the entries are terrific. Great to have, especially now that Cooke recently (too soon, aged 53) passed away.
April 3, 2017
This is just delightful. "Ego" has a very Batman The Animated Series feel to it and is one of the best psychological explorations of the balancing act struck by Bruce and his altar ego. This is a five-star story, as is the final short story at the end of the collection, based on the classic Steve Englehart issue "Night of the Stalker." Some of the other stories in this volume didn't really land for me, hence the loss of a star. But overall I wish Darwyn Cooke would have another run or two at Batman. I love his interpretation.
January 2, 2018
As a Batman book, this is pretty weak with only one story dedicated to Bruce (never mind how insane and amazing that story was). As a Darwyn Cooke book, this is fantastic. Most of this volume is dedicated to Selina and Darwyn's love for her really shines through. His distinctive style is Catwoman to me. She's gorgeous no matter what (well, maybe not in Year One with the shaved head...) but my god. Darwyn with a pencil in his hand was pure magic. Darwyn drawing Selina Kyle? Perfection.
November 26, 2017
listen this is worth reading for the story that starts it and the story that ends it. Everything else is just icing on the cake.
Lovely book, worth picking up.
Lovely book, worth picking up.
January 14, 2023
The brilliant Darwyn Cooke illustrating Batman stories. The title story is brilliant, Batman has to deal with his inner demons.
March 17, 2020
"Batman: ego and other tails" by Darwyn Cooke collects Batman: ego, Selina's big score, a crossover between Batman and Spirit and some other, smaller stories. All of those stories are really good, but the best story is "Batman: ego".
"Batman: ego" is a story about Bruce Wayne wanting to quit being Batman. A man who had given Batman some information about Joker, kills his family and his self, so that they'll be safe from the joker. Batman was unable to stop the man from killing himself and that makes him feel terrible. When he returns to the Batcave he decides that he doesn't want to be Batman any more. It's then that Batman's persona emerges from Bruce's body and takes a physical for to convince Bruce not to quit being Batman. He talks to him about their story, about what made Bruce become Batman, about all the good and also all the bad that they created. This story really dives deep into Batman's character in a new, dark, amazing way.
The writing in the whole book is really good, so is the artwork and the coloring. Darwyn Cooke is someone who really knows Batman and catwoman and he can dive deep into what makes them what they are, like no one else.
8/10
"Batman: ego" is a story about Bruce Wayne wanting to quit being Batman. A man who had given Batman some information about Joker, kills his family and his self, so that they'll be safe from the joker. Batman was unable to stop the man from killing himself and that makes him feel terrible. When he returns to the Batcave he decides that he doesn't want to be Batman any more. It's then that Batman's persona emerges from Bruce's body and takes a physical for to convince Bruce not to quit being Batman. He talks to him about their story, about what made Bruce become Batman, about all the good and also all the bad that they created. This story really dives deep into Batman's character in a new, dark, amazing way.
The writing in the whole book is really good, so is the artwork and the coloring. Darwyn Cooke is someone who really knows Batman and catwoman and he can dive deep into what makes them what they are, like no one else.
8/10
June 4, 2020
Knížka složená z několika příběhů, na kterejch Cook nějakým způsobem pracoval. První z nich, Ego, je skvělá story. Art Cooka je samozřejmě boží, neskutečně dynamickej a příběh dobře napsanej. Navíc se správně hutnou atmosférou. Ego by pro mě bylo na pět hvězd. Jenomže další příběhy (některý jenom psal, některý jen ilustroval) mají silně klesající úroveň a nikdy jsem nevydržel u čtení moc dlouho.
Nerozumím ani jak se vybíralo co se použije za stories, nemají mezi sebou žádnou spojitost a i seřazený jsou dost random. Stejně random je výběr artu jakožto bonusů mezi příběhama ale popravdě to mi vůbec nevadilo. Cookovo covery mě baví a klidně bych si je zvládnul prohlížet jen tak.
Škoda artu, kterej nebyl od Cooka - objevovaly se věci, který fakt nejsou můj šálek čaje. Scénáristickej podprůměr po Egu taky není nic o čem by člověk psal domů.
Myslím, že samotný Ego by bylo víc než dostatečný.
Nerozumím ani jak se vybíralo co se použije za stories, nemají mezi sebou žádnou spojitost a i seřazený jsou dost random. Stejně random je výběr artu jakožto bonusů mezi příběhama ale popravdě to mi vůbec nevadilo. Cookovo covery mě baví a klidně bych si je zvládnul prohlížet jen tak.
Škoda artu, kterej nebyl od Cooka - objevovaly se věci, který fakt nejsou můj šálek čaje. Scénáristickej podprůměr po Egu taky není nic o čem by člověk psal domů.
Myslím, že samotný Ego by bylo víc než dostatečný.
December 11, 2022
So, "Batman: Ego and Other Tails" is a collection of short stories set in the Batman Universe by Darwyn Cooke.
Some of these stories are very short; specifically "Here Be Monsters," "The Monument," "Date Knight" and "Deja Vu." However, what really makes this collection worth reading are the two short stories "Batman: Ego" and "Catwoman: Selena's Big Score."
"Ego" is a philosophical story pitting Bruce Wayne against his alter ego "The Batman," as they debate the "No killing rule." A discussion that I'm sure every Batman fan has had at some point in their lives.
"Selina's Big Score" was the absolute highlight of this collection. It reminded me alot of "Catwoman: When in Rome," a personal favorite of mine. Once again, we find Selina Kyle on her own, trying to make her way in the world. This character is so awesome when written correctly.
I would highly recommend picking up this gem, if for no other reason than to read "Selina's Big Score."
A solid 4 stars. I really liked this one.
Some of these stories are very short; specifically "Here Be Monsters," "The Monument," "Date Knight" and "Deja Vu." However, what really makes this collection worth reading are the two short stories "Batman: Ego" and "Catwoman: Selena's Big Score."
"Ego" is a philosophical story pitting Bruce Wayne against his alter ego "The Batman," as they debate the "No killing rule." A discussion that I'm sure every Batman fan has had at some point in their lives.
"Selina's Big Score" was the absolute highlight of this collection. It reminded me alot of "Catwoman: When in Rome," a personal favorite of mine. Once again, we find Selina Kyle on her own, trying to make her way in the world. This character is so awesome when written correctly.
I would highly recommend picking up this gem, if for no other reason than to read "Selina's Big Score."
A solid 4 stars. I really liked this one.
June 22, 2016
While the art is mostly okay, and sometimes very good, writing Batman is not Darwyn Cooke's strong suit. These are the shortest, silliest tales I've ever read. If these were from 1940 I could understand the writing, but they're about ten years old. Selina's chapter was better, but not the best heist story I've ever read either. Probably best left to diehard Cooke fanatics.
June 22, 2022
uma das melhores. só não ganha do Asilo Arkham do grant morrison.
January 26, 2025
(4.5 rounded up)
“DC: The New Frontier� became one of my favorite superhero stories ever when I read it the other year and made me a fan of Darwyn Cooke. Besides writing an excellent superhero story I loved his retro art style that felt like a blend of Jack Kirby’s Silver Age of Comics art, Pixar’s The Incredibles, and the art deco aesthetic of Batman The Animated Series. It’s that last bit that drew me to “Batman: Ego and Other Tails�, a collection of Cooke’s work related to The Caped Crusader. While not as good as The New Frontier I thought this was a solid collection of Batman stories.
The titular story, Batman: Ego, is short and I know some people (including Cooke himself) have expressed a feeling it's not as good as it should be but I still liked it a fair amount. It helps that it starts with a nice little reference to my favorite Batman movie “Mask of the Phantasm� (Chuckie Sol name drop). Beyond that I liked the “conversation� Bruce and Batman were having with each other about the nature of their relationship and how far their mission should go. It’s an interesting psychological study of the character, his actions, etc. Plenty of Batman stories have done this but I liked Cooke’s approach, both in terms of story/themes but mostly how his artwork dips into the more surreal and imaginative. Regardless of any weaknesses, this was a solid opener for Cooke in the book as well as his subsequent work for DC.
The other big story of the collection, and frankly the best of the lot was “Catwoman: Selina’s Big Score�, a noir heist story where Selina teams up with a Marvin Lee expy and others to pull a train robbery. I've always been ambivalent about Catwoman the character but thought this was a great and timeless story that might actually be my favorite Catwoman story ever. That last bit is a bit weird because had there not been occasional references to Batman characters, one could forget this was a DC story, it was that accessible and even out of genre. Cooke made me care for the characters in a short time and again his artwork was stellar. Should we ever get another Catwoman movie, this is the story they should adapt.
The only other stories that were memorable for me were “Date Night� and “Deja Vu�. The former was quick and not essential reading but I did like how Cooke teamed up with another favorite artist of mine, Tim Sale, to give a beautiful looking Batman and Catwoman romp across Gotham. The latter was just a very atmospheric and emotional Batman tale of him hunting down the criminals that murdered a boy’s parents in an alleyway in front of Batman. Cooke turns this into a horror movie for the crooks and his artwork really increased the tension and dread they were feeling, as well as the pain Bruce Wayne was feeling at the end of the story due to its parallels to his childhood trauma. It's a simple story but it works. There's a few other stories and short art pieces in the collection that aren’t too memorable but it's Cooke so they’re at least pretty great looking.
While I may be biased because of my love of Cooke’s previous work, I thought the sum total of “Batman Ego and Other Tails� is brilliant and makes up for any failings that individual pieces may have. This felt like a true celebration of Batman, Catwoman and other residents of Gotham City. Cooke at least gets the crime noir aspects of these characters and crafted stories and artwork for them that truly feel timeless. At the very minimum, I’d say this is an underrated Batman graphic novel and a good peak at what Cooke can bring to the comic book medium.
“DC: The New Frontier� became one of my favorite superhero stories ever when I read it the other year and made me a fan of Darwyn Cooke. Besides writing an excellent superhero story I loved his retro art style that felt like a blend of Jack Kirby’s Silver Age of Comics art, Pixar’s The Incredibles, and the art deco aesthetic of Batman The Animated Series. It’s that last bit that drew me to “Batman: Ego and Other Tails�, a collection of Cooke’s work related to The Caped Crusader. While not as good as The New Frontier I thought this was a solid collection of Batman stories.
The titular story, Batman: Ego, is short and I know some people (including Cooke himself) have expressed a feeling it's not as good as it should be but I still liked it a fair amount. It helps that it starts with a nice little reference to my favorite Batman movie “Mask of the Phantasm� (Chuckie Sol name drop). Beyond that I liked the “conversation� Bruce and Batman were having with each other about the nature of their relationship and how far their mission should go. It’s an interesting psychological study of the character, his actions, etc. Plenty of Batman stories have done this but I liked Cooke’s approach, both in terms of story/themes but mostly how his artwork dips into the more surreal and imaginative. Regardless of any weaknesses, this was a solid opener for Cooke in the book as well as his subsequent work for DC.
The other big story of the collection, and frankly the best of the lot was “Catwoman: Selina’s Big Score�, a noir heist story where Selina teams up with a Marvin Lee expy and others to pull a train robbery. I've always been ambivalent about Catwoman the character but thought this was a great and timeless story that might actually be my favorite Catwoman story ever. That last bit is a bit weird because had there not been occasional references to Batman characters, one could forget this was a DC story, it was that accessible and even out of genre. Cooke made me care for the characters in a short time and again his artwork was stellar. Should we ever get another Catwoman movie, this is the story they should adapt.
The only other stories that were memorable for me were “Date Night� and “Deja Vu�. The former was quick and not essential reading but I did like how Cooke teamed up with another favorite artist of mine, Tim Sale, to give a beautiful looking Batman and Catwoman romp across Gotham. The latter was just a very atmospheric and emotional Batman tale of him hunting down the criminals that murdered a boy’s parents in an alleyway in front of Batman. Cooke turns this into a horror movie for the crooks and his artwork really increased the tension and dread they were feeling, as well as the pain Bruce Wayne was feeling at the end of the story due to its parallels to his childhood trauma. It's a simple story but it works. There's a few other stories and short art pieces in the collection that aren’t too memorable but it's Cooke so they’re at least pretty great looking.
While I may be biased because of my love of Cooke’s previous work, I thought the sum total of “Batman Ego and Other Tails� is brilliant and makes up for any failings that individual pieces may have. This felt like a true celebration of Batman, Catwoman and other residents of Gotham City. Cooke at least gets the crime noir aspects of these characters and crafted stories and artwork for them that truly feel timeless. At the very minimum, I’d say this is an underrated Batman graphic novel and a good peak at what Cooke can bring to the comic book medium.
April 11, 2022
You can find my review on my blog by clicking .
The beauty behind an idea is its multiple interpretations. Worked through different minds, said idea can come out in a myriad of forms. It then speaks to some people while it goes unnoticed by others. The numerous superheroes that have now existed for over eight decades are ideas that have been interpreted and reinterpreted by countless creators. And in the hands of some creators, they tell stories that either changes the character or the reader forever. Known for his iconic DC: The New Frontier story, creator Darwyn Cooke is a man with many talents and had multiple opportunities to work with other artists to bring forth his own unique ideas to life. And some of these ideas include the Bat and the Cat.
What is Batman: Ego and Other Tails about? This collection presents writer and artist Darwyn Cooke’s original vision of both the Dark Knight and Catwoman with stories that explore their unique personas and endeavours. From Batman having to face the toughest opponent he has ever had to deal with before, who is none other than himself, to Catwoman preparing herself for the biggest score she’s ever planned, that unfortunately fails as everything imaginable goes wrong, this collection reprints together some of the critically acclaimed creator’s work in one neat hardcover. This volume collects Darwyn Cooke’s one-shot story Batman: Ego, Catwoman: Selina’s Big Score, as well as stories drawn from the Batman: Black and White series and Solo.
There’s a lot of love that goes around for creator Darwyn Cooke’s work within DC’s playground but not everything stands tall and firm to scrutiny. For instance, on one hand, Batman: Ego, which is supposed to be the highlight of this collection, has a broken down Bruce Wayne facing his alter ego Batman in a trippy confrontation that allows readers to grasp the weight and torture of his crimefighting days on his psyche. Unfortunately, this story only shows promise through its premise but falls flat in terms of execution as it barely gets down and dirty into the psychological warfare that could’ve been explored within Batman’s mind. On the other hand, the Feline Fatale’s story Catwoman: Selina’s Big Score turned out to be much more intriguing in terms of characterization as the story builds up like a traditional heist adventure. It also focuses on her personality and signature traits, as well as an unusual love interest that surely marks a big moment in her life but the story is riddled with a mundane writing style that easily distracts the reader into losing interest periodically throughout the story.
The collection does, however, offer readers the opportunity to further acquaint themselves with Cooke’s cartoony artwork as well as the artistic contribution of other renowned artists like Bill Wray and Tim Sale. Their styles work complementarily to Cooke’s writing and they all share similar traits from one story to another, oftentimes playing around with shadows, utilizing heavy contours, and plunging the narrative into a noir mystery atmosphere. The super-short Batman: Black and White stories interspersed throughout the volume are mainly forgettable and simply offer respite between the bigger tales presented here. The sketchy and animated style remains visually entertaining, allowing the stories to exist within a comic book world rather than the real world. It is not a style that is often seen nowadays but it definitely brings something special to the table to break free from the usual artistic vision of other artists.
Batman: Ego and Other Tails is an unspectacular yet curious collection of Darwyn Cooke’s stories featuring Batman and Catwoman.
September 5, 2020
How many times are we going to read the same story?
The art is fantastic. The pacing is great. It just isn’t enough to get me to overlook the rehashing. Come up with a real story to put that soul searching in. That would be interesting. This was just ok. The extras were better.
The art is fantastic. The pacing is great. It just isn’t enough to get me to overlook the rehashing. Come up with a real story to put that soul searching in. That would be interesting. This was just ok. The extras were better.
December 21, 2024
Came for Darwyn's gorgeously illustrated batman stories but Catwoman: Selina's Big Score was my favourite part. Feels just like the noir films it's styled after and his art sets the tone wonderfully.
August 1, 2022
3.5 Stars
October 6, 2024
1. loved selina’s story!
2. loved darywn cooke’s style
3. had a ton of fun
4.75 stars 🌟
2. loved darywn cooke’s style
3. had a ton of fun
4.75 stars 🌟
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