Holy Terror review

[deckardbr]

Got my copy from amazon who shipped early. Good price also.

This is a tour de force book, a real treat for Miller fans. I want to give away as little as possible as this is the first Miller book in so long that is both written and drawn by him. Its something you want to experience as you open the pages and experience it yourself.

In a way this feels more a sequel to Dark Knight Returns then DK2 (which I liked) and his All Star run. It has that great hard nosed take on superheros with the political elements that made DKR so interesting. Yes the character is different, I'll get to him in a moment, but the first part of the book is pure Batman. And we're talking Miller Batman, so you'll just stare at the layouts at how amazing and fluid it all looks. The writing is great, Miller's current spare writing style but each word is so well considered there is really no need for further exposition.

As for the Fixer, when Miller said the way the story was evolving just couldn't involve Batman, it makes sense. This is a different character, a bit mysterious with some background given here and there but not much. In a way it works so much better that its not Batman. Its Miller's own superhero, a hero who isn't afraid to truly take justice into his own hands. When dealing with the villians of the book, it would have felt like a cheat to have Batman give his own brand of mercy to such despicable characters. The Fixer doesn't have those reservations and for the story it works great and provides a catharsis for the reader which wouldn't have happened with a conventional DC hero.

As for the villians, the terrorists, Miller is very clear on what they are, evil selfish bastards who don't care who they hurt for their own ideals. No matter what criticisms who read about the book, it really does come down to that. Religion itself is really kept out of the book for the most part though theres a mosque and some symbolism here and there, its mostly a depiction of the terrorist's actions and what they are capable of.

I haven't commented on the female sidekick, essentially catwomen, but shes great. She serves as a sort of Robin character in the story and of course looks fantastic.

I'm happy this book finally came out, I've been waiting for it forever like I'm sure all of you have. I hope you post your reviews and thoughts also. Its amazing stuff and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did.

[Adam]

Wow, thanks for the review man. It's good to know that you liked it. I'm gonna pick it up tomorrow. I've been waiting for it since 2005 when he first announced it. It's a good feeling to be able to go to the comic shop and pick up something new from Miller