This was that good period where Bruce wasn't just a physical God that is an expert in literally everything, he's a man of exceptional will and ability but he's still just a person so the shit that happens to him feels more meaningful.
"What's that? Zombie Nazies from space just took over the pentagon? Don't worry, I knew this would happen one day and have prepared for it! I'm just gonna put a bunch of this green crap in a plane and dump in on the Pentagon and all the zombies will die. You're welcome. Also in like a week a mad scientist would have invented a new virus to kill the whole planet, but don't worry I already found him and beat the shit out of him and put him in jail. Also, while we're talking, yes you can use my bat rocket for that thing you're trying to do. I'd say don't break it, but we both know you're going to break it, so I already made 3 more. In my basement. From shit I found lying around gotham." That's the Batman that I can't stand.
I get why Batman let that woman die. He knew going out to save her would get him and Robin killed, and he wouldn't have saved her anyways. He was facing a literal army with just himself and a teenager in bright spandex. Batman knew Gotham and all it's citizens would be lost if he went for her, so he didn't...but her screams will be motivation to never be so careless again. Or it should have been, if he had consistently good writers.
If I was writing Batman, I wouldn’t even put that situation in the book. A real hero would risk his life to save just one person even if it meant certain death.
@@superjlk_9538 A real hero wouldn't risk the lives of thousands to save one person. If you were writing Batman, it would be the worst writing he ever had and you'd ruin the character forever, causing the death of any future Batman comics.,
@@TimedRevolver yes they would if it was an innocent person. Lives are not a numbers game. You can’t save everyone but that doesn’t mean you don’t try. This is the theme of the Spider-Verse films
The image of the Monster Batmobile tearing through the ruins of Gotham was badass. Hell, the art in the entire book managed to be haunting yet amazing at the same time.
I consider all the prestige post-Crisis Bat Books written from '86 to '89 to be in the same continuity. Starting from Year One, then Son of the Demon, then Cult, then Killing Joke, etc. leading up to Death in the Family and ending with DKR. If you read it that way, you get a cohesive, well-made, tragic as all hell narrative arc for the caped crusader's entire career. Everything from the tone to the character development to even the art matches exceptionally well.
Not to mention the fact that Bruce literally traveled to caveman times and left markings of bats and shit that inadvertently caused like literally everything in the universe beyond that point
Sal nailed me on the head with that part about the chapters. Like when he said that's the end of the first book I was like "What?! How much more can there be?"
Man this story was phenomenal. And it was made even better by your excellent storytelling. I can't believe that I have literally never heard anyone but you talk about this book before. This episode was excellent. Thank you for making it.
I managed to find the separate issues in perfect condition at a small time con. I thought I'd have to spend a fortune for them, but I got them all for ten bucks total
Read this back when this first came out. The scene in the beginning, where Bruce Wayne morphs into Batman is etched in my brain as one of the strangest thing I read in Batman.
Started watching it. Got really interested only 6 minutes into the video. Stopped watching it. Read the whole comic. Now, I am back. I agree with Sal. This is one of the best comic books of Batman I have ever read.
This might be my favorite Batman Back Issues for 2 reasons: 1) it’s rare to hear about an excellent Batman story I haven’t heard about 2) your guys’ mortified reactions are exactly how I’d react, but more hilarious lol
I don’t think this would never be a movie because just the idea that all homeless are the villains, they’re demonized, and there’s so many of them, and there’s no lesson about that at the end. It’s like the don’t breathe, how they treat people with PTSD like slashers
I find it extremely fortuitous that Sal and the guys do this book and then not even a month later Detective Comics is doing a deacon Blackfire story. That is amazing timing.
Thanks for doing this story in Back Issues! I love Bernie Wrightson, and I’m stoked he got to do a Batman book. I didn’t know it then in the 80s that Bernie had been a local in Baltimore when I picked it up 30 years ago! It’s a different Batman that we’re used to today because this was before Batman became a McGuyver for all situations/villains. Glad I got to meet Bernie at Baltimore Comic Con a few years before he passed away. He was such a nice guy...
I LOVE THIS BOOK! I haven't even stated the episode yet, so I'm not sure if this is a "praise" episode, or a "rake over hot coals" episode. But I'm so glad you guys are covering it on Back Issues.
B. Catão And I think the Legend of Blackfire is a story element to a recent issue of Batgirl or Birds of Prey. Something about a living history museum or a school field trip to a museum in Gotham.
This is like peak comic pop for me. Between a pretty cool book that’s rarely talked about. Funny bits like rat face getting really offended over being called rat face and “and of course they do” It’s all here in this story that’s super tight and at least to me super comfy. If I ever recommend this show it’s usually this episode
As someone who never really was into Batman comics, I picked this up instantly as part of my collection. The story itself, me being a Starlin fan and your excellent retelling of this story...damn you, lol.
Wow, why have I never paid attention to this book? This was insane, and I'm definitely gonna have to pick it up for myself. thanks for shredding light on such a great book!
80s Batman is quite possibly, the greatest era of the characters history, I mean, DKR, Killing Joke, Arkham Asylum? It's no wonder they became desperate in the 90s.
Kevik96 Dude, Knightfall is a perfect representation of how most comics are. It’s ironic because it’s among the best of the genre. It’s just that the graphic novels you listed are something else entirely.
@@christopherdavis1860 But, they wanted to get rid of Bruce Wayne though. Like, for good. The Death of Superman was meant to be temporary. Knightfall was supposed to be permanent with Azrael taking the mantle for the foreseeable future.
I believe Dark Knight Rises was No Man's Land and Knightfall
6 ปีที่แล้ว +8
It has a bit of The Cult in it, yeah, with the whole underground thing. Aaaand I'm gonna add a bit of Dark Knight Returns to this enumeration :)) For the Batman coming out of retirement, him needing to use some exo-skeleton/brace thing on the arm, respectively on the legs and the end where most people think he's dead. No superhero film is based on just on comics (if at all).
What I like about this one is that it shows just how ballsy Dc used to be in the late 80's very early 90's. Dc was taking alot of chances across the board. Sadly Batman is a victim of his own success and a story like this where Batman is so vulnerable to mundane threats would be impossible editorially just a mere 8 years later when BatGod was born. People forget how Post Crisis Batman did not become a mega dick/ Xanatos from Gargoyles until after Morrison's JLA
I really need to get a copy of this book again. It was a favorite of mine as a teenager, but you all have reminded me how crazy dark this story was. Thank you.
This comic is in my 'comics that changed how I view the medium' long box. Along with Longbow Hunters, Sandman, Swamp Thing and Hellblazer (and a few others, of course).
That side eye roll from Sal to Ben after Ben's theory about homeless people taking criminals homes was a perfect summation of their on couch relationship. Love it.
What are you talking about? Dark Knight Returns didn't come out on newsprint, it came out squarebound, on fancy paper and a high price point (comparatively). It was in every way a prestige format publication - I have a clear memory of house ads hyping how high quality the presentation would be. The DKR trade today looks just like what came out in 1986, with all of Lynn Varley's near-unprecedented level of saturation and detail in the coloring. Whereas modern trades reprinting from other books of the era look completely different than how they did in newsprint.
Around the 21 minute mark, when you guys were talking about Robin hypothetically rescuing Batman as he's chained up and half dead, a scene popped into my head: Robin enters, and Batman scolds him, as he expects. Robin (patronizingly, like speaking to a small child or a pet): "Are you SURE you don't want to be rescued? I brought some delicious rat meat..." Batman (begrudgingly): "Oh alright, fine! Now gimmie that rat!"
Shit I remember years ago my dad gave me a bunch of comics that he had when he was younger. It was really disorganized and didn't have too many complete story arcs but I remember seeing the cult in there but had no idea what it was about or if I had all of them. I gotta find where those comics went.
You got a sub from me! I just LOVE Batman - The Cult. One of my fave Batman stories of all time and it is a DAMN SHAME that no one talks about it these days. I put it down to the PC times we live in, just reading the foreword in this printing has a weird irony to it these days. It will have its day again though, it's a blinder of a story with superb art and writing. I actually own an original pecil page from it by Wrightson himself! Book Four Page 31.
Every time I think I know all the acclaimed top batman stories Sal comes with another acclaimed top batman story I've never heard of the man has so many fucking books
The Dark Knight Rises is my favorite movie of all time. I know others have problems with it and that's cool but for me it's still just as phenomenal. But the amount of stuff taken from this book makes me wanna not give Chris Nolan as much credit now
It’s funny because some people actually say that one of the great faults of Chris Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy is that he didn’t take enough from the comic books. Little do they know that him, his brother John, and David S. Goyer did their research to try and stay true to the roots of the world while also making it feel completely original.
Wow. Now words except wow. This would have been awesome on the big screen honestly. Great story. Also Sal i have to say, i love the outro music you use. Did you make it yourself or did someone make it for you? In genuinely curious
This sounds like a great story but judging from the pictures it looks very dialogue heavy . wrightsons art looks better here than the batman alien crossover
Love your channel! Correction. Read both the Cult, Year One and DKR when they were first printed. While Year One was in floppy format the others were both Prestige format when released.
One thing don't understand why Blackfire never unmasked Bats, or did he, just didn't care, not recognized Bruce? Just saying things could've been more darker than it was, nowadays this mini series would,ve been a whole story arc, redone these days can imagine it as a No Man,s Land type story. Deacon finding Bat,s identity could,ve had underworlder,s find Wayne Manor, storm it & claim it for themselves, Alfred gets killed maybe? Great story all around.
This was that good period where Bruce wasn't just a physical God that is an expert in literally everything, he's a man of exceptional will and ability but he's still just a person so the shit that happens to him feels more meaningful.
"What's that? Zombie Nazies from space just took over the pentagon? Don't worry, I knew this would happen one day and have prepared for it! I'm just gonna put a bunch of this green crap in a plane and dump in on the Pentagon and all the zombies will die. You're welcome. Also in like a week a mad scientist would have invented a new virus to kill the whole planet, but don't worry I already found him and beat the shit out of him and put him in jail. Also, while we're talking, yes you can use my bat rocket for that thing you're trying to do. I'd say don't break it, but we both know you're going to break it, so I already made 3 more. In my basement. From shit I found lying around gotham."
That's the Batman that I can't stand.
Wow, Batman taught Jason how to shoot guns? That's really interesting considering where Jason ended up.
Holy shit i didn't even think of that
Thy eveb show it in Jason's post crisis origin
I bet he regrets it every time Jason uses one.
@@DepressedFishey123 Batman: Why did I even teach him how to use a gun? Did I do that with Dick?
@@fynnthefox9078 he uses guns for practice
I get why Batman let that woman die. He knew going out to save her would get him and Robin killed, and he wouldn't have saved her anyways. He was facing a literal army with just himself and a teenager in bright spandex.
Batman knew Gotham and all it's citizens would be lost if he went for her, so he didn't...but her screams will be motivation to never be so careless again.
Or it should have been, if he had consistently good writers.
If I was writing Batman, I wouldn’t even put that situation in the book. A real hero would risk his life to save just one person even if it meant certain death.
@@superjlk_9538 A real hero wouldn't risk the lives of thousands to save one person.
If you were writing Batman, it would be the worst writing he ever had and you'd ruin the character forever, causing the death of any future Batman comics.,
@@TimedRevolver yes they would if it was an innocent person. Lives are not a numbers game. You can’t save everyone but that doesn’t mean you don’t try. This is the theme of the Spider-Verse films
Batman looks like he's about to beat the shit out of Sal! Is he _threatening_ you to like his book?! Blink twice for "yes", once for "no"!
He wants him to join him on his war on Rock And Roll
zangetsu134 If only I could give you two thumbs up
why do i see you in so many of the comments section of videos i watch ? we probably have good tastes!
Just Some Guy with a Mustache 😂😂😂
That dual look from Sal and Ethan towards Ben is hilarious! “Thank god its blood!” Lmao.
The image of the Monster Batmobile tearing through the ruins of Gotham was badass. Hell, the art in the entire book managed to be haunting yet amazing at the same time.
I consider all the prestige post-Crisis Bat Books written from '86 to '89 to be in the same continuity. Starting from Year One, then Son of the Demon, then Cult, then Killing Joke, etc. leading up to Death in the Family and ending with DKR. If you read it that way, you get a cohesive, well-made, tragic as all hell narrative arc for the caped crusader's entire career. Everything from the tone to the character development to even the art matches exceptionally well.
I laughed every time you described the hordes of "homeless converts" chasing down Batman. That's such a Batman thing to have happen.
the 100 year old priest is impossible to batman,yet he has a 1000 year old father-in-law
Lazzen I was just about to comment that
Not to mention Batman himself is a Shaman and dealt with the Mad Monk and Mr. Whisper at this point.
Exactly
Not to mention the fact that Bruce literally traveled to caveman times and left markings of bats and shit that inadvertently caused like literally everything in the universe beyond that point
Screw the Bat Tank... I want a Bat Monstertruck with like 15 foot tires!!!
Remember that time someone broke Batman?... No not Bane, the first time.
This was the frist trade i picked up.
I bought this book a couple of months ago because of your best Batman stories video and it’s now one of my favorites
Sal nailed me on the head with that part about the chapters. Like when he said that's the end of the first book I was like "What?! How much more can there be?"
Wow, this story was a legitimate gem. Immediately bought it and have no regrets.
This is a strange day for me. First, there was a bat in my bathroom. Now Comicpop releases a batman book on Back Issues.
brandon willis You know what that means, right? Gotham needs you.
Man this story was phenomenal. And it was made even better by your excellent storytelling. I can't believe that I have literally never heard anyone but you talk about this book before. This episode was excellent. Thank you for making it.
One of the best batman stories imo. I really wish it got more praise. It’s certainly the best Jason Todd story.
I managed to find the separate issues in perfect condition at a small time con. I thought I'd have to spend a fortune for them, but I got them all for ten bucks total
Read this back when this first came out. The scene in the beginning, where Bruce Wayne morphs into Batman is etched in my brain as one of the strangest thing I read in Batman.
Blackfire was in the Arkham Knight and I was like who's this guy
Me too
Started watching it. Got really interested only 6 minutes into the video. Stopped watching it. Read the whole comic. Now, I am back. I agree with Sal. This is one of the best comic books of Batman I have ever read.
This might be my favorite Batman Back Issues for 2 reasons: 1) it’s rare to hear about an excellent Batman story I haven’t heard about 2) your guys’ mortified reactions are exactly how I’d react, but more hilarious lol
I don’t think this would never be a movie because just the idea that all homeless are the villains, they’re demonized, and there’s so many of them, and there’s no lesson about that at the end. It’s like the don’t breathe, how they treat people with PTSD like slashers
I find it extremely fortuitous that Sal and the guys do this book and then not even a month later Detective Comics is doing a deacon Blackfire story. That is amazing timing.
Thanks for doing this story in Back Issues! I love Bernie Wrightson, and I’m stoked he got to do a Batman book. I didn’t know it then in the 80s that Bernie had been a local in Baltimore when I picked it up 30 years ago! It’s a different Batman that we’re used to today because this was before Batman became a McGuyver for all situations/villains. Glad I got to meet Bernie at Baltimore Comic Con a few years before he passed away. He was such a nice guy...
This is better than drugs.
Alot cheaper too😉
I LOVE THIS BOOK! I haven't even stated the episode yet, so I'm not sure if this is a "praise" episode, or a "rake over hot coals" episode. But I'm so glad you guys are covering it on Back Issues.
I never thouhgt I would see Blackfyre again after this book, but New 52 and Arkham Knight proved me wrong.
B. Catão And I think the Legend of Blackfire is a story element to a recent issue of Batgirl or Birds of Prey. Something about a living history museum or a school field trip to a museum in Gotham.
He showed up in Detective Comics 982
best show on the intertubes
People say Bane was the one who broke the Bat? That title belongs to Blackfire.
Guarantee Batman ran over some of those homeless people with the monster truck. It's ok. "I DON'T HAVE TO SAVE YOU!!"
the dickhead statue killed me :D
This is like peak comic pop for me.
Between a pretty cool book that’s rarely talked about. Funny bits like rat face getting really offended over being called rat face and “and of course they do”
It’s all here in this story that’s super tight and at least to me super comfy. If I ever recommend this show it’s usually this episode
As someone who never really was into Batman comics, I picked this up instantly as part of my collection. The story itself, me being a Starlin fan and your excellent retelling of this story...damn you, lol.
wow what a great batman story. thank you Sal, Ethan, and Ben for back issues. this show gets me excited for Wednesdays.
How have I never read this?!? This was a tense and thoroughly surprising and dark episode.
“They Don’t”....LOL
38:45 The Humphrey Bogart costume of the 80s is just the proto-version of the "baseball cap-and-jacket" disguise of the MCU
Wow, why have I never paid attention to this book? This was insane, and I'm definitely gonna have to pick it up for myself. thanks for shredding light on such a great book!
Yo this was awesome! Been bingeing these back issues and this is one of my favorites. 🔥
80s Batman is quite possibly, the greatest era of the characters history, I mean, DKR, Killing Joke, Arkham Asylum? It's no wonder they became desperate in the 90s.
Jack O Brien How was it desperate in the ‘90s?
@@christopherdavis1860 Knightfall
Kevik96 Dude, Knightfall is a perfect representation of how most comics are. It’s ironic because it’s among the best of the genre. It’s just that the graphic novels you listed are something else entirely.
@@christopherdavis1860 But, they wanted to get rid of Bruce Wayne though. Like, for good. The Death of Superman was meant to be temporary. Knightfall was supposed to be permanent with Azrael taking the mantle for the foreseeable future.
the 90s had batman the animated series.
Do Marvel Ruins, just to see their reactions
And how does the Hulk get attention from the JL?
The Huge amount of Damage
Back Issues makes my Wednesday :)
Same
One of the greatest batman stories ever
Fun fact deacon blackfire was in arkham knight you fight him in one of the side missions I think the mission was even called the cult
This is Jason's best moments as robin
Definitely one of the best Batman stories of the 1980s.
I think Batman TAS : The Under dwellers was supposed to be a watered down version of this. I see elements in TDKRises too.
This story sounded insane and awesome. I'm surprised i've never heard of it.
This book has to be what Dark Knight Rises was based on - more so than anything else
I think dark knight rises was more based on knightfall, but it does have similarities here as well.
I believe Dark Knight Rises was No Man's Land and Knightfall
It has a bit of The Cult in it, yeah, with the whole underground thing.
Aaaand I'm gonna add a bit of Dark Knight Returns to this enumeration :)) For the Batman coming out of retirement, him needing to use some exo-skeleton/brace thing on the arm, respectively on the legs and the end where most people think he's dead.
No superhero film is based on just on comics (if at all).
seadome13 It was.
@@seadome13 with some elements of The Dark Knight Returns, but not really... Mainly this story, no man's land, and knightfall
What I like about this one is that it shows just how ballsy Dc used to be in the late 80's very early 90's. Dc was taking alot of chances across the board.
Sadly Batman is a victim of his own success and a story like this where Batman is so vulnerable to mundane threats would be impossible editorially just a mere 8 years later when BatGod was born. People forget how Post Crisis Batman did not become a mega dick/ Xanatos from Gargoyles until after Morrison's JLA
I really need to get a copy of this book again. It was a favorite of mine as a teenager, but you all have reminded me how crazy dark this story was. Thank you.
Wow! Suddenly Jason Todd’s character makes a lot more sense given this “adventure”.
DAT LAUGH DOH 7:51 LOL
I LOVE IT!!!!!!
This comic is in my 'comics that changed how I view the medium' long box. Along with Longbow Hunters, Sandman, Swamp Thing and Hellblazer (and a few others, of course).
That side eye roll from Sal to Ben after Ben's theory about homeless people taking criminals homes was a perfect summation of their on couch relationship. Love it.
i had missed this one back in the day, thought i had read all the batman, thanks Sal, you and the couchly duo keep proving your worth
What are you talking about? Dark Knight Returns didn't come out on newsprint, it came out squarebound, on fancy paper and a high price point (comparatively). It was in every way a prestige format publication - I have a clear memory of house ads hyping how high quality the presentation would be. The DKR trade today looks just like what came out in 1986, with all of Lynn Varley's near-unprecedented level of saturation and detail in the coloring. Whereas modern trades reprinting from other books of the era look completely different than how they did in newsprint.
Love the show, guys. I've been trying to get into comics and it's been a lifesaver. Thanks for doing what you do!
I really like the coloring of this book
“well let’s go back” has to be my favorite running inside joke on this show😂😭
Around the 21 minute mark, when you guys were talking about Robin hypothetically rescuing Batman as he's chained up and half dead, a scene popped into my head:
Robin enters, and Batman scolds him, as he expects.
Robin (patronizingly, like speaking to a small child or a pet): "Are you SURE you don't want to be rescued? I brought some delicious rat meat..."
Batman (begrudgingly): "Oh alright, fine! Now gimmie that rat!"
Shit I remember years ago my dad gave me a bunch of comics that he had when he was younger. It was really disorganized and didn't have too many complete story arcs but I remember seeing the cult in there but had no idea what it was about or if I had all of them. I gotta find where those comics went.
The Nolan’s clearly read this story.
Hey guys, can you do Batman and The Mad Monk? Its a prequel to Batman and The Man Who Laughs and brings back the Golden Age Vampire known as Monk.
I remember my cousin had this. I remember that image of Batman in ‘Hell’ from my childhood
This book's style is a lot like Dark Knight Returns
I just bought this randomly at my LCS a week ago today no lie, great Starlin book in general
So basically from what you guys were saying deacon black fire and the cult pre date the whole thing with red hood and that whole thing? Interesting.
Cool story - this is the first comic book I ever read at age of 7, didn’t have that guy in my schools library. To this day it is one of the best.
You got a sub from me! I just LOVE Batman - The Cult. One of my fave Batman stories of all time and it is a DAMN SHAME that no one talks about it these days. I put it down to the PC times we live in, just reading the foreword in this printing has a weird irony to it these days. It will have its day again though, it's a blinder of a story with superb art and writing.
I actually own an original pecil page from it by Wrightson himself! Book Four Page 31.
I love this book, been waiting forever for you to tell the guys. Looking forward to watching 😀
Next could you do Batman: No Man’s Land?
Is it just me or would this storyline or a variation of it would have been perfect for the Arkham games with the whole overrun city theme
this is now my favorite batman story
Every time I think I know all the acclaimed top batman stories Sal comes with another acclaimed top batman story I've never heard of the man has so many fucking books
really great episode!
This was one of the first Batman miniseries I got as a kid, and it was SO different from the portrayals I had seen until then.
Wow that's Blackfire who made a brief appearance in Arkham Knight was the baddy in this comic that's awesome
The Dark Knight Rises is my favorite movie of all time. I know others have problems with it and that's cool but for me it's still just as phenomenal. But the amount of stuff taken from this book makes me wanna not give Chris Nolan as much credit now
It’s funny because some people actually say that one of the great faults of Chris Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy is that he didn’t take enough from the comic books. Little do they know that him, his brother John, and David S. Goyer did their research to try and stay true to the roots of the world while also making it feel completely original.
I don't have problems, I absolutely hate dark knight rises
Wow. Now words except wow. This would have been awesome on the big screen honestly. Great story. Also Sal i have to say, i love the outro music you use. Did you make it yourself or did someone make it for you? In genuinely curious
Holy shit! I'm buying this next payday, it's just going to wait in my Amazon cart for a week or two. Mocking me.
This sounds like a great story but judging from the pictures it looks very dialogue heavy . wrightsons art looks better here than the batman alien crossover
The only times I’ve ever heard of this book were the times I was told that it was terrible. I’m only just now being told that it’s good?
I like the darker batman stories.
Love your channel! Correction. Read both the Cult, Year One and DKR when they were first printed. While Year One was in floppy format the others were both Prestige format when released.
One thing don't understand why Blackfire never unmasked Bats, or did he, just didn't care, not recognized Bruce? Just saying things could've been more darker than it was, nowadays this mini series would,ve been a whole story arc, redone these days can imagine it as a No Man,s Land type story. Deacon finding Bat,s identity could,ve had underworlder,s find Wayne Manor, storm it & claim it for themselves, Alfred gets killed maybe? Great story all around.
47:10 South Park did an episode where the homeless did that
Can’t tell you how long I’ve been waiting for this episode! Thanks so much, Sal! :D
Back issues is the best
I bet Batman regrets teaching Jason how to use guns
Can you do Batman: Dark Victory
I've seen requests for this for years , so excited for the population ...here we go 👍
This is possibly my favorite backissues episode
Dark Knight Rises story was actually based on "A tale of two cities", which probably served as the inspiration for parts of "The Cult"
Man. Great episode gang.
Batman definitely had a 80× combo going.
26 minutes in and I get the feeling the back and forth is like Punisher / Daredevil. Half measures...
I never miss a show
I love this story! It such a unique batman story.