“Old Flames”
Writers: Alan Burnett and Paul Dini
Artist: Kevin Altieri
Color Artist: Monica Kubina
Letterer: Josh Reed
Review by James Attias
Batman: The Adventures Continue #3.2 Takes us on a trip of romances past, the places loneliness takes us, the ex we shouldn’t send a text to at 1 am, and the thoughts of the ones that got away.
You Harley Know Her
This issue takes us back to the style of one of Batman: The Animated Series‘ most beloved episodes, “Harley’s Holiday”. This issue sees a drunk lonely Harley Quinn seeking companionship after all of her girlfriends and girlfriend seemed to be busy or avoiding her. Enter the well-placed newspaper featuring a new character from apparently everyone who went to Gotham U’s past Cassie Kendall. A socialite who used to be BFFs and FwBs with a young Harleen.
So, after a fortunate newspaper headline, we find ourselves at Cassie’s party, with a certain Playboy catching up with a former girlfriend. That’s right, Cassie dated Bruce Wayne. Also a tip of the hat to the fans, he dated her before Andrea Beaumont. The fact that Alfred mentions her in the same sentence as Andrea is a sign that she wasn’t just a fling, or so Bruce thought.
After we see Harley invade the party, and try to catch up with Cassie, at what really feels like an inconvenient time for this new character who’s dated everyone featured in this issue so far. It goes without saying that chaos ensues! A team of armed gunmen shows up in a helicopter to kidnap our new mysterious character. Luckily for her, Bruce always packs a spare outfit in his car and Harley’s always ready for a brawl.
Ms. Quinn’s slapstick fighting style really does take us back to the animated series in a good way. It’s a shame that the storytelling and art in this issue, for me, didn’t gel as well as they did in the last issue.
The Art of Someone Else
Batman: The Animated Series is an institution, The New Adventures of Batman was a new look for an evolving show. Sadly this issue didn’t keep to the Bruce Timm style that we were treated to last issue and for the most part of The Adventures Continue series.
The artist on this issue was Kevin Altieri (who many of you will know from directing a number of amazing episodes of BTAS), but in terms of this art, it just didn’t feel right for me. I guess that I’m just hard to please when it comes to anything related to my childhood’s (and adulthood’s) favorite show. Don’t get me wrong, the art’s very good indeed, but I feel it may be more suited to a darker, more grounded comics series, not The Batman Adventures.
Monica Kubina’s colors and Josh Reed’s letters are, as always, perfect.
The story itself was an interesting idea but had too many jokes crammed in. Believe me, I loved the humor of the animated series as Alfred could make a comment so funny I’d have to pause for a chuckle, but this issue seemed like it was trying too hard. If the art looks right a bit of dialogue discrepancy is fine, and vice versa, but to have both not on top form. Was quite jarring.
Conclusion
This first issue of the new season was great but this one was based on a good idea that ultimately failed to deliver. Let’s hope number three can really blow me away!
Batman: The Adventures Continue #3.2, while good, just didn’t meet the high standard we’ve all come to expect.
Images Courtesy of DC Entertainment
Review Written In Loving Memory of Kevin Conroy. Always Our Batman.
