BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking Podcast

One of the artists most represented on the big board, and probably, if we arrogated based on number of stories and story placement (and that would be higher if Matt got his way with "Blades"), one of the favorite artists we have, comics lost a major talent with the passing of Tim Sale last month. So Matt and Will looked at his catalog of work, and this week, we are featuring three other stories by Tim Sale

Solo # 1

The Misfits (Batman: Shadow of the Bat # 7-9)

Batman: The Long Halloween Special # 1

Check out our current ranking list at www.comicsxf.com/batchat-rankings/

Thanks to Geri Nonnewitz for our podcast logo

Follow the show on Twitter @BatChatComics and support the show on Patreon at www.patreon.com/batchatwithmattandwill

Doctor. Philanthropist. Vigilante? Killer?

For a character who was introduced to be killed and be the motivation to drive his son into a life of crime fighting, Thomas Wayne has worn a lot of hats (and cowls, for that matter). This week, we're reading three stories that are about Thomas Wayne and his legacy.

The First Batman (Detective Comics V.1 # 235)

Cold Case (Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight # 201-203)

Flashpoint: Batman- Knight of Vengeance # 1-3

Check out our current ranking list at www.comicsxf.com/batchat-rankings/

Thanks to Geri Nonnewitz for our podcast logo

Follow the show on Twitter @BatChatComics and support the show on Patreon at www.patreon.com/batchatwithmattandwill

This week, Chip Zdarsky becomes the regular writer on the flagship Batman title, so we're looking at three of his earlier stories writing the Dark Knight.

Cheer (Batman: Urban Legends # 1-6)

Last Ride (Justice League: Last Ride # 1-7)

Batman: Black and White # 1-6 (2021)

Check out our current ranking list at www.comicsxf.com/batchat-rankings/

Thanks to Geri Nonnewitz for our podcast logo

Follow the show on Twitter @BatChatComics and support the show on Patreon at www.patreon.com/batchatwithmattandwill

So, this week was supposed to see the release of the final issue of James Tynion IV's ongoing Joker series, a series Matt & Will have unabashedly loved over on the BatChat column. But whether it's supply chain shipping issues or something more related to the production of this particular issue, the comic has been pushed back a week. But time, tide and ranking lists wait for no man, and so we are moving forward with this episode regardless. This week, well, we're going to make some enemies, because we are talking about three more Joker stories, including what many consider the greatest Joker story of all time: The Killing Joke. Matt & Will... do not agree. And as the title suggests, there is some rough content in here around sexual violence, so we want you to be aware.

Batman: The Killing Joke

Joker OGN

The Joker's Double Jeopardy (Joker V.1 # 1)

Check out our current ranking list at www.comicsxf.com/batchat-rankings/

Thanks to Geri Nonnewitz for our podcast logo

Follow the show on Twitter @BatChatComics and support the show on Patreon at www.patreon.com/batchatwithmattandwill

Jason Todd tier Patreon backer Kyle Still asked us to cover Knightfall, and so we decided to do it (and by decided, I mean that we live up to our word). But Knightfall has a nice clean point where we can divide it. Back in the day, when trades were still a rarity, Knightfall was divided into two trades, and so this week we read what was that first trade, called The Broken Bat, along with two of the comics that lead into what is one of the most central Bat events of all time.

Batman: The Vengeance of Bane # 1

Batman: The Sword of Azrael # 1-4

Knightfall Part 1: The Broken Bat (Batman V.1 # 491-497, Detective Comics V.1 # 659-663)

Check out our current ranking list at www.comicsxf.com/batchat-rankings.

Thanks to Geri Nonnewitz for our podcast logo

Follow the show on Twitter @BatChatComics and support the show on Patreon at www.patreon.com/batchatwithmattandwill

Dick Grayson-tier Patreon backer Josh Weil is back this week, and he brings with him a heck of a story. War Games was the early 00s crossover where a huge gang war breaks out in Gotham, and so, we get a 25 park crossover! That's the longest single story we've covered in here. Can we make it? What do we cover for the other two stories? How many problematic elements are in this story? You'll just have to listen to find out.

War Games (Batman: The Twelve Cent Adventure # 1, Detective Comics V.1 # 797-799, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight # 182-184, Nightwing V.2 # 96-98, Batman: Gotham Knights # 56-58, Robin V.2 # 129-131, Batgirl V.1 # 55-57, Catwoman V.3 # 34-36, Batman V.1 # 631-633)

Night of the Penguin (Detective Comics V.1 824)

The Little Red Book (Batman Adventures V.1 # 9)

Content Warning: I usually save these for the episode, and we added an intro to the beginning for those who don't read this text, but this week, we needed to call this out up front. We record these episode a month out, so sometimes, situations change and we can't really shuffle the episodes around because of ranking. This week's episode features a story where a school shooting is central to the action. This has become even more triggering than usual over the course of the time since the episode was recorded, so while it is not something discussed in detail, it is present and we wanted to let you know, in case you wanted to skip the first 40 minutes or so of the episode.

Also, Matt and Will have decided to donate all the Patreon revenue for this month to the Violence Policy Center (vpc.org), a non-profit that "works to stop gun death and injury through research, education, advocacy, and collaboration." If you haven't joined the Patreon yet, this might be a good month to kick in a dollar, listen through the back catalog of bonus stuff, and if you want to drop off after July 1st, we completely understand, but know that this month your money is going to something bigger than our silly little show. Or stick around and listen to more of our silly little show. Up to you. But we feel like we need to do something because things need to change. And superhero comics are inherently political, no matter what anybody might say.

Check out our current ranking list at www.comicsxf.com/batchat-rankings/

Thanks to Geri Nonnewitz for our podcast logo

Follow the show on Twitter @BatChatComics and support the show on Patreon at www.patreon.com/batchatwithmattandwill

This week, Matt and Will are joined by the Carrie Kelly to Matt's grumpy old Bruce Wayne, singer/storyteller/myth scholar and previous guest of WMQ&A, Veronica Biatrise, to talk about one of her favorite characters, Poison Ivy, just in time for Ivy's new mini-series to debut this week. We have classic Ivy, modern Ivy and animated Ivy in this week's episode, and it's is a deep one, filled with stories that aren't too great but serve as a jumping off point for discussions that make this by far the most political, and queerest, episode of BatChat yet!

Beware of- Poison Ivy (Batman V.1 # 181)

Harley & Ivy # 1-3

Everyone Loves Ivy (Batman V.3 # 41-43)

Check out our current ranking list at www.comicsxf.com/batchat-rankings/

Thanks to Geri Nonnewitz for our podcast logo

Follow the show on Twitter @BatChatComics and support the show on Patreon at www.patreon.com/batchatwithmattandwill

There are some creators who left us too soon, and left us at the height of their creative output. One of those creators was Darwyn Cooke, whose work balanced on a tightrope of nostalgia and modernity, who could tell a story with the best of them. Cooke's output included many Batman stories, and thanks to Patreon backer Sam Hopper, Matt and Will are going to dig into three of them this episode

Batman: Ego

Batman/The Spirit

DC: The New Frontier

We recorded this episode in early May, at the beginning of Mental Health Awareness Month, and as a trigger warning, the first story this week deals with self harm and suicide. If you are feeling hopeless, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

Also, there are some audio issues early in this episode. Sorry about that. They smooth out over time in there. Thanks for listening even when things aren't going as smoothly as I'd like.

Check out our current ranking list at www.comicsxf.com/batchat-rankings/

Thanks to Geri Nonnewitz for our podcast logo

Follow the show on Twitter @BatChatComics and support the show on Patreon at www.patreon.com/batchatwithmattandwill

They are the World's Finest Team, but when things go wrong? Batman and Superman make a deadly pair of enemies. This week, we're reading three stories of Batman Vs. Superman

Injustice: Gods Among Us V.1 (Injustice: Gods Among Us # 1-6 [Digital # 1-18])

Execution 2001 (Superman V.2 Annual # 3)

Superman's Secret Kingdom (World's Finest Comics # 111)

Check out our current ranking list at www.comicsxf.com/batchat-rankings/

Thanks to Geri Nonnewitz for our podcast logo

Follow the show on Twitter @BatChatComics and support the show on Patreon at www.patreon.com/batchatwithmattandwill

Jason Todd is probably the unluckiest Robin (with apologies to Stephanie Brown): seemingly orphaned, lived on the streets, taken in by Batman only to be killed by the Joker only to be resurrected as a homicidal vigilante. But for decades, it was Jason's death, not his life, that defined him as a character and added a new layer of tragedy to Batman's life. This week, we're looking at two stories about the (many) death of Jason Todd, and one story where Jason has a much better go of it.

A Death in the Family (Batman V.1 # 426-429)

The Dark Knight Returns: The Last Crusade

For the Man Who Has Everything (Superman V.1 Annual #11)

Check out our current ranking list at www.comicsxf.com/batchat-rankings/

Thanks to Geri Nonnewitz for our podcast logo

Follow the show on Twitter @BatChatComics and support the show on Patreon at www.patreon.com/batchatwithmattandwill