Writer/Artist: Michael Uslan & Peter Snejbjerg

Publisher: DC, HC $19.95, SC $12.95

This is a great hidden gem that came out about seven years ago and tends to get a little overlooked among the tons and tons of Batman material available. Does anyone else really miss Elseworlds? It was a bit overdone to be sure, but I wouldn’t think it would hurt to release one new story every once in a while, especially if the result was half as great as this book.

Starting with the assassination of Lincoln, a 74 year old doomsday plot is set into motion that demands the creation of a secret society of detectives to combat it. Jumping ahead to 1939, Bruce Wayne has returned from abroad, his heart set on avenging the death of his parents. Instead of becoming Batman, Wayne’s life gets dragged into the doomsday plot that threatens to destroy Gotham and perhaps every major city in the North.

Uslan does a great job of threading through actual history and the Batman mythos, utuilizing historical figures such as Allan Pinkerton, Teddy Roosevelt, and Gregor Mendel. Familiar faces such as Selina Kyle, Hugo Strange, Jonathan Crane, and Joe Chill also make appearances in interesting new iterations. What’s great is that you can tell Uslan had fun pulling his sub-plots together and creating this particular vision of Bruce Wayne, and it really transfers to the pages and storytelling. Snejbjerg’s compliments the scripts perfectly, infusing the story with humor, suspense, and a good pulp atmosphere.

For $12.95, you’re getting a fantastic deal with the soft cover. The hard cover is nicely bound though and $19.95 is well worth the package. You really need to do yourself a favor and check this out.

If you like this then try: Batman Nine Lives, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Batman Gotham by Gaslight, Light Brigade, Starman

Related Links: Peter Snejbjerg