Batman: Black and White #2

The final story in the latest issue of Batman: Black and White is worth the price of the comic on its own. Designed in the style of an old Fleischer cartoon, writer Michael Uslan and artist Dave Bullock produce the amazing "Silent Night... Unholy Night!" with marvelous artwork I would gladly frame and old-school spirit and adventure that seems long lost in the current version of the DCU.

Other highlights include Jeff Lemire and Alex Nino's snowy tale of the Dark Knight battle the cold and memories of his father to rescue Commissioner Gordon and Rafael Grampá's misdirection tale of how Batman lays a trap to catch a troublesome group of bank robbers.

Although I appreciated J.G. Jones's art in Dan DiDio's Man-Bat story, the hamfisted themes and Batman's questionable morality at the end left me cold. In much the same way, I liked the art and idea behind writer/artist Rafael Albuquerque Limbo storyline more than the final execution. Worth a look.

[DC, $4.99]