Reviewing Legends of the Dark Knight #1-#100

I am reviewing Legends of the Dark Knight #1-#100 on Notes. This post is the archive and will be updated frequently.

May 12, 2025

I’m a comic artist. And I have one New Year’s resolution for 2025.

I’m going to buy and read issues 1-100 of the original Legends of the Dark Knight.

I’m not a critic or anything, but I’m gonna post as I read on Substack Notes, and then curate the links to each individual note here to create one big super thread of all the mini reviews.

I have no goal here other than rediscovering a cool old book and getting others interested in checking it out.

If you don’t know anything about Legends of the Dark Knight, you are in for a treat.

The inside cover of issue #1 lays out the mission statement:

This was the first new Batman book since 1940.
It features a rotating creative team telling complete one-shot stories in 4-5 issues.
All stories are set early in Batman’s career (i.e., no Robin).

Simple.

So what makes the book so special?

The first 100 issues in particular featured a MURDERERS ROW of talent - both established voices like the great Denny O'Neil and up-and-comers like Grant Morrison.

There was truly nothing else like this book. The stories were dark, smart, took risks, had a supernatural or psychological tilt, and were super easy for casual readers to pick up since there was no overall continuity to worry about.

In a nutshell: Do you know who Batman is? Good, here’s a 4-5 issue story about a dark, weird crime he's solving early in his career. Have fun.

I had a handful of these as a kid and I think more than any other Batman book, they really got my mind cooking and opened me up to some of DC’s darker wares (Sandman, Swamp Thing, etc.).

So yeah, let’s do this. Save this post as it will be updated frequently, or follow me so you can catch new reviews as I publish them on Notes.

Shaman

Summary: Before he was Batman, Bruce Wayne nearly died in the Alaskan wilderness chasing a murderer. He was saved by a local tribe and healed by a story about how the bat gained wings. In his first year as a crimefighter, Batman investigates a cult led by the mysterious “Chubala” who has left a trail of human sacrifices in his wake.

My take: “Shaman” is a near-perfect coda to Batman: Year One. The story adds an interesting layer to Bruce Wayne’s adoption of the bat as his symbol, and we watch him gradually inhabit his new identity by the miniseries’ end. A very worthwhile entry in the Batman mythos with incredible art. 5/5.

Creative team:

Writer: Dennis O’Neal

Pencils: Edward Hannigan

Inker: John Beatty

Letterer: John Costanza

Colorist: Richmond Lewis

Asst Editor: Kevin Dooley

Editor: Andrew Helfer

Legends of the Dark Knight issue #1: “Shaman” part 1 of 5

Legends of the Dark Knight issue #2: “Shaman” part 2 of 5

Legends of the Dark Knight issue #3: “Shaman” part 3 of 5

Legends of the Dark Knight issue #4: “Shaman” part 4 of 5

Legends of the Dark Knight issue #5: “Shaman” part 5 of 5

Gothic

Summary: A child serial killer named Mr. Whisper returns to Gotham to exact revenge on mobsters who tried to kill him years earlier. Whisper is also the former headmaster of Bruce Wayne’s prep school, and what’s more, he can’t be killed. As it turns out, Whisper made a deal with the devil that runs out soon, and he plans to raise an ancient plague to kill the citizens of Gotham in exchange for his soul.

My take: Legends veers harder into the supernatural with this miniseries. Morrison is in his prime, and this is a solid entry in his Batman oeuvre. The standout is Klaus Janson, who distinguishes himself as more than Frank Miller’s inker with chilling images and creative compositions. There’s a reason this miniseries is constantly reprinted in trade. 5/5.

Creative team:

Writer: Grant Morrison

Art: Klaus Janson

Letterer: John Costanza

Colorist: Steve Buccellato

Asst Editor: Kevin Dooley

Editor: Andrew Helfer

Legends of the Dark Knight issue #6: “Gothic” part 1 of 5

Legends of the Dark Knight issue #7: “Gothic” part 2 of 5

Legends of the Dark Knight issue #8: “Gothic” part 3 of 5

Legends of the Dark Knight issue #9: “Gothic” part 4 of 5

Legends of the Dark Knight issue #10: “Gothic” part 5 of 5

Prey

Summary: A re-telling of one of Hugo Strange’s first meetings with Batman. Strange engages in a PR war against the Dark Knight, and recruits an unstable cop named Cort to become a murderous vigilante intent on taking Batman down.

My take: Interesting premise, but ultimately fails to live up to expectations. Lots of armchair psychology and campy villain monologues. I noted that some veteran Batman writers seemed to have trouble adapting to the grittier expectations of the late 80s and early 90s, and that seems to be the case here. Paul Gulacy’s art is the sole redeeming quality. 3/5.

Creative team:

Writer: Doug Moench

Art: Paul Gulacy

Letterer: John Costanza

Colorist: Steve Oliff

Asst Editor: Kevin Dooley

Editor: Andrew Helfer

Legends of the Dark Knight issue #11: “Prey” part 1 of 5

Legends of the Dark Knight issue #12: “Prey” part 2 of 5

Legends of the Dark Knight issue #13: “Prey” part 3 of 5

Legends of the Dark Knight issue #14: “Prey” part 4 of 5

Legends of the Dark Knight issue #15: “Prey” part 5 of 5

Venom

Summary: After Batman fails to save a young girl named Sissy Porter from drowning, he turns to her father, designer of the performance-enhancing drug “Venom,” to augment his abilities. Batman’s growing dependence on the drug leaves him unstable, erratic, and violent — he becomes a danger to friend and foe alike.

My take: “Venom” is an oft-overlooked Batman story, but an essential chapter in his early career. We see a version of the canonical Batman that almost belongs in an Elseworlds story — Obsessed with power, desperate for his next fix, taking orders from thugs, and even putting his closest allies in danger. A powerful story about addiction, and one that marks a genuine evolution in Batman’s character by the time we reach the story’s ambiguous, poignant ending. 5/5.

Creative team:

Writer: Dennis O’Neil

Art: Trevor Von Eeden (layouts), Russell Braun (pencils), Jose Luis Garcia Lopez (inks)

Letterer: Willie Schubert

Colorist: Steve Oliff

Asst Editor: Kevin Dooley

Legends of the Dark Knight issue #16: “Venom” part 1 of 5

Legends of the Dark Knight issue #17: “Venom” part 2 of 5

Legends of the Dark Knight issue #18: “Venom” part 3 of 5

Legends of the Dark Knight issue #19: “Venom” part 4 of 5

Legends of the Dark Knight issue #20: “Venom” part 5 of 5