Comic Review: Batman: The Adventures Continue #8

Batman: The Adventures Continue #8

DC Comics

Writer: Paul Dini, Alan Burnett

Artist: Ty Templeton

Batman’s latest adventures come to a close this issue by celebrating Christmas and the start of a new year. Admittedly, this isn’t how I expected this continuation of the classic animated series to end but I can’t complain. There’s no continuation of the Red Hood storyline here but I’ve always enjoyed a good Christmas special. Granted, good is the keyword there. Is this issue a keeper or simply something that we’ll re-gift to a relative we barely know?

The story follows a similar formula to past issues. We begin with Batman confronting one of his rogues, in this case it’s Scarface and the Ventriloquist. The puppetmaster and his dummy are making an attempt to blow up Gotham unless they’re paid a ransom. Naturally, the dark knight puts a stop to this and the Ventriloquist is sent to Arkham. Unlike past issues, this event ties into the main portion of the story. Scarface only used half of his explosives and the police and other forces are trying to track down the rest.

Afterward, Harley Quinn convinces Poison Ivy to host a Christmas party with her. They invite a who’s who of Batman villains, including some nice cameos, and the newly reformed Ventriloquist. No longer reliant on the Scarface doll and living normally as Arnold Wesker again. The Joker isn’t invited as Harley seems to be done with him and enjoying her relationship with Ivy. Naturally, this prompts Joker to crash the party. Throughout the story Joker tries to reunite Wesker with the Scarface puppet in order to find the missing explosives. Batman appears and does everything he can to stop Joker but this isn’t really their story. This Christmas issue is about Wesker.

The former Ventriloquist is happy with his new life and independence. Despite his serious mental health issues, he plans to make the best of it. It’s quite an optimistic story and perfect for Christmas reading. Mental health problems rarely go away entirely. It can often feel like a tug of war. The problems constantly trying to pull you down while the good parts of your life try to pull you up. In this story we watch Joker repeatedly try to reignite Wesker’s mental health issues. Batman and Harley both try to help Arnold avoid falling back into his issues in their own ways. The characters interacting with Wesker effectively symbolize the two sides in Arnold’s tug of war. I won’t spoil the ending but I’d say this is probably the best standalone Batman story I’ve read in years.

The artwork by Templeton continues to emulate the Batman Animated Series. It’s always a great nostalgia rush to see this art as a fan of the show. Due to the Christmas aspect of the story, it’s a rather colourful issue too. All the Christmas sweaters, Santa suits, trees, and fireworks add so much to the Christmas aspect of the story. It also adds to the optimistic feel of the book. Lettering is great throughout the issue too. There’s a lot of little touches like lightning bolts around a character’s head when someone speaks to them via communicator. I think the thing I liked most though is the Joker’s laughter. The letters on the sound effect are coloured in a candy cane style and it all just adds to the festive fun.

I’d definitely recommend scooping up a copy of this book. Even if you’re not normally a Batman fan or haven’t read previous issues, this book is just too good. It’s not only accessible as a standalone piece but it tells a great story that’s fun for any age group. Kids will love it for the action and the comedic moments. Adults will appreciate Wesker’s struggle to keep his mental health issues at bay. The art and lettering is terrific and it’s simply heart-warming to read.

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