Batman: Scarecrow Tales

    (DC, 2005)
™ and © DC Comics, Inc.

The Scarecrow is one great villain, and it’s nice to see DC collect eight classic tales in one book. Presenting tales from World’s Finest Comics #3 (1941), Batman #189 and #262, Detective Comics #503 and #571, The Joker #8, Gotham Knights #23, and Scarecrow #1, this collection demonstrates why the shy professor is a worthy adversary for Batman. Whereas Batman preys on the fears of the criminals, The Scarecrow preys on the fears of the innocent.

Some of these tales have not been seen for some time. The Scarecrow entry from 1941 is a great reminder of what made comics fun in the 40s. The Batman entries date from the 1960s and 70s, while The Joker comes from the 70s. Detective Comics provides an 80s perspective on The Man of Straw, and Gotham Knights updates our fearsome professor to this century. The art credits read like a DC Comics Hall of Fame.

Fear is a great motivator. But love of a genre and love for a character are two good reasons to pick up this too-seldom-used character collection.

— Tim Lasiuta
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