Review: Batman/Punisher: Lake of Fire #1

Batman/Punisher: Lake of Fire #1 by Dennis O'Neil
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Rating 3 out of 5 |C; A Blast from the past

God, the Jean Paul Valley Batman, that takes you back. Remember when Batman's back was broken by Bane in the now infamous Batman: Knightfall, Part One: Broken Bat storyline. And how he chose the antihero, or rather the overzealous hero Azrael as his successor. You know, the guy that was indoctrinated & brainwashed by a religious cult to be the enforcer for St. Dumas, and was not all right up in the head?



Who then ended up doing a shit poor job donning the cowl, let a bunch of people die, and had to be taken down by the OG Batman? Man, the 90s comics landscape was a real wild time. Frankly, the only decent thing he did was take down Bane, like a beast.



Anyways, this comic crossover, takes place in that brief period where, Jean Paul Valley was still the Batman. As you'd expect from the era, it's dark, depressing and filled with gut punching, balls to the walls action. With gritting action hero like sculpted protagonists, and sinister, in hindsight comical villains.

But got to give it to him; the cape work of this version of Batman, is just so epic. Plus, he has the all roided out mecha suit thing going on.



A crossover between Punisher & Batman gives you pretty much what you'd expect. A predictable storyline where the villain of hero A, crossed over to the city of the other, and teams up with villain of Hero B. They form some contrived, easy to resolve within one issue villainess plot.

The two heroes meet, first in conflict, then in begrudging alliance to take down the bad guys. The end of which, the good guys win, the villains are arrested, and everyone goes back to their respective corners, reestablishing the status quo. And Action, lots and lots of adrenaline filled action.

In that regards, this crossover delivers. Just don't expect anything more cerebral from it. Maybe, if it was the Bruce Wayne version of the caped crusader. But, No. I personally am a simp to any crossover with the Batman, so don't take my word for it.



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