Once again I find myself in a difficult position, unsure of how to introduce this book.

Because really, something like The Batman and Robin Adventures Omnibus hardly needs an introduction. You know what this is. You want this. Heck, you’ve probably already picked up your own copy at this point.

And the purpose of a review shouldn’t ever be to convince the reader to or dissuade the reader from enjoying something. No, my aim is, always has been, and always should be to share my own thoughts and feelings regarding a particular work, good or bad. To open the lines of conversation with other fans, to say that while I may feel one way about something, I want to know how you feel too. If you trust me enough to take my thoughts on a comic or movie or action figure into consideration before you dive into it yourself, then I’m honored, but at the end of the day I do this for one reason: because I’m a fan.

A fan of Batman in general, and good Batman in particular. Most anything related to Batman: The Animated Series is good Batman-- this specific comic series included-- and we all know this. I don’t need to tell you this, and I don’t need to convince you to buy a collection of Batman comics you probably already own.

Saying all that, if you can spend a measly $75 on 25 truly terrific Batman comics in a single Omnibus volume, then you really should get it.

Unlike the previous animated Batman Omnibus, I actually had not reviewed every comic contained in this volume before, as for whatever reason I only covered Volume 1 of these trades. While I’m not going to go through and cover every single issue I missed, I will say that I’m kind of bummed I never went on to review more of this series because there are some truly stellar issues all throughout.

With scripts from luminaries like Paul Dini, Ty Templeton, and Hilary J. Bader, each issue reads like it could be animated and slapped on TV screens just as they are, they’re so tonally and thematically consistent with the animated series. The stories are varied and engaging all the same, with some issues devoted to heavy-hitters like Joker, Poison Ivy, or Two-Face, and others to original characters or even a surprise hero or two.

Seriously, one issue has a really creative spin on Deadman:

While another has a pretty concise take on the origin and M.O. of the Huntress:

My absolute favorite is “Crocodile Tears” from issue 23. It’s a simple story where Killer Croc falls in love with Summer Gleeson, so he tries to turn over a new leaf in order to win her affections. Try as he might, people seem unable to see him as more than a monstrous beast, so he resigns himself to his fate of unrequited love. It’s a genuinely touching issue, and honestly, it might be the best Killer Croc story to ever be printed.

With pencils from the likes of Templeton, Rick Burchett, Brandon Kruse, Dev Madan, Tim Harkins, Bo Hampton, and Joe Staton, along with Burchett and Terry Beatty’s inks, Linda Medley’s colors, and Richard Starkings’ letters, the series is always a visual feast. With Templeton and Hampton, you get a really classic BTAS feel, with character models and panel layouts that adhere closely to the show’s aesthetic. Burchett, Kruse, and Harkins, on the other hand, have more unique, stylized takes on the characters, yet nothing ever clashes and every single image feels like it all belongs to the same series.

I mean, for real, there is some super impressive stuff here. The Batman Adventures Omnibus had some of the best Batman art ever put to the page, thanks to the underrated genius of the late, great Mike Parobeck. The Batman and Robin Adventures veers incredibly close to that level of genius too, with some sequences that are awe-inspiringly cool:

And others that are deliriously, hilariously insane:

Batman: The Animated Series doesn’t just stand the test of time due to cool fights and action scenes, though. No, it’s still beloved because it gets the characters right, and the comics here do just the same. It’s awesome seeing Batman throw some hyenas through a greenhouse window, absolutely, but it’s even better when he’s written perfectly. We care why he throws those hyenas through that greenhouse.

That goes for the supporting cast and villains too. Robin and Batgirl and Gordon all sound like they should, as do the Joker and Riddler and Killer Croc and Ra’s Al Ghul and any and all characters who cross paths with the Dark Knight. It’s books like these that are proof positive that books meant for readers of all ages shouldn’t talk down to the audience, and proof that a tie-in comic can be just as great as its source material.

And this is all just from the main series. The volume also has the adaptation of the Sub-Zero animated movie, two annuals (one of which is the de facto sequel to Mask of the Phantasm), the five issue The Lost Years miniseries that details Dick Grayson’s journey to become Nightwing, and some really cool sketches and model sheets in the back matter. It may not be quite as many perfect comics as the previous omnibus, but it’s still a perfectly presented collection of perfect comics.

Oh, and it has Batman punching a bald eagle.

And that’s real.

Value: It’s $75 for about 40 terrific comics. That can’t be beat. Buy it so we can get more, because the best books are yet to come.

Overall: Terrific books, terrific presentation, terrific price. You truly cannot beat Batman Adventures comics in any form, and this collection is another winner. Nothing else can really be said, so I’m going to go get some reading done, if you’re okay with that.

Score: 10/10