Azbats on a Chain Gang

Just finished the 93-94 run of the Chain Gang in which our boy, Azbats makes several appearances in. The issues Azbats shows up in are  #6,7, 10,11,&12. First couple of issues he shows up in he is wearing the first Azbats helmet. The later issues he wears the final Azbats helmet! Again all hell breaks looks in the later issues when Azbats shows up! Instead of fighting the heroes of this book as in the Outsiders appearance, Azbats actually crashes in to help the Chain Gang! On a whole the Chain Gang comics rocked. Lots of action, lots of cool characters, and lots of awesome story. Azbats appearing in Chain Gang was a perfect match, considering the how violent the two stories were. While reading this team up, I imagined how cool it would have been for Azbats to have his own back up team in the form of the Chain Gang. Even the issues without Azbats were cool. You should all check it out, not just for Azbats, but for the awesome story that would make Director Michael Mann proud!

Azbats VS. The Outsiders

You probably are aware of Azbats appearing in The Outsiders comics of 1993-1994. Actually Azbats appeared in issues 7,8, & 9. Now this is a really cool appearance of Azbats because he fights  the entire team of The Outsiders including, Halo, Wylde, Technocrat, Faust, Geo-Force and Katana! The artwork by Paul Pelletier is awesome, he can really draw Joe Quesada's Azbats!! Mike W. Barr's story was already awesome, but jumped ten notches when Azbats showed up and caused hell all over the place! I like that besides seeing Azbats use the shurikens and his claws, we see him using a tazer wire on Technocrat! I guess the tazer wire is another cool shocking device besides the electronic suit jolt Az uses on Lady Clayface in Knightquest. I noticed a couple of things when I read this guest appearance. First, Azbats is still riddled with bulletholes from his first encounter with Gunhawk! The Vandal 5000 really jacked Az's armor up! When commisoner Gordon shows up, Azbats even says, "I need to find Gunhawk!" I just thought this special appearance was awesome as all get out. This little tale lets us know that it takes place right before Az puts the final touches on his Azbats armor. It just goes to show, there are still stories about when Azrael was Batman that have yet to be written!

Awesome Knightsend reference!

I was reading my Green Arrow comics again, the CROSSROADS storyarc, which I enjoyed immensely! When I get to the second to the last comic in that arc, I believe its issue #89, Something catches my eye. While in Gotham City, Green Arrow decides to help Anarchy and his "friends" blow up a gun factory! There are already police at the factory due to Anarchy warning them ahead of time. During Green Arrow and Anarchy's impending attack, the police ban radio crackles too life, saying something to the effect of a helicopter exploding on top of Gotham Bridge. Keep in mind this CROSSROADS story arc was in 1993-1994 same as the Knightfall saga! Infact in Knightsend, Selkirk's helicopter crashes into the top of Gotham Bridge! This whole sequence involves, Azbats, Bruce Wayne's Batman, and Catwoman. So basically the same time the Bat people crash this helicopter, Green Arrow and Anarchy are blowing up a gun factory! I just think that is totally cool and brought a huge smile to my face. It was neat to see a nod to another storyarc, while in the midst of one.

Rants! Raves! Questions!

I thought bringing Jason Todd back from the dead was dumb. Really dumb!

How did Kate Spencer, the new Manhunter, get the Azbat claws? I found this explanation on the net:

"A small-time crook found the gauntlets, originally worn by Azrael during his stint as Batman, in Gotham City. The crook used them in an unsuccessful burglary, but when the police arrived, the crook fell to his death, leaving the gauntlets still dug into the side of the building.  These gauntlets are clawed, and may or may not conceal two retractable daggers that completed Azrael's original costume."

WHAT!?!? AZBATS TOOK ALL HIS ARMOR OFF, EVEN THE GAUNTLETS WHEN HE WAS IN THE BATCAVE! HOW COULD A CROOK GET A HOLD OF THEM!!?!??!?!?!? RIDICULOUS! WHERE IS CONTINUITY THESE DAYS! DAMN!

I thought Battle For The Cowl was a duel rip off of Knightfall and No Mans Land.

If it was called batman R.I.P. then why didn't Bruce Wayne die in that storyarc?

Why the hell was Darkseid the one to kill Bruce Wayne's Batman?

So Darkseid didn't kill Bruce Wayne, he just sent him to the past of crappy comics like Anthro! DC isn't even trying anymore! Damn!

With all the DC characters coming back to life, Barry Allen, Bart Allen, Jason Todd, are we gonna see Bruce Wayne come back any time soon, because these books that are titled Batman books, and don't have a Batman in them just suck!

What the hell was 52 about anyway?

Why do they have to constantly keep changing the looks of the bad guys, Firefly looks stupid now, like a spider-roach-chupacabra!

Dick Grayson has this thing for not being batman in Prodigal, but then in a couple issues of Battle For The Towel he decides, fine then, i'll be Batman!

Why the hell did they have to make Damian all stupid? He should be a great character, Son Of The Demon was an awesome book and Damian should've been a great character but they made him stupid!

The new Azrael books have nothing what so ever to do with Jean Paul Valley's AZRAEL. It's actually a tasteless reboot! I'm not buying any of the books unless Jean Paul Valley shows up as a real angel and kills Lane! Or something to that effect. I'll borrow my friends copies and read them.

I guess everyone is saying Jean Paul Valley was from NEW EARTH, whatever the hell that means! How many earths are there in DC and how many times is DC gonna "borrow" that whole Marvel Secret Wars thing?!

In this new Azrael book could Jean Paul Valley show up and kill everyone? Could Jean Paul Valley possess Michael Lane? Hmmm.

Now DC has zomibes just like Marvel...yay! Dumb!

Azbats captured?
Mood:  chatty
Something has been buggin me. In Knightquest Joker's movie extra thugs throw pies at Azbats and the pies are drugged? With what? How could they drugs...whatever they may be affect Azbats under his helmet?

The Azbats armor.
Mood:  chatty
I was going through reading the Knightquest again admiring the Azbats armor. I kept thinking of why Az added what to the suit. I know when he fought corrosive man the first Azbats suit was pretty much destroyed. I know Az was always concerned for having to waste time to go back to the Batcave everytime he wanted to use the computers, thats why he made the new helmet with the satellite link up node on the brow. I know he also made that helmet bullet, fire, acid, and water proof as well. I know why near the end of Knightquest when he made the glider fins, he was sick of the cape, because it almost killed him. I was however baffled by the fact that when he added the glider, flame cannon, and fully auto magazine for his shurikens, he also added extra amor on the biceps. I read back into Knightquest as far as Robin#1 and remembered the scene when Robin stabbed Az in the bicep with his golden R. I mean it does make sense, but thats a reach isn't it? I was also listening to the Knightfall audio play again and heard the actor who played Robin mention that the Azbats armor looked like every joint was survo-assisted. Which interested me even furthur! Maybe he was RoboBat like the characters mentioned in the Knightquest Catwoman episodes! Just looking at all the things that armor could do boggles the mind. I wonder what else it could do?

Welcome to the Realm of the Azheads!
Mood:  happy
Topic: It has begun!
Welcome to the new Azrael fan community, The Realm of the Azheads! I know its cheezy, but thats what we are. We love Azrael we love Knightfall. Now you can post feelings reviews and all around general discussions about Azrael, Azbats, and Knightfall! It has begun!