A worthy addition to the Batman canon…
By PETER STONE
I can only imagine that creating a new character for the Batman mythos must be incredibly difficult. In the past 25 years, for example, there have only been a handful that have stuck around: Hush, the Court of Owls, the Batman Who Laughs, and Punchline, among them.
Sometimes, these characters are created carefully by accomplished writers. Other times, it is a talented artist who brings one to life. But when authors and illustrators are working in synch, the results can be especially dynamic.
In the ’80s, Frank Miller and David Mazzuchelli gave us Carmine Falcone. In the aughts, Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee gave us Hush. More recently, James Tynion IV and Jorge Jimenez gave us Punchline.
In between, there was Azrael, the antihero created in 1992 by writer Denny O’Neil — who was already a legend, thanks to some of the best Batman stories ever — and artist Joe Quesada, an up-and-coming talent who went on to run Marvel Comics for years. The inker was also one of the best in the industry, Kevin Nowlan.
Batman: Sword of Azrael was designed to be the origin story for a new hero in Gotham. Instead of shoehorning this character into the regular flow of the Batman books, Denny threw out the idea to make the introduction a four-issue mini-series, allowing Quesada and himself to really dive in to Jean-Paul Valley’s beginnings. It was Quesada who asked the powers-that-be if it would be OK if Kevin inked. The answer to that question in ANY universe is, “Hell, yes!”
The story opens with Azrael looking for all the world like an avenging angel of justice, being shot multiple times as he tries to eliminate a crime boss. It turns out, though, that he’s just a man, whose name and purpose stretch back to the 14th century. His son, cradling his dying father in his arms, promises to learn to be Azrael as his father did.
Enter the Batman, who traces the insignia on Azrael’s sword to the Ancient Order of St. Dumas and a lonely chalet in Switzerland. Once they come to terms with each other, Batman and Jean-Paul, the new Azrael, “team up” to defeat the main villain. Since then, Azrael has appeared in comics, video games, and animated shows — most famously taking over as Batman himself not long after Sword of Azrael was published. He hasn’t appeared as many times as, say, Ra’s Al Ghul, but he has definitely become a solid part of Batman’s world.
Perhaps it was because of the talent involved that Azrael got off to a spectacular start. Denny, who had co-created Ra’s and worked extensively with some of the greatest artists in the industry, wrote a unique story with all sorts of possibilities and a built-in conflict with Batman: Azrael kills villains and Batman never does.
Video game version
Then there was Quesada, fresh off The Ray and right before his run on X-Factor, whose art lent a particular intensity to the story. And what can you say about Nowlan that hasn’t been said before? Perhaps the greatest working inker now… or maybe ever. His understanding of spotting blacks and his cross-hatching has influenced embellishers and pencillers alike. Each of these creators was at the very top of their game and the combination of three massive talents produced a spectacular series.
Batman villains are legendary themselves. They are unlike Superman’s or Wonder Woman’s, frequently generating their own titles, even franchises (and sometimes jumping to the other side of the law): the Joker, Two-Face, Catwoman, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, the list is always growing.
Quesada’s design
Azrael is only a villain in the strictest terms. He’s an antihero like the Punisher, so he’s in very good company.
I cannot recommend Sword of Azrael enough, with superb writing and art. The three primary creatives will end up in the Will Eisner Hall of Fame and deservedly so. (The late O’Neil is already there.)
The trade paperback is readily available online but I also suggest the Kindle version. Either way, I promise this series will be one of the best Batman stories you’ve read in years.
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MORE
— BURIED TREASURE: Alan Davis’ The ClanDestine. Click here.
— BURIED TREASURE: Jan Strnad and Gil Kane’s SWORD OF THE ATOM. Click here.
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Peter Stone is a writer and son-in-law of the late Neal Adams. Be sure to check out the family’s twice-weekly online Facebook auctions, as well as the NealAdamsStore.com.
March 12, 2025
Sometimes I wonder if this is too forgotten in the Batman story of the time. Without this book, a reader is missing a VERY important piece of “Knightfall”! Plus, that Quesada Azrael costume is SO COOL to this day!
March 12, 2025
Was Hush created in 2000?
March 12, 2025
2002
March 13, 2025
I sometimes wonder if this storyline (and the Ray series) is forgotten because of Joe Quesada and his snarky approach to DC while he was editor-in-chief. I imagine Quesada ruffled a bunch of feathers in what always seemed like an amiable adversarial relationship between the Big 2. Maybe there was a move to forget his involvement to put less reprint and licensing money into his pockets. I mean: not only is the miniseries great, but that Azrael outfit would make a great action figure! Yet DC has been making steady moves away from that design over the years.
March 13, 2025
Editor-in-chief at Marvel, I should add.