Batman: Knight and Squire

Cornell (Captain Britain and MI13) and Broxton present a high-spirited series of the loosely connected adventures of the Batman and Robin of Great Britain. Often hilarious and yet at times also heartwarming and tragic, the book follows Cyril Sheldrake, the vigilante crimefighter Knight who inherited his castle and superhero identity from his father, and Beryl Hutchinson, who became his sidekick Squire when she convinced him to turn his life around and live up to his legacy. Filled with verbal references and sight gags enough to keep even the most knowledgeable anglophiles busy keeping track of them all, the five stories introduce a wider world of British superheroes and supervillains. From a magical pub to an army of occult Morris folk dancers to Beryl's first date with her superhero boyfriend, they're all lighthearted adventures. The final story is most impressive, a confrontation between a knock-off British version of the Joker and his original American counterpart that highlights a clash between modern, grittier comics and their more fun-loving predecessors, which builds to a thrilling finale. Broxton's artwork is superb, bringing to life British cityscapes, villages, and ancient places while also providing charming designs for all the newly created heroes and villains and sprinkling gags throughout the backgrounds. (July)