Each Friday, we'll be letting a different DC.com writer share what they'll be reading over the weekend and why you might want to check it out. Here's this week's suggestion for a perfect Weekend Escape!
 

Have you ever read a Batman story that made you want to linger before turning the page? That is, the world of the story, the layout of the panels, the artwork, were all so engrossing that you didn’t want to leave? This is where I like to live when it comes to my favorite Batman stories. Matt Reeves’ The Batman isn’t my favorite movie for nothing, but there’s something to be said about the comic book form’s ability to control its own pacing. Sometimes, with Batman, I just want to dwell in the particular feeling that the character gives me. And there’s no place else I’d rather do that than in Darwyn Cooke’s artwork. This weekend, let’s dive into a collection of Batman and Catwoman stories featuring the art and writing of Darwyn Cooke, Batman: Ego and Other Tails.
 

The Premise:

Batman: Ego and Other Tails is a collection of stories about Batman and Catwoman, so there isn’t a unified narrative thread between all of the stories. In the titular story, Batman confronts Bruce Wayne after the latter decides to give up living the life of a vigilante. The other big story here is “Selina’s Big Score,” which follows our favorite cat burglar as she attempts to get her life back together after being declared legally dead. 

The thing about Ego and Other Tails is that its power rests not in the “what” of the story, but in the “how.” That is, what’s important is the way that Cooke chooses to tell each story, through the story’s script and his artwork. Think of this book as a collection of stylishly drawn vignettes featuring Batman and Catwoman.
 

Let’s Talk Talent:

Every comic book fan should read at least one story by Darwyn Cooke. Cooke was a writer and artist whose slick, midcentury-inspired art style breathed new life into characters like Batman and Catwoman. He also wrote and illustrated the now iconic series, DC: The New Frontier, which dug into the history of the DC Universe. In every single one of Cooke’s lines, there’s a sense of love and care.

Ego and Other Tails is a collection of Cooke’s standalone Batman and Catwoman stories. As both the writer and artist on the first story, “Ego,” Cooke uses the full range of his artistic abilities to capture the psychological state of Batman. It’s a perfect marriage between form and story. He also wrote and illustrated “Selina’s Big Score,” widely considered one of the greatest Catwoman stories of the era.

Cooke is joined by writer Paul Grist on “Here Be Monsters” and teams up with artists Bill Wray for “The Monument” and the late great Tim Sale on “Date Night.” You can’t go wrong with a murderer’s row of creators like this.
 

A Few Reasons to Read:

• Did you love The Batman? (Of course you did!) Did you also jump out of your seat like I did when Bruce Wayne hit us with the “Thursday, October 31st” voiceover in the beginning of the film? That’s all Darwyn Cooke! Ego and Other Tails was a touchstone for director and co-writer Matt Reeves as he was constructing his vision of Batman. Bruce’s monologue in the beginning of The Batman is reminiscent of Batman’s narration in “Ego.”
   
• If you’re like me and have the image of the massive Batcomputer with delightfully no ergonomics from Batman: The Animated Series burned into your head, you’ll feel right at home in Ego and Other Tails. Cooke’s story plays with a sense of scale between Bruce Wayne as an ordinary human being, and his larger than life, technologically-advanced tools. In doing so, he ditches a sense of photorealism to bring psychological realism to the story. You can practically hear a Shirley Walker musical score playing from the pages of Ego and Other Tails.

• It’s not every day that you get to read a story with Batman where he must confront the two sides of his personality. Most writers accomplish this by creating a villain who represents aspects of Batman’s character that he needs to confront, but in “Ego,” Bruce has to talk to Batman directly. Cooke takes advantage of the comic book medium’s creative possibilities to nail this interaction with finesse. When separated from Bruce, Cooke’s Batman feels inhuman and animalistic.
   
• Cooke’s vision of Catwoman is character-defining. The short hair, the winged eyeliner, the motorcycle—Selina has never looked cooler. Even if you’re not a big Catwoman reader, “Selina’s Big Score” is looking to change that. Plus, if this story does turn you into a fan, you’re in luck, because Darwyn Cooke also collaborated with Ed Brubaker on a Catwoman series that helped shape the character into the Bruce Wayne-loving antihero that she is now.
   

Why It’s Worth Your Time:

It’s hard to overstate the legacy that Darwyn Cooke has had at DC. His work has inspired a generation of writers and artists, and stories like Batman: Ego and Other Tails continue to shape our culture’s perception of Batman. As great as it is to see Batman face off against his illustrious rogues gallery, Cooke makes the case for how satisfying it can be to see Batman at war with himself. In the end, this is part of why he is such a human character. You don’t decide to devote your life in the wake of tragedy to suiting up against injustice without experiencing some sort of personal sacrifice.

When you read Ego and Other Tails, Cooke’s love for Batman and Catwoman shine through. I’ve been a Batman fan for almost as long as I’ve been alive, and Cooke’s story gave me a new perspective on why I love this character so much. Perhaps it will do the same for you.
 

Batman: Ego and Other Tails by Darwyn Cooke with Paul Grist, Bill Wray and Tim Sale is available in bookstores, comic shops, libraries and digital retailers. It can also be read in full on DC UNIVERSE INFINITE.

Jules Chin Greene writes about comics, TV, games and film for DC.com, and his work can also be found at Nerdist, Popverse and Multiverse of Color. You can follow him on Twitter and Bluesky at @JulesChinGreene.

NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Jules Chin Greene and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.