Batman: The 12 Cent Adventure

Batman: The 12¢ Adventure is a one-shot comic written by Devin Grayson and illustrated by Ramon Bachs with a cover date of October, 2004. It is a prelude to the Batman: War Games storyline that ran in 2004 and 2005.

From the work of Devin Grayson, DC Comic book writer, comes another compelling tale of grit and action in this one shot comic book title following the events of the Batman War Games series. Being released on August 4, 2004 for the astonishing price of twelve cents. A one shot title refers to a single stand alone issue that has a self-contained story and is not a part of an ongoing series. The comic follows Stephanie Brown, Spoiler, as she patrols the streets of Gotham as a solo crusader. On this particular night a routine mission has turned out to be rather deadly. Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne is attending a hospital dedication where an old adversary lurks to launch their apocalyptic plot. In a matter of a night the face of Gotham will be changed as it becomes the perfect setting for the bloody gang war that’s about to commence.

This could be seen as a marketing ploy as well as a loss for DC Comics since the marketing price is set for such a low amount. Which can ultimately serve as a means for consumers to spend more money in the long run. The story can be followed through the Detective Comics #797. Not to mention the story itself has posed to do rather well as Batman: The 12 Cent Adventure has marked the first chapter in the War Games series that last for twenty-four more Bat books. A similar ploy occurred on December 27. 2001 and was covered by New York’s Entertainment Wire. Entertainment Wire disclosed that Paul Levitz, Executive Vice President and Publisher, announced that January 2, 2002 will be the first time in 40 years that DC Comics will be offering a full length, 32 page comic book for the minimal price of ten cents. Levitz stated that this was an opportunity to invite Batman fans and new readers into the classic crime noir storyline.

It is only natural to assume that this tactic was used again in order to get current Batman fans hyped for the newest crossover between the Bat family while attracting new fans in order to purchase to purchase an issue and become invested in the DC Franchise. The explosive three-month Batman event WAR GAMES kicks off here, in a special low-priced comic! Batman: The 12 Cent adventure marks more than just the prelude for the War Games, but it is also the very foundation in understanding the history of Stephanie Brown as a character and her future development in later comics.

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