Doctor Who - Day of the Moon

That was phenomenally good.
Which is all I can say without

<< spoilers.... >>

Where to begin?
I'm really pleased that there's lots of questions remaining. Hopefully it won't make this season impenetrable but instead will make it water-cooler TV and give it the desired ratings boost.

So we still don't know who it is in the astronaut suit. Methinks it's the little girl.
As for her, that regeneration was such a wonderful surprise. We're being led to assume she's Amy's daughter. That may be the case though I can't help but wonder if it's actually a very young Amy - we have been told several times last season that she's special. (I doubt it's River as there was no hint of a regeneration when she died.) Also, let's not forget the Doctor has a cloned daughter.

I was half-expecting Rory to leave tonight. That relationship's on, ahem, shaky grounds.

The actual episode itself was solid enough. There's wonderful imagery. Sure, the tally marks don't make an awful amount of sense. Though it's all very taut and The Silence are incredibly sinister aliens (I trust they'll return). Actually watching the show tonight is a bit like watching Italian Saturday night TV - it's great fun but you don't have much of a clue what's happening.
A year down the line, this episode (this season even) will depend on whether the final answers are strong enough to support all of this.
But I'll say this for the new season : it's ballsy and brave - which is always a good thing.

Doctor Who - The Impossible Astronaut

As season-openers go, this was rather good.
Witty and exciting with more than a touch of menace (and The Silence are wonderful nightmare fuel)
Yes, thus far, it seems to be a collection of set pieces rather than a plot.
Maybe it'll all become clear with the second part.
Moffat is implying that not everything will be concluded by episode's end. So maybe this season's one big arc - it's certainly a possibility.

In a remarkable turnabout, River feels less tired. She's far flirtier than I recall her being last season. Moffat's made her fun again.

The beginning is excellent - from a fun precredits to a stunning attention-grabbing moment. If you haven't seen the episode yet, you need to watch it from the very beginning.

And there's much to discuss so here be

<< Spoilers sweetie >>

Minor things first. I actually enjoyed the fact that Rory and Amy are settled and living together away from the Tardis. Yes it might stretch credibility a bit too much if this becomes the status quo, with them every now and again meeting up with the Doctor, but it's a nice touch.
I'm not sure where we're going with the pregnancy storyline. Are we setting things up for a tragedy? If so, it'll be very dark even for this era of the show.

Given the rumoured death in the Tardis family, I'm a bit disappointed if this is it.
As it's clearly a cop-out. Methinks as I speculated a while back that we'll be led to think this was it before someone else gets killed off in the next 5 episodes.
I wonder if the future Doctor will still be dead and instead we'll see the next few episodes with the sword of Damocles hanging over the Doctor.
My only concern is that we don't have a convoluted get-out.
River and Amy have made it clear that they can't save the Doctor as that'll create a paradox. Us readers of the 90s novels may wonder if we're seeing the introduction of the Faction Paradox into the TV series. (Certainly there's echoes of the cliffhanger to book one of Interference)

Also, who is in the astronaut suit at the start? River perhaps? We know she is supposed to kill the Doctor at some point.

All told, it's a solid start but there's a lot of balls being juggled.....

That them there Royal wedding

Having been out of the UK for a week, I was uncertain just how much Royal wedding fever would have taken over.
The media have gone nuts. We listened to Radio One for most of our four hour drive (thus avoiding interminable lunchtime phone-ins on Radio 2 or having to retune) and even they had a bad case of it.
But there is less bunting than you might expect given the hype.
What seems to be happening is that a fair few people in the UK will watch it but do so quietly. Word is that a block away there will be a street party so we may take that in just to say we've seen one (lady caravan is from a former colony and is keen to see them there street parties what she has seen archive footage of)
As for the wedding itself, I have a soft spot for William, especially since he lost his mother. I hope he's made the right choice. He looks so happy that, yes, he probably has.
Bit of a shame that they have Ellie Goulding of all people performing at the reception but you never know how much of this is from advisers and how much of it is their own taste.
So this lunchtime I will do my best to park my cynicism by the door and watch (and enjoy our own little garden party afterwards)

Easter-y musings on the new Doctor Who season

Dear Easter bunny,

I am not sure how much I will be able to post over the next week.

So, just in case, please make sure that Doctor Who this year is solid.
There seems to have been concern that ratings last year were down.
Whisper to the BBC that this often happens in the aftermath of a regeneration, especially when an uber popular Doctor leaves like David Tennant. But Matt Smith will find an audience given time.

In previous eras, we have had random meet-ups with previous Doctors in an apparent attempt to drive ratings (hello The Two Doctors).
Or ferocious pandering to fans with impenetrable continuity-heavy glop.
We seem to know from that press conference that Mr Moffat has summat up his sleeve.
Please let it feel organic and not be an event for the sake of it.

If we have to have a Dalek story, make it an experimental one. Last year showed that treating them with humour pays dividends. And how about some Zygons if there is to be a classic monster. (We will try to forget the Silurians if you do)

And don't be afraid to be mature. Or angry. Yes it might scare off the ickles but it will open new doors.


I know it's all made now ( or at least the spring episodes are) but go do some bunny magic.

Flare Path

Due to her court battles with the News of The World, Sienna Miller has a higher profile than the Theatre Royal Haymarket could have possibly intended.

She'll put bums on seats for this revival of Terrence Rattigan's slightly obscure wartime drama.
The play tells the story of a squadron of RAF pilots based in a slightly rundown Lincolnshire hotel.
Unusually for war dramas, it also focuses on the wives.
In fact, the wives are amongst the strongest characters.

Patricia Graham (Miller) is an acclaimed actor, visiting her pilot husband who she isn't exactly faithful to. Miller's character is pained but her performance falls a little flat in comparison to Harry Hadden-Paton as her husband, trying to cope with the stresses of war.
Amongst an array of great performances, including James Purefoy and Clive Wood, the stand-out is Sheridan Smith as Doris. She's a barmaid who's married to a Polish Count and clearly fears both for his life on missions and whether he will stay with her, assuming he survives the war. Smith deftly handles both the light and the dark. It is an incredible performance, especially in the translation scene with Purefoy. Her Borat-esque husband takes a bit of getting used to and I do wish that was turned down a bit (my main criticism of the evening actually).

One thing I find particularly moving is, the original performances were in the midst of the war. For them, this wasn't a nostalgia piece but a documentary of what was happening every night. And without the benefit of the knowledge that there would be a happy ending.

Speaking of endings, here be

» some spoilers «

yes, the happy ending is a bit ridiculous. There's no way the Count would have survived. But good God, it's wonderful. And it clearly would have lifted the spirits of the original audience.
So Noel Coward on this one was wrong. It's a great conclusion, albeit completely unexpected.

So, maybe go to watch Sienna Miller and enjoy the fashions, but you'll be moved AND entertained by this play and that's a promise.

RIP : Elisabeth Sladen

Today the BBC reported the death of Elisabeth Sladen, best known for playing Sarah-Jane Smith in Doctor Who and The Sarah-Jane Smith Adventures.

She was for many fans, me included, the benchmark companion.
Her portrayal was witty, charming and, for me, the first successful departure from the screaming dolly-bird school of companions.
There's a reason why she would be asked back repeatedly over the years, in both TV and radio incarnations of the program.
Her chemistry with The Doctor, regardless of the actor, was something special.

It was already proving to be a sad year for classic Doctor Who fans with the death of Nicholas Courtney, best-known as recurring character Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart.
To lose both in two months is so sad.
And at 63 she was still so young.

Elisabeth Sladen played the companion in the first Doctor Who story I saw and so will always have a special place in my heart.
My thoughts are with her friends and family.

From the Vaults: Sounds Like Teen Spirit

Eurovision is a strange beast.
Its unique blend of politics, music and campy weirdness, well, doesn't make much sense when trying to explain to people who haven't grown up with it.
It's brought us ABBA, Celine Dion and Riverdance. (erm, yeah, sorry about that)

And Junior Eurovision  is another class entirely.
To British viewers it has echoes of Minipops, a questionable Channel 4 show showing pre-teens belting out tunes.
But JE (as nobody calls it) isn't quite as creepy.
Though, as documentary Sounds Like Teen Spirit shows, it's still most odd.

Just as Spellbound uses the Spelling Bee competition to explore the social strata of America, Sounds Like Teen Spirit covers Europe. From the wealthy middle classes in Belgium to the humbling poverty of Georgia.
And, like Spellbound, there are some awesome characters. Cypriot Yiorgos and Bulgarian Marina are both heartbreaking and hilarious in equal measure.
And the Belgian contingent is incredibly funny.

Director Jamie Jay Johnson tells a great story, though, to be honest, the very occasional history lessons are distracting and not as funny as intended.
The excitement of Miriam from Georgia is infectious and acts as an excellent counterpoint to the antics of the wealthier contestants.
And the crazy intensity of some of the others (hello, Russia).
There are some cheap laughs and real oddities, like the Dalton Sisters. But there are also touching moments, some big and some small (like Eva's body language when discussing her band's future).
It's a great little movie and a good warm-up to this year's Eurovision.

The Woman In Black

Daniel Radcliffe in, but not as, The Woman In Black

One of the gems of London's West End is the supernatural thriller The Woman In Black.
Based on the novel by Susan Hill, the play has been running since the late 80s.
In fact it has the longest run of any current play bar The Mousetrap (which debuted before Elvis)

The play is wonderfully effective. The first few scenes are a bit self-deprecating which relaxes you and makes you warm to it. And then gradually the scares are stirred into the mix.
The effects are simple but they work terrifically. Especially creepy is a rocking chair that rocks itself at great speed. You know how they do it but seeing it in front of your own eyes.... Yup, that's scary.

All of this is by means of saying that the forthcoming movie has a lot to live up to.
It's based on the book rather than the play though I think more will be familiar with the theatrical version.
A teaser trailer has been released. It's too short to make any sort of judgement but Radcliffe looks the part. (given Harry Potter's general passivity in the earlier films, it won't be the biggest stretch for him)
The script is adapted by Jane Goldman who wrote the KickAss script.
She has got a tough
Job recreating the atmosphere. Plot-wise there isn't a lot to the play at least. It is all in the atmosphere.
I am intrigued but it's hit an uber-tough act to follow.

Batman Live - that them there press conference

This summer Batman is coming to the UK.
In fact, this live show makes its global debut in Manchester (being of Manc descent, I love that it has the premiere and not London)

This week there was a promotional conference in which the cast appeared.
We knew already that it was Robin's origin story and the script is by comics and TV scribe Allan Heinberg. Not read his stuff but he got stronger reviews for his more youthful comics so hopefully he is suited to telling the saga of Dick Grayson.
This conference was all about outlining the show's sensibilities.

First up, that Gotham City set looks incredible. I wonder how it will work with the lowest seating but I can completely picture it at the O2.
The costumes have been well analysed elsewhere. For me, they capture the essence of the Adam West 60s TV show with a seasoning of Batman Forever.
Which for me is the biggest sign that this is for kids. (I would have preferred something more akin to the 90s cartoon which was deliciously noir but they have got to get as many bums on seats which means ignoring the comic fans and the Nolan-ites)

That said, I love their Joker design. Seemingly inspired by Caeser Romero, there is a real sadness to this gone-to-seed Clown Prince of Crinme.

Am I any nearer to buying a ticket? Having said no initially, I just might...

The Nightly News

Every now and again, there's a graphic novel that attracts people in who tend to poo-poo comics.

The Sandman series did it. As did Preacher.

Me, I'm slightly surprised I've not seen so much take up of The Nightly News.

It's a one volume book written and drawn by Jonathan Hickman. 

The book is an angry attack on news media. He augments his claims with not only an appendix but also beautifully designed tables and diagrams in the main body of the comic. 

In fact, the entire thing is stunningly well designed. You can just drink in these pages.

The story itself is about the mad-as-hell declaring war on the CNNs, the FOXs. The Nightly News.

It's compelling but is essentially a vehicle for Hickman's argument. It reminds me of the non-fiction Who Runs This Place? The Anatomy of 21st Century Britain (which whilst seven years old is still jaw-dropping). 

And also Hickman's work is very darkly hilarious. Especially the intro into his little fact boxes. 

It's delicious and stimulating, even if you don't agree completely with the politics therein.

Go buy it now and be prepared to lend it out to all your friends.

San Theodoros - land of the Picaros

Thinking of Bialya last week made me think of that other comics dictatorship of my youth, San Theodoros from the Tintin books.

San Theodoros is a Central American republic, very much of the banana republic school and roughly where Guatemala is.
It only appears in two books The Broken Ear and Tintin and the Picaros but it is mentioned from time to time.
The country's leadership oscilates between General Tapioca and General Alcazar, the latter a recurring ally of Tintin.
So, yes, one of Tintin's posse is a seemingly right-wing General prone to coup d'etates.

During the near fifty years the books were published, the book's political attitudes clearly altered, particulary in its depiction of non European countries. Tintin in The Congo is especially guilty in its portrayal of African characters.
In many ways, the change over times in the books' depictions of foreign cultures reflects the changes in European societies.
The last completed adventure, Tintin and the Picaros, implies that Alcazar and Tapioca are pretty similar. They both have armed police patrol the slums and there's seemingly no concern on either leader to lift their people out of poverty.

Whilst I enjoyed Alcazar's appearances, especially his turn as a bad stage magician in The Seven Crystal Balls, it is Tintin and the Picaros which really seals the deal.
We had seen San Theodoros before in The Broken Ear but the later story shows Tapiocapolis to be a very Rio-like capital, full of colour. The carnival scene in particular is fantastic. And the countryside is just spectacular. 
Also, because as a kid I knew Picaros was the final completed story, the stakes were very high. Especially as Boduria from King Ottokar's spectre makes a reappearance, giving a feeling of storylines being visited in a last hurrah. Perhaps this makes it even more vivid in the memory. (Even though this wasn't intended to be the final story)
So maybe not the most accurate depiction of Latin America but it lingers in them there memory banks.

The Walking Dead : TV Review

On Sunday The Walking Dead finally made its UK freeview premiere.
The first episode is remarkably faithful to the original volume (or at least my recollections of it).
Andrew Lincoln is great as Rick. His accent seemed to slip from time to time but that said I can't recall him playing an American before. It is a departure from his usually comic roles like Egg from This Life and Simon from Teachers though he is handling it well thus far.
The zombies are excellent and I was glad that the show doesn't shy away from the difficult decisions that the characters have to make, especially the father and son Rick meets late on in the initial episode.
My sole criticism is that the tank scene felt a little flat compared to how it was on the page.
It is the sort of show designed for watching on TiVo etc as 10pm is a late start on a Sunday but I know the UK tabloid press would howl if shown any earlier.
So set your SkyPlus for 10 on Sunday on 5 or mosey on down to 5's website.
Easily the best thing 5 has shown in years....

In defence of Paradise Towers

It is safe to say that Sylvester McCoy's first season of Doctor Who wasn't the strongest.
The show had been forced into a change of actor from on high whilst still trying to find it's way since the 1985 hiatus imposed because apparently the powers that be thought Colin Baker's first season was too violent.

New script editor Andrew Cartmel would hit his stride in the next two seasons but this first year was a bit of a hodgepodge.

Some folk loathe Paradise Towers but I have always secretly enjoyed it.
For the uninitiated, the Tardis lands in a tower block on an alien world, populated entirely by humanoids and robots. The humans are nearly all retirees or girl gang members, the intervening generations having gone to fight in a war. In the first few minutes, you see a promotion video showing what the place used to be like before it fell to seed.
It is a very J.G. Ballard-ian premise, which I think may have caused expectations to ramp up a lot in 1987.
It is also endearingly camp.

The Kangs, the girl gangs, are split into coloured factions. The story opens with the murder of the last yellow Kang,
Gang members greet each other with half-remembered slogans and doggrel like "Build high for happiness". But, like most teenage culture shown in the McCoy era, it is a very middle class vision. Kind of like later companion Ace in that respect.I find it amusing but can see how it would annoy some.

I was nine when I first saw this and the thing that compelled me was how the Doctor and Mel were going to fix this world in four episodes.
There were lots of great ideas. Fascist caretaker staff (led by Richard Briers of all people). Cannabilistic senior citizens. And Pex. I adored Pex. He was a self-proclaimed war hero and "trained fighting machine", openly mocked by the Kangs and rightly so as he clearly was all talk.
I did kind of hope that he would join the Tardis crew but alas no.

Not the scariest monster ever seen in Doctor Who

A cleaner robot, again not amazingly scary

It's not without its faults. The cleaner robots are Dalek-lite and the pool monster looks rather sweet. And the acting's bizarre at times.
But it's the ideas that transfixed me.

Eurovision 2011 may be over a month away

But we're already getting advance coverage of the contestants.

The UK is represented by Blue and Lee Ryan is up to his old tricks of being rather stupid but at least it's not as moronic as he's been in the past.
Here's their offering in all it's majesty.

Jedward, the eeriely talent-less X Factor twins, are singing for Ireland. Poor Ireland.
Their presence would make it bad enough but the lyrics "She's got her lipstick on, hit and run, then I've gone" sink it to new depths of bad-ness. If you must, it's here

Much is being made of Portugal's credit crunch protest song, which mixes the visuals of a miltant Village People with particularly weak Algarve folk aimed at tourists.
However special mention goes to Finland's Paradise Oskar. I can't imagine his brand of David Gray-uber-lite will reach the final, so go and enjoy.

What is noticeable is that there's a fair few acts, like Paradise Oskar, who are producing songs that don't sound like Eurovision but like actual proper pop. Listen to the Azerbaijan entry, which should place top three at least.
The absolute stand-out though is Italy's jazz entry from Raphael Gualazzi. It's up there with Jamie Cullum. Even if you don't like jazz piano, it's hard to deny his talent. He may need some luck reaching the final as voting in the semis always seems random but once there, he should win over a continent even if he doesn't win the competition.

Kapow! thoughts

Flicking through the Guardian of my lunch hour, I spotted this preview of Kapow!, the Mark Millar fronted comics convention thing happening in London this weekend.
It's not quite as stereotypical as some coverage but it inadvertently highlights to me one of the reasons why I'm giving it a miss for this inaugural edition.

Don't get me wrong.
I would love Kapow! to become a UK version of the San Diego ComicCon, but preferably with less of a movie and TV focus.
But the guest list is too Millar-centric.
Nick Spencer aside (and his presence would have been tempting),  the non-British stars have worked with Millar. Leinil Yu and John Romita Jr. will be a draw for some, especially the latter, but I'm more of a writer guy.
Me, I would prefer some more foreign stars.
The original publicity highlighted the presence of Jonathan Ross and other Clint contributors. Clint, for the uninitiated is Millar's UK magazine.
Which would be all well and good but I deeply don't care for it. I enjoy Millar's non-creator owned work, especially the first two Ultimates series and Aztek but his Icon stuff (KickAss etc.) leaves me cold and that forms the back bone of Clint.

There's an impressive range of UK talent : Peter Milligan, Paul Cornell, Mark Gattiss, Bryan Hitch (again Millar connection)
But I kind of would prefer something less Anglo-centric.

Let's see how it goes next year.

Bialyan nights

I remember in the 90s reading a DC letter column in which an editor explained that the reason why increasingly comics characters visited fictional foreign locations was not to upset the locals if there was a research failure.
Which kind of means laziness.
However fictional countries do allow creators to world build and create gems.

In the late 80s Justice League, writers Kieth Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis did that with Bialya, a Middle Eastern country ruled by Colonel Rumaan Harjavti, a military dictator who had a habit of trying to rile his public against the US.
This era of the League was notably more humorous than previous versions but was unafraid of delving into more serious storylines from time to time.
Harjavti fitted right in.

Giffen/DeMatteis/Maguire

Giffen/DeMatteis/Maguire

He was inspired by figures like Gaddafi and Saddam. This being the 80s, Harjavti was allies with the USSR, who seemed to barely tolerate his antics.

Giffen/DeMatteis/Maguire

Harjavti was only in the comics for a year or so before being overthrown in a coup. However, during his brief run, he would pop up as frequently as, say, the pirates in Asterix.

The Bialyan storyline took a darker turn in the aftermath of the coup with his successor, Queen Bee, using a Leaguer as a Trojan horse for an attack on the team. It sounds hackneyed but Giffen and DeMatteis make it extraordinarily tense and the Queen Bee, being a youthful female leader, opens up more story opportunities and gives a freshness that a military dictator can't supply.

Nowadays it would be hard to imagine a mainstream comic using a character like Harjavti as a figure of fun. Which is understandable, especially this year.
But his appearances were fun back in the day

Just when you thought summer TV was safe

Big Brother is back.
This time it'll be on Channel Five, not exactly renowned for high-brow entertainment at the best of times.
One can only hope that the tabloids will ignore it but past form kinda suggests this won't happen.

As this is so sub-awesome, the Caravan is trying to find ways to remove Channel 5 from its digi-box.

That slightly spoilery Dr Who press conference

There was a bit of spoilery coverage of the upcoming Dr Who series, even reaching The Guardian.
So erm here be

» spoilers. «

Stephen Moffatt's taking the approach Marvel did with the Fantastic Four, namely announcing a death but not saying who's going to be taking a dirt nap.
Whilst it does spoil, these tactics deliver as sales of Fantastic Four show.
But remember that magical cliffhanger in Tennant's last season?
The one in which he looked like he was regenerating.
Wasn't the shock and surprise exhilarating?
And that painful wait until the next episode....

So to business. Who is going to die?
I assume not Rory as we have been this way before.
Also, whoever it is, there better not be a quick resurrection unless it's the Doctor.
And Matt Smith is too new to be leaving though I am sure we will be led to believe it's the Doctor for the chop.
Smart money is on Amy, especially as we have seen River die in her future.
Which makes me more convinced it will be River as her demise would show something is wrong with time.
But what do I know? I thought Bad Wolf would be Rose...

The Bluetones upcoming farewell tour

Weddings are often sources of news.
You can find out how the scrawny kid from your running club has got on. See your old physics teacher jiving way.

And at a wedding this weekend I found out between courses that The Bluetones are splitting up after their September tour.
I knew it wouldn't make headline news but I'm slightly surprised that it took seven days for the news to reach me.
Last year I saw them for the first (and, now possibly, only) time in a small hall locally and they were terrific. Some new songs but the focus was on the Britpop era. And really good banter.

They are one of those bands who had more hits you know than you might think.
If.....
Slight Return
Solomon Bites The Worm.

They also featured on last year's Scott Pilgrim soundtrack.
So go see them in September if you have any sort of penchant for guitar music. You'll make new friends.
Tour dates are here

Morning Glories

Ignore the innuendo-y title.
Morning Glories is the story of a mysterious boarding school and it's somewhat influenced by John Hughes, Lost and The Prisoner, with hints of Glee's satirical edge.
Writer Nick Spencer has stated that he's trying to create a big mystery saga to fill the shoes of Hurley, Locke and co.

The story begins at a great pace, showing a break-out attempt.
As you can see, Joe Eisma's art is wonderfully expressive, as befits what is a very character-driven series.

The first five issues are the strongest so far. The mysteries start from the get-go as soon as the new intake arrives. As does the humour.

Yeah, Zoe (the black haired character) is reminiscent of Cordelia from Buffy.
And Casey, the leader of the rebels, owes a lot to Ms. Summers. It's hard not to be moved by her journey from excitement at joining a prestigious school to her forming a gang as she's confronted head-on by the horrors and ahem questionable ethics of the Morning Glories academy.

Some of the mysteries are easier to swallow than others.
But that was true of Lost as well (for the polar bear on a tropical island, read a character's curse that causes him to see 8:13 on every clock and not hear alarms for other times).
The trick of these things for me can be to ignore the bits you find wildly improbable and focus on the good stuff of which there is a lot.

There's one collected edition thus far and all the issues are available on comiXology.

AssortedSaturday-ness

Apologies for light content mode.

Saturday's going to be a busy day with little computer access for Christhopers.

So, two things.

One : dear BBC. Please please make your program descriptions less spoilery on the iPlayer. I kinda know I'll be watching some of the new Dr Who on delay and I don't want you blurting out key information (that's what Twitter's for).

Two: I've resisted blogging about Rebecca Black but I love her mini-doc analysing the hard-hitting messages behind Friday. She's a good sport, all told.

Batman and the wisdom of meddling in foreign affairs

Sometimes in sci-fi/fantasy writers like to throw in a few real life people to freshen things up.
Give things a bit of a zing or to add some satire.

We've had Jon Pertwee's third Doctor in Doctor Who reminiscing about how he marched with Chairman Mao (and presumably forgot to try to stop some of the horrific consequences of the Cultural Revolution).

And then, in '88, we had this.

The above panels featuring The Joker and Ayatollah Khomeini are from Batman : A Death In The Family by Mike Starlin and Jim Aparo which my ten-year-old self adored because it was grim and gritty and set in the middle east (where I'd spent large chunks of my primary school career).
I especially enjoyed the sequences of Batman hunting down bad guys in the souk in Beirut (?).

What it's most famous for now (and some would say it's sole redeeming feature) is that it killed off a Robin (Jason Todd, the street urchin one). And the public got to vote as to whether Robin died or not.
Anyway, for something I remember as being very hard edged and big proper serious stuff, it hasn't aged well. Robin is off looking for his birth mother in Arabia and is told she could be one of three and so spends half of the book talking to each one. Eventually he goes to Ethiopia and finds her and, lo and behold, she betrays him to the Joker who just happens to be in the area for reasons of plot convenience. ('cos Ethiopia and the Lebanon are right next door).
And the Joker kills them both.

To be fair, this is where the story improves no end, especially when the Joker is granted diplomatic immunity by Iran and appears at the UN, hunted down by a powerless but grief-stricken Batman.
But, yeah, it's not the most thought-out examination of the Middle East/North Africa (though, unlike DC's Suicide Squad it doesn't portray Dubai as being a jungle....)