The first two comics in this collection are drawn in the style of the golden and silver-era Batman comics. It opens with Batman's wake. Everyone has shown up, including villains Catwoman, Penguin, Riddler, Joker, and Clayface, as well as Jim and Barbara Gordon, Alfred, and Superman. Each tells a different tale of how he died and how they were involved in his death. Selina Kyle, Catwoman, steps up to tell the crowd about her and Batman's storied history together, where she tried being a thief, then she tried being a vigilante like Batman, and finally settled into a normal life as a cat shop owner. One night, Batman shows up at her store, hoping she will help him after he was shot by a punk kid in a nearby alley. Instead, Selina lets him bleed to death.
In "Pavane", Poison Ivey is in prison and gets a visit from a prison official with whom she had a great time playing. In "When Is a Door Not a Door?", a news station is searching for villains of Batman to interview for a special. They don't have much luck finding the "big" names and settle for the Riddler. Batman Black and White is fun as Batman and the Joker are going over lines before their performance as actors on a TV show. This is an excellent graphic novel, not just because Neil Gaiman wrote it, but also because of the artwork that takes you back to the comics of years ago in various different styles. I really enjoyed reading it and recommend this to all the Batman fans out there.
