Batman: False Faces by Brian K. Vaughn

A compilation of four Batman stories from Brian K. Vaughn. The stories are "Close Before Striking", "Mimsy Were the Borogroves", "A Piece of You" and "Skullduggery".

"Close Before Striking" has longtime Batman cover identity "Matches Malone" show up shortly after Batman has used the identity to set up The Ventriloquist and bring down one of his operations- smuggling copkiller bullets into Gotham. It turns out that the man who Batman thought dead had accidentally killed a man in one of his arson jobs, and his brother committed suicide. Matches found out when he was trying to dispose of the body, and learning that the cops thought he'd killed his brother, used the burned body to make himself seem dead.

But when he hears someone has been using his identity, he tries to track down the person responsible, but is killed by the Ventriloquist's Dummy. Batman must then track down Matches Malone's real killer. But has Batman gone too far in assuming Malone's identity?

In "Mimsy Were the Borogroves", Kurt Langstrom, Man-Lizard, is kidnapped by the Mad Hatter so that the Hatter can get revenge on his psychiatrist by turning him into a sort of dragon. He's hypnotized both Langstrom and the psychiatrist, but can Batman save both men, defeat the Hatter, and keep the monster the Hatter created from destroying Gotham... all at the same time?

In "A Piece of You", Clayface has learned about Wonder Woman's history, and wants to absorb her, since she was also created out of Clay by the Greek Gods. But his attempt to absorb her completely goes awry, and she fights her way out of him, only to end up looking like Troia/Wondergirl/Donna Troy. Clayface couldn't absorb all of her, but only part of her.

Now, Wonder Woman must team up with her spiritual twin Troia to restore to herself the piece of her and her powers that Clayface has stolen and once again become Wonder Woman. But can she do it when Clayface is immune to the power of her Golden Lasso? And resorting to fisticuffs will simply allow him to absorb her again.

In the last story, Skullduggery, we get to see inside the thoughts of many of Batman's foes: The Joker, The Riddler, Mr. Freeze, and a new opponent for Batman: The Skull. The Skull, who is one of Batman's closest associates, has decided to betray him, and can take on anyone's likeness. But in his crimes as the other villains, he has sown the seeds of destruction for Gotham. But will Batman be able to see him coming?

Although all the stories in this volume are supposedly Batman stories, the "A Piece of You" story didn't involve Batman directly. clayface, a Batman villain, was in the story, and Robin and Nightwing make appearances, but this is strictly a Wonder Woman/Troia story, not a Batman story.

All the stories are good and interesting, but Skullduggery is a teaser more than an actual story, as such. The entire story is maybe only 5 or 6 pages, and doesn't end leaving you satisfied in any way. But all stories do fit the "False Faces" theme as characters are transformed or disguise themselves in some way.

As an anthology, it's okay, but pedestrian and uninspired. I only found the first story to be the best, all the rest seemed to be superficial. Save your money on this one.