[Sigh.]
If you can't tell, I've been driven to distraction by the focus on whether Joker knows the Bat-family's secret identities in most of the "Death of the Family" issues. The question dominates this issue in a way that I have difficulty understanding Yes, Tim. Given that he stripped you naked and put on your original Red Robin uniform, I think it's safe to say Joker might've actually taken off your domino mask and figured out your identity.
[Sigh.]
Another problem with this issue is that it's poorly coordination with "Red Hood and the Outlaws" #15, even though they're theoretically double cross-over issues. At the end of that issue, we see Jason getting thrown into a pit with Tim, despite the fact that Tim is all alone here. Moreover, Arsenal doesn't say what we see him say here to the Teen Titans.
[Sigh.]
I will say that reading this issue made me realize how glad I am that I'm not getting this title. I just really don't like the asshole that Lobdell writes Tim as being and I'm glad that I'm not forcing myself to witness it anymore.
[Sigh.]
Ugh... I said it before, and I'll say it again, it takes a special kind of writer to be unable to coordinate a story... WITH HIMSELF!!! Yeah...
ReplyDeleteI've completely given up on the whole, "Does he know or doesn't he???" aspect of this story... Lobdell's contributions to this storyline make it seem that Joker DEFINITELY knows. Most of the other writers are at least leaving it a "Maybe he does, maybe he doesn't..." issue. But Lobdell has thrown all that out the window! If you think it was bad here, wait until you read Red Hood #16 and Teen Titans #16! Yes, it gets WORSE!!
I'm glad that I'm not the only person not really feeling this storyline, JW. I was starting to think there was something wrong with me! Everything I read and everyone I've spoken to about this storyline LOVES it. This whole story just hasn't hit home for me... Joker is being portrayed as TOO smart(smarter than Bruce himself!), plus he's just doing WAAAAAY too much! I get that Joker has had a year to plan this attack out, but that doesn't explain how he's managed to clone himself, because that's the only explanation for how Joker is EVERYWHERE at the same time! On top of all that, I always thought that Joker knew that Bruce was Batman, but simply didn't care because he was only interested in Batman, not Bruce... Eh, I'm curious to see how Snyder ends things, but I can't say this storyline is in my top 10 favorite Batman stories...
OMG, I had totally forgotten that he has problems coordinating with himself until you mentioned that! Seriously, it's like I forgot that he wrote RHatO! Hilarious.
ReplyDeleteDude, seriously, I am really relieved to hear you say that. I just am not feeling it at all and, like you, I've been surprised by how much people love it.
I, too, have always just assumed that Joker knew. It's like that conversation that Batman and Superman had at one point, about how Clark assumed that Perry White was too good of a reporter not to have figured out his identity and Bruce figured that Jim Gordon was too good of a detective not to know. Sure, "Batman, Inc." may have helped throw off the average person who might've casually made a hunch given all Batman's toys, but anyone who's spent any time around Batman would have to have known. Gotham has never been like the Marvel Universe, where villains are generally motivated by greed or power, and would use a secret identity against a superhero to gain an edge. It's always been about lunatics who are in it for the game. I mean, how many stories have essentially blamed Bruce for the state of Gotham since his presence attracts the crazies? Joker, Riddler, Hush: knowing Bruce's identity isn't going to change a single thing about the way that they interact with him.
I just think that this whole event would be better if Snyder had asserted that Joker knew from the start but that he finally decided to use that information because he had to take out the family so that he could play with the Bat all by himself. I'd've totally, totally bought it. But, this "does he or does he not know?" business is just killing me and obscuring everything else Snyder is trying to do.
But, the more I think about it, the more I wonder if it's all doomed from the start. I mean, the whole tension behind this event is that Joker is more unhinged than ever and plans on killing the family in a way that drives Bruce over the edge. But, we know that he's not going to do it. I mean, after all, what's he going to do? Kill Jason and paralyze Barbara? Been there, done that. I mean, can Joker really do anything to shock us? I mean, after all, Bruce himself has been dead, the Ventriloquist destroyed Gotham, everyone's parents were murdered. What could Joker possibly do that would top that? If I believed that Joker was just doing it all to torture Bruce, I'd be OK, but we really haven't seen him do that. Sure, he's toying with Batgirl and Nightwing and kidnapped Damian, Jason, and Tim. But, he's not really making Bruce sweat, which just makes me wonder what I'm doing reading all these issues when nothing really seems to be happening.
And that is the reason for me to not read the tie ins.. I really enjoy Snyder writing in Batman but I cant trust in the way other writers aproach his ideas...(and I'm still forcing myself to erase Teen Titans and RHaTO zero isues from mi mind just to not spoil this arc)
ReplyDelete