New-ish Comics (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Batgirl #23:  Ugh.  My heart dropped at the last page.  I'm not really sure where we go from here.  Barbara killed James, Jr. and Commissioner Gordon killed Ricky.  They're both taking people from each other, but it's even more complicated than that.  Simone leaves us with two questions that will drive the rest of this story.

First, did Commissioner Gordon kill Ricky not in self-defense but because he didn't want Barbara to be with him?  (Gordon had discovered a photo of Ricky and Barbara in Ricky's apartment and, I have to say, I think that it's probably unrealistic that Ricky had such a photo given that they had been on one date.  But, I'm willing to give Simone a pass, since time has to pass quickly in comics; otherwise, a several month relationship would take a decade.)  Gordon seemed to be a little bit more disturbed by shooting Ricky than a cop with his experience would otherwise be.  Plus, Ricky wasn't exactly aiming at him; the gun was pointed to the ground.

Second, does Gordon's badge really give him the authority to kill a suspect not directly threatening him, whereas Batgirl isn't allowed to save someone's life from a murderer if it means killing the murder?  After all, Barbara killed James, Jr. to save her mother.  Even McKenna raises the possibility that she might not have had a choice in the matter.

Simone's making it clear that Gordon's blinded by his emotions to these questions and it makes you wonder if we're really heading to a confrontation where he discovers Barbara's identity.  It seems like that confrontation would be the only thing to make him confront the answers to those questions, though I imagine everything'll go to Hell in a hand basket from there.

Batman and Robin #23:  My love-hate relationship with Tomasi goes back several years at this point and, on some level, I feel bad dropping a book that produced two issues that I consider candidates for "Issue of the Year" this year.  But, I've felt like these five issues depicting Bruce's grief over Damian's loss have been a real low for this series, an unorganized tour of some of Bruce's worst traits.  They contributed little to my understanding of the character or his emotions, despite the fact that they were clearly intended to do just that.  Moreover, this contemplation of Damian's loss made the title feel increasingly marginalized from the Bat-family continuity, with Damian already having faded to a distant memory in "Batman" and "Detective Comics" (after having been barely mentioned in "Batgirl" and "Nightwing").  It seems a good time to make my break, particularly since I'm not really sure how Tomasi's going to keep going when half the duo that gave its name to this title is no longer with us.  So, thanks, Tomasi, for some really spectacular issues that got to the heart of Bruce Wayne in a way that few other authors have managed to accomplish. 

Batman #23:  You know, I'm not really sure why Snyder decided that he had to change the nature of Bruce deciding to become Batman.  But, if he was going to do it, he could've at least had it make sense.  I don't really understand what happens here.  The gem that Bruce opens seems to magically transform a room of the Manor into a cave.  Is Bruce seeing things because of his concussion(s)?  If so, Snyder probably needed to make that a bit more clear.  Otherwise, we're left to believe that Thomas willed him a gem that magically transforms rooms into caves.  I'm guessing that's not the case.  That said, I did appreciate the idea that Joker was inspired by Bruce's parents' death, since it made him realize how random and violent the world was.  It fits, particularly in keeping with the theme that Batman and Joker are flip-sides of the same coin, both children of Gotham who learned the opposite (though violent) lessons from the Waynes' death:  Bruce tries to force some order onto Gotham, Joker embraces the chaos that clearly rules Gotham.  I can't say that "Year Zero" is setting my world on fire, but I think it would be getting closer if Snyder spent more time providing original insights like the one just mentioned and not focusing on changing the details of the established story to leave his mark. 

Nightwing #23:  OK, color me intrigued.  Zucco seems to know who the Prankster is and that knowledge leads him to believe that things are going to get even worse for Chicago.  It definitely deepens the mystery, making you wonder what exactly Mayor Cole did to the Prankster to make "him" hate Cole so much that "he" wants to take down the city.  I have to say, I'm excited to see how it all comes to a head.

Superior Spider-Man Team-Up #2:  Man, I forgot how beautiful Checchetto's work is.  Truthfully, the various "Scarlet Spider" pencilers rarely depict Kaine as a brawnier version of Peter; if you didn't know he was Peter's clone, I don't think that you'd read an issue of "Scarlet Spider" and think, "Hey, he looks a lot like Peter Parker."  But, Checchetto manages to achieve that "brawnier version of Peter" effect here.  Moreover, he does an amazing job with conveying emotions through facial expressions, such as Kaine's look of confused pain as "Peter" unexpectedly attacks him in his apartment.  With twice the handsome and twice the feeling, this issue is really all about Checchetto.

I say that, because Yost is surprisingly a little thin on the plot.  It's unclear why Kaine comes to visit Peter.  We're left to assume that it's to see what's gotten into him, but Yost doesn't actually make that point.  (I recall from one of the Spider-Man titles a flash of Kaine watching coverage of the newly aggressive Spider-Man, but nothing more than that.)  We also don't know how Jackal knows that Kaine's in town, why he decided to attack the Spider-Men when he did, or why he's re-activated the Stacy clones.  Has he been tracking Kaine and waiting to bring the Stacy clones on him and Peter for when they're together?  We never really discover the plan here.

But, perhaps most importantly, this Otto is more reckless than he's been, even lately.  He forgets completely that he's not Otto when he's seized with the need for revenge against the man that killed him.  It's only seeing Kaine's face and hearing his voice that remind him that he's Peter now.  We're left to wonder if his behavior is going to lead Kaine to realize that he's not dealing with Peter, adding to the choir of voices (Carlie, MJ, etc.) who suspect something is amiss.  But, we have to wait for confirmation of that next issue.  It's entirely possible that Kaine will just leave disappointed in his frayed (if not ruined) relationship with Peter, something too sad to contemplate.

Scarlet Spider #20:  As opposed to "Nightwing," color me concerned.  This title is at its best when it serves as a meditation on a man seeking redemption.  It's why the most poignant part of this issue is the last page, when Kaine reels not only from Peter's unexplained loss of faith in him but also from the return of his degenerative disorder.  It seems to be proof to him that he can't escape his past, throwing into doubt the progress that he's made so far.  The good news is that this title generally uses Kaine's supporting cast to help remind him of that progress and to stay on the path to redemption.  Yost seems to be setting up a story that'll give them a real run for their money.

However, this title is at its worst when it wallows too much in the details of that past.  Using the return of the degenerative disorder is one thing, particularly since it's essentially a visual gimmick that underlines how Kaine views himself.  Bringing back the Jackal, Carrion, the Gwen Stacy clone, and "Spidercide 2.0," all at the same time?  It's just too much.  (I'm not even going to mention the whole Other/"I've already got a monster living in my head" debacle.)  Kaine has done nothing but mediate on his past for this entire title.  Even if you didn't read the "Clone Saga," you know the basic contours of Kaine's past at this point.  We really, really don't need to relive the 1990s for Yost to make the point.  I just don't see how throwing the entire kitchen sink at us, particularly this early in the run, is going to leave us with any interesting insights into Kaine that we already haven't been given not only in this title already but also ad nauseum in the "Clone Saga" itself.  Let him remember who he was to understand where he is now; don't make us relive it all again.  We get it.  We've gotten it for 20 years.

In terms of Spider-Man, this issue is also troubling, because Otto continues to be a total nutjob.  Yost does a good job of reminding us that Otto no longer has Pete's memories, but it's hard to believe that Kaine could leave this encounter with Peter and not be seriously worried about his mental health.  After all, Otto kept screaming about getting revenge for what Kaine did to him.  Since Kaine never really did anything to Peter, he never really once stopped to think, "WTF is Peter talking about?"  I just wonder how long I'm going to be asked to believe that Peter could be this obviously unhinged and NO ONE, other than possibly Carlie, is going to wonder why.  However long it is, I can tell you already that it's been too long.

Batman and Robin #22 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

I haven’t been a huge fan of this “five stages of grief” plotline in “Batman and Robin,” mostly because it has seemed forced.  It’s resulted in weird confrontations like the one between Jason and Bruce in the first issue or Barbara and Bruce in the last one; I call them weird because they seem unlikely to have happened naturally, resulting more from Tomasi's need to match them to stage of grief that the issue is supposed to depict.

But, at least he was trying.  In this issue, he just abandons the concept entirely.  Catwoman doesn’t even mention the loss of Damian, despite the fact that she has to be aware of it.  I know that this Catwoman is a bit…colder than the DCU’s Selina Kyle, but, reading this issue, you wouldn’t know that she and Batman even remotely know one another, aside from some playful flirting on her part.  I was expecting Selina to help Bruce take his mind off Damian, but I thought it would be explicitly about taking his mind off Damian.  Instead, it's a consequence of her actions here, not the goal.

Instead, the Damian-related emotion of the issue lies with Bruce’s interaction with Carrie Kelly.  The problem with that, unfortunately, is that it seems hard to believe that someone as sharp as Carrie would be falling for the subterfuge that Bruce employs to keep her from realizing that Damian is dead.  To be honest, I’m not entirely sure why we’re not telling her.  Does the public at large not know?  If not, how long does Bruce really think that he can keep it quiet?  Why keep it quiet in the first place?

Carrie not seeing through Bruce’s ploy is a bit like Tim Drake no longer having discovered Bruce and Dick’s secret identities; it degrades the character, to the point where you question why they're special enough to be Robin in the first place.  Carrie is going to have to be more than just the dog-walker to justify the amount of space that Tomasi dedicates to her, but it seems unlikely that Bruce is going to make her Robin simply because she has spunk.

In other words, I’m not sure what either the Catwoman or Carrie stories have to do with “despair” or the future of this title.  Though, honestly, I think I'm done caring about the future of this title.

Batman and Robin #21 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

I have a love/hate relationship with Tomasi and, unfortunately, this issue falls more in the latter camp than the former one.  (Man, it's been a seriously bad run of comics this month.)  Tomasi actually does a great job picking up the threads of Barbara's struggles in "Batgirl" and I spent most of the issue wondering if she would confess to Bruce that she (may have) killed her brother.  I kept waiting for her to shout it during their confrontation, telling him that she wasn't worthy of wearing the mantle of the Bat as a result of her actions, and wondering what Bruce's response would be.  But, weirdly, Tomasi goes in a totally random (and opposite) direction.  Barbara goes from asserting that she's not worthy of being part of the Bat-family...to offering to serve as Bruce's Robin.  Nothing during their argument implies that Bruce is looking for a Robin (in fact, quite the opposite), so Barbara shattering the case with Jason's costume and offering to replace Damian seems incredibly disrespectful for no good reason.  Was she just trying to shock him?  Was she looking for a surrogate father as a result of her fear of being disowned when her own father finds out the truth about her?  Tomasi could've made those arguments, but he doesn't, leaving you scratching his head and wondering what happened here exactly.

Batman and Red Hood #20 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Oh, Jesus fucking Chris, can't Jason ever get a win?

This issue is perfect.  It's a brilliant tour of Bruce and Jason's emotions, a portrait of Bruce's grief and Jason's suffering.  Bruce is so insane right now that he's blind to the emotional impact that taking Jason to the spot where he died would have, hoping that the location will spark some memory of how Jason returned to life.  Meanwhile, Jason is incredulous that he put himself in a situation to trust Bruce again only to have Bruce betray him in the worst possible way, conforming for him that he's never been the son that the other Robins have been for Bruce.  It's horribly well done and it's so completely why Tomas is one of the best writers of emotion that I've ever read.

But...

...we were almost there.  We were almost at the moment that Jason was going to be part of the Bat-family again and Bruce threw it into the gutter.  My one consolation is that Jason is in good company, with the rest of the Bat-family not speaking to Bruce either.  Plus, even if they start speaking to Bruce again, it's not like they're going to take Bruce's side on this one.  I don't see Dick dismissing his actions here as justified given the harm that they do to Jason.  So, maybe a better way of phrasing it would be to say that Jason's part of the Bat-family, but it doesn't matter because Bruce isn't.  I'd actually love for Jason to appear in "Batgirl" or "Nightwing" and show us that the rest of the Bat-family cares about him.  (In fact, Barbara would have to get off her high horse and admit that she's no less a killer now than Jason is, something that would be great to see.)

In other news, Carrie Kelly returns in a great sequence and Tomasi is making it clear that JT might be right:  we might soon have enough Batgirls to have "Batgirl, Inc."  At the very least, I'm glad that someone'll be keeping Titus company.

So, all in all, this issue is brilliant, truly brilliant.  But, I'm extremely disappointed in Bruce as a result.  I absolutely believe that he's so mad with grief that he'd do what he does here, but it doesn't mean I have to like it.

Batman and Robin #19 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Frankenstein's monster?  First, we're supposed to believe that Bruce has decided that he's going to resurrect Damian and then we're supposed to believe that the only way that he can think of doing so is turning him into Frankenstein's monster?  Really? I know I have a love/hate relationship with Tomasi, but, man, this issue definitely falls into the latter category for me.

Batman and Robin #18 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

As usual with silent issues, this issue is full of meaningful moments that require time to process them fully.

In presenting the contents of Damian's room, Gleason manages to convey everything that you need to know about Damian.  You've got the musical instruments, full sketchbook, and bonsai tree, reminders of Damian's autodidactic tendencies.  You've also got the "trophies" that he won from the other Robins resting on the mantle, reminding us that he needed things like art, gardening, and music to offset the brutal nature that he often struggled to control.  Then, you've got Titus, lying next to his bed, waiting for Damian to come home.  Tomasi and Gleason have done a brilliant job with Titus, showing him as Damian's weak spot, to the point where I've often worried about his safety since he seemed the most obvious target for anyone who wanted to hurt Damian.  I was reading this issue when my partner returned home from just a one-day trip and our dog danced around him, barking the whole time, so excited was she to see him.  The moment heightened the emotion of that page, obviously, since Titus is waiting in vain.  Damian isn't coming home.

After reminding us of who Damian was, Tomasi and Gleason go about showing us how much he will be missed.  It's hard to tell what's the more heartbreaking moment, Bruce holding Damian's small glove in his hand (reminiscent of Damian holding his smaller boots to Bruce's bigger ones last issue) or seeing his solitary reflection in the skyscraper.  Titus himself gets a moment, running to the Batmobile in excitement when Bruce returns, only to be disappointed when Damian doesn't appear.  By the time we get to Bruce cradling Damian's empty costume, it's all almost too much.

This issue, so far, is the only "Requiem" issue that I've read that actually feels like a tribute to Damian.  It's fitting, obviously, for it to be in this title.  Even though I haven't been thrilled with Tomasi's work all of the time, he really understood Damian.  In fact, I continued to get this series because it was the only place where Damian consistently appeared.  He just brought something so different and unexpected to the Bat-family and Tomasi and Gleason have done an amazing job of showing that in this series.

But, in showing how much Damian will be missed, they also reminded me how ridiculous it is that he died in the first place.  On some level, I get why Dan Slott felt the need to shake up Spider-Man, a character with 50 years of history weighing down every story told about him.  But, Damian was just starting to come into his own in the DCnU.  His progress had already been interrupted by the reboot and I feel like we were finally just getting to where we had been in the initial run of "Batman and Robin," watching him engage with the world around him in a way uniquely his own.  This series' recent annual was a great example of that.

At this point, the only reason I can see why DC killed of Damian Wayne is sheer vanity on Grant Morrison's part.  He took his ball and went home.  Morrison talks about how his plan was always to kill off Damian, but you have to wonder why DC allowed him to do so.  After all, despite what he might think, Morrison doesn't own Batman.  By insisting that Damian had to die because he said so, Morrison just seems to be confirming my suspicions lately that we've return to the 1990s again, where creators try to outdo one another with shocking twists and editors do little to stop them.  Instead of his legacy being Damian, Morrison seems to want it be to have killed Damian, something that seems to sum up everything wrong with the comic-book industry right there.

So, bye, Damian.  You were, surprisingly, the best of them all and nothing will be nearly as much fun without you.

Batman and Robin #17 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Alfred smiling after dreaming that he blew off the Joker's head with a shotgun is worth the price of admission for this one, folks.  The rest of this issue is a really excellent character study of Alfred, Bruce, and Damian, exploring their connections to one another through their dreams.  (Damian's concern for Alfred in his dream is telling.)  But, it's Alfred's smile that steals the show.

Batman and Robin Annual #1 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

I'm really hot or cold with Tomasi, but I've kept getting this series mainly because it's the only place where I get to see Damian, who I often enjoy.  This issue is a reminder of the wisdom of that decision. Tomasi delivers the perfect self-contained annual story, giving us great insight into the characters in a story that doesn't require having read every single one of Damian's appearances to appreciate it.  I feel like this issue is made for the "Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told" series, offering a different take on the character while perfectly conveying who he is (even if the "he" isn't the one you thought it would be).  I couldn't recommend this issue more.

Batman and Robin #16 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

I wound up enjoying this issue more than I did last issue, if only because Tomasi gave us a pretty tightly scripted battle between Damian and "Batman" and avoided some of the "Death of the Family" baggage in the process.  I actually thought that it was Batman for most of this issue, given that it made sense that Joker could've injected him with a Joker serum after the events of "Batman" #16.  The revelation that it wasn't him didn't do anything to diminish the story, though, since the whole point was to show a devastated and weakened Damian played right to where Joker wanted him.  Snyder et al. are certainly playing up this mysterious platter, though this issue doesn't really give us any hints whose head might be in it.  Joker does mention the family skeletons being removed from the closet and uses a quote that sounds suspiciously similar to Jack Napier's, "Ever dance with the Devil in the pale moonlight?" quote from the original Batman movie.  But, unless it's Jack Nicholson's head, I'm not sure what the connection will be.  I guess we'll see.

Batman and Robin #15 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

I was really, really excited about this issue after the first few pages.  I liked the idea of Damian going after Alfred.  It seemed the sort of contained niche story really well suited to this title that would provide some sort of balance to the ambitious overall story driving the event.  But, then, everything goes wrong.  Rather than existing on the margins, this story is suddenly thrust into the middle of the event as Joker appears and goes after Damian.  The problem, of course, is that it immediately raises the identity problem in my mind.  This whole cross-over event is based on the question whether Joker knows the Bat-family's identities.  Well, here, he has Damian hostage, but he does nothing to remove his mask and learn his identity.  So, either Joker knows his identity or he doesn't care about it.  Either way, it seems to tacitly undermine the entire point of the event, either answering the main question or dismissing it as an irrelevant conceit.  Moreover, Tomasi really doesn't have an ear for Joker's voice, making it difficult to believe the threat that Damian was purportedly facing.  All in all, it was a weak issue not helped by the fact that I'm finding "Death of the Family" overall weak.

Batman and Robin #14 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Tomasi and I have a hot-and-cold relationship.  I'm usually lukewarm, frequently cold, and occasionally hot.  This issue?  Burning.

Tomasi finally embraces a view of Damian that hews a little more closely to Scott Snyder's, portraying him as a mostly earnest kid who just really finds other people annoying.  It's a refreshing change from the sociopath that we typically see in these pages.  It doesn't mean that Damian is polite to the people that he's saving, but he is saving them and he means it.  Often, in this title, Tomasi portrays Damian as a hero motivated only by impressing his father; he seems mostly ambivalent about the actual victims (more on that subject in the next paragraph).  But, here, his father isn't there to witness his heroism (at first).  In fact, you get the sense that Damian would prefer that Bruce never learns what he was doing, since he'd likely be mad at him.  At long last, we again see the potential that Dick saw in Damian back in the days of the DCU.

But, Tomasi goes one step further.  Not only do we finally see this potential, but Bruce does, too.  As I just mentioned, Bruce's concern that Damian only cares for himself is something that I've shared throughout Tomasi's run.  When I talk about Tomasi portraying Damian as a sociopath, I'm talking exactly about that concern.  As such, Damian depositing Bruce's mother's pearl on Bruce's desk is brilliant.  (It actually reminded me of the amazing scene in "Blackest Night:  Batman" where Dick and Damian have to dig up the Waynes' graves and Damian remarks how most kids don't meet their grandparents that way.)  Somewhere under there, Damian has a heart.  It's all I really need to know.  I just hope Tomasi remembers to show us those moments more often.  I mean, I love a cranky, anti-social Damian.  We just have to be reminded every once in a while that he's Bruce's son, not Joker's.

Speaking of Bruce, we also see Tomasi address my second complaint about his run, that Bruce is often depicted as a criminally negligent father.  Here, we see Bruce show concern for his son and wondering whether he can stomach putting him in danger again and again.  It actually goes to Joker's point that the Bat-family makes Bruce weak.  (Again, I'm agreeing with Joker:  scary.)  Bruce might've been more cavalier with the other Robins, because he was younger and they were older.  But, with his ten-year-old biological son, you can tell that he's wondering what he's doing putting him in the line of fire.  I loved the moment where he yells at Damian that he reserves the right to be worried about him.  It's exactly the sort of thing a father would do and it's nice to see Bruce (finally) behave that way.

The only negative to this issue is that we really never get to the bottom of the Saturnists or whoever they were.  I think that we're supposed to believe that Joker set up the whole cult, which I guess I believe, though I'm left wondering why he'd bother.  It seems unnecessarily indirect for him.  In fact, in retrospect, Tomasi doesn't even really explain how they created the zombies or what the point of creating them was.  But, this flaw is overshadowed by development in Bruce and Damian's relationship (the hug!) so I'll let it pass.

Batman and Robin #13 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

I actually read this issue before "Batman" #13 and realized that I should've read that issue first.  When I re-read it, I realized how essential it is to the main plot.  Most importantly, we see Bruce teach Damian how to do something "in case anything ever happens to me."  Suddenly, you realize that Batman thinks that this conflict with Joker might be his last one.  Snyder hinted in "Batman" #13 at the fear that Bruce felt when he began to realize how different -- angrier, meaner -- Joker was this time.  But, now, we realize just how afraid he is.  It's chilling.  Speaking of chilling, we also see Damian arrive home after Alfred has been attacked without realizing that it happened.  I didn't think anything of it the first time I read this issue, but suddenly the large bone that Titus has in his mouth takes on all new -- and potentially horrifying -- meaning.

New Comics!: The #0 Edition #1 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Batgirl #0:  One of the most interesting things that Simone does here has nothing to do with Barbara.  It has to do with Batman, with Simone portraying him as he was originally perceived by Gotham, as some sort of supernatural creature of the night.  The whole plot of the story revolves around it, with Barbara inventing a reason to go to the GCPD HQ so that she can learn more about him.  When she overhears the cops talking about how they think he uses tech (and not some sort of supernatural powers) to fight crime, the rest is history.  She realizes that he fights crime simply by being smart, just like her.

In terms of #0 issues, this one does more than I thought it would.  I had originally assumed that we would get the history of Babs' regaining the use of her legs, but I get the sense that Simone has said all that she plans on saying about that part of Barbara's history, at least for now.  In fact, interestingly, Barbara's time as Oracle isn't even mentioned in the bio page that runs after this story.  We're simply told that, after her paralyzation, she pushed herself to her mental and physical limits to regain her ability to walk.  So, with this issue, Simone (probably wisely) instead focuses on the moment when Barbara realized that she wanted to be Batgirl.

Simone really sells the story, using some pretty clever twists to get Barbara into the costume for the first time.  First, it makes sense that Barbara would've taken years of self-defense classes, since, as she said, she's the daughter of the GCPD Commissioner, so she ranked pretty high on most criminals' "good people to abduct" list.  But, it's her ability to defeat this issue's villain by using these skills that gives her the confidence she needs to believe that she can handle herself in a fight.  Second, when it comes time for Barbara to defend herself against said villain, Simone's decision to put Barbara in the mocked-up Bat-suit that she saw the cops discussing earlier was a great move.  Although Barbara might've been thinking about fighting crime in some form before that moment, it's pretty clear that putting on that suit opened some doors in her head.  Finally, the appearance of Batman at the end -- and the praise that he gives her -- really clinches the deal.  One or two of the events alone might have impacted her, but it's pretty clear that it's the sequence of all three happening in short succession that leads her to become Batgirl.  Simone hints at other moments to be explored during an expository narration of Barbara's tenure as Batgirl, such as the mistake that led her to hang up the cowl in the first place.  But, I guess that's a story for another day.  For now, Simone goes the job that this #0 issue was supposed to do, clarifying Barbara's origin in the DCnU.  We'll see where we go from here.

Batman #0:  [Sigh.]

OK, the main problem I have with the main story is that I'm not sure that even Scott Snyder can really add anything that new to the story of Bruce's early days as Batman.  The most interesting twist that he manages to put on the story is Alfred wisely noting that Bruce needs to be seen as Bruce, or, at least, the Bruce that Gotham expects him to be, in order to distance himself from Batman.  Alfred is proven correct a few panels later when Commissioner Gordon notes that Bruce himself also appears to be on some sort of crusade, having decided to reside in a brownstone near where his parents were killed upon his return to Gotham, a neighborhood that also just happens to be where Batman has been most seen.  I'm not sure anyone's really gone to the care of showing the sequence of events that led Bruce to realize that he had to adopt the playboy persona to distance himself from Batman, so Snyder does manage to put him mark on Batman's origin, or, at least, his new origin.  But, the rest of the story is same old, same old.  Bruce isn't quite the fastidious detective that he'll eventually become, and his failure to do his homework gets him in trouble when he tries to take down the "Red Hood Gang."  It's nothing you haven't read in at least a dozen different tellings and re-tellings of Bruce's early days.  The most interesting implications for the future is what shady business dealings Philip Kane is making and whether the Red Hood is really the Joker.  (He does seem to have a flair for the dramatic like our guy...)  I guess we'll see.  (On a positive note, I want to say again that Capullo makes a young Bruce Wayne the handsomest man in comics.)

It's Tynion's back-up story that causes problems, though through absolutely no fault of his own, as we see Dick, Jason, and Tim in their pre-Robin days.  The biggest problem is that Dick appears to be WAY too young.  If we follow Simone's timeframe for Barbara in "Batgirl" #0, she was a freshman or sophomore in college four years ago, putting her somewhere around 22 or 23 years old today.  Unless she's robbing the craddle, Dick should be roughly the same age as her.  When the events of this issue happen, five years ago, he should then be somewhere around 17 or 18 years old.  The problem with that is that he's one of the Flying Graysons in this issue; in fact, the events of this issue take place on the eve of his parents' death.  If he were 17 or 18 years old and still a member of the Flying Graysons, DC has just essentially erased the entire history of Dick as Bruce's adopted son; after all, a 17 or 18 year old doesn't really need to be adopted by a wealthy millionaire when his parents are killed like a 10 or 11 years old does.  (Moreover, I think that we're supposed to believe Dick to be around 24 or 25 years old in the present day, which makes it all the more difficult to believe that Bruce adopted him at the age of 19 or 20 years old.)  However, to complicate the problem even further, I'm not even sure if he is in his late teens here.  Clarke draws him to look hardly older than Tim, who's in middle school at the time of this issue.  On some level, I'd be glad if it were true, since it would be more in line with the DCU past, where Dick was 10 or 11 years old when adopted.  But, if it were, Dick would be no more than 17 or 18 years old in the present day, something that clearly isn't the case. 

But, Dick's age isn't even the most vexing continuity problem.  Instead, for me, the biggest problem is believing that everything that has happened in the entire history of Batman and Robin has happened over the last five years.  We're apparently pretending that Tim was never Robin, which, admittedly, buys DC some time.  Assuming Jason was at least dead a few months and has been back alive for a few months, it still means that Dick and Jason shared the role of Robin over a four year period or so (with Damian presumably taking up the mantle at some point in the last year).  Maybe Dick was Robin for three years and Jason for a few months?  I could buy that.  But, I thought the whole point of these #0 issues was that I wouldn't still be trying to place their history into some sort of continuum; DC would do it for me.  I'm willing to wait to see what explanations the other Bat-family #0s offer, but, if they don't clarify who did what when, I'm going to be seriously disappointed.

I know it seems silly to worry about continuity and, for a lot of people, they don't care.  But, for me, comics is really about the fact that you develop a relationship with these characters over a long period of time.  To see characters you've followed for 30 years suddenly and magically have less of a history than they used to have seriously detracts from of that enjoyment.  It's hard to accept the wonder that Tynion is trying to instill in us as the boys' see the Bat-signal for the first time when you're wondering why Dick hasn't hit puberty yet.  I know that's not the case for all readers, but it is for me.

On a more positive note, Tynion does the most with Jason here, who expresses sheer horror when his friend murders a woman observing the robbery that the two of them are committing.  Tynion and Clarke really show Jason as the broken street-kid that he used to be and I'm hoping that the "Red Hood and the Outlaws" #0 issue goes into more details about his past (and wish that Tynion were writing it).  It's really heart-breaking to see him here, wedged between Dick and Tim; he's got his friend's blood on his shirt, he's walking to wherever it is that he's living, and he's wordlessly staring at the Bat-signal in a deserted, depressing alley.  It actually makes me mad all over again at Bruce for failing him so terribly.  (Is this event the one for which Bruce told Jason that he should've gotten Jason help in his holographic will?)  It's hard to watch his innocence when you know how it's all going to end; it just reminds you how tragic of a character Jason has always been.  Beyond Jason, Tynion also excels with Tim, showing him as the precocious whiz-kid that we all know him to be.  (I once again wish Tynion were writing his series.)

All in all, this issue is more distracting than it is exciting.  Whereas Simone was able to use the premise to help clarify Barbara's new origin, Snyder and Tynion struggle under the weight of the editorial mandate.  I'm glad we'll return to normal next issue.

Batman and Robin #0:  Argh.

OK, quickly:  According to the information that he gave Commissioner Gordon in "Batman" #0, Bruce Wayne left Gotham ten years ago to start to train to become the Batman.  According to this issue, Damian is roughly ten years old.  Why would Talia al Ghul sleep with  the Bruce Wayne that recently left Gotham?  He's not Batman yet and, in fact, doesn't necessarily have a plan to become Batman; he's just starting on his journey.  In fact, when Damian asks about his dad for the first time, Bruce has probably just started to appear as Batman.  As such, how does Talia have a copy?  Are we supposed to believe that they had a romance ten years earlier and resumed it after Bruce became Batman?

It would be really nice if these #0 issues answered questions, rather than raising them.

Superboy #0:  Meh.  This issue is OK.  DeFalco's main problem is that Kon's history only really started with "Superboy" #1, so it's hard to write a prequel to that issue, given that he didn't exist before it.  DeFalco instead tells the story of the clone named Kon who led the revolt on Krypton.  It's not the most fascinating story, but, for this title, a half-way decent issue is something to be celebrated.  So, hurrah!  I didn't hate it.

New Comics!: The Batman Mega-Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Batgirl #12:  The only negative thing that I've had to say about Simone's run on "Batgirl" so far is that her villains haven't been all that well formed.  From Mirror to Gretel to Grotesque, they've mostly served as plot devices to bring Barbara to a new epiphany or set the stage for her interaction with another member of the DCnU cast.  But, with this issue, Simone fully realizes Knightfall and her team.  First, we get insight into the motivations of her three bodyguards, moving them beyond the stereotypical henchman category into actual super-villian status in their own right.  Simone also adds another layer of complexity to Knightfall by tying her to James, Jr.  James is smart enough to see a level of crazy in Charise that he would one day be able to use to his advantage, so I totally believe that he helped keep her alive in Arkham.  By introducing a connection between him and Knightfall, Simone makes Knightfall Barbara's first true nemesis, giving them the personal connection that every great adversarial relationship needs.  Simone also makes you feel empathy for the bad guys.  I found myself relieved that Knightfall and her cronies hadn't actually killed Ricky the car thief, and it's hard not to find yourself understanding why the loss of her twins at the hands of a drunk driver drove Bonebreaker to throw in her lot with someone who pledges to rid Gotham of crime.

Simone is no less adept with the supporting cast.  Detective McKenna is totally a woman on the edge here and Syaf does a great job of emphasizing the fact with her disheveled appearance and bugging eyes.  Batwoman's appearance goes better than I thought.  Simone, not surprisingly, avoids the issue descending into a clichéd girl-on-girl fight, with Batgirl convincing Batwoman to stop hitting her long enough to explain why she should help them.  I dropped "Batwoman," so I'm not really sure what Kate's deal with the D.E.O. is at the stage.  But, as Barbara notes, she takes a risk by throwing in her lot with Batgirl and McKenna, given that she was sent to bring in McKenna.

One mystery still out there is what exactly McKenna did for Knightfall.  For example, she tells Batwoman that she helped Knightfall play the D.E.O., but we don't get any more details because Knightfall interrupts the conversation with her call to have Batgirl meet her at the Three Towers.  But, in keeping that mystery alive, Simone keeps us guessing.  This title is really coming into its own, with Simone delivering her excellent characterization with better developed ongoing plots and less one-dimensional villains.  I happily spend $2.99 a month on this book.

Batman #12:  After the Owl saga, I have to say, I was waiting to see what Snyder did with this issue.  I was hoping for something a little less...epic in scope, something that told a pretty simple story about Batman.  I got exactly that.

This issue is one of those issues where you just don't know where the author is taking you.  It's not your stereotypical superhero story.  We don't see any costumed heroes or villains until the second half of the book and, even when they do appear, they're never really the focus of the book.  When Snyder starts the story, you feel like something is inevitably going to happen to its heroine, something that will inevitably result in her ending the issue in a costume as a hero or a villain.  It's just the way that these sorts of things go.  Even an excellently scripted series like "Earth 2" put its heroes into their costumes pretty much within the same issue that they appeared.  As such, you think you're reading a done-in-one origin story.  Except, you're not.  It's what makes this issue frustrating to read, in the very best way, because, after a few pages, you realize that it's not falling into the same pattern as every other story.  You start getting annoyed and anxious until you realize that you're reading something different, something special.

Snyder comes close to falling into the same trap as DeFalco in "Superboy" #12, portraying the young gay boy whose sister, Harper, is at the center of this issue as stereotypically gay.  He's into his sister's clothes, he's trying to score with a straight boy, etc.  But, unlike DeFalco's Bunker, the whole point of Snyder's Cullen is that he is stereotypically gay.  A butch Cullen probably (though possibly) wouldn't invite the scorn of his classmates the way "fairy" Cullen does, and it's this scorn that sets events in motion, as Batman saves Cullen and Harper from said bullies.  In some ways, Snyder provides every gay kid's wish fulfillment here, because we'd all have loved a Batman to swoop into our lives, beat up our enemies, and scare them into not harassing us again.  As such, it's understandable why Batman's actions inspire such loyalty from both kids, but particularly Harper.  Snyder does a convincing job of showing us the burden of responsibility that Harper carries with her every day, so it's no surprise that she's as loyal as she is to someone who helped alleviate that burden by making her little brother's day-to-day a lot safer.

In inspiring this devotion, Snyder shows us why Batman has endured as a character for as long as he has.  Often, we see Batman through the screen of distrust that the police hold for him.  Be it comic books or animated series or action movies, we often see Batman through the eyes of the authorities.  For whatever reason, we rarely see Batman through the eyes of the victims that he saves.  Snyder corrects that perception and delivers us the type of issue that explains everything that you need to know about the Caped Crusader.  It's the type of story that you'd find in an anthology, like the "Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told" series, because it gets to the heart of who he is.  He not only rights the wrong, saving the kids, but he also insists on working alone, chastising Harper for messing with his electricity boxes and helping against Tiger Shark.  (The revelation that Bruce runs his own grid within Gotham's electricity grid so that he can control CCTV feeds and support the overall grid was genius.) 

It's clear that we haven't seen the last of Harper Row, though I'm not sure if she's going to be the next Stephanie Brown or something else.  Snyder is unlikely to rush his hand.  Other authors in the DCnU have rushed to get through the character's origin story in order to introduce as many new heroes and villains as possible, showing how new the DCnU is.  By taking his time to tell the story, Snyder is in the process of producing the DCnU's first break-out star and, paradoxically, showing how different the DCnU is.

This story is the type of story that I'd like to see more often in "Batman."  After seeing the "Dark Knight Rises," I commented to my boyfriend that the only negative for me was that Batman isn't exactly the type of guy to save cities from neutron bombs.  He is, however, the type of guy to save bullied gay kids from their tormentors and overburdened teenaged sisters from their anxieties.  This story remind us of that.  I can't wait to see where you go, Harper Row!

Batman and Robin #12:  Every time I start liking this series, Tomasi does something to ruin it.  This issue is a case in point.

First, Terminus' reveal is unforgivably convenient here.  Why tell Batman about the warhead?  Had he not told Batman about the warhead, he could've actually achieved his goal, watching Batman realize that he had failed Gotham right before he died.  But, by going all super-villain and telling Batman his plan, Terminus ensures that Batman has enough time to defuse the warhead and save Gotham.  It's WAY too convenient and I can't believe that the editors actually let it pass.

Second, Tomasi knows that the Red Hood is in space, right?  I mean, even if he weren't in space (though he is), I'm not sure that Tomasi got the memo that Jason isn't really on speaking terms with the Bat-family.  Other than his interaction with Tim in "Red Hood and the Outlaws" #8, Jason hasn't directly encountered any members of the Bat-family (as far as I can remember) except in this title.  His appearances in this title feel odd as a result, like Tomasi is telling a DCU story while everyone else is telling a DCnU one.

Third, we never learn who Terminus is!  He hates Batman so much for what he did to him, going so far as to taunt him, telling him to say his name.  But, Batman doesn't know it, and we never return to it before Terminus dies.

Fourth, am I really supposed to believe the Iron Bat armor fits in the Batmobile?

Finally, the "War of the Robins" ends with a whimper.  I was waiting for some great emotionally driven battle between Damian and Dick, where Dick reminded Damian that he didn't have to prove himself.  Instead, Dick just hurls him his escrima stick and makes a crack about Damian being the one wearing the uniform.  That's it.  The whole big emotional reveal of the "War of the Robins" was a tossed stick and a quick quip.

This title just really frustrates me.  As I've mentioned previously, I get it because it's pretty much the only opportunity for me to see Damian, who I enjoy.  But, Tomasi is making it harder and harder for me to justify spending $2.99 when every few steps we take forward we eventually wind up taking back.

Nightwing #12:  The main problem with this issue is one that I've encountered in several other DCnU series, namely, the failure to fully sketch out the goals and motivations of a new villain.  Here, I was specifically unsure if I was supposed to recognize who Paragon was when he took off his mask.  Super-villians generally don't just reveal their identity to superheroes; they usually do it only because they've been driven to crime as a result of something that the superhero did, and, in revealing their identity, they show the superhero how he failed him/her.  (It's what Terminus tried to do in "Batman and Robin" #12, except Batman didn't know who he was.)  However, Higgins never tells us who Paragon was or why, possibly, Dick would know him.  I mean, you'd figure that someone who allegedly mastered thermodynamics and built some sort of reactor before the age of sixteen would be a known property, but, if Dick recognized him, he didn't give any indication.

Moreover, Higgins muddies the waters when it comes to the Republic of Tomorrow.  I had thought that it was essentially a cult of personality built around Paragon, but, after this issue, I'm not so sure.  We learn that Dick apparently saved all the lives of Paragon and the Strayhorn brothers in issue #3, an act that causes the brothers to question their membership in a group that wants to overthrow exactly the type of costumed superhero who just saved their lives.  After they decided to leave the group, Paragon kills them and frames it on Dick to make it into a rallying cry.  I get all that.  But, Paragon says that he "took over the group," which implies the Strayhorns were running it before he killed them.  It begs the question, then:  why did the Strayhorns want to take down costumed heroes?  It seems pretty ambitious for a non-madman, so they had to have some motivation.  But, Higgins doesn't really clarify that part, just like he doesn't really give us Paragon's motivation, including just some vague comment about fighting for what he think Gotham really needs.  I think sometimes that authors forget that not everyone can be the Joker, spreading chaos just to spread chaos. 

Despite the failings of the villain, Higgins does a pretty decent job with Dick's supporting cast.  I'm glad to see Detective Nie make some progress here.  After the somewhat stereotypically gay portrayals in "Batman" and "Superboy" #12, it's nice to see an adult gay man playing a role that has nothing to do with his sexuality, similar to Alan Scott in "Earth 2."  I'm hoping that we see more of him.  I'm also hoping that we see more of Sonia Branch, whose "relationship" with Dick continues to intrigue me.  To be honest, I'm reading this series much more for these insights into Dick's private life than I am his antics at Nightwing at this point.

Red Hood and the Outlaws #12:  Lobdell delivers possibly his strongest issue to date.  Finally.

I liked several things about this issue.  First, I like that Lobdell lets Roy get the win.  When the cover identified a "red knight to the rescue," I was pretty sure that it was referring to Jason rescuing Roy.  Instead, it's Roy rescuing Komand'r.  Second, along those lines, Lobdell successfully pulls off a bait and switch, revealing that Komand'r was pretending to cooperate with the Blight to help keep it from destroying her people.  To be honest, I totally buy this reason, particularly because I didn't necessarily know how Lobdell was going to justify Komand'r selling out her people to the Blight.  (I'm not saying that he isn't going to reveal at the end that Komand'r was working for the Blight all along, but, at least for now, I buy this explanation.)  Third, we finally get the characters showing some emotions.  Jason is downright psychologically grounded in this issue and I thought Lobdell did a good job getting him to try to get Roy to take some credit for saving Komand'r.  The "team" has been together enough time to start forming bonds to each other, and Jason acting like a friend, and not just bro, to Roy is a great start.  I'm equally pleased that Lobdell has Koriand'r not just treat Roy as a boy toy, showing real emotions towards him.  It's almost like the three of them are real people now!  Hurrah!

I'm excited about the Koriand'r and Komand'r v. the Blight battle coming in two months.  I really want this title to ditch demons and space, but, as long as Lobdell is telling a good story, at this point, I'm willing to go with it.

New Comics!: The Bat-Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

OK, now, we're moving onto the #11s.  I'll cover the Bat-family here and the rest of my DC comics in my next post.

Batgirl #11:  Huh.  I'm not sure what to think about this issue.  The story itself is fairly tight, in terms of the way that Simone lets it unfold.  Detective McKenna unexpectedly saves Batgirl from Knightfall and her minions, brings Batgirl to her house to dress her wounds, and, after the requisite moment of mistrust, exposits her darkest secret.  McKenna seemed pretty irrational when she blamed Barbara for allowing her partner to be killed in issue #1, but we learn here that it was her own inability to save the life of her husband during a riot at Arkham that obviously fueled that anger.  Is it a little pat?  Sure.  But, Simone still does emotions better than anyone else writing comics right now, so I'm willing to overlook it.  My problem is that, when you take a moment to think about the story, you realize that we still need a lot more in the way of explanations.  First, we still don't have a definitive view of whether Charise Carnes actually killed her family.  But, Simone makes that point more or less moot (even though it would be nice to get an answer) by making it clear that, either way, her current state of crazy has more to do with her presence in Arkham during the riot a few years ago.  Simone and Syaf imply that Carnes was brutalized by the inmates running amok, and it was that experience that turned her into Knightfall.  (I'm not sure, by the way, if Simone is referencing one of the many riots at Arkham that we saw in the DCU or creating a new one.  It seems to be the latter, since McKenna refers to it as "the breakout," and I can't really remember a definitive Arkham breakout in the DCU.)  The "Knighfall" part also needs more clarity, though I'm intrigued by the direction that Simone is going with it.  Carnes' MO seems to be to kill all mild bad guys before they can become really bad guys, and Simone ups the intrigue factor by revealing that she's recruiting cops, detectives, and judges to help her do it.  The unknown part of that equation is whether McKenna is involved.  She knew Knifghtfall's identity, as well as the real names of her three minions, so it implies that she's at least somewhat involved.  But, Simone doesn't really clarify whether she's involved because she's sympathetic to Carnes' crusade or whether she's trying to infiltrate the group to stop it.  Since we don't know her motivations, we also don't know why McKenna suddenly decided to turn on Carnes.  We also don't know why McKenna following Batgirl.  I was OK with those questions, since I'm pretty sure that Simone intends to answer them.  But, then, BAM, we get the D.E.O. and everything went to pot.  Why the hell is the D.E.O. involved?  McKenna equates the D.E.O. with Medusa, which confused me, since, at least in theory, the D.E.O. is good guy-ish.  I can't for the life of me think of a reason why the D.E.O. would care about Knightfall or about Batgirl and McKenna being in the same house.  I guess we'll learn more next issue, but that development totally took me by surprise and not in a good way.  It seems like an pat plot device to force a Batgirl vs. Batwoman fight, and I feel like that just cheapens the title.  One of the saving graces of this issue was Barbara's compassion as McKenna told her the story of her husband, even though she was listening to a woman who's repeatedly tried to arrest her.  Simone finds a way every issue to remind us who Barbara is as a person, something that I wish other authors would do more frequently.  I'm really hoping this Batwoman business blows over quickly, because I dropped that title because I was tired of hearing about the D.E.O.  More Barbara, less conspiracy.

Batman and Robin #11:  To be honest, I had kind of forgotten about Terminus.  As I mentioned last issue, I actually really like the idea of him, because it raises some interesting questions about Batman.  After all, Bruce just finished telling his son that they don't kill in "Batman and Robin," but Terminus reminds us that shattering someone physically in the pursuit of justice isn't exactly all that upstanding, even if you're leaving the perpetrator technically alive.  (Simone also echoed this point in "Batgirl," where she had Barbara contemplate how fair it was of her to go against a bunch of simple car thieves, given all the advantages that she has in terms of equipment and training.)  But, Tomasi puts Terminus front and center here, sending his minions into the city to brand people with the Bat insigna, turning it into a symbol of fear rather than hope for the average Gothamite.  It's really a brilliant twist and I can't believe no writer has thought of it previously.  Terminus also "dies" in this issue, to be reborn as an enormous robot and, although enormous robots are somewhat outside Bruce's wheelhouse, I'm excited to see what toys the new tech-savvier Batman employs to level the playing field a bit.  My only criticism of this part is that Bruce seemed to be really excessively rattled when Terminus set off explosions in the shape of bats in Finger Square.  I mean, sure, I get that he's upset over the use of the Bat insignia as a symbol of fear, and not hope, but I really don't think that he'd stand there bellowing, "LEAVE MY CITY ALONE!"  In fact, the whole lesson that he learned in the Court of Owls arc in "Batman" is that Gotham isn't his city, so it's weird that he refers to it that way here.  It's essentially a writing problem compounded by bad editing.

To me, though, the storyline that I most remembered going into this issue is the "War of the Robins," and Tomasi really ups the ante here.  I mean, he's really, really doing everything he can to make Damian unlikeable.  After all, Jason seems even less psychotic than Damian, telling him that he's not going to wail on a ten-year-old boy.  Jason's restraint is impressive, given that Damian announced his presence by leaving the crowbar that the Joker used to kill him on his bed.  (Gleason's decision to put images from "Batman:  The Killing Joke" in the background of Damian and Jason's fight was inspired.)  It doesn't help that Damian is right, that Jason's still angry at Bruce for failing him, when, in fact, it really was Jason that failed himself by defying Bruce.  (Of course, you could argue that a teenage kid probably shouldn't have been put in the position to decide whether he should reveal his secret identity to his birth mother to help her escape being blackmailed by the world's greatest homicidal maniac.  But, I digress.)  Damian's also right that Jason's not over the hurt that his sense of betrayal brings him, and I'm actually glad to hear that, since it holds out hope for Bruce and Jason to hug out their feelings at some point in the future.  If Jason were over the betrayal, he would also be over the feelings he has for Bruce, which would mean he was beyond redemption (at least in terms of the Bat-family).  I'm glad to hear that it's not the case.  All in all, it was a pretty great issue.  We're clearly going to get Damian's attack on Dick next issue, and it's obviously that one that will really lay all the cards on the table.  Right now, it's hard to empathize with Damian, even if it's clear that he's acting from a great sense of insecurity.  (I mean, the crowbar?  Really?)  If anyone is going to get to him, it's Dick.  I can't wait to see how it goes.

Nightwing #11:  OK, so, I pretty clearly completely missed some stuff last issue.  First, Paragon isn't the "escrima killer."  I thought that he was the escrima killer because he delivered a whole speech about needing to take down the "false idol of yesterday," leading me to believe that he had killed the Strayhorn brothers as part of his plan to frame Dick.  Nope.  The Strayhorn brothers were instead part of the group of vigilantes that Paragon runs.  Its purpose?  They plan on taking down the heroes who Paragon blames for the plight of Gotham.  Sucks that Dick just happened up on them, huh?  What are the odds?  Sarcasm aside, I'm willing to give Higgins some time on this one, because it's pretty clear that he has more in store for Paragon than we currently know.  But, I found this entire plot twist suspicious.  First, the escrima killer just happens to kill two guys who just happen to be affiliated with a vigilante group that just happens to view itself responsible for taking down costumed heroes?  Suspicious.  Of course, the whole point may be the fact that it's suspicious, because someone planned it that way, hence why I'm giving time for Higgins to develop it.  But, in the end, I'm going to need to see a clear link between the escrima killer killing the Strayhorn brothers specifically to lead Nightwing to Paragon for me to buy it, and I'm not really sure how that link is going to present itself.  (After all, it's not like Paragon killed his own men just to lead Nightwing to him since he could've just gone after Nightwing if he had wanted.)  Moreover, it's pretty clear that Paragon isn't all that motivated by saving innocents since, as one of his underlings said, he had no problem throwing a huge clock into a crowded street.  So, we're also going to get a better sense of Paragon and his motives for me not to be ragey.

(Before I move onto the next point, it's a little weird to me that "Batgirl," "Batman and Robin," and "Nightwing" all currently feature groups that have a mad-on for costumed heroes.  Both Knightfall in "Batgirl" and Paragon here believe that they are protecting innocents in part by taking down costumed heroes and Terminus wants revenge on behalf of all the criminals who Batman permanently scarred.  It's starting to feel repetitive, and I wonder if the group editor might've been better off encouraging one of them to postpone his or her storyline until at least one of the other ones was finished.)

Now, let's talk about Detective Nie.  Last issue, we learned that Detective Nie was previously accused of trying to frame Batman for a murder.  Here, we learn that he's not framing Nightwing; he's going after him because he blames Nightwing for his lover's death.  I understand that part, but it raises the question why he tried to frame Batman in the first place.  The only thing that makes sense is that he blamed Batman for being affiliated with Nightwing, so, after his lover was killed, he went after him as part of a general vendetta against costumed heroes.  But, it seems unlikely, since his lover died in issue #1 and he was suspended for at least three months while Internal Affairs investigated him.  I'm pretty sure the eleven issues of this series happened in less than three months.  Why would he want to frame Batman before his lover died?  What beef did he have with costumed heroes before his lover was allegedly killed by one?  I'm just really confused by the time frame here, and I'm worried that Higgins isn't going to have enough time to clarify it, particularly since we still don't know who is framing Dick and Higgins still has to explore Nie's connection to Paragon.

Finally, in the "good" column, if I didn't mention some great character work that Higgins did this issue.  First, Dick's conversation with Sonia Branch was great.  Dick often gets portrayed as some goody-goody saint, and it was fun to see him realize that he was being an asshole when he (incorrectly) accused Branch of voting against his loan to re-open Amusement Mile because he reminded her of her criminal father.  I think it's probably a good thing for Dick to ponder the fact that he isn't considered a good risk.  By not going to Bruce, he's putting himself out there in a way that doesn't really work for people like them, and I really applaud Higgins for that insight.  He's essentially reminding us why Bruce has to work in the shadows, because, slowly but surely, he just can't operate as a person in the real world.  His life is too complicated for that.  Dick's always better about trying to do so, but, as we see here, even he has limits.  The Damian/Dick conversation was also great, particularly Damian's comment about being the "foremost authority on disregarding ancestors' wishes for bloodthirsty killing."  Given that Tomasi portrays Damian as nothing short of a psychotic asshole, it's nice to see Higgins use a softer touch with him here, reminding us of the time when these two were the Dynamic Duo.

Red Hood and the Outlaws #11:  A dry-cleaning business.  During their date, Jason told Isabel that he owned a dry-cleaning business.  He did NOT tell her that he was a real-estate agent, as Lobdell claims here.  I could write more in this review, but, basically, if Scott fucking Lobdell doesn't care enough to bother getting his story straight, why the fuck should I even take time to discuss it?

New Comics! (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Batgirl #10: I know some people hate Barbara's narration of these issues. Me? I love it. I mean, I totally LOLed when she punched Katharsis and commented, "Well. That was satisfying." But, beyond the jokes, Simone uses Barbara's inner monologue for a more serious purpose. First, it gives us insights into Barbara that we wouldn't necessarily get with an omniscient (or absent) narrator, such as when Simone highlights Barbara's compassion as she tends to Ricky, the would-be car thief who finds himself caught in a mysterious bear-trap as he attempts to flee her. But, more abstractly, Simone uses the narration not only to give some additional depth to Barbara as she returns to crime fighting, but also to ruminate on the nature of crime fighting in general. I thought Simone raised a really interesting point by having Barbara wonder how ethical it was for someone like her to take on the aforementioned car thieves, givent the obvious difference in equipment and skills. In fact, this debate serves as a coda of sorts to scenes in "Batman and Robin" #10, where Tomasi and Gleason depict the results of the brutal methods that Batman often employs to take down criminals. He may not kill, but Tomasi makes it clear that Bruce hasn't thought about the questions that Simone raises here in a long time. Beyond using Barbara's narration to question the Bruce-centric view of crime-fighting, Simone uses Charise's "charity" to expand the criticism of Bruce's way of doing business, raising the valid point that Wayne is imposing his view from above whereas other reformers work within the community to effect change. It's a rare moment of criticism of Bruce's methods -- as a crime fighter and as a wealthy philanthropist -- and I don't think that we would've had as nuanced of a discussion if we weren't privy to Barbara's inner monologue. Of course, Simone reminds us that it's Gotham, after all, since Carnes is apparently a homicidal maniac who, at best, "only" keeps a naked tortured guy chained in a cage, and, at worst, murdered her entire family. Oh, Gotham. Good times. Maybe Bruce isn't so wrong. I'm intrigued to see where Simone goes with this "Knightfall" concept, since she seems to be positing Carnes (who is probably Knightfall) as a twisted Bruce, both as a "crime fighter" and wealthy philanthropist. It could fall flat, but it could also be really, really interesting. We shall see.

Batman and Robin #10: If you've been reading my reviews of "Batman and Robin," you'll know that I was less than impressed with Tomasi's opening arc. Although it had some redeeming moments, I felt like Tomasi made Bruce and Damian's efforts to build a relationship with one another more about the relationship itself than any real desire to connect with the other person. Bruce seemed more focused on upholding his obligation to Damian than helping Damian, and Damian focused more on proving his worth to Bruce than understanding Bruce. I had decided to cancel the series, but I stayed for its participation in the "Night of the Owls" cross-over event. But, then, I saw the advertised "War of the Robins" and decided that I just had to see where Tomasi went with it. One of the reason that I have been so disappointed with Tomasi is that he had previously given us some of the best portrayals of Dick and Damian as a team in the DCU, a relationship he's largely ignored in this title, the only one to really feature Damian. Based on his previous adroitness with the former dynamic duo, I figured Tomasi, more than anyone, could really bring it to a war between the Robins, so I decided to give it a shot. I'm glad I did. Tomasi directly addresses a lot of my angst with the Bat-books lately, namely the difficult relationships between the Robins. Dick and Tim both feel that Jason and Damian have tarnished the legacy of Robin, and Tomasi places that conflict at the center of this arc. He takes Damian's obsession with proving his worth to Bruce to its logical conclusion, having him decide to defeat each former Robin and take something personal from him to show that he's the best. Tomasi wisely starts with Tim, since we all know a "War of the Robins" is really going to be a war between Damian and Tim. Damian surprises me with his perceptiveness here, deciding to take on Tim where he feels he's the strongest, namely his moral code. Damian uses Tim's recent experience in the Colony to show that he also has the ability to commit murder. Although Tim, of course, has a fairly easy rebuttal (noting that, although he considered it, he didn't actually kill Fist Point for murdering Artemis), it's clear that Damian has shaken him by so easily comparing their methods. Moreover, Tomasi deepens the plot here by making it clear that Dick and Tim don't know about Damian murdering Ducard. Damian's attempt to get Tim to see his side of the murder debate is clearly driven by this incident. I'm guessing that he's trying to do it becuase he assumes that Tim will one day discover the truth, a moment that will ultimately prove him right about Damian. If Damian can get Tim to at least understand why someone would murder someone else, he might have a chance of getting accepted by him, something that we all know Damian desparately wants (and is really at the center of this "war"). As such, I thought the use of this line of attack, if you will, by Damian against Tim and the failure of Bruce to tell the others the truth about Ducard were real masterstrokes by Tomasi, framing the differences between them and their issues -- past, present, and future -- perfectly. It'll ultimately, to my mind, be the way that Tomasi handles Damian's decision to go after Dick, the only one who has really truly accepted him, that will ultimately determine how I feel about this arc. But, Tomasi makes a good start here, showing the sort of psychological depth of these complicated characters that made me so enjoy his original run. It also makes me less annoyed about the characters' portrayals in the initial arc, since Tomasi makes it clear that maybe I'm just hoping for too much when it comes to Bruce and Damian. Maybe they are only capable, at least now, of going through the motions of a relationship. All in all, it was an excellent issue, though I'm reserving ultimate judgment until I see the Dick scenario.

Superboy #10: Did I initially think that Lobdell overplayed the sexual tension between Cassie and "Kon" here? Yes, yes, I did. But, then, as I kept reading, I realized that I was wrong. Lobdell, I think, accurately captured how two super-powered teenagers who suddenly find themselves seeing each other in a different light would act. In fact, it felt like we were watching a documentary of two kids on some sort of school retreat. Their mutual attraction makes them suspicious of one another, fearing that the other would see them for who they truly are rather than as the image of themselves that they want to project. As the story progresses, they begin to let down their guard, letting them see each other for who they are. They have a moment, but their insecurities come to the fore, and they're driven apart by distrust. But, this distrust only lasts as long as it takes for a mutual challenge to present itself. We'll see how the story ends in "Teen Titans" #10, but, as I had hoped when this series initially began by severely rebooting Conner, Lobdell seems to have hit the fast-forward button in making him more human. Oddly, it's through Lobdell's attempt to portray "Kon" as fumbling through a world of human emotions that shows that he has them. On at least two occasions -- when he suggests that he and Cassie leave the Titans to their fate on the island and later when he asks Cassie why she wears her costume even though she describes wearing it as "Hell" -- it's Kon's inability to understand Cassie's emotions, or, as Cassie notes, read social cues that causes conflict. But, we see Kon suddenly find the inspiration he previously lacked to overcome this problem. After all, by using his tactile telekinesis to "see" Cassie in the pool, we're reminded that he might be a pretty regular straight teenage boy after all. Maybe, just maybe, we're going to get back our guy.

X-Factor #237: While the rest of the X-books are awash in cross-over mania, David goes in the exact opposite direction by giving us a character-driven story focused on trying to get Rahne to move past four years of tragic storylines. David uses Madrox's Episcopalian-priest clone as the vehicle for forcing Rahne to confront her perceived sins, from eating her father (yuck) to abandoning her son. David manages to inject some humor in the issue by sending Lorna and Terry to the Ben and Jerry's factory. I loved the fact that he just let them go get some ice cream. In most comics, they would've been attacked by, like, ice-cream demons or something, but, nope, David just lets them get some ice cream while Rahne gets some needed absolution. In the end, David uses this one-off issues to set up a future story, as Rahne commits to finding her son. One of the things that's starting to get really interesting about David's 12-member roster is that you really never know who you're going to get from issue to issue. The last two issues featured an action-oriented story about Madrox and Shatterstar trying to save the X-Ceptionals, and this one gives us a character-driven one about Lorna, Rahne, and Terry. Since we've got a variety of sub-plots simmering -- such as the hints that we've seen of the Isolationist and his mysterious ally's scheme and Shatterstar stumbling upon Mojo's involvement in the recent attacks -- you just never know whether the issue is going to be a pitched drama moving forward those plots or a quiet reflection on who the characters are as people. It's the reason why this book seems to be the anti-thesis of everything else Marvel seems to be serving us lately.

New Comics!: The "Night of the Owls" Edition #3 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Batgirl #9:  This issue is a bit of a mixed bag.  In the plus column, Simone gives us the clearest expression of the Court of the Owls' goal for the "Night of the Owls," using a Court member's conversation with Commissioner Gordon to stress that the point is that Gotham won't have a savior to rescue it.  In the "I'm not sure how I feel about it" column, I thought Simone gave us a controversial portrait of Gordon, showing him initially bowing to the Court's instructions not to take any action against it as it strikes against Gotham's elite.  Thankfully, Simone has Gordon eventually dismiss those instructions when he first starts learning of the assassinations and the Court itself notes that it didn't really expect him to abide by them.  (In fact, it was planning on him not doing so, so that he would eventually illuminate the Owlsignal.)  But, I think that it's pretty easy to argue that his initial inaction cost the lives of several of the prominent persons, since Gordon probably had enough time to put protection on them.  Simone portrays the conflict between his daughter and his duty well enough to make it work, but I think that it's still a stretch to imply that Jim Gordon would allow political leaders to be assassintated under any circumstances, regardless of the personal consequences.  (Moreover, given that it was probably likely that Gordon would go to the Batsignal once the assassinations began, even if the Court hadn't manipulated him into doing so, it seems a little odd that the Court would decide to expose itself.  The only reason I can think of Simone using to justify the Court approaching Gordon is that it was part of a psychological attack against Gordon.  By getting him not to use the Batisgnal (and knowing that he would do so anyway) through its threat against Barbara, the Court made Gordon wait, throwing him off his game as the guilt in him built as the chaos started to erupt around him.)  On the negative side, I'm still not really sure where Simone was going with the Talon not killing Barbara when they first fought.  I'm particularly confused about the scene at the end where someone -- I think the Talon, but it could be Barbara -- writes about understanding because she, too, has a mask.  If it was the Talon, am I supposed to believe that she's bucking her training?  Because, I'm pretty sure, if she was alive enough to scrawl out that message, she's alive enough to re-engage Barbara in a fight.  All in all, it's not a terrible issue (particularly given some of the other "Night of the Owls" issues), but it's not a particularly good one, since, as I did in "Batman" #9 with Bruce's decision to save Jeremiah Arkham over Lincoln March, I'm left questioning the characterization of a major character (Bruce there, Gordon here).

Batman and Robin #9:  So far, to my mind, this issue and "Batwing" #9 have done the best job of addressing the main point of this cross-over event, namely showing the Bat-family members going about the task of protecting the prominent people on the Court's hit list to the best of their ability.  Whereas "Batgirl" and "Detective Comics" swerved into odd moments of characterization, this issue and "Batwing" presented fairly accurate portrayals of their protagonists.  Damian essentially takes over an entire battalion in order to keep Gotham's Adjutant General safe.  Tomasi does a good job giving us some background on the Talon sent to kill the general, developing the idea that Talons are eventually deactivated in favor of another one.  I think, before this issue, I assumed that the Talons that the Court activated were future Talons that had yet to be activated, not past Talons who were lying in stasis.  Tomasi presents this important background in a way that doesn't distract from the action sequences or raise unnecessary questions about the overall cross-over event's plot.  Just like "Batwing" #9, this issue isn't essential to "Night of Owls," but I think it does a good job of really capturing the spirit of it.

Birds of Prey #9:  I think I'm missing something with this issue.  Why was the Talon after the Birds of Prey?  I'm not sure who Katana or Starling are, but I'm pretty sure that neither Canary nor Poison Ivy ranks on the hit list of Gotham's elite.  Why attack them, then?  I mean, this issue does a fine job, like "Batman and Robin" and "Batwing" #9, of giving us an engaging fight with a Talon, but I feel like Swierczynski needed to do a better job of letting us know why they were targeted.

Catwoman #9:  Like "Birds of Prey," this issue falls a little short of the "Batman and Robin"/"Batwing" seal of approval due to a question I have about its tie to the larger "Night of the Owls" event.  At the very end, Selina drops off the body of the Talon next to an illuminated Batsignal.  The problem, however, is that, last we knew, the Batsignal had been changed to an Owlsignal (as depicted in both "Batgirl" and "Batman" #9).  As such, either that particular problem has been resolved, which is entirely possible since the events of this issue happen at 2:03 am, or Winick goofed.  I'm guessing it's the former, but it leads me to wonder why exactly DC wanted us to read this issue in this order.  Beyond that problem, though, it's a perfectly fine tie-in issue.

New Comics!: The Bat-Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Batgirl #8:  OK, before I get to the main plot, I have to mention that I'm totally glad that Babs didn't buy her mom's story, because, although I totally believe that James, Jr. killed the cat and that Barbara, Sr. had a breakdown, I totally don't believe that she left James, Sr. and Barbara, Jr. with a burgeoning sociopath to "save" them.  By the way, I'm thrilled James, Jr. is the James, Jr. that we all know and fear, as created by Scott Snyder.  I think I would've put down every DC comic, period, if that amazing story had been part of the reboot.  I can't wait to hear how he managed to escape Arkham Asylum.  I mean, under normal circumstances, I'd wonder why no one has notified Commissioner Gordon that he's escaped, except, knowing James, Jr., he's somehow found a way to make it look like he hasn't or like he's paroled.  It'll be genius whatever it is.

Onto the main story, Simone continues to deal with the repercussions of the Joker's shooting of Barbara in "Batman:  The Killing Joke" in a way that I find totally believable.  After all the years, it never dawned on me that the Joker intended for Barbara to die.  I mean, he absolutely did, but it's never said explicitly in the story itself.  Barbara survives, and you're focused on her paralysis as the result, without really focusing on the fact that, like she says here, the Joker probably intended for her to bleed to death.  The fact that Simone so seamlessly picks up that thread is a testament to her writing skills.  But, she takes that thread and runs with it.  I couldn't figure out why Barbara let go the hood that she recognized at the end of the last issue as being one of the Joker's henchman on the night that she was shot.  By rights, she should've beaten him to a bloody pulp.  But, Simone builds the reveal beautifully, telling us in the end that he called the cops to alert them that she was there, bleeding to death.  It was a true masterstroke and one of the reasons why I think this book is the best written Bat-book behind "Batman."

Simone includes other moments of grace in this issue, like Barbara preventing the other hood from smashing his skull on the curb.  She also leaves open some questions, like, you know, who exactly Grotesque is.  We should probably get some insight into him at some point, other than just the fact that he likes to rip off rich people of exquisite things.  But, the Barbara, Sr., James, Jr., and Joker hood parts of this issue were so great that the Grotesque part seems almost like an afterthought.

Batman and Robin #8:  OK, I've been critical of this arc, and I stand by my criticism.  Tomasi has portrayed Bruce as focused more on Damian as an idea than a child, viewing him as a pawn in his game with Nobody, and Damian as a sociopath, ignoring the lessons that Dick taught him.  However, here, Tomasi at least starts to correct that portrayal, and we get Bruce showing as much emotion as he's capable of showing. I though that his conversation with Damain about the fact that he's as much Bruce's son as Talia's was extremely well done, mostly because it results in the best defense of Bruce swearing off murder as I've possibly ever read in a Bat-book.  In fact, I feel like Jason Todd's life would've turned out a little differently if Bruce had been open, as he is with Damain here, with Jason about the fact that he fights the urge to murder his opponents every time that he faces them.  I thought it was equally compelling that Damian admits to wanting to be like Bruce, a rare insight into Damian that shows something other than the sociopath that he's often portrayed as being.  It reminds me of "Batman" #713, where he talks about the honor that he felt at being Dick's friend, and makes me hope that those emotional connections -- first to Dick, now to Bruce -- help to begin to move his character past the way that he's been shown thusfar.  (I don't think it would hurt to maybe have the three of them join together on a mission for a few issues, to help underline that point.)

Batwoman #8:  I...have no idea what's happening in this story anymore.  I can't say it was terrible, because I don't understand what happened enough to know whether or not it was terrible.  Some mystic group needs to do something involving some kidnapped kids.  Someone previously within their group who (for reasons I either don't remember or don't yet know, a distinct possibility given the choppy structure) found herself in police custody and agreed to help Batwoman take down the aforementioned group.  There you go.  I've got nothing else.  We have yet to get any real idea what the group intends to do or any sort of backstory on its leaders, like Mero and the "Mother."  As such, the threat that they theoretically pose to Kate feels hollow, because, given the odd structure, we haven't really seen them do anything, other than create monsters who are, at various points, sent against Kate.  Moreover, these monsters don't exactly pose a threat, given that Kate deploys some sort of magically powered arrow-head to take down Killer Croc, the creepy girl, and the Weeping Woman.  She barely even breaks a sweat.  If WnB actually spent the rest of the issue focusing on character work, I might actually be OK with Batwoman just walking into fights, hitting a button, taking down the villains, and then returning to discuss whether she and Sawyer should go Thai or Vietnamese that night for dinner.  But, we get so little character development that I'm hard pressed to see what exactly the magic fighting arrow-head does, narratively, for WnB.  If no one is a threat, because of your tech, and no one is a friend, because of your walls, then what stories are there to tell?  In the end, the patch-work approach, where we move between characters and timeframes, has officially gone from interesting to a liability to unbearable, a problem exacerbated by suddenly weak characterization and overly convoluted plots.  This series had such potential, and I would love to stay with it, but I think I'm done next issue.