Based on Snyder's comments about the upcoming "Dark Days: Metal" event, we're lead to believe many of the questions I (and other people) had about Snyder's run on "Batman" were actually Easter eggs he intentionally left for this event. I'm not entirely sure I buy that, but I'm also happy to have some of them answered, even if it's retroactively. One of the advantages of keeping a blog on comics is it helps you remember what you've read. Given my obsessive need to remember questions from previous stories, I went through my reviews of Snyder's 50-issue run and included the major questions here. I skipped some issue-specific questions (notably, the ones I had in issue #34), focusing mostly on the most obvious plot holes (and thus most likely to be retroactive Easter eggs). Notably, I couldn't force myself to re-read my reviews of "Batman Eternal" or (with less hesitation) "Batman and Robin Eternal." If Easter eggs are there, I'm just going to have to go without noticing them.
1) from "the Court of Owls" arc: How did the Court of Owls elude Bruce's notice for all that time? In "Death of the Family," Joker claims the Court of Owls gave Bruce so much trouble because he was distracted by the Bat-family. It's worth mentioning because Snyder is specifically acknowledging Bruce was off his game. But, he never gives us an alternate explanation, so, at this point, I guess we have to believe he agrees with Joker. Continuing on the theme, why did the Court emerge from the shadows for the Night of the Owls? How did it successfully return to said shadows (if it did)? Why did the Court turn against Lincoln March just as he was on the cusp of realizing the Court's investment in him by becoming Mayor? Most pressingly, how did it turn crippled Thomas Wayne, Jr. into strapping Lincoln March? (Dionesium definitely seems to play a role here, and I wouldn't be surprised if Owlman didn't appear in "Dark Days: Metal.") Why did the Court freeze former Talons, particularly since it didn't have the means of resurrecting them at the time? Did the Court know Bruce's identity?
2) from "the Death of the Family" arc: Why did Joker cut off his face? Did Joker know the Bat-families' identities? I don't want to rehash this argument too much, because it was already explored ad nauseum at the time. But, as a reminder, the tie-in issues in "Death of the Family" made it pretty clear Joker knew their identities (particularly the back-up story in "Red Hood and the Outlaws" #0). Joker kidnapped Barbara's mother, he destroyed Haly's circus, he knows what brand of soap Dick uses, he knew Jason's father was a deadbeat dad, etc. But, Bruce insisted Joker didn't know, because he once revealed his identity to him and Joker refused to acknowledge it. Snyder never has Bruce acknowledge the most plausible explanation for that: Joker might've conveniently forgot that information at the time but "remembered" it now. After all, at the start of the arc, Joker is shown as unhinged over the Bat-family dragging down Bruce. It makes sense he'd allow himself to "remember" their identities if he was so upset. (Issue #37 seems to confirm this point when Joker calls Batman "Bruce.") Conversely, does Bruce really know Joker's identity, as implied at the end of issue #17? Finally, what did Joker tell the members of the Bat-family when it came to what Bruce "really thought about them." This part was particularly ridiculous, since Sndyer established Joker didn't find some sort of super-secret dossier on the Bat-family he could share with them. But, in addition to the Bat-family's believing Joker did really know their identities, it's this information that helps drive the wedge between them and Bruce. As such, it's obviously relevant.
3) from the "Zero Year" arc: In issue #21, Riddler had some sort of card arrangement with phrases that I predicted would return one day as significant. Is that day now? In issue #23, Bruce opens a gem his father willed him that turns rooms seemingly into caves. It's so random, I have to assume it's one of the Easter eggs Snyder left on the way to "Dark Days." How did Riddler meet Dr. Death? Why was he using him to distract Batman? So he could plan Zero Year? In issue #29, Bruce tells Gordon he should've taken "the call" to avoid all the death that comes, but I wasn't sure what he meant; I didn't recall some call that could've avoided Riddler turning back the clock on Gotham or Dr. Death from doing whatever it was he was doing. Also, it was never clear to me how Riddler got access to the Red Hood Gang's files; it's an important point, because he uses them to build the army that patrols Gotham.
4) from issue #35: Bruce confronts the Justice League with a suit he built specifically for the occasion. During his conflict with the Flash, Capullo very carefully shows us a lightning bolt striking a Batarang. However, it doesn't have any impact on the battle; Batman wins by creating a frictionless surface to neutralize Barry. But, given the events of "The Button" cross-over event in "Batman" and "The Flash," it seems retroactively significant.
5) from the "Endgame" arc: We've never explicitly been told why Joker wanted to destroy the pool of dionesium under the Batcave. At the time, I hypothesized it was because he wanted to be the only one with access to dionesium (given the amount of it in his spine), but Snyder never spells out that part explicitly. Also, it's not entirely clear how Joker goes from battling Dick at the parade to arriving at the pool so quickly. In terms of the final conflict, I noted at the time Bruce seemed to have plenty of other options beyond dying and taking Joker with him. Snyder never really explained why he chose that route. Moreover, Alfred's explanation of the note Bruce left for him after he died -- reading only "HA!" -- didn't really make sense. He claims it was because Batman's story could've only ended in tragedy for people to believe in him (because he had to be mortal), but that doesn't seem to have anything to do with the word, "HA!"
6) from the "Superheavy" arc: Snyder never states how the dionesium that seeped through Bruce's cracked cranium changed the pathways in his brain. At the time, I just accepted it did. But, given the importance of dionesium to "Dark Days," it's probably worth noting here. Snyder also never explains how Peter Duggio survived the four gunshot wounds he received when the cop fired on him as he fled his burning bodega. At the time, I figured whatever Mr. Bloom gave him to grow wings retroactively healed the wounds, but Snyder never actually said that. After all, Peter went to his cousin Dylan before Dylan created Bloom, so I think we're supposed to believe Dylan also provided some sort of medical assistance. It's also never really clear how Duke gets clued into Bloom's existence. Gordon seems to learn of Bloom in issue #42 due to the Devil Pigs' connection to him, and Batman learns of him in issue #44 when he's investigating Peter's death. Duke knows enough about him to bring the seed Gordon gave Bruce to Dylan to investigate, but we don't know how he recognizes seed as coming from Bloom. Finally, almost everything about Geri Powers remains a mystery. For example, it seemed like Geri Powers might've given the thief who confronted Gordon in issue #41 the technology he used to do so, but we never get that confirmed. We also never learn why she was on her quest for an "island of stability" in the elements in the 200s. What was the point of creating Batmanium? Simply for science? I'm also not entirely sure why she and the Powers That Be never wanted Gordon looking into the Bloom case. After all, she never wound up having any connection to Bloom; in the end, he was just a homeless man who stole Dylan's seeds. Wouldn't she want Gordon stopping the villain destroying the city she now functionally controls? We're also not really sure what her plan was if Jim resigned as Batman as she wanted him to do, after he went rogue to investigate Bloom. Moving to other questions, Julia uses the Bat-signal to save Gordon because the Bat-signal apparently "holds" Rookie with an "electro-magnet" and such a magnet could counter Bloom's seeds, which are also "electro-magnetic." I never really understood why the robo suit was attached to the Bat-signal, but maybe Snyder had a reason. Finally, is it meaningful we learn Julie Madison is covered with tattoos, including an owl one?
Showing posts with label Death of the Family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Death of the Family. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 2, 2017
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Red Hood and the Outlaws #17 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
I only realized that I had missed this issue when I was putting away issue #18 and now, after having read it, I sort of wished that I hadn't.
Lobdell does some weird stuff here with Jason, making it unclear if he misunderstands Jason's history or if we're supposed to believe that certain aspects of it are now part of the larger ret-con. For example, Jason comments that he had to die to get the chip off his shoulder, despite the fact that it was dying (and Bruce not avenging him) that actually put the chip on his shoulder. He's also weirdly protective of Tamara, pledging to protect her every day of his life, as if they were married. (Also, thank God that Lobdell wasn't given the responsibility of writing "Nightwing." Dick claiming that his relationship with Starfire cost him the ability to care about anyone else is about the most un-Dick thing that I could possibly imagine him saying. I can't fathom the damage that Lobdell could've wrecked to his character had he been writing that title instead of this one.)
The weirdest part, though, is that we never really get an answer to Joker's assertion that he created Jason. After Lobdell seemingly confirming that sequence of events as canonical during "Death of the Family," Bruce denies it here. Given that we learned at the end of "Death of the Family" that Bruce is generally right about Joker, we're essentially left to believe Bruce's version. Lobdell could be leaving some wiggle room, since Bruce doesn't outright deny the facts, just the conclusion that Joker "made" Jason. But, again, if Joker did know those facts, then he definitely knew Jason's identity and we get on the identity issue that was the core of my problem with "Death of the Family" all over again.
Speaking of Bruce, it seems odd that he simply more or less forgives Jason for being a murderer. So much of the breach between Jason and the Bat-family in the DCU was based on the fact that they felt responsible to bring him to justice for his crimes. Here, Bruce essentially tut-tuts his methods but congratulates him for his results. It's a bizarre moment and one that I'd more or less like to forget.
At any rate, issue #18 is an infinitely superior issue to this one. In fact, I think I'm going to re-read it, just to make sure I remember it that way.
Lobdell does some weird stuff here with Jason, making it unclear if he misunderstands Jason's history or if we're supposed to believe that certain aspects of it are now part of the larger ret-con. For example, Jason comments that he had to die to get the chip off his shoulder, despite the fact that it was dying (and Bruce not avenging him) that actually put the chip on his shoulder. He's also weirdly protective of Tamara, pledging to protect her every day of his life, as if they were married. (Also, thank God that Lobdell wasn't given the responsibility of writing "Nightwing." Dick claiming that his relationship with Starfire cost him the ability to care about anyone else is about the most un-Dick thing that I could possibly imagine him saying. I can't fathom the damage that Lobdell could've wrecked to his character had he been writing that title instead of this one.)
The weirdest part, though, is that we never really get an answer to Joker's assertion that he created Jason. After Lobdell seemingly confirming that sequence of events as canonical during "Death of the Family," Bruce denies it here. Given that we learned at the end of "Death of the Family" that Bruce is generally right about Joker, we're essentially left to believe Bruce's version. Lobdell could be leaving some wiggle room, since Bruce doesn't outright deny the facts, just the conclusion that Joker "made" Jason. But, again, if Joker did know those facts, then he definitely knew Jason's identity and we get on the identity issue that was the core of my problem with "Death of the Family" all over again.
Speaking of Bruce, it seems odd that he simply more or less forgives Jason for being a murderer. So much of the breach between Jason and the Bat-family in the DCU was based on the fact that they felt responsible to bring him to justice for his crimes. Here, Bruce essentially tut-tuts his methods but congratulates him for his results. It's a bizarre moment and one that I'd more or less like to forget.
At any rate, issue #18 is an infinitely superior issue to this one. In fact, I think I'm going to re-read it, just to make sure I remember it that way.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Batman #17 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
All right, before I say anything else, I will say that this issue is beautifully crafted. Snyder's script is flawless. Joker sounds like Joker and Bruce sounds like Bruce. Moreover, his pacing is perfect. I was stunned by the reveal that the platters contained the faces of the Bat-family and I felt an overwhelming sense of panic over the next few panels, even as my mind knew realistically that I had also picked up an issue of "Batgirl" today with Barbara's face clearly in tact on the cover. But, when it was revealed to be, as Damian put it, a joke, this sense of logic didn't undermine the relief I felt, a relief that Bruce also clearly demonstrated when he hugged Damian. Moreover, I loved Snyder flipping the issue of identities at the end, revealing that Joker doesn't know who Batman is but Batman knows who he is. In the art department, Capullo is also firing on all cylinders here, whether it's tight reaction shots, like Bruce realizing that Alfred wasn't dead, or grand underground vistas, like where Joker and Batman have their climactic battle. It's all just beautifully, beautifully crafted.
But...
At the end of the day, I just have to call bullshit on Joker not knowing. I mean, Snyder does his best here. I thought the revelation that Bruce essentially told Joker his secret identity years earlier, after he found the card in the Batcave, was a brilliant effort to show just how intimate the relationship between the two of them is. It shows how unbalanced Joker makes Bruce, how he is willing to take risks when it came to Joker. I'm not entirely sure that I buy that Bruce would actually take that risk, but I get where Snyder was going with it. It shows that the issue of Bruce's identity and Joker's identity is less important than the roles that they play for one another. Moreover, this scene shows us why Bruce therefore was so convinced that Joker didn't know the Bat-family's identities, since he knew in that moment what many of us have long theorized, that Joker doesn't really care. It's why he left on everyone's masks when he "cut off" their faces. He's confirming that he really doesn't want to know, because it would undermine the fun. It would be like reading the last chapter of a book, but then trying to muster the energy to read it now that you knew how it ended. He's in it for the thrill, not the resolution.
However, Snyder and his fellow authors have told a story over this arc that makes it completely implausible to believe that Joker doesn't know. Joker just happened to kidnap Batgirl's mother? He just happened to destroy Haly's Circus? He just happened to know that Jason's father was a deadbeat dad? It's incredibly difficult to believe that. (I mean, it's just unbelievable to believe that he managed to do all those things in the time frame allotted, but I'm just going to concede that issue.) Moreover, even if you're willing to accept alternative possibilities to these attacks, like Barbara Gordon, Sr. being kidnapped because of her ex-husband and not her daughter, you have to consider everything that Lobdell gave us when it comes to Joker "creating" Jason. He couldn't not know. It would literally be impossible. You can't have an alternate explanation for that.
But, perhaps even worse than not buying that Joker doesn't know their identities, I also don't buy that Joker successfully destroyed the bonds that the Bat-family has to Bruce. This criticism is particularly damning, since it's the whole damn point of this arc. Going beyond just "revealing" that he had been in the Batcave, we're supposed to believe that Joker undermines this trust by apparently telling the Bat-family what Bruce "really thinks" of them. Snyder leaves it a mystery what Joker told them but, honestly, I don't find it all that interesting of a mystery. Joker didn't get into the cave and his book was empty; anything he would've told them would be a mere fabrication. He's not reading some sort of mystery file that Bruce prepared marked, "Deepest, Darkest Thoughts: Bruce's Eyes Only!" Moreover, Bruce was right that Joker didn't know their identities. Sure, he should have told them about the Batcave incident, but, at the end of the day, it's really Bruce's only transgression. Snyder, though, seems to want us to believe that Joker said things to the Bat-family that forever changed their opinion of Bruce, building on their anger that he hadn't told them that Joker might know their identities. Truthfully, I just don't see that happening. They know that it's Joker. I mean, sure, maybe they're shaken, but, as X predicted, it's hard to argue that we're going to see the ramifications of this event past next issue. Someone at some point will tell Bruce what Joker said, he'll deny it, it'll be awkward for a while, and then they'll return to where they were. After all, they're all estranged anyway in the DCnU. How much worse could it get?
In the end, despite how brilliantly crafted this issue was, I just feel like this story was a disappointment. Snyder makes it difficult to believe that Joker doesn't know their identities and that the Bat-family would abandon Bruce, even though we're supposed to draw exactly those conclusions. To be honest, after the Court of Owls and "Death of the Family," I'm really excited to get a few stand-alone issues on this title for the first time since it launched. I need to be reminded of why I collect this title, since this arc made me continue to wonder.
But...
At the end of the day, I just have to call bullshit on Joker not knowing. I mean, Snyder does his best here. I thought the revelation that Bruce essentially told Joker his secret identity years earlier, after he found the card in the Batcave, was a brilliant effort to show just how intimate the relationship between the two of them is. It shows how unbalanced Joker makes Bruce, how he is willing to take risks when it came to Joker. I'm not entirely sure that I buy that Bruce would actually take that risk, but I get where Snyder was going with it. It shows that the issue of Bruce's identity and Joker's identity is less important than the roles that they play for one another. Moreover, this scene shows us why Bruce therefore was so convinced that Joker didn't know the Bat-family's identities, since he knew in that moment what many of us have long theorized, that Joker doesn't really care. It's why he left on everyone's masks when he "cut off" their faces. He's confirming that he really doesn't want to know, because it would undermine the fun. It would be like reading the last chapter of a book, but then trying to muster the energy to read it now that you knew how it ended. He's in it for the thrill, not the resolution.
However, Snyder and his fellow authors have told a story over this arc that makes it completely implausible to believe that Joker doesn't know. Joker just happened to kidnap Batgirl's mother? He just happened to destroy Haly's Circus? He just happened to know that Jason's father was a deadbeat dad? It's incredibly difficult to believe that. (I mean, it's just unbelievable to believe that he managed to do all those things in the time frame allotted, but I'm just going to concede that issue.) Moreover, even if you're willing to accept alternative possibilities to these attacks, like Barbara Gordon, Sr. being kidnapped because of her ex-husband and not her daughter, you have to consider everything that Lobdell gave us when it comes to Joker "creating" Jason. He couldn't not know. It would literally be impossible. You can't have an alternate explanation for that.
But, perhaps even worse than not buying that Joker doesn't know their identities, I also don't buy that Joker successfully destroyed the bonds that the Bat-family has to Bruce. This criticism is particularly damning, since it's the whole damn point of this arc. Going beyond just "revealing" that he had been in the Batcave, we're supposed to believe that Joker undermines this trust by apparently telling the Bat-family what Bruce "really thinks" of them. Snyder leaves it a mystery what Joker told them but, honestly, I don't find it all that interesting of a mystery. Joker didn't get into the cave and his book was empty; anything he would've told them would be a mere fabrication. He's not reading some sort of mystery file that Bruce prepared marked, "Deepest, Darkest Thoughts: Bruce's Eyes Only!" Moreover, Bruce was right that Joker didn't know their identities. Sure, he should have told them about the Batcave incident, but, at the end of the day, it's really Bruce's only transgression. Snyder, though, seems to want us to believe that Joker said things to the Bat-family that forever changed their opinion of Bruce, building on their anger that he hadn't told them that Joker might know their identities. Truthfully, I just don't see that happening. They know that it's Joker. I mean, sure, maybe they're shaken, but, as X predicted, it's hard to argue that we're going to see the ramifications of this event past next issue. Someone at some point will tell Bruce what Joker said, he'll deny it, it'll be awkward for a while, and then they'll return to where they were. After all, they're all estranged anyway in the DCnU. How much worse could it get?
In the end, despite how brilliantly crafted this issue was, I just feel like this story was a disappointment. Snyder makes it difficult to believe that Joker doesn't know their identities and that the Bat-family would abandon Bruce, even though we're supposed to draw exactly those conclusions. To be honest, after the Court of Owls and "Death of the Family," I'm really excited to get a few stand-alone issues on this title for the first time since it launched. I need to be reminded of why I collect this title, since this arc made me continue to wonder.
Teen Titans #16 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Lobdell tries to do some interesting stuff here, but it just winds up being a mess. I mean, sure, for a moment, I thought that we had confirmation that Joker knew the guys' identities, since he claimed to have their fathers captive. But, I didn't believe that Jason would try to kill Tim for the sake of saving his allegedly alive dead-beat father. But, if you don't believe that, you really don't believe everything that follows. Moreover, I really don't believe that Tim, for how smart he allegedly is, would believe that Jason had killed Joker without verifying it. I mean, how many times has Joker evaded death? Jason shoots him full of holes and they just sit there and shoot the shit? "Hey, man, that Starfire girl is h-o-t. Well done!" "Thanks. It's been a crazy...holy crap, Joker is alive!" Really? Seriously, it's just time for this whole event to end. When it does, I need to make some decisions about whether DC is getting as much money as I've been giving it.
Red Hood and the Outlaws #16 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
This issue is a hot mess. No, really. I'm actually OK, in theory, with it not being about Jason and showing us the Outlaws and the Titans addressing a secondary problem related to Joker; "Detective Comics" #16 did essentially the same thing to great effect. I also don't mind Lobdell using it as a way to get Arsenal to realize that he has something to offer beyond just his bow. In fact, Lobdell almost seems to be setting up Arsenal and Starfire absconding to the Titans, a move that would make sense given their histories and really free up this series to focus on Jason, who's always been the main event. But, he handles the characters here so inartfully that it's hard to believe he writes both series. Arsenal's soliloquies about science make him sound more like Batman and his narration is almost devoid of personality, written solely to move us through recollections and bridge action sequences. Moreover, Wonder Girl is almost unrecognizable and Bunker is portrayed as much more full of doubt than he usually is. I could continue, but, seriously, you just need to know that it was a hot mess and be thankful if you skipped it.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Nightwing #16 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
I have to say, I'm pretty damn surprised that Higgins has Joker destroy Haly's Circus here. Plus, when I say destroy, I mean, destroy. From the bodies of deceased members to the lives of current members to the structure of the circus, Joker destroys all of it. Has Higgins been planning on that? Have the last 16 issues of "Nightwing" been setting up this moment, giving Dick a raison d'être in his personal life only to have it ripped from him by Joker? Even for Joker, it's a pretty brutal attack; after all, it stands to reason that Dick's parents' bodies were in there somewhere when Joker brought down the circus.
But, it makes me wonder if Joker has been misrepresenting himself, or, at least, if we've been misinterpreting him. Maybe he doesn't really want to "murder" the Bat-family. It'd be too easy. Maybe the "death" in "Death of the Family" is a metaphorical one. When the dust settles and Barbara contemplates the fact that she was almost driven to murder Joker and Dick realizes that everything that he ever had has been stripped from him (plus whatever Jason and Tim experience at Joker's hands), it stands to reason that they're going to blame Bruce. He knew that Joker knew their identities and he didn't tell them. Sure, Bruce can pretend that he didn't think that Joker really knew. But, he was pretty clearly wrong. So, by not allowing the Bat-family to draw its own conclusions from the evidence, Bruce has made himself solely responsible for this mess. He's the reason that Barbara's mother lost a finger, why Dick lost Haly's Circus totally and completely, and whatever happened to Alfred happened. It's all on him. When they all leave him, furious at him for failing them so greatly, it stands to reason that he'll focus his anger fully on Joker...giving him exactly what he wants.
If Snyder plays it this way, then I buy it. I totally buy it. I buy the estrangement that we're probably going to see in the next few months of Bat-books and the anger that Bruce will likely feel. At this stage, it's the only conclusion that I could see coming from this event that would make me buy it and, increasingly, I think that it's where Snyder et al. are going. Fingers crossed.
But, it makes me wonder if Joker has been misrepresenting himself, or, at least, if we've been misinterpreting him. Maybe he doesn't really want to "murder" the Bat-family. It'd be too easy. Maybe the "death" in "Death of the Family" is a metaphorical one. When the dust settles and Barbara contemplates the fact that she was almost driven to murder Joker and Dick realizes that everything that he ever had has been stripped from him (plus whatever Jason and Tim experience at Joker's hands), it stands to reason that they're going to blame Bruce. He knew that Joker knew their identities and he didn't tell them. Sure, Bruce can pretend that he didn't think that Joker really knew. But, he was pretty clearly wrong. So, by not allowing the Bat-family to draw its own conclusions from the evidence, Bruce has made himself solely responsible for this mess. He's the reason that Barbara's mother lost a finger, why Dick lost Haly's Circus totally and completely, and whatever happened to Alfred happened. It's all on him. When they all leave him, furious at him for failing them so greatly, it stands to reason that he'll focus his anger fully on Joker...giving him exactly what he wants.
If Snyder plays it this way, then I buy it. I totally buy it. I buy the estrangement that we're probably going to see in the next few months of Bat-books and the anger that Bruce will likely feel. At this stage, it's the only conclusion that I could see coming from this event that would make me buy it and, increasingly, I think that it's where Snyder et al. are going. Fingers crossed.
Batgirl #16 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
This issue is odd, mainly because I'm not really sure where we end it.
This issue begins more or less how'd you expect it, with Barbara struggling to keep herself from killing Joker since he has her mother hostage. But, then, James appears and a few things happen that bring us in a different direction than we seemed to have been going. First, James tells Barbara that their mother is safe, which allows her to go wild on Joker. Interestingly, Simone doesn't let us learn if Barbara would've killed Joker, since James chloroforms her before she can do so. We then learn that James made a deal with Joker to give her to Joker in exchange for his mother. I'm all good until this point. In fact, I thought James was a great addition to this issue, really ramping up the tension (as he's wont to do). I particularly loved the part where James impresses Joker. Snyder made it very clear that his James was the once and future Joker in his DCU "Detective Comics" run and Joker himself seems to realize that in this moment. I loved that.
But, I don't get where we are at the end. Joker was going to cut off Batgirl's arms and legs as a "wedding present," so it's possible that it's her limbs under the domed plate. It's possible, but, unlikely. Since Penguin and Two-Face recognized whatever is under the dome in "Batman" #16, it seems pretty obvious that it's a head of someone familiar. Maybe it's Barbara's face, but I sort of doubt that they'd recognize that. So, if Joker didn't do anything to Barbara, it raises the question why he didn't. James clearly interrupted whatever Joker was planning for Barbara and maybe Joker was just bluffing about cutting off her arms and legs; if you're working under the theory that he knows that she's Barbara Gordon, then it makes sense, in a Joker way, to threaten to do to her something that she couldn't undo, like she "undid" her paralysis. But, he's been talking about the "role" that she has to play in his final fight with Batman. Why would James' interruption change his plans for Barbara? I guess we still have time for Snyder to reveal that plan, but I felt like this issue, and Barbara's own arc with Joker, ended fairly abruptly, jettisoning a lot of the story that we've seen to this point in the rush to set up "Batman" #17.
This issue begins more or less how'd you expect it, with Barbara struggling to keep herself from killing Joker since he has her mother hostage. But, then, James appears and a few things happen that bring us in a different direction than we seemed to have been going. First, James tells Barbara that their mother is safe, which allows her to go wild on Joker. Interestingly, Simone doesn't let us learn if Barbara would've killed Joker, since James chloroforms her before she can do so. We then learn that James made a deal with Joker to give her to Joker in exchange for his mother. I'm all good until this point. In fact, I thought James was a great addition to this issue, really ramping up the tension (as he's wont to do). I particularly loved the part where James impresses Joker. Snyder made it very clear that his James was the once and future Joker in his DCU "Detective Comics" run and Joker himself seems to realize that in this moment. I loved that.
But, I don't get where we are at the end. Joker was going to cut off Batgirl's arms and legs as a "wedding present," so it's possible that it's her limbs under the domed plate. It's possible, but, unlikely. Since Penguin and Two-Face recognized whatever is under the dome in "Batman" #16, it seems pretty obvious that it's a head of someone familiar. Maybe it's Barbara's face, but I sort of doubt that they'd recognize that. So, if Joker didn't do anything to Barbara, it raises the question why he didn't. James clearly interrupted whatever Joker was planning for Barbara and maybe Joker was just bluffing about cutting off her arms and legs; if you're working under the theory that he knows that she's Barbara Gordon, then it makes sense, in a Joker way, to threaten to do to her something that she couldn't undo, like she "undid" her paralysis. But, he's been talking about the "role" that she has to play in his final fight with Batman. Why would James' interruption change his plans for Barbara? I guess we still have time for Snyder to reveal that plan, but I felt like this issue, and Barbara's own arc with Joker, ended fairly abruptly, jettisoning a lot of the story that we've seen to this point in the rush to set up "Batman" #17.
Detective Comics #16 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
This issue has almost nothing to do with "Death of the Family." In fact, if I had to place it in continuity, I'd have to put it somewhere before issue #14, before Bruce actually confronts Joker. But, it is, nonetheless, a Joker story, with Layman showing us the effect that Joker has on Gotham. It's often been said that Batman actually causes Gotham's problems with crime because he inspires a certain level of craziness in the super-villains that he winds up having to confront. Here, Layman posits that the super-villains themselves serve as a multiplying force for that effect, inspiring their own legion of villains and copy-cats. My favorite Batman stories are the ones where we get to interact with Gotham in a way that shows how people live day-to-day, answering the age-old question, "Why do people still live there?" It's why I liked the early few issues of "Batwoman," which did a great job showing Kate Kane living her life in Gotham. Here, Layman gives us exactly this sort of story, showing us the effect that Joker is having on regular people. It's not a necessary read, but it definitely tells a story that I think is worth considering.
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 #16 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
When I saw that CNN was running a story on "Batman" #17, I managed not to read it. But, given that temptation is strong, I realized that I need to prioritize reading "Death of the Family" as I make my way through my back issues so that I don't wind up caving and getting the answer spoiled.
I will say that everything seems to be happening pretty fast. Compared to the year-long Court of Owls story, this story has unfolded quickly. Joker had a few opening moves: kidnapping Alfred, killing the cops at GCPD, and poisoning Commissioner Gordon, not to mention everything he's been doing in the other titles. But, the conflict with Batman has been pretty quick. He tricked him into going to Ace Chemicals, where Harley attacked him, confronted him at the reservoir, where he "revealed" that he knew his identity, and then lured him into Arkham Asylum. Maybe it's just because the beginning of the Court of Owls story was so brilliantly paced, but I do feel like Snyder is moving us through this arc a little too briskly. He seems to be relying on the tie-in issues to show the breadth of Joker's plans, leaving the story in "Batman" as a more frontal assault. It feels a little more Hush-y than it does Joker-y.
At any rate, Snyder builds the tension well here, but, essentially, nothing really happens. Batman makes his way through Arkham as Joker taunts him, eventually finding Joker in Jeremiah Arkham's private chambers, where he's assembled the "Batking's" court. The Penguin, Ridder, and Two-Face angle is funny, but I'm not entirely sure if we're supposed to recognize the four people that he has playing Aquaman, Green Lantern, Superman, and Wonder Woman. Even if we are, though, we're not given all that much time to recognize them, since this scene is really a feint, building up Bruce's confidence that he's managed to capture Joker only to reveal that Joker is holding (or has killed) the Bat-family.
It's here where Snyder takes an odd turn, having Bruce willingly sit on an electrical chair. I'm assuming that Bruce didn't think that he was going to kill himself, but Snyder doesn't make that entirely clear. Moreover, the secret identity issue rears its ugly head here again. For all the hand-wringing over whether Joker knows Batman's identity or not, Snyder makes it completely irrelevant with this scene (but not in a good way). If Joker really wanted to know, he very easily could, pulling off the unconscious Batman's mask. But, he doesn't. So, again, it either means that he knows or he doesn't care, once again showing how ridiculous it is for Snyder to put this question at the center of the story.
The real question at this point is pretty clearly whether Alfred's head is on the platter that Joker shows Penguin and Two-Face. Now, even if it is, it's pretty easy to dismiss that "revelation" as shock value. After all, the Dollmaker made Joker a living tapestry, so it seems plausible that he could gin up a reasonable facsimile of Alfred's head. The other question is how Joker defeated the various Bat-family members, a question that I assume that I'm going to get answered in the various tie-in issues that I'm going to read next.
But, I have to wonder if I care about the answer to either question. I mean, even if Joker did cut off Alfred's head, do I really think that he's going to stay dead? I mean, as we've already established, Alfred, Bruce, and Jason have all died and returned; Barbara and Bruce were both paralyzed and can walk again. At this stage, only Dick and Tim haven't gone through some sort of miraculous resurrection/healing (though, honestly, they may have and I just forgot about it). Moreover, any assurances after the fact that "Alfred is really dead" from DC would be met with as much belief as the "Peter Parker is really dead" assurances from Marvel.
Maybe at the end of the day, my problem with this arc is exactly that. It plays on two of the oldest tropes -- secret identities and dramatic deaths -- in comics that have lost their punch over the years. The Court of Owls arc, in the beginning, was interesting because it spoke to whether Bruce understood the city as well as he thought he did. This arc just brings us stuff -- including a title -- that we've seen time and time again.
I will say that everything seems to be happening pretty fast. Compared to the year-long Court of Owls story, this story has unfolded quickly. Joker had a few opening moves: kidnapping Alfred, killing the cops at GCPD, and poisoning Commissioner Gordon, not to mention everything he's been doing in the other titles. But, the conflict with Batman has been pretty quick. He tricked him into going to Ace Chemicals, where Harley attacked him, confronted him at the reservoir, where he "revealed" that he knew his identity, and then lured him into Arkham Asylum. Maybe it's just because the beginning of the Court of Owls story was so brilliantly paced, but I do feel like Snyder is moving us through this arc a little too briskly. He seems to be relying on the tie-in issues to show the breadth of Joker's plans, leaving the story in "Batman" as a more frontal assault. It feels a little more Hush-y than it does Joker-y.
At any rate, Snyder builds the tension well here, but, essentially, nothing really happens. Batman makes his way through Arkham as Joker taunts him, eventually finding Joker in Jeremiah Arkham's private chambers, where he's assembled the "Batking's" court. The Penguin, Ridder, and Two-Face angle is funny, but I'm not entirely sure if we're supposed to recognize the four people that he has playing Aquaman, Green Lantern, Superman, and Wonder Woman. Even if we are, though, we're not given all that much time to recognize them, since this scene is really a feint, building up Bruce's confidence that he's managed to capture Joker only to reveal that Joker is holding (or has killed) the Bat-family.
It's here where Snyder takes an odd turn, having Bruce willingly sit on an electrical chair. I'm assuming that Bruce didn't think that he was going to kill himself, but Snyder doesn't make that entirely clear. Moreover, the secret identity issue rears its ugly head here again. For all the hand-wringing over whether Joker knows Batman's identity or not, Snyder makes it completely irrelevant with this scene (but not in a good way). If Joker really wanted to know, he very easily could, pulling off the unconscious Batman's mask. But, he doesn't. So, again, it either means that he knows or he doesn't care, once again showing how ridiculous it is for Snyder to put this question at the center of the story.
The real question at this point is pretty clearly whether Alfred's head is on the platter that Joker shows Penguin and Two-Face. Now, even if it is, it's pretty easy to dismiss that "revelation" as shock value. After all, the Dollmaker made Joker a living tapestry, so it seems plausible that he could gin up a reasonable facsimile of Alfred's head. The other question is how Joker defeated the various Bat-family members, a question that I assume that I'm going to get answered in the various tie-in issues that I'm going to read next.
But, I have to wonder if I care about the answer to either question. I mean, even if Joker did cut off Alfred's head, do I really think that he's going to stay dead? I mean, as we've already established, Alfred, Bruce, and Jason have all died and returned; Barbara and Bruce were both paralyzed and can walk again. At this stage, only Dick and Tim haven't gone through some sort of miraculous resurrection/healing (though, honestly, they may have and I just forgot about it). Moreover, any assurances after the fact that "Alfred is really dead" from DC would be met with as much belief as the "Peter Parker is really dead" assurances from Marvel.
Maybe at the end of the day, my problem with this arc is exactly that. It plays on two of the oldest tropes -- secret identities and dramatic deaths -- in comics that have lost their punch over the years. The Court of Owls arc, in the beginning, was interesting because it spoke to whether Bruce understood the city as well as he thought he did. This arc just brings us stuff -- including a title -- that we've seen time and time again.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Teen Titans #15 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
[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.]
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.]
Suicide Squad #15 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
I will admit that I totally hear the voices of Mark Hamill and Arleen Sorkin when I read conversations between Joker and Harley, something that actually made this issue all the more enjoyable for me.
I don't read "Suicide Squad" and I'm not really all that big of a fan of Harley. But, Glass delivers an excellent character study here, really delving into the relationship that she and Joker have. You could really feel her heart break when she realized that Joker had given rabies to her hyenas, forcing her to kill them. In fact, Glass actually shows just how far gone Joker is, because he's willing to inflict the same harm on Harley as he is on the Bat-family. This issue isn't essential to "Death of the Family," but I enjoyed it. It focused more on the changed Joker than it did the secret identities and I found the former a lot more interesting than the latter. (Plus, the revelation that Joker had other Harleys in the DCnU was mind-blowing.)
I don't read "Suicide Squad" and I'm not really all that big of a fan of Harley. But, Glass delivers an excellent character study here, really delving into the relationship that she and Joker have. You could really feel her heart break when she realized that Joker had given rabies to her hyenas, forcing her to kill them. In fact, Glass actually shows just how far gone Joker is, because he's willing to inflict the same harm on Harley as he is on the Bat-family. This issue isn't essential to "Death of the Family," but I enjoyed it. It focused more on the changed Joker than it did the secret identities and I found the former a lot more interesting than the latter. (Plus, the revelation that Joker had other Harleys in the DCnU was mind-blowing.)
Red Hood and the Outlaws #15 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
And, this issue is where everything related to "Death of the Family" goes to Hell in a handbasket.
Lobdell seems to assert here that the back-up story from "Red Hood and the Outlaws" #0, that Joker essentially created Jason, is canon, which seems to establish beyond a shadow of a doubt that Joker knows the identities of the Bat-family. Although Jason dares Joker to say his name here (something Joker doesn't do), it would be totally impossible for Joker to know all the details of Jason's life, as he displays here, and not know that he was Robin. In fact, if we end this event with the revelation that Joker didn't know their identities, I think I'm done with the DCnU. No, really. I just don't see how they could possibly explain that Joker crafted every aspect of Jason's life to install him as Robin but somehow didn't know his identity in a way that would be believable. Ugh.
Beyond the Joker angle, Lobdell is at his unbelievable best here. First, he he has Roy and Starfire fly to Gotham because Roy had hacked Jason's phone and forwarded calls that "sounded" important. WTF? Beyond whether such a thing is technically possible, why would he do that? Second, Lobdell has Jason refer to the events of "Batman" #15, but I don't see how he could've been in the Batcave AND in outer space at the same time. UGH.
Also, I feel totally robbed that Kenneth Rocafort didn't give us Jason fighting off the GPD in a towel and we had to settle for Timothy Green II instead.
Lobdell seems to assert here that the back-up story from "Red Hood and the Outlaws" #0, that Joker essentially created Jason, is canon, which seems to establish beyond a shadow of a doubt that Joker knows the identities of the Bat-family. Although Jason dares Joker to say his name here (something Joker doesn't do), it would be totally impossible for Joker to know all the details of Jason's life, as he displays here, and not know that he was Robin. In fact, if we end this event with the revelation that Joker didn't know their identities, I think I'm done with the DCnU. No, really. I just don't see how they could possibly explain that Joker crafted every aspect of Jason's life to install him as Robin but somehow didn't know his identity in a way that would be believable. Ugh.
Beyond the Joker angle, Lobdell is at his unbelievable best here. First, he he has Roy and Starfire fly to Gotham because Roy had hacked Jason's phone and forwarded calls that "sounded" important. WTF? Beyond whether such a thing is technically possible, why would he do that? Second, Lobdell has Jason refer to the events of "Batman" #15, but I don't see how he could've been in the Batcave AND in outer space at the same time. UGH.
Also, I feel totally robbed that Kenneth Rocafort didn't give us Jason fighting off the GPD in a towel and we had to settle for Timothy Green II instead.
Nightwing #15 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
All right, if we put aside the question of how Joker has kidnapped Alfred, Barbara's mother, and Damian, freed Raya from prison, murdered Isabel and Jimmy, and shanghaied the Penguin all in the span of a few hours, Higgins delivers a pretty decent issue. It's not quite as good as "Batgirl" #15, but he does use Joker in some pretty obvious yet still impactful ways here. After all, as Dick himself essentially acknowledges, Haly's Circus is pretty much one big red flag waved in the face of a returned Joker.
Unlike the main titles ("Batman," "Batman and Robin," and "Detective Comics"), Higgins and Simone have done the best in making Joker's attack on people close to Dick and Barbara seems coincidental and not necessarily a sign that he knows their identities. For example, he kidnapped Barbara's mother because she's Commissioner Gordon's ex-wife; moreover, Barbara only stumbled upon the kidnapping because James directed her there. Similarly, Joker goes after Jimmy the clown because of the posters showing a resemblance between the two of them. Unfortunately, I'll say that the use of Raya is a little more difficult to justify, given that her story is pretty directly related to Dick and not Nightwing. I mean, Saiko may have fought Nightwing (and Raya may have helped Saiko), but it all had to do with Bruce saving Dick from becoming a Talon, putting Saiko next in line for the "honor." It had nothing really to do with Nightwing. So, I'm only left to believe that Joker chose her because of her connection with Haly's Circus, but it makes you wonder why it had to be her. Why not pick one of the many people who work for the circus? Her connection to Dick seems a little too strong to be coincidental.
Higgins does manage to focus on something beyond "Death of the Family." Dick and Sonia finally kiss and it goes pretty much how you'd expect it to go, with Dick being unable to think of her as anyone other than Tony Zucco's daughter. After the interruptions caused by "Night of the Owls" and now "Death of the Family," I'm excited for us to eventually return to this plot and really start to get somewhere with it. But, we have a while yet before we get there, unfortunately. Again, Higgins did a better job here than I feel like Snyder is doing in the main title, in terms of keeping up the mystery, but it still felt forced. We'll see how it goes.
Unlike the main titles ("Batman," "Batman and Robin," and "Detective Comics"), Higgins and Simone have done the best in making Joker's attack on people close to Dick and Barbara seems coincidental and not necessarily a sign that he knows their identities. For example, he kidnapped Barbara's mother because she's Commissioner Gordon's ex-wife; moreover, Barbara only stumbled upon the kidnapping because James directed her there. Similarly, Joker goes after Jimmy the clown because of the posters showing a resemblance between the two of them. Unfortunately, I'll say that the use of Raya is a little more difficult to justify, given that her story is pretty directly related to Dick and not Nightwing. I mean, Saiko may have fought Nightwing (and Raya may have helped Saiko), but it all had to do with Bruce saving Dick from becoming a Talon, putting Saiko next in line for the "honor." It had nothing really to do with Nightwing. So, I'm only left to believe that Joker chose her because of her connection with Haly's Circus, but it makes you wonder why it had to be her. Why not pick one of the many people who work for the circus? Her connection to Dick seems a little too strong to be coincidental.
Higgins does manage to focus on something beyond "Death of the Family." Dick and Sonia finally kiss and it goes pretty much how you'd expect it to go, with Dick being unable to think of her as anyone other than Tony Zucco's daughter. After the interruptions caused by "Night of the Owls" and now "Death of the Family," I'm excited for us to eventually return to this plot and really start to get somewhere with it. But, we have a while yet before we get there, unfortunately. Again, Higgins did a better job here than I feel like Snyder is doing in the main title, in terms of keeping up the mystery, but it still felt forced. We'll see how it goes.
Batgirl #15 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
If you've been reading this blog for a while, you know that I've probably been most consistently impressed with this title of all the Bat-related DCnU titles. (In fact, of all the DC titles that I'm getting, I probably would only place "Earth 2" above it.) Simone just really seems to get the DCnU concept, showing us a familiar Barbara, but with some important differences. Perhaps the most notable one is that she's more aggressive than usual, from her fighting style to her personal relationships. Simone really takes that ball and runs with it here, using the "Death of the Family" conceit better than anyone else so far as she shows how Joker brings out the darkest characteristics of his opponents.
Whereas Snyder seems more focused on the question of whether Joker knows the identities of the Bat-family, Simone really picks up the other major theme of this event, the fact that Joker is even more brilliantly unbalanced than he normally is. We see it in this issue with his fairly elaborate plan for making Barbara his bride, an emotionally devastating proposal that goes beyond simply torturing her and strikes at the heart of their disturbing relationship. But, as I mentioned above, Simone has Joker bring out the worst in Barbara, showing a level of aggression that impresses Joker. Batgirl not only pounds on him severely, fueled by rage and a fantasy of killing him, but she clearly also has a plan up her sleeve. After all, do we really think that she just went to buy flowers and a veil? The best part is that Simone shows us that Joker is more than likely aware of the fact that Barbara is going to come at him and, in fact, is titillated by it, excited to see what she throws at him. Unlike Batman, who seems totally off his game, Barbara is meeting Joker step for brilliant step and I honestly can't wait to see where we go.
Finally, Simone really ups the ante by pulling James into the mix. James clearly views his mother and sister as his toys and he's angry that Joker is playing with him. The prospect of the new Joker playing with the old Joker? Exciting. So far, "Batgirl" is saving "Death of the Family" for me and I'd recommend anyone enjoying this event to pick up these issues.
Whereas Snyder seems more focused on the question of whether Joker knows the identities of the Bat-family, Simone really picks up the other major theme of this event, the fact that Joker is even more brilliantly unbalanced than he normally is. We see it in this issue with his fairly elaborate plan for making Barbara his bride, an emotionally devastating proposal that goes beyond simply torturing her and strikes at the heart of their disturbing relationship. But, as I mentioned above, Simone has Joker bring out the worst in Barbara, showing a level of aggression that impresses Joker. Batgirl not only pounds on him severely, fueled by rage and a fantasy of killing him, but she clearly also has a plan up her sleeve. After all, do we really think that she just went to buy flowers and a veil? The best part is that Simone shows us that Joker is more than likely aware of the fact that Barbara is going to come at him and, in fact, is titillated by it, excited to see what she throws at him. Unlike Batman, who seems totally off his game, Barbara is meeting Joker step for brilliant step and I honestly can't wait to see where we go.
Finally, Simone really ups the ante by pulling James into the mix. James clearly views his mother and sister as his toys and he's angry that Joker is playing with him. The prospect of the new Joker playing with the old Joker? Exciting. So far, "Batgirl" is saving "Death of the Family" for me and I'd recommend anyone enjoying this event to pick up these issues.
Detective Comics #15 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
This issue has little to do with "Death of the Family," something that didn't bother me since I'm not really digging that event right now. But, despite the branding, it actually winds up being one of the best self-contained Batman stories that I've read in a really, really long time.
Layman gets to the heart of Clayface and Poison Ivy here, portraying Clayface as suffering from a loneliness that I haven't really seen attached to him since BTAS and Poison Ivy as more coldly manipulative than I remember. These nuances work well, with Layman playing them off one another to bring the duo together: Ivy needs Clayface to protect her from her enemies and Clayface needs someone to need him. Beyond just Clayface and Poison Ivy, I liked what Layman does with Bruce here. He shows him as holding some compassion for his enemies, lamenting that he's forced to break Clayface completely by showing him that Poison Ivy has been playing him all along. Bruce often lacks that compassion, putting the dark in the Dark Knight. But, we do occasionally need to be reminded that he's not a sociopath and Layman does that well here.
But, the most interesting twist, to me, was Layman turning Oglivy, Penguin's consigliere, into a villain. I doubt anyone had the intention of doing so when Oglivy first started to appear, so I really have to given Layman credit for the innovation here. But, it also makes sense. I totally buy that self-delusional Penguin hasn't realized that Oglivy really runs his criminal empire, so Oglivy seizing the organization from Penguin as he disappears into Arkham makes sense. Plus, I love that he's calling himself Emperor Penguin. Great stuff.
A new take on two old villains, the surprising revelation of a new unexpected villain: color me impressed. After suffering under Tony Daniel for so long, I have a new found hope for this series.
Layman gets to the heart of Clayface and Poison Ivy here, portraying Clayface as suffering from a loneliness that I haven't really seen attached to him since BTAS and Poison Ivy as more coldly manipulative than I remember. These nuances work well, with Layman playing them off one another to bring the duo together: Ivy needs Clayface to protect her from her enemies and Clayface needs someone to need him. Beyond just Clayface and Poison Ivy, I liked what Layman does with Bruce here. He shows him as holding some compassion for his enemies, lamenting that he's forced to break Clayface completely by showing him that Poison Ivy has been playing him all along. Bruce often lacks that compassion, putting the dark in the Dark Knight. But, we do occasionally need to be reminded that he's not a sociopath and Layman does that well here.
But, the most interesting twist, to me, was Layman turning Oglivy, Penguin's consigliere, into a villain. I doubt anyone had the intention of doing so when Oglivy first started to appear, so I really have to given Layman credit for the innovation here. But, it also makes sense. I totally buy that self-delusional Penguin hasn't realized that Oglivy really runs his criminal empire, so Oglivy seizing the organization from Penguin as he disappears into Arkham makes sense. Plus, I love that he's calling himself Emperor Penguin. Great stuff.
A new take on two old villains, the surprising revelation of a new unexpected villain: color me impressed. After suffering under Tony Daniel for so long, I have a new found hope for this series.
Monday, February 4, 2013
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 #15 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
OK, so, I'm going to run through December's "Death of the Family" issues sequentially over the next few posts, so get ready for some crazy.
Despite the length of this issue and the pages upon pages of dialogue that fuels it, I really only have four overarching comments about it and, really, this arc:
1) At this stage, Snyder seems to be focusing mostly on rehashing the conceit of the Court of the Owls arc, calling into question whether Bruce is as infallible as everyone thinks that he is. Although that arc got muddled in its execution, Snyder did manage to present the idea that Bruce had been so blinded by his overconfidence in thinking that he understood how Gotham worked that he missed the threat that the Court posed to the city. Unfortunately, Snyder never really clarified what the Court wanted with Gotham, since we got distracted by the saga of the Owlman. Moreover, I was never fully sold on the idea that Bruce would've missed the presence of the Court in Gotham. But, overall, Snyder did manage to make his point about Bruce and his overconfidence, even if it wasn't all totally believable or clear. Here, you can use "find/replace" for Joker and the Court, as Snyder is clearly calling into question whether Bruce understands Joker as well as he thinks that he does. We see it throughout the issue, but most particularly when Bruce is arguing with Dick et al. over whether Joker had infiltrated the Batcave years ago. Dick et al. seem to believe that it's plausible that Joker did get into the Cave, given the card that he somehow got in the water, and, as such, that he has been aware of their identities for quite some time. Bruce, however, adamantly denies it. Although he provides some pretty compelling reasons why Joker wouldn't have been able to do so, his argument mainly falls on the lines that Bruce understands the game that Joker is playing. He stresses to them that Joker just wants them to think he was in the Cave to drive a wedge between all of them, provoking exactly this fight. Joker has succeeded in getting them to doubt Bruce and the tension of this arc is clearly going to be whether or not Bruce is right in his assertion that Joker doesn't actually know.
2) But, before we get to the question of their identities, I want to address something that has been bothering me about this arc so far, namely, the infallibility of Joker. The argument over the card seems to imply that Joker stuck that card there specifically to raise this fight years later. After all, why would Joker mention it to Dick et. al last issue if he didn't know exactly the fight that it would produce? He wanted them to question whether he had been in the Batcave or not. Now, he might have originally done it just to get Bruce to question that, so he's now simply using that prank, if you will, for another purpose years later. But, still, his confidence that mentioning the card would provoke exactly the fight that it does raises the possibility that Joker has been planning this event across his entire relationship with Batman, an assertion that really stretches my ability to suspend my disbelief. How would Joker know that Bruce would one day be surrounded by Dick, Barbara, Jason, Tim, and Damian? But, before I dismiss that scenario too easily, DC hasn't exactly not done its homework on this front. After all, we were led to believe in "Red Hood and the Outlaws" #0 that Joker pulled the strings to turn Jason into Robin. What if Snyder is saying that he created the entire Bat-family, if only to strip it from Batman later? Even if Snyder isn't going that far, it seems difficult to believe the level of coordination that we're already being asked to buy. The card simply seems to push us even farther down that road.
3) Returning to the issue of the identities of the Bat-family, it seems somewhat odd to me that Snyder is having this entire battle with Joker turn on the issue of whether he knows their identities or not. I've never been particularly interested in that question in "Batman," because it was always a moot point. Even if Joker knew, he was never going to undermine Batman by using it against him, because it wasn't going to be fun. I mean, of every superhero, Batman has always had one of the flimsiest secret identities as a result of the presence of Robin at his side. After all, if Tim Drake guessed his identity from the transition of Dick to Jason and then the death of Jason, it stands to reason that Joker, with his obsession with Batman, could do so as well. (Of course, in the DCnU, Tim didn't guess his identity, as we learned in "Teen Titans" #0. I guess the #0s are one for two here, either way.) It just seems like he would have to know. In fact, I'm going to be more surprised in this arc if it's revealed that Joker doesn't know then I would be if he did know. In fact, if it's revealed that he doesn't know, I'm just not sure I'll buy it.
4) Speaking of obsession, I'm not sure where to go with this love theme. "Catwoman" #14 also played with this idea, with Selena feeling like Joker came after her as a rival for Bats' affection. I'm going to reserve judgment to see where we go with it, but I'm worried. Let's just say that I'm worried.
Despite the length of this issue and the pages upon pages of dialogue that fuels it, I really only have four overarching comments about it and, really, this arc:
1) At this stage, Snyder seems to be focusing mostly on rehashing the conceit of the Court of the Owls arc, calling into question whether Bruce is as infallible as everyone thinks that he is. Although that arc got muddled in its execution, Snyder did manage to present the idea that Bruce had been so blinded by his overconfidence in thinking that he understood how Gotham worked that he missed the threat that the Court posed to the city. Unfortunately, Snyder never really clarified what the Court wanted with Gotham, since we got distracted by the saga of the Owlman. Moreover, I was never fully sold on the idea that Bruce would've missed the presence of the Court in Gotham. But, overall, Snyder did manage to make his point about Bruce and his overconfidence, even if it wasn't all totally believable or clear. Here, you can use "find/replace" for Joker and the Court, as Snyder is clearly calling into question whether Bruce understands Joker as well as he thinks that he does. We see it throughout the issue, but most particularly when Bruce is arguing with Dick et al. over whether Joker had infiltrated the Batcave years ago. Dick et al. seem to believe that it's plausible that Joker did get into the Cave, given the card that he somehow got in the water, and, as such, that he has been aware of their identities for quite some time. Bruce, however, adamantly denies it. Although he provides some pretty compelling reasons why Joker wouldn't have been able to do so, his argument mainly falls on the lines that Bruce understands the game that Joker is playing. He stresses to them that Joker just wants them to think he was in the Cave to drive a wedge between all of them, provoking exactly this fight. Joker has succeeded in getting them to doubt Bruce and the tension of this arc is clearly going to be whether or not Bruce is right in his assertion that Joker doesn't actually know.
2) But, before we get to the question of their identities, I want to address something that has been bothering me about this arc so far, namely, the infallibility of Joker. The argument over the card seems to imply that Joker stuck that card there specifically to raise this fight years later. After all, why would Joker mention it to Dick et. al last issue if he didn't know exactly the fight that it would produce? He wanted them to question whether he had been in the Batcave or not. Now, he might have originally done it just to get Bruce to question that, so he's now simply using that prank, if you will, for another purpose years later. But, still, his confidence that mentioning the card would provoke exactly the fight that it does raises the possibility that Joker has been planning this event across his entire relationship with Batman, an assertion that really stretches my ability to suspend my disbelief. How would Joker know that Bruce would one day be surrounded by Dick, Barbara, Jason, Tim, and Damian? But, before I dismiss that scenario too easily, DC hasn't exactly not done its homework on this front. After all, we were led to believe in "Red Hood and the Outlaws" #0 that Joker pulled the strings to turn Jason into Robin. What if Snyder is saying that he created the entire Bat-family, if only to strip it from Batman later? Even if Snyder isn't going that far, it seems difficult to believe the level of coordination that we're already being asked to buy. The card simply seems to push us even farther down that road.
3) Returning to the issue of the identities of the Bat-family, it seems somewhat odd to me that Snyder is having this entire battle with Joker turn on the issue of whether he knows their identities or not. I've never been particularly interested in that question in "Batman," because it was always a moot point. Even if Joker knew, he was never going to undermine Batman by using it against him, because it wasn't going to be fun. I mean, of every superhero, Batman has always had one of the flimsiest secret identities as a result of the presence of Robin at his side. After all, if Tim Drake guessed his identity from the transition of Dick to Jason and then the death of Jason, it stands to reason that Joker, with his obsession with Batman, could do so as well. (Of course, in the DCnU, Tim didn't guess his identity, as we learned in "Teen Titans" #0. I guess the #0s are one for two here, either way.) It just seems like he would have to know. In fact, I'm going to be more surprised in this arc if it's revealed that Joker doesn't know then I would be if he did know. In fact, if it's revealed that he doesn't know, I'm just not sure I'll buy it.
4) Speaking of obsession, I'm not sure where to go with this love theme. "Catwoman" #14 also played with this idea, with Selena feeling like Joker came after her as a rival for Bats' affection. I'm going to reserve judgment to see where we go with it, but I'm worried. Let's just say that I'm worried.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Catwoman #14 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Man, these Catwoman issues just don't make a lick of sense. The whole point of Joker's chess-piece game last issue seems to have been to prove that Catwoman was a hero, not a villain. But, I'm not really sure why he needed to prove that? Was it to prod Selina to accept what I think his offer is, to break Batman's heart? By chastising her for coming too much like him, hoping that she'd be eager to prove that she was really a villain? If so, despite claiming throughout the issue that his little black-book tells him everything that he needs to know about Selina, Joker clearly doesn't know her at all. Of course, most of this issue has little to do with Joker trying to get Selina to join him in breaking up the Bat-family and instead feels like a bad "Saw" movie as he invents new ways to torture her. It's all a little too "women in refrigerators" for my taste. I'm just glad I don't have to read this title anymore.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Suicide Squad #14 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
I obviously only got this issue since it's part of "Death of the Family." I'm happy to say, though, that it does a lot more than "Catwoman" #13 did in terms of advancing the plot of the cross-over event. We see Harley's reunion with "Mr. J" in this issue and it gives us some insight into her conversation with Batman in "Batman" #14, where she confirms his suspicions that Joker is...different. Joker is angry at Harley for her relationship with Deadshot and this anger manifests itself throughout the issue, from his initial request to his somewhat shocking attack on her at the end. You can tell that Harley is more scared of Joker than she normally is and that fear not only drives this issue but adds to the general sense of foreboding that this event is generating. Although it's certainly not essential reading, at least it's better than "Catwoman."
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