Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION Dr. Gym'll's Cultural Rarities Batman, Detective Comics and All-Star Batman

Yeah, I've been trying out some of the Rebirth titles. I think 'Tec is probably my favourite, actually.

Batman... it's a bit off. Funnily enough, while Finch's art looks good, it doesn't look much like his work (I suspect a combination of deadlines and heavy inking.) The story has its points - tho Gotham Girl's *really* clearly The Sidekick of the two siblings, with virtually no individual focus, coming to a nadir in this issue where she's reduced to a prop - but it's largely a combination of setpieces.

'Tec is also one of my favorites.

I agree on Finch's work--he's definitely getting a lot of assistance to keep him focused, and I'm ok with it. I'm hoping there is a lot more to come with Gotham Girl, as it feels like we've only just scratched the surface.

I'm glad you're checking a few of them out! If they can win you over on anything that's a good sign.

So, is MONSTER MEN the first cross-over of the "Rebirth" era? It's running in BATMAN 7 & 8, DETECTIVE 941 & 942, and NIGHTWING 5 & 6...

Yes, I think MONSTER MEN is the first. Hopefully it won't be a regular thing ... considering I'm picking up these books already, it's not that big a deal


And Detective is so good, it's definitely my favorite thus far of the Rebirth

Me after seeing All-Star Batman #1

Meanwhile, I loved the latest Tec which gave us awesome moments for both Tim and Cassie. It's like long last both of them and Stephanie are getting the right treatment again, and we also get Batwoman, Clayface and Bats himself.

Picked up Batman #9, because I knew the next arc deals with Bats making a deal with Waller to get his own mini Suicide Squad for a mission (and because after the Vision TPB I wanted to check out Tom King).

This issue was really good (with the exception of the ending). It starts with bane recounting some of his Childhood trauma in the Santa Prisca prison, and we learn he's using the Psycho Pirate to help him cold turkey Venom, which is actually quite brilliant. Batman however needs the Pirate to save a girl named Claire (This is where recaps would help a bit).

We then get a great recruitment sequence of Batamn walking into Arkham and assembling his team to Dr. Arkham's strenuous objections (Including a Saturn Girl cameo). And what a team it is: Ventriloquist (WITHOUT Scarface), Bronze Tiger (great intro), Punch & Jewlee (fun sequence), and then the notorious triple figure mass-murderer.... Catwoman?

I'll admit I'm not a huge Catwoman fan (I always preferred Bats/Talia) and I didn't read her New 52 series, but that seems way off from the basis of the character as I understand her. Can anyone fill me in or is this a new development?

Wait what WHAT? Saturn Girl cameo?

The hell is she in Arkham?!

^^It's always the quiet ones who end up in Arkham, Sarky...

Dave, I have no clue on the new Catwoman developments myself but I did think the reveal of her being the one Arkham was so scared of was nicely done. I'm really intrigued by this "I am Suicide" arc and think with the first issue its off to a terrific start.

King has shown he's great at writing Batman already, and a black-ops story is right in his real life wheelhouse.

I'm also comfortable that he'll do right by Selina. I doubt she really killed 237 people and there is hopefully an interesting story to be mined there.

http://www.newsarama.com/31900-rejected-rockabilly-batman-cover-revealed-by-artist.html

Holy crap a Scott Lobdell comic from DC that doesn't make me want to wretch.

I decided to post this here, as Huntress is usually in Batman titles. I am curious as to how many versions of this character exist?

I was a huge fan of Huntress in the DC Animated Universe, so I am thinking of writing a story with multiple versions of Huntress. I am unsure if there is enough material to work with. I know there is at least three due to the Golden Age villainess with the same name.

Earth 2 Golden Age Villain
Earth 2 Bronze Age Hero (Helena Wayne)
New Earth Modern Age Hero (Helna Bertinelli)
Post Flashpoint Earth 2 Hero (Helena Wayne)
Rebirth Hero (Helena Bertinelli)

Is the Post Flashpoint and Rebirth versions significantly different than the originals?

Post Flashpoint Huntress started out as Robin which never happened before. She spent some years stuck on the main DC Earth alongside Power Girl and called herself "Helena Bertinelli" as an alias as detailed in the "Huntress" miniseries and "Worlds' Finest." She briefly teamed up with Batgirl and Black Canary near the end of Gail Simone's run on Batgirl. As far as I know, Helena Wayne never worked with Batgirl or Black Canary before.

Rebirth Huntress started out as an agent of Spyral, and her skin is darker than Helena Bertinelli's used to be.

Earth 2 Golden Age Villain - Paula Brooks, later known as Paula Crock, an enemy of the JSA who later on was retroactively known as Tigress to not confuse her with Helena Wayne. She married fellow JSA villain Sportsmaster and their daughter, Artemis, became the new Tigress and an enemy of Infinity Inc and the JSA. She has absolutely no connection to the heroic Huntresses other than sharing the same name.

Earth 2 Bronze Age Hero - Helena Wayne, daughter of the Golden Age Batman and Catwoman. Often worked alongside the adult Dick Grayson and was friends with Power Girl. Most often remembered for her role in Crisis on Infinite Earths, when she and the Earth-2 Robin were spared from the destruction of Earth-2 but arrived on the new DC Earth with no backstories. Was killed alongside Dick and the Titan called Kole by the Anti-Monitor's Shadow Demons.

New Earth Modern Age Hero - Helena Bertinelli, daughter and pretty much the sole survivor of the Bertinelli crime family whom were killed when she was a little girl. Worked as a school teacher and was known for being extremely brutal as a crime fighter, causing no short amount of irritation with the Bat Family. Called herself Batgirl briefly before Cassandra Cain appeared and is famously known for being a brief member of Grant Morrison's version of the JLA and part of the core trio of the Birds of Prey.

Post Flashpoint Earth-2 Hero - Helena Wayne (see previous post)

Rebirth Hero - Helena Bertinelli (see previous post)

---

There are some other versions as well

Post Infinite Crisis Earth-2 Hero - Helena Wayne. Following Infinite Crisis when Earth-2 was seemingly recreated, so was the Bronze Age Helena Wayne. A former Justice Society member, she had to endure the Joker trying to mutilate those closest to her in order to recreate Batman's now deceased rogues gallery. She also admitted that she's long had feelings for Dick Grayson. During Geoff Johns' Justice Society run, this Helena met the original Power Girl while she was trapped on Earth-2 thanks to the villain called Gog.

Kingdom Come Antihero - A third version of Huntress, an African woman seemingly modeled after the original Golden Age version who worked with Batman's Outsiders. She's an archer who had one of her breasts removed to help improve her archery capabilities.

JSA The Liberty Files Hero - An undercover agent who seemingly works as a mercenary when not in costume.

Young Justice Reformed Villain - Paula Nguyen Crock, an update of the original Huntress, spent time in prison and was crippled at some point, causing her to retire from her life of crime. She is the mother of Artemis and Jade Nguyen, a.k.a. Cheshire, which she most certainly is NOT in the main comics. She is also Lian Harper's maternal grandmother.

Batman Brave and the Bold Hero - Helena Bertinelli, more or less the same as her comic counterpart but obviously toned down for kids. Jaime Reyes had a huge crush on her.

Thank you both for your help. I take it skills are about the same in all versions?

I am going to have to think over what I want to do. I was hoping to write something similar to the Robin team-ups, but not sure if I have enough material.

The majority of them use crossbows except the Kingdom Come version, who used a traditional bow and arrows.

While I thought the first TPB of Tom King's Vision was great and enjoyed the first issue of this story line ("I am Suicide"), the last two Batman issues have been a huge letdown. I can't get past Killer-Catwoman, it just doesn't jive for me, even if (as I suspect) the throat slashing of Punch and Jewelee is faked. I've also found the "plan" a little off. I assume Batman is not Batman, because the "I'll just break my back back into place" makes no sense at all (didn't in the movie either), but it's been handled poorly. I'll be interested to see if there's a big "all is not what it seems" payoff to all of this, but it had better be pretty good.

The Detective stuff is SO good, IMO
I am enjoying the Victim Syndicate stuff ... The villains make a certain Gotham sense ... Of course Red Robin's moment still haunt them ... I'm hoping this gets resolved soon because I can see it dragging if it goes too long
More Cassie and Harper, please

The killer Catwoman rubbed me the wrong way too. I LOVE the Bronze Tiger in this team as he's one of my favorite characters. BUT I'm finding the whole plot a little disjointed - which I'm hoping is purposeful and the big reveal is to come

Are they referring to when she doing that whole crime boss thing or something?

No, as revealed over the last two issues, it's specific to this story. A terrorist cell blew up the orphanage Catwoman grew up in, so she tracked down all 200+ members and executed them. Batman caught her and she was awaiting lethal injection when he recruited her for this mission.

...well considering she killed Black Mask after what he did to her sister and brother-in-law I can see how blowing up her childhood orphanage would be one of her buttons.

Really loving the Stephanie / Harper / Cassie friendship in 'Tec, and lately how Clayface is becoming part of that clique.

Bat-Wing accidentally sitting in Tim's seat (and not realizing it) was a great scene.

Detective is just doing a really nice job in these little character moments issue to issue to really remind you why you love these characters.

Batman's a pretty malleable character so writer's can do a lot with him, but I gotta say, I'm not digging King on the character so far. A lot of people on-line are raving about this last issue, but it just leaves me a little cold. It's not bad characterisation, per se, it just doesn't jive with me.