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

There were interesting aspects to both Batman & Robin and Detective but Damien was dreadfully annoying. The gory Joker stuff in Detective put me off and I probably won't continue with that series, but I have no desire whatsoever to read more of Damien's snarkery. Usually in stories the bratty spoiled kid gets his comeuppance or learns a lesson and changes, so maybe they'll revise his attitude at some point.

I really think Damien is awesome, but only when either Morrison is at the helm, or in a few scattered instances (Superman/Batman and Batgirl appearances).

Yes, he's a snarky little puke, but that's because of his upbringing and he is (was?) coming around. There's a line in Morrison's first issue of Batman and Robin where Dick basically says "My God, Alfred, if we don't save this kid, who will?" and that became the driving focus of the series. And it was great.

This relaunch, not so much. And the problem is Bruce. Damien's story was very much rooted in his playing off of Dick. Aside from the obvious play on the dynamic Duo of having a light-hearted Batman and a hard as nails Robin, Dick really brought the good out in Damien. With Bruce, it's like trying to tell a joke with two straight men, and I'm worried it's not going to work out so well.

Regarding the cliffhanger for 'Tec #1:
<span class="spoiler_containter"><span class="spoiler_wording">Click Here For A Spoiler</span><span class="spoiler_text">I was wondering if there was a reason Dr Arkham and Joker had simialr facial features and I still do. I also wonder if this is just a way to make the Joker look more like Heath Ledger.</span></span>

I liked how Daniel made Batman a little more human during his fight with Joker in that he admits to not knowing everything about everything and having everything already planned out.

Dave makes a good point re: the little puke. I read a few issues when Dick was Batman and Damien seemed like a wise-ass, but eager to learn and please. He probably had less need to lock horns with Dick than with his father.

That Damien kid turned me way off. Pass.

AWW MAN I *loved* Damien Wayne in the last iteration of Batman and Robin.

I loved his interplay with his mentor goody two shoes Dick/Batman! And how Damien didn't think he was the *real* Batman and had this extravagant notion of the legendary Batman. it was interesting though because Damien needed the type of good guy Dick is as a mentor ... to teach the little psycho path to be a good person. And Damien was trying to be better and live up to his father's larger than life legacy.

I LOVED it when Damien showed up to interrogate the Joker with a crowbar!!! haha that's a different type of Robin ... Joker. and the best part is when the Joker cowers and says 'you sound like ... HIM'

I think it would be interesting to see Damien adjust to the disappointment of Bruce Wayne compared to the Bat legend ... and what he could learn from that. And maybe he would relate to Dick a lot easier than Bruce after all.

Bummed to hear it sounds like he's not being written as well or the set up is less gripping. I'll have to flip through it at the CBS to see what it's like.

Scott Snyder rocked Batman #1. Holy cow, that was a great first issue. He really gets the supporting cast, he really gets Bruce, he really gets the detective aspect and he's set up a great mystery. Colour me impressed at the debut. I'm not reading Nightwing, but I'm interested to know if this ties in closely, because Dick is certainly going to be an important part of this first arc.

For a bit of a pre-DCnU flashback, I read Detective Comics #881 last week. This was the final issue of Detective Vol. 1 and the conclusion of Scott Snyder's run writing Dick Grayson as Batman. This was simply a STUNNING book from both a story and art perspective.

The issue features the long-building confrontation with <span class="spoiler_containter"><span class="spoiler_wording">Click Here For A Spoiler</span><span class="spoiler_text">James Gordon, Jr.!</span></span> This is a brutally disturbed individual who has absolutely no empathy for others. In a long dialogue with Barbara Gordon (who is being held captive) he explains his nature and what he has done throughout the years very explicitly up through his current campaign. In a way he's a lot more terrifying than the Joker because he just seems so much more real. No gimmicks, no costume--just a psychopath in the mood to create more psychopaths!

Cobie and I are really in to artist Francesco Francavilla, and he really delivers in his portion that details the scenes between Barbara and our bad guy, even though they're mostly talky, expository scenes. He makes them very visually arresting!

Jock is also a fine artist and captures his scenes very well. It's a more raw, scratchy style but also very effective and engaging.

I LOVED Snyder's run on Detective. Better than anyone, I think he wrote Dick as a more distinct and unique Batman than the other writers have in this era. I'll actually miss Snyder writing Dick. From what I've heard, though, he's already doing great with Bruce on the Batman relaunch.

In a way this issue was kind of a love letter and a send-off to the Barbara Gordon/Oracle era. She gets a great spotlight. And even though she suffers violently at the hands of the villain, her spirit shines through, and she fights with all she has.

If you ever have the chance to read Detective Comics #s 871 thru 881, I'd highly recommend you do so. I'd say it's one of the best runs in a Batman title in recent memory.

Well, first there was Action Comics that was a clear front-runner for best of the best, and now there is Batman. Hands down, this was an A+, excellent, delivered as promised Batman relaunch that hit every mark. Fantastic.

Like Lardy, I've been following Snyder for some time and now consider him one of my favorite writers. His prior run in Detective was a big part of that and he continues that greatness here. The issue is paced perfectly with a good amount of time alloted to Bruce so readers get to know him again, but then lots of time left to spotlight all the necessary characters plus more: Dick, Tim, Alfred, Commissioner Gordon, Vicki Vale (!), Bullock (really well done) and even Damien. A new character is also introduced.

But perhaps the character that really shines the most is Gotham City. Both Snyder and Capullo perfectly capture the city and reiterate it's importance and uniqueness.

Speaking of Capullo he was utterly fantastic. I've always like his art and he nails it here, keeping it fresh and exciting so mood and energy just pop off the page. He's aided and abetted by inker Jonathan Glapion, his partner from Haunt, who is one of the best inkers in the business and compliments Capullo's artwork well. Glapion doesn't shy away from detail and he not only keeps the darkness aspect present, he also adds a certain superhero shine to it all.

The issue introduces a new mystery and that is where Snyder excels--with mystery and suspense. Cant wait for the next issue!

Cobie Comparison: did I enjoyore than JL #1? hell yes! Candidate for best of DCnU!

So if a reader were to get just one of the Bruce Wayne titles, which one would be the best bet? Sounds like BATMAN, I think?

First sign of a line-wide crossover and I'm out though... that's what has kept me from reading bat-titles other than NIGHTWING or BIRDS OF PREY.

Yea, def start with Batman. If you feel like a second, try Detective.

Of all the Batman books, I enjoyed Batman the most. Loved the artwork, Batman's long cape dragging on the ground (impractical but regally spooky), the cityscapes, the way he knows even the gossip-level information about people like Dan Mathhews' wife, the techy stuff and the presence of a seemingly-normal Bruce Wayne. The three Robins are a bit confusing, or mind-bending, especially since they look like they're about 14, 10 and 6 years old, but I'll just have to overlook that.

I wrapped up a month of Batman relaunches with The Dark Knight, which is really a David Finch production with writer Paul Jenkins brought in to lend Finch some assistance in hopes that by some miracle Finch won't fall behind schedule. Jenkins recently blew my mind on his Deadman story and I'm a fan of Finch's incredible artwork. But I have to say, I found the issue to be a bit disappointing.

The major problem is that it's all just so by the numbers. It hits several sequences that have already actually done in other Bat-titles this month, like a charity event and a breakout at Arkham Asylum. Er, why didn't an editor cross check with the other titles? These tropes were not only already done but done better. The plot is clearly Finch's intention to make a story that let's him draw whatever he feels like; but even Jenkins' dialogue feels like it was thrown in last minute and doesn't have his full attention. The introduction of a potential love interest is too similar to Morrison's Jezebal Jet, except she's half-Indian instead of half-African. Again it's all very by the numbers.

From an art perspective it looks fantastic. I just wish there was a better story attached.

Also, the cliffhanger was kind of laughable--no where near the effect of Detective.

Being a month behind, I just caught up to Detective Comics #1 today. Overall, I wasn't as blown away by it as most people seemed to be. Probably didn't help that the "shock" ending was spoiled for me long before I ever read it. To be fair, though, since this isn't on my official pull, it was probably that very same spoilage that convinced me to pick it up.

The story really wasn't all that entertaining or original until the ending. Daniel pretty much went by the numbers showing Gordon, Alfred, the Batcave, etc. In fact I was a little confused by the police pursuing Batman. I mean, if Batman Inc. still happened, it would seem that ol' Bats should still be at a height of public acceptance. I suppose it's possible that whatever changed Batman Inc.'s status quo might explain it, though. Also, it's possible that the unseen mayor would be the element that's changed things the most, as implied.

The art, though, was the real appeal here. I mean, I stared at and flipped back to that gorgeous 2-page splash of Batman swinging over the city a few times. The cityscape backgrounds were beautiful throughout. Also, I definitely detected some Frank Miller influence in how Daniel portrayed Batman and the Joker on several shots. To me, that was a positive.

Anyhow, there's a bit of a mystery as to what the Joker and Dollmaker are up to. Hopefully, it's a bit more than a take on the movie Face/Off.

So while I wasn't blown away like I expected to be, I was intrigued by the possibilities at the end and especially by Tony Salvadore Daniel's oftimes gorgeous artwork enough that I'll give it a few issues.

Huntress was a decent by-the-numbers adventure story. Helena is in Italy following up on a weapons smuggling case and comes across white slavers in the process. She decides to stick around and clean up this mess. The organised criminals don't take kindly to this and the war is on.

There's nothing wrong with the issue per se, but it's not mindblowingly great either.

Batman #2 was a bit of a step down from last month. Not that it was bad in any way, but it didn't "pop" like the premiere issue did. I think my expectations may have been too high.

So, catching up on Week 1 for month 2, I found myself:

(A) Again impressed by the effort put forth by Tony Daniel on Detective Comics. He really seems to be clicking here on the writing and art, and it reads like a really great Batman story in the making.

(B) Batwing, which is shaping up to be Judd Winnick's best superhero story ever IMO! Really solid job by everyone involved and by issue's end I realized something: I care about Batwing, his adventures, his setting and want to see this seris succeed. And originally, I had no intention of even trying this comic.

Well, I have to admit I was surprised by Batman & Robin #2; after finding the first issue the Bat-title I liked the least out of all 9 of them, I thought the follow-up was a definite step in the right direction. There was certainly a lot to like but without the annoying Damien parts we've become accustomed to seeing.

Batman's struggle to redeem Damien, and the struggle of being a father, comes much more into focus and gets you to root for him succeeding. I can't help but think it will only end in tragedy but at least I can empathize with Batman.

I love Bruce adding a Great Dane to the family. New Ace the Bat-Hound?

Also like the League of Shadows plotline and the organization's natural reaction to Batman, Inc. Very solid idea.

All in all, more enjoyable comic than #1.

Batwing #3 was another great issue... love the building mystery of the Kingdom... As gripping as the story is, Ben Oliver's art is nothing short of amazing... and while I'm heaping praise, Brian Reber's colors give the story just the right tone...

4 fins up!

Detective #3... this is one seriously messed up story... in a good way... the Dollmaker is creepy as hell... the art is stunning... next issue - Batman vs. the Jokers (yes, that is supposed to be plural)

4 fins up!

So I just read Detective #2, and bruce hooks up AGAIN?!?! Between Selina last month and this Charlotte reporter lady, it appears this DCnU Batman's a PLAYA! (Hope he's carrying plenty of Bat-Condoms on him... )

Huntress #2 was a solid read, and more engaging somehow than the first issue. Helena's on an ass-kicking spree, hunting down the slavers. She's shown as a competent, no-nonsense hero, who's taking care of business. Really dug it.

Batman #3 was great, a rebound (for me), form last issue. Love it when Bruce is shown as a competent Detective and the mystery runs deep. The court of Owls is obviously creepy stuff, and even though "Secret Societies" in Gotham are a standard trope, this still looks pretty fresh.

I'm really enjoying the Court of Owls story and its use of the architecture of Gotham.

It could relate to the Jonah Hex storyline, with its secret society, but that hasn't been identified as Court of Owls.

I'm also loving the Court of Owls story in Batman. The entire sequence where Batman discovers the secret 13th floor(s) in Gotham's buildings was really eerie! Snyder and Capullo did an excellent job building the tension panel by panel and just drawing me further and further in.

FC, I think you're right--the Hex storyline would so neatly tie-in that I feel it has to be so!

Detective Comics has also been pretty good though I have to admit that Dollmaker and company is getting way too over the top for me. They're just so grotesque and gory that I can't help but giggle a little about it, which is probably *not* the reaction I'm supposed to be having. It's like Batman is guest-starring in "the Hills Have Eyes" or "Texas Chainsaw Massacre". For some reason, it just doesn't all click together. Yet, other than the premise (a major thing, I know), Daniel's art and writing are really top-notch! A weird dichotomy.