Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION Dr. Gym'll's Cultural Rarities DC idiots' latest move: Kill Batman?

http://www.comicbookresources.com/columns/index.cgi?column=litg&article=2919

Odds on this not having a contrived reversal at some point?

And wasn't DiDio talking about the original numbering on Batman, Detective Comics, Action Comics and Superman being paramount when they reversed Superman back onto the v1/"Adventures of" numbering?

What is DC smoking? This would be lame beyond lame...cause we all know Bruce would come back at some point. I'll pass, thanks!

Bruce Wayne is more powerful than Didio or the rest. He'll be living long after they're all ash and dust.

All of us too, I'd wager.

Silly DC.

trying to copy Marvel's Capt America's death? Oh please. It will be very bad and Bruce Wayne will be brought back very fast within 6 issues. I would not be surprised.

does jump the shark apply to comic books as well as television?

Isn't Azrael dead?

And Jason was Red Hood. :rolleyes:

Watch out, Rich is on a roll...

YES! Kill Batman, kill Batman, kill Batman!

I feel beeter now

Ahhh the rumour mill...

In fact, I'd wager that the BatGod will leap from the page like Athena and smite Didio dead with a swordhand to the throat if he even tries it.

But no, it'll just be some 'Death of Superman' thing, with one of the following;

1) Batman fakes his own death to go underground and do some sketchier-than-normal stuff 'under the radar.'

2) Batman dies, and gets the Lazarus Pit treatment, 'cause old Ras al-Ghul can't live without him (oh, and Talia likes him too, almost as much).

3) Batman dies and the Phantom Stranger / Spectre / Dr. Fate waggles their fingers and undoes it.

4) All of the above, resulting in multiple Batmen...

Horrible idea. I'm sure it's a gimmick.

What worries me is Dick Grayson. I hope he doesn't become Batman and then killed. Hasn't Didio mentioned killing Nightwing for a while now? ugh!

Oh, for the love of God! Please tell me we're living on earth-prime and Superboy/man prime is going to go on a rampage in the halls of DC comics editorial department.

Are we supposed to celebrate the resurrection of Batman in time for the 70th anniversary in 2009?

How #*<<!^& moronic on so many different levels!

They might just as well kill off everybody at this rate. Maybe they'll leave Detective Chimp since his initials are DC.

DC's already blown their load with their Big 3-- Superman and WW have both died and returned, and Batman had his back broken.

Let it go, Diddi-O!

*thh hee!* The thought of this makes me almost dizzy with glee.

Suck on THAT, Batfans!

Batman is the only true immortal because Batman is legend and mystique. Readers can identify with a superhero created by life experience as opposed to science or phenomena. It was an unrepeatable sequence of events that created Batman and trying to separate Bruce Wayne from Batman ignores the thing readers can identify with.

Stupid beyond stupid.

There's no way any amount of "cleverness" will make this interesting and for them to even think they're clever enough to pull this off in an interesting manner shows desperation or cluelessness.

While I understand you're just having fun, I do think there is an important aspect to this beyond "comics."

Batman is one of the icons of American popular culture and literature. Like Jazz, comics and comics strips are one of our few cultural inventions (of worth, lol) that have found a place in the world.


In some sense, Didio is the present care-taker. This idea of "killing" a character is so "common," not even the killing of Captain America really matters, as much as they tried to pump it up.

No point in getting annoyed by this, or berating anybody, until it happens.

If Batman dies, I demand they kill at least three Titans to go along with it! They haven't suffered enough yet!

And that Ma Hunkel lady too!

AGAIN with the Hunkel hate.

Were you not breastfed as a child, Des?

I think Cobie really needs to read Ma Hunkel's first stories as the Red Tornado. I think he'd appreciate her more.

That Ma Hunkel is certainly different from the one in the current JSA.

I'd like to see -you- fight crime with a pot over your head when you get to be her age...

In my view, Denny O'Neil killed Batman 20 years ago.

I'll only read Batman as part of another series (JSA, Starman cameos, etc) or alt-realities (KC, Dk Knight, Darknight Detective, etc).

I don't mean that she's not the Red Tomato er Tornado any more.

The Ma Hunkel currently in JSA is polite and soft-spoken, thoughtful. The Ma Hunkel of yester-year was loud, aggressive, and in your face.

Rich J expands on his rumor this week, and it just gets lamer...

<span class="spoiler_containter"><span class="spoiler_wording">Click Here For A Spoiler</span><span class="spoiler_text">the original plan was for all the main DC icons to die and be elevated to the status of New Gods as part of the Fifth World, their sidekicks filling the roles they left behind.

However, that plan was abandoned internally at DC and reduced to a Bat-storyline by Grant Morrison. So look for Bruce Wayne New God to go head-to-head with Darkseid in "Final Crisis."</span></span>

I like the original idea; it gives the Titans a reason.

Lots of people mellow as they age. I hardly think it's out of character.

To be honest, I have no interest in having any of Bruce's sidekicks becoming Batman.

Tim is too young. "Bat Lad?"

Jason is too... ummm... whacked?

Dick is Nightwing. He has already graduated to who he should be.

The obvious choice for the new Batman is: Alfred Pennyworth.

No! Whenever DC kills off some Titans, Marvel has to retaliate by killing off some New X-Men!

Stop the madness!

You protest too much. Your forbidden longing for Ma Hunkel is transparent.

20 years ago, suddenly everyone had to be a Lord of Order/Lord of Chaos or Elemental. "Gee, let's take a pompous title that only one author/creative team actually made work, and make it more important than storytelling!"

Well, Cru just figured out a way that would keep my interest going if Bats bought it!

BatAlfred: Buttling evil!

Alfred Pennyworth is... The Batler!

"I'm all about cooking and cleaning. I've cooked up a great plan, for cleaning up the streets of Gotham!"

BAM! POW! ZOINKS!

Instead of using the Batmobile, he'll fly around on Mr. Miracle-style serving trays!

Instead of batarangs, he'll throw specially designed serving tongs

Did anyone ever care for the New Gods? Who is supposed to be rooting for them when they are... gods? Most powerful beings?

So by making the DC icons New Gods they make them less identifiable - they remove them from the readers. I don't know if anybody really cares for that...

The original idea at least was consequent - but as so often (like Crisis back in 86), they did not dare to make the full move and leave the readers with a lame compromise... if that is what Final Crisis is going to be about, it's another one of those "have to buy it cause it's AR Legion stuff" books... bah!

I like Kirby so I liked the New Gods, especially their design but they were never favorites of mine.
Batman as a New God? Oh, please!! Wasn't Hal Jordan as Spectre enough? The idea of turning Batman into a mythical deified being is as "un-Batman" as it can get, unless DC did it as an Elseworlds story.

This statement is perhaps the most profound and disturbing thing I've read on Legion World.

Disney has run roughshod of many of the iconic properties it owns the rights to. Ford and GM have made some questionable decisions about how they've managed the Mustang, Thunderbird, Corvette, and GTO brandnames. Coca-Cola has certainly made errors -- new coke, diet-lime-splenda-cherry-coke-zero. But none of those seem so deliberately intent on disrespecting the iconic status of the property involved.

I don't think it's disrespecting at all. They are trying to tell good stories, and I like the idea of the JL stepping up to be the New Gods. DC is just trying to tell a story, something new for a change. The execution may be poorly done (Hawkgirl's title) but they aren't deliberately trying to ruin the characters.

Telling a story, a new and interesting story is one thing. But isn't throwing "godhood" on a character tantamount to altering the very basis of the character?
Batman won't be a super-hero anymore, won't be a human being, he'll be a god.

Much like with Wonder Woman, I don't think the godhood will last. It's going to alter his perceptions, maybe give him a more personable attitude even- teach him to appreciate hi humanity, etc.

There's potential for a good story is all I'm saying.

As long as it's not a permanent thing, I'm all for it too.

Honestly, if this was to ever happen, I can't see it completely finishing until either Dick, Jason or Tim was killed off at the very end. Because Bruce ain't goin away--ever. So given this DC editorial's track record, they'd have to offer the fans a blood sacrifice (in their own mind) to balance the percieved 'cop out'.

To be clear, the above sounds ridiculous to me too. But you know its not that far from the truth given how comics are made these days.

I don't want to see Dick or Tim die (screw Jason Todd ). And its not too far a leap to believe all Bat-characters would be in danger if a 'percieved change that obviously would not last' came into play.

BTW, Gordon and Alfred are probably safer than Dick or Tim these days. I don't see them ever dying either (or ever straying too far away from their jobs for too long either).