shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jul 22, 2014 0:41:01 GMT -5
Batman #440
"A Lonely Place of Dying, Chapter One: Suspects" writer: Marv Wolfman co-plotter: George Perez pencils: Jim Aparo inks: Mike DeCarlo letters: John Costanza colors: Adrienne Roy assoc. editor: Daniel Raspler editor: Dennis O'Neil (when did we start getting all formal with proper names?) created by: Bob Kane
grade: A+
I can find no greater evidence that I was a pretty stupid kid than in reading this issue for the first time as an adult. Whereas I read this one when it was new (and I was 9) and found it pretty boring, I'm thoroughly impressed with its intelligence today. Apart from the strong characterization occurring in both Bruce and Alfred, Wolfman does an amazing job of leaving clues about our two mysterious figures (the photographer and the antagonist), giving us just enough to clearly figure out who they are without making it at all obvious. I really enjoy that approach to storytelling. It challenges the reader a bit and makes him/her a more active part of the story. It also feels especially appropriate for a story about a crime fighting detective. For once in this issue, we got to be smarter than Batman.
To touch a bit further upon the characterization issue, I absolutely love the conversation between Bruce and Alfred on pages 9 and 10. Alfred finally has the conversation with Bruce that's been coming for a long time about what he's become since Jason's death. It feels more poignant coming from Bruce's (generally) willing assistant than from his rebellious former sidekick, and Aparo's visuals, and Wolfman's absence of dialogue, clearly convey that Bruce feels the same way. That Bruce actually begins to question himself in regard to this while about to ram a forklift into a thug a few pages later is a major step for him. We haven't seen Bruce seriously internally explore what he's become since Jason died until this point.
I also must say that I love Wolfman's approach to Two Face. I've now read a little more than ten years worth of Batman stories in these reviews, and I feel that Wolfman is the first in all that time to take Two Face somewhere truly different. No more silly coin, no more clear cut rules. Harvey behaves like a true schizophrenic, and I find that level of reality, internal conflict, and unpredictability so much more rewarding in an antagonist. I also find it cute that Wolfman tried to misdirect us into believing he was the Joker at first, clearly wanting us to understand that Two Face's level of insanity isn't far off from Mr. Js.
Whereas Year 3 felt a bit directionless to me, Wolfman seems to have a very clear idea of where he wants to take this story. Maybe it's the fact that he has Perez plotting along with him. Those two are always greater than the sum of their parts. Is this the first time they've plotted together since the New Teen Titans? I don't believe Perez was a part of the plotting for Crisis. Incidentally, when O'Neil mentions the creative team in the letters column, he forgets to credit Perez.
Aparo and DeCarlo seem to be O'Neil's go to art team. On the one hand, it's a nice idea to have some artistic consistency for fans who enter later and buy trades of only the major storylines (this was the same team that did A Death in the Family), but on the other, I'm still not sure DeCarlo does Aparo's art justice.
Minor details:
This is the first and only appearance of the second villain to call himself The Ravager in the DCU. I like his chain-throwing schtick.
Clearly more important, this is the first appearance of Tim Drake in the present day DCU (though his identity has not been fully revealed yet). Still, page 8 clearly implies that it is the same kid who took that photo with the Flying Graysons in Year 3 (only referred to as "Tim" there).
Give it up for Jim Aparo. On page 6, the shadowy figure seen from behind with no real discernible features still looks like Two Face somehow. I honestly didn't remember anything about this story (besides Tim Drake) when reading it again today, and I still knew that figure was Two Face.
I love the minor continuity points carrying over from Year 3 -- WSCN, the all news station, and spelling bee champ Moon Kaplan. None of this matters, but it makes the world of Gotham feel a little more real as we get to experience the same background buzz of current events and media that inhabitants of Gotham would.
Bruce did end up saving the orphanage in Year 3 from being closed. Awesome.
Why can't O'Neil get all Batman artists to agree on ONE Batmobile? It shouldn't change every time the artist does.
If Dick and Kori live together, and Kori is clearly Starfire of the Titans, wouldn't people easily figure out that Dick might be Nightwing? I realize Tim has put serious detective work in to uncover so much about Bruce and Dick, but this portion seems like it would be obvious to anyone.
How was that second Two Face scheme supposed to result in the death of Batman? Wouldn't Two Face know by now that two armed thugs weren't going to be able to do a darn thing to him?
Haley's Circus is just now shutting down. In "Murder on the Midway," the backup story from Batman #337, it was implied that, in pre-Crisis continuity, Haley's Circus had already been shut down for some time.
The plot synopsis in one ridiculously long sentence:
Batman battles the new Ravager and gets badly beaten, a mysterious photographer on a bicycle snaps shots and calls Batman "Bruce Wayne" to himself, a mysterious antagonist is fighting with himself (speaking to him through a radio) about hurting the Batman (implies that he hired The Ravager), Bruce returns home badly beaten and is cared for by Alfred, the photographer looks through old photos of Batman and Robin and expresses concern for how Batman has changed, Alfred finally confronts Bruce about how he has changed, our villain sets up another scheme to kill Batman, the photographer goes looking for Dick Grayson and reveals that he knows everything about him, finally showing up at Starfire's apartment and asking for his whereabouts, Batman fights more of Two Face's thugs and finally realizes Alfred's been right about him, allowing him to connect the dots and realize Two Face is behind all of this, and the photographer finally figures out that Dick has gone to see the closing of Haley's Circus.
A VERY strong issue overall, in terms of plotting, writing, character development, the planting of clues and revealing of critical info, and art. Truly, my only problem with this is more a fear of where things might be headed -- Tim seems like he might prove to be too much of a common fanboy, a sad attempt to pander to the kids reading this comic. Clearly, that's not how he's portrayed in comics nowadays, but I worry that's what Wolfman and Perez are up to here.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jul 22, 2014 0:44:27 GMT -5
The New Titans #60
"A Lonely Place of Dying, Chapter Two: Roots" writer: Marv Wolfman Co-plotter and pencils: George Perez inks: Bob McLeod letters: John Costanza colors: Adrienne Roy assoc. editor: Jonathan Peterson (I guess O'Neil wasn't the only editor to have one of these) Big Cahuna: Mike Carlin
grade: C
Certainly, this wasn't the first crossover in comic book history. The earliest explicit crossover of a story between two titles that I can think of was the New Teen Titans / Outsiders crossover half a decade prior to this, and certainly the Marvel Universe was using less formal crossovers as early as the 1960s when Warlock's story wound through a variety of titles. Technically, we've even seen Superman and Batman crossover across their own titles (for years in this thread alone, Detective and Batman were effectively one title). Still, this was a significant beginning for crossovers, both being larger than anything we'd seen before (5 parts, swapping back and forth between titles), and being of a higher profile. Soon after this, crossovers started popping up everywhere at both Marvel and DC, constantly forcing fans of one character to buy books they had little interest in in order to follow a storyline.
In this case, it was a brilliant marketing move. Denny had done everything he could think to do to make fans pick up a Batman comic once the movie hit theaters, and now that they were doing so, he used this trick to make them start reading The New Titans as well. I wonder if it was effective. The rise in crossovers that followed would seem to suggest it was. Still, this was an unusual choice for these two titles since The New Titans was a direct market title. All the new fans picking up Batman from spinner racks in convenience and stationary stores wouldn't have much luck scouring the shelves for the next installment of Lonely Place of Dying, and even once they found it, they might be disappointed to see that its cover price was nearly twice as much as Batman's. To this day, I find comic shops with a plethora of copies of Batman #440-442, but few have New Titans #60 and #61. I wonder how many fans skipped these issues. I also wonder if dealers were given enough of a head's up to order enough copies of those issues.
In terms of the content, I suppose this crossover was earned. This chapter was more appropriate for a New Titans issue than a Batman one since it had to be a Dick story. Tim really did have to seek out Dick first. I can't imagine him trying to approach semi-over-the-edge Batman on his own. And certainly Wolfman wanted time to further explore who Dick was in contrast to what Batman was becoming without him. That being said, most of this issue is entirely irrelevant to the main action of Batman #440. This one has nothing to do with Two Face and little to do with Bruce. It's all about Dick and Tim, and their involvement in an entirely unrelated plot involving saboteurs at Haly's Circus. However, if you want to follow the Tim Drake story (which seems more central to Lonely Place of Dying than the main action occurring right now) you'd miss a lot by skipping this issue.
This is the first full appearance of Tim Drake, though his last name is still unknown at this point, and we're still only inferring that he is, indeed, "Tim" from the flashback in Year 3. Quite consistent with my concerns from last issue, Tim is pretty much characterized as a Gary Stu in this story -- O'Neil, Wolfman, and Perez's insulting idea of who was reading these comics, the kid who says to himself, "I wish I could make Bruce and Dick work things out and see what I see in them. Gee, if I could do that for them, maybe they'd let me be Robin!" I don't remember much about this story, but I remember that aspect of the story feeling a bit hokey and insulting even at the age of 9. And, honestly, if I were Dick Grayson, and a presumptuous kid approached me seeming to know everything about me and talking to me as if he knew what I should be doing with my life better than I did, I'd probably want to smack him instead of team up with him.
Nothing particularly special about the story beyond that. The timing of Haly's Circus deciding to close seems a bit too ideal for the sake of this storyline, and the plot, involving saboteurs within the circus making accidents happen so that the circus can be bought cheaply or default on a debt is a tired old plot that was even tried by the Marx Brothers ("At the Circus").
The plot synopsis in one ridiculously long sentence: The Titans are worried about Dick's whereabouts, especially after Tim has come around asking about him, they determine that Tim knows Dick is Nightwing (I thought he made that obvious to Kori in Batman #440), Dick returns to Haly's Circus, learns that it's closing due to a recent string of accidents, learns that Harry the Clown (last seen in the Year 3 flashback) has become a drunk, witnesses an accident result in the lion tamer's death in front of a full crowd (with Tim present), briefly meets Tim, figures out who the saboteurs are (they had framed Harry), Tim helps to stop one of the saboteurs from escaping, Tim explains that he knows everything about Dick, shows Dick pictures of Batman fighting the Ravager, and explains that Batman needs Dick to become Robin again, and Two Face gives a rambling closing monologue about him and Batman being linked.
Nothing wrong with this story, but it failed to impress me on any level. Neither the plot nor the characterization of Dick did much for me. I think Perez's cover for this issue did a far better job of exploring who Dick is than Wolfman's script did (it's actually one of my favorite covers of all time). Also, and most importantly, I'm really not liking the Gary Stu approach they're taking with Tim at this point.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jul 22, 2014 0:44:44 GMT -5
Detective Comics #607
"The Mud Pack, Part Four: The China Clay Syndrome" writer: Alan Grant pencils: Norm Breyfogle inks: Steve Mitchell letters: Todd Klein colors: Adrienne Roy asst. editor: Dan Raspler editor: Denny O'Neil creator: Bob Kane Looker created by: Mike Barr & Jim Aparo (what an odd credit to include)
grade: B-
Oh, wait. This story is still going? I've said it before and I'll say it again: Grant and Breyfogle are not multi-part story arc writers. They don't provide the kind of dense/tight plotting required to give a four part story momentum and a consistent identity. All of their best work were one or two part stories, and I can't help but feel that this four part format was imposed upon them by Denny in time for the release of the Batman film.
This is a decent enough issue in many respects, but it just feels completely detached from the other three parts of this storyline as Payne and Fuller (who, by the way, still doesn't have a name as of this issue) have already reached their resolution by the first page, and Karlo is pretty much onto an entirely new story plot in this issue, his partnership with the other Clayfaces a distant memory by this point.
I do enjoy the pairing of Payne and Fuller, two lonely souls seeking out normal lives, and Grant makes that pairing a little more believable and powerful this time around, though I still question the abruptness with which Payne suddenly seems cured of his insanity. Wasn't he prone to murderous rages just last issue, and wasn't he still married to a mannequin two issues before that? Thankfully, Grant takes the time to spend a little more time on characterization this time around, and that makes me enjoy the pairing enough to suspend such disbeliefs. He even employs his wizardry with dialect again, giving Fuller and Payne their distinct speaking styles again -- Fuller a little more plain and sincere (again, the kicked puppy feeling), and Payne dramatic and eloquent. I enjoyed that.
Oh, also, I have to correct myself this time around. Fuller finally referred to the former group as the "Mud Pack." First and only time that name actually gets used in the story.
Man, it's always powerful returning to Breyfogle's art after being away for an issue or two (In this case, parts 1 and 2 of Lonely Place of Dying -- who'd of thought I'd ever consider Aparo the inferior of two Batman artists??). Batman's frenzied slobbering on page 3 was a particular favorite of mine this time around, as well as Looker's hypnotic gaze on page 9. I am furious to discover, though, that my copy of this issue does not contain the Breyfogle poster. I must have liked it enough to pull it out when I was 9, but I have absolutely no memory of what it looked like! Argh!!
So what's the deal with Looker? I feel like Grant is working way too hard to promote her in this storyline, just as he did with The Demon in the previous story arc. The difference is that The Demon was likeable. Looker feels like something invented by a creative team hungry for a royalty check. Nothing about her personality seems all that compelling to me, and she feels drastically out of place in a Batman story. I also can't imagine either she or Batman being that casual about her just having peaked through Batman's mind, especially when even Grant has acknowledged as of late how over the edge he's become. Got to love the visuals Breyfogle chooses to depict as his memories torment him within his mind though -- the only recognizable faces I could make out were The Ventriloquist and Cornelius Stirk, both creations of this creative team. Come on, guys -- Bruce has far worse demons than those two second-rate (though amazingly compelling) villains he battled once each.
Sorry, Chad and foxley, but I'm still not getting the appeal of Karlo. I paid careful attention this time, and I couldn't get the read on him that both of you have. I don't know if you see him the way that you do because of some previous story (or perhaps the Secret Origins issue), but Grant just doesn't paint him in the same compelling light that both of you do. He's just a slightly over the edge bad guy (though I'd hesitate to even call him full blown crazy) who wants more power. And, incidentally, I have a hard time buying that simply injecting Payne and Fuller's blood into his body would magically give him the ability to precisely control both of their abilities (at least until Looker gets involved). Oh well.
And, of course, Batman leaves the possibility of Karlo's return wide open. Shouldn't you be a bit more careful with a bad guy that dangerous -- do more to follow up than joke about alerting China?
Oh, and Fuller can now pretty much do anything she wants with her body. It doesn't even have to be copied from someone else (ex. the hawk wings in the beginning, or the shape-changing Karlo does with her powers towards the end).
Also, I'm assuming Batman's costume contains some kind of armor, or else Karlo certainly would have burnt through and melted Batman's skin while holding him. We even see some kind of plasma on the costume throughout the battle, but it never seems to burn through.
By the way, Denny states in the letters column that Batman and Detective picked up a few thousand new readers after the film's release. I know many of us were wondering if the film had actually succeeded in boosting readership.
The plot synopsis in one ridiculously long sentence: Fuller and Payne are angry at Karlo but decide not to pursue him, Looker rescues Batman from his mental torture by entering his mind, they figure out that Karlo has gone to a medical lab to get Payne and Fuller's blood injected into his body, Batman arrives at Gotham hospital too late and takes on Karlo while he possesses the abilities of both Payne and Fuller, Looker arrives at the last moment and is somehow able to telekenetically overload Karlo's powers, he involuntarily melts the ground and falls deep into the earth, and the story closes on Fuller and Payne apparently deciding to share their lives together, passionately kissing as they watch the sun rise.
Really enjoyed the Payne and Fuller romance. The rest didn't do much for me. I wasn't sold on Karlo, and I definitely wasn't sold on Looker. In fact, this really didn't feel like a Batman story. It felt like a story in which Batman got caught amidst a bunch of far more powerful people who pretty much worked out the main action of the story without him. Honestly, what did Batman actually DO at any point in this story beyond figure out where Karlo was headed?
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jul 22, 2014 0:45:22 GMT -5
Batman #441
"A Lonely Place of Dying, Chapter Three: Parallel Lines!" writer: Marv Wolfman pencils: Jim Aparo inks: Mike DeCarlo letters: John Costanza colors: Adrienne Roy assoc. editor: Dan Raspler editor: Dennis O'Neil creator: Bob Kane Looker created by: (Just kidding on this one!)
grade: B-
This issue essentially had two goals: draw a creative parallel between Batman and Two Face, and set Tim up to be the next Robin. I don't feel it fully succeeded in either case, though it did have its moments.
First the Two Face parallel. Though only referring to it in passing last issue, this story is essentially a sequel to "Faces," the lead story in Batman Annual #13, in which a post-Jason Batman begins to realize that his battle with his own dark side is beginning to mirror Two Face's. Wolfman really takes that ball and rolls with it in this issue, though I think a casual reader who had missed Annual #13 might have needed a better explanation of why Batman was feeling like Harvey's mirror. It was a fun concept but, while the thoughts and actions of the two men seemed to operate in parallel, I didn't feel that their characterizations matched. Two Face somehow felt more desperate and lost to me than Batman, especially with his dependence upon the coin (I was disappointed to see this aspect of his MO return this issue) and his desperate need for approval from his subconscious (as projected through the radio). Batman was doubting himself, but he wasn't dependent upon anyone.
Then there's the whole Tim Drake thing. We finally do get his full name this issue and confirm that he was the young boy from Year 3, and we get tons more Gary Stu action as Tim is admitted into Dick and Alfred's world with the embarrassed look of a fanboy tourist who can't shut up about how awesome he thinks everything is. His explanation for deducing Bruce and Dick's identities makes sense, but he has to preface it with an overly long and unnecessary backstory about how he felt when Dick's parents died (as if it had been his tragedy) and then starts randomly advertising his own skill set to Dick:
Heck, I used to fantasize what it would be like to BE Robin. I study hard. I get mostly A's. I work out. I'm no circus acrobat, but I'm pretty good, I guess.
Gary...Stu.
That Dick randomly decides to make him Robin (without Bruce's consent) seems so hasty as to be unbelievable, but of course Gary Stu must be given an opportunity to play the hero!
Minor details:
Wolfman screws up the timeline a little again. Tim is 13, confirming my belief that he was 2 in Year Three (11 years ago, as established by Marv), but he then explains that he was 9 when he saw Robin on TV and figured out it was Dick. Batman #408 clearly established that Dick was only Robin for 6 years, so he should have been retired 7 years after his parents died. I suppose you could argue that it was six months after his parents died that Dick became Robin (established in this issue) and that Tim may have been 2 and a half at the time, but then Tim would be witnessing one of the final Batman and Robin teamups. You'd think he'd mention that. Also, Dick would have been 19 at this point, but he's described by the reporter as Batman's "young" sidekick.
Tim's mother's joke about thinking his dad was "liberated" as they discuss sexism in the flashback to Year 3 seems to be there for the sake of again clarifying the time range of post-crisis continuity. 11 years ago would have been 1978, the post ERA era (hey, that's funny). Wolfman is reminding us that Dick didn't become Robin in 1940 anymore because, if he did, then Tim (and, in fact, all of them) would be past middle age by now.
I have an obnoxious enough attention to detail that I'd wondered how Alfred had obtained the picture snapped by Tim's parents in the Year 3 storyline, chalked it up to narrative convenience, but also surmised that they might have mailed it to Dick after his parents died. Amazingly enough, Wolfman goes with that explanation this time around.
Batman has a Batcopter. Looks just like the Super Friends one.
Normally, I love Aparo's pencils, but he doesn't draw children well. Tim looks older than Dick in the flashback on page 11. He also makes Dick look way too much like Bruce on page 16.
Dick calls Tim "Jeff" on page 14. At first, I thought Wolfman was trying to show that Dick had already forgotten his name, but nothing came of it. Seems like an honest error. Was "Jeff" originally supposed to be his name or something?
How can Dick possibly keep his Nightwing costume under his regular clothes? Where does the giant collar go? Wouldn't it crease? And I always wonder how heroes who keep their costumes under their clothes handle going to the bathroom. They must take FOREVER in there getting the spandex off. Do those things even come equipped with flies for going #1?
Should we really be enticed by the cliffhanger, in which Harvey knows exactly what to do to get Batman now? Because neither of his last two plans were even remotely impressive. He is not a serious threat in this storyline at all, and almost doesn't seem to belong in it. Of course, he'll somehow finally trap Batman in the final chapter, and Tim will rush in and save him as Robin. Ho hum.
More than halfway through this story arc, shouldn't it's title begin to make sense by this point? I suppose Batman is LONELY and feels like he's DYING, but c'mon. Is that really all there is to it? At first, I thought this was a line from Sherwood Anderson or Jack London, but apparently not.
the plot synopsis in one ridiculously long sentence:
Two Face and Batman plot to trap each other, both thinking in almost exactly the same way, Dick takes Tim to Wayne Manor, where he recounts the story of who he is and how he knows who they are, Batman and Two Face both set traps for each other at the same time, and both ultimately decide to go to the other's trap, Tim explains some more, Batman saves the hostages from Two Face's trap but Two Face flips his coin and does not allow himself to steal the 22 million dollars from Batman's trap, Tim gets to see the cave and Dick suggests he become Robin, and Batman and Two Face both beat themselves up for failing to capture each other, while Two Face's subconscious lets him in on another plan.
A well written story, but Two Face isn't proving to be a particularly threatening villain, we're not feeling enough of Bruce's internal drama to make this plotline worthwhile, and I could give a damn about Gary Drake.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jul 22, 2014 0:46:59 GMT -5
Does Batman Need a Robin?
As we make our way through "Lonely Place of Dying" and the inevitable emergence of Tim Drake as the third Robin, I think it's important to explore the guiding premise behind these events -- the idea that Batman needs a Robin.
Let's explore this from a number of angles:
1. History
Ever since the '89 Batman movie (and, perhaps, before that in the O'Neil/Adams era) fans have raised the point that Batman began as a dark solo avenger and Robin was a later imposition upon the character that changed the feel of the title; ergo: Batman does not need a Robin. That's not exactly a misconception, but it is misleading. After all, Robin joined the crusade only 11 issues after Batman started. Prior to Dick Grayson leaving for college in 1969, Batman spent less than one year of his 30 year run as a solo hero. Certainly, fans from the good old days remembered the dynamic duo, not the mysterious solo protagonist.
2. Cultural impact
Also keep in mind that Batman wasn't really on the pop-culture radar prior to Robin joining. It was immediately after Robin signed on that Batman became a part of the cultural zeitgeist (getting his own title, the newspaper strip, the movie serials, the cameo on Superman's radio show, etc.) I don't know if anyone has ever tried to prove or disprove this, but it seems likely that a lot of the initial attraction of Batman that distinguished him from the vast array of other superheroes of the early Golden Age was the fact that he had a boy sidekick with which readers could identity. This would certainly seem supported both by the fact that he rose to such cultural prominence right after Robin's entrance and that so many other heroes picked up boy sidekicks in imitation of him. From a cultural perspective, Batman may have needed Robin in order to attain his first thirty years of notoriety.
3. Bill Finger's rationale
Finger certainly felt that Batman wasn't a sustainable character without Robin. He worried that a figure as solitary as Batman could not continue to effectively move plots forward without giving Batman someone to talk to. In the modern age, we're comfortable with pages and pages of internal narration, but in order for Batman to survive the Golden Age, Finger certainly felt that Batman needed a Robin.
4. The proof is in the pudding: Frank Robbins, Denny O'Neil, Steve Englehart, and Alan Grant
In a darker modern age, writers have since proven that Batman can be dramatically compelling without the distraction of a boy sidekick. Perhaps a man so single-minded in committing his life to vigilantism shouldn't also have to function as some kind of role model to a younger companion. Fans who favor these writers would certainly seems to serve as proof that Batman doesn't need a Robin.
5. The Middle Road: Gerry Conway, Doug Moench, and Mike W. Barr
Gerry Conway may have been the first to argue that Batman needed a Robin. As a solo Batman became increasingly dark and troubled, Dick considered the possibility that his presence had helped to keep Bruce sane for most of his career. Moench continued this line of thinking in allowing Jason Todd to fill that void in Bruce's life -- providing a reason for Bruce not to tip over the edge each night; someone for whom to keep it together. In a sense, having to be a role model ceased to be a needless interference in Batman's world and instead became a vital tool in keeping him together.
Mike W. Barr gave more attention to this concept in his own post-Crisis run, depicting a generally carefree Batman and Robin who could occasionally and randomly go completely over the line, seething uncontrolled rage that seemed to come out of nowhere. He ultimately worked hard to suggest that Bruce and Jason were both driven by dark rage, but kept each other sane through a facade of light-hearted fun. The significance of this is that it allowed Batman both to be tremendously dark/conflicted and fun/lighthearted at the same time. I felt this was an incredibly successful approach to the character that opened the doorway for Batman, allowing him to be explored in any number of ways, no longer limited either to dark brooding or lighthearted simplicity. This Batman certainly needed a Robin.
6. Post-Death in the Family
Jim Starlin was very explicit about the fact that he didn't understand how a character like Batman could ever work with a boy sidekick, and he tried to prove the flaw in the boy-sidekick logic by killing Jason off in "A Death in the Family." Batman's grief in reaction to the death, the sheer guilt he experienced for endangering a minor's life made it perfectly understandable why Batman should never have a Robin and probably never would have one again. How selfish to endanger a minor's life for the sake of keeping your own inner demons in check?
7. Commercial pressures at Warner
Unfortunately for Starlin, Warner Communications' merchandizing department absolutely felt that Batman needed a Robin because Robin was integral to the brand name. So, regardless of issues of logic, of characterization, of tone, or of any other artistic concern, issues of profit led to the plan for introducing a third Robin.
8. Tim Drake's logic
Tim's logic in "A Lonely Place of Dying" is that Batman has become dark and restless because he no longer has a Robin, and so giving him a Robin will make him act normal again. I can only assume writer Marv Wolfman and editor Denny O'Neil agreed with this logic since Dick Grayson and Alfred both did, Dick even going so far as to suggest that Tim should be that Robin. But this logic doesn't make any sense. The Batman of these issues hadn't gone over the line because he didn't have a Robin; he'd gone over the line out of rage and grief for losing the previous Robin. Why in the world would giving him another underage liability to worry about make him better? Worse yet, we must consider...
9. Issues of teen liability: Tim Drake vs. Jason Todd vs. Dick Grayson
The choice of Dick as the first Robin almost made sense. The kid was now an orphan with nowhere else to go AND he was already an experienced gymnist who wouldn't require much training to stay alive in the field. The pre-Crisis Jason worked in the same way, and in, the post-Crisis, Max Allen Collins' entire logic in making Jason a ghetto thug seemed to be in showing that he was in greater physical and emotional danger without Batman. Therefore, choosing him as a partner might actually increase the kid's chances of making it through life alive and well-adjusted.
But then there's Tim Drake -- not an orphan, in no danger without Batman's help, happy, well-adjusted, and with a caring family waiting at home for him. Of all the Robin's before or after, Tim Drake made the absolute least sense as a partner, especially in the wake of Batman beating himself up over his responsibility in what had happened to Jason.
IN CONCLUSION:
So, does Batman need a Robin? There's no simple answer. It can easily be argued either way, though anytime Batman ever goes solo in the future, writers and heads of merchandizing departments will never be able to resist the temptation to give Batman yet another Robin sidekick.
But, more importantly to this thread, the post-Jason Todd Batman might have needed a Robin (nodding back to how Conway, Moench, and Barr had depicted the character), but that wasn't why he was unstable, having another kid sidekick to worry about should have caused him to become even less stable, and having a kid sidekick with everything going for him in life was probably the absolute last thing Batman needed post-Jason Todd.
Tim was added because Warner's merchandizing department said Batman needed a Robin. There's no other logic for making him Robin that holds any weight. Starlin did too good of a job destroying the logic of kid sidekicks with "A Death in the Family."
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jul 22, 2014 0:59:27 GMT -5
New Titans #61
"A Lonely Place of Dying, Part Four: Going Home!" writer: Marv Wolfman co-plotter and layouts: George Perez finished pencils: Tom Grummett embellisher: Bob McLeod letters: John Costanza colors: Adrienne Roy assoc. editor: Jonathan Peterson editor: Mike Carlin
grade: C+
Wolfman gets it...kinda'.
Seems like much of the purpose of this issue is to backtrack a bit on Tim Drake, who was definitely being imposed upon the reader like a sledgehammer. This time around, Wolfman dials it back a few notches, beginning with replaying that final scene in the Batcave from the previous chapter. This time, Tim's approach to reuniting Bruce and Dick feels like more of a presumptuous imposition, and Dick responds as such, getting angry and storming off, leaving Tim in tears. Even Alfred later rebuffs some of Tim's inquiries, observing that he asks "too many personal questions," though ultimately giving in and answering them. Likewise, the story is still giving in to Tim and his inevitable editorially-mandated destiny to become the next Robin, but the path feels a little more resistant and realistic this time. Most of the issue isn't spent on Tim at all, and by the end of this chapter, it looks like Tim will first don the Robin costume of necessity and not because Dick or Alfred necessarily thought it was a good idea for him to become Robin otherwise. I only wish Wolfman could give Tim some better characterization and not present him as such an obvious Gary Stu. Still, this dialing back a bit on everything coming up Tim was a nice move.
I like Alfred's observation that Batman is, "almost as obsessive about family as he is about preventing crime." It makes sense, and I think it works throughout all of Batman's history, regardless of who was writing him at the time. Even the later anti-hero Batman that we're first glimpsing here shows a reluctant need for his extended Bat Family.
Beyond that, all I've got for this issue are minor details:
- Does anyone else understand how the heck the coded message left by the Titans' new mysterious antagonist (Danny Chase?) led to Jericho uncovering an encoded Batman mini disc? One seems entirely unrelated to the other. Besides the question of why the bad guy would have Batman's message, there's the fact that the mini disc is a physical item; you don't download or decrypt a custom designed data disc.
- Why the hell does Joey sign out the individual letters of Dick and Raven's names? Does Wolfman know any actual deaf people? They create custom signs to represent the people closest to them. I'd imagine the Titans would qualify in Joey's world. Besides, with superheroes, time is often in short supply. It takes Joey four times longer to sign out Dick and Raven's names than it should (2 signs as opposed to 8).
- Joey knows about the data disc format from having been in Dick's body briefly in the past. That's a pretty arbitrary piece of information to have gleaned. What else does Joey know about Dick and Bruce? Isn't he going to turn evil in a year or two? Somehow, I doubt the writer of those later issues will consider this fact when writing them.
- Dick makes calls while sitting in an alleyway? He needed to rest that badly? If four muggers suddenly turned the corner, what the heck would he do?
- Why does Bruce decide he needs Dick's help in taking down Two face? Maybe he's worried about his ability to make sound decisions at this point? I hope they explain this next issue.
- Wolfman describes Batman's mind as "racing with possibilities. His eyes take in everything, missing nothing," while Dick will comment in the very next panel that "...Batman's acting like a bull in a china shop...and he's barely paying attention to the danger." These two viewpoints do not jibe. Is Wolfman attempting to suggest that Dick has Bruce pegged wrong?
- Seriously, how long would it take Two Face to furnish an entire house upside down, and where'd he find the skilled labor to pull it off? This isn't the 1950s anymore, Marv. We're going for more realism in comics now.
- What's up with Batman's nose on page 18?
- Nothing about Two Face's logic makes any sense to me in this issue, even while Batman and Nightwing appear to get it just fine. Why use the number IV when his MO is the number 2? WHY make the basement the second floor? None of it adds up, but our heroes seem to disagree.
-The art on page 22 really confuses me. The explosion appears to be occurring in two different places, not in one location as shown from two different perspectives. Nightwing is in the basement, and the center of the explosion appears to be nowhere near the ceiling, yet Batman's on the first floor and apparently directly above the center of the explosion. Had the panels been reversed, one could suspect that the explosion grew between panels, but we see Batman's perspective first.
the plot synopsis in one ridiculously long sentence:
Tim asks Dick to become Robin again for Batman's sake, he refuses and storms off to help Batman as Nightwing, some anonymous antagonist contacts Titans tower and leaves an encoded message, this somehow leads to Joey discovering a data disc created by Batman for Nightwing, Raven interrupts Nightwing and Gordan discussing Batman's behavior and gives the disc to Nightwing, the disc contains all the clues that Two Face left Batman but none of the answers, Dick deduces that Batman is testing him to see how fast he'll decipher them, Tim and Alfred talk about the fighting between Bruce and Dick, Nightwing finds Batman, Batman asks for help with Two Face, Batman storms Two Face's hideout before Nightwing can stop him, Nightwing enters through the basement, Two Face shows up and activates a bomb, Alfred realizes Nightwing's locator signal has terminated abruptly, and Tim seems ready to run to the rescue as the camera zooms in on the Robin costume.
Not a great issue, and there were lots of minor issues, but Marv wrote Dick incredibly well (he almost aways does), and I appreciate his dialing back on Tim a bit.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jul 22, 2014 1:01:22 GMT -5
Detective Comics #608 "Anarky in Gotham City" writer: Alan Grant pencils: Norm Breyfogle inks: Steve Mitchell letters: Todd Klein colors: Adrienne Roy assoc. editor: Dan Raspler editor: Denny O'Neil creator: Bob Kane grade: A- Ah, now this feels like a Grant/Breyfogle story (whereas the previous Mud Pack storyline felt a bit out of character and imposed). This first in a two part storyline is densely plotted and rich in ideas, information presented, and (of course) visuals. It was particularly fun to read this knowing how it ends. Breyfogle is always so careful to show Anarky's head facing perfectly forward, never tilting or turning (if you've never read this story before, trust me -- this matters), and Grant and Breyfogle serve up some massive misdirection on who Anarky is when we meet the Machin family for the first time. As for Anarky himself, I still don't understand this character after all these years. When I read this comic as a 9 year old, it was my first introduction to the concept of anarchy, and so I walked away believing it was a kind of extreme democracy in which the people's vote is what matters. In hindsight, Anarky is actually more of a fascist, enforcing morality in accordance with his own definitions and answering to no one. But Anarky as an anarchist? I don't see it. The costume is a clear theft of V For Vendetta (with a slight Amadeus twist), and yet V was fighting a totalitarian regime. Anarky, on the other hand, seems furious that the government is too weak-willed in dealing with people who should be punished. That's kind of the exact opposite of what V stood for. Anarky seems to believe in a democracy in which all voices are heard, and the punishment for those who defy them is extreme. And, by the way, when are letters to the editor ever the voice of the people? They generally reflect the most extreme outlying perspectives on a given issue. What would Anarky do if the publisher printed two letters that disagreed with one another, or that defied his own particular take on morality? Still, I really like Anarky, particularly in the distinct voices Grant gives to him (that's always Grant's greatest strength), giving him an eloquent V-for-Vendetta-like voice, and yet betraying that voice with the familiarity of a fanboy teen upon accidentally running into Johnny Vomit at first. Subtle and brilliant. At this point, it's appropriate to share this quote from Chad that he provided earlier on in this thread: Though your reviews haven't yet gotten around to this character yet - Alan Grant introduced Anarky with the hope that he would become the third Robin. He wasn't aware of course, that plans were already underway for a different direction. I still find this fascinating and would have loved to see DC try it. I envision another Jason Todd with a more focused defiance who would force Batman to weigh the ethics of his decisions a lot more extensively. Of course, Warner Bros. never would have gone for it. The minor details: - My favorite Breyfogle panel of the issue -- the proud writer of the letter to the editor on page 14. So adorable. Seeing how likeable and sweet she is almost makes you sympathize with Anarky. Then you realize his crusade makes absolutely no sense. Really, it's not even the violence he uses that I find objectionable. He's still not killing. - Of course, Batman driving the batmobile on page 17 is pretty darn sweet too. - More on the Anarky identity misdirection (don't read this if you want to be surprised). I absolutely love that Grant and Breyfogle make you suspect Lonnie first on page 18 and THEN shift focus to his dad. So much more crafty than never making you suspect him at all. -This randomly makes me wonder when the first time was in comics that we were left to wonder about the identity of a costumed character until the end of a story. Clearly, Batman's identity in Detective #27 was unknown until the final page, but it wasn't a mystery that we were baited with and left to guess at. The earliest example I can think of in which the reader was specifically enticed to guess at a character's identity until the end would be Powerman in World's Finest #229. -Grant seems either to be getting piecemeal information from O'Neil about what's happening in the other title or is trying to clear things up in anticipation for making Anarky the next Robin when he has Bruce say: "I know, I know -- my own methods aren't always legal, either. But there IS a difference, Alfred...I only use violence when it's absolutely necessary, not as a form of punishment...not lately, anyway"(my own bolding) Bruce has not yet clearly worked out this stuff over at the other Batman title. - Alfred prepares a summary of the major news events for Bruce each morning. Darn good idea. - In the letters column, a fan points out that, before entering the business, Norm Breyfogle entered a drawing into a contest to design a new Robin costume, and that drawing was published in the back of Batman Family #13. Wish I owned the issue. - Also in the letters column, Dan Raspler (or whoever writes the responses) talks about the upcoming Legends of the Dark Knight #1 and says, "it should bring a new definition to the word "collector's item." And, indeed, it did. That new definition was "over-hyped, and still worthless twenty years later." The plot synopsis in one ridiculously long sentence: We are given a letters to the editor page from the Gotham Gazette with one writer complaining about a heavy metal club making too much noise for residents and another writer complaining about a factory polluting the Gotham River, we see Batman at the metal club, busting a drug dealer who is also the opening act, as the dealer escapes, he runs into Anarky, who electro shocks him into a coma with his staff and sprays "I deal drugs. I kill kids" on the wall above him along with the anarchy symbol, and leaves a clipping from the Gotham Gazette letters to the editor page at the scene, Batman puts two and two together and checks out the writer of the column, a nice old lady who offers no leads, Anarky meditates upon the evils of the current government and the need to heed the peoples' voices, he next goes after the CEO of the company polluting Gotham River, Batman returns home in parallel to Lonnie Machin returning from his paper route, followed by his father, Mike Machin, who complains of having had a restless night. A video is then played on the news, made by Anarky as he dunked the CEO's head into a pale of toxic sludge from his factory, poisoning and nearly killing him, Bruce and Alfred then debate Anarky's ethics and how similar/different they are to Batman's, and Batman reads the next day's Letters to the Editor page, planning a trap for Anarky. Awesome issue overall, even if Anarky's ideology still thoroughly escapes me. Granted, he's only a kid, but I didn't even understand his thinking when I was a kid.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jul 22, 2014 1:02:45 GMT -5
Legends of the Dark Knight #1 "Shaman, Book One" writer: Dennis O'Neil pencils: Edward Hannigan inks: John Beatty letters: John Costanza colors: Richmond Lewis asst. editor: Kevin Dooley editor: Andrew Helfer Batman created by Bob Kane Special thanks to Carol Goldberg grade: D Before discussing the story itself, I think it's worthwhile to reflect on the creation of this new series in general. Undoubtedly, the primary drive in creating a third Batman title was to make more money. As O'Neil observed in an earlier letters column, sales on Batman titles had indeed gone sky high since the release of the film, creating enough demand to release a third Batman title. Now this is good news to a degree, but it's also sad news when you consider that the storylines that these new fans were eating up, the ones that they were demanding more of, were the thoroughly unimpressive and disorganized "Year 3", the forgettable and also disorganized "Tulpa," the Gary Stu Robin launch-vehicle "Lonely Place of Dying," and the uneven "Mud Pack". Of course, these fans were also picking up Year One, DKR, and The Killing Joke via trade paperback, but even still, we're at that critical tipping point where the fan base driving Batman sales was no longer one that knew anything about the true potential of the Batman franchise and its real, non-hyped high points. Englehart, Wein, Conway, Moench, and Bar, would be wiped away from collective memory, their contributions lost in favor of the new. But enough of the soap box. I suppose where I owe O'Neil credit is in making the purpose of this book so thoroughly different from that of the other two. Right from the start, O'Neil makes it clear on the inside of the outside cover (wow. That's not confusing) that this title will "present separate stories by different creative teams; the best talent in our industry will use BATMAN: LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT to tell stories that (like the five issue "Shaman") stand alone...". Of course, as cool an idea as it was at the time, like so much else that O'Neil did, this pretty much set the tone for the industry for years after, ultimately resulting in high profile writers on five issue story arcs in virtually every title who arrive and leave with no respect for internal continuity and character progression; Just self-contained decompressed story arcs for the trade paperbacks. Anyway, it was a good idea here. And, of course, another bad idea O'Neil starts with this issue -- multiple covers. I'm at least glad the double cover idea didn't stick, as it seemed quite stupid and probably costly, but I remember seeing dealers selling sets of all four covers of LoTK #1 when it first came out and thinking "Why? Who needs that?". Unfortunately, it stuck for a while, and even Spidey #1 was making millions just by presenting the cover in different colors (although, to be fair, they were sparkly metallic covers ). Another interesting point. O'Neil continues his quote from above by saying: ...to tell stories that (like the five issue "Shaman") stand alone, outside the regular continuity of BATMAN and DETECTIVE COMICS"(my bolds). Did O'Neil just mean that LoTDK isn't part of the modern day events of those titles, or did he actually mean to suggest that these stories would not and could not apply to continuity? Finally, just who was the intended audience for this book? I'm assuming most of the new readers flocking to the Batman titles were kids (and O'Neil seemed to think as much in his notes to new readers in the letters columns), and he even states in the intro to this issue that "All in all, BATMAN: LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT is a very innovative and important book. It's the perfect way to start reading comics," but this is not a kid's comic. It's darker, more thematically and intellectually mature, and it presents far more internal narration than action. When I picked up LoTDK as a nine year old, I bought a subscription to it and read it each month because it was BATMAN, but I was constantly frustrated by the book, incensed that the stories were so dense and difficult to read, as well as lacking in action and familiar villains. This probably should have been a Vertigo title. On to the story, itself... "Shaman" is pretty much a perfect embodiment of O'Neil's editorial views and understandings of the Batman Universe. By that I mean that it's dark, it works REALLY hard to align itself with the fanboy favorite Year One (actually attempting to supplement that story), and it has absolutely zero awareness of continuity, screwing things up all over the place. Probably the most important continuity glitch O'Neil makes is more tonal than it is explicitly factual. Bruce returns to Gotham happy. He's actually cracking jokes in Miller's most intense moment from Year One, as he lies dying, no longer thinking of and apologizing to his deceased father, with the bat crashing through the window. I'm no fan of Miller's take on Batman, but O'Neil just pissed all over it by making this a semi-light hearted moment. Then, of course, O'Neil has Alfred design the Bat costume, which completely defies the moment in Year One and in Batman Annual #13 in which he shows it to Alfred for the first time and Alfred is startled by it. Beyond that, there's just a lot that doesn't make sense in this issue: 1. Bruce failed to receive training from the tracker/bounty hunter he was seeking out (Willy Doggett died before Bruce could watch him work) AND learned that he's still inexperienced and can easily get himself killed, yet he returns to Gotham right after this experience to begin his war on crime. In what way is he feeling ready at this point? 2. Bruce is unable to believe that the Shaman cured him without modern medicine and antibiotics, yet he's completed his training at this point, meaning that he's already well immersed in Eastern philosophy and martial arts training, including his experiences under Tsunetomo, who taught him to alter his body functions and sense of time through meditation. Someone with that kind of experience would scoff at the healing abilities of a tribal medicine man? 3. Bruce is barely aware of what's happening while he's feverish, yet he explicitly recalls every word and details of the Bat story. 4. The Bat story makes no sense. The bat grew wings of its own volition, and yet the Raven permits the bat to keep the wings. Huh? 5. Bruce appears to have absolutely no connection with the Native American woman beyond receiving information from her about her shaman grandfather, and yet he asks her to come back to Gotham with her. Did I miss a romantic connection somewhere? There are still things I like about this story. Hannigan and Beatty do a very nice job with Bruce on his first night out as Batman, and I respect that O'Neil tried to bring the now virtually forgotten Leslie Thompson back into Bruce's world with this story. All in all, though, this felt like a sad cash-in on the success and reputation of Year One, as well as a sloppy attempt to add a few signature O'Neil twists into Batman canon for posterity that definitely didn't need to be there (Bruce's new inspiration for becoming Batman, the new origin of the "criminals are superstitious and cowardly lot" phrase). And seriously, O'Neil couldn't edit this book himself? The minor details: 1. Willy Doggett is an expert bounty hunter and tracker that Bruce sought out as part of his training, but he doesn't make the list of people who trained Bruce because he is killed before Bruce gets to watch him in action and learn from him. 2. I completely forgot that the Superman Archives were launched at this point. Hard to believe the DC Archive Editions have been around since 1989! The plot synopsis in one ridiculously long sentence: Bruce is pursuing a killer on a mountain in Alaska with a potential trainer, the trainer and killer are killed in an altercation, and Bruce loses all his equipment, left to freeze to death on the mountain, he is found by and cared for a group of Native Americans and told the story of the bat by their shaman, curing him of his wounds and illness, Bruce returns to Gotham, his first night out from Year One is briefly, replayed, including a drastic rewrite of the moment he decides to become Batman, he decides to meet with a Dr. Madison Spurlock about her request for the Wayne Foundation to fund his research of "Indians of Northern Alaska," he goes out as Batman for the first time and saves Leslie Thompson and a pregnant Native American patient from a band of thugs, the patient sees Batman, calls him "Chubala," and stabs herself to death. I did enjoy the tone of this story. Mazzucchelli really gave a distinct feel to Batman's early days that Hannigan and Beatty emulate well here, but O'Neil's script is just plain stupid and badly researched in regard to continuity happening in his own damn Bat Office. I really expected to respect O'Neil a little better after reading this, and I had the opposite reaction.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jul 22, 2014 1:04:09 GMT -5
Batman #442
“A Lonely Place of Dying, Chapter 5: Rebirth” writer: Marv Wolfman co-plotter: George Perez pencils: Jim Aparo inks: Mike DeCarlo letters: John Costanza colors: Adrienne Roy assoc. editor: Dan Raspler editor: Denny O’Neil creator: Bob Kane
grade: B+
It seems to me that Marv Wolfman had to write this issue for two distinct audiences – new/young fans who expected to see Tim become Robin and were excited, and old veteran fans who expected to see Tim become Robin and were skeptical. Marv does his best to write to both audiences in this final installment.
For the young fans, Tim gets to put on the costume, save the day, and fight side by side with Batman and Nightwing.
For the older fans, Tim doesn’t get a definitive “Yes, you can be Robin” by the end of the issue, instead understanding that he will have to prove himself over time and actually earn the role. Wolfman is finally and clearly backing off from the Gary Stu approach to Tim in this issue. And while, in the letters column, O’Neil declares that Tim is, indeed, the third Robin with no subtlety nor tact, Wolfman goes far further to make Tim palatable to wary fans in this issue.
For one thing, it’s solely Tim’s idea to become Robin, with Alfred second guessing himself as he drives Tim to Two Face’s hideout. We’ve come a long way from the previous issue, in which Alfred and Nightwing were clearly pushing Tim (whom they had just met) to take on the role.
For another, Tim nearly gets his butt kicked in his first battle with Two Face, and even then, he’s careful to explain the physical training and karate he’d taken to enable him to somewhat hold his own in battle. Incidentally, I love how Tim pulled out the brick to protect himself from Two Face’s crowbar. While he lacks the innate ability and lifelong training of Dick Grayson, he clearly distinguishes himself by being the smartest of the Robins.
For another still, he has the guts to tell Batman to his face that he’s become reckless without a Robin, not depending upon Alfred or Dick to do his explaining for him.
Then, finally, we’re given this dialogue that seems to run through all the objections to, and rationales for, Batman having another Robin:
Tim: You need someone to make you slow down just a bit and wonder what could happen. I mean, how many times have you been hurt these past months?
Batman: So, for my sake, I should put some child in danger?
Tim: No, that’s not it---
Batman: This ISN’T a discussion.
Tim: Then if not for you – for those criminals you hunt down. You want them to think they can get away with murder? Batman, if they think they can KILL someone like Robin – who are they going to hunt down next? I don’t know why you decided to wear that costume <Really? He knows everything else about Bruce and Dick. He couldn’t trace it all back to Bruce’s parents being killed??> -- but it makes you a symbol. Just as Robin was a symbol. Or Superman, or Nightwing, or the policeman who wears his uniform. And this isn’t just a symbol of the law. It’s a symbol of Justice. When one policeman is killed, others take his place because Justice can’t be stopped. And Batman needs a Robin. No matter what he thinks he wants.
The symbol angle is a new twist, and it’s the one that ultimately wins Bruce over. Of course, it’s not an airtight logic (I’d imagine the real Batman would have countered the policeman example with: “So I should just keep lining up kids in domino masks and watching them die for the sake of preserving a symbol?”), but it’s probably the best rationale any writer could provide for Bruce taking on a new Robin.
Of course, there are the concerns Batman didn’t raise – the fact that Tim has a family and a stable homelife and doesn’t NEED this the way Dick and Jason did, as well as the more important white elephant – the fact that Jason just died doing this. While mentioned earlier, it’s completely ignored here. Tim certainly doesn’t seem as though he’s really considered the risk here, simply playing out a fantasy in order to help out his hero.
Still, it’s the best we’re going to get beyond “I need a new Robin cuz Warner Bros. said so.”
Chronology/continuity issues:
According to Two Face, Robin’s been “hiding for months now,” implying Jason’s death occurred several months ago. If we’re to take Two Face at his word and assume that Jason didn’t go off the radar prior to his death (I’d think the killing of Felipe in the two issues just prior to A Death in the Family must have generated some buzz), then Marv has screwed up again. Dick states in Year 3 that Jason has only been dead for a few weeks, Year 3 took place over a matter of days (three, if I’m not mistaken) and Lonely Place of Dying takes place almost immediately after Year 3.
Also, in the letters column, O’Neil states both that Dark Knight Returns takes place 20 years in the future AND verifies my argument that it is no longer the actual future of this continuity since Batman did not take the path described in DKR (retiring) after Jason died.
The minor details:
Marv seems to have a shaky and ever-changing grasp of Two Face. This time around, he has Two Face explain that the coin provides a sense of systematic procedure, preventing things from falling to chance. Virtually every other writer to tackle Harvey has seemed to approach him from the perspective that he views chance AS the ultimate system of logic and justice – the one thing all else bows to.
He also makes Harvey pretty unthreatening. I mean, the relatively untrained Tim shouts at him from ten feet away, runs up to him, punches him in the face, and initially captures him by doing this. Seriously – all the kid’s done is work out and take karate.
I also enjoyed Two Face saying, “Without procedure there is ANARCHY.” If only this reference had been intentional…
Another missed connection to other Batman titles – all this talk of symbols, and yet the exploration of the Bat symbol in Legends of the Dark Knight seems so far removed from the concept of a brightly colored sidekick. I wish O’Neil had somehow left some room in that story for us to accept the idea that the symbol of the Bat might one day work in conjunction with some other symbol that balances it (Ravens aren’t THAT far removed from Robins…)
Tim claims in this issue that he never wanted to be Robin but is doing so for Batman’s sake. I get that this is another attempt by Wolfman to make him less of a Gary Stu, but I don’t buy it. Any kid who has idolized Batman from youth has dreamt of being Robin.
Aparo’s art is really off in this issue, especially Alfred’s face on page 7. I seriously had to go back to the first page to make sure it was actually Aparo drawing.
Nice (and surprisingly subtle) touch having Tim narrowly avoid being beaten with a crow bar and then blown up with dynamite.
So Bruce Wayne’s butler runs out to save Tim from Two Face, Two Face is clearly eavesdropping when Alfred calls him “Tim,” and Tim refers to saving “Bruce and Dick” in the very next frame. How does an arch villain not store this info away and look into it later?
I always love when, after years of surviving impossible situations, Batman finally gets himself into a trap he can’t escape from just in time for a sidekick to make their debut. Last time we saw this was when Nocturna flirted with being a superhero way back in the Doug Moench days and had to rescue Batman and Robin from near-death (and, as much as that’s my favorite Batman run of all time, Nocturna as a superhero was a TERRIBLE idea).
When Tim tells Bruce he’s like to come and learn from him, Wolfman missed a valuable opportunity. It would have been so great to have Tim use a line that was reminiscent of Bruce seeking out Harvey Harris as a young unwanted apprentice in the recently published Detective Annual #2. It would have been cool for Bruce to see something of himself in Tim as a primary reason for his taking him on. After all, Tim seems to be capable of Batman’s level of intellect and passion to expand his knowledge.
Is it just me, or does Nightwing seem so much cooler as the “older brother” when a Robin is around?
Wolfman completely abandoned the parallel he’d been weaving between Bruce and Harvey in this final chapter. Sure, company will help Bruce keep himself sane, but at least acknowledge this somewhere in the issue! Two Face was a big enough deal to be Bruce’s foil in the other chapters of this story, but now he’s nothing more than a joke in this one.
I’m assuming the “Joker” we see a cameo of at the end is the imposter Joker that will soon be turning up in the title. I do love how much fun DC has had teasing us with Joker’s return, first in the Secret Origins Special, then in making us think Harvey was The Joker in Batman #440, and now this. GREAT misdirection, incidentally, as the voice he heard in #400 WAS the Joker – we just thought it was Harvey’s internal dialogue.
The plot synopsis in one ridiculously long sentence:
Tim worries that Bruce and Dick haven’t come back so he decides to save them as Robin, Alfred reluctantly assists him, he confronts Two Face and is narrowly saved from Jason’s fate (crowbar and dynamite) by Alfred, Tim rescues Bruce and Dick, Bruce is understandably skeptical about Tim wearing the Robin costume, but Tim makes his case and had the foresight to plant a tracker on Two Face, so Bruce allows him to tag along for the moment, he proves himself again by thinking quickly when Two Face uses a wrecking ball to knock a pile of cars in a junkyard onto the Batmobile, Bruce and Dick easily stop Two Face, back at the mansion Bruce agrees to give Tim a chance to prove himself (no clear commitment to make him a Robin), and we discover it was the Joker manipulating Two Face through that radio (or was it?)
Look, creating Tim Drake and making him a third Robin was a TERRIBLE idea, but it was also an inevitability, and I feel Wolfman finally did his best in this issue to make that inevitability work. The Gary Stu aspect of Tim is finally gone, though he’s still just a little too perfect, and I truly respect Wolfman not allowing Tim to become Robin right away. This made me furious as a kid reading this issue, and I’m sure it didn’t please Warner Bros. that much either, but it was the right call for the more mature reading audience. No way Bruce would jump right into something like this so quickly.
If only Wolfman hadn’t suddenly turned Two Face into such a joke this issue. We always knew he wasn’t the real heart of this story, but suddenly diminishing the threat he poses and treating him like a secondary problem in order give more attention to Tim was just insulting, as well as a clear example of poor internal consistency.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jul 22, 2014 1:11:25 GMT -5
Detective Comics #609
"Anarky in Gotham City, Part 2: Facts about Bats" writer: Alan Grant pencils: Norm Breyfogle inks: Steve Mitchell letters: Todd Klein colors: Adrienne Roy asst. editor: Dan Raspler editor: Denny O'Neil creator: Bob Kane
grade: B-
While I definitely did not have enough appreciation for Grant and Breyfogle as a kid, I apparently over-romanticized this issue in particular. I think it was simply the idea that a KID, someone my age, could be a major Batman antagonist. I'd always dreamed of being Robin, a sidekick, but a full-blown villain managing to make Batman judge him on his ideals and abilities rather than his age...wow. Somehow, it just wasn't as potent when I read it again, though. I think I projected too much into it as a kid. This time, it just comes off as a clever twist, and Anarky's final stunt feels juvenile, robbing him of the legitimacy he'd earned as an adult-level antagonist over the course of two issues.
Beyond that and the clever misdirection maintained throughout this issue (though checkout the first panel on page 11 -- Anarky clearly turns his head and looks up with it), not much else seemed worth noting. I did like the addition of "legs," the homeless Vietnam veteran amputee in a wagon, if only because you don't expect to see that level of reality in a comic of the time period. I remember being shocked by his presence at the time. In hindsight, he's actually a bit of a stereotype.
Of course, for those that missed it, Grant had originally envisioned Anarky as potentially becoming the next Robin (no one bothered to tell him there were already other plans in place), so I enjoyed his final discussion with Gordon in which the commissioner suspects Batman's considering such a thing. Odd, though, that Grant has Gordon speak familiarly about the Robin vacancy with Batman. That's certainly been a taboo topic up to this point and, if we're following Wolfman's timeline(s), Jason was gone for, at most, two months before Bruce lined Tim Drake up for the job. Whenever this story occurs (and it could occur at the same time, explaining why Batman tells Gordon he's not considering it), it's definitely too soon to be taking Jason's absence lightly.
The plot synopsis in one ridiculously long sentence:
Bruce goes to a construction site where a bank is being built upon land the homeless were living on, expecting Anarky to strike since there was a letter to the editor about it, the dedication plaque is defaced with the Anarky symbol, but it proves to be the work of homeless activists inspired by Anarky, we see Lonnie again, and it's a relatively pointless scene in which he declines to go to a friend's house but then agrees, Anarky researches and studies Batman in anticipation of encountering him, Mike (Lonnie's dad) is staring at the Anarky symbol on his work computer and seems conflicted about something, Batman and Gordon/the Gotham PD divide to stake out two potential targets for Anarky, instead Anarky attacks the building site for the bank from the beginning of the issue, he inspires the displaced homeless to follow him, Batman intervenes, the homeless protect Anarky, Batman ultimately tracks Anarky to Mike's workplace where Mike confesses and begs for Batman to take him in, but Batman opens the closet and Anarky is revealed to be young Lonnie, wearing wiring and a false head to make him look like an adult, he appears to faint but spraypaints his symbol on Batman's cloak, Batman and Gordon discuss how Batman admires his efforts and denies considering making Lonnie into the next Robin.
Not a bad issue, but I'm disappointed by how much better I remembered it being.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jul 22, 2014 1:12:24 GMT -5
Legends of the Dark Knight #2
"Shaman, Book Two" writer: Dennis O'Neil pencils: Edward Hannigan inks: John Beatty letters: John Costanza colors: Richmond Lewis asst. editor: Kevin Dooley editor: Andrew Helfer Batman created by Bob Kane
grade: B
I have to admit that I'm starting to enjoy this story, and yet, at the same time, I absolutely see what O'Neil is trying to do with this story, and it annoys me. So I'm pretty much going to have to compartmentalize my feelings on this issue.
First, the good. This issue is beautiful. It holds back for so long as we watch Bruce Wayne, but then explodes into vibrant images and colors as soon as he emerges as Batman and the sky grows dark. Hannigan, Beatty, and Lewis are a force to be reckoned with in this issue, truly legitimizing the power of the prestige format comic book. I've always preferred good old fashioned newsprint, but you just wouldn't...couldn't enjoy these images in the same way using that format. Wow.
Also, while it's totally inconsistent with literally ANY other post-Crisis writer's depiction of Batman (except, possibly, Max Collins), I enjoy Bruce's playfulness and clear good-guy nature in this story. He jokes with Alfred, uses Sunday School scripture to gently put a religious zealot in his place, gently kisses his female companion on the head before refusing her advances, and even invites Alfred into his world as a near-partner, exploring the cave with him and expressing his innermost thoughts without reservation. I like this guy and wish O'Neil had made this characterization of Batman come through in the Post-Crisis. Of course, he was the editor who attempted to shape the entire post-Crisis Batman around Dark Knight Returns because it sold, selling out on Batman in the process. And I guess that leads me to what angers me about this issue...
The bad:
- This is O'Neil's shameless attempt to own the post-Crisis Batman's origin to a greater extent than Miller. First he added his own little twists to the Year One origin in the previous issue (including why Bruce "really" chose to become a bat and introducing this story's conflict in Batman's first night out), and now he's essentially depicting Year 1.5, showing the construction of the Bat Cave, and shamelessly and repeatedly referring back to Year One (and once to DKR) in an attempt to closely align this book with the core fan favorites that are now defining the essential post-Crisis Batman origin story. It's a cheap stunt to boost the importance of, and positive fan response to, this story. In other words, "If you liked Year One and DKR, then you must like this! And then you'll see -- it was ME...ME who contributed the most to the new Batman origin story! Muhwahaha!!!!"
- On page 11, O'Neil tries to imply that Gordon suspects Bruce is Batman, and yet he completely railroaded over Sam Hamm's attempt to do this with "Blind Justice," outright declaring in the letters column that Gordon did not suspect Bruce Wayne was Batman. But now he does...because O'Neil wants to write it that way.
- And, of course, O'Neil inserts his fictional island of Santa Prisca into a Batman story once again. At least he's not forcing Richard Dragon and Lady Shiva down our throats anymore. Oh, wait. The Robin mini-series...
And now the minor details:
- Seriously? Another religious zealot in Gotham? It's only been two years since that horrible Glorious Godfrey/Legends storyline.
- So the name "Lukas Wilson" is suspicious because "Tina Wilson" was the girl who killed herself six months earlier. Surely, two different black people both named Wilson can't be a coincidence.
- Bruce and Alfred discuss putting computers in the Batcave, but Wolfman established that Bruce didn't start using computers in the cave until Year 3.
The plot synopsis in one ridiculously long sentence:
It is now six months later, a human sacrifice cult has moved into Gotham from Santa Prisca and seems to be the source of Gotham's new drug trade, they have some connection to "Chubala," (what the girl who killed herself in the previous issue said), we meet Tobias Micah, a reformed pickpocket turned cult Christian leader, Dr. Spurlock (who Bruce funded to research Alaskan native tribes) has returned with the shaman mask used to cure Bruce, and he shares the story of the bat that Bruce confidentially shared with him on public television, his assistant keeps trying to talk to Bruce but Spurlock keeps them apart, Batman protects a police officer in critical condition after stumbling upon the cult from a bunch of criminals ordered to kill him, Bruce connects one of them to the girl who killed herself six months earlier, he and Alfred start building the Batcave, Batman gets more info from Gordon about the cult coming from Santa Prisca and being involved in the drug trade, and Bruce finally gets around to meeting with Spurlock's assistant only to discover he's been killed.
Loved the art, liked the characterization, want to hurt O'Neil for being O'Neil.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jul 22, 2014 1:15:00 GMT -5
Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth (graphic novel) writer: Grant Morrison art: Dave McKean letters: Gasper Saladino editor: Karen Berger asst. editor: Art Young
grade: B-
I'd never heard of this one until now, and I have no idea how I missed it. Surely it's wildly different and shocking enough to have garnered quite a bit of attention in 1989, and yet I was an eager young Batman fan then, buying all the books as they came out including Gotham by Gaslight (released one month after this), so was I somehow oblivious, or did this one fall far off the radar?
The story itself is both simple and complex. The simple is that Batman enters Arkham Asylum after it's been taken over by the inmates, and the story essentially goes on to revel in madness for madness' sake, shedding light on founder Amadeus Arkham's madness at the same time through flashback. Of course, being written by Grant Morrison, the madness itself is complex, with many repeating themes and symbols running incoherently throughout, including mentions of mirrors, tarot cards, hidden rooms, sexuality and pedophelia, and (of course) bats.
That being said, Morrison seemed to have fun creating his own dark versions of established Batman characters, making little attempt to keep them "in character." Most disturbing of these is Batman himself, who is depicted as thoroughly weak until the very ending of the story, randomly confessing his fears to Gordon at the beginning, fully complying with Joker's demand that he complete a psychiatric exam by confessing his deepest fears about his father and death without any real prompting, and ultimately being nearly strangled to death by a normal, unarmed man until a hostage is forced to kill the man in order to save Batman (a move that Batman actually condones). Yeah, not Batman.
On the flip side, I liked what Grant did with Harvey Dent, having the doctors transfer his fixation from the coin (only two possibilities) to a die (six possibilities) and finally to a tarot deck (78 possibilities) creating the unintended consequence of making Harvey entirely unable to make decisions without debating and weighing possibilities for days on end. He literally defecates while attempting to reach a decision about going to the bathroom in the story.
Morrison also tries to offer some explanation of the Joker being a reflection of the cultural zeitgeist, but you can take that or leave it. It feels like a half-assed explanation that doesn't get any real attention in the book, as if Morrison doesn't actually have much to say about the Joker even though he's the primary antagonist in this story. I think Morrison just needed him because he's supposed to be the face of insanity, or maybe he and Berger figured it would sell more books with the Joker as a primary character.
But, overall, this was a non-sensical romp into madness that attempted to make far more sense than it did. And, with a character at the center who clearly did not resemble the real Batman, it was hard to take this as an insightful critique of the legacy character, either.
As to any long lasting implications this story may have had upon the franchise, we have the following:
1. Though Wein first mentioned that Amadeus Arkham had been insane in the Who's Who entry for Arkham Asylum, this story would have been the first to popularize that concept, as well as arguably the first story to present the idea that Arkham somehow makes its inmates sicker.
2. According to Wikipedia, the successful Arkham Asylum video game is loosely based upon this story, even borrowing specific moments from it.
3. First story to depict The Mad Hatter as having any interest in Lewis Carrol. Prior to this, it was all about the hats (thanks, foxley!)
4. The first story to interpret The Joker as having "super sanity," an idea that has been re-examined several times since (thanks, RedliwNala!).
An interesting tale, but ultimately a forgettable one for me if only because it just isn't Batman.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jul 22, 2014 9:54:12 GMT -5
The Post-movie Batman Industry
In May of 1989, it cost fans exactly $1.50 to keep up with Batman each month. Batman and Detective Comics, his two regular titles, were priced at 75 cents a piece and arrived promptly at comic spinners and local shops each month.
In June of 1989, the Batman movie debuted. At the same time, the Batman comics temporarily went bi-weekly, doubling the expense of keeping up with Batman to $3 a month.
In July, the temporary bi-weekly schedule remained AND cover prices jumped to $1 an issue, essentially raising the monthly cost of keeping up with Batman to $4 a month.
By October, the bi-weekly schedule was gone, but a third Batman title was added, this one produced in prestige format, allowing DC to charge $1.50 per issue. The new permanent cost of keeping up with Batman = $3.50 per month.
In that same month, a stand alone graphic novel (Arkham Asylum) was released, first in costly hardcover and then in the still amazingly pricey $14.99 softcover edition. Only a month later, yet another graphic novel was released (Gotham by Gaslight) at a less expensive $3.95 price.
And, on top of this, there was suddenly a wealth of tpbs reprinting all the recent hot Batman stories (had reprint trades been at all common place before this?), reprinting DKR, Year One, Killing Joke, A Death in the Family, and Blind Justice.
I have to believe the purpose of flooding the market like this was two-fold. The first reason, obviously, was to cash in on the Batman craze. The second only becomes more obvious when you consider the subtle options fans were presented with -- buy the more expensive third Batman title if it isn't in present-day continuity? Buy all 5 cover editions of the same story? Buy Arkham Asylum in hardback or softcover? Buy the $14.95 Arkham Asylum gn or the $3.95 Gotham by Gaslight one? Or buy them all.
It seems to me that DC was testing how much modern fans were willing to spend on Batman. Whereas fans of the generation before would scream if cover prices jumped from 20 to 25 cents, this new breed of fans couldn't seem to get enough of Batman, and DC wanted to know if there was any limit to that demand.
Apparently not.
The graphic novels and tpb reprints continued.
In 1990, DC added the Robin mini-series which, while limited in its run, was succeeded by two more minis and finally an official fourth Batman-related ongoing title.
In 1991, DC added a wealth of new miniseries and trades having Batman cross-over with non-DC properties, including Judge Dredd, Predator, and Dracula.
In 1992, DC dared to add yet a 5th Batman monthly title, Shadow of the Bat. The Batman Adventures title was also launched to appeal to younger audiences.
In 1993, DC added Catwoman as a permanent monthly title, as well as the permanent monthly Robin title to take the place of the yearly minis. That makes 7th monthly Batman and Batman-related titles to keep up with, all while graphic novels, trade paperbacks, and limited series remained prevalent. Add to this yet another jump in cover prices ($1.25) and Batman going bi-weekly once again for the overly hyped Knightfall event.
And, while the Batman Industry kept growing from there, let's stop at 1993 for convenience's sake and take one final snapshot for comparison:
cost to follow Batman per month in May 1989: - Detective Comics #601: $0.75 - Batman #435: $0.75
Total: $1.50 Approx cost to keep up with Batman for a full year: $18
cost to follow Batman per month in May 1993: -Batman #496: $1.25 -Batman #497: $1.25 -Batman Adventures #9: $1.25 -Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #47: $1.75 -Batman: Shadow of the Bat #14: $1.75 -Batman: Shadow of the Bat Annual #1: $3.50 -Detective Comics #662: $1.25 -Detective Comics #663: $1.25 -Showcase '93 (featuring Robin): $1.95
Total: $15.20 Approx. cost to keep up with Batman for a full year: $182
That's more than 10 times the cost of four years earlier! (and this is a few months BEFORE Catwoman and Robin both launch). And, with all that extra cost, were fans truly getting 10x the quality in their storytelling?
Perhaps the larger question is this -- was this simply a case of supply meeting demand, or had it finally evolved into an issue of supply driving demand, as eager fans looking to keep up with Batman felt compelled to purchase the majority of these products, not because they wanted them, but because they didn't want to miss out?
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jul 22, 2014 9:59:33 GMT -5
"Gotham by Gaslight" (Graphic Novel) writer: Brian Augustyn pencils: Mike Mignola inks: P. Craig Russell colors: David Hornung letters: John Workman editor: Mark Waid
grade: A-
Mike Mignola on Batman! We've seen him do the covers, but this was our first chance to see Mignola tackle a full-length Batman story...and they let someone else ink it. Oh well. It still looks good, but it should have looked GREAT.
The premise of this one is simple and fun -- What if Batman had begun his career at the end of the 19th Century, what if Jack the Ripper came to America, and what if the two ended up clashing? The "what if?" concept was a fun one, and it apparently resonated with fans and writers since it became the inspiration for DC's Elseworlds line (and, I believe, was retroactively included in said line).
Augustyn does a pretty solid job, for the most part. The writing has a definite momentum and throws a few expert curves, and he really writes this story as a 19th century Year One, complete with references to Bruce's training and establishing a beginning between Batman and Gordon by the close. In fact, I think this Batman's relationship to Gordon is my favorite yet. He and Bruce are true friends who respect one another, just as was depicted in Detective Comics #27, with Batman being the persona that Gordon has reservations about. Somehow, I like this better than the reverse, though I must admit it doesn't make much sense. The kind of Bruce Wayne Gordon would befriend (the capable detective who is interested in the crimes, but not in pursuing a police career) is too suspicious an alter-ego for Batman.
There are inconsistencies in the book that bother me, though. For one, Augustyn takes minor pains to include some words and phrases from the time period in the narration and dialogue, but this feels forced. It would have been far more compelling to have written the entire work in more authentic dialect that better reflected the terminology of the time period. Also, "Jack" is characterized inconsistently, showing a self-awareness about his crimes in both his postcards and final admission that don't match his limited understandings of his delusions that we see as he commits his killings.
Oh, and "Jack"'s surprise identity was obvious from the fifth page.
Still, this was fun. I understand a sequel ("Master of the Future") was released several years later. I look forward to reading it.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jul 22, 2014 10:00:06 GMT -5
Batman #443
"The Coming of Crimesmith" writer: Marv Wolfman pencils: Jim Aparo inks: Mike DeCarlo letters: John Costanza colors: Adrienne Roy assoc. editor: Dan Raspler editor: Denny O'Neil creator: Bob Kane
grade: A
It's odd going through comics I haven't read since I was a kid. It seems that all the Batman stories I liked best back then (Death in the Family and Year 3 in particular) are very unimpressive to me as an adult, whereas issues I found thoroughly forgettable then seem remarkable to me now. This issue is one of the latter. This minor, non-hyped story following two major Batman "events" has a lot going for it.
For starters, I really like the concept of the Crimesmith. Apparently, he's a post-Crisis resurrection of an Atom Age character who only appeared in World's Finest #68 and then briefly cameoed in Batman #101. Of course, a criminal who uses technology to help other criminals commit crimes makes a lot more sense in a world of computers, and Wolfman certainly makes the guy seem impressive (with Aparo's art assisting nicely). It seems to me that this character should have been the starting point for the modern day Calculator character as opposed to the once ridiculously costumed villain they went with instead. Indeed, this character never reappears after this storyline concludes.
However, what impressed me most about this story was Wolfman's attempt to start building a post-crisis Universe for Batman. Three years into Batman's reboot, there's still almost nothing concrete about his world other than the fact that Jason died and he and Nightwing no longer get along. Even the minor details have shifted or been contradicted by an endless flood of writers not being held to task by their editor. Yet, in this issue, Wolfman starts creating some foundations for Batman's world, beginning by acknowledging the now practically forgotten Blind Justice storyline and the PR nightmare the events of that story inevitably would have created for Wayne Enterprises.
And, speaking of Wayne Enterprises, Wolfman is the first to take an interest in this aspect of Bruce's life since, well, Wolfman. Nine years earlier, he took over the writing of Batman after Len Wein's run and tied up the elaborate storylines Wein had been weaving concerning Wayne Enterprises and its key employees and then threaded it into his own storyline, The Lazarus Affair. We haven't spent any time at Wayne Enteprises since then, with the exception of Bruce's lawyers getting involved when Nocturna attempted to win custody of Jason Todd back during Doug Moench's run and, of course, the brief time we spent at Wayne Enterprises during the Blind Justice Storyline.
Wolfman seizes the opportunity presented by that story to finally present the post-Crisis Wayne Enterprises in a more comprehensive light. Aparo gives the building a nice redesign (I was never a fan of the tree-in-the-middle look), brings back Lucius Fox (yes, this is his first post-Crisis appearance), and replaces secretary Caroline Crowne with "Ellie." While I realize the bulk of Batman's stories should be told across rooftops and alleyways at night, I do hope other writers will follow Wolfman's lead in occasionally finding drama in the power, influence, and responsibility Bruce wields by day.
Minor details:
I suppose my mind is still on profit and greed from my "Post-movie Batman Industry" article, but I couldn't help but notice how much thicker this issue was. Even when you account for the 16 page Lightning Racers insert, the book is still three pages thicker than the previous one: two more pages of ads, and one more page of story.
Last issue, Tim assured us that he'd never wanted to be Robin; he was doing this for Bruce. This issue, he tells Bruce, "Being Robin means too much to me. Whatever it takes, I'll do it."
In the previous two story arcs, Tim had repeatedly referred to the idea that he was only in Gotham for a brief time and would soon have to leave. This issue, Alfred is returning Tim to his private school after training on a consistent basis. Is he driving him hours away, or has this minor detail now been forgotten? Also, just how is Alfred picking Tim up on a regular basis? What explanation is being offered to Tim's school or to Tim's parents?
This is the month in which DC titles suddenly took on the Marvel-style "character boxes" just under the DC logo and issue #. This time around, whichever artist was responsible got a little ahead of himself and drew Batman accompanied by Tim Drake in the classic Robin costume. I remember seeing that drawing on the cover as a 9 year old and assuming it meant that Tim WAS becoming Robin in this issue. No dice. That's still fourteen months away.
The plot synopsis in one ridiculously long sentence:
Batman reminds us that Tim is going to have to spend a lot of time proving himself before he can become Robin or even become emotionally close to Bruce (Bruce has Alfred training him), he decides to hire scientist/celebrity Jeffrey Frasier to help improve the Wayne Foundation's public image in the wake of Blind Justice, Batman breaks up a burglary and is alerted to the fact that someone is orchestrating high tech robberies, Bruce and Lucius work out a deal with Frasier to represent the company (though it's heavily hinted that Frasier will dig deeply and somehow discover Bruce is Batman), a criminal from the first robbery who escaped Batman goes to meet their boss, thus introducing us to the Crimesmith, a high tech villain who plans fool-proof crimes for thugs in exchange for 60% of the profit, Batman busts the next burglary and, upon getting the criminal to confess he works for The Crimesmith, the thug burns from the inside and melts into nothingness.
NICE issue! It's a smaller, well-executed story that provides a nice contrast to O'Neil's major event storylines, and I really like Wolfman taking us back to some elements of the early '80s Batman stories.
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