LITG reports:
"I can now tell you that the new Batman will be designed by Alex Ross and will see Jason Todd under the cowl."
Well, Didio was given the ball, and he went with it. Jason Todd was rumored to be his favorite character, and he (allegedly) made him Batman. He burned through the entire DCU oeuvre, character-by-character, universe-by-universe, and indelibly left his mark.
But isn't that what Grant Morrison has done as well? And isn't that what most writers, given the opportunity and power, would do? Shape the fantasy universe in question in their own image?
True, you have those writers like Kurt Busiek and Mark Waid who try to figure in the "integrity" of past continuity while at the same time adding new elements.
But here is the common scenario I have heard repeated over and over again by comic book writers and editors (and many fans):
"I was growing up and things were at times less-than-ideal, (fill in the blank here). Comic books were a real outlet for me, a place to escape. In particular, I related to (fill in the blank here). I never thought that character had a real break. So I decided that when I grew up, (blank) would be the most popular character. I would fix things."
Another common device is "freezing" one's book in the time period one remembers most fondly. Certainly an author like Brad Meltzer has been accused of this in his "Justice League" run. But again -- Grant Morrison does the same thing.
It's called fan-fiction.
Now, "fan-fiction" isn't necessarily a dirty word. There is a lot of good fan fiction out there. But there is a difference between meticulously creating a new world and new memes and looking backward at when times were good. People like Morrison and Moore do both, at times castigating themselves for their own damned nostalgia.
I see no good reason (thematically) why Jason Todd should be Batman, other than to goose readership and create controversy. But maybe, from a business standpoint, those are good reasons.
Here's the scenario.
"Bruce Wayne To Die." -- this almost certainly gets mainstream press. CNN, Fox News, etc. This creates an interest in reading the comics from beyond the hardcore fanbase. These numbers can be huge. See "Death of Superman."
"Jason Todd is Batman" -- this almost certainly will cause hysteria in comic book circles. And no matter how much people bitch, most will probably check the issues in question out.
Even if this is just a gimmick -- which, given the Bruce Wayne "brand" and the larger interests of Time Warner, is almost certainly the case -- lots of money will be made.
But within all this, one thing must be remembered.
As much as Dan Didio is a passionate fan, there are other passionate fans. Their visions are not lining up. As a jaded ex-industry person and 25-year-plus comic reader, I have the luxury of not getting too emotionally involved in it. "Bruce Wayne to die?" Yeah, sure. We'll see in three years if that sticks. But there are many many fans who this is (if it is true) going to devastate.
Fans get devastated. Devastated. You can be like Shatner in that SNL skit and say, "get a life." But it doesn't change the fact that fans get devastated.
There are fans out there with Batman tattooed on their arms. It's not Jason Todd they have tattooed on their skin. Under that inked cowl is Bruce Wayne.
If this story is true, the mainstream media will totally pick it up. And all the non-comic reader will hear is, "Bruce Wayne to die." And they are going to wonder whose idea this was.
See, this is why I think Joe Q. was smart with Captain America. He tried to make the event as solemn and respectful as he possibly could. He wasn't flip. It wasn't a cheap gimmick. And he maintained a very talented writer on the book who has successfully maintained the title without its leading character.
If this "death of Bruce Wayne" thing is true, Dan Didio should do the same. Don't crack jokes. Don't get cocky. Don't have Ed Benes pencil the death scene.
Because fans are passionate. And many, had they had their chance to run their own comic book companies, would keep Bruce Wayne as Batman forever.
I have said before (and will now say again) that I will follow a good story ANYWHERE. There's no idea too off-limits, no character or concept too sacred, that they can't be tweaked, eliminated, or transformed through a good story.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I already fear that this won't be a good story, simply because the other item attached to it--Bruce Wayne becomes a New God--seems like the ass end of crazy. Of all the major characters at DC, the one LEAST likely to get wrapped up in the cosmic mumbokirbyjumbo of the New Gods seems to be Bruce Wayne/Batman.
Yet maybe that will be Grant Morrison's point and story hook--that this most street-level of superheroes suddenly finds himself thrust into a position of great superpower. Which could be interesting.
I try never to knee jerk. I think there's potential here. The death of Superman had its moments.
But please, DC and DiDio, do NOT fuck it up!
I agree with the post, some things shouldn't be gimmicks just to elevate sales. But pardon my ignorance, I didn't get Ed Benes reference. Is he so bad as an artist? Or it is something else?
ReplyDeleteThere's no way the Jason Todd/Batman thing, if it's going to happen, is going to stick--the mac & cheese marketing people won't allow it to stick. And, really...is there any way this could be presented without making it seem like a ploy to get some "Captain America press?"
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I would love to see DC permanently axe the Super/Bat/Wonder set (and that's despite my current enjoyment of Dini, Morrison and Simone's runs) vs. yet another string of lesser-known characters. I think it's ironic that the characters you really can't touch, hurt or affect permanent change to are the ones most desperately in need of it.
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ReplyDeleteUhm. Anyone notice the parallels to Bucky taking over for Cap? Complete with an Alex Ross re-design?
ReplyDeleteJust me?
Jason Todd's resurrection, and the idiotic explanation for it that followed, was the beginning of the end for me with DC's line of comics. If I hadn't already stopped buying anything they publish earlier this year, making him Batman would certainly have been the last straw.
ReplyDeleteOn a side note, it really goes to demonstrate how creatively bankrupt DC has become over the past few years under Didio's reign, with new characters being introduced with virtually no marketing support, only to be randomly killed off (ie: Son of Vulcan) while retreads like Todd are forced down readers throats.
My wallet thanks Didio, though.
I'd rather see Batman marry Wonder Woman, if we have to have continuity/fanboy shaking events.
ReplyDelete"And many, had they had their chance to run their own comic book companies, would keep Bruce Wayne as Batman forever."
ReplyDeleteAnd therein lies the problem. Wayne as Batman, forever? Snore....
J Todd as Batman is at least new, and depending on execution (Haven't read the story yet, can't judge) could be not only quite excellent, but could possibly be the defining take on the character.
Either way, I am super stoked to see what shakes out. I absolutely LOVE how DC is consitently keeping the readers guessing as to what their next move will be. Sure, I know its hip and cool to bash DC these days, however, you are talking about it. Which, from my experience, is the goal of any good PR campaign.
I am on the edge of my seat waiting for Final Crisis, only 6 months to go!
"I didn't get Ed Benes reference. Is he so bad as an artist? Or it is something else?"
ReplyDeleteartists like Benes are good, but their style is a bit cold & "trendy." I think for something like the death of Batman you need an artist like Rags Morales or Michael Lark or even the Kuberts that would have somer depth to it. I think part of what made Cap's death resonate was that Lark's artwork had such an understated, sad quality to it.
"Anyone notice the parallels to Bucky taking over for Cap? Complete with an Alex Ross re-design? "
ReplyDeletefurthermore -- what does *Marvel* think about this? Did this happen before or after Ross did the Cap outfit?
Because I'm telling you from personal observation -- stuff like this really really really cheeses publishers off.
Benes is okay, but emotion is far from his strong suit. I prefer him on books I don't want to read anyway.
ReplyDeleteCertainly, dead Bruce won't stick. But I have a feeling this is a tremendous red herring. It's not like the publishers are unfamiliar with Johnston; they're smart enough to use him for their own ends.
"Bruce Wayne becomes a New God--seems like the ass end of crazy. "
ReplyDeleteOMG! That might be the funniest thing I've ever read! And it's funny because it's true!
I may not be the biggest fanboy for superheroes, but I still respect them. I don't think killing Bruce Wayne and replacing him with a Robin is the worst idea in the world. But I do think replacing him with a psychopathic dead Robin and making him a New God *is*, as Matt said, the ass end of crazy.
Speaking as a newspaper editor . . . the death of Bruce Wayne is the only way the mainstream press will pay any attention to Batman comics. It was the same for Captain America and Superman before him. The thing is, depending upon events to spike sales is a lot like the bad business practices of the music industry when they would rely on a Michael Jackson release to save their industry for a few years. Eventually, that comes back to bite you on the ass - see downloading - and you can't do much about it.
ReplyDeleteI cover comics regularly - graphic novels with wide appeal that real people would not only be interested in buying, but can actually find if they want to purchase. So many media outlets are the same if they cover comics at all with any regularity.
It's because the monthlies are dead to everyone but what amounts to a handful of consumers - there are lots of reasons for this, but the biggest one is that they're a pain in the ass to deal with. And so the only way to bring in those outsider sales is to do something sensationalistic and get mega sales for one issue - unfortunately, these sales don't translate into any real regular boom for the comics companies.
It's companies like Top Shelf and First Second and Oni Press and Fantagraphics and on and on who have the real future, because they deliver a diverse, reliable product that normal people - a category that newspaper and magazine editors fall into - find of interest.
So go ahead and kill Bruce Wayne - it's the comic book equivalent of watching a mad man off his hostage in a seize out of desperation for everyone to hear the crazy point he's trying to make.
VAMPIRE BATMAN!
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm guessing Bruce Wayne isn't dying in the traditional sense, but being elevated to New God status, which will make things easier when it's time to make him Batman again.
ReplyDeleteI think the original idea (having the core DC heroes become the New Gods of the Fifth World) was a good one, but now that it's down to just Batman, it doesn't seem to make as much sense. The "Justice League as New Gods" scenario definitely strikes me as an all-or-nothing proposition.
I'm really getting the impression that DC editorial wants to do something bold and daring with their universe, but can't seem to get out of their own way. As for the ancillary merchandise and movies and such, I think DC needs to stop caring about that so much. Bruce Wayne can be Batman in the movies and the cartoon and it can be Jason Todd in the comics. Clearly, the movies and cartoons are not driving that many readers to the mainstream DC books, so they shouldn't let the ancillary stuff drive their storylines.
"VAMPIRE BATMAN!"
ReplyDeletegive this man a DC Exclusive!
I think this is a red herring, like the final Bart Allen issue of Flash.
ReplyDeleteJason Todd as he's written in the current Countdown books is a one-dimensional cliche of adolescent petulance, and it'll take a lot to convince me this is deliberate characterisation, rather than bad writing and inconsistent editing.
This isn't a DiDio thing per se. Otherwise Superman and Wonder Woman would also kark it.
ReplyDeleteThis is a Grant Morrison thing. Part of a masterplan. LITG has headlines. The DCM will have content of increasingly beautiful complexity. Think New X-Men.
I liked Morrison's New X-Men a lot. I am, in fact, a big fan of his work in general and his superhero work in particular. Right now, the only DC book I enjoy past the moment I read it is All-Star Superman. I thought his run on JLA was amazing.
ReplyDeleteThe problem with Morrison creating a universe of dazzling complexity is that, generally speaking, he's the only one capable of maintaining it. Witness the events in the X-books post-Morrison. They couldn't undo what he did fast enough.
Are we still at the point, though, where fans believe that any change of that magnitude sticks? I'm not talking hardcore readers who've been through the whole Jean Grey Is Dead Yet Again thing one too many times, but even the casual reader would know something about it via "The Death of Superman", no?
ReplyDeleteSuperheroine's hit it right on the head. This is Worst. Idea. Ever. Sure, DC will goose readership and they'll make a ton of money.
ReplyDeleteBut if Dan DiDio is reading this, let me tell him something: The first book I ever read was a Batman comic.
The character has been part of my life for more than 35 years. As a result, I have been a loyal DC reader for all of that time. There is no other way to describe my feeling here other than as a profound betrayal.
And my money and I may go elsewhere when this comes to pass. And I'd wager other fans feel the same.
"This isn't a DiDio thing per se."
ReplyDelete"This is a Grant Morrison thing."
If you asked Didio what event he thought was better, Countdown or 52, what would he say?
I'm thinking DiDio would get behind whatever he was trying to sell at the moment. 52 is done, so Countdown is going to get his vote. He'd make nice noises about 52, but he'd talk more about how totally awesome and multiverse-shattering Countdown is.
ReplyDelete"If you asked Didio what event he thought was better, Countdown or 52, what would he say?"
ReplyDeleteHe'd try to remember which project was his own brainchild, then ruin the ending of the other one.
"I'm thinking DiDio would get behind whatever he was trying to sell at the moment. 52 is done, so Countdown is going to get his vote. He'd make nice noises about 52, but he'd talk more about how totally awesome and multiverse-shattering Countdown is."
ReplyDeleteI'm just wondering what he personally, privately thinks is the better, more deserving event. Is he happy that 52 was so much more well received than Countdown? Or did he learn from that and decide that Morrison Knows Best? Is there any residual resentment there? Or will everybody get the hell out of Morrison's way and let him do his thing? Or will things get sabotaged by ego? Or will Final Crisis be brilliant? Will Morrison stay on to help maintain the new status quo? Or will he leave and storylines that could only be pulled off by someone of Morrison's caliber be run into the ground?
It's anybody guess, I suppose.
sooo...
ReplyDeleteMarvel kills Captain America and has him redesigned by Alex Ross.
Then his former sidekick comes back from the dead, went bad and is now good again is (most likely) the new Captain America.
Batman dies. Alex Ross redesigns him. His former sidekick comes back from the dead. Goes bad. Becomes good again. Becomes Batman.
Wow.
Grant Morrison's New X-men was not only AWFUL, it totally destroyed the X-Universe, and everything had to be retconned (except Jean dying) cause it did too much that it wouldve been impossible to fix.
I am NOT looking forward to this, but will give it a chance if the Kuberts are doing the art, cause I agree that's only way it can be done well.
And Ed McGuinness is cheese x eleventy billion.
Brian Hitch would do the story well, also (cept he's contract to Marvel I believe).
OK, does anyone other than me suspect that "danbizzle" is a DC staffer paid to insert DC-friendly comments into other people's blogs? I mean, I'm not impugning his integrity or anything, I'm just wondering if I can get a job that involves reading blogs all day and pimping some company's stuff on them. :)
ReplyDeleteAs to the rumor, I think I've already made my views pretty clear (Huge Mistake, Won't Last)...but I'd like to ask a question of the people who are saying, "This is great, Bruce Wayne as Batman is so 'done', I'm sick of the status quo and want a huge change."
That question is, 'Why are you still reading Batman?' I used to read Archie as a kid, but I got bored with it when I figured out that it was the same basic story all the time, that nothing ever changed, and that it was kind of a one-trick pony. Did I write in to Archie comics, demanding that they make major changes to suit a more "mature" readership? No, I stopped reading Archie and found stuff more suitable to my age. Archie, meanwhile, found a new kid who was the right age to read it.
I do not understand, I sincerely do not understand why it is that comics fans treat their favorite characters as a security blanket, something that has to travel with them through their entire life. If you don't want to read kid's stories, stop reading Batman. Don't demand that Batman continue to update itself so that it's constantly fitting in with each stage of your life...if for no other reason than in a couple of decades, I do not want to read the exciting adventures of Batman's problematic hip replacement and his worries about Medicare. :)
I just had kind of an odd thought, which ties into Matt's original comment about Batman being a street-level hero thrust into this position of superpower. Wasn't it always an aspect of the Fourth World mythology that Earth was destined to produce the Gods of the Fifth World and that's why it was so important to the big war between Apokolips and New Genesis? Was that concept part of Kirby's original stories? Did it get tacked on by subsequent writers? Did I just make all that up?
ReplyDeleteAnyway, if that were the case, then having Batman be the first of the New Gods of the Fifth World makes a decent amount of sense. He's widely considered the pinnacle of human potential and development, so in that context, he is the logical choice for ascension to godhood.
Wow. I don't think I've spewed that much fanboy geekery in a while. It was kind of cleansing, in a way. :)
As for Val's questions, re: DiDio vs Morrison, I think ego will have a huge role to play in what happens next. I'm sure DiDio must have wanted Countdown to be this epic and awe-inspiring thing. When I think back on all the ads leading up to it, I remember thinking how cool it seemed. Now that the execution has not lived up to the concept, DiDio has to be feeling a bit of a sting. If Morrison does his usual mad-crazy worldbuilding schtick and the fans eat it up off of plates made from mulched copies of Countdown, then yeah, DiDio may decide to throw a big wrench in the works just for the sake of his own wounded ego.
But yeah, I guess we'll see.
'Uhm. Anyone notice the parallels to Bucky taking over for Cap? Complete with an Alex Ross re-design?
ReplyDeleteJust me?'
Not just you. The current DCU hasn't met a storyline or a plot point it won't rehash to death, so to speak.
"VAMPIRE BATMAN!"
ReplyDeleteZombie Batman. :)
Will
I think DC should get out ahead of a trend for once and go for Werewolf Batman. Catch that werewolf train BEFORE it leaves the station. ;)
ReplyDeleteThat train left the station in the 1980s.
ReplyDeleteAnd Captain America was riding it.
Oh my god. I had forgotten all about that. But those sorts of things are cyclical, aren't they? Maybe it can be a kind of retro-homage Werewolf Batman. And, like, all ironic. And stuff. No? Okay.
ReplyDeleteFrankenstein Batman?
Isn't Red Rain Batman the vampire batman, or did I miss some sort of joke again?
ReplyDeleteExacterly [sic]. As I commented here here , fan fiction is so much easier to write than original fiction. But that brings along with it all the associated icky feelings about being self-indulgent.
ReplyDeleteAnd sometimes, it's just plain bad, or so apparently a mistake that it insults the collective intelligence of long-time comic book readers that know it won't stick.
John Sealy said: "OK, does anyone other than me suspect that "danbizzle" is a DC staffer paid to insert DC-friendly comments into other people's blogs? "
ReplyDeleteKiss my ass, man.
Why is it that when everyone else expresses their opinions, no one gives them any shit, but when I do, I get accused of being Dan DiDio or otherwise a corporate shill?
Sorry, I don't think that DC is in as bad shape as you do. I am REALLY enjoying the product and have been ever since they started this epic storyline in 2004 with Identity Crisis. I'm excited by the possibilities of a 5 year long storyline. And what can I say, I don't think that Countdown is the end of comics as we know it. In fact, I think its a lot of fun. It isn't a home run every issue, but it doesn't seem that it was meant to be, it is a story that rewards and unfolds over time.
However, I guess I forgot that I am on an Anti-DC site. I know Val has her grudges and all, and god bless her for it. She has gotten quite a lot of success (sincerely) in the past year and she rode this wave very well. Congrats, OS. Again, I say that sincerely. I guess I have a hard time wondering where everyone else's vitriole comes from.
Or maybe I'm seeing Peter David's Vic Chalker becoming very very real.
So yeah, obviously, I'm a corporate shill, I'm Dan DiDio, I'm whatever you want to call me. I guess I thought I am a progressive seeking like minded folks. Instead, I find the same reactionary responses I expect from the Right.
DC has 51 other universes at their command and this has to happen in the main one? Can't it happen on Earth DiDio or Earth Morrison?
ReplyDeleteLook. Bruce Wayne is Batman. Clark Kent is Superman. Diana is Wonder Woman. And so on (except that Wally West is Flash - they made that one stick before the Internet and then it still took Waid's run 10 years later before anyone accepted it).
What did DiDio say about not doing Marvel crossovers? "You know what? We've done it twice already. Why do we need to see another?"
You know Dan, Bruce Wayne wasn't Batman before. Why do we need to see it again?
I'm not so much "anti-DC" as someone who likes to goof on DC and put them down in the same way you can put down an old friend you've known for years. I, personally, love these characters and have been a fan of DC for about 30 years now.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I do have to say, I think the 5-year epic (which IS cool in conception) has been hit-or-miss. And I loathed Identity Crisis, for all the reasons well documented by others.
I think DC tends to overplay the grim card and they seem to be doing it in a very "Hey look at us, we're being all grim and stuff! Isn't it cool?" kind of way. To be fair, I think Marvel is guilty of much the same thing.
But hey, DanBizzle, I respect your love for the books. I'm glad you're getting your money's worth, if nothing else.
And I don't think you work for DC. Personally, I think you work for Marvel, and this is an incredibly Byzantine marketing strategy we have yet to decipher. ;)
DanBizzle said:
ReplyDelete"Why is it that when everyone else expresses their opinions, no one gives them any shit, but when I do, I get accused of being Dan DiDio or otherwise a corporate shill?"
Specifically?
Because you're universally positive about every DC project and idea. Even the ones that are self-evidently bad ideas, even the ones getting absolutely shredded by reviewers, no matter what it is, if it's DC, you seem to like it. And not only that...
Because you show up any time Valerie comments on a DC project, and your comment is always not just positive about the current project she's talking about, but positive in a way that mentions an upcoming DC release, and says, "I'm going to be picking that up," or "I'm going to be checking that out," or "This sounds really exciting!" It reads like a sales pitch.
Because when I did click on your name to find out more about you, your profile was completely and totally blank. You have no blog, you have no birthday, you have no interests, nothing. You're just a name, popping up on a blog to make comments on how great DC is and how excited you are about their upcoming releases. And yes, in the current cynical world in which we live, that spells to me, "paid commenter," because I'm aware that large companies try to do "viral marketing" by hiring people to pose as "average consumers" and leaving "spontaneous comments" on how great said company's products are.
Plus, of course, "danbizzle" sounds like a name Dan DiDio would give himself if he were in a whimsical mood. :)
I don't know how you can dispel this perception--I'm not suggesting you should start hating DC, or revealing personal information, just to satisfy my curiosity. But I do want to let you know that my perception isn't just based on the idea that "anyone who likes DC at this point must be paid to do so," it's rooted in your writing style and the particular comments you leave.
Attention, haters: New X-Men was utterly brilliant, and the only X-Story with two interesting ideas to rub together. So, if Grant's doing a similar deal with the whole DCU, his whole schtick will be retconned faster than you can spit. ^_^
ReplyDeleteAlso: If the purpose of Bruce's ascension into Gawdhood/Death/Whatever is to bring in new readers, the surest way to alienate them will be to say "New God." What was wrong with the old God, they'll ask? And why hasn't Yahweh returned any of my prayers, for that matter? At least when you pray to Batman to smite your enemies, you can be damn sure that they'll stay smote.
And now: U Thread: Hijackin'!
John Seavey does raise an interesting point, actually: How does one tell apart a person who genuinely loves and is enthusiastic about a line/product/brand in the face of vocal criticism, and a viral marketing shill? Its kinda sad. I miss the Internets we had in my day, where we didn't have none of that, and had to talk to each other using string and paper cups.
1200 Baud string! And Tandy cups! ^_^
For what its worth, Danbizzle, I don't think yer a shill. But I'm still not going to buy Countdown. Sorry. ^_^
John Seavey, I can follow most of your argument with DanBizzle (I'm not saying anything on the substantive issue here), but "your profile was completely and totally blank"? I assume my profile is completely and totally blank, since I created a Google ID in order to post comments and get into a Google Group, not to tell any random person on the net all about myself.
ReplyDeleteBruce Wayne becomes Robin. After trying to squeeze into that little outfit, Wayne's over-defined junk blinds Superman and Wonder Woman discovers she's a squirter.
ReplyDeleteWell now, there's an image I'm never scrubbing out of my brain.
ReplyDeleteYo, Owesome - good call!
ReplyDeleteI loved Morrison's New X-Men, too - it was the only run on the book that seemed to move the characters forward, rather than trap them in amber at the period most beloved of the writer. Weapon X becoming Weapon 10 was so obvious it was brilliant, as was turning the X-Mansion into a high school full of messed-up kids getting high, joining gangs and screwing and murdering each other in between getting caught up with whatever homocidal lunatic was invading the place that month.
It was a damn shame when Morrison did exactly the same thing he did with his JLA run and crapped all over the good work he'd done in the final story-arcs because he'd had a falling-out with editorial and stormed off to work for their rivals, vowing never to work for Marvel again(at least not until green, green bills were wafted under his nose, at any rate - it's worked for DC).
Still, despite All-Star Superman being the mostest bestest superhero book on the market right now, Morrison's past his best and probably figures it's better to be a big fish in a small pond with DC, rather than floundering alongside the young turks over at Marvel.
Shouldn't Wayne still be a cripple? How did he go from snapping his back in half to becoming the Dark Shaq-Fu master again?
ReplyDeleteNobody else is Batman. Never. You have to face the facts and just live with it. Even I can't be Batman and I have the fucking Halloween costume hanging in my closet.
I throw that thing on and Lily looks at me and says "You're not Batman."
"Oh yes I am," I'll say all defensive. "I'm wearing the costume, aren't I?"
"Just because you have the costume," she'll remind me "doesn't mean you're the man."
Take that line and swallow it, comics people. All it is, is the long, drawn-out road to getting Bruce back in the suit. And I hate travelling long distances.
Just make a fucking "What If?"
"Shouldn't Wayne still be a cripple? How did he go from snapping his back in half to becoming the Dark Shaq-Fu master again?"
ReplyDeleteThe doctor who was treating him for his broken back turned out to have metahuman healing powers. Or possibly magical ones. I can't remember which. Either way, a doctor with healing powers fixed his back completely. I think it was also suggested she fixed his Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (remember that?) and possibly made him younger in the process.
Alfred must've been PISSED about being left out of the magically younger spell. Did he pee in Bruce's gazpacho?
ReplyDeleteWhy do you think Batman's been extra-crazy the past few years? Alfred's been drugging Bruce's food with psychosis-inducing chemicals in retribution for not getting any of the magical doctor youth whammy.
ReplyDeleteMorrison's run on New X-Men did more for the characters since Claremont & Bryne. The years of X-Men before Morrison were the absolute dregs of the series. The fact Marvel editorial decided to erase all his work spoke more to Joe Q. being ticked off at Grant leaving. Morrison not only finished off his major plotlines, but left the series as a starting point for any new writer to jump in and continue on. The fact that they choose to undo everything is something Marvel really dropped the ball on and I'm glad Whedon chose to point that out. He didn't destroy the X-Universe, he rejuvenated it.
ReplyDeleteMore to the point, Jason Todd is just an irredeemable character. To me, at least. At least Bucky wasn't killed because more people were willing to pay to see him dead.
Making Jason Todd Batman will more than likely sell more issues at first, enough to justify the change. But I can't go along with it. I don't read Batman to see his life parallel mine as I get older, I just like the character. And I hate Jason Todd.
Hmmm. I dunno.
ReplyDeleteA good show-runner - as Valerie notes with the Captain America example - could overcome a lot of skepticism
Morrison. Dini, Countdown reactions aside. Rucka. Ostrander. And a dozen others I can think of could take this, run to the end zone with it and dance a couple of decent Irish jigs. In a couple of writers' cases, throw in an indecent jig for good measure.
We'll see.
Benes is adequate for most superhero purposes, but his characters' "acting" is really poorly thought through and in most cases, non-existant. Case in point- when Batman zinged Wonder Woman with that "You're questioning the wisdom of Solomon?" crack in JLA #1 and Benes' version of Wonder Woman's reaction was...
ReplyDeleteNo reaction whatsoever. Just a really bland panel of her sitting there, with no discernable expression at all.
On the other hand... I'm one of those people hoisted by my own petard about this. For one thing, one beef I have with serialized storytelling the way we have it in monthlies is in the end, they always must go back to the status quo. And the only adjustments are relatively minor aesthetic things to "keep up with the times." Hence Batman's becoming darker and more asshole-ish over time, trying to cop a bit of that Dark Knight Returns and Killing Joke glory and getting it wrong.
On the other hand, I respect the iconic power and the brand. As I've commented before, Clark Kent is Superman, Bruce Wayne is Batman. Always and forever. That's the way I personally prefer it and I'll make no bones about it as a personal preference rather than what's good dramatically or what works in terms of comics being fiction.
That said... what I really really want are good stories. Stories striving to be the best they can be. In a novel, Batman would grow and change and end up different to some degree by the events of the story and his choices therein. In a comic, he's in stasis until the line becomes moribund and needs a shot in the arm in terms of sales.
Then the gimmicks come out. Death of Superman, Batman getting his back broken and Azrael taking over, a bold new direction for Wonder Woman, another infinite crisis, the death of the New Gods.
I'm against gimmicky storytelling and generally reject all the event comics and massive companywide crossovers.
So I guess what I'm saying is I'm of two or three or even four minds about all of this.
And personally, I don't really care what they do with Batman or Superman or any of those heroes in the monthlies. I just hope they line up some really great writers and artists (and I include Rags Morales in that particular artistic category) to write some really killer stories about the iconic Batman. Like All Star... only good.
There's a simple difference between fiction and fan-fiction: Fiction is written by a writer who knows how to write. Fan-fiction is just lame what-if: What if the X-men met the crew of the Enterprise?
ReplyDeleteTo continue the Star Trek example: I became fans of the authors Garfield-Reeves in the first chapter of Federation. The plot was a bit fan-fictionish -- Kirk fired and ending up as an asteroid miner?!? -- but the description of the asteroid mining was intriguing enough that I kept reading. More recently, Shatner's plots have been increasingly fan-fictionish, but the actual writers remain... well, truth be told I've stopped reading. But I'm very writer-driven: I'll also read PAD's Star Trek books and comics, and I find everyone else's mediocre.
The thing that makes Dan Didio's fan fiction worse than anyone else's is that he doesn't even write the crap he imagines: He makes other people do the writing. And as Countdown makes clear, they're doing it very unenthusiastically. The result is Dan Didio-directed crap.
Personally, I think DiDio is the Dick Cheney of Earth 15, trying to seek revenge on us, the inhabitants of Earth Prime, for unleashing Superman Prime on his world -- but that's only a hunch.
If Jason Todd becomes Batman, all the people who phoned in to have him killed off should be given a refund. And an apology.
ReplyDeleteActually, anyone who ever read a Batman comic should get an apology.
Y'know, I have a copy of the old 'A Death in the Family' trade, the one that they published just after the story came out. It's got all sorts of quotes about the shocking, dramatic story and the impact it made on the national media when they killed off Robin.
ReplyDeleteThe last one is from Denny O'Neil. He said, "It'd only be really sleazy if we brought him back."
Says it all, dunnit?