MAGGI PICAYUNE

The recent movies have had some influence.

Nowadays I’ve been exploring additional titles beyond the initial five I went with because I won’t mince words…one sucks, three are middling and only Justice League Dark has really held my interest. If I’m not stoked about the next issue, it’s a waste of three bucks. How I wish Teen Titans was on this list of DC’s first New 52 cancellations. Maybe it will be with the next round.

This entry covers my personal favorite in DC’s triumvirate, Batman. I grew to appreciate the character in the Eighties thanks to Frank Miller’s 1986 miniseries The Dark Knight Returns; now Miller is part of the “Get off my lawn”-crotchety old man counter-movement. But long ago, he did me a favor through DKR; it pique my interest enough to delve more into Batman’s ongoing adventures as the buzz for the 1989 movie grew. I picked a fortunate time then, John Byrne was a guest writer during a three-issue story arc called “The Many Deaths of Batman.” This was more intelligent than what Miller’s long-term damage began to reap: Batman and numerous other knockoffs: Spawn, Nighthawk, the Punisher, Faust, etc. They’re mostly boring psychopaths in long underwear beating the crap out of villains. My point/gripe? Unlike many, I quickly grew tired of Miller’s interpretation as it played out through the Nineties. Sure the Adam West and the pre-Seventies versions were goofy, sometimes lame and not very superheroic yet there’s a middle ground the Nineties’ and Aughts’ animated show nailed. Plus the Seventies’ revamping brought back what (to me) was Bob Kane’s original vision; Batman as a modern-day Sherlock Holmes and the world’s greatest living (fictional) detective.

Before the recent reboot, DC repeated the tired strategy of killing Bruce Wayne off and it failed. This received little to no media buzz unlike Superman’s “death” 20 years earlier. Obviously he wasn’t really dead, the whole event was staged to set up a miniseries leading of Bruce’s return via reincarnation. There was a caveman version, a knight, a pirate, so on. Somehow Batman turned into a Fantasy title a la Highlander. To keep the Gotham underworld scared Dick Grayson donned the costume and took Bruce’s spot in the last incredibly boring Justice League comic. Then to add more schlock, the whole Batman concept was broken up into regional franchises through Batman, Inc. For example, the UK has (or had) a dynamic duo called Knight & Squire; some African nation has Batwing, etc. As if Batman could spread out justice globally like McDonalds and Starbucks do with American homogeneity. DC succeeded partially but another franchise readily came to my mind…Bozo the Clown.

Personally I think DC should’ve executed this reboot the same way the BBC did when it let Russell Davies revamp Doctor Who. Take the opportunity to clear out the baggage and crap story lines which painted them into a corner; Bane breaking his spine readily comes to mind! Why DC didn’t is beyond me but I wanted to give the four new titles an opportunity. Read below on how they fared by four or more issues.

Batman Detective Comics: The original title Batman made his debut in 70-plus years ago and he has been its primary character ever since. Hence, why does DC bother to have the word detective present if it’s always going to be starring Batman? DC could’ve ditched it as part of the reboot. Collectors won’t care, the 881-issue run effectively ended last August and number ones were devalued in the speculative Nineties.

Title aside, Detective kicks off with the Joker brutally murdering a fan as a ruse to be sent back to Arkham Asylum. While waiting in his cell, a different foe named the Dollmaker removes the Joker’s face and helps Batman’s nemesis escape. The arc shifts over to Batman dealing with the Dollmaker and some gruesome plastic surgery victims. It came to an inconclusive ending or the plot shifted to something larger because the Penguin is getting involved through his legitimate casino off Gotham’s shore.

I like Detective despite the book taking its cues from the ultra-violent, gory Nolan films. This will probably mean I can’t donate the back issues to my nephews without their parents’ approval; I wouldn’t do it any other way. The artwork is decent, meaning I can easily tell the difference between Bruce Wayne and other supporting characters (a beef I’ll get to later).

My single complaint involves the investigative reporter Charlotte Rivers having sex with Bruce Wayne as the B or C storyline. This would compromise the secret identity element unless Charlotte comes from the Judith Miller school of journalism. How she doesn’t notice Bruce’s numerous body scars from fighting crime (and not the Shampoo Planet kind) is a major plot hole.

Batman: After busting up a prison riot in Arkham Asylum, Batman is called in to investigate an unusual murder involving the old, legendary conspiracy called The Court of Owls. Allegedly the Court dates back almost a century and Bruce’s ancestor Alan Wayne might have been killed by this organization. Bruce also suspected them for his parents’ murder when he was a child but dropped the idea for lack of evidence, ergo the Court was a myth…until he finds numerous hidden lairs in buildings the Wayne Foundation helped construct; some kind of analogy to how owls behave. Being a great detective, Batman has doubts regarding the Court’s real age, reach and strength yet the case is becoming rather personal thanks to their possible ties to his past.

This story is cooler than Detective‘s for me. Batman is a character who thrives when fighting conspiracies, organized crime or foes with similar abilities. The owl theme is perfect too since diehard fans/geeks know that in the Evil DC Universe (aka Earth-3) Batman’s counterpart is Owlman, he just doesn’t have a Spock beard.

It’s a good thing Batman has a solid story happening though, the artwork is crappy when people without costumes are depicted. I can’t immediately tell Bruce apart from Dick Grayson or the other rich guy (Lincoln March, pretty WASP-ish) running for mayor. I’ll give you a hint, Dick is shorter than Bruce. At least Batman is closer to PG-13 than Detective on getting a stronger parental approval when I donate it.

Batman and Robin: I think this is the formalization of making the Grant Morrison premium series into a core title, sans the famous author. It’s certainly catchier than Shadow of the Bat or Legends of the Dark Knight; both were launched while Tim Burton’s terrible movies boosted Batman’s popularity. Anyway, the Dynamic Duo here consists of Batman and his bastard son Damian as Robin IV. Turns out that Batman’s famous utility belt lacked a rather useful, inexpensive gadget one torrid evening with Talia al Ghul. I guess he let Bat-Mite do the thinking.

In B&R, Batman is trying juggle his duties as a crime fighter, billionaire playboy and father. It’s a tough job when his ten-year-old boy is the grandson of Ra’s al Ghul, an arrogant, ornery little cuss and mother had him trained by the League of Assassins. The biggest problem Batman currently has is getting Robin to show restraint with the criminals they confront.

Meanwhile, a rival from the past has come to Gotham and he has decided to Robin into his new apprentice.

I find Malcolm somewhat insufferable. He’s a more extreme version of Jason Todd, the Robin fans voted to have killed by the Joker in 1988. On the other hand, it is nice to see a truly strained relationship for Batman; his “falling out” with Dick Grayson always seemed forced or contrived. I’m willing to ride this title out for a year.

On the kid-appropriate scale, B&R is on par with Batman.

Batman The Dark Knight: Where to begin on the weakest of the four? I’ll start with the art. David Finch appears to be a disciple of the Rob Liefield school. Next up, the plot. If you’ve played Batman Arkham Asylum on the Xbox360 or PS3, congratulations, you’ve read this comic! To be fair, there’s a couple differences…Batman fights doped-up versions of Two Face, Clayface and Deathstroke with a cameo from The Flash.

I’m debating whether or not to donate this. It’s as violent as Batman and B&R but even my nephews may find it insipid and tedious. I would like to find out if they’ve developed a discerning eye in the artwork department.

Next up, comic books traditionally called The Batman Family.