Mixed Matrimonial Machinations: Batman #50

The following is my review of Batman #50, which was posted on PopMatters.com.

Superheroes are like young 80s rock stars at the height of their fame in that it's hard to imagine them settling down. Their lives are so chaotic, hectic, and prone to death/resurrection that just having an opportunity to get married is an achievement few get. Even for those who make it that far, there are a great many forces working against superhero couples. Some are there before they even get to the honeymoon. Others pay a high price for even trying. Just ask Peter Parker.

If there's one superhero who is capable of beating those odds, though, it's Batman. He has no powers, a long list of personal issues, and a colorful history with multiple women. At the same time, though, doing the impossible without the aid of Kryptonian biology is one of his most defining traits. It doesn't matter if marriage is too challenging for superheroes. He's Batman.

That's not to say the challenges he faces aren't daunting. Batman is no Wolverine, but he's no Superman either. Batman is one of those characters who does plenty to attract women, but just as much to push them away. It's part of his mystique as the Dark Knight and most women can't handle that. Catwoman, however, is not most women. In the same way he's in a unique position to defy the traditions of superhero matrimony, Catwoman is uniquely equipped to both handle those rigors and thrive.

Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle may not share the same star-crossed love story that Superman and Lois Lane enjoy, but that only makes the prospect of their wedding in Batman #50 more meaningful. After the heartbreak in another recent wedding event in X-me Gold #30, a successful culmination feels necessary, if only to avoid starting a less-than-romantic trend in superhero weddings.

In many respects, Batman and Catwoman have much more going for them than Colossus and Kitty Pryde. These characters have a history that spans decades. At times, they go their separate ways, which helps them develop as individuals. Now, after all the excuses and complications, they have an opportunity to come together in a way that both solidifies their relationship and grant them generous tax benefits.

Once again, however, the promise of a heartfelt, tearful wedding full of joyous catharsis does not occur. Despite Batman being up for that challenge, finally taking that step into uncharted territories that so many superheroes and rock stars avoid, the wedding doesn't go through. However, it's not Batman who calls it off. Catwoman is the one who ends it.

Like Kitty Pryde in X-men Gold #30, she waited until the last possible second. Unlike Kitty Pryde, though, the story surrounding it doesn't feel as forced or heartbreaking. It even dares to leave a sliver of hope that there are other forces at work besides someone just changing their mind. What X-men Gold #30 failed to deliver, Batman #50 manages to salvage to some extent. It still comes off as a dramatic letdown, but Tom King puts some substance behind it.

The bulk of the story doesn't focus on the ceremony itself or the less-than-memorable way it plays out. Instead, King sets the stage by exploring the long road Batman and Catwoman take to get to this moment, utilizing imagery from multiple eras of Batman from a cast of artists that includes Neal Adams, Greg Capullo, Rafael Albuquerque, and many others. Within these memorable moments are insights that put Batman's feelings for Catwoman into a context that gives a unique weight to ultimate outcome of the wedding.

Batman is the world's greatest detective and incredibly skilled at reading people, specifically criminals. Catwoman is a criminal by most measures, but when he reads her, he doesn't see the same traits he sees in the likes of the Penguin, the Joker, or the Riddler. The same goes for Catwoman in that when she sees him, she doesn't react the same way most criminals do. She's someone Batman can't use his detective skills to define and he's someone who transforms the pain of childhood trauma into acts of heroism that put put him on the tip tier of the Justice League.

These insights establish how these two feel about each other. Nothing is assumed or overlooked. As a result, Catwoman's decision to leave Batman at the altar doesn't feel forced. It never comes off as melodrama for the sake of melodrama. She gives a reason rather than an excuse, one that builds directly on the events of her clash with the Joker in Batman #49.

To some extent, Catwoman makes a valid point for keeping Batman single. Granted, it's a point the Joker practically shoves in her face beforehand, but it fits with how she feels about him and how she sees him. To her, a happily married Batman means he doesn't have that same pain that he can channel into being the Dark Knight. Marrying him means denying Gotham the hero it needs to survive.

It still comes off as callous because she waits until they're in their wedding attire to make her decision, but added context of her and Batman's reflections helps keep the narrative from collapsing completely. It doesn't give the impression that all the build-up that begins with Batman's proposal in Batman #24 is now completely meaningless. That story is still intact, but the way things play out in Batman #50 really complicate things.

There are details within those complications, though, that leave the door open for some happiness, at least to the extent that's possible with Batman. There's a potential for greater drama, but there's just as much potential for tragedy. Even though tragedy is one of Batman's defining traits, it can also be redundant. Rather than culminate the story of Batman and Catwoman's romance, Batman #50 promises to drag it out even more. For two characters whose love affair spans eight decades, that comes off as pretty bland.

Even with the outcome, though, the fact that Batman and Catwoman make it this far feels like an accomplishment. Batman #50 is presented as a triumph that was decades in the making, but ends up being a prelude to even more strife. It offers powerful revelations for two iconic characters and reaffirms why they keep finding each other.

It doesn't undercut or subvert the merit of superhero marriage, but it certainly reveals how difficult it is. Colossus and Kitty Pryde find that out in the hardest, most shallow way possible in X-men Gold #30. Batman and Catwoman find that out in a way that's still part of a larger story in Batman #50. In that sense, there may still be hope for superhero weddings.

Final Score: 6 out of 10

Justice In Its Totality: Justice League #1

The following is my review of Justice League #1, which was posted on PopMatters.com.

In a perfect world, justice isn't a fluid concept. What's heroic today still holds up a hundred centuries from now. In that world, teams like the Justice League don't need to agonize over too many decisions. Those tried and true standards answer all those hard for them. Even during the family friendly golden age of comics, though, the imperfections of the real and fictional world keep finding their way into the story.

Between the events of DC: Rebirth #1 and Dark Knights: Metal, the Justice League undergoes plenty of upheaval, both as a team and among its individual members. Timelines get re-written, marriage proposals occur, and secrets of the DC universe reveal themselves in ways that would make any hero's decisions much harder to render. It can get confusing, at times, but it still reflects the evolution of the Justice League and the nature of justice itself.

For many of these complications, Scott Snyder is both an architect and a catalyst. The events of Dark Knights: Metal don't just throw in another upheaval, which the DC universe faces every other week. It requires the Justice League to regroup and reorganize themselves. A universe full of talking gorillas and homicidal clowns is chaotic enough. Even demigods, aliens, and billionaire playboys need to adapt along the way. In Justice League #1, Snyder carries the team into a new era of chaos.

From the very beginning, the scope and scale of the chaos is on a level that requires the full strength of DC's heavy hitters. There's no subtlety or steady build-up. The crisis is already at a level that involves Lex Luthor, Vandal Savage, and a hole in the Source Wall. The situation couldn't be more dire without an army of Darkseid clones invading every planet in the universe.

For any one individual hero, including Superman on his best day, it's a level of over-the-top action that is hard to keep up with. For the Justice League, though, it works perfectly. It starts out as an elaborate, albeit generic plot by Vandal Savage involving a race of subterranean creatures called Neoanderthals. While even a simple plan by Savage usually calls for the collective firepower of the League, this conflict is only a precursor to a much greater threat.

It's not enough to just throw powerful villains and their nefarious plots at DC's most powerful heroes. Snyder brings in forces that don't necessarily have a face, an identity, or an evil laugh. It's not just a threat to law, order, and justice. It has the potential to undercut the very nature of the DC Universe itself. The Martian Manhunter calls it the Totality. It's somewhat esoteric, but it presents the Justice League with a unique threat. Conversely, it presents someone like Lex Luthor with an opportunity.

The challenge in any era of Justice League, going back to the pre-Crisis era, is establishing a predicament that requires more than a simple team-up or crossover. Superman can team up with Batman and Wonder Woman can team up with Aquaman ever other week to take on a unique threat that may just be too tedious to handle individually. The primary difference between a casual crossover story and a full-fledged superhero team involves forging a collective identity.

Throughout the history of the DC Universe, the League assembles when there's more than basic justice at stake. Whether it involves infinite Earths or a full-scale invasion from Apokolips, there's a point where heroes can't just be heroes. They have to come together to keep the world, the universe, and every notion of justice intact. Snyder channels some of that Crisis spirit, but stops short of breaking the timeline again.

In the case of Justice League #1, it's not the threat posed by Vandal Savage that's the main catalyst. It's the hole in the Source Wall that pushes the League into a difficult spot. That hole, another byproduct of Dark Knights: Metal no less, creates something the Martian Manhunter calls the Totality. It's somewhat esoteric, but it still carries that ominous aura that reflects DC's commitment to never-ending world-building.

Parts of the Totality reference other aspects of DC lore, but the underlying concept is simple. The fundamental nature of the DC universe is changing and Lex Luthor knows about it. As such, he and others like him are sure to exploit it. Justice, once again, isn't a perfectly consistent concept that always reverts back to a particular form like Superman's iconic red underwear. Given enough time and stress, larger forces will disrupt it.

That theme and its implications are nicely documented through the powerful mind of the Martian Manhunter, who acts as a messenger to the rest of the League. They're not really in a position to do much about the Totality, which for a team as powerful as the Justice League is really telling. They're basically left to brace themselves while Lex Luthor and Vandal Savage get ready to make the most of it.

It's here where the strengths and weaknesses of Justice League #1 really show. In terms of strength, it builds seamlessly from recent upheavals in the DC universe. Even for those not familiar with events like Dark Knights: Metal, the narrative never comes off as too sudden or contrived. As for weaknesses, though, the overall nature of the Totality falls flat and that keeps the story from having a major impact.

Even with a basis in the Source Wall, the Totality comes off as this impersonal chaos that isn't contingent on Lex Luthor's plans or Darkseid's ruthlessness. It just feels like one big disruption within the overall DC universe, one meant to undermine the Justice League's efforts in a way they can't stop. Too much time is spent just trying to make sense of it, which renders the battle against Vandal Savage as somewhat of an afterthought. Seeing as how that battle literally broke the surface of the Earth, that almost seems unjust.

Justice League #1 still does more than enough to carry the League into a new era. Snyder's usage of high-level threats and evolving challenges give the story an appropriate scope. It doesn't entirely fit together just yet, but the pieces are there and Snyder gives himself plenty to work with. The nature of justice and the DC universe may change in accord with every Crisis-level event, but so long as the spirit of the team remains intact, justice still finds a way to prevail.

Final Score: 6 out of 10

Gloriously Destructive Deconstruction: Batman: White Knight #6

The following is my review of Batman: White Knight #6, which was posted on PopMatters.com.

There comes a point in a long-standing conflict where the mental and physical strain that keeps it going becomes too much to bear. It usually occurs beyond the point where either side has a chance to claim victory. At this stage, the only goal is survival, although that doesn't always entail surviving intact. Given how long Batman and the Joker have been clashing with one another, spanning deaths, resurrections, and retcons, it's surprising they haven't reached this stage sooner.

To some extent, Batman avoids this stage with all his villains. A big part of his efforts to protect Gotham and stop criminals like the Joker involves stopping them before they reach the point where justice becomes a moot point. The Joker just makes that harder than most because he goes out of his way to push Batman and everything he stands for to the absolute limit. For decades, Batman exercises superhuman discipline in avoiding the Joker's traps. That discipline finally falters in Batman: White Knight and the consequences have been both revealing and compelling.

Sean Murphy and Matt Hollingsworth take Batman into uncharted territory, using a sane Joker to deconstruct the very principles that make Batman who he is. As a homicidal clown, Batman is able to fight the Joker's challenges directly with his long list of skills and gadgets. As Jack Napier, though, even those resources aren't enough. Since regaining his sanity in Batman: White Knight #1, Napier keeps hitting Batman in ways that no exploding whoopee cushion can ever match.

The GCPD turns against him. The public turns against him. Even his own family turns on him with Nightwing and Batgirl leaving him to join Napier's new initiative. It's not just a deconstruction of Batman's principles. It's utterly destroys all the systems and support structures that once allowed him to function. Now, Batman is no longer the savior of Gotham. He's part of the problem and Napier presents himself as the solution. In Batman: White Knight #6, they enter more uncharted territory.

Part of that story is a culmination of the process that begins in Batman: White Knight #1 with Jack Napier setting out to destroy Batman and everything he stands for. Having convinced everyone he's right and Batman is wrong, Napier leads an effort to arrest him. That effort includes some of Batman's greatest defenders, including Jim Gordon. They go along with Napier's plan, but they make clear that they hate every minute of it.

That's an important component of the unique narrative presented in Batman: White Knight. This isn't about Batman's friends and allies being brainwashed, either by the Mad Hatter or some elaborate media conspiracy. They watch what Jack Napier does and listen to what he says. He doesn't force them to agree with him. He doesn't poison them with laughing gas when they disagree either. He just puts them in a situation where they cannot escape the truth.

Characters like Jim Gordon, Nightwing, and Batgirl hate every second of it. They fight it every step of the way, but they cannot get around the implications of Napier's agenda. He gives them too many reasons to go along with him and Batman keeps giving them too few. The consequences of losing that support play out in a way that feels tragic, but predictable in Batman: White Knight #6.

For once, Batman's incredible skill, strength, and endurance aren't enough. It's one thing to escape one of the Joker's elaborate death traps. It's quite another to stand against those he considers his closest allies when they're not brainwashed. Batman does not at all come off as Batman. He comes off as someone who just can't be the same hero without all the support systems that allow him to operate. It shows that Batman is only as capable as the allies around him.

He almost comes off as inept in how he falls into Napier's trap, which feels pretty out of character for Batman. Even with the loss of some of his closest allies, he doesn't show the same mental toughness as someone who can battle Ra's Al Ghul, Killer Croc, and Poison Ivy in the same day and still keep his sanity. Some of that feels like a direct effect of Napier turning the world against him. Some of it just comes off as Batman faltering when he doesn't falter.

This part of the narrative, with Napier finally subduing Batman alongside the GCPD, contains some of the most dramatic moments of the story to date. The other part of the narrative, which involves Napier responding to a threat from the less sane, more obsessive Harley Quinn that has been running around since he regained his sanity. It's a threat that has been unfolding behind the scenes of previous issues, but unfolds just as Batman succumbs to Napier's agenda.

While this moves the story forward, it somewhat detracts from the drama surrounding Batman finally losing to the Joker. As soon as Batman goes down, he seems to lose his relevance in Napier's ongoing story, which now faces a different kind of challenge. In a sense, turning people against Batman and bringing him in is the easy part. Now, Napier has to actually demonstrate that he's right, Batman was wrong, and he can deliver where Batman failed.

It's the final step in the total deconstruction of Batman. Napier knows on some levels that even if he succeeds in taking Batman down, he'll only end up vindicating Batman if Gotham cannot handle threats that involve villains in clown makeup and giant freeze rays without him. In fact, he may end up empowering Batman even more if he shows he cannot deliver. It's a stressful situation for someone whose sanity is always in question. His ability to handle that situation remains uncertain, even with his sanity intact.

In a sense, Batman: White Knight #6 encompasses two distinct stories. One is the culmination of Batman's world collapsing around him and the other is a setup for Napier's ultimate test. One is heavy on drama, but the other somewhat distracts from that drama. It still makes for a powerful, compelling narrative that undercuts Batman's core identity. Some of that narrative, however, gets undercut by Napier's own evolving conflicts.

The ending still provides compelling insights that hint at the growing instability of Jack Napier's efforts. He's succeeding in his efforts to ultimately defeat Batman, but it's not without complications and for once, those complications don't involve a shortage of clown makeup or exploding cupcakes. Whether or not Jack Napier can succeed where Batman fails will prove whether such deconstruction is ultimately good for Gotham or just another bad joke.

Final Score: 6 out of 10

Jokes And Harsh Truths: Batman: White Knight #4

The following is my review of Batman: White Knight #4, which was posted on PopMatters.com.

If any competent therapist were to sit down with most superheroes not named Superman, then it's very likely they would diagnose them with some form of mental illness, be it a chemical imbalance or personality disorder. It says something about the persona of superheroes that part of what makes them who they are requires some sort of psychological aberration that drives them to do what they do.

While some heroes carry themselves better than others, it's hard to argue that Batman is the picture of mental health. So much of what he does and why he does it is built around the trauma he experiences as a child. In a sense, Bruce Wayne is the mask he wears in that it hides just how tortured he is by that trauma. Batman is his true persona and no licensed therapist would dare call that healthy. It's one of those unspoken truths that often hides within the Batman narrative. Part of what makes the Joker his greatest enemy is his efforts to expose why pretending he's sane is the greatest joke of all.

That's exactly what makes the premise of Batman: White Knight so intriguing. Sean Murphy and Matt Hollingsworth skip the part where they try to find a novel way for the Joker to poke Batman beyond the strict limits he imposes upon himself. Instead, they remove the limits that hold the Joker back, treating his insanity as a barrier similar to the ones on Batman. Absent those barriers, he becomes something far more menacing than a clown armed with exploding whoopee cushions.

Without his insanity, the Joker becomes a threat unlike anything Batman has ever faced before. He's no longer out to just expose his efforts as one elaborate joke. He's out to subvert the entire concept of Batman. Batman: White Knight #4 acts as an indictment of how both Batman and the Gotham City Police operate. In a sense, by being sane, the Joker makes it abundantly obvious just how much of a joke those operations are in practice.

Joke or not, nobody is laughing and that's exactly what makes the narrative so compelling. The Joker, now operating as a public advocate in Jack Napier, uses the same charisma that gets henchmen to wear clown makeup to rally support from the media and the population. What he does is devious, but not in the sense of pumping laughing gas into a crowded warehouse. Rather than make people laugh with hard truths, Jack Napier shoves the truth in everyone's face in a way they can't ignore.

It's haunting in its effectiveness. It comes off as something that could very well play out in the real world, minus the costumed villains and exploding pies. Conceptually, Gotham City has always been a metaphor for a troubled city plagued by crime and corruption, but the only method for confronting those troubles comes from Batman. Jack Napier dares to offer an alternative, one that brings to light the inherent flaws in Batman's approach.

It doesn't help that Batman ends up playing into Napier's hands throughout the course of Batman: White Knight #4. His reactions come off as self-destructive at times, which is understandable given the complications Bruce Wayne is dealing with outside the mask. There's a sense that the trauma that drives Batman is finally catching up with him. Jack Napier is just accelerating the process by putting him in the worst possible situation and without even cracking an insidious smile.

Napier doesn't just go after Batman's principles and sanity. He even goes after his support structure within the Batman family. He does what few have dared to do and offer an alternative to simply letting Batman operate freely with no accountability or oversight. He actually makes an offer to Nightwing and Batgirl that's both intriguing and practical. He doesn't just try to undermine Batman. He tries to one-up him by doing what he's trying to do, but more effectively. That ends up making any effort on Batman's part to cling to his old approach an even bigger joke.

That, in many ways, is the most brilliant part of Jack Napier's plan. He's still doing what the Joker has been attempting to do for years, but without the clown makeup and insane plans that involve exploding novelty gags. He's trying to expose Batman and the injustice around him as a joke and it's working with terrifying efficiency. Nobody is laughing, but there's still plenty of intrigue.

That's not to say everything Jack Napier does in Batman: White Knight #4 goes flawlessly. He does encounter complications, as anyone operating in Gotham City would expect. There are still deranged criminals running around and not all of them wear clown makeup. With or without Batman, these are problems that nobody can ignore for too long, even a reformed Joker. However, the way he handles it is a testament to just how charismatic he can be, even without the makeup.

With every issue of Batman: White Knight, Batman's credibility crumbles and Jack Napier's efforts make more and more sense. Batman: White Knight #4 makes clear that these two personalities cannot coexist, regardless of how sane or insane one of them is. At some point, one of them has to fall and every conceivable force is now working against Batman.

The conclusion of Batman: White Knight #4 opens the door even more distressing truths that will strike Batman to his core. With every truth, what Bruce Wayne does and why he does it becomes less a joke and more a tragedy. The extent of that tragedy, of which much of Batman's motivation is built from, is entering new and distressing territory with Batman: White Knight.

However distressing it may be, the implications are both compelling and revealing. If a superhero's greatest villain can expose the serious flaws in their approach for seeking justice, then what does that say about superheroes in general? It's not an easy question to ask in the first place, but Batman: White Knight's attempt at answering it offers some dark possibilities.

Final Score: 8 out of 10

Secrets, Convergence, and the Sacred: Doomsday Clock #1

The following is my review of Doomsday Clock #1, which was posted on PopMatters.com.

In the colorful history of comics, there are only a handful of sacred concepts that can never be sullied. They can be refined, reimagined, or expanded, but to twist them is akin to poking the Hulk in the eye. It's just a reckless invitation for outrage and anguish. Whether it's Superman's virtue, Batman's gadgets, or Deadpool's love of tacos, these ideas have a special place in comics lore that may as well be carved in adamantium.

In the annuls of the DC mythos, few stories are as sacred or revered as Alan Moore's Watchmen. Even today, it's impossible to overstate just how groundbreaking this story was for DC and comics, as a whole. That story, in all its dark and cynical glory, shows just how far comics can take a particular concept. Watchmen really went for broke, taking on everything from the merits of heroism to the corruption that comes with god-like power. These are all concepts that play out in countless myths and Watchmen found a way to break new ground on these concepts.

It's for that reason that incorporating Watchmen into the DC universe carries a huge risk. It's one thing to expand the world of Watchmen, which was done in the Before Watchmen series. It's quite another to work it into the ongoing upheavals of the DC universe. Geoff Johns and Gary Frank set these worlds on a collision course with the events of DC Rebirth #1.

Now, with Doomsday Clock #1, the collision is imminent and the sacred status of Watchmen is at stake. Given that Johns and Grank are DC's creative equivalent of the A-Team, this historic gamble is in the best possible position to pay off. Doing so, however, means recapturing the same complexities and quirks of Watchmen. That's exactly what Doomsday Clock #1 spends most of the time doing and while Alan Moore may still resent everything DC does with his creations, it finds a way to succeed.

The world of Watchmen is still as dark as ever, but Doomsday Clock #1 effectively doubles down on it, building upon a world where heroes and men with god-like power set humanity on a dark, dangerous course. In a sense, it picks up where the last panel of Watchmen left off in a very literal sense. Rorschach's journal, which thoroughly documented the events of the original Watchmen, helps expose Ozymandias' elaborate ruse. From there, a world built on cynicism and disillusion somehow becomes even darker.

In a sense, the world of Doomsday Clock is the ultimate extreme in terms of what happens when a lie becomes too big to brush aside as an alternate fact. This concept is wholly relevant in an era where the biggest threat isn't the Soviet Union launching a nuclear attack. It's people who buy into the lies, half-truths, and agendas. A willingness to buy into those lies is exactly what characters like Ozymandias exploit, what Rorschach despises, and what the Comedian laughs at.

It's one thing to brush aside stories of presidents colluding with foreign agents. It's quite another to brush aside a massive deception that unleashes armies of monsters and kills millions in a bid to unite the world. That's a lie that nobody in the world of Doomsday Clock can accept or spin. Even the news media at their worst cannot hope to twist the facts into serving an agenda.

Johns and Frank really channel their inner Alan Moore and David Gibbons, which may be much easier today than it was in the mid-80s. They don't just guide the narrative through a darker, more cynical path. They push it to an extent where extremes like nuclear war feel expected, if not logical. They build a world full of people who find out that their heroes and their most powerful icons lied to them in a way that killed millions. It's a dark world, to say the least, and one where outrage manifests in more than hashtags.

Doomsday Clock once again puts the world of Watchmen on the brink of destruction. However, it's the ties to the world of DC Rebirth that really raises the stakes. What happens in this world can't just be brushed aside like one of the many elseworlds that build their structures around apocalyptic scenarios. Due to the events of DC Rebirth #1, these worlds are entwined now. That makes the story that unfolds in Doomsday Clock #1 feel so impactful.

That story doesn't rely heavily on DC's biggest heroes, nor does it try to incorporate the entire cast of Watchmen into the mix. It focuses on key characters like Ozymandias and Rorschach with support from secondary characters like Marionette and the Mime. They guide the bulk of the narrative, bringing Superman and the world of DC's heroes at the end. The ties between the two worlds are somewhat loose, but since they are already established thanks to DC Rebirth #1, there's still a strong sense of cohesion.

A big part of what makes Watchmen such a powerful story is how well it reflects the sentiments of a certain period in history. It's something that Before Watchmen didn't attempt, but Doomsday Clock #1 dares to follow that same approach. By nearly every measure, it works. The themes in the story are even more relevant in 2017 than they were in 1985. Adding the impact on the greater DC Universe only heightens the importance of those themes.

Every comic tries to be groundbreaking in its own right, but few have the context and the themes to achieve this. Watchmen succeeded by being ambitious at just the right time with just the right kind of story. That's a big part of why it has such a sacred status in the history of comics. Doomsday Clock can't achieve that same sacred status just yet, but it succeeds in capturing many of the elements that make Watchmen such a powerful story.

The prospect of the world of Watchmen impacting that of the larger DC universe remains intriguing. The events of Doomsday Clock #1 helps set that story up in a way that captures the same sentiments that make both worlds so compelling. Such an effort still has some lofty goals with some long odds, but so far, that gamble is paying off in a profound way.

Final Score: 9 out of 10

The Joke's On Batman: Batman White Knight #1

The following is my review of Batman White Knight #1, which was posted on PopMatters.com.

Between Marvel and DC Comics, there's a significant glut of alternate universes, alternate versions, and blatant rip-offs of various characters. When a character becomes as successful and iconic as Batman, it's somewhat unavoidable. For every iconic hero, there are a hundred more that are as much an afterthought as a typical storm trooper on Star Wars. For that same hero, there are plenty of other versions that attempt to milk the success of that icon to the utmost and beyond.

Batman is no stranger to derivations and alterations. Some, such as Terry McGuinness from Batman Beyond, find a way to be successful. Others turn into gimmicks, at best. However, none can every claim to have tried something as bold as Sean Murphy tries in Batman: White Knight #1. This story doesn't just tweak the winning formula that has made Batman so successful over the past 70 years. It turns it on its head, inside out, and everything in between.

Murphy dares to invert one of the most fundamental conflicts in the Batman mythos, namely that between him and the Joker. This struggle, which dates back to the earliest days of Batman, is the conflict that most defines him. His pursuit of justice is an unstoppable force, but the Joker's maniacal chaos is an immovable object. For decades, neither one of them seems able to subvert the other. Murphy decides to take that conflict a step further, so much so that changes the rules of the conflict entirely.

It's a concept that can either break new ground or collapse on itself. Batman: White Knight #1 walks a fine line with that concept, attempting to flesh it out without the aid of time paradoxes, lazarus pits, or meddling by Dr. Manhattan. When dealing with someone as deranged as the Joker, that counts as an accomplishment. However, by the end of the issue, it's not the Joker that seems deranged. It's Batman and that counts as an even greater accomplishment.

Murphy doesn't necessarily deconstruct Batman. He isn't driven crazy, broken spiritually, or manipulated with some elaborate mind game. Instead, the Joker simply puts himself in a position to point out the glaring flaws in how Batman conducts himself. It goes beyond any arguments around justice, chaos, or the comedic value of clowns. He dares to stand up to Batman and tell him, flat out, that he's the crazy one. He's the one who does far more damage to Gotham than any maniacal clown ever could.

It's a strange, but compelling argument. On paper, it doesn't check every box, but it's hard to overlook the signs. Batman is, as the Joker puts it, a catalyst for the crime and injustice that he claims to fight against. He doesn't see his efforts to fight criminals as an effort to improve Gotham. He sees it as some selfish ploy by Batman to fix a soul that was broken before the Joker ever introduced anyone to exploding pies. While he doesn't put too much substance behind the argument, it does highlight some glaring issues with Batman that even his most ardent defenders can't deny.

That argument makes the narrative of Batman: White Knight #1 engaging and nuanced. It comes off as a necessary and overdue criticism, of sorts, for Batman's methods and the extent to which the Gotham Police tolerate it. Beyond that argument, though, the particulars are somewhat underdeveloped. There are more than a couple contrivances that get squeezed into the story to make it work, primarily the method Batman uses to render the Joker sane enough to make these arguments in the first place. It's not the same as another chemical bath or a trick by Mr. Mxyzptlk, but it's not far off.

The ease with which the Joker tempts Batman and the apparent lack of effort Batman puts into resisting that temptation comes off as shallow. The complexities of Batman that are almost always on full display seem muted. While there is some context to Batman's shortsightedness, it relies too much on making excuses for his attitude rather than actually countering the Joker's arguments. The fact it's an excuse ripped from the Batman and Robin movie doesn't help either.

In addition, Batman: White Knight #1 doesn't attempt to flesh out the mystery surrounding the Joker's backstory, which has been a key element to his character since the days of Alan Moore. It essentially removes the mystery, giving the Joker a name, a method, and an identity behind the clown makeup. There's no shocking revelation or cosmic insight from the Mobius Chair. It's presented as something that could easily be gleaned from a quick Wikipedia search.

In some respects, though, removing the Joker's mystery is necessary for the story. It's the only way for him to really counter Batman on a personal and philosophical level. Once the clown makeup comes off, he somehow becomes more daunting because he no longer has insanity holding him back. Instead, he becomes a man who exposes the lies, jokes, and frauds without laughing at them. Take away that twisted sense of humor and it's not clear whether he's a villain or a hero at this point.

That's the greatest appeal of Batman: White Knight #1. It presents Batman with an existential crisis that doesn't involve deadly novelty gags, crippling close friends, or corrupting innocent souls. It calls into question the methods and justifications he puts into being Batman, as well as the price that others pay for his actions. In a sense, nobody has ever been either crazy or sane enough to attack Batman on this level. It's only fitting that the one person capable of that feat is the Joker.


Final Score: 7 out of 10

When Worlds Collide (and Thrive): Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #3

The following is my review of Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #3, which was posted on PopMatters.com.

There are certain crossovers that make us question the sobriety of the minds behind them. Back in the late 90s, someone thought it would be a good idea to do a crossover with the Power Rangers and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Keep in mind, this was during the forgettable Venus de Milo era for the Ninja Turtles. In terms of potential, this one was ill-timed, behind the curve, and utterly untenable in every measurable way.

Fast forward a decade-and-a-half, throw in Megan Fox, a successful cartoon, and a Michael Bay movie, and the situation is very different for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The same can be said for Batman. He rode three Christopher Nolan movies over the course of a decade to a new level respectability, which is saying a lot in the post-Bat Nipples era. That begs the question. Why can’t a crossover between Batman and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles work?

On the surface, it sounds like the kind of question only a kid hopped up on sugar in the mid-90s would ask, but it’s a question that James Tynion IV has been answering in Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. After two issues, Tynion IV makes the case that this is one of those crossovers that should be right up there with Wolverine and Captain America, Batman and Superman, or Deadpool and strippers.

In Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #3, the once-outlandish question finally manifests in a story that captures all the right elements for Batman and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, right down to Michelangelo’s immaturity. These elements aren’t overly complicated, even though they involve universe-hopping, ninja battles, and technobabble ripped from Star Trek. It still works because compared to a typical episode of the old Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon, it might as well be a typical Tuesday.

The story takes its time, sometimes to a frustrating degree, to set up the conflict that brings Batman and the turtles together. When the teasing finally ends, the payoff is undeniable. Like a movie trailer that doesn’t spoil the best parts of a movie beforehand, it guides the story into a satisfying convergence.

The greatest strength of this convergence has little to do with the inherent theatrics of Batman teaming up with a team of teenage anthropomorphic turtles. Tynion IV creates heavy stakes for both sides, especially for the turtles. He puts them in a position where they can’t just hang out in the Batcave and drool over Batman’s gadgets. They have to return to their world or they revert back to their pre-mutated form.

The reason for this is more than a little contrived, even by the weighted standards of early-90s cartoons, but it accomplishes an important task. It creates a sense of urgency and dramatic weight, which are often among the first casualties in an atypical crossover. Too often, such a narrative relies heavily on the novelty alone to carry the story. Tynion IV actually tries to build a functional story around it. When that story involves pizza-loving turtle humanoids, this can be a challenge.

The story that culminates in Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #3, certainly meets that challenge and does so without undermining the personality of each character. Michelangelo is still lovably immature. Donatello is still lovably nerdy. Raphael is still lovably temperamental. Batman is still the dark, brooding ball of angst he’s always been. There’s nothing about these characters that every person born after 1987 will find out of place.

The combination of personality and story help convey the necessary impact as the conflict progresses. At times, it’s presented as the final conflict of the story, but it ends up being a setback that paves the way for a much larger conflict. The unexpected tactics of Shredder, which is saying something for someone who teams up with alien brain creatures, adds a compelling twist to a story built on a premise that most over the age of 12 wouldn't struggle to take seriously.

This twist in the story, along with the high stakes it established, promises more coordination between Batman and the turtles. Companies like Apple make their billions by giving us things we never knew we needed. Tynion IV follows this business model to the letter, creating something that we didn’t know we wanted until it was presented. It might not trigger the same excitement as the next iPhone, but it does generate plenty of intrigue.

That’s not to say there aren’t some shortcomings in the story. There are times when it feels rushed and in many respects, it has to be. There’s only so much time a story can dedicate to two entirely different worlds interacting with one another before it becomes akin to an economics lecture. There isn’t much time and energy put into a more in-depth interaction between Batman’s world and the world of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. That’s entirely understandable, but requires one too many assumptions.

While Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #3 is not presented as the final showdown for the conflict that unfolds, the action is somewhat muted due to being rushed. However, it never gives the impression that anything is being glossed over or underplayed. There is still plenty of story left and plenty of directions it can take. Between Batman’s resources and Michelangelo’s talent for screwing around, there’s plenty of entertainment value to be had.

It is a remarkable accomplishment, creating a functional crossover between Batman and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Maybe Batman is just more flexible than the Power Rangers, but there’s something to be said about a story that threats the concept as more than a gimmick. In an era where unwritten rules dictate that every gimmick be done to death, it’s refreshing to find one like this that is genuinely enjoyable.

Final Score: 9 out of 10

Work/Life (Im)balance: Batgirl #45

The following is my review of Batgirl #45, which was posted on PopMatters.com.

When it comes to work/life balance, too many people see it as an either/or proposition. You work for 30 hours a day, toiling endlessly in the reckless pursuit of advancing a career that may or may not have room to advance. Or you can work with the same spirit as a Dilbert cartoon, seeing it only as a chore that gets in the way of whatever your true interests might be. There's a vast gray area in which most people operate, but it's also an area that is ill-suited for Batman and others like him.

In that sense, Barbara Gordon makes the most concerted effort of the Batman family to balance work and life. She doesn't dedicate three-fourths of her day to living in a cave, analyzing crime patterns, and endlessly debating with Superman. She actually tries to have a functioning personal life in addition to being Batgirl. She's a college student now, trying to live off a diet of lattes and Ramen Noodle while fighting crime. For the most part, Barbara has managed to avoid having the kind of nervous breakdown that most ordinary college students have during midterms. But like tuition hikes and overpriced textbooks, there are bound to be complications.

These complications in Barbara Gordona's life, both in and out of the mask, have been slowly developing. Batgirl #45 attempts to accelerate that development. While the pace isn't going to be hazardous to anyone with a heart condition, it at least develops the parts of her life that usually get overlooked. It might not be as exciting as a fist-fight with the Joker, but it's still refreshing and meaningful.

There's no crime to fight in this issue. This isn't a case of Peter Parker getting a pay cut because the Hobgoblin attacked him on the way to work. The most pressing concern for Barbara and Batgirl in this issue is her friend Alysia's wedding. On the surface, it's mundane by Batman standards. Unless the wedding is subject to a random attack by Clayface, it doesn't seem like an event worth exploring. But Cameron Stewart and Brenden Fletcher make the case that there is something compelling here.

Usually, when there's a wedding involving superheroes, it's only compelling if it coincides with a disaster that makes the first two Hangover movies look tame by comparison. We've come to expect the life of a superhero to make major events like weddings a magnet for super-villains, assassins, and the occasional killer robot. None of those threats show up at Alysia's wedding, but someone disruptive does enter the picture. And his name is Dick Grayson.

This is where the tone of the Batgirl series as a whole sets itself apart. Rather than put Barbara in a situation where her superhero life gets in the way of her personal life, Stewart and Fletcher blur the line between those lives. They put Barbara in a position where she has to deal with someone who was and still is part of both lives. It's an awkward position to be in, even when it's not on a friend's wedding day. But it's that awkwardness that makes it compelling and not in the same mold as a typical Jennifer Anniston movie.

While there's no major crime for Batgirl to fight, she does don her costume. She does end up chasing Dick in a way that helps them relive their history together. It's a history where major complications have kept them from developing a serious relationship. And Dick being "dead" is hardly the biggest complication.

Throughout the course of the Batgirl series, Barbara has focused on moving forward with her life. She's established herself as both a superhero and a college student. She even managed to find time to make new friends, some of which act as de-facto allies to the Batman family. She also has a new love interest in her life in Luke Fox. These are the new facets of her life. Dick Grayson is one of those old facets. He's not one of those bitter exes that would post embarrassing pictures on Facebook, but he makes clear that he still has an impact on Barbara.

It's this impact that gives the issue meaning. It provides a unique context to the progress Barbara has made with her life at this point. She's trying to move forward, but her behavior around Dick Grayson shows that a part of her is still clinging to the past. And it's not just because Dick Grayson has a way of making women weak in the knees. He and Barbara have a much richer history than Barbara and Luke Fox. And it's not like that history became tainted by a deal with Mephisto. It still has emotional weight.

In some ways, that's the biggest shortcoming of Batgirl #45. As meaningful as the interaction is between Barbara and Dick, there's never a sense of closure. It has emotional depth, but it doesn't give the impression that anything has changed. Barbara and Dick still can't be part of each other's lives. There's still an emotional connection between them. But beyond that, there isn't much progress in terms of character development. And what little there is certainly doesn't give the impression that Barbara Gordon and Luke Wilson will be DC's next power couple.

As a part of the story in Barbara Gordon's new life, this issue acts as a meaningful connection between the past and present. It lacks action in that this is one of those rare comic book weddings where the ceremony isn't ruined by a super-villain, alien invasion, or something of the sort. It's not meant to be the Red Wedding episode of Game of Thrones.

As such, it's not going to generate a lot of excitement or a lot of outrage from One Million Moms. It tries to do something different. It succeeds in part, but lacks the impact to make it feel complete. It's still another step forward in this new life for Barbara Gordon. The fact that she could make it through her friend's wedding without someone being abducted puts her way ahead of Peter Parker.

Final Score: 7 out of 10

Forging A New Batman: Justice League Gods and Monsters: Batman #1

The following is my review of Justice League Gods and Monsters: Batman #1, which was posted on PopMatters.com.

What does it take to become Batman? It's one thing to put on a costume, talk like a hung over Christian Bale, and declare a war on criminals. Any kid on Halloween or dedicated cos-player can do that. The actual process of becoming Batman, a dark knight of vengeance, is a lot more difficult. As the Val Kilmers and George Clooneys of the world have shown, not just anybody can step into that role.

This is exactly the challenge that Kirk Langstrom faces in Justice League Gods and Monsters: Batman #1. The vision established by Bruce Timm is pretty bold. He seeks to completely revamp DC's big three heroes, including Batman. But he's not just looking to recast Bruce Wayne with Ben Affleck while Christian Bale retires.

Bruce Timm wants to build a Batman up from scratch and he's using Kirk Langstrom, who has only ever been a poor man's Killer Croc as Man-Bat. If he hadn't been the visionary behind the acclaimed Batman: The Animated Series, he'd be laughed out of the room for pitching such an idea. But his credentials and legacy have earned him the right to pursue crazy ideas. We give Elon Musk that same luxury so why not Bruce Timm? But even with his impeccable legacy, can he build a new Batman out of Kirk Langstrom?

That's a difficult question to answer, but that's actually a good thing because Justice League Gods and Monsters: Batman #1 makes a genuine case that Kirk Langstrom can carry that title. The narrative doesn't try to make him too much like Bruce Wayne. He's not a rich kid who suffered tragedy. He didn't get bitten by some radioactive creature or anything like that. Timm makes a genuine effort to do something different that still puts him on the same path. Just doing it without the aid of aliens and radioactive animals is an accomplishment.

There are still some similarities. Like Bruce Wayne, Kirk Langstrom became Batman through a tragedy. The main difference, however, is that this tragedy was self-inflicted. And that's a problem right off the bat because a self-inflicted tragedy is like a self-fulfilling prophecy in that it undermines the definition. Langstrom became Batman because he tried to cure his cancer with a crazy, untested treatment using bat venom. Like taking speech lessons from Ozzy Osborne, it didn't turn out well.

It's a shaky foundation, but it doesn't keep Langstrom from being a compelling character who can believably carry himself like Batman. In the same way Bruce Wayne became more detached from the world, Langstrom does the same. The early parts of the story show how he's cut ties with every friend, relative, and associate he's ever known. And he does it without the aid of a cave or a mansion. In many respects, that makes his loneliness more tragic and more compelling.

But like Bruce Wayne, becoming detached allows Kirk Langstrom to focus all his energy on fighting crime. For Langstrom, he doesn't need criminals to kill his parents to make him do this. In many respects, it's how he makes the best of a bad situation. His cancer is cured, but now he has to feed like a vampire and there's no True Blood in this world. So if he's going to survive by hurting people, he might as well hurt criminals. It makes sense. It also makes him more like Michael Morbius than Bruce Wayne, but he does manage to set himself apart.

Vampire or not, Langstrom is still a brilliant man with a brilliant mind. He's able to use this in the same way Bruce Wayne uses his mind to solve crimes. He carries himself like a detective in how he hunts down criminals like Lew Moxon and Rupert Thorn, names that have appeared in Batman stories before. He also uses cunning and disguises in a way any believable Batman would. Langstrom is just much less hesitant to slaughter criminals rather than trusting the Gotham police to keep them locked up. Given how the Joker seems to escape every other week, it could be argued that his method is more efficient.

While this method of doing business is richly detailed and beautifully visceral, it does take away from another key component of being Batman. He fights criminals and he uses detective skills to get the job done. But one of Batman's defining qualities is that he works with the law and tries to arrest criminals. Kirk Langstrom does none of that. These criminals are basically just walking TV dinners to him.

That's not to say it doesn't make for a good story and meaningful character development. In fact, very few parts of the story actually involve Langstrom fighting criminals. Most of the story is spent with him investigating the criminal underworld. At one point, he actually makes a personal connection with son of one of the criminals he kills. This connection helps flesh out the best parts of Kirk Langstrom's personality. It's a personality that keeps him from becoming too much Man-Bat and not enough Batman. It's also this connection that helps flesh out the dark world that Langstrom is a part of, which is wholly consistent with the dark world that Batman has always occupied.

This dark world is full of tragedy and despair, revealing the ugliest parts of humanity. This is what Batman confronts and this is what he represents. He's the guy that runs into this terrible corner of the human condition while most ordinary, sane people will sprint marathons barefoot to avoid it. That's the key theme of Batman as a character and Kirk Langstrom, with all the Twilight and True Blood connotations that come with it, is able to capture this theme.

The biggest challenge of Justice League Gods and Monsters: Batman #1 was making Kirk Langstrom a believable Batman. By the end of the story, he makes a case that would at the very least generate debate. While he does capture the main themes of Batman, the deficiencies in the way he operates are hard to work around. If he were a pro football team, he could qualify for the playoffs as a wild card. He's not championship caliber, but this story firmly establishes that he's a solid contender.

Final Score: 7 out of 10

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice - Official Teaser Trailer [HD]

New rule, Hollywood. Don't ever announce when your trailer is going to be released. It will get leaked early. Like Rule 34, the internet finds a way. Between the dick pics and cat videos, there are rules and the internet is damn good at following them. For some reason, WB didn't get the memo. They announced the Batman v Superman trailer for next week. Guess what fucking happened? Well, I hope they learned their lesson, but they probably didn't.

Exposing Strengths and Weaknesses: Batman/Superman Annual #2

The following is my review of Batman/Superman Annual #2, which was posted on PopMatters.com.

There aren't a whole lot of things from the 1930s that are still around in their original form. Phones have gotten more advanced, cars have gotten more efficient, and polio is not nearly the concern it once was. But of the few things that have endured from that time of jazz, vaudeville, and economic stagnation, the most memorable constant that doesn't involve an FDR speech is still Superman.

Across generations and multiple wars, both hot and cold, we all know what Superman stands for. He is the embodiment of an ideal. He stands for truth, justice, and the American way before the American way became associated with drone strikes and bank bailouts. He might be the most powerful being in the world, capable of moving planets and winning a fight with Lex Luthor by sneezing. But he still always does the right thing, using his power to help people. It's the way we wish presidents, dictators, and prime minsters would behave. Most of them fail, but Superman still embodies the idea that power doesn't shouldn't keep people from doing the right thing.

So what if he didn't have that power? Could he still help people? Could he do so without being outwitted and overpowered in a way that most would experience if they challenged Chuck Norris to a cage fight? Those are all questions that Batman/Superman #2 Annual attempts to answer and it certainly is a question that's worth answering. Because if Superman can only do what he needs to do because of his powers, then that undermines his credibility in the same way Bruce Wayne being a lousy tipper would undermine his.

And that answer ends up making for an entertaining, action-packed struggle that once again shows that Superman's greatest strengths don't lie with his powers. He doesn't just prove it to those he's trying to help either. He also proves it to Batman. And when Batman is convinced of something, the argument is over. Even a creationist wouldn't deny it at that point.

What makes this struggle so entertaining is that it doesn't just put Superman in a position where he has to save the day without using his powers. It doesn't involve him stopping an armed robber, getting a cat down from a tree, or helping an old lady across the street. He has to battle the likes of Bane, Killer Corc, Cheshire, and an army of Man-Bats. These are the sorts of battles that Batman might be used to fighting during his summer vacation, but it's new to Superman. Even so, he finds a way to rise to the challenge.

The setup is pretty straight-forward. The Phantom King forces Superman to use his newly discovered solar flare power to save a city that had been devastated by Doomsday. This makes him vulnerable and since the Phantom King is still stuck in the Phantom Zone, he enlists some of Batman's cast-offs to finish Superman off while he's vulnerable. From a purely strategic point of view, it's actually pretty brilliant. De-power Superman and then have him face the kind of thugs that give Batman trouble. Because if they can annoy Batman, they're perfectly capable of maiming 99 percent of non-powered individuals.

But Superman proves he's part of that tiny one percent that can handle himself without powers. And he does this while Batman keeps trying to take care of the situation himself. Whereas most are content to let Batman do what he does bast, Superman still seeks to help and he seeks to do it as Clark Kent and not Superman. It's one of those rare instances where the strength of Clark Kent and the strength of Superman are really one in the same. It is possible for him to save the day without having to move planets or bend the laws of physics. And unlike Batman, he does it in a way non-brooding, non-Christopher Nolan manner.

At no point in the struggle does Clark Kent show any fear or hesitation to participate in this battle. Even though he's as vulnerable as any unlucky tourist that ended up on the wrong side of downtown Detroit, he still carries himself with the strength of Superman. He does this even when Batman attempts to restrain him for his own safety. It's a very unfamiliar and pretty humorous take on Superman. It would be like Adam Sandler attending the Oscars.

Moments like this help highlight the unique dynamic between Batman and Superman. Usually it's Superman who has to do the heavy hitting in a struggle. This time Batman has to play that role and he plays it in a way that would make Christian Bale proud. But in the end, he still needs Superman's help to finish the job. And this is what leads to the most defining moment of this story.

It's not enough for Batman/Superman Annual #2 to explore Superman's strengths, even in the absence of his powers. There have been stories about that since the Great Depression. The main strength of this story comes from revealing Superman's greatest weakness and this time it doesn't involve a glowing green rock. Even though Batman and Superman win the main battle, the Phantom King still wins the war. He does this in a way that plays to one of Superman's most admirable traits. He trusts people.

It's not a weakness in and of itself. We all need to trust others to some degree. Even Ayan Rand had to trust that her books wouldn't become fodder for political attack ads, as misplaced as it may have been. But it's a weakness that's exposed in the worst possible way for Superman. It's a weakness that the Phantom King exploits at the perfect moment when it seems as though Superman once again proved that he can be Superman without his powers. It provides an ending that has just the right impact after a battle that struck just the right balance.

Like the final play of this year's Superbowl, Batman/Superman Annual #2 gave a thrilling ending that will thrill some and horrify others. And this time, it isn't just the city of Seattle that's horrified. The questions surrounding whether Superman can be who he is without his powers are all neatly answered. But the answer isn't as comfortable as some probably wish it were. At the end of the day, doing the right thing for the right reasons is a great power to have. But not being bulletproof means it's a lot easier for the wrong people to ruin your day.

Final Score: 10 out of 10

Excessively Bad Days and Bad Moods: Batgirl #32

The following is my review of Batgirl #32, which was posted on PopMatters.com.

We’ve all had bad days that have put us in bad moods. It doesn’t how rich someone is, how attractive they are, or how much power they wield. Sooner or later, they’re going to have a day where it feels like the universe is conspiring against them. On those days, we are all in our own Jason Bourne movie and the CIA is way more competent. We’re constantly on the brink of tearing our hair out and punching the nearest brick wall. From high school to retirement, these are the kinds of days where we wish we could crawl back into our mother’s womb and get away from it all. In that respect, we can all relate to the day Barbara Gordon is having in Batgirl #32.

Since regaining the use of her legs and becoming Batgirl again, Barbara Gordon’s have has been in flux. She has had her share of good days and bad days. She became close friends with her roommate, Alysia. She reconnected with her mother. She even found time to turn a former car thief into a boyfriend in Ricky Gutierrez. But lately, the bad days have been outnumbering the good by an increasingly wide margin. Between her brother dying, her father going to jail, and her boyfriend suing her father, she’s on a bit of a losing streak to say the least. Short of losing her cell phone, Batgirl is on the brink and Batgirl #32 promises to give her a violent shove.

She deals with many sources of frustration, as is to be expected of anyone in the Batman family, but the most pressing comes from Knightfall. By most standards, it’s a standard crime syndicate. By Gotham City standards, it’s the most dangerous kind of crime syndicate in that they’re more competent than those that rely on freeze rays, poisonous plants, and laughing gas. Their competence has allowed them to evade Batgirl, staying a step ahead of her no matter what she does. It’s like running a race where every other runner has a head start. Needless to say, this leaves Batgirl pretty frustrated.

But beyond her work as Batgirl, she also has some very different kinds of frustration adding to that violent shove. In addition to her father being in jail, her boyfriend, Ricky, is suing him for shooting him in a horribly mismanaged raid that occurred several issues ago. Any kind of frustration is difficult to deal with, but it can always be made worse when lawyers are involved. It’s an effective one-two punch for Batgirl, her personal life and her professional life working against her in ways that no amount of spa trips could hope to alleviate.

These are some big, heart-wrenching issues that are attacking Barbara Gordon on all fronts. Yet it doesn’t stop there. Even the little things are adding to her frustration. She comes home hoping to unwind, or at least get away from anymore brick walls to punch, only to walk in on her roommate getting intimate with her girlfriend. On any ordinary day, it would be one of those things that she could probably laugh off. But on a bad day like this, it might as well be an extra punch to the jaw after she has already lost a few teeth.

At this point, Batgirl’s life is more than just a string of unfortunate events. Bad luck only goes so far. Even casino owners understand that. But it starts to get a little excessive when one of Barbara’s old friends, Munira Khairuddin, tracks her down while she’s out for a morning jog to clear her head. She’s not looking to catch up over a cappuccino and a beagle either. She actually drugs Barbara, abducts her, and tries to recruit her into some elite counter-terrorism squad that requires that she sever all ties to her family and become a ghost. It’s like someone having their identity stolen and being forced to work for the identity thieves.

Munira claims she wants to enlist Barbara because she’s they were college friends who respected each other’s skills. She also warns her that Knightfall is about to launch some massive attack on Gotham that would be on par of Pablo Escobar taking hostages at the White House. Her sales pitch is pretty lousy. She basically asks Barbara to join a version of the NSA with guns and even less accountability. She even warns her that refusing this offer has consequences, which gives the impression it’s not much of an offer. Maybe Barbara would have actually considered it if she weren’t having such a lousy day. To be fair, Munira has no idea how rotten her luck has been lately. But the damage is done.

At this point, the plot has gone beyond Batgirl just having a string of bad days to piling on. She’s having a rough time. There’s no need to reinforce it anymore. It’s expected that superheroes have more bad days than most people and some of their worst days make for great stories. This issue did a nice job building on Batgirl’s recent hardships, but the level of torment inflicted upon her just becomes excessive, so much so that it loses its impact. People can only relate so much to bad days that involve abductions, lawsuits, and promiscuous roommates. Like football team that gets blown out for nine straight games, it eventually loses its impact.

To Batgirl’s credit, she deals with this uninterrupted string of bad luck better than most people could ever hope to manage. That’s why she’s part of the Batman family. Dealing with bad days isn’t just part of the job. It’s as useful as any grappling hook. She eventually enlists help from other female heroines, including Black Canary and Huntress. Most people in bad moods are content punching more walls rather than seeking help from friends. It offers at least some hope that Batgirl’s string of bad days will end at some point.

Batgirl #32 succeeded in taking Barbara Gordon to as low a point as she could have without another visit from the Joker. It added both personal and professional struggles, sometimes excessively. While the impact of those struggles became muted at times, it still strikes all the right chords. Now anyone who has a bad day has much less reason to complain. If Barbara Gordon can get through this issue without punching any brick walls, then nobody has any excuses.

Final Score: 8 out of 10

The Final Boss: Batman/Superman #7

The following is my review of Batman/Superman #7, which was posted on PopMatters.com.

Generations of blood sports and media violence has petrified the overly conservative crowd about the effects it has had on youth. Every now and then, one of these overly conservative cronies will whine loud enough to get the attention of politicians and pundits. They’ll try to argue that violence in the media serves no purpose. They’ll come off as doomsayers that claim everyone who partakes will become overgrown crack babies who regard human life with the same disdain as they regard pixilated images of Nazis. It’s like they don’t even consider that this brand of media can actually have a positive effect.

In Batman/Superman #7, the whining and complaining of the talking heads has taken form and substance. Mongul has created a massive network of professional gamers to wage war on the scale he desires. That network has forced Batman and Superman to fight each other in a unique and sometimes off-beat way. There’s no heated rivalry or intense philosophical disagreements. They’re just at the mercy of Mongul’s gaming hive-mind and with help from Toymaster, they might as well have joysticks wired into their spines.

This battle between Superman and Batman has been novel and laced with a special brand of satire, portraying the professional gamers that unknowingly have control of the two most powerful heroes in the DC Universe as disconnected and cynical. But as the battle plays out, it takes on a very different tone. Like playing a game of poker with a known cheater, Superman and Batman understand that they can’t win if they play by the rules. But this is where one of the unstated positives of media violence and gaming can have.

Experienced gamers are a lot like movie buffs who have seen one too many horror movies use the same formula. They pick up on the subtle signs and patters that let them know when something isn’t what it seems. In a horror movie, it may be that cute, innocent-looking girl that the masked killer is chasing and can’t seem to kill. That girl usually turns out to be the sister, girlfriend, or relative of the killer. Or it could be more elaborate than that. She could be a wizard, a psychic, or half-vampire. But experienced horror movie fans will know that something is different about her. And Mongul doesn’t seem to think that the professional gamers he’s exploiting will notice that something is very wrong with this game.

Jimmy Olsen, Superman’s pal, is the first to notice. Then Superman himself picks up on it. While he may not be much of a gamer, he understands them enough to know they don’t appreciate being exploited. So in the same way child stars don’t appreciate being exploited by their parents, they get upset and lash out against the one that’s pulling the strings. And unlike the parents of child stars, the secret villains in a video game don’t have lawyers and contracts to hide behind. Superman needs only to reveal the hidden boss to the gamers and they can take it from there.

He does this by exploiting the rules of gaming itself, allowing himself to be defeated so that he can become a player himself. This allows him to become part of the hive that Mongul is trying to exploit. But exploiting Superman is like trying to scam the Mafia. It doesn’t turn out well. By turning the game against Mongul, he strips away the more satirical tone of the story and exposes some traits about gaming that will probably never be discussed on a segment on Fox News. Gamers may become desensitized by the destruction and bloodshed of certain kinds of imagery, but they’ll never be desensitized to the satisfaction of beating up on the final boss. From Mario to Mortal Kombat, it’s what many gamers live for. And Superman makes it even more of an experience in the final battle.

In the same way the story is told through the point of view of the gamers, the gamers also get to experience the battle through Superman. It’s an experience that can never be conveyed with words or pictures. By actually playing through Superman, the gamers get to be the embodiment of good that he idealizes. It’s turns the game from a spectacle to an opportunity. In any other circumstance, it would be overwhelming to be Superman. But in the context of a game, it’s not just possible. It conveys a special kind of thrill. It shows that as much as games can allow people to exercise their worst traits, it can also help them exercise their best traits. It’s a two-way street that for which only one direction gets most of the traffic. And in this case, it helps save the day almost as much as Superman and Batman.

The overarching theme of this arc has been pretty erratic. At times, it’s too erratic and difficult to follow. But taken as a whole, it is a theme that resonates in a unique way. The only thing that keeps it from resonating more is the lack of a personal touch. There is an effort to take Toymaster’s female associate and give her more of a personal role in the outcome of the story. But it seems out-of-place and underdeveloped.

Batman/Superman #7 never came off as a story where the outcome was in doubt. Like so many other stories about DC’s mightiest heroes, they find a way to defeat the powerful villains that plot against them. But it’s the unique manner in which Superman and Batman defeated Mongul that makes it satisfying. It did not follow a traditional path. It took the concept of gaming and made what could have been just another battle against an unruly space tyrant into a spectacle. It won’t overwhelm anybody with melodrama or suspense, but it is still entertaining and insightful. It reminds everybody that video games are as close to being Superman and Batman as they’re ever going to get.

Final Score: 8 out of 10

Satirical Muscle: Batman/Superman #6

The following is my review of Batman/Superman #6, which was posted on PopMatters.com.

It’s a story that has played out many times and in many different forms. A powerful alien tyrant less regard for human life than a hungry grizzly bear arrives on Earth and picks a fight with its mightiest heroes. Those heroes fight back, punches are thrown, buildings are destroyed, human life is threatened, and eventually the hero triumphs. It is a theme so common that modern audiences have become desensitized to it. In the same way news of Lindsey Lohan’s latest arrest fails to raise an eyebrow, a battle between Superman and the alien overlord, Mongul, is hardly a novel concept. However, that’s exactly the point that is conveyed in Batman/Superman #6.

Batman and Superman are two of the most powerful forces in DC Comics. They’ve been the subject of numerous epic battles and multiple blockbuster movies. The residents of the DC Universe have seen these two triumph so many times that it has become expected. So when Mongul arrives on Earth, some don’t even treat it as a threat. They treat it as a game. And that’s exactly the genius of Mongul’s plan. He wants it to be thought of as a game because to him, it is a game. He’s just the only one playing for real stakes.

The battle between Mongul, Batman, and Superman is almost secondary. Much of the story is told from the point of view of a team of virtual gamers, including Superman’s friend, Jimmy Olsen. They have been led to believe by Toymaster that they are test driving an advanced game that just happens to involve Superman and Batman fighting Mongul. But neither they, nor Toymaster for that matter, know that one of Mongul’s alien associates helped create the game using alien nanotechnology. This allows the gamers to influence Superman and Batman, something that Lex Luthor and the Joker have failed to do on more than one occasion. It creates a very difficult situation for two of the Earth’s mightiest heroes, but it also creates an interesting narrative that’s downright coy at times.

There’s a sort of superimposed satire surrounding the story. As Batman and Superman are fighting to defeat Mongul and protect innocent people, the gamers treat it as trivial. The finer details of the struggle are greeted with a yawn. They’re like those annoying commercials in a recorded TV show that everyone loves to skip. It undermines the actual struggle, taking away from the seriousness of the situation. It would be like mixing coverage of a terrorist attack with a game show and therein lies strength of the story.

Even after Jimmy Olson realizes that the game he thinks he’s playing is actually happening, Mongul and Toymaster still treat it as such. Like a showman at a demolition derby preying on peoples’ appetite for destruction, drawing in other gamers from all over the world and using their collective skills to manipulate Batman and Superman into playing his game. It’s one thing to overcome the mind control of Lex Luthor and the Joker when they’re attempting to twist their enemies into submission. At least the strings that connect to the puppet-master are still visible. In this instance, those strings extend to computer networks all over the world where gamers treat the virtual world as their own personal shooting range.

Without this perspective, it’s just another battle between Superman, Batman, and an ugly alien overlord. It would have a much different impact. Moments like Batman apparently dying might actually be shocking on some levels. But in the context of this story, it’s no different than watching Mario fall of a cliff in a level of Super Mario Brothers. That satirical trivialization of the struggle and the lives involved are what gives this story a different kind of depth. It’s not meant to be overly serious. At the same time, it has some distressing connotations.

At times, however, it’s too trivial. Putting Batman and Superman in a video game where they have to fight Mongul undermines the struggle or any personal story that the characters have. There’s plenty of insight into how Batman and Superman feel about their situation. But it basically amounts to them acting like narrators of their own story. They can’t control themselves because of the influence of Mongul’s game. There’s not much to be gained from that from a characterization standpoint. It’s almost a given that whatever happens to Batman and Superman will have as much lasting impact as a reset button on a real game console.

That doesn’t make the story any less enjoyable. Batman/Superman #6 doesn’t pretend to have a lot of drama or character growth. It’s a story built on a foundation of satire and irony. These gamers who are the source of the conflict are so desensitized to violence and danger that they don’t know that they’re putting the whole planet in danger. There’s something to be said about the attitudes of gamers when they can’t tell the difference between real violence and actual violence, but to be fair they are dealing with alien technology and they don’t know that they’re being deceived. However, that only makes them as innocent as the same people who fall for get rich quick schemes. It’s a game that really is too good to be true in the same way most money-making schemes are too good to be true.

In the end the story in Batman/Superman #6 won’t have much impact outside its entertainment value. Fans won’t be any more shocked, outraged, or disappointed than they were before this comic came out. And the breadth of this story is limited, as is the case with all satire. But it does make for a novel plot from a novel perspective. In an era where everything is a reboot, remake, or sequel, that goes a long ways towards making this story uniquely enjoyable.

Final Score: 8 out of 10

Justice League #1 - Rebooting Awesome

There comes a time in every drunk's life when he wakes up from a black out, his pants are around his ankles, there's some ugly tranny hooker in his bed, and there's some greenish brown stain on his shirt with a smell that can't quite be identified. Now aside from needing another dose of antibiotics for my ass (again), that new clarity is a refreshing feeling. That is after I finish puking. It's a clarity I liken to a reboot. It's not clean. It's not pleasant. It can get pretty damn ugly at times and you end up with scabs on your ass that take months to heal. But you know what? It can be worth it.

I've been talking about the DC reboot with my typical drunken ramblings for some time now. I've had mixed feelings about it, but unlike my failed AA meetings I've vowed to give this a chance. I haven't been an ardent follower of DC comics for a long time. In fact, it wasn't until Blackest Night that I started getting interested again. But even then, the DCU was harder to follow than the plot of the last two Matrix movies and that was without Keanu Reeves's shitty acting. There were gems like Superman, Brightest Day, and Batman Beyond. However, those gems were mixed with mixed with a lot of other clutter that could be a great subject for another episode of hoarders.

Enter Flashpoint. This is DC betting the house, their underwear, and their grandmother's pension on a complete revamp of all their books. This isn't your typical aftermath shit that every event has done since the original Crisis back in the 80s. This a new ball game with a new umpire, a new set of rules, and a whole new arsenal of dicks to fuck with readers. But at the same time it's new, it's fresh, it's different, and it's modernized. How it happened is fucked up. Basically, Flash pulled something that was only slightly lamer than the fucking continuity punch by Superboy. He merged with the speed force and kind of shattered history. And by kinda I mean he fucking date raped it so now we're starting over from square one. I could go on any number of rants about how that was handled, but I would need more booze than a Led Zeppline tour bus. So I'll spare my liver the torment and skip right to the relaunch.

It begins with Justice League #1. This is the book where it starts. It has Geoff Johns and Jim Lee at the helm, which is the equivalent of putting Shakespeare and Michelangelo on the same project. It's as all in you can be with your pants still on. We begin with a new world that really doesn't know superheroes. It's stated outright in the first few words that the events of this arc take place 5 years in the past. So this is how the Justice League came together. It's basically like Batman Begins without having to go through Batman and Robin. Fittingly enough, it involves Batman getting shot at. Remember, no Justice League so when a guy in a cape is running through a city like Gotham the standard protocol for the police is to shoot first and make excuses later. So they're basically the modern day DEA.

Now Batman isn't just outrunning the helicopters for the exercise, although knowing him he probably could. The reason for the bullet shower is a mysterious monster in a cloak that looks like a hooker that just left Charlie Sheen's house. Batman caught him stirring up shit in his city and that's all you need to get on Batman's shit list. So despite a helicopter shooting at him, he still chases the creature. If I was the creature, I'd be shitting my pants. There's some great action moments here. Jim Lee's art really shines and it's a very detailed, very vivid scene. It's like walking in on a cat fight with two hot women already having stripped each other down to their underwear. It's a beautiful thing.

This rooftop chase gets ugly quickly as shit starts going boom. The creature, not unlike a drunk Mel Gibson, gets pretty volatile and is ready to go on an anti-Semitic rant that would earn him a marriage proposal from Iran. It's not the kind of shit that Batman deals with. Then he gets help in the form of a glowing green fire truck. No he doesn't ingest a shitload of magic mushrooms. Everybody knows you only see yellow fire trucks on those. These come courtesy of the Green Lantern. Apparently, a rooftop brawl with a monster looking ready to explode is hard to ignore. So he deals with it in a way only slightly less subtle than waving your dick in the face of the President.

Now despite having his ass saved, Batman is pretty pissed. He doesn't much care for Green Lantern's approach of using giant glowing green projections and not because it's more tacky than a light show at Disney World. Remember those helicopters that were chasing him earlier? Well when they see glowing green shit, they have even more reason to shoot and probably quit drinking. Green Lantern, being the self-confident son-of-a-bitch he is at this point, doesn't break a sweat in blocking their attack. But Batman is still pissed. Then again, he's pissed most of the time anyways so I don't see why it matters.

This scene also highlights an important element of the story. Batman and Green Lantern operate on completely different wavelengths. Batman works within the shadows using stealth and cunning. Green Lantern dresses like a walking traffic signal that can be seen from space. One uses wits. The other uses firepower and smugness. In other words, they're not superfriends. They're heroes, but they get on each others' nerves. In other words, welcome to the new DC people! Where superheroes annoy each other and somehow make it look awesome!

Now annoying each other has another effect. Remember that monster that Batman was facing? Well they apparently weren't annoying it enough because it got up from Green Lantern's little firetruck stunt. Then it turned it's sights on the helicopters, which in the monster's defense were still shooting. So it does what any monster would logically do. It shoots back and the helicopters really don't stand a chance. This being DC, Green Lantern doesn't let them become street pizza. He and Batman stop annoying each other and decide to go after the creature.

As they go after it, they have a more formal introduction. And by formal I mean they look at one another the same way they would look at a hobo beating off in the middle of a street. Batman is clearly trying not to scoff when Green Lantern tells him he's a space cop and that the creature he was chasing was part of an extraterrestrial incursion. Batman doesn't give a damn about that. The creature was still in his city so ET can go screw himself. If that weren't annoying enough, Green Lantern finds it hard to believe that Batman has no superpowers. He's just a guy in a costume. It's a great moment and one of the most memorable of the issue.

Now this is somewhat taboo in DC, pointing out that Batman has no powers. It's like being in an all-girls school, but you know that one girl that is clearly a boy that nobody talks about. It's just easier to ignore it and pretend it isn't an issue. It's a subtle yet fitting way to show that this is a true relaunch. This kind of shit won't be ignored this time and why not? It's the 21st century. We're not as politically correct as we used to be. Thanks a lot Fox News!

Again, the bickering seems to distract that they're chasing an alien. Using the same gags twice in one issue? That's enough to make it seem old already. But again, they drop the macho shit and go after the creature. Again, shit starts blowing up. This time it does so with a message. That message reveals who the big bad guy is that brought the Justice League together in the first place. It's Darkseid. To them, it's sounds like a bad punk band from New Jersey. To DC Comics, it's the heavyweight of bad guys. If you're going to come out with a big opening story, why not bring a juiced up Barry Bonds to the plate? DC wants to swing for the fences, substance abuse regulations be damned!

More reused gimmicks enter the picture. Seriously, it's like they're copying and pasting. Green Lantern's ring saves them again by shielding them from the blast. The creature is gone, but some creepy alien gizmo is left behind. Batman and Green Lantern look at it the same way kids today look at a Walkman made in the 80s. They determine that it's an alien computer. They immediately link it with the only other alien that is well known to them, which happens to be Superman. To DC fans it sounds stupid, connecting an alien monster to Mr. Truth, Justice, and Sarah Palin's masturbatory fantasies. But again, this is a new DC. They don't know each other and they don't know Superman. For all they know Superman is a threat. So instead of going after Darkseid, they go after Superman. It's about as efficient as it sounds.

As they being their search for Superman, we're introduced to a Vic Stone. For all you non DC folk, that's Cyborg but since this is 5 years ago he's not a Cyborg. He's just your typical star high school athlete that's so good and so popular that he has USC and Ohio State throwing illegal benefits at him and cheerleaders throwing pussy at him in all directions. It's a bit unnecessary. It comes off as filler. It seems like a lousy way to introduce a character, but there is some effort to tie Vic into the story. His dad appears to work with superhero folk or at least guys with too much power for the government to tax. But still, it comes off as filler.

Now this scene does make the book drag somewhat. This being Justice League, there isn't that large scale that you would expect of a book like this. Even though it's an introduction arc, it feels like Geoff Johns and Jim Lee are taking their sweet time getting to the juicy bits. I'm glad they're being detailed and all, but for fans too ADD to appreciate those details it may feel like it's dragging ab it.

After Vic is done being distracted from being a star athlete with all the poon he could ever want, Green Lantern and Superman arrive in Metropolis aboard Green Lantern's glowing green jet. No, it's not an acid trip. That's actually how he travels. It's like riding in a pink pinto with a flashing billboard of Natlie Portman riding a bull naked on the back. It's the kind of shit that attracts attention and Batman reminds him (again) that it's a bad idea. But Green Lantern keeps playing the part of arrogant asshole and he plays it well, most likely a secret homage to Ryan Reynolds. And like Ryan Reynolds, readers want to punch him in the balls at this point.

Unfortunately for them, he's beaten to it by a familiar face. That would be Superman who with all his powers is more than capable of noticing a big ass green jet flying over his city. Now will Green Lantern admit that Batman was right? Probably not, but he has to stop shitting himself first because Superman has shown up and he makes sure Green Lantern's balls are sufficiently shriveled before he's an asshole again. It's a great moment and a great scene with Superman showing the kind of poise and ballisness that makes him history's most recognizable superhero.

Say what you will about all the shit between the beginning and the end. This whole comic is worth picking up just for that final page. These guys aren't the Superfriends yet. They don't know that they need to work together to stop an asshole like Darkseid yet. They're like a bunch of free agent athletes with over-bloated egos that were brought in on one team and can't get along. In other words they're like the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys combined. You don't know how they're going to come together in the end. You just know that it's going to make for some awesome moments.

There's a lot to hope for in terms of the future for this comic. However, focusing on the present, the hype surrounding this book was just impossible to live up to. Geoff Johns and Jim Lee did something smart. They didn't rush the story. They didn't try to squeeze every character into one issue. They started by establishing the comic and introducing a few characters. These characters just happen to be very different from one another and get along about as well as Michelle Bachmann gets along with gay voters. It makes for a great exchange, but it doesn't make for an overall great story. It seems long-winded and tedious. Now it's great how they're taking it slow, but when a comic like this is overhyped it just comes off as underwhelming. I get it. It's hard NOT to make a big deal out of a comic like this, but setting the bar that high does cause problems that even the brilliance of Geoff Johns and Jim Lee can't solve.

This is still a worthy comic to relaunch a series. It could have been better, but it could have been a lot worse. It works. It leaves readers with the feeling that the best is just ahead. It succeeds in making the reader want to pick up the next issue, which for DC is really all they want. They got kids to feed and hookers to fuck. They need our money and with books like this, I'm more than happy to give it to them! That's why I give Justice League #1 a 4 out of 5. There's room for improvement and I'm confident that Johns and Lee can become the new Burt and Ernie of DC comics minus the gay innuendos. Nuff said!