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

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

Shallow Justice: Justice League Rebirth #1

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

There are certain concepts of justice that aren't subject to politics, laws, or retcons. These concepts transcend eras, cultures, and hashtags. They act as the binding ideals of humanity. Debate over these ideals is never-ending, but these debates are necessary to provide context to these ideals. That's what makes the goals of the Justice League so daunting, but so meaningful. Without this context, they're just another team of superheroes hoping that their movie tops Avengers.

In the aftermath of DC: Rebirth and Darkseid Wars, the context of the Justice League is in flux. It's not just a result of changes in the lineup and the latest (albeit no-so-greatest) death of Superman. The overall mood and tone of the Justice League is changing. The New 52 utilized certain themes, attempting to be more mature than it needed to be at times. Justice League Rebirth #1 attempts to refine these themes in a way that doesn't feel like regression.

If there is a kryptonite to the new direction of DC: Rebirth, it's this perception of regression. There's no denying that the New 52 had its flaws. The post-Crisis status quo had its flaws too. The challenge with DC: Rebirth is to not come off as exchanging a new flaws for old ones. In the end, it leaves things just as flawed as before and sets a dangerous precedent that DC will resort to Mephisto-like tactics to tweak its continuity. The tweaks in Justice League Rebirth #1 are meaningful in the sense that it moves the narrative forward. However, the progression, in terms of meaningful context, is lacking.

The purpose of the narrative is simple. It puts the Justice League in a situation where they need Superman and two new Green Lanterns, Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz, to join their ranks. It succeeds in this respect, but with limited drama and little sense of progression. Absent of any context and such a simple narrative works as well as any story that involves superheroes fighting giant monsters. It's a narrative that the Justice League handles whenever Lex Luthor has too much free time. Within that context, however, the story lacks impact.

Taking a step back and looking at the bigger post-Rebirth picture, we see a Justice League that just suffered a terrible loss with the death of Superman. They just lost someone who helps them come together in their first battle against Darkseid. It's a big loss on so many levels. They didn't just lose a teammate. Wonder Woman lost a lover. The world lost an icon. It's a hole that can't be easily filled with clones, cyborgs, or relatives. DC already tried that in the 90s and, like the Batman movies of the time, it didn't work.

Bryan Hitch tries to highlight the impact of this loss in the battle against a generic, city-sized monster. That loss, however, is undercut by the arrival of the post-Crisis Superman, who has been waiting in the wings since Convergence. He looks like Superman. He talks like Superman. He is pretty much the same Superman that the Justice League remembers, rendering the death of their former teammate to a mere inconvenience. This being Superman, the gold standard for superheroes for eight decades running, that's downright callous.

The arrival of the new/old Superman effectively overshadows the arrival of Jessica Cruz and Simon Baz. Their arrival doesn't contribute much. They just show up to aid a Justice League that lacks both Superman and Green Lantern. They lack Hal Jordan's attitude, but bring some needed firepower. However, that's all they bring. While they do have potential, most of this potential goes unrealized.

Once again, the situation is reduced to convenience. The Justice League lacks a Green Lantern. They end up getting two, which seems like a bargain until they fail to bring anything new to the table. It's the same issue with the new/old Superman. They're basically conveyed as spare Lego pieces, interchangeable with their predecessors and allowing the Justice League to continue as though nothing happened.

This is the flaw that the larger context that Justice League Rebirth #1 exposes. The significant losses that the team is still processing suddenly becomes irrelevant. The death of Superman and the absence of Hal Jordan no longer matter. Rather than doing justice to those losses, the story focuses entirely on filling the void with other characters. The drama, the relationships, and the dynamics within the team are an afterthought. The goal of Justice League Rebirth #1 is to just give the team a full roster again. It succeeds in this respect, albeit in a very shallow way.

That's not to say that Hitch's narrative is completely lacking. The battle against the generic giant monster has more depth than a typical Power Ranger rerun and even hints at the larger threats that the Justice League will face moving forward. It does highlight just how important it is to have someone like Superman and Green Lantern in their ranks, but the ease with which they fill those ranks still undermines the drama.

At the very least, Justice League Rebirth #1 offers a fairly concise story that re-establishes the Justice League as a complete team. Unfortunately, it does so in a way that feels shallow and forced, undermining any drama or upheaval that may have emerged otherwise. It's a missed opportunity in some respects, but it does move Justice League forward into the post-Rebirth status quo. It still comes at the cost of utterly undermining the death of Superman. Whether that cost is worth the results is debatable, but given the context of Rebirth, it's a lopsided debate at best.

Final Score: 5 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 - Comic-Con Trailer [HD]

The San Diego Comic Con is in full swing. That means celebrities are running amok, giving nerds and fanboys multiple nerdgasms. Those nerdgasms turned into a fucking orgy when the new trailer for Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice debuted. No booze or weed is necessary to make this awesome. See for yourself!


Still needs more Wonder Woman. It needs WAY more Wonder Woman. But seeing Batman fight Superman on the big screen? Nuff said!

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

Batman Beyond #8 - Blacked Out Awesome

It's almost here! The big DC relaunch is almost upon us! And here I am reviewing a book that really won't be affected by it. I don't know if that's luck, karma, or my tenancy to fuck with DC. Either way, it's hard to ignore at this point. It would be like coming home from work and ignoring a massive orgy with out-of-work penthouse models, midget wrestlers, and a donkey. It just can't be done. So I'm not going to try as I review Batman Beyond #8. I've been following this series since DC decided to dust this old idea off, give it a fresh enema of awesome, and relaunch it. For the most part, it's been pretty damn awesome. Even with the DC relaunch waving it's dick in the face of the comic industry, it still is able to stand out.

The first mini was about bringing in new enemies and revisiting old faces that never showed up in the cartoon. The new series took it a bit further, mixing both new characters and old. We got to see a new villain who was corny as hell that called himself Matter Master. We also got to see the future Justice League. Then in the last arc, Derek Powers (future DC's equivalent of Rupert Murdoch) returned as Blight and tried to fuck up both Batman and his son. It ended with him dissolving in a puddle of radioactive ooze while Bruce was left to undo the damage done by Powers's lawyers, which in an of itself should have been an equally epic battle. So by and large, the series has done a great job balancing new stories and old stories. The cynic in me says that it's only a matter of time before a story comes along that throws that balance out of whack. That or it's just the voice in my head that keeps telling me to drink more whiskey, but it's hard to tell.

Batman Beyond #8 may or may not be that book those voices were warning me about. Whereas the last arc reintroduced Derek Powers, this one revisits the second major villain that Terry McGinnis confronted when he put on the mask: Inque. Who is Inque? Picture a homicidal goth with shape-shifting abilities. She's like Mystique, only harder to masturbate to. She was one of Terry's most tenacious and frustrating foes, leading to moments that did push the Kids WB censors (let's just say they had to be tactful for a scene where Terry threw up black globs of ooze). This issue starts out with yet another battle between Inque and Batman. And when I say it starts out I mean there's no fucking build-up whatsoever. We walk in on the fight the same way a mother walks in on her 12-year-old son with a Victoria's Secret catalog in one hand and himself in the other. It's not quite as jarring, but it is a little unnerving.

If you've watched Batman Beyond, you'll see plenty of familiar shit. Whenever Inque and Batman are within spitting distance of one another, they see fit to beat the everloving shit out of one another. Now it's not clear why they're fighting. I'm assuming Inque hijacked a truck full of orphans or something, but I think the point of this scene is just to demonstrate that Inque is really badass and can rough up Batman and a bunch of Gotham's finest. If that was the goal, then I would say the defense rests.

However, it isn't enough for Inque to just rough up some cops. Remember, this is a comic. DC doesn't have to abide by those pussy Kids WB rules. That means they can be a little ediger this time. That means she can take full advantage of her Inque form and literally ram herself down a guy's throat and not in the way that makes for awesome gay porn. She can get in, fuck up their insides, and get out in a way that's worse than dry heaving over a dirty toilet in Tijuana. It's groteque and graphic. You'll never see that shit on TV, which makes it all the more awesome to witness in a comic.

This is something I was hoping that this series would do. Comics can afford to be a little edgier here. I'm not saying that Inque should become a tentacle monster and impersonate Japanese anime porn, but DC shouldn't be afraid to go a bit further than they did with the cartoon. I liked this scene and there have been a handful of others. I hope there are more in future issues because I'm just so sick of the FCC's bullshit.

There's no feel-good ending to this little scuffle. Batman doesn't outsmart Inque, encase her in ice, or wrap her up in a nice bow for the police to take in. Like most white collar criminals, the bad guy gets away this time. Inque roughed up Batman, but didn't stick around to finish him off. She's found out in previous battles that pushing her luck with Batman is like waving your dick at the IRS. He finds a way to make you regret it. So while Terry is pulling himself together and trying to assemble what's left of his dignity, Inque gets away. It's not the first time it's happened in Batman Beyond. It probably won't be the last. However, this is the point where the comic takes a defining turn that will leave some dizzy and others sick to their stomachs.

Start rolling your eyes because the clip show begins here! That's right, the rest of this comic is basically a fucking clip show in the form of a flashback. I remember clip shows. They annoyed the fuck out of me. They never moved the story forward. They were gimmicks so cheap that a billion of them couldn't get you a hand-job from a Zimbabwe hooker. But this isn't entirely a clip show equivalent. It's one big flashback that re-tell's Inque's past. It's actually a solid concept because we don't know shit about where Inque came from, but now they're telling us in this issue...the whole fucking issue. So yeah, if you don't care for flashbacks you're fucked.

It's pretty basic. Picture every Oliver Twist knock-off you ever heard. Inque's life is one of great tragedy. Her country was a shit hole. She grew up in a shit hole. So it's really not too surprising that she had some shitty luck that landed her on the black market looking to survive. I know it's gritty and tragic, but it's been done before. And there are real stories in the real world that are just this bad. Basically parodying them like this without any real depth is a dick move.

The weepy tragedy angel continues. Inque somehow gets smuggled into America the same way the Mexicans are smuggled in to do shitty jobs for shittier pay. So basically, Lou Dobs wants this woman dead. She's hungry and desperate so when some guy comes along asking her to be part of some fucked up medical experiment, she doesn't even think. Because when you're hungry, you'll let someone shoot you with animal jizz if it will get you a hot meal. So that's what happens. She ends up in a lab where she gets pumped full of mutagen among other things.

What are those other things? Well it's semen mostly. That's because she gets pregnant and has a baby. Remember, she did have a kid in the cartoon, but of course the show would never tell the story of a war refugee who gets raped and impregnated. She has the kid, but puts her up for adoption because she knows her life is fucked. That's when shit starts getting fucked up. That mutagen along with the semen really didn't react well so she started becoming more Inque-like. Thus begins her life as a Batman villain.

The problem with this teary eyed bullshit is it makes her too damn sympathetic. So she had such a rough life and we're supposed to feel sorry for her when she maims cops? And as soon as she gets her powers, she has absolutely nor problems maiming people for money? Sorry, but there's tragic and then there's just tragic for the sake of being tragic. It's eye-rolling to the point where you think it gives a bad name to the real orphans of the world. DC just tried way too fucking hard with Inque. That or they didn't try hard enough. It's hard to tell.

Needless to say, her daughter wasn't too thrilled to find out that her mother was a sociopath that overplayed the tragedy role. So it's hard to imagine why she would be surprised when her daughter screwed her over in one of the most ironic and satisfying moments in the Batman cartoon. But like all good villains, Inque survived and kept an eye on her daughter. Even though her daughter ran off with all her money, she just shrugged her shoulders and kept watching her. Wait what? She didn't do shit about her own daughter trying to kill her? Okay, that's pushing it even further. I get that Inque's life sucks, but trying to make up for it like this is fucking stupid.

But it's not all doom and gloom. There are actually some answers within this issue. Like how the fuck did Inque pull her sloppy ass together after her daughter screwed her over? Well simply put, she had help. Your typical mystery man in a lab coat shows up and offers her a hit of mutagen. And like a crack addict in withdraw, she jumps at the chance. This explains how she was able to show up in the first place so that's one major plot hole filled. It's doesn't completely overshadow the many eye-rolling aspects of this issue, but it does show that DC hasn't forgotten the stories that led up to this one and made an effort to fill them.

So now Inque is back and somewhat coherent. So what does she do? She goes back to her daughter. Yes, the same one that tried to kill her and take her money. Now this is usually an incident where corporal punishment is more than appropriate, but Inque has something different in mind. As it just so happens, her daughter is in a hospital bed. Being the daughter of someone who sucked up mutagen the same way Glenn Buck sucks the life out of logic, it's going to affect her. Now it looks like she may follow in dear mommy's footsteps and rather than spare her the discomfort she decides to make it worse. It's tough parenting, but given that teenage girls are probably still spoiled as fuck in the future I won't say it's completely inappropriate. Plus, it sets the stage for yet another Inque plot. We still had to go through an entire fucking clip show to get it, but it could have been worse.

Now let's state the obvious here. Not a whole hell of a lot happened in this issue. It was the comic book equivalent of a clips show. While it did fill in an old plot hole and give some overdue depth to a pretty badass character, it didn't do much with it. The reader might as well be in a lecture hall in college, getting lectured on the history of the sordid subject that is Inque without falling asleep or playing Angry Birds on your cell phone. Aside from the fight in the beginning, of which no explanation is given, there isn't a lot of action to speak of. It doesn't tie into the plots of the previous issue. It doesn't offer any progression from previous arcs. It almost feels like this should have been a one-shot for all Inque fans out there...all seven of them. This issue was essentially in a no-win situation. I respect what DC and Adam Beechen were trying to do here, but it might as well be trying to paint the Mona Lisa with a jar of spit.

Now I'm glad Beechen took some time to flesh Inque out. The problem is she's made into too much of a tragic character. She's the victim of a war, she's a mother, and she just wants to do what she thinks is best. Well, that really doesn't jive well with who she was in the show. In the show, Inque was an unapologetic sociopath that would gladly choke a police officer to death with her inky form and not bat an eye. That's not too tragic. Where at any point in this vignette did she become okay with maiming people? Where at any point did she completely lose her moral compass? That's not clear at any point. In fact, it's a big ass plot hole that makes it difficult to feel sorry for Inque let alone appreciate her story. While it does hint that there could be an interesting plot with her daughter unfolding, it still feels underwhelming by the sheer lack of coherence.

So I guess the voices in my head were right for once. I did get that extra bottle of whiskey and this was an issue that threw the careful balance of the previous stories out of whack. I can't completely step on it for revisiting a character from the show and trying to tell a story they never would have gotten past network censors. However, I can wave my proverbial finger at them for not tying it into the recent events of the series. It's an anomaly that is like a masseuse giving you a kick in the balls between the back rub and the happy ending. It's not a horrible story, but in the greater scheme of the series it does fall flat. So I'm left to give Batman Beyond #8 a 2 out of 5. This comic wasn't so terrible that I'm inclined to give up on the series, but this was a poor issue and one that DC should try hard to improve upon. Nuff said!

Batman Beyond #6 - A Meltdown (of Awesome)

So the big wigs at DC comics got into my stash recently. They probably took a couple of the blue pills, broke up the purple pills, mixed them with the grayish powder wrapped in a used condom, and snorted it off the tits of a Power Girl cosplayer from last year's comic con. I assume after the strippers went home and the donkey passed out, the idea finally came to them that they should reboot their entire line. You have to be pretty fucking high to come up with something that bold and think it can work. Either Brett Favre is running DC secretly or they're really that crazy. But while the excitement/angst/outrage/shock sinks in, there are other ongoings quietly churning out awesome. Batman Beyond has been one of those books.

I know I don't review as many DC books anymore since Brightest Day ended. I'm sorry, but since then there hasn't been the same caliber awesome. Batman Beyond is an exception mixed as that hot step-sister you secretly jerked off to. It's not tied to the current insanity in the DCU. It basically takes the cartoon series that ended during Bush II's reign of error and continues it in a comic. It continues it well in fact. The mini brought Dick Grayson into the world of Batman Beyond when he hadn't even been uttered in the show. The new ongoing has picked up where Terry left off in the show, basically struggling with the same shit of being Batman and trying to manage what counts as a normal life in the 2040s. Yeah it's the future, but criminals are still everywhere and big businessmen are complete dicks.

This leads right into the current story that began in Batman Beyond #5. It started with a labor dispute at Wayne Industries that was triggered by a corrupt lawyer. Yeah, lawyers are dicks too in the future. No matter how advanced iphones get in the future, there's no app that'll stop men in suits from fucking people over. This came on the heels of the return of Derek Powers, aka Blight. He was the epitome of the future CEO douche-bag. While Bernie Madoff was content with stealing people's money, Powers was content to sell bio weapons to dictators with spare cash and an itchy trigger finger. An accident turned him into a radioactive Skeletor knock-off. In the show he was supposedly drowned in a sinking submarine. Well it took the show's cancellation and a new comic, but he's back. And what's the first thing he does? He tries to blow up both Batman and his douche-bag yet non-radioactive son, Paxton Powers.

The final page of the last issue made it look like there was no way they could survive, but this is fucking Batman we're talking about. Surviving explosions is like popping a zit. Paxton is a little less enthusiastic. Even after Batman saves him by stuffing him into an armored car, he's still whining like a little bitch who was forced to watch Pakistani animal porn. The whole building is coming down around him. Even though Paxton is the kind of overprivlidged douche who most people wouldn't mind watching get roasted like a redneck turkey, Batman still saves him. He also does it by taking a page right out of the Dark Knight, using the trade-mark motorcycle that just happened to be in the warehouse. I don't care of it is contrive or convenient. It looks pretty damn awesome. I just assume that's the 2030s equivalent of a Delorian.

Derek Powers sees all this from afar. He probably doesn't think it's nearly as awesome. He looks a bit different from his cartoon version. And why not? The show was on Kids fucking WB. They couldn't be too graphic to animate anything that resembled blood, tits, a wet fart. Powers has to wear this space-suit, which helps contain the radiation that he's dishing out more than free joints at a Willie Nelson concert. He offers a brief flashback as to how he survived. It directly recalls the sub from the episode in the cartoon. Not surprisingly, he survived and swam away. He then found a guy with brains and resources who he scared the piss out of enough to help him. It's not the most imaginative explanation, but it's still an explanation.

It further helps that this scene shows Beechen tying the comics directly to the show. Now this is part of what stands out about this series. It didn't have to follow the cartoon. It could have started from scratch and given Terry McGinnis a much grittier background. They could have made him a real deviant who dunked the heads of freshmen into a toilet he just pissed in and banging cheerleaders, all in the same afternoon. But they didn't. They kept everything from the cartoon. It's risky, but it keeps a strong sense of flow between the cartoon and comic. There aren't too many comics that have done that, especially for cartoons that only have reruns on random channels no one gives a shit about. So I applaud DC for taking the harder road.

Blight's ambition isn't just to render Batman sterile and make him go bald from radiation. He wants to take back the life he lost. He wants to be the rich, pampered CEO of Wayne Industries again. Yeah, he's a walking nuclear meltdown, but I'm sure most investors won't care so long as he keeps the stock price up. To do that he can't just destroy Batman. He has to make it so Wayne Industries needs him. Hence using dick-cheese lawyers to stir up trouble. That's almost as bad as radiation poisoning.

It's pretty sinister ploy. There aren't too many plots that can't be made more evil with parasitic lawyers. When Terry returns to the bat cave, he finds out from Bruce that while Powers failed to blow his ass up he's doing a bang up job blowing up Bruce's company. That labor bullshit that started in the last issue did what you would expect. It tanked the stock price and left the company that pays for all of Bruce's fancy bat toys in jeopardy. So Bruce being the sneaky old coot he is hatches a plan. He's going to try and lure out the asshole fucking up his company by trying to buy out the stock. It's a fucked up ploy that even Ted Turner would find insane. But he's fucking Batman (and possibly a little senile). He can get away with it.

Terry's not brave enough for Wall Street yet so he sticks to high school. There he meets up with Max, who played the role of the girlfriend he wasn't boning in the cartoon. They talk about Dana, who Terry recently broke up with for what is probably the sixth time (or maybe tenth given all the crap they dealt with in the show). She's still not talking to him, but she has an excuse this time. Her brother is back in town. Her brother that was in jail no less. He had to have been a touchy subject because she never even mentioned him. I'm assuming she never cried his name during sex. Max has her own issues. She's been dealing with the future equivalent of a Facebook stalker. She hasn't told Terry yet, but it's a plot that's still building. It's just building painfully slow.

Speaking of Dana's brother, we actually get to meet him here. He comes off about as friendly and sociable as that monkey that ripped a woman's face off. Dana is clearly as comfortable as Bristol Palin at an abortion clinic. He doesn't say much. He just says he's out of prison and it changed him. Aside from the flexing capacity of his asshole, that can be taken many ways. Before he goes into detail, he offers to cook Dana dinner. Seriously, that's what an ex-con does in the future. He decides to fucking cook. I guess they don't serve the same goop to prisoners that they serve in high school cafeterias. It's not much of an advance, but it's something.

Not much is done here. Dana's brother goes off, looking creepy as hell in the process. But that's about it. There's no hint as to what he's up to. He has the look of Ted Bundy at a sorority house, but nothing is shown. It's a bit disappointing and it causes the story to further drag. You get the sense that Batman Beyond is trying to develop multiple plots. It's just not being very efficient in some areas.

One plot that hasn't been dragging is the return of Blight. While Dana's brother is off cooking up his sharpened shank surprise, Terry goes back on duty as Batman. Bruce is set to open the stock market the next day as part of his ploy to get the assholes fucking up his company to show themselves. Batman is there to make sure nobody sets any traps without getting a bat-o-rang up the ass. And that's not a prison rape joke. Bruce even goes on to explain that his company is more than just something that pays the bat bills. It's part of his family legacy. Even though being Batman is important, the Wayne name is pretty damn important as well. It adds a touch of depth to Bruce's otherwise old and brooding personality in Batman Beyond. Terry probably doesn't know jack shit about the stock market, but he still understands.

There's just one problem with this elaborate business-plot of his. The guy on the other side is a businessman as well with the ethical fortitude of Josef Stalin. It's worth remembering that Derek Powers wasn't always a glow-in-the-dark psychopath. In the cartoon, he managed to usurp control of Wayne Industries from Bruce. Even if you are a douche, you still need to be pretty smart to pull shit like that off. So when he suspects that Bruce is launching a counter-measure, he launches one of his own. When Batman shows up at the stock exchange, he's right there waiting. The fight that ensues ends too quickly along with the comic. Blight is pretty pissed about being sunk in a fucking submarine and he's looking to take it out on Batman. It sets the stage for a fight that could double as botched chemotherapy in addition to being a typical Batman style ass-kicking.

So despite some slow plots, the return of Blight in Batman Beyond delivers with awesomely satisfying results. It shows that despite the mental breakdown DC had recently before deciding to re-launch their books, they're still competent enough to tell great stories with the book that won't be stained in that potential shit storm. Batman Beyond doesn't miss a beat. If you got a good thrill out of the old cartoon, you'll enjoy experiencing that thrill again with this comic. It's like going back to your high school reunion and banging that former cheerleader you got drunk with during your senior graduation party. She still has a nice ass and it's still pretty damn awesome.

It's far from perfect. While the comic has the same awesome essence as the show, it really doesn't improve all that much. This isn't Kids WB anymore. The comic could go a lot further now and it has to some extent, but within limits. Blight's new look is pretty sick, but that's about it. Given Batman Beyond's circumstances, it can't afford to be too slow or bland. Otherwise readers are going to get caught up in the whole 52 new number ones. I wish I could think more highly of the comic market, but that's how shit works in this world. This along with the slow development of certain plots keeps Batman Beyond from reaching it's full potential.

While parts of the issue are forgettable, Batman Beyond #6 succeeds in the most important area. It brought Blight back into the picture and set up a strong, in depth plot for him. It even took time to offer more insight into Batman's logistical issues, namely Bruce Wayne's company. It's not always touched on in Batman books, but when so much of your crime-fighting involves paying for super-expensive shit it is important. Batman Beyond #6 dealt with it masterfully and for that it gets a 4 out of 5. Since I don't want to run the risk of going on a rant about DC's relaunch initiative and the many imitations it's spawned (namely Marvel's decision to relaunch Uncanny X-men), I'll just say Batman Beyond is a great escape from DC's current madness. Enjoy it before the shit hits the fan and everything starts stinking. Nuff said!

Batman Beyond #1 - Future Awesome in the Present

There comes a time in every fanboy's life when they learn to accept that certain series are over and done with. They end sometimes abruptly, sometimes with a proper send-off and sometimes in a horrific act of destruction (Ultimatum comes to mind and kills a few more brain cells). Other times it's just flat out canceled. But whatever the reason, it's something you come to accept.

Batman Beyond was one of those series that was awesome in it's own right. The cartoon was an intense reworking of everything Batman and the future world of Gotham took on it's own unique light. The story thrived for a while, but it didn't prosper into something ongoing. So when it got canceled it pretty much faded, making only occasional appearances in shows like Static Shock and Justice League Unlimited.. Then DC drops a bombshell. It's bringing Terry McGinnis back into the DC universe.

For any fans of the old show it was like a beautiful supermodel knocking on your bedroom door and asking if it would be alright for her to lick melted chocolate off your dick while she stripped naked to the Dark Knight soundtrack. It came out of nowhere, but in a good way for once. Batman Beyond was a story that had it's own style and even in the diverse DC comic universe, it sets itself apart with it's unique brand of Batman meets Back to the Future. Now readers get a chance to see a full fledged story arc staring Terry McGinnis, Ace the dog, and a grumpy old Bruce Wayne. If that premise alone doesn't give Batman fans a boner, then they need to burn their copy of "The Killing Joke" and hold their heads low in shame.

Batman Beyond #1 is the first issue of this story by Adam Beechen. It starts off as if Batman Beyond was never canceled. There's no ink wasted on an origins story or some bullshit recap page. It gets right into the action and like many problems in the DCU, it starts at a lab for Project Cadmus in the heart of Neo-Gotham (that's another thing, for some reason Gotham decided to add Neo. Probably to sound cool or leech off the popularity of the Matrix, who knows?). An old foe has escaped their custody and is leaving a trail of bloody bodies in his wake. It's the kind of gruesome mystery that works just as well for Batman in the future as it does in the present.


While this is unfolding, Terry McGinnis is hard at work being the new Batman. He's caught up in a battle with his old foe, Spellbinder. Anybody who has seen the old show should remember him. He's the deranged school counselor who heard one too many students bitch about how hard homework was and went crazy, turning into a psychopathic villain who got his kicks casting illusions on people. He's basically the modern day equivalent Jonathan Edwards only not nearly as big a douche.


The fight between Spellbinder and Batman isn't taken lightly. It's a pretty extensive fight that's drawn out over the course of several pages. For a character that's been out of the picture for the past five years, it's pretty refreshing. He hasn't lost his touch and the writers aren't just relying on the novel nature of this comic to make it work. There isn't just action. There's some nice witty exchange between Bruce and Terry. Even though Terry has clearly been doing this for a while, he's still somewhat of a punk and Bruce is still trying to work the kinks out. For a guy his age, that can't be good for his health (as if he ever gave two shits for his own regard to begin with).

But even after the fight is over and Batman wins, there are some interesting developments that help show that this book is still tied to the greater DC universe at large. Micron, the future version of Captain Atom, shows up and offers Batman another chance to join the Justice League. Again, there's some reference to the old show here. There was an episode where Terry did get a chance to party with the big boys and party quite hard at that. However, just like his predecessor he doesn't work well in a team. He prefers to stay a solo act that works locally rather than flying off to some distant star system to save some pocket race of aliens who live on a planet wedged between a black hole and a pulsar whose mating rituals involve giving the finger to passing races of female warriors while they're on their period. So he tells Micron no and isn't very polite about it either. That's Batman for you. Terry still carries the mantel well after his brief affair with a mistress called cancellation.


While the superheroes are talking politics, the escaped killer is having an orgy of fun. He managed to steal some clothes Kyle Reese from Terminator style and slip into the safety of the crowd. That's really all he needs to get back to doing what he does best and what he does best appears to involve butchering people with surgical gear in a way that would make the guys from Nip Tuck castrate themselves. It's another gruesome scene that never would have made it past those pussies in the Parent TV Council for the cartoon. Seeing it in a comic like this just looks and feels so good. Take that Christian Conservatives!


We then get a glimpse of the Batcave and a visibly aged Bruce Wayne. The man has aged about as well as a mix of fine wine and milk. Here the dynamic between Terry and Bruce continues. Bruce is still conditioning him in many ways to be the Batman that Gotham needs. Terry's immaturity shows once again when he talks about that alien concept known as sleep. A real Batman knows that sleep is not in the vocabulary and he learns that the hard way when Bruce detects reports of the murders, thus finally tying this plot with the escaped Cadmus nutjob with the new Batman. Knowing full well it's not possible to say no to the cape, Terry suits up again and heads out to investigate.


What follows is more classic elements of a Batman detective story. Terry heads off to investigate the murders and some of the cool gadgets of the new bat suit, like for instance the microphones in the fingertips, come to light. It sure beats using the old utility belt. Bruce goes down the possibilities. The killer seems to be messing up peoples' faces without going through the usual routine of robbing their ass. It shows they're dealing with a psycho and not a thief with impulse control issues. The list of who it could be is short. Twoface's name is dropped and since Bruce mentions no body being found, common comic book physics take over. We all know the story. No body means the guy ain't dead. So the intrigue only grows.


The next stop is St. James Psych Ward, which is where all the old patients from Arkham got shipped to. Among those still breathing is Jervis Tech, the Mad Hatter. Batman pays the guy a visit only to find that his mind has turned to the consistency of armpit sweat. They guy has clearly warped the minds of one too many victims including his own. So there's not much questioning to be done unless they want to hear fairy tells as told by Charles Manson.

Lucky for Batman, the next clue comes to him. A nurse screams and Batman goes to save her. He arrives to only catch a brief glimpse of the figure running away, who for whatever twisted reason doesn't want to take a shot at Batman yet (probably wanting to brush up on his psycho as a show of mutual respect. All major villains have standards too, you know). Terry goes onto help the nurse, who is obviously traumatized and in need of more therapy than Opera and Dr. Phil can possibly provide. But she's still sane enough to drop an ominous clue as to who is behind this. It's best summed up in one word...Hush.


And wouldn't you know it? The comic ends here on this dandy of a cliffhanger. That's right, readers are left thinking "Are you fucking kidding me?! Instead something tried and overused like Spellbinder or the Jokers they go with something more novel like Hush? How dare they!" I'm shocked and appalled as well. Batman Hush was one of the most acclaimed Batman stories of the past decade and the possibility of it translating into Batman Beyond is just too awesome for words. They could have easily just tried rehashing some old plot from the show, but they didn't. They did something new and fresh and if that isn't enough to rekindle that latent Batman Beyond fan in you, then you're just being a dick.

This comic is awesome. Seeing Terry McGinnis back in action is a real treat. Seeing him back in action in a story that's engaging, novel, yet still contains all the elements that make Batman great only adds icing atop a strippers tits to make it better. It's not without some flaws. The biggest shortcoming of this comic isn't small enough to discount unfortunately. As great as the story and premise is, the art really doesn't measure up. The lines are weak, the coloring is bland, and the environment of Neo-Gotham just doesn't impress in the slightest. It would be perfect if there was some visual awe to go along with the awesome plot. Sadly, your eyes won't be in for a treat so you'll have to make due with the plot.

But since it's still such a strong story with Batman Beyond no less, the comic still gets a 4.5 out of 5. My love for Batman Beyond has officially been brought back from the dead and it is hungry for more awesome! This series has been a long time coming, but it was worth the wait. Nuff said.