Batman (comics) questions/discussion

[Harpo Speaks]

I'm reading Snyder's "The Black Mirror".

SAME

[Kelvin]

I'm reading Snyder's "The Black Mirror".  It's really bloody good so far!  Got "Year One" in the post yesterday, will read that next, then it's onto Batman and Robin vol 2, then Return of Bruce Wayne.

Will be interesting to hear what you think of Return of Bruce Wayne. It's utterly bizarre, makes little or no sense, but is seriously good fun.

[madhair60]

Planning on buying it the morrow, will report back.

[madhair60]

Didn't buy "Return" yet because I got sidetracked by "The Boys", the Garth Ennis comic.  I did pick up Batman Year One and Time and the Batman (only read the first story, #700, ABSOLUTE GENIUS).  I've finished The Black Mirror now, and while I liked it a lot it wasn't very cohesive - I thought it was one large story but unless I've missed something the Black Mirror of the title is only a small-ish part of it.

[Kelvin]

Didn't buy "Return" yet because I got sidetracked by "The Boys", the Garth Ennis comic.  I did pick up Batman Year One and Time and the Batman (only read the first story, #700, ABSOLUTE GENIUS).  I've finished The Black Mirror now, and while I liked it a lot it wasn't very cohesive - I thought it was one large story but unless I've missed something the Black Mirror of the title is only a small-ish part of it.

It been a while since I read it, but isn't it two interconnected arcs: Grayson's battles against various criminals benefitting from the sale of Gotham City trophies and Gordon's relationship with his mentally ill son? Certainly the two stories are largely separate, but I seem to remember that Gordon's storyline in particular is pretty cohesive.

[madhair60]

Sure.  The Gordon story is most prominent overall, so I wonder why it's called The Black Mirror when that's a... what, two, three part thing that wraps up neatly?  Maybe I'm misremembering.

[Kelvin]

Sure.  The Gordon story is most prominent overall, so I wonder why it's called The Black Mirror when that's a... what, two, three part thing that wraps up neatly?  Maybe I'm misremembering.

I don't remember entirely, but I'd assume it's a thematic link between the stories, rather than a purely literal one. Gordon vs Gordon Jr/Grayson's self doubt when comparing himself to Bruce. That kind of thing. 

[madhair60]

I read Batman: Arkham Asylum: A Serious House On Serious Earth last night.

I feel as though I need to read Batman: Arkham Asylum: A Serious House On Serious Earth again.

[Pit-Pat]

I don't remember entirely, but I'd assume it's a thematic link between the stories, rather than a purely literal one. Gordon vs Gordon Jr/Grayson's self doubt when comparing himself to Bruce. That kind of thing.

Man, the final image with James Gordon Jr in Detective Comics 878 stayed with me for a long, long time.

[Kelvin]

I read Batman: Arkham Asylum: A Serious House On Serious Earth last night.

I feel as though I need to read Batman: Arkham Asylum: A Serious House On Serious Earth again.

Do you have the annotated version, with notes at the back? Some good insights into what everything's meant to mean and represent.

[madhair60]

Do you have the annotated version, with notes at the back? Some good insights into what everything's meant to mean and represent.

Yeah, lovely big book, full script, was £8.99.  Cracking.

I think I might love Grant Morrison.  Just ordered Batman and Robin v2: Batman Vs Robin as well.  It's Return of Bruce Wayne after that, yes?

[Kelvin]

Yeah, lovely big book, full script, was £8.99.  Cracking.

I think I might love Grant Morrison.  Just ordered Batman and Robin v2: Batman Vs Robin as well.  It's Return of Bruce Wayne after that, yes?

Yeah, Return of Bruce Wayne after Batman vs Robin.

[Pit-Pat]

Yeah, lovely big book, full script, was £8.99.  Cracking.

I think I might love Grant Morrison.  Just ordered Batman and Robin v2: Batman Vs Robin as well.  It's Return of Bruce Wayne after that, yes?

Don't go in expecting his recent Batman stuff to be anything like Arkham Asylum. He's been pretty clear that his feelings about the character and his desire to be edgy with him are behind him.

Personally I much prefer Morrison's recent Batman stuff, and Frank Quitely's art is utterly lovely.

[madhair60]

Oh, I've been reading his recent stuff, that's why I picked up Serious House.  I've read & Son, R.I.P, Time and the Batman, Batman and Robin vol 1 etc.  I'm loving it.

[Pit-Pat]

Oh, sorry - should've read back again.

Yeah, it's really great. I need to read the post-Return of Bruce Wayne stuff myself.

[Spiteface]

Don't go in expecting his recent Batman stuff to be anything like Arkham Asylum. He's been pretty clear that his feelings about the character and his desire to be edgy with him are behind him.

Personally I much prefer Morrison's recent Batman stuff, and Frank Quitely's art is utterly lovely.

If you got a few hours to spare and can tolerate Kevin Smith (I like him, but plenty don't), Grant Morrison's 2 episodes of "Fat Man on Batman" are a great listen, before he even gets to Batman, but I like his thoughts on the character and how he's changed over the years:

#26: http://www.smodcast.com/episodes/grant-morrison-bat-bard/
#27: http://www.smodcast.com/episodes/grant-morrison-bat-christ/

[Pit-Pat]

Cheers - I'll have to check that out!

[madhair60]

He's actually done a third episode now, though I haven't listened through all of that yet.  Those first two are fabulous.  But, as a fan of Kevin Smith, he is a horrible interviewer!

[madhair60]

Can any of you lovely people let me know anything about the following trades?

- Gates of Gotham

- Batman: Eternal (vol 1)

The latter tempts me because the tiny bit of it I've read (in the Batman monthly UK reprint comic thingy) is quite interesting, but apparently I need to read Gates of Gotham (and Black Mirror, Court of Owls, which I've read) to get a handle on it.

[Kelvin]

Can any of you lovely people let me know anything about the following trades?

- Batman: Eternal (vol 1)

Eternal's rubbish, from I've heard. Meandering, stuffed with filler, poorly written, all seemed common criticisms at the time.

[Spiteface]

Well get ready, because Batman & Robin: Eternal started this week. I've not been reading Grayson, but they've recently brought Dick Grayson back to Gotham (Prior to Endgame, almost everyone bar Bruce Wayne thought he was dead), and the new run of Eternal goes back to a case he worked with as the first Robin. I'll grab this at some point, not in a hurry. Apparently, this will also reintroduce Cassandra Cain back into the main DCU, much like the first Eternal reintroduced Stephanie Brown.

Also, while not Batman, it ties into DKIII so I'm just gonna leave this horror here:




Thank god Frank Miller isn't drawing the whole thing.

[Operty1]

My thoughts on this cover:

His tights have ridden up a bit there.

Popeye Superman? What has happened to his fists and forearms?

You can see that he dresses to the right.

Ticking the main supes boxes.

[Spiteface]

What about weird squatting Batman with foot coming out of his fist?

[Mister Six]

He's got Peter Capaldi's arse.

[Spiteface]

Read this today:



Turns out Batman's a paranoid arsehole.

[Kelvin]

Read this today:



Turns out Batman's a paranoid arsehole.

This surprises you? :)

Was that story part of a collection, when you read it? It's really hard to get hold of and I've been wanting to read it for ages.

[Spiteface]

Nah, I knew about the story for a while (they did an animated DVD loosely based on it, as I recall, or a similar idea). It came out fairly recently as part of that hardback Graphic novel collection they're doing, which I've subscribed to. I wanted to stretch my DC comic reading a little beyond Batman, this seemed like a good way to do it. There's an online shop for them as well, looks like they still have it there:

https://shop.eaglemoss.com/dc-comics-graphic-novel-collection-/jla---tower-of-babel

A tenner's not too bad for a hardback like that. Could get both volumes of Hush for much less than the Paperback costs, too.

[Kelvin]

Oh, wow, that's great. I'll snap that up.

I've seen the very average animated film, but heard the comic was much better. Plus, I'm a huge fan of that era of JLA stories and that's one of the best, supposedly.

[The Roofdog]

ACHTUNG, it's the last 4 issues in this, you can get volumes 1-4 for £2.99 each as long as the Morrison sale lasts

https://www.comixology.co.uk/JLA-1997-2006-Vol-4/digital-comic/68656?ref=YnJvd3NlL3NhbGUvZGVza3RvcC9ncmlkTGlzdC9mcmVlQ29taWNzTGlzdDg1OTk

[Kelvin]

ACHTUNG, it's the last 4 issues in this, you can get volumes 1-4 for £2.99 each as long as the Morrison sale lasts

https://www.comixology.co.uk/JLA-1997-2006-Vol-4/digital-comic/68656?ref=YnJvd3NlL3NhbGUvZGVza3RvcC9ncmlkTGlzdC9mcmVlQ29taWNzTGlzdDg1OTk

Wow, that's a good deal. Thanks.