A Batman Bulletin
from
The Blackest Night
Now that Geoff Johns’ Blackest Night has wrapped up and his latest effort “Brightest Day” has begun we are left with a few questions.
First and foremost amongst the questions is the current state of Bruce Wayne’s remains. Now we all know that the current Batman, Dick Grayson, took a set of whole remains to a Lazarus pit over in the UK with less than perfect results. But what of the remains that Black Hand pilfered from the Wayne family plot? Batman and Robin salvaged most of the remains while Black Hand kept the skull and used it as a sort of talisman to channel Nekron's black energy.
So where is the skull? And since we know that Bruce Wayne is traveling through time, whose skull was it really? At the end of Blackest Night #8, Hal Jordan and Barry Allen stand over the graves of Thomas, Martha and Bruce Wayne. They deduce that since the Black Lantern Batman didn’t recognize them then Bruce is alive. Tim Drake was right! This deduction is a leap of faith that has been repeated in many other of the Batman titles. Most notably by Dick Grayson himself and with relative ease. Does that bother anyone?
We’ll set that head-scratcher aside and talk a little about a member of the extended Batman family, Deadman. Deadman played a significant role in Blackest Night. He was a key player in the “Batman: Blackest Night” titles and provided the essential truth that led to Nekron's demise. So where is Boston Brand now? He’s alive! Not only alive but he looks to be a charter member of the new White Lantern Corp. His first act was to bring a baby bird back to life. Hey you have to start somewhere.
I’m not reading all the Bat titles so please fill me in if I’ve missed something. Anyone know where the skull of “Bruce Wayne” is? How do you feel about Deadman being anything but dead? How will the Bat family play a role in Brightest Day? Will Dick Grayson perish to pave the way for Bruce’s return? (A hot topic on the web). Is Deadman's role to eventually resurrect Grayson if he should have to die? Or is that too easy?
Posted by Dark Knight Dave
We loyal followers of the Dark Knight are in for a treat this year. No, not just a treat, a singular event. Perhaps something that many of us will only experience once in a lifetime. This year DC comics will not only follow the adventures of one Batman but as many as four, or quite possibly seven!
In 2010 in what I call “The Year of the Batmen” I will endeavor to chronicle these various manifestations of Batman and discuss the dynamic of having their respective storylines running concurrently. Even as they exist in different “universes”, alternate realities or as parallel plotlines that remain apart but eventually come together.
How will these Batmen compare? How will the media and readership accept or reject them? Whose storyline will succeed while another may fail? Will the various writers and artists vie for supremacy or just engage in a little friendly competition. Is it possible for all of these incarnations to exist at the same time and avoid saturation? Or will we embrace all of them and insist they continue for years to come? Perhaps multiple readership factions will arise and insist their Batman is the one true Caped Crusader.
As we all know Dick Grayson has picked up the mantle of the Bat in the absence of Bruce Wayne. This particular arc has been admirably filled out by the likes of Morrison, Daniel and Winick. How will the eventual return of Bruce Wayne (written by Morrison) effect Grayson? Will he give up the cape and cowl and go quietly into the night or will there be conflict? Will Bruce actually want it all back?
What of the iteration of the “First Wave” Batman? Brian Azzarello has promised a young Bruce Wayne one that is a, “millionaire playboy; brash, cocky and fully relishing life.” This Batman is inexperienced and makes mistakes that extract “the cost of fighting crime.” Stir in a healthy dose of Doc Savage and the Spirit and we have a whole new Dark Knight. 
Speaking of re-imagining the tale of the Dark Knight how will Geoff Johns’ interpretation compare to Azzarello’s? Johns tells us his Earth One Batman will “break the restraints of any continuity and focus on two things: character and story.” Certainly, what we have seen of artists Gary Frank’s Earth One Batman is in sharp contrast to the First Wave Batman as penciled by Rags Morales. Frank’s take looks indomitable and steadfast while Morales looks more sinewy and athletic.
But I am getting ahead of myself. There are several other incarnations that are worthy of discussion. The ghoulish Black Lantern Batman from the Blackest Night. The “undead” Batman resurrected from a Lazarus pool by Dick Grayson. And what of the Batman that exists in “Superman/Batman” comics or in Batman Confidential? Not to mention the JLA Batman that is both teammate and leader as embodied by Dick Grayson written by James Robinson.
There will be much to discuss and I am eager to get at it. Throughout this massive effort I will seek your input. Comments are welcome. The impressions from you the reader will add fuel to the fire as we discuss and dissect one of the most iconic figures in comic book history. It all comes together in 2010, “The Year of the Batmen”.
Written by Dark Knight Dave
Superman/Batman 69 starts off where the last issue took place, with Superman staring down NRG-X who actually is that Bronze Age villain, Grant Haskill, (this is shown in a flashback as a shadowy man, Anderson Gaines, is asking for the hit on Clark Kent) I mentioned in the last review. They fight, have some exposition dialogue and Superman is left wondering who would want him killed.
Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne while at a function gets to meet Gaines, afterward. After Gaines unwittingly gives Bruce a DNA sample, contacts Clark and the two convene at the JLA Watchtower.
While Gaines is going back to his penthouse apartment we learn why we’ve never heard of this character before. Gaines is in fact one of the shape shifting alien terrorists from the Kryptonian ship that Superman and Batman found in issue 64. Currently the ship is still on the dark side of the Moon and is shown on the last page of the issue. Gaines also reveals his Durlan form and it does look interesting. It’s a nice grouping of all these green tentacles coming out. We then end with Batman telling Superman that instead of taking on Gaines head on, that they’ll have to do it guerrilla warfare style.
Well, it’s moving the story well, which is a good thing of course. But at the same time the story is still leaving me wondering what is the need for it to be set after “Our Worlds At War.”
It does seem that Joe Casey had this idea, the editors were saying “Yeah okay, but just so you know, when the Blackest Night crossover is over, the book is getting an overhaul. So can you do your thing around it?” So it’s like we are getting two stories; this Durlan vs Krypton story that Casey started back in issue #64 and the aftermath of Our Worlds At War, which is getting the “shoehorned in because I have to drop references” treatment. At some point I’d like to know if there is a reason that the time of this story had to be where it is, and not say after “Legends” or “Invasion.” Actually Invasion would have been a more intriguing setting as that would have been just before Superman literally went into his self-imposed “Exile” (that was the name of the storyline). Whatever results from this story could have added to the reasons Superman just left Earth for a time.
But the story Casey is telling is still an intriguing one, and I am interested in seeing where this is going. I’m going to drop the rating a bit though, because it still has a run-of-the mill feel to it, as opposed to an epic feel that an aftermath tale should be.
Superman/Batman #69:
Reviewed by SteveJRogers
Yesterday, there was a big announcement from DC about the future of the company. The press release stated a new executive team that will be put in place to run things. Back in September, we heard about the creation of DC Entertainment. The idea behind the creation was to bring the DC Universe to the mainstream public by way of movies, TV shows, toys, and video games. We gave you our thoughts about the announcement back then and with the news yesterday, we should again give you our thoughts. First, let's cover the press release from DC.
Jim Lee and Dan DiDio Named Co-Publishers DC Comics
Geoff Johns to Serve as Chief Creative Officer
John Rood Named EVP, Sales, Marketing and Business Development
Patrick Caldon Named EVP, Finance and Administration
(February 18, 2010 – New York, NY and Burbank, CA) DC Entertainment, founded in September 2009 to unleash the power of the DC Comics library of characters across all media platforms, has named its executive management team, including new co-publishers of DC Comics and a Chief Creative Officer, as well as heads of Sales/Marketing/Business Development and Finance/Administration. Diane Nelson, President, DC Entertainment, made the announcement today.
The new senior executive team includes Jim Lee and Dan DiDio, who have been named Co-Publishers of DC Comics, and Geoff Johns, who will serve as Chief Creative Officer of DC Entertainment. Additionally, John Rood has been named Executive Vice President, Sales, Marketing and Business Development, and Patrick Caldon will serve as Executive Vice President, Finance and Administration. Each of these executives will report directly to Nelson.
“DC Entertainment’s new executive team is a creative ‘dream team,’ with accomplishments and talent unrivaled in the business,” said Nelson. “This announcement continues and underscores DC’s legacy as the ultimate destination for creators. We’ll benefit enormously from the deep experience this team represents, while re-energizing the direction and focus of the company. I’m excited and honored to have each of them with me at the helm of DC Entertainment.”
“With this new leadership team, Diane will be able to fully and respectfully integrate DC’s brand and characters, not only as key content drivers in the film division, but across all of the businesses of Warner Bros. and Time Warner,” said Jeff Robinov, President, Warner Bros. Pictures Group. “I am very proud and excited about the accomplished executives who are charged with expanding this powerful library. They each have a diverse and complementary skill-set and are deeply committed to contributing to the DC Comics legacy.”
Prior to his current post, Lee served as Editorial Director, where he oversaw WildStorm Studios and was also the artist for many of DC Comics’ bestselling comic books and graphic novels, including “All Star Batman and Robin, The Boy Wonder,” “Batman: Hush” and “Superman: For Tomorrow.” He also serves as the Executive Creative Director for the upcoming DC Universe Online massively multiplayer action game from Sony Online Entertainment.
Lee is an award-winning comic book illustrator/creator/publisher who started his professional career at Marvel Comics where his work on the X-Men continues to hold the all-time sales record for single issue sales at eight million copies sold in one month. At Marvel, he also drew the Punisher and co-created many characters, the most popular being Gambit, featured in 2009’s “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” feature film. In 1992, he started his own production company, WildStorm Productions, and co-founded Image Comics, an independent comics company which quickly grew to become the number-three North American comics publisher. His most notable creations, “WildCats” and “Gen 13,” saw life beyond comic books as a CBS Saturday morning cartoon and as a direct-to-video animated movie distributed by Disney, respectively. In 1998, he left Image Comics and sold WildStorm to DC Comics.
DiDio most recently served as Senior Vice President and Executive Editor, DC Universe, overseeing the editorial department for the DC Universe imprint, including the ongoing adventures of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and scores of heroes and villains. He also worked to develop new titles with the industry’s premier writers and artists. At DC Comics, DiDio has spearheaded such bestselling projects as “All Star Batman and Robin, The Boy Wonder,” “Identity Crisis,” Green Lantern, Teen Titans and The Outsiders.
Before joining DC in 2002, DiDio was with Mainframe Entertainment, where he most recently served as Senior Vice President, Creative Affairs, overseeing the development, distribution, marketing and promotion of all Mainframe’s television properties. Prior to that, he served as Executive Director of Children’s Programming for ABC, where he was also a publicity manager, having started his television career at CBS, working in a variety of positions.
Johns builds on his current role at DC from being one of today’s most prolific, popular and award-winning contemporary comic book writers with this new executive role. He is a New York Times bestselling author who has written highly acclaimed stories revitalizing Green Lantern, Superman, the Flash, Teen Titans, and the Justice Society of America for DC Comics.
Johns began his comics career creating and writing “Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E.” for DC Comics while at the same time working with film director Richard Donner. After acclaimed runs on Flash, Teen Titans and the bestselling “Infinite Crisis” mini-series, Johns co-wrote a run on Action Comics with his mentor, Donner. Johns has also written and produced for various other media, including the acclaimed “Legion” and “Absolute Justice” episodes of Warner Bros. Television’s “Smallville” and Adult Swim’s “Robot Chicken” and “Titan Maximum.” He also wrote the story of the DC Universe Online massively multiplayer action game from Sony Online Entertainment.
Rood returns to Warner Bros. after 10 years with the Disney ABC Television Group, where he most recently was Senior Vice President of Marketing, ABC Family. While at ABC, he also consulted for ABC News during the recent transitions at “Good Morning America” and “ABC World News with Diane Sawyer.”
Prior to Disney, Rood worked for six years at Warner Bros. Consumer Products, negotiating promotional deals with national advertisers using Warner Bros.’ properties, including the DC Comics characters. He has also worked in promotions for Equity Marketing on the Burger King account and in advertising for Leo Burnett on the McDonald’s and Miller Brewing accounts.
Caldon most recently served as Executive Vice President, Finance and Operations of DC Comics and MAD Magazine. Before that, he served as Senior Vice President, Finance and Operations, and his other posts at DC include Vice President, Finance and Operations, and Controller, the position in which he joined the company in 1985. Prior to joining DC Comics, Caldon spent a decade at Warner Communications in corporate accounting and as Senior Vice President and CFO of the Cosmos soccer team (owned by Warner Communications at the time).
DC Entertainment, a division of Warner Bros. Entertainment, is charged with strategically integrating the DC Comics business, brand and characters deeply into Warner Bros. and all its content and distribution businesses. DC Entertainment utilizes the expertise the Studio has in building and sustaining franchises to prioritize the DC properties as key titles and growth drivers across all of the Studio, including feature films, television, interactive entertainment, direct-to-consumer platforms and consumer products. The DC Comics publishing business is the cornerstone of DC Entertainment, releasing approximately 90 comic books through its various imprints and 30 graphic novels a month as well as continuing to build on its creative leadership in the comic book industry.
Alright, so there you have it. Jim Lee gets a huge promotion. Didio moves up the corporate ladder. Johns gets a position that will keep him at DC for a good amount of time, while he gives input on everything that has to do with the DC Universe. So a couple of the normal posters here at TheBatmanUniverse.net gave their two sense about this big news.
The first thought come from SteveJRogers:
Well, Dan DiDio, Jim Lee and Geoff Johns have nice shiny promotions. I don’t think the full scope of what is happening here though won’t be felt until a successor to DiDio’s EIC role is filled. And I’d like to see how this affects the Green Lantern books as well as the Flash title. It was going to be interesting to see the EIC take over Outsiders as it really is more of a Batman satellite than a cornerstone of the entire universe. I doubt Johns will have much time to do anything other than a brief fill-in or mini or one-shot.
The important question for Bat-Fans of course is how does this impact the Bat-Books? I’m not entirely sure if it does just yet, of course Johns is in the midst of the new OOC graphic novel series, or I am calling it, the latest attempt of DC creating an Ultimate Universe (see All-Star Batman & Robin The Boy Wonder and All-Star Superman), but as I said, I can see an executive having that kind of project on his/her plate, but not any of the major on-goings (Batman, Batman & Robin, Detective are the big three at the moment).
What I hope doesn’t happen, and it has been seen far too many times (Marvel in the 1990s for example) is when you have giant seismic paradigm shifts that the first thing that happens is immediate change. So maybe it’s a good thing that the big three were promoted within, and whatever change happens is a gradual process.
Interesting times indeed.
So next we have some thoughts about Geoff Johns and his new position from Dark Knight Dave:
James Cameron may “King of the World” but Geoff Johns is King of the Universe. The DC Universe that is. I always when I reached work today I fired up the trusty Dell and started poking around the ‘net for any cool and unusual news. One of my more frequent stops is “The Source” brought to us by DC. Alex Segura usually has something to tease us with and I enjoy clicking on preview panels and checking out some new art and or storylines.
Who the heck is David Hyde? And why is he writing so many “War and Peace” type entries into the “Source” blog. I scroll down, I scroll down some more, this guy is pretty excited about something but it seems pretty dry. I think I’ll click on one of my favorite sci-fi sites, io9, and see what they have to offer. Oh, something has rocked the DC world. I read it. Geoff Johns is what? He’s in charge of what now? I zoom back to the “Source” blog and things are still pretty dry there but I am glad David Hyde is happy as I click back to io9.
Geoff Johns is being named “Chief Creative Officer for DC Entertainment.” Holy promotion Batman I thought the guy was busy now. Not only is he the brains behind the cash cow that is “Blackest Night” for DC comics (although he stumbled a little with the last issue of “BN” after a great Batman centric Blackest Night #5) he wrote the highly rated and well received “Absolute Justice” two parter for the WB’s Smallville series and he has single handedly thrust Green Lantern as one of the if not the foremost hero in the DC pantheon of heroes. Let’s add to his resume the much anticipated “Earth One: Batman” and a little thing called “Brightest Day” as a follow up to “Blackest Night”. Phew! You’d need the “Flash” just to write this guys Wikipedia page just to get it done before years end. Oh, right, he writes “The Flash” also.
Good luck Geoff the eyes of the DC Universe are upon you and its loyal readership eagerly awaits your next offering. I have no doubt it will be a hit.
P.S. Geoff I have a movie treatment for you! Geoff? Geoff?!!
Alright and lastly, Zach gives his thoughts about everything:
Yesterday, February 18th, DC Entertainment announced their plans for the future. DC Entertainment has decided to play quite a large game of musical chairs for the year of 2010. Some major players will be stepping up and taking control of the DC Imprint. Here is the latest news on the future of DC, that no one saw coming.
First off, the Jim Lee and Dan DiDio have been named new co-publishers of DC Comics. What does this mean? Jim Lee is experienced with being the editorial director of Wildstorm Studios, while also having a large hand in the upcoming video game, DC Universe Online. This is a huge promotion for Jim Lee, and this really is DC thanking him for all the hard work that he has put in over the years at DC Comics. Congratulations Jim, very well deserved. Now, Dan DiDio has also taken a much larger seat at the table. I know that many fans feel iffy about DiDio, but I think he will be able to handle this position. I think that while he hasn’t always made the best call, he has been consistent as the Senior Vice President and Executive Editor at DC. This also confirms that DiDio is going nowhere after rumors have swirled over the last couple years that he was on the hot seat. None the less, I am excited and I think DiDio will really flourish under his new position.
As if the news couldn’t get any bigger! DC Entertainment also announced that Geoff Johns will serve as the Chief Creative Officer of DC Entertainment. While some may know, I am not Johns’ number one fan, but I do know that he knows comics. And it is this reason that I know that the DC Imprint is in good hands. He truly loves the DC Universe and all of its characters. Now, don’t worry! Johns will continue to write, but now he will give his creative input on all the comics. In addition to this, he will use his control to get the DC Universe into other imprints such as film, merchandise, animation, and video games. I think Johns has proven himself to be worthy of the job, especially after the large work loads that he has taken over the years at DC.
In addition to these announcements, John Rood will become Executive Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Business Development. Rood has previously worked at Warner Bros. and to be a key asset in the growth of DC’s consumer products. Patrick Caldon was also named the Executive Vice President of Finance and Administration. Caldon has been with the company since 1985, about 25 years. I would definitely say he has earned his stripes.
Now, nothing was announced directly towards Batman, but I will say that this news does impact the Batman Universe, therefore affecting you, the fan. First off, Jim Lee knows Batman; he has done some terrific work over the years with the character, and will continue that work. He knows the passionate following the character has and I am sure will do everything to enlarge that following. In regarding Dan DiDio, I think during DiDio’s time as the Executive Editor, the character has been through some major changes. Some have been good and some have been bad, but I think for the most part he gets it, and therefore I am not very concerned. And I think once Morrison finishes his tale of the dark knight; Geoff Johns will definitely oversee many of the future tales. I think that from a creative stand point, Johns loves the character and looks forward to getting his hands on the Batman Universe.
Well it was a wild day over at Warner Bros. Many are already calling this the most talented executive team in the comics industry. I know I am excited to see what this team does. Are you? We will have to wait and see what kind of magic the new crew is able to pull off.
So there you have it. For the most part this will be in fact another new chapter for DC and DC Entertainment. Hopefully, now that they have the staff announced we can get to some news about future projects. As soon as we hear something, you will be the first to know.
Posted by Dustin
With a recent slew of old titles being brought back to tie into Blackest Night, you’re probably wondering if they are really worth picking up. And let me tell you, The Question number thirty seven is definitely worth the purchase.
The Question number thirty seven sees the return of legendary Question writer Denny O’ Neil, who co-writes the issue with the great Greg Rucka. Both known for their previous work on the Question title. The issue also sees the return of former series artist, Denys Cowan. If you are a fan of Vic Sage and the previous work on the Question, this issue is definitely for you. While Sage returns as a Black Lantern, the issue doesn’t feel like it is a part of Blackest Night, but rather a closing chapter on the previous work.
The plot of the issue is fairly straight forward. The issue opens with a brief recap of the eventual death of Vic Sage (the original Question). We then learn that due to the recent events of Blackest Night, Professor Rodor, also known as “Tot”, is attempting to revive Sage with the use of a black ring. Rodor is doing because he wants to know the answers that separate life from death. Meanwhile, Lady Shiva appears and challenges Renee to a fight. While the two are knee deep in combat, Sage rises from the dead as a Black Lantern. When Lady Shiva and Renee are confronted by Sage, we learn that Shiva actually came because she was expecting this. While Tot is trying to get answers from Sage, the two women are set out to destroy him. They eventually learn how to defeat the lantern; Shiva realizes that Sage can only see them through their feelings, so to speak. She tells Renee to keep herself from feeling anything and they will become invisible to Sage. Shiva, Renee, and Tot are able to remain composed and Sage eventually exits. The issue ends with Renee suiting up in her Question outfit, and making her way after the Black Lantern Vic Sage.
First of all, I thought the pairing of the two writers, who have such tremendous respect for the character, was an excellent move on DC’s part. I think the core concepts from the original series are all here. I also thought that having Lady Shiva appear was a real plus. This provided the issue with some of the important characters to arrive and allowed for more action to occur within the panels. I thought the story was very original and I felt like I wasn’t reading a Blackest Night tie-in, which I think is the real secret to making a tie-in successful.
O’Neil and Rucka do a superb job as usual, but the real treat of the issue is being able to Denys Cowan pencil a Question issue once again. Cowan really brought the book to life originally with his grim and somewhat gritty style. In this issue, it is no different. He remains sharp as ever when penciling the fast-paced fight sequences that were always wonderful to look at. This issue also features Bill Sienkiewicz doing the inks. With the two teaming up, we are brought back to the dark and violent panels that made the Question what it was in the past.
Overall, a wonderful issue that made me come to a realization. I realized that the Question co-feature in the back of Detective Comics really isn’t that good. This issue reminded me of what the Question should always be. The Question should always be about strong characterizations and almost hopeless storylines. With well paced and sharp dialogue, terrific artwork, issue number thirty seven is a real knockout.
The Question #37:
Reviewed by Zfactor
Batman joins the newly reformed Justice League of America in issue number 41 of the JLA written by James Robinson, penciled by Mark Bagley and ably inked by Hunter, Alquiza, and Wong.
First and foremost, what is the most striking detail about this issue? The continuity problem! Not only does this issue take place after Blackest Night is over it also spoils the ending to “Justice League: Cry for Justice”. So anyone who wants an advanced look at how that series ends, help yourselves! (Not that “Cry” has exactly set the world on fire. Also written by Robinson, it is now running late.)
Batman does not take a central role in this book as it is, of course, a team up affair. The story starts out with a disconsolate Donna Troy ready to walk away from it all. Burnt out and “beaten down” Troy happens across a crime scene where children are being held hostage in a hospital and she is forced to act. After securing the children and stuffing the bad guys, she openly questions herself, lashes out at Wonder Woman and proclaims, “I am done.”
Or not.
After a short lecture from Wonder Woman and a brief interlude through America’s colonial period (with a sidebar trip to the Smithsonian, which serves as a future JLA storyline) Troy relents and starts the recruitment process. Starfire and Cyborg quickly sign up and Troy takes off to Gotham City. Here we catch up with the Caped Crusaders in the middle of a beat down of some poor Killer Moth wannabe’s. The new Batman and Robin are at their acrobatic best and seem to be following the Judd Winick model. Lighter in attitude and much less grimmer in tone. The action stops as Troy appears on the scene and says not bad to "Batman". Batman, in quotes, as she knows it is Dick Grayson beneath the cowl. She compliments the duo and refers to Damian as a kid. Cue comedic retort from the new Damian Robin, “Kid?” he says, “How dare you Harlot.” Funny and not too far off as Donna Troy is sporting a skin tight cat suit that might be more appropriate to the bedroom than a back alley.
The two exchange some small talk and catch up quickly. Batman tells Donna that he just put down “Yellow Wasp” and is on the trail of a bigger evil doer called” The Broker” who has been setting up hideouts and putting together groups for what may be a larger storyline in the future. He correctly deduces Donna hasn’t arrived for chit-chat and asks her if her visit means she wants him to join the Justice League. She is amazed at his deductive prowess (he cheated) and the seal the deal with a groan inducing “fist bump”. Again, from the Winick model? Of course if she had asked me to join the League I would have told she had me at revealing, skin tight jump suit that barely covers her ample, um, attributes. Just sayin’. (Oh yes, Damian says he's in too.)
The story continues as Donna goes off to recruit the new Dr. Light, Mon-El as the Superman sub, Green Lantern, and Green Arrow. The final panel is a full pager and is a nice portrait of the Hal Jordan Green Lantern and Batman.
The artwork seems a bit rushed but the inking was fine. Like I said, the last panel is pretty cool and Mon El gets a nice action splash page. The story? Well, it is a reboot of the JLA series, so Robinson had to fit in a lot threads just to pull each character in. Hopefully future plots will be tighter. I’m curious how large a role the Dick Grayson Batman will play in this series and if he will continue the lighter tone discussed earlier. I’m actually hoping he’ll keep the cape and cowl and stay on as Batman in the JLA even after Bruce Wayne returns. There is more than one Green Lantern after all. Anyone think DC has the guts to allow that angle?
Yeah, I didn’t think so either.
Justice League of America #41:
Reviewed by Dark Knight Dave
So…..
This is why "Batman and Robin" issue 7 has been delayed so long? For those who don't know, the above is a preview image for issue 7 that DC Comics released today and it sure confuses me about the fate of Bruce Wayne's body. We now have three bodies of Wayne floating around the DCU.
1) Caveman Bruce as seen in "Final Crisis" issue 7 and the upcoming "Return of Bruce Wayne" mini-series.
2) The body (which may be fake in light of this) that Dick buried over in "Batman" whose skull is now being used in "Blackest Night".
3) This new addition to the madness.
So anyone have any theories in what's going on? Got me. I hope "Batman and Robin" issue 7 clears things up, otherwise this just raises more questions.
Posted by Josh
The fate of Batman finally revealed? Bruce Wayne rises from the dead? The latest horror from the Blackest Night is none other than our own Caped Crusader?
In a stunning development from the ongoing DC universe series “Blackest Night” the skull of Bruce Wayne (that was ripped from its resting place by the villain Black Hand) has now been used as the instrument to induce the deaths of some of Earths greatest heroes.
You heard that right. But let’s not get too ahead of ourselves. In the latest issue of “Blackest Night” (number 5) the arch villain, Nekron, stands astride the resting place of seven million souls that once populated Coast City the home of Earth’s Green Lantern, Hal Jordan. Seemingly, only Barry Allen stands between Nekron and the fate of our world but he is soon aided by Wally West and Earths mightiest heroes the Justice League of America. The battle hangs in the balance until these heroes are joined by the seven “New Guardians” of light (read Green Lantern #48 for more back story) led by Hal Jordan. As victory is within their grasp the grimmest manifestation of the “Darkest Knight” we have ever seen is resurrected.
People, you have to see this Cadaverous Crusader to believe it. In a two page splash Ivan Reiss, ably assisted by inkers Prado and Albert and colorist Sinclair, the guardian of Gotham takes on his most hideous incarnation ever. This Batman is both compelling and repellent. Truly, it is one of the most stunning representations of Batman to date. Worse yet, in this story Batman is used as the emotional tether that Nekron needed to bring about the deaths of Wonder Woman, Superman, Conner Kent, Bart Allen and the Green Arrow Oliver Queen. As this unholy Batman regurgitates Black Lantern rings Nekron calls those heroes to their deaths as he has held them from their everlasting demise all along.
As soon as this new gothic horror of Gotham descends upon us he is gone. Having served his purpose, “Bruce Wayne” as Nekron calls him, is banished to the afterlife once again and his connection is severed. In his wake stands a new dark vision of the JLA and the fates of Barry Allen and Hal Jordan hang by a thread.
Was this truly “Bruce Wayne”? Is Red Robin/Tim Drake wrong about his fate? What answers will be given in the delayed “Batman and Robin” issue #7 and how does it tie into Blackest Night #6? If you haven’t picked up the magnum opus that is Geoff Johns “Blackest Night” I urge you to do so. This series that was once a bit slow paced and frustrating has really taken off and may be one of the best story lines we seen in comic books in years.
Written by Dark Knight Dave
Superman/Batman has historically been a hit or miss title, and issue sixty-six is a complete miss. Both, written and drawn by Scott Kollins, issue sixty-six is poorly done on both accounts. Kolins is unable to apply the “Blackest Night” concept with characters that are not all that interesting.
In an issue of Superman/Batman where neither Superman nor Batman appears, Kolins cannot hold the reader’s attention with Solomon Grundy, Man-bat, and Bizarro Superman. We follow the three characters as they terrorize the citizens of Gotham City, where no heroes are able to be found. The earth version of Solomon Grundy arises from the dead and Francine Langstrom is trying to finally, cure her husband. The major problems with this issue is that it follows three characters that the reader cannot emotional relate to, unless someone has been a bat before, and none of them are interesting enough to keep the reader interested for an entire thirty-two pages. Kolins writes sloppy fight scenes that focus on Bizarro’s confusion. The book really suffers from the appalling dialogue that Kolins seemed to just pull out of a hat. The story does not consistently flow; it constantly cuts from one character to the next without any sort of resolution. I do not understand why anyone would think that a well written story could be created when the plot solely focuses on three rather lame villains. I understand that Bizarro and Man-bat are, in a way, Superman and Batman’s opposites, however, that still does not make them intriguing characters.
On top of the painful writing, the art is equally horrendous. Scott Kolins’ art has never been so distracting and so distasteful to me before. While the art is consistent throughout the issue, it is consistently disagreeable. I think this issue was supposed to be dark and eerie because of the Blackest Night theme, but Kolins’ style doesn’t lend itself well to that dark tone. There are panels where it appears that he tries to make the characters seem more frightening, and it comes off the wrong way. The art feels rushed just like the issue.
Sadly, Superman/Batman is a book that for the last several years has been unable to gather any sort of momentum; it has one to two good issues, which are interrupted by an issue like number sixty-six. Even the Blackest Night tie-in is unable to provide this book with some much needed help. A disappointing and poorly put together issue, that I would suggest not reading.
Superman/Batman #66:
Reviewed by Zfactor
We have reached the final part of the three episode storyline of Blackest Night featuring Batman and Superman. My aim here is not to recap the issues but to continue the friendly competition between DC comic’s greatest heroes and how they respectively dealt with the Blackest Night scourge. I divided the competition into 4 parts; Cover Art, Reveals, Raw Emotional Impact, and Supporting Cast and Villains.
Cover Art
In Blackest Night Batman #3 the cover art is supplied by Alex Sinclair. The cover depicts Batman in a seemingly hopeless struggle with two ghouls as they attempt to pull him into the Drake family plot. The color is washed out by an “off camera” light which in whole is apparently meant to give the scene a stark and cold feel to it all.
Over in Blackest Night Superman #3 things are red hot. The cover is by Eddy Barrows and Nei Ruffino. The picture here is ablaze as Smallville burns in the background, the air above is filled with howling wraiths and below an army of zombies march out of Hell. In the middle of it all defiantly stand Superman, Conner Kent and Krypto.
Decision=Blackest Night Superman
This was an easy win for the “S” clad warriors. Superman’s heat vision is the exclamation point to the red hued artwork here which is in sharp contrast to the muted Batman cover. The main characters stand heroically between Heaven and Hell while Batman is depicted as fighting a losing battle.
Reveals
In this round I look to see which book offers the most in the way of revealing the solution to winning the battle over the seemingly invincible Black Lanterns.
In Blackest Night Batman #3 the Dick Grayson Batman foils the efforts of the Uber ghouls by literally freezing themselves from the senses of the Black Lanterns therefore rendering themselves invisible. Thus thwarted, the Lanterns move on. Over in Superman, the weapons of the Black Lanterns are turned against them. Conner Kent uses the mask of Psycho Pirate against Lantern Kal–L and the very emotions he once fed from turn against him separating him from his black power ring and destroying him.
Decision=Blackest Night Superman
Much of the power of the Black Lanterns is centered in their rings. While Batman lived to fight another day he nearly killed himself and Red Robin doing it. The tactical advantage to be passed on is that the Black Lanterns are not all powerful when the source of the sustenance is deprived from them. As a counterpoint, Superman learned that the sustenance the Lanterns feed off of such as rage, avarice, fear, hope, love and compassion can actually be used to separated the Black Lanterns from their rings. If you’re reading the main title to “Blackest Night” we’ve learned the real way to defeat a Black Lantern is to destroy the ring he wears. This is done by focusing the energy of two combined ring powers such Green and Purple. Superman’s efforts destroyed his opponent while Batman’s got away.
Raw Emotional Impact
Much of the efforts of the Black Lanterns to gain power is by ratcheting up the emotions of their victims to an apex of rage wherein the hearts of their victims are ripped out to consummate that power. In Blackest Night Batman that rage is fueled by the recreation of the moments that Tim Drake and Dick Grayson lost their respective parent or parents. In what I have described as a “circus macabre” Dick actually finds himself under the big top where his parents hurtled to their deaths and the man responsible, Zucco, albeit a zombie version stands before him. Tim Drake finds himself in his father’s apartment at the time of his lonely death at the hands of “Boomerang”.
Over in Superman it is the secondary figure of Kara, aka Supergirl, that is faced with her dead father. No recreation of a death scene here and the principle character of Superman is spared facing the Black Lantern version of Jor-El and Lara. The most dynamic scene is provided by Supergirl’s mother, Alura, as she flies into space to rescue her daughter and defeat her dead husband by severing his hand with heat vision and pulling Kara to safety.
Decision=Blackest Night Batman
The gut wrenching (heart wrenching?) tableaus of having to relive the moment that your parents or parent died wins out. Add to that being there and being unable to stop it trumps any emotional impact that the Superman book came up with. Conner Kent saving Superman just wasn’t as powerful. I liked Krypto saving Ma Kent. But shouldn’t that have been her son’s responsibility?
Supporting Cast and Villains
Let’s start with Blackest Night Superman. Many of the characters seen in the previous issues are repeated here. It is the introduction of Alura, Supergirl’s mother, as a major player that is most welcome. She is a commanding presence. Her leadership, courage, resolve and fortitude in a time of crisis was quite impressive. I hope we see more of this character in all the Superman books.
In Blackest Night Batman all the previous characters also make their return. The two new zombified villains we are treated to are Boomerang and Zucco. These two undead louts carry much emotional baggage for our heroes and provide them a target for years of pent up anger and revenge.
Decision=Blackest Night Superman
Believe me people this was a close one. Can there be anything more onerous than the undead incarnation of your parents killers? How about the living breathing force that is Alura? There was nothing real about Zucco and Boomerang. They were just the dead avatars of a bitter but distant memory. On the other hand Alura embodied the power, grace, heroism and authority of a full blown super hero. As I said before, more of this character please!
Finale There you have it. As categorized by the stipulations stated above the Blackest Night Superman books win. If it came down which super hero actually spared their respective cities the most damage Batman would actually win. Batman spared Gotham a lot of death and destruction by moving the fight out of town. While Superman kept the fight at home and watch his home town burn below him. Not very smart. I guess even the Dick Grayson version of Batman has it over Superman in the brains department. But (ahem) I’m hardly biased.
Posted by Dark Knight Dave
Last Friday, the second to last episode of the first season for Batman: The Brave and the Bold aired on Cartoon Network. The episode featured the Outsiders with a teaser of Green Arrow and Catwoman. Tiggerbrown and rhine1784 both weigh in on the episode. Let's start off with rhine1784:
Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Inside the Outsiders
Synopsis: Batman must enter the mindscape to save Black Lightning, Katana, and Metamorpho from the evil Psycho Pirate.
The teasers reveals Batman and Green Arrow captured by Catwoman and her henchmen after she has stolen two golden feline statues from a local museum. The bat/cat banter and flirting is thick and enough to make Green Arrow lose his lunch. Catwoman narrowly escapes after the heroes retrieve the statues but not before leaving her digits for the Caped Crusader.
I’ll admit I’m not a huge Outsiders fan, but I have enjoyed them in this series. Batman meets up with Psycho Pirate who has the team trio under his power via nightmares to gobble up their anger. Batman joins in the fun to save them “yeah in their dreams”, no I’m serious in their dreams. Each Outsider must face their demons with “happy thoughts” to combat Psycho Pirate. I guess even Batman has a few happy thoughts to pit against his villains. While a bit darker than most BTBTB episodes, for me it was just an average episode. The animation and voice work were excellent, but I felt the story lacked a little “meat”. Good thoughts in, bad thoughts out.
Inside the Outsiders:
Moving on to Tiggerbrown:
Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Inside the Outsiders
I always have to remind myself that as an adult watching cartoons, I am in the demographic minority. There are definitely animated series geared toward college students and adults, but for the most part, and in particular superhero shows, they are made for kids. BTBTB is one of those cartoons. Yes, there is the occasional episode like Music Meister or the one with the comic-con scene that infuse child like adventure with a bit of tongue and cheek wit. But even with the “camp” style, the dialogue and stories are written at a level reminiscent of the New Adventures of Batman from the 70’s, rather than BTAS. And of course that’s ok. If we don’t give our youngsters a Batman they can identify with, who is going to be listening to Dustin and the gang ten years from now? (Hey, I grew up with a towel clothes-pinned around my neck pretending to be the animated Adam West or Olan Soule Batman, and look how I turned out 
The second to last episode of the first season revisits the Outsiders and uses the villain Psycho Pirate as a means to explore the origins and motivation of the three Outsiders. Metamorpho, Katana, and Black Lightening are all portrayed as young teens in this series. Appropriately, the themes of rage, guilt, and revenge vs. justice are all explored with very simple, straightforward storytelling.
We all know Psycho Pirate as the rage feeding mind manipulator from Crisis on Infinite Earth, Infinite Crisis and now Blackest Night. But for trivia sake, his first meeting with the Outsiders was in the Outsiders Special “From here to Infinity” from 1987.
Metamorpho has never been one of my favorite comic book characters, but I love his tragi-romantic depiction in the Justice League animated series. BTBTB gives us a one dimensional version of the JL characterization. Psycho Pirate is able to channel Metamorpho’s rage by praying on his insecurity of his freak like physical appearance. In classic 70’s cartoon fashion, he realizes his appearance and abilities are what bond him with the other Outsiders and make him a hero.
Black Lightning’s rendering is the least successful of the three Outsiders. He is relatively just an updated version of Static Shock. His enraging from people’s daily pet-peeves doesn’t work. I think it was this episode’s attempt at humour, but even the tiniest of tots wouldn’t find BL’s nightmare scene humorous.
I like what the writers did with Katana. From a storyteller’s perspective, her character and the guilt she felt over her Masters death was the most compelling and complex. Batman’s interaction with Katana is also the most successful of the three. Rationalizing her role in her Master’s murder, and mentoring her on the importance of justice over revenge worked quite well.
Batman himself is mainly used as a mentor to the three young heroes. Although, the best line of the episode does come at Batman’s expense. To defeat Psycho Pirate, Batman focuses on thought of happiness rather than fury. As the story is about to end the Outsiders ponder out loud, “What are Batman’s happiest thoughts”? Great question for debate isn’t it?
Inside the Outsiders was far from my favorite BTBTB episode. Maybe if I was still twelve years old, which would surely give me a more objective opinion, I would have appreciated it more.
Inside the Outsiders:
Having watched the episode myself, I will agree with both of them. It was an ok episode but nothing to write home about.
Posted by Dustin
When we last left our masked crusaders they were careening out of control and heading for a crash landing in a cemetery at the outskirts of Gotham city. The new Batman, Dick Grayson, has a plan where he can isolate the Black Lanterns away from the citizens of Gotham and provides a means of escape for his battered passengers Barbara and Jim Gordon. What Batman didn’t count on was the arena for this plan would turn into a circus macabre starring his dead parents.
Batman rightly deduces that the best way to limit the feeding frenzy of the Black Lanterns is to rob them of their nourishment. A stratagem that will serve him well by the end of the book. He orders Damian to escort the Gordon’s to safety through a secret passage through the grave of an Archibald Stanton. (Like a million other people I Googled Archibald Stanton and the best match I could come up with was the grave of a Arch Stanton from the classic western, “The Good, The Bad & The Ugly.) Damian typically refuses but Red Robin (Tim Drake/Wayne) has Batman’s back and orders Damian to comply. It’s good to see Dick and Tim work as a team, when the chips are down their personal differences are tossed aside for the greater good. I also appreciate the small doses of humor introduced when Batman calls Robin through his link and both Tim and Damian answer. Dick is forced to clarify, “No, the other Robin!”
Despite the fact that Batman has a plan, so do the Black Lanterns. The source of the Lanterns energy is siphoning off the rage they elicit in their perspective victims. By running their adversaries through a gamut of emotions that typically reach an apex of rage the Black Lanterns then tear their hearts out to fuel their nefarious energy. In this story the bad guys pull no punches. A giant big top is constructed complete with trapeze for the dead Grayson’s to perform on and an apartment where Red Robin sees the night his father died. Despite Batman’s pleading advice to Red Robin to resist this farce, both heroes succumb to this hellacious hallucination. Peter Tomasi does a good job of spinning a fable where both Dick and Tim are given the opportunity to save their parents but more importantly take revenge on their killers. This rage of revenge falls right into the hands, literally, of the Black Lanterns and the gruesome ghouls make a play for the hearts of Dick and Tim.
But this Batman hasn’t played his last card and proves he is worthy of the mantle of the Bat. Before entering the fray, Batman tells Deadman to go get Jason Blood aka Etrigan the Demon! Continuing the theme of “family” Peter Tomasi weaves in the need to close ranks when those dearest to you are in danger. Dick, Tim, and Damian work as one. The Gordon family is made safe with Alfred’s help and the concept of the extended Batman family is shrewdly used. Both Deadman and the Demon are part of this “family” and without them the battle would have surely been lost. While the Deadman-possessed Demon holds off the reinforced Black Lanterns with his Hellfire, Batman’s last gambit is played out. Upon orders from Dick, Robin sends a “winger” stocked with a gun from Mr. Freeze that a trusting Tim allows Dick to use on him after which Batman uses it on himself. This clever design works as Batman and Red Robin are frozen over depriving the Lanterns of a target to focus on. Deadman completes the ploy entering the bodies of our heroes allowing them to break free of their frozen cocoons.
Family, trust, sacrifice and courage. These integral themes are woven into a foundation that is critical to Tomasi’s story. With these themes Batman lives to fight another day and valuable information is gleaned to carry on this battle when it is to be renewed on a greater scale.
I’ll give this story a four out of five Bat-a-rangs. There was no clear cut resolution to this saga for it just part of a far greater epic. An epic that the Batman and his family will play an important role.
Blackest Night: Batman #3:
Reviewed by Dark Knight Dave
So we continue "The Month Bat-Fans Go Broke." Last week there was a mess-up and Killing Joke was delayed last minute. It was even on the DC site as it was going to be released last week only to be changed to this week a couple of days late. So I won’t go into that comic, but it is coming out today. What else is there? Let’s see.
Batgirl #3
$2.99
The third issue makes it way into our comic pulls this week. Or does it? The first two issues were ok. They were nothing special and didn’t really give it the push that this series needed to come out. DC was going against so many fans hyped that Barbara was going to Batgirl that this series really needs to pick up the pace. We have not received very many answers since they revealed who Batgirl was. There have only been more questions conceived. This issue needs to have a little more action or a little more downtime, but not both. There seems to be too much being crammed in the issues and we are not getting enough of either. Make it all about one aspect and leave the other area for a small bit instead of spreading it thin. This week I unfortunately have to drop this one down to READ IT.
Batman #691
$2.99
This series is double shipping this month. It as almost as if DC wants us to forget the catastrophe that we have been reading in this book. It is really the only series that does not fit with the rest. And when I say that, I am including Detective Comics, which has nothing to do with Batman other than the namesake. I will admit that I am interested in Dick and Two-Face fighting. I am also interested in many other things. Some would include: When did Two-Face become a better fighter than Dick? Where is Oracle during this whole time frame while they are in the Batcave? What the heck is going on? This one, I am sure you guessed it, PASS
The Batman Chronicles Vol. 8
$14.99
This is one of the few TPB’s that I will ever suggest you pick up. The chronicles collect the first issues ever of Batman in Detective Comics, Batman, and World’s Finest. I am not going to go into detail with this one, but it is worth it. BUY IT
Detective Comics Annual #11
$4.99
Not to be outdone by it’s sister series, Detective Comics releases its own annual this week. Detective Comics has not had a annual in over ten years. The story in the annual from last week was not the best but it seems to be missing something. I think once Azrael has its own series and Fabian has the chance to build the history of the character, Azrael can succeed. The back-ups are ehhh. Little Gotham is great. Despite the problems, I am interested in seeing what will happen and am glad that ‘tec is getting an annual finally. BUY IT
Red Robin #5
$2.99
Red Robin kicks off a new arc this issue. I am interested in seeing what is to become of Tim as it seems that Ra’s is trying to recruit him. It is as if Ra’s failed with Bruce so he wants Tim. I am interested in seeing where Tim’s trek takes him on his way to find Bruce. BUY IT
Alright so that is it for this week. Other books worth checking out include numerous books that Batman and his allies will be making guest appearances in. Adventure Comics #3 features Red Robin teaming up with Superboy. Blackest Night: Batman #3 features the entire Batman Universe and will be interesting to see how things pan up. Booster Gold #25 will feature Batman and Robin. So there are plenty of books out there worth reading, even if there is not much I suggest you buy. So, ’til next time, keep reading.
Posted by Dustin
When we last left the caped heroes of Gotham city they were forced into a crash landing by the insidious and inhuman plague known as the Black Lanterns. The embodiment of this plague? None other than the dead parents of Dick Grayson and Tim Drake. The nightmare continues as Batman, Robin, and Red Robin bear witness to a Circus Macabre where the featured act is their fated forerunners and our heroes may be compelled to take their final bow!
Blackest Night Batman #3 hits the stands tomorrow, October 14th.
Posted by Dark Knight Dave
Blackest Night Batman vs. Blackest Night Superman
Round 2
Hopefully you’ve all had a chance to read Blackest Night Batman and Superman parts two of three. My aim here is not to recap the issues but to engage in a little friendly competition between two of DC’s greatest heroes as they tangle with the latest threat to the DC universe, the Black Lanterns! In round one of this competition I divided the battle into four parts. Cover Art, Reveals, Raw Emotional Impact and Supporting Cast and Villains. As we complete the second issue of each I’ve added, Cliffhangers, as a way of rounding out the competition.
Cover Art
The cover of Blackest Night Batman #2 by Andy Kubert and Alex Sinclair pictured here reminded me of the classic Bill Murray comedy, “Ghostbusters”. While the movie made you howl with laughter this scene is of a grimmer nature. Here we see Damian, Dick and Tim unleashing torrents of hell fire from their weapons as they are besieged by legions of demonic Black Lanterns. Our heroes’ bodies are aglow with weapons fire as they stand amidst the gathering gloom and the city topples around them. Their desperate faces grimace with fear and rage knowing that this could be their last stand.
Over on Blackest Night Superman #2, we have a cover by Eddy Barrows and Nei Ruffino. This cover too could come from some classic horror movie but perhaps of a much earlier era. Pictured here we have the standard tableau of the vulnerable heroine held in the clutches of the dastardly villain. It looks like any movie poster from a vampire flick of the 20’s or 30’s where the young and innocent female is about to be violated by a nightmarish monster. Only in this case the young lady is Kara, also known as Supergirl, and the monster is her once dead father out to kill her and destroy Kandor.
Decision=Blackest Night Batman
-While both covers depict and evince the horror of the monster movie genre I’m giving the nod to Batman. The Superman cover, while classic, has been done a million times. The Batman cover is dynamic and lends itself to famous last stand movies like the Alamo or Zulu where the odds were insurmountable.
Reveals
In this section I’m looking for clues to see how the overall Blackest Night storyline is to proceed. In Blackest Night #3, Ray Palmer, the Atom, theorized that the Black Lanterns’ power rings are made possible by some amalgamation of dark matter coupled with microscopic worm holes that channel energy. A pretty significant step, whether it is true remains to be seen. In these two books unfortunately we don’t learn too much. Zombie Lanterns are shredded and re-form in both books and the heroes realize quickly that their weapons and powers are near useless. At least Supergirl confirms what Green Lantern Kyle Rayner comes to know that their loved ones would never speak to them or acts like their current evil incarnations (Green Lantern Corps #40).
Decision=Tie
-When there isn’t much to go on from each issue I’m not going to split hairs and force a winner.
Raw Emotional Impact
Certainly there is no shortage of emotional impact in either book. In the Batman book we find Priests, Cops, Firefighters, and Civilians are being torn to shreds by the Black Lanterns. Commissioner Gordon and his daughter Barbara are trapped together in seemingly their last moment as they try to blast their way free in utter futility. As this happens, the Black Lanterns taunt their victims with bitter memories and make a mockery of their lives and loves. Red Robin comes to the rescue with low altitude high speed pass that temporarily decimates the Black Lanterns. But the grotesque icing on the cake is when Tim and Dick are confronted by their dead parents, the Drakes and the Graysons.
Over in Blackest Night Superman Black Lantern Kal-L continues to provoke Superman into rash action while dead Earth 2 Lois holds Ma Kent hostage. Kal-L orders Lois to kill Ma Kent and this is only narrowly averted by the actions of Suberboy Conner Kent. The most obvious contrast in raw emotion between the two books comes from the manipulations of the dead Psycho Pirate. Suddenly, the citizens of Smallville are turned against each other or in one particular frame forced to kiss each other in a decidedly non heterosexual way!
Decision=Blackest Night Batman
-If only Pa Kent was resurrected as a Black Lantern! Now, that would have been horrific. I have no doubt that it would have pushed Superman right over the edge and I would have loved to see that. Unfortunately, this was an opportunity missed. That act would have only been superseded by seeing Bruce Wayne rise from the grave. (Hmmm, or maybe not?) The combination of the Drakes and the Graysons trumps Supergirl’s newly risen father since he is not a character that carries the same emotional impact in the DC universe.
Supporting Cast and Villains
Much of the characters we saw in the first issues of each series return in the second. In Batman, Red Robin takes on a larger role however briefly. The Drakes and Graysons get some speaking roles but they are regulated to the end of the issue. Deadman reanimates a paralyzed Barbara Gordon and they all pile into Red Robins jet powered flying bus.
But over in Blackest Night Superman #2 we have Psycho Pirate! This addition was a real hoot. Not only does he turn staid and sweet Smallville into a maelstrom of emotion he does it with hilarious and bold results not often seen in comics. We also get to see Connor Kent turn on Big Blue and lastly it’s the totally b**chin’ Martha Kent telling us, “it’s on!”
Decision=Blackest Night Superman
-This was a no brainer. (Hey, just like a zombie.) The addition of Black Lantern Psycho Pirate easily tipped the scales. I loved the interaction of the Gordon father daughter team but the citizens of Gotham are strangely absent. Smallville’s populace on the other hand, writhe together in an orgy of violence and lust not meant for our younger readers. Throw in the torch wielding Ma Kent and like the lady said, “it’s on!”
Cliffhanger
Speaking of that crazy lady in the cornfield, I wouldn’t put any money on her chances against the Black Lantern Lois. The lady’s got grit, but, please, someone has to bail her out and it doesn’t look like its going to be Conner Kent. (My guess would be Krypto to the rescue!) Kara also has her hands full with her malevolent father. And exactly how is Superman going to take on Earth 2 Kal-L, Psycho Pirate and Conner Kent? Oh yeah, there’s that whole orgy thing going on in the town square too.
Over in Blackest Night Batman our heroes have crash landed in a cemetery. No crazy citizenry to contend with unless we include the ones buried below and that is not out of the question. No, their battle seems to be isolated to the graveyard. Who knows what mayhem will go on in Gotham without the heroes around? The Graysons and the Drakes should take front and center here. Will Tim and Dick turn their fry-o-laters on their own parents?
Decision=Blackest Night Superman
-This was a tough call. Dick Grayson’s Batman seems to have his head screwed on right but Damian’s Robin and Tim Drake seem a little uneasy. I don’t think the Gordon’s will be too much help either. Deadman? We’ll see. It looks like the new Batman could be on his own and that will be toughest test for our hero.
Similarly, Superman is on his own unless we count Ma Kent and the recovering Krypto. As much as I like to see Batman battle it out in a rain soaked and darkened graveyard I am really jonesing to see Martha Kent “git it on.” The whole town spinning out of control with Psycho Pirate and Supes battling two super powered antagonists is too much to ignore.
So, much as we found in Blackest Night Batman #1 versus Blackest Night Superman #1 we have a tie. It looks like the third and final issue of each series will have to serve as the tie breaker. I promise you one will win over the other. (I hope!) Will anything come of these short series? Probably not, as the overall series will go on into next year. It’s been fun so far to see these two heroes deal with the Blackest Night in their own books and they will return in such incarnations as the JLA Blackest Night, Blackest Night Superman/Batman and the over arching Green Lantern-centric Blackest Night series. Until we meet in round three.
Posted by Dark Knight Dave