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
Batman in the JLA
In this, the second entry of my “Year of the Batmen” series, I am going to discuss the Dick Grayson Batman and the dynamic of his entry into the newly reconstituted Justice League of America.
For the longest time the JLA was led by the holy trinity of the DC pantheon, Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. The Batman character, specifically embodied by Bruce Wayne, was often seen as the intellectual leader of the JLA and for the most part its chief tactician. The Wayne Batman was renowned for planning for every contingency, for being several steps ahead his foes and for never being caught off guard. This served him well in the JLA as that unit was often comprised by disparate heroes, some with much less experience than Wayne but often possessing much more physical power and or abilities.
Because Wayne often dealt with these heroes of different or greater qualities, who were used to pursuing causes of their own, he often clashed with them as they chafed under his authority. And because this Batman did not suffer fools well and was often harsh and impatient he often clashed with his team mates off times coming to physical blows. The most distinct rivalry often came from Hal Jordan, the Green Lantern, who was essentially an inter-galactic policeman and who quite often resented taking orders from Batman who basically was the guardian just of one city.
As most readers know now the Bruce Wayne Batman is no longer on the scene. He has been succeeded by his foremost protege, Dick Grayson. For years Dick toiled under the shadow of the Bat as Robin and is only now getting up to speed as Gotham’s premier crime fighter. In the JLA, as written by James Robinson, we see a different personality to the Batman. It’s something I call the “Winick Model” after Judd Winick, who took up the writing for the Batman series as Grayson became Batman. This particular take on Batman found the caped crusader to be more open and visible. No more lurking in the shadows or avoiding the spotlight. He even smiles.
Fortunately, Dick Grayson is no neophyte when it comes to the team concept. Something the original could not claim. As Nightwing he fought along side the Teen Titans some of which now comprise this new JLA. The Teen Titans however could be seen, unfairly or otherwise, as a second tier unit. What’s different now are the expectations of being the Batman and serving in the JLA which has historically been seen as Earth’s mightiest heroes and its foremost protectors. So how does Robinson integrate this new Batman into this new progression? By having Grayson coordinate his first major action with the team.
In JLA #42 the team is confronted with a rogue Atlas and it takes all the group members to bring him down. Each heroic character is allowed an internal dialog that speaks to the reader on how they feel it is to be part of the team. Grayson comes off as a bit callow. He seems surprised to be even included. He says, “My league, me as Batman” as if he can’t quite comprehend that he is there. Something the Wayne Batman would not think even to himself. As the battle rages Dick also has to deal with the fact that two of his team mates have had an intimate relationship with him. Something the Wayne Batman would certainly sneer at. Grayson calls out instructions to Donna Troy and Starfire and they execute his plan perfectly and when the coup de grace has to be applied, it is Dick who orders Green Lantern into play. Jordan thinks it is “weird” taking orders from Dick as does Grayson giving orders to the Green Lantern.
So that part of the dynamic stays true. Batman calls the shots while the others follow, trusting that Batman will know what is best for the team and the consummation of the outcome to be without flaw. The major difference is the hint of doubt we see from each principle even though it does not affect their performance. At least for now.
Additionally, let’s study how this particular Batman is drawn for this story. Mark Bagley does the pencils. Inks by Hunter, Rapmund, and Glapion with colors by Pete Pantazis. This new JLA Batman is not very threatening. He wears the blue and gray costume as opposed to the more Gothic black and gray as drawn by Tony Daniel. Therefore this Batman is depicted to less of a loner and more of a team player. Even the cowl as drawn by Bagley has a less threatening look to it as the ears are minimized and therefore less frightening. This Batman will not threaten the team dynamic with arrogance or force of will and is drawn to reflect that.
As constituted now the new JLA Batman is a bit green behind those nominal ears. Unsure, untested in his new team dynamic. Will he be allowed to grow in this new structure? Will doubt set in if his next plan goes awry? The original Batman led without question. Will the Grayson version be allowed the same luxury? And what of the return of Bruce Wayne? As Dick becomes more comfortable in this role will he want to let it go? There are many questions to be answered as the Dick Grayson Batman not only fills out the most iconic of roles but also steps into the rarefied air of the holiest of trinities of the DC pantheon.
Next up for the Year of the Batmen, a sneak peek into the art of the Batmen as drawn by Daniel, Gary Frank, Rags Morales and Frank Quitely amongst others.
Posted by Dark Knight Dave
The DC DTV animated movie series has had its fair share of ups and downs. It has put out awesome movies, like Green Lantern, or Wonder Woman, and it has put out very bad movies, like Superman Batman: Public Enemies. So where does JL: CTE, the latest film in this series, sit? Well, it’s at the top. This movie was fantastic!
Before I actually review it though, I want to go into the history of the film. It originally was supposed to be Justice League: Worlds Collide, and was going to be part of the DCAU. The film was intended to be released between Justice League and Justice League Unlimited. It would have served as a bridge between the two series. However, the film never got made, and Justice League Unlimited began, albeit, bridge-less. Now, many years later, the film has finally been released, but rewritten as Crisis on Two Earths. Even though The Film has been rewritten, not much has changed. We get to see the League building the new Watchtower, how the expanded roster came about, and even how Wonder Woman got her Invisible Jet. The only actual difference is that Green Lantern is Hal Jordan, not John Stewart. Other than that, CTE fits nicely into the DCAU, and perfectly fills the gap between JL and JLU.
The story is simple enough, a good version of Lex Luthor, from an alternate earth, comes to the Justice Leagues world, asking the league to help him defeat the Crime Syndicate of America, super powered criminals who have the country’s crime under their thumbs. The League goes to Luthor’s earth to take down the Syndicate, but soon discover a more sinister plot to destroy all of reality. The story is not to complex, but excellent nonetheless. Though the movie is made primarily of action sequences (awesome action sequences), it has some nice character development, especially a subplot involving John Jonzz. Dwayne McDuffie delivers one his best scripts with this movie.
The animation is absolutely top notch. The fight sequences are brutal, and exciting, and just look great all-around. The character designs are very good too. They seem to take some inspiration from Frank Quitley’s artwork on the JLA Earth 2 graphic novel written by Grant Morrison. I particularly liked Batman’s fight with Owlman at the end of the movie. It was one of the coolest animated fight scenes I have seen in a while. I won’t talk about it though; you just have to see it.
One of the things that makes the movie so good is the flawless voice cast. Everyone involved is great, there is no weakness in the cast (can we expect less from Andrea Romano though?) In the Justice league we have Mark Harmon as Superman, William Baldwin as Batman, Josh Keaton as Flash (he was awesome, and had the perfect voice for The Flash), Vanessa Marshall as Wonder Woman, Jonathan Adams as Martian Manhunter, and Nolan North as Green Lantern. From the Crime Syndicate we have James Woods as Owlman, Gina Torres as Superwoman, Brian Bloom as Ultraman, and James Patrick Stuart as Johnny Quick. Also from the Crime Syndicate world is Chris Noth as Lex Luthor. Focusing on Batman for a minute; William Baldwin was great! At first I was a little jarred by his voice, it’s definitely different from Kevin Conroy’s DCAU portrayal. However, as the film progressed, I liked his performance more and more. He is actually really good, and I would like him to return to the role. His last line to Owlman is awesome! Speaking of Owlman, James Woods’ performance is one of the highlights of the film. He was the perfect actor for the role, and it shows! His performance alone makes the movie worth watching!
Also, one more thing I loved; the music. The film is scored by James L. Venable, and though he is new to me, I hope I hear more of him soon. His score was very good, and had a big budget cinematic feel.
So all in all, I can’t say enough good things about his movie. It’s certainly the best of the DC DTVs, and I highly recommend that you see it.
Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths:
Reviewed by TheCapedCrusader
Green Lantern featuring Batman
Well, the comic starts off with a man being chased through Gotham City by some a saber-tooth tiger and a skull with wings that can breathe fire. The man is later killed by a man holding a Tattoo gun. After killing him, the unknown man writes a message on the dead man’s chest and the media claims this murder was done by a Green Lantern villain known as The Tattooed Man.
So Batman calls in Hal Jordan to help, as we all know Batman doesn’t like other hero’s villains in his city. So Green Lantern comes to the Batcave. He asks Bruce why he didn’t just call him, instead of getting Green Arrow to pass on the message. This leads to Hal and Bruce having a little argument as Bruce still doesn’t trust Hal (Continuity Note: Before coming back to life, Hal Jordan was affected by the evil Avatar of the Sinestro Corps Parallax). Bruce shows Hal the crime scene photos and says that they are dealing with Tattooed Man. Jordan thinks different as the Tattooed Man he knows of is locked up in prison. So they go out looking for this new Tattooed Man, but not before Bruce punches Jordan in the face and says that they are now even.
They take the Batmobile to the last known whereabouts of the new Tattooed Man. In the Batmobile, Hal tries to make Batman laugh, but he has a hard time doing so. He even makes a joke about Robin and asks if any of sidekicks ever grow because the seat is so far forward. Bruce tells him to buckle up which Hal jokes it off. Bruce hits a speed bump which in turn makes Hal hit the roof of the Batmobile. This is my favorite part of the issue because you see that Bruce does have a funny side to him. Soon afterwards, they are both attacked by the Tattooed Man, who calls them both sinners. Hal then gets the Tattooed Man attention, Bruce knocks him out with one punch, and the police come and arrest him. Bruce and Hal go back to the Batcave, where Jordan gives Bruce his power ring and asks him to put it on. Bruce refuses until Hal begs and tells Bruce it will help him overcome his greatest fear like it did for him with the death of his father. Bruce puts it on and his costume changes to a Green Lantern costume mixed with the Batsuit, which is pretty cool! Then Bruce creates an image of his parents with the ring and starts to cry. He takes off the ring and tells Hal that he is not ready got overcome his fear. Before Jordan leaves Bruce smiles and tells him that it’s good to have him back. Hal smiles and replies, “It’s good to be back”.
This issue is pretty good. The story is very solid and doesn’t feel like random team between two superheroes. Geoff Johns portrays the bad blood Bruce has towards Hal throughout. Johns also shows in this issue that he is a Batman fan and knows how to write Batman. This was really good. Didn’t feel like a pointless team issue. It made me glad that I picked it up last year at a comic book traders market. Also the back and forth banter between Hal and Bruce was priceless. Another thing I have to give Johns credit for is reminding us that Jordan and Bruce both saw their loved ones and they each handled it in their own way. The only problem I had with this issue was the fight they had with Tattooed Man. The fight was only two pages long and felt like it could have been longer. But hey, that's just me. I can’t wait and see what Johns bring to Batman: Earth One. The penciling by Ethan Van Sciver who not only draws a good Batman, but his art is amazing.
Green Lantern #9:
Reviewed by Johnny Impulse
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