The State of Comic Book Films
“I am Iron Man. Think you are the only superhero in the world? Mr. Stark, you’ve become part of a bigger universe, but you just don’t know it yet,” Nick Fury, director of SHIELD. “I’m here to talk to you about the Avengers Initiative.”
Those words, spoken by Samuel L. Jackson at the end of 2008’s Iron Man are words that may have shaken up the way comic book movies are made. On its own Iron Man was a great comic book superhero-based film. It had just about everything you could have asked for in a thrilling, smart, and at times comedic popcorn entertainment action flick. But, those words were the lynch-pin of what Marvel Studio hoped would be the next evolution of comic book movie storytelling. Essentially taking the idea of a fully fledged “universe” and transform that into film.
For years of course comic book character films have been presented as if the characters spotlighted were the only heroes in their world. Oh sure Metropolis got named dropped in Batman Forever, and there is the “This is why Superman works ALONE” quip in Batman & Robin, but in every movie, and even live action television, for the most part (after the series ended, the Incredible Hulk TV show came back in TV movie form a couple of times featuring both Thor and Daredevil, and Smallville has the Green Arrow as a cast member, as well as appearances by other non-Superman supporting characters), done featuring a comic book character whom is part of a bigger comic book universe, it is apparent that for that movie or TV program they are the ONLY super hero on the scene.
Marvel Studios was set to change all of that, and it started in that summer of 2008. Shortly after it appeared Iron Man was a big hit, its sequels were green-lit and pre-production was full steam ahead for other projects that would all go into what will be the first Avengers movie in 2012. The plans were further cemented in that summer’s Incredible Hulk, which included a cameo by Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark telling General Ross that he and a “team” that was being formed could help with the Hulk problem. And now Iron Man 2 has given the Mighty Marvel Movie Society even more steam by being a blockbusting success, and setting the stage for next summer’s Thor film. Oh, and next summer Captain America is set to shake off the aftertaste of the 1990 flop as well.
With Ant-Man, another Iron Man film and The Avengers coming down the pipeline as well, it seems things are running smoothly in terms of Marvel Studios creating a “Movie Universe.” Even with its biggest heavyweights; Spider-Man, the X-Men and Fantastic Four, as well as Daredevil still tied up with other studios as Disney seems content with honoring pre-existing deals.
And DC? Well, there is the follow up to The Dark Knight slated for 2012. As well as the next Superman project which is being “Godfathered” by Batman Begins and The Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan. Oh, and Green Lantern is coming out next year.
While one can expect the third, and Nolan’s final, Batman flick to be a success, maybe not as wild as The Dark Knight as one could chalk a good percentage of its popularity to the “morbid curiosity” surrounding Heath Ledger’s passing, the fact that it will be the final Nolan directed film in the series should trouble a DC movie fan. Where will the Bat-Franchise go from here? Logic would dictate that the next director could pick up where Nolan leaves off, but hey this is Hollywood, and there is enough of a chance of Warner Brothers rebooting the whole darn thing as there are as them letting the next guy continue what Nolan started.
But where does this leave the various projects that have been speculated, and in some cases even gone through the pre-production stage, only to be shut down like the JLA movie? Good question. The hope is that the Green Lantern film becomes as wild of a success as the first Iron Man was. The proof will be in the pudding of course, but at the same time it was clear that Marvel had all its ducks in a row when Iron Man came out. Right now DC/WB is looking at a Batman movie universe where Batman is the only known costumed hero, and Nolan has gone on record as saying he’d like the Superman movie universe to be the same. Okay, so how are you going to rectify that with a possible JLA film? Oh sure movie audiences aren’t that stupid to realize the Batman in a JLA film isn’t the same as Christian Bale’s Batman, or even Adam West’s, Michael Keaton’s, Val Kilmer’s, George Clooney, or heck even Kevin Conroy’s and Diedrich Bader’s. But the fact is, it’s hard to sell two different continuities going on at the same time. Heck, it’s hard even for DC to sell multiple continuities in comic books! Say what you will about Batman Confidential and Superman/Batman, they probably aren’t selling nearly as much as the other Bat-Titles because they are OOC books while all the others are.
Well, that is the current state of affairs with comic book movies. While the next Batman film should bring in the dough that will make Warner very, very happy, and despite the critical responses to Superman Returns one can still say Superman is still a very profitable on-screen franchise, it does seem that DC is still light years behind Marvel in terms of innovation in crafting big screen storytelling. In some cases it might be fine, as DC still holds arguably the two most popular super heroes of all-time in its arsenal, but if Marvel is able to completely pull of what it hopes to with the Marvel Movie Universe, DC will have to change its game plan in terms of how their properties are treated by Hollywood.
Posted by SteveJRogers
Greetings everyone, and welcome back to Creator Spotlight. In this piece, I take a look at the highly successful and controversial Grant Morrison. You either love him or you hate him, I love him, but what about you? Let’s take a look:
Grant Morrison is one of the most highly creative and respected comic book writers in the medium today. However, while Morrison is considered a true pioneer of the comics’ medium, his works often divide the fan base of characters such as Batman.
Morrison began his career in comics working for Near Myths magazine. It was here that he introduced his character, Gideon Stargrave, who appeared in issues three and four of the magazine. Unfortunately, the magazine only ran for five issues before cancellation. Following his work at Near Myths, Morrison found himself writing comic strips and penning various issues of the comic, Starblazer. Morrison would leave the comics scene briefly, but he would later return and begin working for Marvel UK briefly before moving over to 2000AD. While working there, Morrison along with Steve Yeowell and Brendan McCarthy would create Zenith. Zenith, a popular piece in the 2000AD magazine would consistently appear from 1987 to 1992. Zenith is responsible for Morrison landing a job at DC Comics. Morrison would propose Animal Man. Now Animal Man was a somewhat forgotten DC character who Morrison would later revive. Morrison would write the first twenty six issues of the series and the title proved to be highly successful. With Morrison’s unique prospective on the superhero genre, DC would hand him the rains to Doom Patrol in 1989. Morrison would take a rather simple group of characters and expand greatly upon the concept. 1989 would prove to be rather important role in Morrison’s career, along with Doom Patrol, Morrison would write Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth.
The story was released as an original graphic novel and there is no other Batman graphic novel like it. By this point in his career, Morrison had established himself as a writer who would often want the reader to read in between the panels. Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth was no different. At the time, Morrison felt that too many writers were taking the realistic approach to Batman; therefore he countered that with a very surreal and mythical approach. While the story was simple; Batman enters Arkham Asylum to gain the asylum back from the prisoners, Morrison did an excellent job of weaving various forms of symbolism into the story. And while the story focuses on Batman, it is very much about Amadeus Arkham and how the asylum came to be. Morrison also greatly altered some of the characterizations of many of Batman’s villains; especially the Joker. Morrison depicted the eccentric clown as a transvestite. Along with Morrison, the artwork was done by Dave McKean. McKean created a world with boundaries within Morrison’s scripted pages, it was like no other Batman comic before it, and there has been nothing like it since.
With the enormous success of Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth, Morrison was now a household name in the comics industry. The graphic novel has gone on to become the best-selling graphic novel of all-time. In April of 1990, DC gave Morrison five issues in the fairly new Batman title, Legends of the Dark Knight. The storyline was titled, “Gothic”, and again, Morrison incorporated some surreal and satanic themes into the plot. The book was penciled by the legendary Klaus Janson and the storyline is considered to be one of the best of the series and one of the darkest Batman stories of all time.
Throughout the 1990s, Morrison would continue to work with DC Comics but would also have work published with small publishers, and would continue to have printed material in 2000AD. During this time, Morrison would also establish his relationship with fellow Scotsman, writer Mark Millar. The two would collaborate on various projects throughout the decade. Also during this time, Morrison would write his rather epic and fan favorite run on the Justice League of America. JLA was Morrison writing fun and action-packed superhero comics, and this is my favorite run of JLA. Morrison would also begin working within the Vertigo and Wildstorm universes. Morrison would work closely with DC Comics until 2000, where after the release of JLA: Earth 2, he would leave for Marvel Comics. However, while Morrison enjoyed success at Marvel, in 2004 he returned to DC and Vertigo. Morrison would relive great success with the releases of We3 and his return to the JLA. Over the next two years at DC, Morrison would continue to be their ace with such works as Seven Soldiers of Victory, 52, and All Star Superman. However, Morrison could not keep away from the bat and in 2006, was given the rains to the Batman main title, and really the entire Batman universe.
Morrison began his Batman run with issue #655 in September. He would begin with artist Andy Kubert, who was also working with DC for the first time. The storyline was titled; “Batman and Son” and it would run until issue #658. This would mark the beginning of the highly-acclaimed “Batman R.I.P.” story arc. Morrison would then attempt a prose issue, with issue #663, “The Clown at Midnight”. While it was a bold attempt and good story, fans didn’t seem to take kindly to it. None the less, Morrison continued with act II of Batman’s demise in, “The Black Glove” storyline. Morrison would collaborate with the talents of J.H. Williams III and then the current writer/artist on Batman, Tony Daniel. After the first two issues of the storyline, “The Resurrection of Ra’s Al Ghul” would crossover into the main title for issues #670 and #671. Morrison wrote the prelude and part 4 of 7 in the storyline that would also crossover into the Robin, Nightwing, and Detective Comics titles. Morrison would then continue on with “The Black Glove” storyline that was wrapped up with issue #675. Morrison, along with Tony Daniel, would begin of his epic and controversial Batman tale, with Batman R.I.P.
For the better part of two years, Morrison had been writing Batman and everything he had been working for was leading up to Batman R.I.P. All of the issues he had written going back to the beginning with issue #655 were intricate pieces to understanding the over all story. R.I.P. began with issue #676 in May of 2008 and concluded with the Last Rites storyline, issues #682 and #683. Also that same year, Morrison penned the DC main even, Final Crisis, which ended up playing a big role in the future of the current Batman universe. While I personally feel that Morrison’s run on Batman has been unforgettable and one of the best that I’ve read in a long time, many fans feel that Morrison began writing for himself. Many readers felt that they were misled and the ending was not what they were looking for. The question I ask is; did Morrison not capture the very essence of Batman’s character? Did he not show great respect and understanding for this comic book mythology we all love?
Following a brief absence from the Batman titles, Morrison made his triumphant return in June of 2009 with the release of Batman and Robin #1. The result was an epic critical and commercial success. The first three issues of the series are considered by many to be the best written superhero comics that were published in 2009. Morrison was redeemed by fans for any of his prior Batman work. Along with great artist and close friend, Frank Quitely, Morrison was able to capture the quirky and action-packed fun that we all have come to love inside the pages of comics. However, after issue three, Frank Quitely left the title, and the book has since had a revolving panel of artists every three issues. Morrison has remained and the book has lost some of the magic that it had within those first three issues. None the less, it is still considered to be the best current Batman title currently being released.
In addition to Batman and Robin, Morrison is writing The Return of Bruce Wayne miniseries. The first issue is set to release today. The six issues miniseries will bring Bruce Wayne back to Gotham City, and will be the latest chapter in Morrison’s Batman epic which continues. Morrison is also set to return to Batman with issue #700 in June of 2010. Morrison just continues to leave a rather large stamp on the character.
Grant Morrison is widely recognized and considered to be of “rock star” status in the comic book world. There is no denying that no other creator has impacted the character of Batman like Morrison has. He has taken chances, some that haven’t always worked but others that had. He isn’t afraid of making mistakes and I feel like he has taken the Batman universe in a fresh and bold new direction that will change the future of the character forever. Love him or hate him, you have to respect him.
That concludes this entry of Creator Spotlight; I hope you enjoyed a look at the rather impressive look at the career of Grant Morrison. Next time, I will be elaborating on the fan-favorite artist, Tim Sale. Until then, tune in next time, same bat-time, same bat-channel.
Posted by Zach
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
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
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