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
Philip Tan must feel like the middle child in a family of celebrities. No matter how solid his art may be, it will never live up to his “older brother” Frank and his “younger brother” Cameron. Tan’s collaboration with Grant Morrison and run as primary artist on Batman and Robin will probably be forgotten once this series is done, but his style and tone continued the drama in an interesting visual direction even if it wasn’t as magical as his predecessor or as anticipated as his successor.
Tan and Morrison finish up the Revenge of the Red Hood arc with a slew of dramatic panels that are the most violent of this series to date. Morrison uses the maniacal Flamingo not only as a means to bring Red Hood and Scarlet’s fate to a climax, but to resolve the question of who will be Gotham’s protectors. The writer slyly does this without Dick and Jason having to physically confront each other directly. Much is left open ended at the end of the story: Damian is paralyzed; Jason is off to jail; Flamingo’s body can’t be found; Scarlet, free of her mask is off to start a new life, and a battered Dick Grayson opens a sealed vault to what I’m not sure by uttering the password “Zur en arrh”. I’m not even going to try and speculate on the reason why Grant Morrison has Dick utter that infamous phrase at this time of the story. I think my brain would explode if I did.
I appreciated the action and the depth of drama in this issue, but the writing and panel layouts seemed sloppy and rushed. The artistic simplicity that made the first arc so unique and popular is almost reversed here, with too much going on at the same time. Scarlet’s plot resolution is the most successful and effective of the characters. Her horrific happy ending gave the arc’s finale an edge that made the book worth reading. Dick once again doubts his significance, but there was awkwardness to this portrayal that I found unusual for the author who understands this Batman more than anyone. His cool lecturing of Jason followed by a verbal flare-up while Gordon and the cops are all around, was strange and out of character. Especially considering Robin is laying face first with multiple bullet wounds in his back. And then how does Talia show up all of a sudden? Is Damian headed for the Lazarus Pit? Is this a foreshadowing of his future?
Morrison also inserts a page of Oberon Sexton and El Penitente as if to make sure we don’t forget them. The two insignificant characters will hopefully have a meaningful purpose in the next storyline.
I think Philip Tan is a very talented artist. However, I would love to have seen this issue have fewer panels on each page. His detailing isn’t precise enough to bring out the emotion of the characters and the ferociousness of the violence in such small space. His visual expression would have had a much more profound impact with the use of splash pages. Unlike Frank Quitely, whose panels stand on their own, Tan needs the dialogue to give his work definite meaning. The last page, which should have left me wanting more, instead frustrated me. The actual standout from a graphic art perspective was Jonathan Glapion’s inks and Alex Sinclair’s colors. The quality of those elements has remained consistent from the first issue.
What I find so interesting is how Grant Morrison’s writing changed with the artist. It really makes one realize how essential the chemistry between writer and graphic artist are to the success of a comic book.
Much like Philip Tan, this story arc seemed like the misplaced middle child of the “Pyg” arc and of the story yet to come. I know Blackest Night will deeply impact this series in the upcoming issues, and fellow Canadian Cameron Stewart will no doubt bring the magic back to what was just a few months ago the best book in print. But whatever the future holds for Dick and Damian, I have a feeling we should brace ourselves for a tumultuous ride!
Batman and Robin #6:
Reviewed by Tiggerbrown
The second part of this “Revenge of the Red Hood” storyline, is again a strong performance from Grant Morrison and Philip Tan. Batman and Robin #5 is another action-packed story, and another reason why Grant Morrison is the man to be writing Batman write now.
Issue #5 opens up with the Red Hood and Scarlet again quarreling with Batman and Robin. I think that Morrison does a really solid job when writing the dialogue between the two dynamic duos. I also feel that Morrison’s characterization of Jason Todd is the best interpretation that we have seen since his return from the dead. He makes Jason feel like such a hopeless and cold character. Morrison also continues his well executed investigation into Dick and Damian’s relationship. This to me is what makes the book so good. Throughout Batman Reborn, Morrison has been the best at writing the relationships between these characters and that continues in this issue. The introduction of the Flamingo was also very well done. Anytime Jason Todd takes a shot to the head, it’s always enjoyable. The biggest problem with this issue is that because it is so action-packed, we do not get very many of those emotional scenes between Dick and Damian. I my mind, this doesn’t take much away from the issue though. I also hope that “The Gravedigger” character becomes much more prominent in the next issue. I also still feel that this current story arc isn’t grabbing me like the first arc. My main reasoning is that while Morrison’s version of Jason Todd is an enjoyable one, I still don’t care very much about the character. The Red Hood isn’t nearly as interesting to me as Professor Pyg was in the first story arc. The issue also leaves Batman and Robin in a rather problematic predicament that I think Morrison will play off of in the upcoming issue.
I feel that Philip Tan’s art is greatly under appreciated. I think Tan is a terrific artistic who is being criticized because he is not Frank Quitely. It is not fair to compare Tan to Quitely, Quitely is a master at his’ craft and is in a league of his own. I just think that people should get over the fact that Philip Tan is the one on this book right now and take his’ art for what it’s worth. While I do think that Tan shows some inconsistencies in his’ pencils, the art is still quite good. I think the bigger problem here is not Philip Tan, but Jonathan Glapion. Glapion is the inker on the book and I feel that at times the inks get rather sloppy. Nonetheless, the art is still well done.
At the end of the day, I still consider this to be the best book to come out this week, and the best Batman title to come out every month. This book is just consistently well written, well drawn, and just a lot of fun. Keep picking up Batman and Robin.
Batman and Robin #5:
Reviewed by Zfactor