It's time for another 2-in-1 showcase spectacular as we wrap up "The Dark Things" crossover that ties in with Brightest Day.
We begin with JSA #42, with Kyle Rayner joining the fun on the dark side of the moon. After Kyle explains his mission, Obsidian convinces Jade to join with him, and they are merged into a being controlled by the Starheart, and yet both have their own voices speaking through it. So Kyle and Jadesidian (the combo is not named in the story) fight, with the Jade part angered at Kyle for “dumping” her for Wonder Girl, Donna Troy, after her death. During the fight as well Kyle’s ring also gets depleted of its power quite rapidly, and surprisingly in fact.
Meanwhile, Doctor Mid-Nite has found Starman near death, and tells him not to worry and that he will save him, as he hurries to find where Alan Scott has Dr. Fate, Faust, Jay Garrick and Wildcat. Mid-Nite then sneaks behind Dr. Fate and removes the helmet and releasing Faust, Garrick and Wildcat. Garrick gets Starman’s gem, and Wildcat goes after Scott, and realizes that “Scott” is nothing more than a construct created by Starheart.
The real Alan Scott, as we find out, is on Earth and making quick work out of Power Girl and Supergirl. Just as Scott retakes control of Power Girl, he is suddenly called away and poofs out of Dodge, and releases Power Girl. They are then called to head over to Mr. Terrific who needs them for a theory. And we end the issue with more of the Jadesidian fight with everyone, with Alan Scott appearing at the end.
And that is where we kick things off in JLA #48. After a brief expository scene at the moon, we shift back to Earth where Terrific, Power Girl and Supergirl discuss some technobabble way of stopping the magic based chaos on Earth.
We cut to Doctor Mid-Nite who brings the gem to Starman, who is able to re-energize and join the fight. Dr. Fate then, with the help of Jade’s resistance, is able to separate Jade and Obsidian, and Jade gets called into the White Lantern Corps (see the Brightest Day mini-series). The Starheart has been released from Obsidian, and Jade is restored to life, but Obsidian still wants to merge with Jade, but Jade gives Kyle enough of a boost to get Obsidian out of there.
Batman then realizes that Jade is crucial to defeating the Starheart, and has her go up against him. And it is at this point that we see things have calmed down on Earth because the calvary of Mr. Terrific, Congo Bill, Power Girl and Supergirl have arrived to help even out the odds against Starheart’s constructs. Jade provides a distraction of sorts as Starman swoops in to blast Scott and Jade takes down the Starheart crystal at the heart of the giant structure. It works as Alan Scott is able to break free of the Starheart’s hold.
We end with the usual parting of ways, Mr. Terrific hands Dick Grayson a vote of confidence, and Jesse Quick is given an invitation to join the League and she accepts. We see Jade and Obsidian being tested and told they need to never go near each other because of what happened. And we end on Supergirl wondering why she, a Kryptonian who should be susceptible to magic, wasn’t affected by the Starheart the way Power Girl was. And we end on a reflection of Supergirl wearing a dark version of her costume.
Alright, very good end to the story, Dick Grayson’s first as fully fledged leader of the Justice League of America and while the focus wasn’t completely centered around him, it did have some good Batman moments.
The art was still a bit off, and I found it kind of jarring that in the JSA issue Dick was wearing a blue cowl and cape, but in the JLA issue it was a black/brownish cowl and cape. Editing folks, editing!
Overall the story turned out to be good, slow start and pacing issues aside; it really did come together nicely and was a nice showcase for what the Robinson penned JLA might be heading towards. Of course Jade, Obsidian and the Lanterns were a focal point of the story, but in the end it really felt like a JLA proper story as opposed to a JSA, featuring the JLA story.
Justice Society of America #42:
Justice League of America #48:
Reviewed by SteveJRogers
Two comic books for the price of one review this month as we continue the JLA/JSA The Dark Things crossover Brightest Day tie-in event.
We start in JSA #41 where we see that a Starheart controlled Obsidian and Dr. Fate have taken out the Shade and Faust, and capture Wildcat and Jay Garrick Flash. And we see the JSA All Stars try to hold their ground while all sorts of chaos is going on. The combined JLA and JSA confer on the ruins of the JLA Watchtower Dick goes into leader mode, splits the teams up in terms of the most susceptible to magic heroes to go back to earth to handle the chaos, while the least susceptible try to save Starman (his gem was ripped out of his chest at the end of the last JLA issue) and save Alan Scott and Obsidian from the control of the Starheart. We end with Dick pulling out a big gun to help out, that of Mister Miracle.
And that brings us to JLA #47. We begin with more exposition explaining scenes of fighting on earth and in the construct that the Starheart has created as Mister Miracle tries to get the team into the center of it to face Alan Scott. While this is going on, there is a bunch of inner dialogue, mostly from Donna Troy and Mister Terrific, praising Dick Grayson’s role as a leader. Gee, I hope the Bat-Team reads this book as I’ve got a bad feeling about Dick’s future after Bruce Wayne returns to the DCU proper. But that is a rant for another day. It should also be noted that Jade can tell Alan Scott is still very much alive through the chaos of the Starheart as the team is fighting various constructs of old Golden Age Green Lantern villains and characters.
We then see that Alan Scott, now calling himself Starheart, I guess having his Parallax moment here, he and Hal Jordan could probably now have a neat discussion about being taken over by the entities that granted them their powers, has Wildcat, Faust and Garrick as prisoners. We close the issue with Jade being confronted by Obsidian in an effort to lure her into the Starheart, when all of a sudden Obsidian is blasted by none other than Jade’s old lover Green Lantern Kyle Rayner. Kyle then bluntly tells everyone that the Guardians sent him to kill Alan Scott, and we’ll continue in JSA #42.
Things do pick up this month as this was a more enjoyable set of books as opposed to the drawn out nature of the last two months worth of issues of this storyline. We do get more of the Dick Grayson as a leader that drew me into covering this series to begin with, which is a good thing, even if it feels like it probably won’t last the year. I’ll say though that it feels like the JLA issue did move the story along better than the JSA one, I’m not entirely sure why though. I know Robinson is the current JLA writer, but why should that affect the JSA side of the storytelling? I’ve seen books tie into event minis written by the same writer that flowed better. Bagley’s art is still missing for me as well, but at this point it isn’t as distracting as it was when the book was creeping along at a very slow pace.
Justice Society of America #41:
Justice League of America #47:
Reviewed by SteveJRogers
Dick Grayson, leader of The Justice League of America’s adventures continue with issue # 46 and part 2 of the epic summer crossover with the JSA Brightest Day banner event. Well, not much to say about this issue Batman related wise, as really this is pretty much a filler issue essentially waiting for the current JSA story to wrap up and join this one with July’s issue # 41.
Dick and the flying Batmobile do get a nice moment at the beginning of the issue as Dick officially recruits Supergirl to the team, after Supergirl had been going wonkers thanks to the Starheart in the previous issue. But again this issue is a complete wheel spinning issue with everyone trying to figure out what to do about the Starheart that carried Jade back to Earth from Oa and to rescue Green Lantern Alan Scott and Obsidian from its clutches.
There still is something off about Mark Bagley’s art, especially with Dick Grayson’s costume and it is just as bad as it was when Bagley was on the Batman title last year. It is a bit jarring to see such a difference in the Dick Grayson Batman, in these pages and the Dick Grayson Batman in Batman, Detective, Batman & Robin and any other issue Grayson is appearing in. For example, he puts in a cameo in this month’s issue of Justice League: Generation Lost and looks how he is supposed to look; but Bagley seems to be going for some sort of combination of Bob Kane and David Mazzucchelli (Year One’s artist). That would be fine if that was the look everyone else drawing Dick’s second run as Batman did, but it’s not; and the brownish hue to the costume isn’t helping the matter.
In any event, the July JLA and JSA books should pick up the pace of this story, especially since it ends with Starman’s power source literally ripped out of his chest by Alan Scott. There is also still the notion about the “Magnificent Seven” (Superman, Bruce Wayne, Wonder Woman, Barry Allen, Hal Jordan (sorry Wally & Kyle fans, but DC considers them to be the iconic versions of Flash and GL), Aquaman, and Martian Manhunter) returning to the title. When exactly, and how is starting to be a good question as this book seems to have been a bit of a disjointed mess for quite some time.
Justice League of America #46:
Reviewed by SteveJRogers
In the 1960s, writer Bob Haney got the idea to take all the younger characters in the DC Universe and mash them together as a team. Not unlike the very successful Justice League Of America. And so in the summer of 1964, in the pages of Brave and The Bold #54, Robin, Kid Flash and Aqualad teamed up. A year later, in issue 60 the team got its first female member in Wonder Girl, and a name, Teen Titans. And by 1966 the team would have its very own magazine. The Titans would see many twists and turns through the years, but at the core was still Dick Grayson, either as Robin or Nightwing. And as the book “grew up” from its early Silver Age roots, especially with the Marv Wolfman-George Perez 1980 relaunch of the title, it appeared writers would thrust the role of “leader” onto Grayson. Even on the animated series based on the Wolfman relaunched lineup, Robin was very much the leader of the team.
And so in 1999, when the team was renamed simply “Titans” guess who was right in front? Yup, Dick Grayson, now of course in his Nightwing personae. So in 2010 (JLA issue # 41 to be exact), now taking over, for the second time, the Batman mantle of his mentor Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson is finally a card carrying member of the Justice League of America! And once again it appears the writer, this time James Robinson, who has been on the book since #38, is angling Dick into a leadership role. This seems especially the case since in issue # 41 he assembled a team of heavyweights, drawing from former League and Titan heavy hitters and proceeded to disassemble them by issue #43! Leaving Batman with Donna Troy (Wonder Girl), Mikaal Tomas (aka the current Starman), and Congo Bill (aka Congorilla) as the current JLA lineup, the latter two from Robinson’s JLA: Cry For Justice mini-series. This is especially interesting since there is a feeling that DC wants a return of the “classic 7 (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash, Aquaman, and Martian Manhunter)” in the 75th anniversary year of the company. But that is most likely down the road this year, in the meantime it’s Dick, Wonder Girl, Starman and Congorilla as your JLA roll call.
Well, that brings us to the current story arc, which features the Brightest Day trade dress, due to the fact that it is dealing with the return of Jade, who was one of the Black Lanterns who got resurrected at the end of Blackest Night. Issue # 44 featured Jade returning to Earth in the middle of a meteor fragment, and her father, Alan Scott, Earth’s first Green Lantern of the Justice Society of America, in bad shape with emerald energy emitting from him.
And so, preamble out of the way, we begin with Justice League Of America issue # 45. Written by James Robinson, art by Mark Bagley, inks by Rob Hunter and Norm Rapmund.
We begin where #44 left off. In Germany, with Jade announcing to Jason Blood that she will not stand down, and Dick's inner monologue exposition on her. Well, it turns out the meteor was part of the Starheart, which Jade describes. Then members of the JSA, trying to follow Alan Scott, whom is in a trance, headed right towards the said Starheart fly in, but their plane gets ripped up by what appears to be a mind controlled Power Girl. The speedsters in the JSA, Jay Garrick Flash and Jesse Quick are able to save the team. The matter gets complicated when Obsidian gets taken over by whatever is drawing Alan to the Starheart.
And from out of literally nowhere, even several characters inner monologue the fact, Supergirl flies in to take out Power Girl. It turns out Congorilla had signaled for her help before they left the Watchtower. Batman then gets Jade to use her magic based power to take down Power Girl (Kryptonian in case you didn’t know). While Batman wonders why the Starheart affected Power Girl, but not Supergirl, Jade then goes into an explanation of Starheart via a retelling of Alan Scott’s origin.
Well, the Starheart was this rock, created by the Guardians of The Universe as a way to create order between chaos and good. A piece broke off, fell to earth where Alan Scott found it, becoming Earth’s first Green Lantern. After Jade finishes up her story, Mr. Terrific, and Batman start receiving reports throughout the world of magic wielders going crazy. It is theorized that it could be in part thanks to the chaos part of Starheart. Then Alan appears to be out of his trance, but only to talk about the Starheart bringing about the end of the world, and he is transformed into something akin to what Alan Scott wore in the Kingdom Come story.
Well, that was interesting. Right now we are dealing with a JSA story in the pages of JLA. Which is fine, but is this something needed if Robinson is trying to mold a new team? I guess since the whole Starheart/Alan Scott situation is a big enough problem that the JLA has to be present for then yeah. Obviously the DCU’s biggest team has to confront it. It should be noted that this is part one of a story, and the second part will be in Justice Society of America #41 next month.
Don’t get me wrong, its a good story, its just feels like reading a JSA story with the JLA as the guest stars in their own title! Maybe that’s just the “B-Team” feel of the team at the moment, and wanting to see that team rise or fall before getting its first team-up with a team like the JSA. Yes, DC is all about the cross branding, and since Brightest Day is the current event, the flagship team book has to be a part of it. In any case this is still a good issue.
Justice League of America #45:
Reviewed by SteveJRogers
Concept Art: Part 2
In this, the fourth entry of the Year of the Batmen, we’ll continue to examine how Batman is depicted artistically. Characterization, mood and message will be dissected. Many of the storylines to accompany this art work hasn’t even been released yet. So, this will afford us with a unique point of view as study the personality of Batman from the artist’s perspective.
The Neal Adams Batman
This particular entry comes from the upcoming Batman: Odyssey. This picture has been much discussed in the blogosphere and not always favorably. Batman’s face has a feral look to it which is accentuated by the sharpness and length of the cowl ears. Batman’s bared teeth also give him an animalistic look. As we see he is being riddled with bullets perhaps we are to see Batman as the prey instead of the hunter.
The Mark Bagley Batman
As an accompaniment to the Neal Adams Batman above we are presented with another Batman that is bloodied and bruised. We are accustomed to seeing Batman triumphant and nearly invincible despite his human nature (especially as opposed to Superman). So it is quite a contrast when he is depicted as near defeat and perhaps overmatched. Note the arm raised to protect himself and the head tilted in a recovery mode following a hard blow. One might argue the oversized Bat utility belt buckle has a “shield” like quality to it to further the image of vulnerability. So despite the over musculature, we have a Batman, who with tattered cape, is portrayed as being far from invincible. You may remember this picture from Batman #688.
The Andy Kubert Batman
Most of the Batman readers out there will recognize this Batman from the upcoming Return of Bruce Wayne. Kubert depicts his Batman as preternaturally athletic. You would have to be in order to evade a shower of automatic weapons fire as this Batman does. Note only one hand on the rope and the other ready to strike. So despite being in an undesirable position this Batman with his sweeping cape silhouetted by a blinding spotlight actually has the upper hand. We are far more used to seeing this, the Bruce Wayne Batman, depicted as such. Nearly invulnerable. Is there a prejudice against the Dick Grayson Batman that we are meant to see him as not quite as worthy of the cape and cowl?
The Alex Ross Batman
The artwork of Alex Ross is often characterized as “photo-realistic” and the use of light and shadow are very important to this type of work. This Batman isn’t just consigned to the pages of a comic book. No, this Batman is ripped from the pages of a magazine or captured off a TV news program. Gothic in nature, there is no over musculature adding to realism of this caped crusader. Moreover his cape has a silken quality lending it a funereal look and darkening the mood for this Batman. Despite its being oversized however it is never an impediment. The cape legitimizes the Ross Batman and his dark purpose despite this Batman being overtly human. Note the heroic pose as Batman is seen as a solitary sentinel overlooking a blackened city.
The Jim Lee Batman
You’ll observe that Jim Lee makes ample use of Batman’s cape also. Here, the cape is even larger than the Ross version. It has a very dramatic flair to it as its surrounds the Batman in its most intimidating form. It also seems to envelopes the city in a protective cocoon. Lee likes to draw his Batman with an oversized chest. This characterizes Batman with a heroic quality reminiscent of the champions of ancient Greek mythology. He is our Hercules (or technically Heracles). The thighs are overly large and the hands probably too big. This style might have been inspired by the work of Michelangelo who depicted his hero, David, with similar attributes. Finally, this Batman is standing, not lurking in the shadows. He is a demigod, otherworldly, defiant and unafraid. A true Homeric champion.
In upcoming entries to the “Year of the Batmen” I’ll be taking a look at the more ghoulish artistic versions of Batman as well as what is going on inside the mind of Dick Grayson and how Batman is depicted in the issues of the JLA. Comments are always welcome.
Posted by Dark Knight Dave
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
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
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
Batgirl’s first meeting with the Justice League. Or first time taking LSD, I’m not sure. Either way it happened in Justice League of America issue 60.
Posted by Josh
So another week has past and we move into the very last week of September. We know that October will not only bring cold weather, but also a ton of new Batman books. But today isn’t October, so let’s see what September ends with.
Batman: The Black Glove
$17.99
Last year when this story was released in the main Batman series, I started to question what Morrison’s intent really was. A lot of this was off the wall and most didn’t flow correctly. When the story ended, we were left with more questions than we started with. Why were there three Batmen? Why was Bat-mite suddenly making appearances? Why are there so many references to the Silver Age stories? One thing I did enjoy was the Club of Heroes. Even though it was a reference to a bunch of characters that had not appeared in some time, it was a breath of fresh air. Looking back on that issue, I compare it to what Morrison is doing in Batman and Robin. The major downfall was revisiting Joe Chill. I don’t think it is worth buying, but if you have not read it, go ahead and READ IT.
Batman: The Widening Gyre #2
$2.99
Issue #1 was nothing to be excited for. The issue was littered with references that Kevin Smith makes in all of his comics. The art, although has become better since Batman: Cacophony, still is not very good. I am looking forward to seeing who makes some guest appearances, and judging by the first issue we will see plenty of them. There are a lot of Bruce Wayne as Batman fans out there that need their fix. To them I say here it is. But honestly nothing to be proud about. READ IT
Gotham City Sirens #4
$2.99
Paul Dini finally found his groove in Batman: Streets of Gotham this month. Could this series make the needed change as well? I don’t think the art will suddenly change significantly, but by the looks of the preview, we will see the Joker. Dini knows how to write Harley Quinn. Think about it. He created her after all. If the Joker can play a good role in this series and bring it out of the rut that it has been in, this series might still have a chance. Now if we could only get past the continuity issues with Hush. BUY IT
Superman/Batman Vol. 1: Public Enemies-New Printing
$14.99
This was a excellent way to launch a new series. Great story. Perfect art. I will warn you though. If you have not read this before and you plan on picking it up because you just watched the film, don’t. The film took a lot of liberties changing things around. The comics were much better. If you want to know more about what I mean, check out my review of the film. So if you want to see a better story than the movie, than this is the one for you. BUY IT
That wraps up this week’s comics. What does the rest of the DC Universe have in store for us this week? Well, there are a couple that I believe are worth at least a read. If you have been following Blackest Night, Blackest Night: Titans #2 and Green Lantern #46 are out this week. Batman: The Brave and the Bold has a new issue for those of you with children. Teen Titans has a new writer starting with this issue and it looks to feature a number of Titans from past and present. Justice League of America 80-Page Giant also sounds to be a classic as well. So get out there and read some comics. Be sure to save up your money though because next month is going to be a expensive month for Bat-fans. ‘Til next time, keep reading.
Posted by Dustin