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
Tony Daniel returns to right a ship that has gone way off course. The most important title in comics has been a weak imitation of its former self since Judd Winick took over the helm. Acclaimed more for his art than his prose, the creative mind behind Battle for the Cowl takes over both duties as he resumes his interpretation of Dick Grayson’s Batman.
I’m not much of a Tony Daniel fan, and to be honest was expecting to be writing some scathing words of disapproval at this point of the review. But you know what; Batman #692 was pretty darn good. The story is ambitious as it introduces multiple storylines; including the reemergence of the Falcone family, Hugo Strange, Dr. Death, Fright and Catwoman. Black Mask still is the preeminent bad guy, but Daniel lays the framework for some very interesting future character development. The most interesting to me was the reintroduction of Dr. Gruener, the original Reaper, as a villain for the next or an upcoming issue. This is not the Reaper from Batman Year Two, but the pre-crisis version created by Denis O’Neil. If you have access to back issues, check out Batman #237 from December 1971. Horrifically traumatized by Nazis in a WWII concentration camp, Dr. Gruener is poised to become The Reaper once again. Selina Kyle is also nicely portrayed, in particular the chemistry she has with Dick. I think Catwoman is going to have a prominent role to play in Daniel’s story arc. Not only because of her relationships with the past and present Batmen, but with what may turn out to be a very interesting sub-plot between her and the young Katrina Falcone. You’ll see why when you read the issue.
The dialogue gets jumbled and confusing at some points, but considering the scope of story Daniel seems to want to tell, the quality of writing is pretty good.
The most telling attribute that marks the incredible difference between Winick and Bagley’s Batman and this one, is the return to a darker tone. No more smiles, no more posing for the camera, no more bright colors. This Batman is The Dark Knight! Dick is methodical, sure of himself and driven. He is however still Dick Grayson. When he wants to take crime scene evidence back to his lab to study it, he asks Commissioner Gordon for permission. Gordon slyly replies, “Batman doesn’t need to ask my permission.” He does however have a definite mature sense of confidence that he didn’t show in previous issues; as Dick when negotiating with Selina, and as Batman when confronting the Falcones.
As it should from a talent that made his name as a graphic artist, the art is what really sets this book apart from its previous arc. Right from the first page we are given a visual interpretation of the character that really would drive fear into the hearts and mind of any criminal. The dark grey coloring of Batman’s costume really works, and the detailed facials under the mask let us know that this is still Dick Grayson. Setting Batman’s scenes outdoors in a dreary swamp and dark field reminded me of Neil Adams' work in the 70’s. Batman is drawn piercingly fierce. Daniel’s artistic style is a refreshing return to Batman’s roots. Selina Kyle is also drawn spectacularly well and interestingly so is Katrina. And while Black Mask’s new look is a bit Star Warsy, it’s still pretty cool. There are a couple of lazy panels, but compared to Mark Bagley…well there is actually nothing to compare. Tony Daniel is in a different league.
One interesting note is that Penguin appears on the cover but not in the book. He doesn’t seem to part of this story arc either. I wonder if this is an editing mistake or a clue to something yet to come.
Batman the comic is back on track. One issue isn’t going to make me forget the past five, but if Tony Daniel is going to give us this type of work it will be one hell of ride!
Batman #692:
Reviewed by Tiggerbrown
Ok Bat-fans, you can breathe a sigh of relief. The awfulness that has been Judd Winick and Mark Bagley’s run on Batman has finally come to end…..at least for now. Tony Daniel returns next issue. And while he is a better artist than a writer, the change should prove to be positive.
Batman #691 wraps up the Long Shadows arc in the same muddled mediocrity as it began. Without going into too much detail: let’s just say that Dick convinces Two-Face that he is the original Batman; Dick again realizes that he has to be more vigilant; Dick and Alfred decide to completely abandon the Bat-cave; and Black Mask is the top bad-guy in Gotham. Yes, we already knew most of this. The best part of this issue is that it sets up the direction of the next arc, and allows Dick to start moving forward as Batman, much like he’s already done in the other titles.
I’ve pretty much ripped this title apart since Reborn started, so I will only pick on a few things. Is Two-Face killed at the end of the issue? He is an iconic villain; you would think his fate at the hands of Black Mask would be treated with a larger sense of importance. I thought Two-face’s split colored Batman costume was cool, just unrealistic. Having it be just a figment of Dick’s drug induced hallucination is to me a writer’s cop-out. In the next paragraph I am going to try and fit this arc into continuity, but like Dustin mentioned in the previews, how does the cave get gutted if Barbara is setting up shop there? Finally, I mentioned that the end of this storyline gives this title’s Batman a chance to move forward. But it looks like from the prologue that a big part of Daniel’s arc will be Dick investigating his parents’ murder. Are we so void of new ideas that we have to bring up plot lines that have been written and re-written to death?
One of the big complaints of this title is that there have been multiple continuity issues that don’t coincide with the other Bat-titles. We have tried to explain this by saying it has been due to sloppy editing. However, in the spirit of giving our new friend of The Batman Universe, Mike Marts the benefit of the doubt, this is how I think Winick and Daniel’s Batman fits in: Batman seems to be following along the same path as Paul Dini’s Streets of Gotham, but maybe just a month or so behind. The confusion with Batgirl will probably be resolved with Dick deciding to not gut the cave and allow Barbara to use it as her base of operations. And the goings on of Batman takes place after issue #1 of Batman & Robin but before issue#2. What do you guys think? Maybe we will be surprised and each Batman title is part of a different Grant Morrison Multiverse. Maybe Bruce comes back in Red Robin, but Dick remains Batman in the other titles. Time will tell.
I wish I could say that Winick and Bagley concluded their arc with a bang. But alas, barely a whimper was heard.
Only because Winick and Bagley are done, I give Batman #691……………….
Reviewed by Tiggerbrown
Fool me once, shame on you DC comics; fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me a third time, well I’ve been buying Batman since the 1970’s so it’s understandable. Fool me again? Our own Apple from TBU Comic Podcast episode 27 likes Judd Winick’s take on the new Caped Crusader, so maybe the fourth time’s the charm.
I went to my comic shop, reluctantly pulled out my wallet and paid the $3.54 Canadian for Batman #690. I ignored the Tony Daniel cover that makes Batman’s abdominal muscles look more like a ninety year old woman’s sagging tricep than a hardened six pack. At least Dick has a fierce expression on his face, so maybe the excessive smiling is in the past.
I can’t begin to tell you how much I want to like this, but no matter how hard I try I can’t. Mark Bagley’s interior art is so uninspiring; it completely removes me from any enjoyment I hoped to get from the action sequences. The scene with Penguin and Black Mask is as close to being visually interesting as the book gets, but for some reason I found myself chuckling instead of cringing. And to my great disappointment, the Batmobile still looks like a bug. Objectively, the last page reveal is well staged. I just wasn’t moved in any way. We all knew Two-Face was going to be in the Cave, and the previews already gave us a look at his costume.
I have been very critical of Winick’s light take on Dick as Batman. To his credit he does an about face and gives us a methodical Batman, seriously analyzing his foes during combat. The only problem with this is that instead of reviewing his take on Dick Grayson so it is more in line with Morrison and Dini; he sits Dick out entirely and instead borrows Chris Yost’s Tim Drake and puts him in the Bat-suit. I obviously don’t mean this literally, but isn’t the, I’m being methodical like Bruce, but I make careless mistakes that I will learn from how Red Robin is characterized? Suavestar from TBU Forums is our resident Red Robin expert and reviewer, so he might have a different opinion on this, but just read Tim’s voicing during his roof top battle in Red Robin #2, or his fight with the Huntsman in the last issue. Then compare that with Winick’s voicing of Dick in this issue. I honestly can’t tell the difference. Judd, if you have to copy another writer because you can’t figure Dick Grayson out on your own, please at least copy another version of Dick Grayson, not the only other Batman Family character with his own title.
At least there is a glimpse of continuity between this and the other Reborn books. The scene of Penguin becoming an underling of Black Mask coincides nicely with the storyline in Streets of Gotham. I just hope it was a flashback, because Penguin’s been working for Black Mask for at least the last two Street issues.
The Two-Face angle has the potential for interesting drama, especially considering the past relationship between him and Nightwing. But hiring a teleporter to get access to the Batcave? I can’t decide if that is smartly quirky or just one of the laziest premises I have ever read.
The next issue marks the end of this arc before the return of Tony Daniel as writer and artist. I’ve always believed in second chances, even third and fourth. This decades long fan of Batman comics feels like I’ve been beaten down, gotten up, and then beaten again, and again, and now again. I want to give up and hang up my cowl. But then I think of Batman and no matter how bad things get, he keeps on fighting. Maybe I am foolish, but I’ll be there next month, wallet in hand, buying issue #691. Who knows, last issue we had Terry McGinnis in the Bat-suit, this time was Tim Drake; maybe next time Winick will surprise us with the return of Bruce Wayne!
Batman #690:
Reviewed by Tiggerbrown
If you haven’t been reading the Latest News on TheBatmanUniverse.net (Why haven’t you?!!), then you would have missed that Dan Didio has had a change of heart about Batman Beyond appearing in a future DCU title. Well, I think I may have just read the first issue! Judd Winick and Mark Bagley have combined their artistic wisdom and turned Dick Grayson into Terry McGinnis.
For those of you who don’t remember the cartoon, Batman Beyond was about a youthful-spirited new Batman mentoring under an aged and gloomy Bruce Wayne. One of the major criticisms of the show was that Terry’s “voice” was too similar to Spider-man’s; he talked while he fought, and seemed to be having fun. Not very Batman-like to be sure. Batman#689 takes Dick’s character too far to that lighter side. He is drawn in very bright colors and his inner-dialogue and repartee during the fight scenes are too reminiscent of a teenage McGinnis or a young Dick Grayson for that matter. Dick isn’t new to crime fighting. He is a seasoned, BALANCED hero, who while less dark and obsessed than Bruce, still has demons of his own. His portrayal in Batman and Robin, Streets of Gotham, or even Batman Blackest Night show the complexity of his character much more effectively than what we are witness to in Batman. Grant Morrison has defined Dick’s Batman so perfectly in B&R, why is Winick trying to take the least interesting aspect of his personality and focus on it so extremely?
I discussed this issue with some friends at my local comic shop, and they were a little more enthusiastic about this issue than I am. I think I am just fed up with reading one bad issue after another of what used to be my favorite title. I’m seriously considering dumping this from my regular purchases.
Mark Bagley’s art is just plain boring. His anatomies are too textbook and his Batmobile is just ridiculous. Frank Quitely’s flying Batmobile in B&R#1 blew me away with it’s sleek stealth design and awesome power. Bagley’s version looks like a flying Bugmobile. Worse than the pencils are Ian Hannin’s colors. Painting the backgrounds of all your action sequences red and your dialogue scenes blue shows a lack of creativity that takes away any redeeming artistic impression the pencils may have had. Regardless of who is writing a book, comics are about the art. That’s what makes them comic books. With Quitely and J.H. Williams III taking their craft to new levels on Detective and the aforementioned B&R, does DC really expect me to shell out $3.00 for this? Actually $4.00 for me because I am Canadian.
As far as the writing goes, Winick actually did a passable job in developing the story this issue. His ideas on how to develop the Two-Face/Penguin plot, and the Alfred/Dick dynamic are solid. It’s his characterizations and voicing that seem out of whack. There is no edge to his personalities. His writing is too Saturday morning cartoon for what I think should be emanating from the pages of Batman. We should be delving into Dick and Two-Face’s psyche and motivation. Winick doesn’t have the ability to write with enough depth to make his characters more than one dimensional. I am not feeling the tension between protagonist and antagonist that would make me the least bit interested in a future confrontation between Batman and Harvey or Batman vs. Clayface and Lyle Blanco. Compare how in Detective, Greg Rucka is developing Alice as an interesting villain or even what Dini is doing in Streets with the intriguing Abuse. They are able in short order to create depth and interest into unknown characters. Winick is not only boring me with "The Soldier", his depiction of classic rogues like Two-Face, Black Mask and Penguin are equally impotent.
When I was nine years old, my father gave me 20 cents to buy my first comic on my own. I walked the longest distance I had ever walked alone and bought Batman #251 from my corner convenience store. The interior art and incredible Joker cover by Neal Adams haunted my mind for months. The brilliant story by Denis O’Neal reintroduced the Joker as the most maniacal villain in comics, and cemented him for eternity as Batman’s arch nemesis. How unjust to Batman fans everywhere that Batman #689 and the entire Winick run is even under the same title as the masterful works of the past.
This review may have been more of rant than an objective critique of the issue, but sadly…
Batman #689:
Reviewed by tiggerbrown