Just When You Thought "Batman" Couldn't Get Any Stupider....

[The Toyroom]

DC has announced that when Bruce Wayne finally returns both he AND Dick Grayson will be Batman....That's right folks, TWO Batmen.

Bruce will take the lead in Grant Morrison's "Batman Inc." and David Finch's new Bat-book, franchising the Batman idea out on a global scale.

Meanwhile, Dick continues as Batman in the pages of "Batman", "Detective" and "Batman and Robin".

Damian Wayne continues as Robin and Tim Drake as Red Robin....

All of this under the "direction" of Grant Morrison as he leads us to his next big Batman "idea" (As a DC fan, I wish Morrison would go to Marvel...then I wouldn't care as much )

I guess I should look at it as "Thanks for saving me money DC"....cause I won't be buying this crap.

Time to dig out some old Denny O'Neil/Neal Adams "Batman" or some Bob Haney/Jim Aparo "B&B"s to get my fix....

[UnderdogDJLSW]

Franchising out Batman? Would you like fries with that utility belt?

[boynightwing]

All of this under the "direction" of Grant Morrison as he leads us to his next big Batman "idea" (As a DC fan, I wish Morrison would go to Marvel...then I wouldn't care as much )

.

hahaha! I was thinking the same thing. Maybe send him to Image so he wont hurt anything at all.

[Meule]

Where are the days when Bruce Wayne was Batman and Dick Grayson or Jason Todd was Robin? So simple and yet so enjoyable

[jds1911a1]

I think Grant Morrison was re reading a collection of 50's batman stories (there was an El bathombre in south amererica) and the story where dick takes over for a retired batman as batman II (with the II on the chest) I just can't recall the specific issues

[The Bat]

I'm with ya Anthony...I'll be passing on "Batman Inc.".

[Earth 2 Chris]

Yeah, Morrison has done his bit. Please let him (or make him) move on. If he'd just given us some straight up solid Batman stories, and not all of this event-driven guano. I loved his Batman in JLA, and had high hopes when he came to title years ago.

I'm also afraid when this is all said and done, and the nonsense ends, we'll be stuck with Damian, and Tim and Dick will be somewhere out in limbo, or worse, DiDio will kill them off.

Chris

[The Toyroom]

^ DC should have let Morrison do his Batman thing as a stand-alone series ala "All-Star Superman" and not let it effect regular continuity...I know it's comics but sometimes it's VERY hard to put the genie back in the bottle.

There's nothing wrong with enjoying stories from the 50s or whatever but when you try and modernize them for today's audience and continuity that's where it falls apart IMO.
"Batmen of All Nations" might have been a cool concept to visit once or twice in the pre/Silver Age but to run with it and make it a story arc/direction for the entire Bat-office in 2010 is stupid IMO.

As far as Damian...can't stand him. Again, the original concept was a one-shot, out of continuity idea in "Son of the Demon". To make him an ongoing presence in the Bat-universe just doesn't sit well with me. Batman should be somewhat timeless and always accessible to new readers...to throw in a soap opera element of a deadbeat dad (Bruce) with a bastiche child (Damian...in more ways than one ) just seems wrong IMO (Not to happy with Hulk banging every chick over in the Marvel Universe and sireing his own clan )

Maybe I'm old-fashioned but heroes should be heroes and not worried about scoring a piece of tail....

[boynightwing]

Damian doesn't bother me too too much. I would prefer Tim Drake though. I do agree that the Dick as Batman and Damian as Robin idea should have been an Allstar or "Ultimate" kind of title. I think it would have made more sense. As it is, I miss Nightwing. I like him as Batman but its just not the same.

This will be the first time in my 30ish years of being a Batman fan that I'm not interested in getting the comics. If they've lost me (who is a hardcore Batfan) then how many others have dropped out too? Is this going to be a huge bust like the Spider-man Clone Saga of the 90's?

[jds1911a1]

Damian doesn't bother me too too much. I would prefer Tim Drake though. I do agree that the Dick as Batman and Damian as Robin idea should have been an Allstar or "Ultimate" kind of title. I think it would have made more sense. As it is, I miss Nightwing. I like him as Batman but its just not the same.

This will be the first time in my 30ish years of being a Batman fan that I'm not interested in getting the comics. If they've lost me (who is a hardcore Batfan) then how many others have dropped out too? Is this going to be a huge bust like the Spider-man Clone Saga of the 90's?

I hope not but I think it has every chance of being as bad as Knightfall was with Azreal

[samurainoir]

I think Damian is a great character that brings a very fascinating character arc with him, along with a great deal of dramatic conflict to the table. The Ras Al Ghul thing really hasn't gone anywhere in decades, and this is the first time that there has really been a sense of stake between Bruce, Talia and Al Ghul over the fate of Damian.

I'm probably going to start getting Teen Titans again when he joins that team. He seems to be the perfect spoiler character that every team needs... like Hawkeye in the early days of the The Avengers or Wolverine in the All New All Different X-Men, USAgent in West Coast Avengers, Guy Gardner in JLI/GL Corps etc.

[Earth 2 Chris]

^I could deal with Damian, if they hadn't made him a murderous psycho BEFORE they made him Robin. I can't see Bruce, Dick, Tim or Alfred tolerating such a character. Batman has shut down murderous vigilantes before. Heck, they booted Azrael out for just "letting" Abaitor die, he didn't even pull the trigger.

I agree a little conflict is good, but to me Damian is far too unlikable. I wonder how Mike W. Barr feels about all of this?

Chris

[samurainoir]

Given the fact that there are probably around two dozen Batman related titles being published, I'm sure there is a book for everyone's tastes at this point.

Bruce Wayne solo action...

With The Dark Knight, this is an opportunity where we're fortunate enough to get a comic superstar in David Finch, who is a fantastic creator, and we're able to turn to him and say, "Let's do those Batman stories that you've always wanted to tell. So it's a combination of a talent showcase book, but at the same time, it follows Batman's solo adventures, which are firmly rooted within the grand picture of the rest of the Batman titles

Folks keep forgetting that Batman Confidential is the old-school Batman title. Every month telling stories of the earlier days of Batman without Damian, Batgirl, Lesbian Batwoman, Jason Todd with guns, etc running around. A new story arc is beginning...

Beginning in November, readers will find out why a lone hero like Batman would wear a costume and join the Justice League.

Don't forget they brought back NEAL ADAMS to do a Batman title as well for those who long for the good ol' days.


Upcoming Batman Earth 1 by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank.


Brave and Bold relaunch...


And remember, this is DC comics... nothing is undoable. If the Damian thing crashes and burns, they can just have another Crisis in ten years and the kid disappears into the multiverse somewhere.


And if none of that satisfies you... rereading 600+ back issues each of Detective and Batman from the Golden Age to the Bronze age in trade, back issue or digital isn't a bad thing either. I bet you could happily be reading Showcase reprints or Archives for the rest of the year without picking up a single new issues.

[samurainoir]

^I could deal with Damian, if they hadn't made him a murderous psycho BEFORE they made him Robin. I can't see Bruce, Dick, Tim or Alfred tolerating such a character. Batman has shut down murderous vigilantes before. Heck, they booted Azrael out for just "letting" Abaitor die, he didn't even pull the trigger.

I agree a little conflict is good, but to me Damian is far too unlikable. I wonder how Mike W. Barr feels about all of this?

Chris

That's the crux of the drama though... can a murderous psycho be redeemed or is he too far gone at such a young age? He's already shown an evolution from muderous psycho to agreeing not to kill and follow his father's ways. Can he keep on the side of the angels or will his instincts to kill and his earliest training with his mother and grandfather ultimately overtake him?

Which legacy will he ultimately follow? There actually is quite a lot of drama and uncertainty in that, which is saying a lot given the predictability of most superhero comics these days.

We KNOW Batman won't ever be the heir that Al Ghul wants him to be... and despite the fact that Al Ghul seems to have his eyes set on Tim Drake in the pages of Red Robin, I'm pretty sure Drake won't ever join Al Ghul. Damian on the other hand... he's really re-ignited that conflict.

I'm rooting for Damian to evolve into a hero and take up the mantle of the Bat despite his unfortunate beginnings.

If not, let them wipe him out in a Crisis... there are always plenty of other comics to read.

[The Toyroom]

Don't forget they brought back NEAL ADAMS to do a Batman title as well for those who long for the good ol' days.

Actual Adams' is so out of touch that his "Odyssey" is nothing like the "good ol' days"....probably because Adams is more of an artist than a scripter. He really needs a good scripter ala a Denny O'Neil to reign him in. IMO is "Batman:Odyssey" was a train-wreck after the first issue...similarly to Frank Miller's "All-Star Crap, er Batman"