Batman #56 Preview

[Lazurus33]

http://www.denofgeek.com/us/books/ba...lusive-preview

[Restingvoice]

Oh hey. The Stubble of Depression. He hasn't been sleeping.
No, I know you can sleep and still not shave, but this is Batman. Usually, when he's in this mood he doesn't sleep.

[Pohzee]

I wanted to like it, but I couldn’t. Why skip everything after Dick being shot? It took him a trip to Kant’s to find out he has a dad? Like most people do?

[Badou]

Exactly what I expected. All the fallout dealing with Dick getting shot in the head was pushed onto the Nightwing book because King had no interest in dealing with it. This whole gimmick was just to set up a fight between Batman and KGBeats where Dick is expendable for it. It was the exact same thing with Johns exposing Dick's identity to the world in Forever Evil and then doing nothing with it. It is throwing the character under the bus to tell a story for Batman's character.

[K. Jones]

This issue had aspects I liked and disliked. I didn't mind Beast being an effed up dude. I mean he's so weird. They're all working so hard to try to make him cool! Snyder made an attempt. King's making an attempt. Jurgens made an attempt back in the N52 during Aquaman and the Others. None of it sucks, actually.

Then again we get more of King "telling" how Batman got there through a series of captions that are a more interesting story to depict than what we actually get, which is just a panel of Batman trudging Jim Lee style through some snow. Like ... the FINDING KGBEAST part of the story is the more interesting story man! Jesus. But that's my constant biggest King criticism. I don't mind the personal character drama moments or what they're feeling or whatever beats at all but like ... maybe show some of the processes, some of the detective work, some of the clever parts?

Instead everyone is always a blunt instrument.

But yeah, I thought Beast was pretty neat. Batman's drive was character appropriate.

Obviously the one-sentence caption follow-up to the shock drama on the last page of last issue was contentious, but I imagine he'll at least drop more details on that before the arc closes out, or in the next handful of issues.

[agentofthebat]

Looks somewhat interesting.

[oasis1313]

Exactly what I expected. All the fallout dealing with Dick getting shot in the head was pushed onto the Nightwing book because King had no interest in dealing with it. This whole gimmick was just to set up a fight between Batman and KGBeats where Dick is expendable for it. It was the exact same thing with Johns exposing Dick's identity to the world in Forever Evil and then doing nothing with it. It is throwing the character under the bus to tell a story for Batman's character.

More grist for the mill, that's all.

[Flash Gordon]

This issue had aspects I liked and disliked. I didn't mind Beast being an effed up dude. I mean he's so weird. They're all working so hard to try to make him cool! Snyder made an attempt. King's making an attempt. Jurgens made an attempt back in the N52 during Aquaman and the Others. None of it sucks, actually.

Then again we get more of King "telling" how Batman got there through a series of captions that are a more interesting story to depict than what we actually get, which is just a panel of Batman trudging Jim Lee style through some snow. Like ... the FINDING KGBEAST part of the story is the more interesting story man! Jesus. But that's my constant biggest King criticism. I don't mind the personal character drama moments or what they're feeling or whatever beats at all but like ... maybe show some of the processes, some of the detective work, some of the clever parts?

Instead everyone is always a blunt instrument.

But yeah, I thought Beast was pretty neat. Batman's drive was character appropriate.

Obviously the one-sentence caption follow-up to the shock drama on the last page of last issue was contentious, but I imagine he'll at least drop more details on that before the arc closes out, or in the next handful of issues.

I've really loved large swaths of Tom King's BATMAN, but a lot of it misses. There's so much TELLING and not very much showing. Batman will mention things that would have been far more visceral and engaging of a story than what we get, offhandedly.

[chachi]

art was nice. The foil cover was cool, but man did the ink(?) stink! Story was just ok.

[theoneandonly]

apparently dick is going for the old man Logan route. all he needs is hush coming after him wearing his face or his clone from the future or something.

[adkal]

I thought I was missing some pages with this one.

Kind of highlights one of the issues of a shared universe - why not bring in Clark? I get the continuity has changed and he and Dick aren't as close as they used to be but Batman is the kind of guy who would use every resource and, in this situation, Clark is a resource he wouldn't even have to manipulate.

I get that he's hurting (and that Alfred's hurting) but if he's taking the time to trek into some mountain ninja retreat to beat up on some ninjas then he can give Clark a call.

[Arsenal]

I thought I was missing some pages with this one.

Kind of highlights one of the issues of a shared universe - why not bring in Clark? I get the continuity has changed and he and Dick aren't as close as they used to be but Batman is the kind of guy who would use every resource and, in this situation, Clark is a resource he wouldn't even have to manipulate.

I get that he's hurting (and that Alfred's hurting) but if he's taking the time to trek into some mountain ninja retreat to beat up on some ninjas then he can give Clark a call.

Because calling in Clark takes away Bruce's chance to beat down KGBeast for (almost) killing Dick? Plus this is Bruce so he probably blames himself and trekking through a cold mountain might be his way of punishing himself

[adkal]

Because calling in Clark takes away Bruce's chance to beat down KGBeast for (almost) killing Dick?

I don't think Clark would get in the way of Bruce giving KGBeast a beat down.

Plus this is Bruce so he probably blames himself and trekking through a cold mountain might be his way of punishing himself

There's him punishing himself (like I said, I get that aspect) and there's him risking failure. The two-page spread highlighted that what he was doing had a high risk of failure - and as stubborn as he is, he's not supposed to be stupid.

He's doing a similar thing over in Green Arrow.


Ah well, maybe I'm just getting old

[Arsenal]

I don't think Clark would get in the way of Bruce giving KGBeast a beat down.



There's him punishing himself (like I said, I get that aspect) and there's him risking failure. The two-page spread highlighted that what he was doing had a high risk of failure - and as stubborn as he is, he's not supposed to be stupid.

He's doing a similar thing over in Green Arrow.


Ah well, maybe I'm just getting old

Bruce also hasn't slept in 3 days so I can buy any questionable decisions he's made in the issue are because of that.

Wouldn't be surprised if Alfred calls somebody to check on Bruce in issue 57 though.

[theoneandonly]

Wonder what Superman's reaction is going to be about nightwing getting shot while in the company of Batman. he must feel more concerned about jon given it's a distinct possibility of something similar occurring to jon as in something might shoot Jon a kryptonite bullet with pinpoint accuracy using satellite scoping or something else. also wonder how much is selina and Clark himself might blame themselves for inadvertently contributing to nightwing getting shot. selina for causing the situation and Clark for not being there instead of dick to console Bruce. perhaps he may have a talk with nightwing himself in manner of his having a talk with Bruce when he had abandoned his Bruce Wayne identity in fugitive.