Tom King's Batman or Scott Snyder's Batman

[Pohzee]

I've just read "I am bane" and I find it really good. The 3 arcs that I read about batman rebirth are good for me and this week I'm gonna buy the war of jokes and riddles, but this type of comments are making me doubt. I read in websites and this arc has a very good review, why you don't like? And I should buy it?

I think that part of it is that I set my expectations too high. King had talked about the story before on podcasts and everything about it sounded right up my alley. A story set in the Year One era that explored the differences between the Riddler and the Joker? I was sold. Originally, it was supposed to be a standalone 12 issue miniseries with art by Mitch Gerads, who is doing the Mister Miracle series with King. But somwhere along the line, an editor decided to shove the story into the main Batman series, and that's where I think it went wrong. Instead of standing on its own, it had to tie into the engagement. Instead of Mitch Gerad's artwork, Mikel Janin drew it (which is a step down in my opinion.) Instead of 12 issues, it was cut down to 8, which was its biggest problem. There wasn't enough room to show the "war" going on, so most of the story is shown, not told, through narration rather than it actually playing out. I don't think that it is essential to the overall run and you can probably skip it without missing too much, but it isn't so bad that you need to avoid it either.

[Chubistian]

I love them both! I think you summed up both runs pretty well. Snyder is pure bombastic fun and epicness, some times he was kind of repetitive, but he could make the craziest of ideas work. The art on itself was Capullo at his best, with well placed replacement artists, I think King's run in that sense has the problem of a more rotative team of artists, but they have done a great job and are changed by arcs, so it works pretty fine. I'm more of a writing-over-art man, so that doesn't give the edge to Snyder over King imo. King is doing a very different run in some aspects, but it has resonated with me and has been some of my favorite work done with Batman. Btw, are you checking out Metal? I'm reading the edition being released currently by ECC, so I'm a little behind, but I realised you're from Spain, so maybe you're reading it too

[WillieMorgan]

Another vote for Snyder. I have enjoyed both runs but Snyder's was just epic in scale.

I prefer King on specialist projects like 'The Omega Men' and 'Mister Miracle'.

[Magneto]

I've just read "I am bane" and I find it really good. The 3 arcs that I read about batman rebirth are good for me and this week I'm gonna buy the war of jokes and riddles, but this type of comments are making me doubt. I read in websites and this arc has a very good review, why you don't like? And I should buy it?

A conflict between a lot of villains divided in two sides (Riddler and Joker) should be something amazing... but everything was a huge letdown. I guess my expectation were just too high, but I also think that the initial premise of the story wasn't delivered by Tom King.

[Chubistian]

I've just read "I am bane" and I find it really good. The 3 arcs that I read about batman rebirth are good for me and this week I'm gonna buy the war of jokes and riddles, but this type of comments are making me doubt. I read in websites and this arc has a very good review, why you don't like? And I should buy it?

I’m one of the people who liked War of jokes and riddles. My advice would be to approach the story without expecting to see a full length war between two sides of villains. There’s an actual war like that, but it is in the background, the actual story is about how Bruce was hurt by it and the decision he made that he feels Selina must know before accepting marrying him. Once I discovered that, I found it a lot more enjoyable. King usually teases something but delivers it in a different way that one may expect. That’s doesn’t mean it’s something inherently good, that will depends on each one. Personally, I don’t have a problem with it

[Bryan]

Scott Snyder for his New 52 series...I have not read his All-Star Batman yet. I read Tom king's Batman up to the point where Bruce proposed to Selena, but for me it was a chore reading these, just didn't care for this version of Batman.

[regg215]

Both have been exceptional in my opinion. I would give a slight edge to King but I completely get any argument that is made for snyder. Overall I think Court of Owls was the best story between the two but as an overall run I would give the edge to King in that at the end of his run snyder really seemed to lose steam. The main reason I would give the edge to King is that as a characters study I think he has really dug deep and brought some things to the forefront about Bruce that were kinda always there but were never really stated. I also give King credit because he was able to write a story where Batman proposed and it didn't feel like something that was done for shock value or forced in anyway. I admit I am probably a bit biased because I am a huge King fan in that so far he has written two of my top 5 favorite runs of all time with Vision and Sheriff of Babylon and if he sticks the landing on Mister Miracle and Batman he could possibly have two more.

[Soubhagya]

I’m one of the people who liked War of jokes and riddles. My advice would be to approach the story without expecting to see a full length war between two sides of villains. There’s an actual war like that, but it is in the background, the actual story is about how Bruce was hurt by it and the decision he made that he feels Selina must know before accepting marrying him. Once I discovered that, I found it a lot more enjoyable. King usually teases something but delivers it in a different way that one may expect. That’s doesn’t mean it’s something inherently good, that will depends on each one. Personally, I don’t have a problem with it

I agree with everything you said. It was a bit frustrating in how differently it went. But at the same time you have things like Kite-man. King did not give me what i wanted to see. But i ended up liking it anyway.

[Starrius]

I am a Bat/Cat relationship fan, and so I prefer King.

[batfan08]

I’d probably have to give it to King. I know it’s a point of contention with a lot of people, but I love the way he humanizes Batman And has, quite frankly, allowed him to grow. I’d say The War of Jokes and Riddles is about as disappointing as Zero Year was, and both King and Snyder have a tendency to let their arcs run a little long, but, as much as I loved The Court of Owls, I don’t think I enjoyed any issues as much as I did King’s stuff from the Annuals, The Brave and The Mold, Superfriends, and the Elmer Fudd special.

[Soubhagya]

If i count the Annuals and Elmer Fudd special which i should, then it becomes more even for me. I may go with King over Snyder. Let sometime pass. Maybe a year or two. And then i may change it from Snyder to King. Right now i think Snyder was more consistent overall and better.

[Uncanny Mutie]

there hasn't been a good Batman run since Brubaker.

I totally agree. So to answer the OP's question, I'd have to say NEITHER.

[Uncanny Mutie]

Yes. Snyder tapped all of Batman's unusual villains like the Joker, the Joker, the Joker without a face, and some bad guys that he made up. And he was so respectful to the mythos, utilizing Batman's existing supporting cast as opposed to pushing unlikable OC characters...

Did we read the same run? He **** all over the mythos, rewriting Batman's origin to insert his encounter with Duke before he even had a Robin and retconning the backstories of integral characters like Dick Grayson and Alfred to add drama to new threats like The Court of Owls and "The First Ally." Snyder's go-to story device is inserting things into a character's history, sometimes radically alter their nature.

THANK YOU!!! Glad I'm not the only one who noticed all the stuff you pointed out about Snyder's run and who was annoyed by all of it. Snyder's run changes so much stuff about the Batman mythos that it almost seems like poor Batman fan-fic for people who don't really like Batman.

King's run has been a never ending **** show. I had to drop it after War of Jokes and Riddles. That was the absolute worst storyarc I've ever read. King has just been crap since he started. I used to love the idea of Batman and Catwoman together but now he's made me hate them. The whole Cat/Bat thing is beyond annoying. I had to drop Batman for the first time in over a decade. I can't wait until they get a new writer.

I totally agree with this assessment of King's Batman run. Especially how unappealing he has made the Batman and Catwoman pairing.

Both Snyder and King have had boring, pathetic Batman runs to me. I am definitely waiting for a new writer to take over.

[millernumber1]

Even though we're reaching the same point, number of issues-wise, that King and Snyder completed (though since Snyder had backups that he tended to co-write, I'm not convinced the comparison is the same), Snyder has had a chance to complete what he wanted to say about Batman in the main title with Endgame and Superheavy, whereas King is still very much in the middle. Thus, I will only say this: I enjoy what King is doing MORE than I enjoyed Snyder on Batman. Both have serious flaws, and both have serious virtues as writers. I really appreciate both of their interactions with fans - they've been incredibly friendly and kind to the vast majority of fans. But I loathe Snyder's voice for Bruce - it's an obnoxious blend of cocky and stupid. King's voice for Bruce is sometimes awkward in its repetition, but I appreciate that he's trying for a poetic effect - and it doesn't irritate me from the first line the way Snyders does.

I do love some things about the n52 Batman run by Snyder - I might be alone, but I thought Superheavy was a great idea, even if it got stretched too far. And I really loved Snyder's Jim Gordon. But on the whole, I enjoy what King is doing with Batman and Catwoman way more than I enjoy what Snyder did.

That being said, I like Snyder and Tynion on their respective runs of Tec way more than both Snyder and King on Batman.

[SJNeal]

Snyder's go-to story device is inserting things into a character's history, sometimes radically alter their nature.

This post was ringing in my ears as I just read the official announcement on the main page of Snyder's Justice League. Specifically this quote - "Flash and Hawkgirl will take on an adventure that could rewrite their mythologies".

I lol'd.