King Batman Run: Analysis and Enjoyment Thread

[millernumber1]

Ohhhhhh yeah that's right. Completely forgot he did Cold Days. That was fantastic and why we need more of his work!

INDEED!

Batman's dialogue makes pretty clear that Thomas being ordered to kill Damian is part of the plan. We know from #79 that Bruce sent Damian into Gotham, so Damian being captured was also part of the plan.

So unless Alfred getting killed was part of the plan also - Alfred ain't dead.

LOVED the art in this issue. I wish we had a regular dose of JrJr on Batman.

Completely agree. There's clearly a plan that Bruce is doing here that's been operative since 77 at least.

I was very pleasantly surprised by JRJR's art here. I'm not usually a fan, but this was solid.

JRJR is a huge fave of mine, but I would agree that he's really variable. I didn't really like what he did for All-Star Batman, but this was really rich and appealing art for me.

[Scott Taylor]

For my money, Batman saying Hell Yeah fit right in, considering that Batman knows Kite Man's entire tragic past. It was a continuation of that bond.

[Pohzee]

For my money, Batman saying Hell Yeah fit right in, considering that Batman knows Kite Man's entire tragic past. It was a continuation of that bond.

I'll be honest, in the context of the story, mocking him is pretty cruel. And it's largely groan-worthy out of story at this point.

[Scott Taylor]

So i don't mind if it came off as mocking. Kite Man is not a really serious character, but a joke character. But I respect your opinion.

Kite Man if taken seriously is a tragic character who makes terrible continued life choices. He hasn't chosen to save anyone, make the world a better place or do anything other than look out for number one. He's probably mentally ill due to the death of his son and that makes him more like Joker or Harley, a sympathetic character to a degree in spite of their poor life choices. So in that sense I can see having a problem with the mocking. But I see Batman's interaction with him as banter, similar to what he sometimes has done with Joker or Harley.

[Pohzee]

That’s one of the things I’ve found I don’t like about this run is how crappy Batman and co. are to lesser crooks.

King humanizes Kite Man, gives him a tragic backstory, makes him a broken man, then dumps all over him and plays him as a joke and has Batman mock him after getting his son killed.

Likewise, Nightwing mercilessly mocks Crazy Quilt and seemingly doesn’t remember him. Obviously not feeling any remorse for having blinded the dude.

Joke villains fulfill a useful role, but when the characters in the story dump on them to such a degree it makes it less fun and more pathetic, cruel, and sad.

[millernumber1]

I'll be honest, in the context of the story, mocking him is pretty cruel. And it's largely groan-worthy out of story at this point.

I don't think he's mocking him in cruelly. If anything, I think Kite Man would get a kick out of Batman knowing his catch phrase.

So i don't mind if it came off as mocking. Kite Man is not a really serious character, but a joke character. But I respect your opinion.

Kite Man if taken seriously is a tragic character who makes terrible continued life choices. He hasn't chosen to save anyone, make the world a better place or do anything other than look out for number one. He's probably mentally ill due to the death of his son and that makes him more like Joker or Harley, a sympathetic character to a degree in spite of their poor life choices. So in that sense I can see having a problem with the mocking. But I see Batman's interaction with him as banter, similar to what he sometimes has done with Joker or Harley.

Well said. I think it's really crucial to remember that Kite Man is a man who seems relaxed and happy to sit down with and be on the Joker's side. Not just because the Riddler murdered his son, but because he's a person who doesn't really have a problem with the Joker. I love the sympathy that King created for him, but Kite Man has made choices to hurt people, and align with people who hurt others. The fact that he's really bad at it doesn't absolve him of that.

[Shadowcat]

Not sure where else to post this, but what is Guillem March doing? I love his Bat family work.

[Shadowcat]

Also—how is the Batman/Superman book? I can’t seem to find anything here discussing it.

[Pohzee]

Also—how is the Batman/Superman book? I can’t seem to find anything here discussing it.

Discussion for that seems to be in the Superman forum. I personally can't bring myself to read anymore of the Batman Who Laughs, and DC spoiled the first arc in advance anyway.

[millernumber1]

Not sure where else to post this, but what is Guillem March doing? I love his Bat family work.

I'm not totally sure. He did some nice covers for Tynion's run on Tec, but I think he's mostly doing covers these days, like on Harley Quinn.

[Zaresh]

I'm not totally sure. He did some nice covers for Tynion's run on Tec, but I think he's mostly doing covers these days, like on Harley Quinn.

He's going to do somehing Harley related soon, I think? Mmm, or Catwoman related. I remember reading someting two oe three weeks ago. Well, maybe more, time ago now that I think about it.

[millernumber1]

https://www.newsarama.com/47381-mitc...batman-81.html

Hmm. Gerads drawing two pages. I wonder if this was the "farewell" he was tweeting about recently. I personally hope it's an additional two pages, and not a substitutionary two pages. And I'm gonna guess that they might be a Rooftops reference...though a Brave and the Mold reference would also be appreciated.

[Steven Caldwell]

One thing I have noticed, I read comics a lot back in the 2000s. Every time a new batman or detective comic would come out, there would be a post on here with like a hundred pages discussing the book. Now, posts fall quite short of this. I wonder if this is a reflection of the decline in quality? Or simply reflective of the overall decline in people reading comics?

[millernumber1]

One thing I have noticed, I read comics a lot back in the 2000s. Every time a new batman or detective comic would come out, there would be a post on here with like a hundred pages discussing the book. Now, posts fall quite short of this. I wonder if this is a reflection of the decline in quality? Or simply reflective of the overall decline in people reading comics?

I think it's more likely the decline in people posting on message boards.

[Uncanny Mutie]

One thing I have noticed, I read comics a lot back in the 2000s. Every time a new batman or detective comic would come out, there would be a post on here with like a hundred pages discussing the book. Now, posts fall quite short of this. I wonder if this is a reflection of the decline in quality? Or simply reflective of the overall decline in people reading comics?

Both

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