King Batman Run: Analysis and Enjoyment Thread

[millernumber1]

You mean the part where you said this?

"I don't intend this as a wholly appreciative thread, either"

Please stop contributing to this thread if you come here only to hate on the run, and refuse to read the entirety of the first post of the thread.

[Fergus]

I thought this was a really good issue, but I'm mad that the Bat/Cat book is being delayed so long, because this is going to feel so unfinished!

Also, if what Thomas wanted was for Bruce to marry Selina, then why did he help Bane to split them up?

Because like he said that was false. Bruce was manipulated into proposing remember. He wants Bruce to be happy which means that Bruce should be acting of his own free will, it has to be his decision. The irony of it all.

[millernumber1]

Because like he said that was false. Bruce was manipulated into proposing remember. He wants Bruce to be happy which means that Bruce should be acting of his own free will, it has to be his decision. The irony of it all.

That's an excellent point.

[Fergus]

Who would've thought living would be what breaks Thomas? What is that saying, "You either die a hero of live long enough to see yourself become the villain?" (I think its something like that.) He feels everything he has done since being dumped in this world is justified because as he told Bane "I know what is best for the boy." That's all he sees Bruce as, a rebellious child that didn't turn out the way he wanted him to. Bruce won't give up. He denied Thomas of the chance to bring back Martha and reunite the "family." I really don't know how one more issue is going to wrap this up, but can't wait to see it.

I don't know what the plans are to do with Thomas once 85 wraps up, but I do hope he sticks around in some way or another. If we can have the Batman Who Laughs in this universe with no problems I don't see why not Flash Point Batman.

Funny how both Thomas and Selina keep calling him a boy. At least when Selina does it it's kinda cute.

[millernumber1]

Funny how both Thomas and Selina keep calling him a boy. At least when Selina does it it's kinda cute.

Well, I think that them both using "boy" is part of the David Mazzucchelli point, that Batman as originally conceived was a boy's fantasy, rather than a man. And I hope that King is going to do something to progress that, and not just leave it that way.

[Inversed]

Because like he said that was false. Bruce was manipulated into proposing remember. He wants Bruce to be happy which means that Bruce should be acting of his own free will, it has to be his decision. The irony of it all.

I don't think it being manipulated is the reason why he wanted to break it up, it was because Bruce was still planning to be Batman while married, and that's the thing Thomas wants more than ever to stop. Even in the issue he tells him to go off and marry Selina, but to throw off the cowl for good and leave the city to him.

It's the twisted, crazy sense of father knows best, that you need to punish your son, break his toys, and make him more miserable, so that he can be happy "the right way."

[Chuck]

Please stop contributing to this thread if you come here only to hate on the run, and refuse to read the entirety of the first post of the thread.

It is my opinion on King's terrible run

[millernumber1]

It is my opinion on King's terrible run

"read the entirety of the first post of the thread": "But on the whole, I think there should be a place for people to talk about the book which isn't just a bunch of "King is a hack" "I hate this" "A new low for this book" etc."

You came into the thread, posted exactly that, and are now surprised.

[charliehustle415]

I don't think it being manipulated is the reason why he wanted to break it up, it was because Bruce was still planning to be Batman while married, and that's the thing Thomas wants more than ever to stop. Even in the issue he tells him to go off and marry Selina, but to throw off the cowl for good and leave the city to him.

It's the twisted, crazy sense of father knows best, that you need to punish your son, break his toys, and make him more miserable, so that he can be happy "the right way."

Take him down to the "studs" to rebuild him better is what is my rational for BatDad.

I hope King ends Thomas real good; because he is the anthesis of Bruce. Thomas is so weak that on multiple occasions he breaks his principles because of the people he lost: first Bruce, second Martha, and lastly Selina. Yet, Bruce has lost everything on multiple occasions and never broke and I love that King is totally play that up especially with "I'm still here"

It is my opinion on King's terrible run

Go be an ass elsewhere, follow the thread rules.

[millernumber1]

Take him down to the "studs" to rebuild him better is what is my rational for BatDad.

I hope King ends Thomas real good; because he is the anthesis of Bruce. Thomas is so weak that on multiple occasions he breaks his principles because of the people he lost: first Bruce, second Martha, and lastly Selina. Yet, Bruce has lost everything on multiple occasions and never broke and I love that King is totally play that up especially with "I'm still here"

While I pretty much agree with your response, the only reason I'm trying to communicate with the negative posters right now is that with the end of the run coming, I want it to be as clear as possible that this is not the thread for fights about whether the run sucks or not. I'm hoping that the message is clear now, and people who hate the run will go to the weekly threads, or create their own thread. Hopefully we can avoid getting dragged into arguments with people who miss the OP.

I am very curious to see how BatDad goes out. I still think Nain Pit is the best, but it seems to be going in a different direction.

[charliehustle415]

While I pretty much agree with your response, the only reason I'm trying to communicate with the negative posters right now is that with the end of the run coming, I want it to be as clear as possible that this is not the thread for fights about whether the run sucks or not. I'm hoping that the message is clear now, and people who hate the run will go to the weekly threads, or create their own thread. Hopefully we can avoid getting dragged into arguments with people who miss the OP.

I am very curious to see how BatDad goes out. I still think Nain Pit is the best, but it seems to be going in a different direction.

What other option is there other than death or getting zapped back before the heat death of the Flashpoint universe though?

[Chubistian]

What other option is there other than death or getting zapped back before the heat death of the Flashpoint universe though?

I just don't want Thomas to follow a similar path to The Batman Who Laughs, where he becomes overexposed and I end up bored of him, or that he falls into the category of an irrelevant Bat-villain like what happened to Hush. I have liked the few times I've read something with the character (Knight of Vengeance, Flashpoint, despite not really enjoying the overall story, and the current Batman run), so I wouldn't want to become disenchanted with FP Batman

[Fergus]

I don't think it being manipulated is the reason why he wanted to break it up, it was because Bruce was still planning to be Batman while married, and that's the thing Thomas wants more than ever to stop. Even in the issue he tells him to go off and marry Selina, but to throw off the cowl for good and leave the city to him.

It's the twisted, crazy sense of father knows best, that you need to punish your son, break his toys, and make him more miserable, so that he can be happy "the right way."

He called it a false love in this or something along those lines which to me could only be in reference to it being orchestrated by Bane. It was Bane decision or will not Bruce's. He wants Bruce to make the decision to embrace happiness of his own free will.

I believe he wants Bruce to choose a Happy Batman free life with selina himself. That makes it 'real' and reduces the chances of Bruce going back to his old lifestyle.
so he's going to help him make him make that decision by punishing him, breaking his toys, and making him see how miserable being Batman is.

[charliehustle415]

I just don't want Thomas to follow a similar path to The Batman Who Laughs, where he becomes overexposed and I end up bored of him, or that he falls into the category of an irrelevant Bat-villain like what happened to Hush. I have liked the few times I've read something with the character (Knight of Vengeance, Flashpoint, despite not really enjoying the overall story, and the current Batman run), so I wouldn't want to become disenchanted with FP Batman

Very good point; I was so interested in Batman Who Laughs in METAL, but now he is like the Joker himself. Like let's build his mystique a little before we start churning it out and for Hush Dini was the last writer that did anything good with him.

[bob.schoonover]

This is kind of tangential to the idea that Bruce was manipulated into proposing*: What happened in Arkham while Alfred was supposed to be monitoring Psycho Pirate's "healing" of Claire? There are four basic possibilities for Claire that I see:

1. Claire was in on it from the beginning (including letting Psycho Pirate screw her up, having her parents killed, etc), so PP's healing in Arkham was merely part of the plot to restore her to her generally evil-ish self

2. Claire is cured during I Am Bane, but Bane offers the opportunity to join him in return for the reveal in The Price, that her brother might be brought back

3. At some point between I Am Bane and The Wedding, Claire is re-manipulated by Psycho Pirate off screen

4. Alfred somehow failed in getting PP to heal Claire during I Am Bane.

I don't entirely like any of these (3 and 4 happening offscreen is poor storytelling, 2 happened during a non-King story, and 1 just makes me sad for liking Claire so much in the beginning). Any other ideas?

*Was Claire manipulating Bruce into proposing in 24 with their chat about happiness? If not, it's hard to imagine that Bane did something to take Bruce over the top on proposing (rather than it being something he did on his own or something he chose to do because of interacting with his dad in The Button).