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From today's Bleeding Cool solicitations leaks, it appears that maybe Talia has more to do with the conspiracy than we thought. The desert setting and Tiger's presence evoke the Rules of Engagement arc, so maybe I was right about there being another big bad we didn't know about. This would also fit in with how Kobra Cult and the "Dogs of War" fit in with the plane bombing and the orphanage bombing, respectively - they could be controlled by Leviathan somehow.
I would've hoped that King's run stands largely on its own. I'm not reading Bendis's Superman and I'm not keen on the buildup to the climax of King's 100 issue run to be subject to another book that has been running a tenth of the time.
It's the Dynamic Duo! Batman and Robin!... and Red Robin and Red Hood and Nightwing and Batwoman and Batgirl and Orphan and Spoiler and Bluebird and Lark and Gotham Girl and Talon and Batwing and Huntress and Azreal and Flamebird and Batcow?
Since when could just anybody do what we trained to do? It makes it all dumb instead of special. Like it doesn't matter anymore.
-Dick Grayson (Batman Inc.)
People speculating that Talia's involvement in these chapters is related to Bendis's Leviathian story in Action Comics. Bruce's encounter with Talia in Rules of Engagement occurred even before Bendis came over to DC, so this would indicate a deviation from the original plan.
It's the Dynamic Duo! Batman and Robin!... and Red Robin and Red Hood and Nightwing and Batwoman and Batgirl and Orphan and Spoiler and Bluebird and Lark and Gotham Girl and Talon and Batwing and Huntress and Azreal and Flamebird and Batcow?
Since when could just anybody do what we trained to do? It makes it all dumb instead of special. Like it doesn't matter anymore.
-Dick Grayson (Batman Inc.)
While today's Batman issue was not written by King, it still seems to be important to King's run. To be honest, this is the first issue of the crossover that has left me underwhelmed. The first two issues were surprisingly solid. But this definitely seems like something that could've taken place later in the run after Bane's machinations were revealed to Batman. That seems to be where it would've made more sense and as it seemingly was originally intended to be before King's Hollywood deal.
It's the Dynamic Duo! Batman and Robin!... and Red Robin and Red Hood and Nightwing and Batwoman and Batgirl and Orphan and Spoiler and Bluebird and Lark and Gotham Girl and Talon and Batwing and Huntress and Azreal and Flamebird and Batcow?
Since when could just anybody do what we trained to do? It makes it all dumb instead of special. Like it doesn't matter anymore.
-Dick Grayson (Batman Inc.)
One thing I was curious about reading the issue was that there was a part where Batman comments how this whole situation with him and the Flash being manipulated and distracted from the real plan is just like what happened when he found the Button in the cave. So is this supposed to imply Manhattan is involved somehow? Or just another clue towards Bane somehow being involved in the Button?
It's the Dynamic Duo! Batman and Robin!... and Red Robin and Red Hood and Nightwing and Batwoman and Batgirl and Orphan and Spoiler and Bluebird and Lark and Gotham Girl and Talon and Batwing and Huntress and Azreal and Flamebird and Batcow?
Since when could just anybody do what we trained to do? It makes it all dumb instead of special. Like it doesn't matter anymore.
-Dick Grayson (Batman Inc.)
I mean, King's Batman barely has any influence from other current Batman runs, so I think it's super unlikely that he's going to be influenced by a Superman run. He's said, over and over again, that he doesn't like to do events or crossovers because he doesn't like telling people what to do (and implication: doesn't like being told what to do), so I think anything that happens with Talia was probably part of his plan from the start.
We'll have to see how The Price turns out. I personally hope that Williamson doesn't kill Claire off, because this is a pretty mediocre story to do something that important, but if they just have her neutralized again (and not even reveal that Bane is behind her), then what's the point of the whole event other than "give King a break for a month"?
"We're the same thing, you and I. We're both lies that eventually became the truth." Lara Notsil, Star Wars: X-Wing: Solo Command, Aaron Allston
"All that is not eternal is eternally out of date." C. S. Lewis, The Four Loves
"There's room in our line of work for hope, too." Stephanie Brown
Stephanie Brown Wiki, My Batman Universe Reviews, Stephanie Brown Discord
That's why I said I feel like this story definitely should've happened after the Knightmares arc like it was originally intended to. Without revealing Bane's involvement (which we know can't happen because of when it takes place) I really can't think of a satisfactory way to end this, though it writes itself more easily if Bane's involvement is known.
By the way Miller, I read your review of the issue on ComicBookRoundup, and I thought it was interesting that you found this issue to be an improvement over the last one while I felt very much the opposite. The Flash issue seemed to have more solid character work and progression of Gotham Girl's story, while I though that this was a fairly action heavy issue that did more to rehash the events of I am Gotham. Less effectively in my opinion, because it was Williamson's take on his memory an interpretstion of King's story rather than King's own.
It's the Dynamic Duo! Batman and Robin!... and Red Robin and Red Hood and Nightwing and Batwoman and Batgirl and Orphan and Spoiler and Bluebird and Lark and Gotham Girl and Talon and Batwing and Huntress and Azreal and Flamebird and Batcow?
Since when could just anybody do what we trained to do? It makes it all dumb instead of special. Like it doesn't matter anymore.
-Dick Grayson (Batman Inc.)
Yeah, I have a bad feeling this is either going to be a bad exit story for Claire, or another Button, where very little actually is resolved in the story.
How interesting that you read my review on CBR. Glad to see that's driving some writers there, though I have the link to my reviews in my sig here.
I was really, really frustrated and disappointed with The Flash #64. The contradictions between what King did in Batman #5 and #24 were too glaring to me to appreciate what Williamson was doing. Batman 65 didn't have nearly as many issues like that, so it didn't ring false to me. Which I know isn't completely fair, but since they are selling this as part of the Batman ongoing title, and directly referencing those books, I feel like contradictions are a valid problem to bring up.
I think it's definitely true that Williamson is rehashing a lot of the same issues from the I Am Trilogy - probably unavoidable, with a smaller character like Claire who has been gone for a year, more or less - but it does lead to a sense of running (haha, Flash joke) in place.
"We're the same thing, you and I. We're both lies that eventually became the truth." Lara Notsil, Star Wars: X-Wing: Solo Command, Aaron Allston
"All that is not eternal is eternally out of date." C. S. Lewis, The Four Loves
"There's room in our line of work for hope, too." Stephanie Brown
Stephanie Brown Wiki, My Batman Universe Reviews, Stephanie Brown Discord