King Batman Run: Analysis and Enjoyment Thread

[Inversed]

We're moving far afield here, but Snyder's JL run finishes in January and Hell Arisen ends in March. I'd be shocked if we aren't starting the next Crisis in May after a FCBD special.

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As to Bat/Cat, it's a bit unfortunate that we have to wait until at least March. I didn't see the Batman special (maybe it'll be a B/C Annual) either in the solicits. It's going to be quite the drought - I hope City of Bane doesn't end on a cliffhanger.

Oh man, I didn't realize he left the book, only now just noticed there's a new guy on it. So yeah that's a surprise, and I guess that does mean it'll be sooner rather than later. Especially considering that not only Snyder doesn't really have any other projects at the moment, but Capullo hasn't really been doing anything since he went "exclusive", so he must be working on something.

I do have a feeling at the very least we won't have to worry about City Of Bane ending on a "cliffhanger", considering it seems like the story got a lot of re-juggling so that it could be considered an ending, while Bat/Cat can be seen as both a long epilogue, and its own separate thing. Also yeah I don't expect the Weeks special to happen until after Bat/Cat starts getting solicited, since that seems like something he's gonna take his time with now that there's no deadline.

[Phoenyxx1481]

https://www.dccomics.com/blog/2019/1...h-about-alfred

4 pages and the feels get you right away. Better get the tissues ready

[millernumber1]

https://www.dccomics.com/blog/2019/1...h-about-alfred

4 pages and the feels get you right away. Better get the tissues ready

I'm really torn. On the one hand, this doesn't feel like it was organically part of King's original story, so this really irritates me - unless King comes out and directly says "this was the plan all along" - and even if he does say that, I'm going to say it's a serious weakness, as it wasn't setup very well at all.

On the other hand, King does seem to be taking the rewrites seriously and trying to make them land as well as possible. Sigh.

[bob.schoonover]

I'm really torn. On the one hand, this doesn't feel like it was organically part of King's original story, so this really irritates me - unless King comes out and directly says "this was the plan all along" - and even if he does say that, I'm going to say it's a serious weakness, as it wasn't setup very well at all.

On the other hand, King does seem to be taking the rewrites seriously and trying to make them land as well as possible. Sigh.

I would love to see the original outline for City of Bane. What we're getting seems off (even if, as you say, King is trying to treat it seriously).

[Pohzee]

I know that this is largely supposed to be a positive thread, but if Alfred dying was not an original part of the plan, then King still kind of had this coming. Similar to the Ric situation, you can’t just throw a character into a shocking situation then immediately undo it and expect it to have any sort of impact.

[millernumber1]

I would love to see the original outline for City of Bane. What we're getting seems off (even if, as you say, King is trying to treat it seriously).

I would as well.

I know that this is largely supposed to be a positive thread, but if Alfred dying was not an original part of the plan, then King still kind of had this coming. Similar to the Ric situation, you can’t just throw a character into a shocking situation then immediately undo it and expect it to have any sort of impact.

I don't see how he "had it coming" - King has shared his solutions to the Ric issue that he caused, and Ben Percy also had a fairly solid solution. Editorial caused Ric to last as agonizingly long as it has, not King.

[Chubistian]

https://www.dccomics.com/blog/2019/1...h-about-alfred

4 pages and the feels get you right away. Better get the tissues ready

Kudos to Tom King for the feels he injects into these few pages and Janín and Bellaire are a perfect fit to the script. I still don't know how to feel about Alfred's death, as I always think that these characters will come back sooner or later. I guess I will put my reluctancy aside and enjoy the ride

[Phoenyxx1481]

I do recall an article after Batman 77 hit and the hype it recieved, that rumor was DC changed the plan from it being an illusion to the real deal. Sometimes life throws people a curve ball. I look forward to see the rest of the issue and what King does with it.

[Pohzee]

I would as well.



I don't see how he "had it coming" - King has shared his solutions to the Ric issue that he caused, and Ben Percy also had a fairly solid solution. Editorial caused Ric to last as agonizingly long as it has, not King.

Having experienced Ric, King should have been aware of the editorial he was working with, who seek to magnify the brutality of his comics. If King wanted to have a big moment by shooting Dick and then just walk it back but couldn't, why would he expect otherwise with killing Alfred. And if he expected it to be a fakeout, would it really have been all that compelling?

[millernumber1]

Kudos to Tom King for the feels he injects into this few pages and Janín and Bellaire are a perfect fit to the script. I still don't know how to feel about Alfred's death, as I always think that these characters will come back sooner or later. I guess I will put my reluctancy aside and enjoy the ride

Yeah, I'm going to have to reluctantly do the same.

I do recall an article after Batman 77 hit and the hype it recieved, that rumor was DC changed the plan from it being an illusion to the real deal. Sometimes life throws people a curve ball. I look forward to see the rest of the issue and what King does with it.

I also read that article. I don't trust it, but it doesn't feel to me that Alfred's death was forshadowed or set up enough. Perhaps I'm wrong, but that's just the way I've been reading it.

Having experienced Ric, King should have been aware of the editorial he was working with, who seek to magnify the brutality of his comics. If King wanted to have a big moment by shooting Dick and then just walk it back but couldn't, why would he expect otherwise with killing Alfred. And if he expected it to be a fakeout, would it really have been all that compelling?

That's not quite the same as "had it coming," though.

As for fakeouts - I enjoy a good clever plan with a reveal. I could have seen this as one of those.

[gregpersons]

What were the original plans for Dick and Alfred??

[millernumber1]

What were the original plans for Dick and Alfred??

King said in a few podcasts that he pitched either fixing it with Zatanna right away, or having Tim join Dick in his recovery to tell a brother story. Percy was just going to do a memory restore with the virus villain who copied Dick's brain in his one arc.

Alfred I have no clue about "original" plans - as I've said, maybe this was the original. But the use of Clayface indicates to me that King could have had Alfred be Clayface in that issue.

[charliehustle415]

https://www.dccomics.com/blog/2019/1...h-about-alfred

4 pages and the feels get you right away. Better get the tissues ready

Janin, does eyes so well; even through the cowl you can see the emotion.

Can't believe it's almost over

[charliehustle415]

King said in a few podcasts that he pitched either fixing it with Zatanna right away, or having Tim join Dick in his recovery to tell a brother story. Percy was just going to do a memory restore with the virus villain who copied Dick's brain in his one arc.

Alfred I have no clue about "original" plans - as I've said, maybe this was the original. But the use of Clayface indicates to me that King could have had Alfred be Clayface in that issue.

Hmm, I wonder if it was going to originally be fixed with Doomsday Clock and the reset of the universe?

If not, then using Clayface would have made the most sense since we haven't seen him really since Tynion's run

[bob.schoonover]

King said in a few podcasts that he pitched either fixing it with Zatanna right away, or having Tim join Dick in his recovery to tell a brother story. Percy was just going to do a memory restore with the virus villain who copied Dick's brain in his one arc.

Alfred I have no clue about "original" plans - as I've said, maybe this was the original. But the use of Clayface indicates to me that King could have had Alfred be Clayface in that issue.

I always assumed it would be revealed that Alfred was Punch. Would have been a nice callback to I Am Suicide - Clayface works, too, of course, but bringing him in late in the run (other than a Monster Men appearance) is a little too much cheating for what I assume was a long term plan (the cast of this book has been pretty tight for over 80 issues)