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  1. #16
    Mighty Member Chubistian's Avatar
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    So nice to have a place where we can sum up our experience with King's current run with Batman. I hadn't read anything by him when Rebirth started, though mere months later I would start collecting The Vision in two spanish tpb, from Panini Comics.

    I didn't fall for his Batman inmediatly, I would say it was in the middle of I Am Suicide, with the letter to Catwoman, when I took awareness of some of his take and plans for the character. I dig how he introduced and how he has play with the ideas of a Batman that became unsure of the path he has chosen and that wants happiness but is too afraid to go for it. I'm not a shipper, so I didn't care who King would chose as Bruce's love partner, and since I like how he has been handling the Bat/Cat relationship, I don't have complaints with his choice.

    He has given quite a few surprises throughout his run. I didn't expect the proposal, nor Batman "talking" to his mother while fighting Bane. Knowing what he had in mind, I Am Gotham has really improve upon further re-readings, and a lot of what came later was already hinted there, still, I find it to be some of his weakest work with Batman yet. Not bad, but I feel he still wasn't entirely comfortable with what he was doing or how to do it. The entire run has been plagued with good art, most of it beautiful, and I think it's a pretty stable run if we talk about quality, once it took off in I Am Suicide I have seen few lows that remind me of I Am Gotham.

    I don't know what to expect of the wedding, since this run has been full of surprises that I didn't see coming, especially on how it did some things, more than the things themselves, but if it keeps the same approach and style, I don't see reason to fear for its quality. If it changes those aspects, there's always the chance that it's something that can live up to what came before, though different, and King has yet to let me down. I appreciate some of his works more than others, but I haven't read something from him that I find genuinely bad
    Last edited by Chubistian; 06-10-2018 at 10:36 PM.
    "The Batman is Gotham City. I will watch him. Study him. And when I know him and why he does not kill, I will know this city. And then Gotham will be MINE!"-BANE

    "We're monsters, buddy. Plain and simple. I don't dress it up with fancy names like mutant or post-human; men were born crueler than Apes and we were born crueler than men. It's just the natural order of things"-ULTIMATE SABRETOOTH

  2. #17
    Extraordinary Member kjn's Avatar
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    Having read bits and pieces on it this new Batman, I have some thoughts on the Superfriends arc.

    I know his treatment of Wonder Woman came in for a lot of criticism, but I think Tom King came into a perfect storm here. He wanted to explore Wonder Woman as one of Batman's real friends and as one of the few people who can and do tease him. But within the Trinity, and due to the way society's expectations of women are set up, Wonder Woman is nearly always set up as the woman between Superman and Batman. It's not that Tom King set out to make Wonder Woman into a temptress for Batman, it's that their prior interactions in comics history and their earlier characterisation forced such a reading onto the narrative.

    (And yes, Batman's armor was ridiculous; it would be far too heavy, would limit movement, kept important parts unprotected, and would not make hits glance off. But that's not Tom King's fault.)

    The bathing Wonder Woman scene is illustrative. Wonder Woman is presented sensously, because that's what she is and that's how women in comics are depicted. But when Batman's situation is presented, it's clear that she is partly teasing him (by washing), partly trying to talk about their relation as friends. He had likely said "I can handle this myself", and after Wonder Woman has dispatched her enemies, he's still stuck with his monster, so she takes the time to wash herself and tries to do some sort of real talk about friendship and relations, while Batman keeps silent and she gives up.

    When I compare it to the Superman-focused side of the arc, things aren't as unbalanced. Part of it is because it places a lot of effort into looking how Catwoman and Lois Lane get to know and relate to each other, part of it is because Superman and Batman have a more developed friendship. King focused on their shared experience of juggling superhero life with secret identities, and how it impacts relationships, and mirrored it with Catwoman's and Lois's thoughts and doubts. He reinforced this with the way a lot of pages were set up, making for a very narratively dense reading experience.

    When comparing the two parts, Steve Trevor's lacking history with Wonder Woman is what jumps out to me, that and the way Wonder Woman's has been limited in her relation to the other in the Trinity. But I really like how Tom King also set out to try to develop them as friends and confidantes, as shown by the kanga talk in #40. But I think he was constrained by the past history of Wonder Woman.

  3. #18
    The Detective Man The Dying Detective's Avatar
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    I started around the I Am Suicide arc I'm not sure what to think about how he made Batman repeat the same phrase over and over. However his I Am Bane story was an interesting one I liked how he compared both Bane and Batman but it might seem egregious and if my information is correct Bane in the old continuity thought little of his mother for dying. War of Jokes and Riddles had potential I was not sold on a humourless Joker at the time but I got into it. I am disappointed that the fight between Deathstroke and Deadshot however was told not shown I really would have preferred it that way. I enjoyed the conference dinner between Riddler and the Joker which did a lot to show the reader on which side would Batman choose on the gang war. And throughout it all Kite man was a standout for me as King really made him sympathetic. I think the fact Batman gave into his rage and tried to kill the Riddler rubbed a lot of people the wrong way but I had no issue with it as Batman was just starting out at the time. I liekd the Superman/Batman arc and hwo they worked to know each other at least Lois and Selina did anyway. Peopel think that King had Selina beat Talia in a sword fight but technically she didn't she won through cheating but people seem keen to overlook that thanks to well plot armour.
    "Excellent!" I cried. "Elementary," said he

  4. #19
    Astonishing Member failo.legendkiller's Avatar
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    Tom King is one of my favorite new authors. His Grayson and Omega Men are among the few things to save in the N52.

    His Batman, however, is pleasing me less. It's a run of ups and downs, the beginning was quite disappointing, and then suddenly a few issues that I can safely insert among my favorites of all time (Rules of engagement).

    Surely what I appreciate is finally having humanized Batman. Many complain that the focus is not on Bruce, but I do not mind.
    His Catwoman is splendid, Dick has always written it well and I loved his Damian too.

    I definitely prefer King to Snyder.

  5. #20
    I am a diamond, Ms. Pryde millernumber1's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chubistian View Post
    So nice to have a place where we can sum up our experience with King's current run with Batman. I hadn't read anything by him when Rebirth started, though mere months later I would start collecting The Vision in two spanish tpb, from Panini Comics.

    I didn't fall for his Batman inmediatly, I would say it was in the middle of I Am Suicide, with the letter to Catwoman, when I took awareness of some of his take and plans for the character. I dig how he introduced and how he has play with the ideas of a Batman that became unsure of the path he has chosen and that wants happiness but is too afraid to go for it. I'm not a shipper, so I didn't care who King would chose as Bruce's love partner, and since I like how he has been handling the Bat/Cat relationship, I don't have complaints with his choice.
    Interesting that Batman's letter to Catwoman was the issue that really pushed you into awareness of what he was doing. I love the first issue of I Am Suicide, but I found the letters a bit less effective. That could partly be because I'm not convinced by the whole "Batman re-sets his own back" thing, but the idea of using all two-page spreads to tell the story with letter narration was very bold.

    I thought the conversation with his mother during I Am Bane was pretty good, especially in helping to understand who Batman is and why he chose his mission. Very good stuff.

    Quote Originally Posted by kjn View Post
    Having read bits and pieces on it this new Batman, I have some thoughts on the Superfriends arc.

    I know his treatment of Wonder Woman came in for a lot of criticism, but I think Tom King came into a perfect storm here. He wanted to explore Wonder Woman as one of Batman's real friends and as one of the few people who can and do tease him. But within the Trinity, and due to the way society's expectations of women are set up, Wonder Woman is nearly always set up as the woman between Superman and Batman. It's not that Tom King set out to make Wonder Woman into a temptress for Batman, it's that their prior interactions in comics history and their earlier characterisation forced such a reading onto the narrative.

    (And yes, Batman's armor was ridiculous; it would be far too heavy, would limit movement, kept important parts unprotected, and would not make hits glance off. But that's not Tom King's fault.)

    When I compare it to the Superman-focused side of the arc, things aren't as unbalanced. Part of it is because it places a lot of effort into looking how Catwoman and Lois Lane get to know and relate to each other, part of it is because Superman and Batman have a more developed friendship. King focused on their shared experience of juggling superhero life with secret identities, and how it impacts relationships, and mirrored it with Catwoman's and Lois's thoughts and doubts. He reinforced this with the way a lot of pages were set up, making for a very narratively dense reading experience.

    When comparing the two parts, Steve Trevor's lacking history with Wonder Woman is what jumps out to me, that and the way Wonder Woman's has been limited in her relation to the other in the Trinity. But I really like how Tom King also set out to try to develop them as friends and confidantes, as shown by the kanga talk in #40. But I think he was constrained by the past history of Wonder Woman.
    I don't think most readers were mad at Diana - I think most were mad at Bruce. And King did indicate that Bruce was the more tempted one, with Diana lecturing Bruce. (I thought the armor was hilarious, though. At this point, I just assume it's made of magic metal, and stuff.)

    For me, part of why I liked the Superman story better than the Wonder Woman story is because Superman and Lois together have development with Bruce and Selina together. I think if they could have had a similar four-person story/adventure with Steve, it would have been more popularly received. But it still had wonderful moments, like you say about Kanga.

    Quote Originally Posted by The Dying Detective View Post
    I started around the I Am Suicide arc I'm not sure what to think about how he made Batman repeat the same phrase over and over. However his I Am Bane story was an interesting one I liked how he compared both Bane and Batman but it might seem egregious and if my information is correct Bane in the old continuity thought little of his mother for dying. War of Jokes and Riddles had potential I was not sold on a humourless Joker at the time but I got into it. I am disappointed that the fight between Deathstroke and Deadshot however was told not shown I really would have preferred it that way. I enjoyed the conference dinner between Riddler and the Joker which did a lot to show the reader on which side would Batman choose on the gang war. And throughout it all Kite man was a standout for me as King really made him sympathetic. I think the fact Batman gave into his rage and tried to kill the Riddler rubbed a lot of people the wrong way but I had no issue with it as Batman was just starting out at the time. I liekd the Superman/Batman arc and hwo they worked to know each other at least Lois and Selina did anyway.
    The repetition was definitely part of King's plan - and I think King has said that Batman's plan isn't supposed to be sensible, or even sane. Batman, in some ways, is acting as a villain in I Am Suicide - his balance thrown off by the double punch of Gotham's death and Selina's massive murder spree (even if he believes it's not true). I love that perspective, that Batman, in his haste to save Gotham Girl, ruins Bane's life. And I love how King brings it back to Batman as hero in I Am Bane.

    I don't think anyone can read Kite Man and not be moved. That was a really great arc - I'm very curious to see if he comes back! Especially with his strong connection to the Joker, and the Joker resurfacing in the wedding arc. And the character dynamics in the Superman/Lois double date were really lovely!

    Quote Originally Posted by failo.legendkiller View Post
    Tom King is one of my favorite new authors. His Grayson and Omega Men are among the few things to save in the N52.

    His Batman, however, is pleasing me less. It's a run of ups and downs, the beginning was quite disappointing, and then suddenly a few issues that I can safely insert among my favorites of all time (Rules of engagement).

    Surely what I appreciate is finally having humanized Batman. Many complain that the focus is not on Bruce, but I do not mind.
    His Catwoman is splendid, Dick has always written it well and I loved his Damian too.

    I definitely prefer King to Snyder.
    King is not only a really good writer, but he's also one of the nicest guys in comics - fans and pros consistently have a great time when they talk to him! And Grayson and Omega Men are both really excellent comics - the former really pushing a great spy action thriller with some clever formal techniques, the latter pushing some really brilliant formal techniques with some great spy action thriller.

    I do think that the twice-monthly schedule, while it allows King to think really big, does tend to make the little details that he loves to craft a bit lost, so they don't land in that incredibly satisfying way that they do in Vision, Grayson, or Omega Men. Plus, since he's so ending-focused, it's hard to see where everything fits at this point, only about halfway into his planned 103 issue run. That being said, I think the shift to shorter arcs allows him to better fit with his artists and give individual issue satisfaction.
    "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
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  6. #21
    The Detective Man The Dying Detective's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by millernumber1 View Post
    The repetition was definitely part of King's plan - and I think King has said that Batman's plan isn't supposed to be sensible, or even sane. Batman, in some ways, is acting as a villain in I Am Suicide - his balance thrown off by the double punch of Gotham's death and Selina's massive murder spree (even if he believes it's not true). I love that perspective, that Batman, in his haste to save Gotham Girl, ruins Bane's life. And I love how King brings it back to Batman as hero in I Am Bane.

    I don't think anyone can read Kite Man and not be moved. That was a really great arc - I'm very curious to see if he comes back! Especially with his strong connection to the Joker, and the Joker resurfacing in the wedding arc. And the character dynamics in the Superman/Lois double date were really lovely!
    Well the repetition worked well at least to show how driven Batman is to retrieve the Psycho Pirate at least when i think about it. I really could not tell whether or not batman was being a villain though the I Am Suicide arc though. Doubtful they could and in the end Kite Man was Batman's ace in the hole in ending the War of Jokes and Riddles. If Kite Man reappeared I wonder what can he even do then? I'll say King went out of his way to show that both couples were not the same and interacted with each other more differently.

    Quote Originally Posted by millernumber1 View Post
    For me, part of why I liked the Superman story better than the Wonder Woman story is because Superman and Lois together have development with Bruce and Selina together. I think if they could have had a similar four-person story/adventure with Steve, it would have been more popularly received. But it still had wonderful moments, like you say about Kanga.
    And also if King did arrange another double date situation in the Wonder Woman story I think people might call him unoriginal honestly. Well they are already doing that anyway. And if he did do it I doubt King will could do anything with Steve because he just lacks well anything really. Not unless he draws inspiration from the Chris Pine iteration which is the only workable model of Steve Trevor. Still I liked how King pulled up and just dismissed the idea of Wonder Woman and Batman being together as silly it really saved the show.
    Last edited by The Dying Detective; 06-11-2018 at 07:22 AM.
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  7. #22
    Mighty Member WontonGirl's Avatar
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    Jim Lee Variant Cover for Batman 50! Exclusively for Midtown Comics.

    5E9ED0BD-8E59-484E-A926-C4595C0782E9.jpg
    Last edited by WontonGirl; 06-11-2018 at 08:53 AM.

  8. #23
    Mighty Member WontonGirl's Avatar
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    Jae Lee Variant Cover for Batman 50, exclusively for Dynamic Forces.

    77B42510-AA6C-4035-921D-75F11B56EF43.jpg

  9. #24
    I am a diamond, Ms. Pryde millernumber1's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by WontonGirl View Post
    Jae Lee Variant Cover for Batman 50, exclusively for Dynamic Forces.

    77B42510-AA6C-4035-921D-75F11B56EF43.jpg
    Hadn't seen that one before - gorgeous!
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  10. #25
    Post Editing OCD Confuzzled's Avatar
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    The first CBR article in a looooong time that I actually liked:

    How Tom King is Revolutionalizing the DC Universe by Making it More Human

  11. #26
    I am a diamond, Ms. Pryde millernumber1's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Confuzzled View Post
    The first CBR article in a looooong time that I actually liked:

    How Tom King is Revolutionalizing the DC Universe by Making it More Human
    Nice one! I like the way it traces King's themes, especially those of human decisions, through these superhuman characters.
    "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
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  12. #27
    The Detective Man The Dying Detective's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by millernumber1 View Post
    Nice one! I like the way it traces King's themes, especially those of human decisions, through these superhuman characters.
    You think the moaning about King's writing comes from the Batgod thing DC's been promoting for sometime? Though king has yet to tap into Selina's human qualities I think he's saving that for Joelle Jones.
    "Excellent!" I cried. "Elementary," said he

  13. #28
    I am a diamond, Ms. Pryde millernumber1's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by The Dying Detective View Post
    You think the moaning about King's writing comes from the Batgod thing DC's been promoting for sometime? Though king has yet to tap into Selina's human qualities I think he's saving that for Joelle Jones.
    In general, I'm hoping to focus more on the positive or constructive criticism of King's run, rather than run down or discuss the negative reactions, if that makes sense.

    I do think there's been a very interesting perspective on Selina - I keep expecting King to reveal she has superpowers, because of the way she has such vivid green-gold eyes when she says "Meow."
    "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
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  14. #29
    The Detective Man The Dying Detective's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by millernumber1 View Post
    In general, I'm hoping to focus more on the positive or constructive criticism of King's run, rather than run down or discuss the negative reactions, if that makes sense.

    I do think there's been a very interesting perspective on Selina - I keep expecting King to reveal she has superpowers, because of the way she has such vivid green-gold eyes when she says "Meow."
    Nothing against that but a lot people thinks King writes Batman as incompetent though the way Batman broke into Santa Prisca and defeated Bane does not mean a thing. I'm more puzzled by how she was able to knockout all three Flashes though. That took me out of the story for a spell. I think the Meow is just a quirk exclusive to King's iteration Selina nothing else really.
    Last edited by The Dying Detective; 06-12-2018 at 10:38 AM.
    "Excellent!" I cried. "Elementary," said he

  15. #30
    Loony Scott Taylor's Avatar
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    It took a while for me to get on board with King's run, so i missed the first few storylines. Really it was the I Am Bane story that got me hooked, especially the big head butt on Bane - just a ridiculous and ballsy way to end the story. King knows how to write a memorable ending.
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