Batman #52 - discussion thread (SPOILERS)

[millernumber1]

https://www.cbr.com/preview-batman-52/

It's out! I was a bit disappointed after how much I loved the first issue of this arc, but a reread helped to show the little details, and highlight just how amazing that fight between Freeze and Batman is. Weeks and Breitweister are really killing it on this arc.

[SixSpeedSamurai]

Variant cover is tight.

[chamber-music]

I did kind of like King trying to deconstruct and analyze some of the negative criticism of the Batman character under the guise of Bruce self anger this issue.

[millernumber1]

I did kind of like King trying to deconstruct and analyze some of the negative criticism of the Batman character under the guise of Bruce self anger this issue.

I think there's some interesting stuff going on - on the first reading, I was frustrated that King was basically just following Henry Fonda in 12 Angry Men, deconstructing the prosecution without proffering a real solution - but hopefully there's going to be something to surprise us in final issue. If it ends with Bruce convincing people that Freeze isn't guilty and Freeze gets free to murder more people, I'm going to be really mad.

[Phoenyxx1481]

I liked the issue. I'm really hoping that he doesn't convience the other members of the jury to let Freeze off. This could be the start to him finally discovering that Bane has been the master manipulator in his life recently.

[oasis1313]

https://www.cbr.com/preview-batman-52/

It's out! I was a bit disappointed after how much I loved the first issue of this arc, but a reread helped to show the little details, and highlight just how amazing that fight between Freeze and Batman is. Weeks and Breitweister are really killing it on this arc.

I can understand Signal and Orphan needing a more objective teacher--but BATGIRL? I have no idea what Black Lightning has to teach her.

[RepHope]

I liked it, but it kind of strained my belief that the jury would essentially let Bruce play a game of "What-If". I mean you could say "What if the Mr. Freeze we have now is actually Clayface disguised as Freeze and Freeze is still locked up somewhere?" Bruce didn't have any evidence that what he was saying was reasonable at all.

[millernumber1]

I can understand Signal and Orphan needing a more objective teacher--but BATGIRL? I have no idea what Black Lightning has to teach her.

Um, that would be the Detective Comics arc?

I liked it, but it kind of strained my belief that the jury would essentially let Bruce play a game of "What-If". I mean you could say "What if the Mr. Freeze we have now is actually Clayface disguised as Freeze and Freeze is still locked up somewhere?" Bruce didn't have any evidence that what he was saying was reasonable at all.

I mean, it's all part of the "12 Angry Men" template that King is following - I just hope he puts a twist on it in the third issue. Because the ending of 12 Angry Men would be so bad for this story.

[Samson3191]

Wonderful issue. Really felt like an hour long movie in a good way. Packed full of good discussion, and it’s so important to remember the fallout of the wedding being the backdrop of Bruce’s behavior here. I love that it’s only been mentioned in passing very briefly a couple times these past few issues—it mirrors the way Bruce is dealing with it, I think.

Plus...that art. Wow.

[madmodpoetgod]

Well I feel happy for King and his team.
He proved his worth right after the marriage scandal.
Wonderfully tight issue with powerful imagery and symbolism. The dialogues are almost apologizing for the previous issues' dialogues with its power. And I am glad he's doing short, interlocking arcs instead of big stories as Synder used to write.
After reading today's Batman and Mr. Miracle, I can say that he truly deserved his Eisner.

[Nick Miller]

Damn this was so good. Mr weeks if you are reading, I appreciate the details.

My one problem, I don’t want Batman doubting his methods! Crime must be punched lol.....

Freeze is definitely going to Sanctuary, he has had his brains knocked out by Bats forever.

[Phoenyxx1481]

While I am pretty sure Bane is the one that Freeze refuses to name (and also the one who made it look like Freeze did the crime), I wonder if Bane also has any influence on any of the other jurors in the case. A plant of his own. Maybe the older lady, or the guy that told Bruce "I thought you loved Batman."

[blunt_eastwood]

I can't take this decompressed story telling. I'd like a follow up to the wedding plot line before I'm too old to be able to read it.

[Scott Taylor]

Good issue, it somehow reminded me of the Englehart era with the heavy distinction between Bruce and Batman.

[millernumber1]

So, I was chatting on reddit about why I'm worried about this arc, because I'm concerned that Freeze will go free, and in my view he's a vicious murderer, and someone responded that they don't think he's vicious, just tragic. I brought up Gotham Central, but since it's not directly in continuity any more, they dismissed it out of hand. I'm not super familiar with Freeze's current continuity, in the 7 years since Flashpoint. I know he has a controversial backstory in the Batman Annual, but is the general characterization of him tragic, or evil?