Batman #57

[Aahz]

It had nothing to do with power level or revenge.

At least the way Batman avoided the fight in the end had.

Starlin's run was fairly political at times.

And in almost every story Batman had to go against someone where the system wasn't working. Diplomats's Son and Joker had also Diplomatic Immunity and the Dumpster Slasher got away because here wasn't sufficient evidence.

[Scott Taylor]

So there wasn't a bit of 'be careful who you hang with because they might consume you or make you destroy yourself'?

Well the Fox gets screwed over in the end, too, so nobody really wins in the end regardless of who hung out with who.

You know - a happy Russian fairy tale!

[oasis1313]

This way he's completely helpless and, barring dramatic rescue, faces a painful death. If he just killed him, he'd spare him the pain.
King went out of his way to point out the improbability of rescue and survival.

But it's well established that he's not a killer, so, barring sending someone to help him, Batman just broke the golden rule.

And I bet he did it all without even mentioning who got shot.

[Pohzee]

And I bet he did it all without even mentioning who got shot.

Actually, yes! lol

[oasis1313]

Actually, yes! lol

So the new reader, with no knowledge of Batman whatsoever, picks up the comic and thinks, "Whoa, this guy runs around killing people for no reason."

[blunt_eastwood]

So where'd we land on the whole Batman killing the KGB Beast issue? As far as I can tell he pretty much killed him. Does anyone disagree?

[WhiteQueenEmmaFrost]

So where'd we land on the whole Batman killing the KGB Beast issue? As far as I can tell he pretty much killed him. Does anyone disagree?

Schrodinger's cat.

He's equally dead and alive.

[Batknight]

So where'd we land on the whole Batman killing the KGB Beast issue? As far as I can tell he pretty much killed him. Does anyone disagree?

In my eyes, leaving someone critically injured in a harsh environment knowing they will die if they not rescued is the same as killing them, yes. Will he actually die? Of course not. But from Batman's perspective, he did kill him by leaving him.

[Scott Taylor]

Captain America survived for a long time in a block of ice. I'm sure Batman knew that and Beast will be fine. He's Russian, after all. Probably pickled in Vodka anyhow.

[Talon1load]

How about Batman walking 300 kilometers in the snow like a complete dumbass? Are we ignoring how ridiculous this is? Or him not taking the opportunity to find out who paid Beast to shoot Dick? How many others will die or be harmed because Batman was pissed? This entire issue and run are complete bullshit.

[SixSpeedSamurai]

Finally read this. Beautiful work by Daniels. Wish he was the regular artist.

The dialogue was infuriating. nn, uh, hn. Pages and pages.

[Caivu]

How about Batman walking 300 kilometers in the snow like a complete dumbass?

Remember, this is the same man who used horses for desert travel and rode them so long that one had to be euthanized, as opposed to taking an aircraft or even a 4x4 like a rational person.

[Talon1load]

And was praised for that story as well. So frustrating.

[Doomsayer]

Eh... i kinda liked this issue.

Then again, Batman doesn’t give me the feels - so, i don’t care deeply about his character

[oldschoolfan]

Batman came off way to arrogant for me and, yeah, it sure seems like he left KGBeast in the snow to die. The two issues leading up to this issue were great though, just like the wedding. King might get hung with the rep as a writer that can't pay off a story with me.

I side with all the folks that liked the art. I think Tony Daniel did the best with the material he was given to work with.

I am still trying to see the allegorical payoff to the Russian Fairy tale. If King made his point, what was it worth what it cost in terms of story time?

Batman walking in the snow, to me, was a symbol for how incensed he was that some one tried to kill one of his best friends. And, folks have been racing horses in the desert for millenia, so none of that bothered me much.