Batman #58

[millernumber1]

Why did they need such a huge coffin for a bird, though?

[babybats]

Why did they need such a huge coffin for a bird, though?

They were burying her with all her worldly possessions, which were mostly raw fish. I, too, want to believe in Penny the Penguin.

[Spike-X]

Hopefully we get the ball rolling again on the main storyline of King's run. Sad no Daniels this issue, but Janin is no slouch.

Janin is amazing.

Does this issue, unlike the previous one, have an actual story?

[millernumber1]

Janin is amazing.

Does this issue, unlike the previous one, have an actual story?

Well, I think so.

[Vordan]

This issue was pretty good. I’m a fan of the Penny the Penguin theory. Also Janin’s art seemed way better here than before, the colorist made his use of tracing stand out less.

[vitruvian]

So, he tells his hitters with Alfred in their sights to shoot themselves instead, and they just do it? Did he steal Tetch's mind control tech or something?

[millernumber1]

Part of me wants to just say "That's the way King is writing Penguin (and most of the villains)" - so terrifying/loyatly inspiring that their minions will just follow orders.

And part of me thinks that maybe there's a story reason for this. We'll have to see.

[Armor of God]

I find it hard to believe that Bane ordered the death of a bird.

[millernumber1]

I find it hard to believe that Bane ordered the death of a bird.

Well, if he did, you know that Bird didn't do it! Maybe Trogg or Zombie, though.

(I must reiterate that I'm joking. I firmly believe that Penny is a human woman who married Penguin. And if I'm wrong when #59 comes out, I'll admit it, straight up.)

[Armor of God]

Well King is making Bane incredibly petty if the marriage is anything to go by. But ordering a hit on a bird seems like a waste of time. Wonder what the hitman was thinking at that time.
Its probably a vain hope but I will nonetheless hope that King doesn't turn Bane in to someone as petty as Hush or Black Mask.

[millernumber1]

Well King is making Bane incredibly petty if the marriage is anything to go by. But ordering a hit on a bird seems like a waste of time. Wonder what the hitman was thinking at that time.
Its probably a vain hope but I will nonetheless hope that King doesn't turn Bane in to someone as petty as Hush or Black Mask.

I think Bane should be petty. After all, he still has the moral maturity of a child - if he wants it, he will take it. Dixon always says that Bane sees himself as an innocent, because he was born into unjust punishment - but I love the way Dixon flipped that in the last issue of Bane Conquest, by having Batman hold up a mirror to his face and say, "If you believe you're an innocent, why would you try to corrupt or kill another innocent," and that shames and enrages him. I think King has a very similar approach to Bane's moral attitude and level.

That being said, I hope that this will be a less frustrating story in conclusion than Hush (Hush wins by turning Batman against Catwoman in his paranoia) or God forbid, War Games (Black Mask wins by killing two of Batman's allies and forcing all of the rest of them out of the city, plus taking control of the city's crime). I think King's arcs have always involved MASSIVE tragedy (Omega Men - the whole war turns out to be kind of pointless and all of the "heroes" become the things they fought against, Vision - his family implodes, with 50% of them being destroyed, Sheriff of Babylon - getting vengeance on a probably middle management guy to make yourself feel better, the jury's out on Mister Miracle since the last issue isn't yet, but I'm terrified that everything that's happened is a dream or AU that doesn't matter), so...I'm not sure DC will let him kill Selina, but I think something really, really bad is going to happen in 100.

[Armor of God]

I think Black Mask and Hush are just terrible characters period.
King will definitely deliver a massive shake up in 75 by the editors admission.
With Bane I expect tactics in the line of Batman himself and not cheap shots again and again. I think Batman should be the under dog in the relationship. It will also become boring. People will become desensitized to the cheap shots and dismiss them as King's gimmicks. Which is already happening.

[millernumber1]

I am not sure what "cheap shots" Bane is taking? I don't think pettiness necessarily means cheap?

[Armor of God]

Preventing the marriage, killing Penny, giving Dick amnesia.

[Phoenyxx1481]

I have a hard time buying that Bane would have a woman married to Cobblepot killed just as a signal "come see me!" Killing one of his "pets" makes more sense. Bane knows they are important to him, but probably didn't realize just how important Penny was. If Penny is a human, why would Cobblepot's men not tell him immediately when Penny was found? They didn't want to wake him up. He doesn't even "see" her until after he gets out of his meeting with Bane in Arkham. Plus, all the stuff in the cemetery, the date on the tombstone, the speach about Penny silly and small, people not considering she had a soul. If it turns out that Penny is indeed a human, I will be surprised.