Batman #69 Preview/Discussion

[Talon1load]

I think it might even be different if this was a one off event, but he seems to sit around and fight naked a lot in this run which is very different than any previous incarnation of the character.

[Scott Taylor]

Well, Bane is neither ancient nor Greek. Nor is he participating in the Olympics. What he is doing, is raging out, punching Thomas (seriously giving Bruce and Clark for worst father of the year), and growling worst than DBZ Broly ever did. Only without the ability to annihilate a planet with a flick of the wrist.

Bane seems like a closet Spartan to me. Very intense and into manly man stuff. He's like the DC version of Mahkizmo.

[Hulkout42]

Ok so how is Flashpoint Batman there and why in the hell is he helping Bane (who god only knows why likes to train in the nude) and how is this Inception crap supposed to break the Bat?

P.S really wish they didn't remind us about the Wedding that did not happen or that apparently Batman needs to continue to be a miserable SOB.

[Elmo]

could that be David Cain

[Caivu]

could that be David Cain

His current version was younger and died from falling into lava. Extremely likely it's just Thomas.

[Elmo]

His current version was younger and died from falling into lava. Extremely likely it's just Thomas.

he came out of the lava older

[bob.schoonover]

he came out of the lava older

Lava-rus pit?

[SixSpeedSamurai]

I enjoyed Paquettes art. King stretched 4 pages into 22 once again. I don't particularily care for King's Bane, but I'm glad Bane is getting featured.

Going to have a hard time picking my cover for #70, Yu and Kubert both made nice ones.

[Talon1load]

It's good that the villain who has been credited with causing so much strife throughout the last 69 issues is finally being featured but why can't he have pants? How many issues has Bane actually appeared in throughout this run, does anyone know? He's the main villain in the run but I think, I could definitely be wrong, but I think he's shown up in maybe 10 issues? I feel like there has needed to be more show and less tell but at least the story is starting to progress. In theory.

[Inversed]

It's good that the villain who has been credited with causing so much strife throughout the last 69 issues is finally being featured but why can't he have pants? How many issues has Bane actually appeared in throughout this run, does anyone know? He's the main villain in the run but I think, I could definitely be wrong, but I think he's shown up in maybe 10 issues? I feel like there has needed to be more show and less tell but at least the story is starting to progress. In theory.

Bane's essentially the main antagonist for the first quarter of the series, most specifically his two main arcs, and supposedly defeated at the end of the latter. So it's supposed to be a surprise that another quarter of issues later he's revealed to be back in the game in 50, and then spends the next quarter as the manipulator behind the curtains instigating most of the pain, before finally stepping out front and centre for the final quarter.

[Talon1load]

Yeah, I got all of that. I just never saw any explanations about how he could have done any of that. Not that I, personally, found satisfactory anyway. Bane’s appearance with everyone at the end of 50 still makes no sense to me. Here was are, 20 issues later with no idea when or how Bane got Thomas Wayne, skeets, Holly, or anyone else on his side. I get the whole long form storytelling but almost 70 issues in at $3 or $4 a pop is really just milking the fans without giving any pay off. If I wanted to lose a ton of money and never be satisfied, I’d have stayed married to my first wife.

[Inversed]

Yeah, I got all of that. I just never saw any explanations about how he could have done any of that. Not that I, personally, found satisfactory anyway. Bane’s appearance with everyone at the end of 50 still makes no sense to me. Here was are, 20 issues later with no idea when or how Bane got Thomas Wayne, skeets, Holly, or anyone else on his side. I get the whole long form storytelling but almost 70 issues in at $3 or $4 a pop is really just milking the fans without giving any pay off. If I wanted to lose a ton of money and never be satisfied, I’d have stayed married to my first wife.

They obviously haven't explained exactly what Bane is doing or how he's doing any of it, and it's clear they are going to eventually say how and why Thomas or there, or what it means for everybody else on his side.

My biggest worry with the story is regarding the length in which Bane is in control could feel way too calculated, like "I wanted to get captured the entire time", or "I'm responsible for The Button somehow", or "I wanted you to propose to her so I could break you up" seems like way too much 4th dimensional chess to feel plausible. Contingency and backup plans I'm okay with, I'm just hoping this turns out to not be THE plan.

"When do we find out the answer" isn't really the issue, because its buildup and setup, its a seemingly impossible mystery you have to guess and predict and when the time is right they'll say the answer. It's "What or How is the answer" that could be the issue depending on where it goes.

[Talon1load]

They obviously haven't explained exactly what Bane is doing or how he's doing any of it, and it's clear they are going to eventually say how and why Thomas or there, or what it means for everybody else on his side.

My biggest worry with the story is regarding the length in which Bane is in control could feel way too calculated, like "I wanted to get captured the entire time", or "I'm responsible for The Button somehow", or "I wanted you to propose to her so I could break you up" seems like way too much 4th dimensional chess to feel plausible. Contingency and backup plans I'm okay with, I'm just hoping this turns out to not be THE plan.

"When do we find out the answer" isn't really the issue, because its buildup and setup, its a seemingly impossible mystery you have to guess and predict and when the time is right they'll say the answer. It's "What or How is the answer" that could be the issue depending on where it goes.

I think we’ll have to disagree with when the time is right. I think taking years to tell the story is too long. However, I also share your concerns with how everything is explained. Bane manipulating the entire Batman/Catwoman relationship seems way too implausible. There’s no way that King will be able to claim Bane set up the Button. It wouldn’t make any sense. Bane will have to have been rolling with the punches to make this seem even remotely conceivable and even then, I think it’s pretty weak. I’m sure those who have been fans to this point will enjoy it but those of us who haven’t probably won’t. We’ll just have to wait 35 more issues to see how this run ends to see, although maybe only 10 or 12 more for the Bane part I think.

[Inversed]

At the very least it seems like next arc will be when Bane's plan is revealed, and then it gets completely executed in #75. So the revelation will only be about 9 months since Bane's reveal in #50, which honestly in the grand scheme of things isn't that long.