Rumor: Tom King reported to be finished with Batman 85

[Celgress]

Probably because if it ain't broke, why fix it? Why should successors have to be forced into dealing with a married Batman? Why should DC? Prior to King making it an issue, it was never made into one like this before. If anything, King has only convinced me that Batman and Catwoman doesn't need to be married. It wouldn't surprise me if that were also the case with the higher ups....

I agree with you. I was a mild BatCat shipper but now I couldn't care less about the couple. King did a great job of turning my against said ship, oh, and making me lose interest in Bruce as well by portraying him as a near neurotic loser who falls apart due to Selina's betrayal of "their love".

[Celgress]

That's impossible in Gotham Girl's case, as she only debuted in the first arc of King's run, and is his original creation. She can't be out of character.

Seems a bit OOC to me or at least I no longer enjoy her nearly as much as I did at first, but oh well. And yes I am aware King created her still his latest use of the character was terrible, IMO.

[Pohzee]

Seems a bit OOC to me or at least I no longer enjoy her nearly as much as I did at first, but oh well. And yes I am aware King created her still his latest use of the character was terrible, IMO.

You mean the crossover Williamson wrote? smh.

[kingaliencracker]

I do find it pretty funny how the comic book industry higher-ups have such a negative view on marriage. Yet, this feeling clearly isn't extended through all media, as the WB/AT&T executive apparently approved it behind DC's back.

[protege]

Sigh. I don't know what these guys know (they claim to have "reason to believe" something), but for what it's worth: https://screenrant.com/batman-comic-tom-king-canceled/

See what they note at the end there- specifically referencing Bruce/Selina marrying or having a kid as somehow hindering DC from going forward with the character.

Was it really that? Having him actually get married was what they got cold feet on and removed him from the book for? Look, I want the real ending in whatever form it takes. But having it be an Elseworlds story really is hanging a sign on it that says "THIS IS NOT REAL"

Again, I'll take it if this ends up being what we get. But it just makes me roll my eyes at DC's refusal to allow something as positive as a marriage to happen in the main book and let it affect the future. They need to let it be canon. Someday, yeah, somebody will undo it I'm sure. But would it be SO BAD to let it stick for a while and force successors to deal with a married Batman? Why would that be such a terrible thing?

Well, they’d let superman marry and have a kid, but not batman? But this sort of appeals to me on some level, because i find gotham too grim and gritty for me to want to read about. If the purpose is to show a brighter, more hopeful gotham, it’s kind of intriguing. I don’t understand why people want to read about a city that’s bleak, and contributes to all the whackadoodle bad guys that populate it. I sure as heck wouldn’t want to live there.

[MajorHoy]

This was posted in the other fourm page, but Dan DiDio responded to a couple people regarding the rumours, where he says he's "not going anywhere" and "everything is really good with Tom right now".

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx0T5VPBpI9/

Still pretty vague regarding what exactly is going on, but this is basically a confirmation that Didio isn't responsible for the decision.

I seem to remember early in the New52 DiDio said something regarding the various "Crisis" events and if they were part of the New52's back story or not, then going out for a bite to eat and saying something totally different after that. (Maybe once he had a Snickers® or something?)
So I wouldn't put too much reading into what that comment may or may not mean.

[kingaliencracker]

I seem to remember early in the New52 DiDio said something regarding the various "Crisis" events and if they were part of the New52's back story or not, then going out for a bite to eat and saying something totally different after that. (Maybe once he had a Snickers® or something?)
So I wouldn't put too much reading into what that comment may or may not mean.

I would also say that his response is vague enough that it doesn't really answer the issue at hand anyway, and Didio always puts a DC-spin on everything.

I also remember him giving an interview in which he was asked about 52 and what exactly he hated about it. He gave a very long-winded answer in which he tried his best to deflect the question instead of either just being honest or giving a PC answer.

[Frontier]

This was posted in the other fourm page, but Dan DiDio responded to a couple people regarding the rumours, where he says he's "not going anywhere" and "everything is really good with Tom right now".

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx0T5VPBpI9/

Still pretty vague regarding what exactly is going on, but this is basically a confirmation that Didio isn't responsible for the decision.

Yeah, again, I felt pretty sure this was above Didio.

I think HiC has established by this point that they work well together and have compatible approaches to Superheroes.

[spirit2011]

I disagree. This has office politics all over it. I wager going above the EIC's head (and then bragging about it to the press) would have contributed to his dismissal.

There's a chain of command after all and it's not like folks like Morrison had to go to WB when they made big changes to the Batman.

The might claim sales but sales have been falling for quite sometime so there had to be another trigger.

he did this?

Yes, sales are going down for some time, but this decision seems to be have been taken based on recent events. Something really went very wrong

Marriage doesn't equal positive automatically. Why do you assume this? Marriage could be negative it all depends on the writer.
Batman was cohabiting with Selina under King. That's pretty much marriage and he did not seem any happier. If anything he seemed depressed, was isolated and he did not give up Batmaning.

I un derstand that you are a fan of the relationship but you can't assume that getting married to one's on-off GF for decades is going to bring about sudden positive change.


Yes it would be terrible to FORCE successors to deal with writing a relationship if they don't want to. Every writer should be allowed to creative licence [like King was] why box them in.

That's why it's called "putting your toys back in box"

King really did a bad job with Batman and Selina.

I don't think next writer getting a married Batman is unfair at all. Many Superman writers had to do it. What I think it is awful is having characters married without a good build up and whatever crap King is doing with these two

[Fergus]

he did this?

Yes, sales are going down for some time, but this decision seems to be have been taken based on recent events. Something really went very wrong



King really did a bad job with Batman and Selina.

I don't think next writer getting a married Batman is unfair at all. Many Superman writers had to do it. What I think it is awful is having characters married without a good build up and whatever crap King is doing with these two

I never said it was unfair.

I just don't think writers should be forced to write married life or include Selina or any other family members they don't want to. The gig is Batman.

Just because he is married doesn't mean the next writer has to reflect this.

Batman has Cass, Damian and Tim living at home we didn't see them in King's run because they didn't fit his story but that doesn't stop them still living at the manor.

It's the idea of forcing writers that I have an issue with.

[Konja7]

Batman has Cass, Damian and Tim living at home we didn't see them in King's run because they didn't fit his story but that doesn't stop them still living at the manor.

In fact, Tim wasn't living with Batman. I'm not sure if Damian or Cass were living with Batman either.

[lilyrose]

She wouldn't have to be there all the time even if they were married, but occasionally and more than in the past, probably. And is that really such a big deal?

[Fergus]

In fact, Tim wasn't living with Batman. I'm not sure if Damian was living with Batman either.

He was as was Cass. Duke too until he moved out. Damian goes to school from home and then is with the TT at the weekend.

Tim when he left with Steph left from the manor and since his car trunk was open I reasoned he splits his time between his apartment and the manor

[Sacred Knight]

If one issue was DC not being down with his planned "generational" change, I have a hard time seeing that as the potential that he really planned on marrying them. I mean, today, that's really not THAT huge a deal. Lots of heroes are married in this returned continuity. I mean, I could easily seem some within the company having a preference of not doing it, but to the point of truncating the run like this when its not so far off from the intended end? Its just hard to imagine. Makes me think the intended change was something else entirely.

[lilyrose]

If one issue was DC not being down with his planned "generational" change, I have a hard time seeing that as the potential that he really planned on marrying them. I mean, today, that's really not THAT huge a deal. Lots of heroes are married in this returned continuity. I mean, I could easily seem some within the company having a preference of not doing it, but to the point of this? Its just hard to imagine. Makes me think the proposed change was something else entirely.

I hope it was something else, because if they okayed him being married that means it could still happen by the end. But given that whatever was going on in the last 15 issues apparently involved Catwoman, I have this feeling like there must have been some objection to it, and now who knows if he can actually do it.

Turning it into an elseworlds story is essentially saying it never really happened.