Year of the Villain: HELL ARISEN announced for December

[Nine Crocodile]

Let me just say that I am not thrilled by (yet another) "Year of the Villain", but.... does anyone see a way out of this current storyline than not a reboot? The stakes are jus so absurdly high that IO cannot see how, the moment after this event is over, everyone in the DCU can go "well, life as usual".

I suspect DC will do exactly that. I figure the villains win the Justice/Doom War, the heroes spend much of 2020 clawing their way back to victory, and then we get a new normal (like maybe the JSA back full-time), but a normal nonetheless.

[Cmbmool]

More Batman Who Laughs, more me not caring. The new Superboy Prime. Shows up freaking everywhere now.

Now that’s one fight that would be interesting to even see: Batman who laughs vs. Superboy Prime.

[Robotman]

We have two huge villains trying to conquer the DCU at the same time. Somethings gotta give. Not a huge fan of TBWL. He’s so overused. DC has been nonstop Batman and Joker so I’m not surprised they’ve found a way to inundate readers even more with these characters without actually using them. TBWL is a Joker loophole. It’s a dream come true for DC.

Hey, as least Jaime Reyes is being used again. Being a villain for a story is better than being in limbo I guess.

[Nine Crocodile]

Hey, as least Jaime Reyes is being used again. Being a villain for a story is better than being in limbo I guess.

I just hope they leave his family and friends alone. They are too cool to be killed off for cheap dramatic effect.

[Agent Z]

He is basically a Batman unleashed, no morals or heroic vows restraining/constraining him. A Batman who shows what he is truly capable of and doesn't hold himself back. I buy into him more as a major villain than I do Luthor, I can accept his accomplishments more because he is essentially Batman with all the skills, training and determination that Batman possesses. Luthor is basically just a wealthy, highly
intelligent human but I'm suppose to buy that he commands villains that far outclasses him in power and now he is dealing with cosmic power on a universal scale? And this was before he underwent his transformation to apex predator Luthor. In short the BWL is a breath of fresh air, he shakes things up and he is the dark version of DC's #1 character. I think he has staying power as a major DC villain and with how connected Batman is to the overall DCU there is ample opportunity for the BWL to interact with countless characters. From allies like the bat family and JL to even his rogue's gallery, imagine him going after Damian or Selina; the possibilities are great character interaction is endless. I like him as a character.

TBWL is also a highly intelligent and wealthy human. He isn't any different from Luthor other than knowing how to fight and being more obviously maniacal.

[Restingvoice]

Looks like a new edge fest.

It came from something called Dark Knight Metal, of course, it is XD

Who asked for this?

Technically nobody, but since BWL, JL, and DKM sells well, nobody stops it either.

What is the appeal? Batman being an evil? Joker with Batman iconography (or the other way around)?

Both but I'm leaning towards the latter. It's the Venom/Carnage appeal. Badass/cool looking, violent leaning villain that combines elements of both characters, both of whom are very popular characters.

We have two huge villains trying to conquer the DCU at the same time. Somethings gotta give. Not a huge fan of TBWL. He’s so overused. DC has been nonstop Batman and Joker so I’m not surprised they’ve found a way to inundate readers even more with these characters without actually using them. TBWL is a Joker loophole. It’s a dream come true for DC.

Oh, that's why I'm interested in him and not bored with him yet. It's a way of using Joker without using Joker.

By the way

I recognize most of the infected except the guy in a tux and mask. Who's he? Among all these edgelords, someone who looks pretty normal at the back, a position that can also mean Man Behind The Man or Eleventh Hour Traitor kinda stand out.

[Robotman]

By the way

I recognize most of the infected except the guy in a tux and mask. Who's he? Among all these edgelords, someone who looks pretty normal at the back, a position that can also mean Man Behind The Man or Eleventh Hour Traitor kinda stand out.

I think it’s Commissioner Gordon.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

I'm really interested in more Batman Who Laughs stuff, but, given how crazy interested my students are in the character, I think I'm just not the target audience for this one. Mixing DC's most popular character with its most popular villain into one guy is the kind of no-brainer I can't believe nobody thought of it before (particularly in the 90s).

[marshal88]

well, time to kill off the jsa then after bringing them back. it's what they do

[married guy]

God, I just don't like Batman Who Laughs.
Zero interest in any of it.
If the character floats your boat, more power to you - but it isn't my cup of tea.

[Vordan]

I'm really interested in more Batman Who Laughs stuff, but, given how crazy interested my students are in the character, I think I'm just not the target audience for this one. Mixing DC's most popular character with its most popular villain into one guy is the kind of no-brainer I can't believe nobody thought of it before (particularly in the 90s).

I can’t believe it took DC until 2017 to create an Evil Batman character. There have been a few halfhearted attempts but that it took them so long to make Evil Batman a central villain is just mind boggling to me.

[SiegePerilous02]

Zzzzz.
When is this stupid character just going to piss off already.

He appeals to the crowd who thinks that 'dark and edgy'= 'mature, deep and good'.

Snyder figured out what certain anime / manga (Evangelion, Akame Ga Kill and seasons 3 and 4 of Yu-Gi-Oh GX to name a few) have been doing for years : make a story/ character as dark, edgy and nonsensical as possible and a vocal portion of the fan base will defend that crap as a mature and deep masterpiece.

I can assure you Evangelion is beloved by its fanbase not because it tries to be "dark and edgy" for the sake of it. It's overall message isn't even that dark and cynical, and it's content is pretty tame by modern standards.

[j9ac9k]

I'm really interested in more Batman Who Laughs stuff, but, given how crazy interested my students are in the character, I think I'm just not the target audience for this one. Mixing DC's most popular character with its most popular villain into one guy is the kind of no-brainer I can't believe nobody thought of it before (particularly in the 90s).

Maybe once Marvel did it with Prof X + Magneto = Onslaught, they shied away from the idea for years.

[Nine Crocodile]

Zzzzz.
When is this stupid character just going to piss off already.

When people stop buying books he appears in.

[Frontier]

He is basically a Batman unleashed, no morals or heroic vows restraining/constraining him. A Batman who shows what he is truly capable of and doesn't hold himself back. I buy into him more as a major villain than I do Luthor, I can accept his accomplishments more because he is essentially Batman with all the skills, training and determination that Batman possesses. Luthor is basically just a wealthy, highly
intelligent human but I'm suppose to buy that he commands villains that far outclasses him in power and now he is dealing with cosmic power on a universal scale? And this was before he underwent his transformation to apex predator Luthor. In short the BWL is a breath of fresh air, he shakes things up and he is the dark version of DC's #1 character. I think he has staying power as a major DC villain and with how connected Batman is to the overall DCU there is ample opportunity for the BWL to interact with countless characters. From allies like the bat family and JL to even his rogue's gallery, imagine him going after Damian or Selina; the possibilities are great character interaction is endless. I like him as a character.

If he actually acted enough like Batman I could buy it but he feels more like Joker in Bondage Gear.