I actually like the friction. It's interesting to me, not everyone needs to be all buddy buddy loving eachother.
I actually like the friction. It's interesting to me, not everyone needs to be all buddy buddy loving eachother.
Me, too. Despite my distaste for the idea, they've repeatedly established that Batman is the grumpy asshat of the League, who's entire shtick is based upon making people afraid of him, which wouldn't work on Hal (just as it didn't with Guy & John). That's bound to be frustrating for Bats, who has also been established to be a meticulous planner, unlike Hal's purely instinctual style. Now, that doesn't mean that I don't find a lot of the various Bat vs Hal stories over the decades to be a little tired, but I think the basis of their friction makes perfect sense.
That said, I enjoy the heck out of stories in which they work together, such as the recent Batman Universe, which is easily one of the best Batman comics in decades because it pointedly tried not to depict Batman as a complete dick who can't work with others.
I think I said before that I think you pretty much hit the peak you can do with the tension dynamic with Johns. He had Bruce and Hal butt heads and reconcile, what, 4-5 different times?
Bruce: I don't trust you, Jordan.
Hal: Oh goddammit, Bruce. AHHHH. You got me. Shit my pants, you so scary. Can we please get to work now?
Bruce: You're a loose cannon and way too impulsive.
Hal: Oh, you're talking about Jason Todd. My bad, Bruce. I'll wait until you're done being father of the year.
Bruce: Hal, you are such a dick.
Hal: Sounds good, buddy. Let's get to work.
Bruce: Okay but I drive.
Legend has it Robin was going to pee on Hal and that's when editorial said "whoa, whoa, whoa. We can't have kids whip it out in a Batman comic!"
I'm joking, but with that book I bet you didn't 100% write it off as a joke.
^^ haha - so instead of hostility, they treat each other like snarky B's? Not sure if that's preferable.
Don't mind me, man. I just like writing silly stuff because it's fun. I think the healthiest way to have their relationship is two guys who work together and don't really buy what the other guy is selling, so to speak. They don't outright hate each other but if the other starts drinking their own kool-aid, they'd call the other on it. More than anyone on the Justice League, Bruce needs people to call him out on his BS. Hal (who never is on the JLA anymore) is a great candidate for that.
It's Bruce. You know it's both. He only knows how to take it to 11, for good or ill.
On paper, ongoing friction between Hal & Bruce should write itself. Geoff just went about wrong.
During his stint on Avengers, Geoff masterfully carried over the growing rivalry between Iron Man & Black Panther that was established in BP's solo series by Priest.
Given the similarities that exist between GL/Bats & Iron Man/BP, it should be fun viewing the DC side. However, it did not work out that way.
If anything, the Gotham vigilante Hal should be worried about across various continuities is Dick Grayson in Robin gear.
I personally wished Hal could have stayed on the JL team when Dick was Batman during the James Robinson run.
Hal made a mental note when Dick gave him an order. I hoped more of their dynamic could have been explored.