Worst Part of 'War Games'?

[Assam]

While no story is hated by everyone, War Games(and everything that makes it up) is almost definitely the most hated of BatFamily crossovers. There are many reasons why this storyline is so reviled, and I'm curious what everyone here thinks the single worst aspect is.

If you vote "Other" on the poll, please say which part of the storyline you thought was the worst.

[millernumber1]

Uh, was there a poll?

[SiegePerilous02]

For me personally, it was the way Bruce was written. The Batman I know and love would not treat Steph the way he did.

Secondly, I don't even really care about Steph, but her fridging pisses me off on general principle.

[Assam]

Uh, was there a poll?

Took some time to put it together. Just added it.

[millernumber1]

For me personally, it was the way Bruce was written. The Batman I know and love would not treat Steph the way he did.

Secondly, I don't even really care about Steph, but her fridging pisses me off on general principle.

Oh, man, those are some hard options. I don't know what I hate most most, but instinctively it's that Steph was planned to be killed from the start, but despite nearly all of the writers (Simone, Horrocks, Grayson, even Willingham) saying, "No, let's not kill her," they kept on with their moronic plan. Plus, the whole story was structured like it could be Steph's redemption, a turning point, but instead they just murdered her without any point except cheap sadness.

I think Bruce's OOC jerkness to Steph is indeed a huge problem - it's just so unnecessary, and so against the Batman I think is one of the greatest characters ever made.

[AzraelOnline]

For me personally, it was the way Bruce was written. The Batman I know and love would not treat Steph the way he did.

Secondly, I don't even really care about Steph, but her fridging pisses me off on general principle.

I agree. The whole middle section just made you hate Bruce and seemed too much like filler.

[Phoenyxx1481]

I didn't like all the stuff with Steph, but I hated what they did to Leslie. At the time, I enjoyed that Catwoman series, where Leslie was a big part of her supporting cast. War Games put an end to that.

[darkseidpwns]

Didn't like any part of it.

[JasonTodd428]

The whole damned thing. There's not one thing that I can think of that has merit about this piece of garbage story.

[dancj]

I actually enjoyed it. My only issue with the story was the character assassination of a Leslie Thompkins.

[Assam]

I actually enjoyed it. My only issue with the story was the character assassination of a Leslie Thompkins.

You know, I put that bit in the OP about not everyone hating it because I knew there had to be some people who liked it, but I honestly didn't actual think there would be any within the relatively small sample size of this forum's users. The few I've met who defend the story tend be HUGE Steph haters. What's in it that you enjoy?

[JasonTodd428]

You know, I put that bit in the OP about not everyone hating it because I knew there had to be some people who liked it, but I honestly didn't actual think there would be any within the relatively small sample size of this forum's users. The few I've met who defend the story tend be HUGE Steph haters. What's in it that you enjoy?

I'm curious about what he enjoyed about it as well. A lot of my comic reading friends hated the story for varying reasons and the ones that didn't were, as you said, Steph haters. Personally, I hated it for all the reasons you listed. To me it was a bad story all around and not worth the paper and ink it took to print it.

[millernumber1]

I'm curious about what he enjoyed about it as well. A lot of my comic reading friends hated the story for varying reasons and the ones that didn't were, as you said, Steph haters. Personally, I hated it for all the reasons you listed. To me it was a bad story all around and not worth the paper and ink it took to print it.

I think some people really enjoy the concept of Batman putting into action a proactive plan against the crime lords of Gotham, and I do think the first third of the story is pretty effective. Steph's perspective, and Catwoman's issues, tend to be pretty well written (mostly by Devin Grayson and Ed Brubaker). However, it falls down pretty quickly - other than the absolute idiocy which revolves around how they treated Steph, the plan goes wrong from the very first, so how in the world does Batman recognize that it's his plan? And why would his plan to take command of the gang through proxies like Malone and Orpheus and Onyx make any sense if it involves an actual shooting war in civilian areas?

[JasonTodd428]

I think some people really enjoy the concept of Batman putting into action a proactive plan against the crime lords of Gotham, and I do think the first third of the story is pretty effective. Steph's perspective, and Catwoman's issues, tend to be pretty well written (mostly by Devin Grayson and Ed Brubaker). However, it falls down pretty quickly - other than the absolute idiocy which revolves around how they treated Steph, the plan goes wrong from the very first, so how in the world does Batman recognize that it's his plan? And why would his plan to take command of the gang through proxies like Malone and Orpheus and Onyx make any sense if it involves an actual shooting war in civilian areas?

For me the bad far outweighs the very limited good in the story though. To much of it made no sense at all and what happened to both Steph and Leslie was the worst part of it.

[millernumber1]

For me the bad far outweighs the very limited good in the story though. To much of it made no sense at all and what happened to both Steph and Leslie was the worst part of it.

I agree. Just playing devil's advocate. And War Games has a weirdly large part in my Steph love because it's the first time I really remember being aware of her. And because of that, when she came back, even though I wasn't really reading comics a lot at the time, I was happy - and then when I found out she was Batgirl, it was even more meaningful.