Batman/Catwoman #2 discussion and spoilers

[sifighter]

Alright its time to talk about something other then an alternate future batman title....a batman title that is set in the past, an alternate present, and a separate alternate future that has nothing to do with the current alternate future. Yeah there is a lot of alternate universe and future Batmen right now isn't there. Anyway we are back to Tom King 12 issue Black Label book, with Clay Mann's gorgeous artwork (seriously its beautiful), in a story filled with blood, death, lies, drama...and a porky pig reference? No seriously Tom King manages to reference his Batman/Elmer Fudd one-shot, its as weird as that one-shot itself but its also slightly charming in a way.

Anyway so this picks up exactly where the first issue left off....Catwoman in the future talking to an elderly Joker and in the present Andrea aka the Phantasm is mad as hell and slaughtering joker minions, and does Mann's art make it work when you see the scream of pain on one guy and see Andrea standing in a full page shot shrouded by darkness. But yeah she is on the hunt and who knows how that will end out, especially with the surprising act by the joker that he pulls. Oh and while that is going on, and I'm not sure how it connects to the other two stories yet, but we see Catwoman in the past dealing with the Joker a tad as Batman's dealing with a crime that Catwoman is sort of involved with, which actually creates an awkward situation in her relationship with Batman, even though in this book they are together in the relationship until Bruce's death in the future.

Now there is something that offers a bit of a surprise and makes some of the future issues, especially with Helena as the future Gotham vigilante, a little awkward for the family.

spoilers:

So apparently Catwoman actually waited for Bruce to die before killing Joker, and she does kill him. She beats him for apparently what happens to Andrea in this story and slits his throat with her claws. So I got bad feeling thanksgiving is going to be awkward for the Waynes this year, because I assume Helena isn't going to take murder well when done by her own mother.

end of spoilers

[prepmaster]

I never see Catwoman being the one that does that thing. There is no good motive for her to do it.

[Bad Witch]

It was boring just like the rest of kings run.

[Frances]

I never see Catwoman being the one that does that thing. There is no good motive for her to do it.

We don't know how much motive she has for it yet, but even then I can't see her having the character for it. I believe she's capable in the moment but not decades later. Selina is far shrewder than that — if she loved Bruce enough while he was alive to swallow her initial impulses, then no way she'd flip when he's dead. There has to be more to this otherwise King's latest series has fallen apart within the first two issues.

[JBatmanFan05]

I enjoyed this issue. Florida senior citizen retired Joker is so well done by King. King is almost like a modern day Dixon in that Dixon had a magic hand when it came to writing Joker.

Catwoman is a bit rogueish, always has been (I love how King has her straddling two worlds), so I personally can understand her murderous actions in the alternate future. Well, can almost understand them, because we don't yet know what Joker will do to Andrea (which Selina is so upset about). Selina is an antihero at best when she's on the side of the angels, meaning she's no angel.

[prepmaster]

Catwoman is a bit rogueish, always has been (I love how King has her straddling two worlds), so I personally can understand her murderous actions in the alternate future. Well, can almost understand them, because we don't yet know what Joker will do to Andrea (which Selina is so upset about). Selina is an antihero at best when she's on the side of the angels, meaning she's no angel.

This is a woman who has a long history of collaberating with Joker & many other Gotham rouges as long as their schemes dont involve Batman so what motivates her in her old age to do it? She didnt do it because she wants justice. She has never cared about the body counts from other Gotham rogues. And its not like Joker has ruined her relationship with Bruce. Is it just because she wants to avenge Bruce?

[Scott Taylor]

We've seen it before - in at least one other recent example where Joker's fate follows that of Batman. Bruce's absence causes Catwoman and Joker to lose or abandon their center. Take Batman out of the picture and his world and associates are going to change. The confrontation between Selena and Joker is a reflection of the loss of Bruce in their lives as much as anything having to do with Andrea.

[Evan]

always gotta boycott king

[Alpha]

I'm just disappointed that this doesn't seem like it will develop Bruce/ Selina any further. I would've preferred more work on how they could lead a life together while understanding eqch other's needs.

[JBatmanFan05]

I'm just disappointed that this doesn't seem like it will develop Bruce/ Selina any further. I would've preferred more work on how they could lead a life together while understanding each other's needs.

There's 10 issues left, so a lot of time to do a lot of things.

[Celgress]

Well, I'm out, have fun everyone. No Bruce (mostly) and Selina acting OOC, this isn't for me. I should NEVER have given King's Batman a second chance shame on me for being so stupid.

[SixSpeedSamurai]

Well, I'm out, have fun everyone. No Bruce (mostly) and Selina acting OOC, this isn't for me. I should NEVER have given King's Batman a second chance shame on me for being so stupid.

Issue #1 gave me a lot of hope, but issue #2 is sliding back into his old ways from Batman. I'm going to stick it out a bit longer for the Phantasm and the Jim Lee variant covers.

[phonogram12]

I dig it. Other than Batman the Adventure Continues this is the only Bat book I've picked up since King left the main title.

[SiegePerilous02]

The premise of Bruce and Selina being married with the Phantasm coming back is 100% a book I would be all over, but King's execution being weird is probably going to undermine this wonderful premise.

Dini writing this would be absolute aces.

[Celgress]

The premise of Bruce and Selina being married with the Phantasm coming back is 100% a book I would be all over, but King's execution being weird is probably going to undermine this wonderful premise.

Dini writing this would be absolute aces.

I agree with both points, how sad.