Batman #118 Discussion/Spoilers

[Iclifton]

While I'm not looking forward to the event this will get wrapped up in as a single issue this was really good in and of itself. The characterization of Batman was great, I liked the return to a smaller scale and the reveal that Lex is running Batman Inc. was an interesting development. I'm looking forward to seeing where this story goes, which is something I haven't been able to say about the main Batman title in...ten years? Man, it's been a slog.

Same, I have not been able to enjoy the main Batbook The Court of Owls. Looking forward to a more fun and grounded Batman. Which is saying something when the grounded story is an international murder mystery involving Lex Luthor and Batman Inc.

[SanityOrMadness]

I feel like not having Killer Batcroc hit someone with a rock was a missed opportunity.

[sifighter]

Ooh I liked this. It did feel a bit like "Building a Better Batmobile", or like the interlude chapters of Incorporated. One doesn't get the sense that Batman is totally closed from his allies or friends, just that he's feeling a bit off, a bit ungrounded. This is frankly the same thing that's going on with Damian right now, which will assuredly collide in Shadow War. Everyone is unmoored because of Alfred's lingering death and the Bat-Family is recentering around Dick & Babs (rightly so, even though they're not usually the pinnacle of stability).

Anyway, the inclusion of Luthor is perfect because it picks up threads I really like. Apart from being a natural foil for this sort of thing, the interactions with Luthor and Bruce are some of the coolest story beats from New 52 up through (particularly with the Forever Evil/Grayson/Spyral linkages). I'm curious if he's still aware of Bruce's identity or not and thus if there's that slightly more nuanced weird dynamic between them where he like, really seriously bought out Batman, Incorporated in a strange rivalry way to actually continue the mission, or if it's all part of some scheme. Or both, it's Luthor after all.

Batman switching costumes just simply because "it's Incorporated business" is fun. He doesn't need any more reason than that. The selection of Inc. Batmen is neat - they're not all Club of Heroes originals, but some are. We might presume which ones are more likely to "kill" than others. Gaucho, one might think, the most likely. I'm curious where we go because the storyline feels like Williamson read through Morrison's run, through Inc, and probably even Grayson: Agent of Spyral, before cracking this story, and the vibe I'm getting is that we might even see Kathy turn back up, but I'll wait and see. Abyss, first, and this murder mystery. Luthor stepping into the role of John Mayhew ... except not! ... should be interesting enough in its own right, and the contrast with the Billionaires Party in the beginning is telling.

Lovely art. One or two potent connections alluded to or brought in. Interesting premise. Seems like it'll start "small" (albeit, jet-set global) and probably widen in a big way. Yes. More, please. And it seems pretty obvious from the panels showing what Bruce has been up to/what he usually does to relax that it's not ignoring recent Justice-Level involvement, either.

Honestly Luthor is something I'm really unsure about, this is post-Death Metal where he went through some serious events and was made an omniversal protector but then he's doing sketchy stuff here and in Superman: son of Kal-el. Not sure honestly and probably needs to be watched to make sure he's not back sliding into villainy...again for like the millionth time.

[SJNeal]

As first issues go, this one read about as well as anything from Tynion's early issues (which I mostly liked). I'll reserve judgement for now, but I think Williamson is off to a good start. The only thing keeping me from truly enjoying this was general Bat-fatigue.

We need an entire reboot. Just being in someone good or someone new who has an interesting idea. Just start over, orgin/gordon/first encounter with villains just a total clean slate. Instead we're about to get two to three years of dogshit. I'll keep reading it (digitally and for free) but man. This is going to be painful...

This reminds me of my neighbor who refuses to vote, yet complains constantly about where his tax dollars go and the potholes on our street...

[Rikdad]

FYI, the Batman Inc characters grew out of the Club of Heroes, which was in its original conception funded by a billionaire (John Mayhew, who looked more like Perry White until Morrison reinvented him). So Luthor funding the team is taking it back to its origins (1957!).

[Bad Witch]

As first issues go, this one read about as well as anything from Tynion's early issues (which I mostly liked). I'll reserve judgement for now, but I think Williamson is off to a good start. The only thing keeping me from truly enjoying this was general Bat-fatigue.



This reminds me of my neighbor who refuses to vote, yet complains constantly about where his tax dollars go and the potholes on our street...

...............

[Batman Begins 2005]

Honestly, I think the opposite. Morrisons run was the last time the line felt truly fresh. It was a missed opportunity not to build on his run.

Morrisons Batman run is still the GOAT.

In regards to this issue, intriguing start with the Abyss and I loved the ending.

I love Grant Morrison's Batman run. It's the GOAT.

[Soldy]

Loved the reference to the best BTAS episode. It was a promising start, i really hope Williamson will deliver.

[lilyrose]

Can someone explain to me what's going on with Batman and Catwoman? I don't remember them ever "breaking up" in Tynion's run, so what gives?

[marvelprince]

Can someone explain to me what's going on with Batman and Catwoman? I don't remember them ever "breaking up" in Tynion's run, so what gives?

They never officially broke up but early on he had them decide to give each other time but then she never turns up after that. I think initially he didn’t want to touch it as he was meant to be a fill in and probably didn’t know what the long term plans for the couple were (especially with Batman / Catwoman coming).

[exile001]

Can someone explain to me what's going on with Batman and Catwoman? I don't remember them ever "breaking up" in Tynion's run, so what gives?

Editorial said "kill it now" and here we are.

[K. Jones]

Honestly Luthor is something I'm really unsure about, this is post-Death Metal where he went through some serious events and was made an omniversal protector but then he's doing sketchy stuff here and in Superman: son of Kal-el. Not sure honestly and probably needs to be watched to make sure he's not back sliding into villainy...again for like the millionth time.

I liked Snyder's Metal-JL-Metal "I swear this isn't a Crisis guys" long-run but completely forgot about everything that happened in all of it. I mean, Batman was a zombified dead guy in that and he seems fine and back to normal now. Crises never have any real consequences.

There's some low-key build for a new SSoSV so I wouldn't be surprised to see Lex involved ... but perhaps more fun would be to see Lex in opposition to it. Then we can wonder and be amused whether or not he's set against them because he's turned over a new leaf (and is no longer corrupted by Cosmic Forces), or if he's just jealous that Libra is the boss now. I like seeing Luthor in these angles - not hanging out with overt super-villains, but rather doing his own antagonistic thing. I liked seeing him wearing a Superman-Armor, basically forcing his way onto the Justice League, and doing the right thing because he's selfish ... and I think for the same reason I really like the idea of him picking up Batman Incorporated.

I mean he's a terrible person and Batman is going to be pissed and annoyed! Fox seems to have picked up all the "WayneTech/Incorporated" Bat-Tech, recovering it from Powers, and so forth, but then there was the matter of the actual international Bat-Vigilantes working together in a crime-busting network, that were more or less separate from Bruce's big tech push.

[millernumber1]

Editorial said "kill it now" and here we are.

Yup, that was the word from on high, per Tynion's newsletter. He didn't want it, but he had to do it.

[JBatmanFan05]

Yup, that was the word from on high, per Tynion's newsletter. He didn't want it, but he had to do it.

Interesting. I tried looking up some reporting on that, since I don't pay for Substack, but couldn't find any (Bleeding Cool) on that. I believe it though.

It seems like if the departing writer won't put the "sand back into the sandbox" then editorial will just do it after you leave (whether the new writer likes it or not).

[Morgoth]

They probably wanted to distance from King run, I remember that huge emphasis on Bruce/Selina relationship was actually one of the big complains people had at that point. So, probably that's the reason.