Chip Zdarsky and Jorge Jimenez taking over Batman after issue 125

[Frontier]

It's hilarious how out of synch all the Bat Books are .

[Morgoth]

I've heard good things about Zdarsky's Batman. How connected is it to Ram V's Detective Comics, Tom Taylor's Nightwing, Waid's World's Finest and other runs I've heard good things about?

It's quite a unique case, where all the books are completely ignoring each other existence, because writers, apparently, don't give a **** about anything what's going on in other books. Zdarsky has his Zur saga (but in terms of continuity it's the most important story, because Zur is gonna be the villain of upcoming event), Ram V has his own epic going on in 'Tec, Williamson is writing his nice, heart-warming father and son story.
The only exception in this list is World's Finest - it's set many years before current events.

[Frontier]

It's quite a unique case, where all the books are completely ignoring each other existence, because writers, apparently, don't give a **** about anything what's going on in other books. Zdarsky has his Zur saga (but in terms of continuity it's the most important story, because Zur is gonna be the villain of upcoming event), Ram V has his own epic going on in 'Tec, Williamson is writing his nice, heart-warming father and son story.
The only exception in this list is World's Finest - it's set many years before current events.

Kind of giving me DCYou vibes (even though in DCYou stuff like RoboBats was present in like every book).

[marvelprince]

The robot hand was a necessity born from having lost it in a fight and even then he refused to tell them about it.

He hasn't shown any indication of being a full robot conversion guy.

The robot suit was born from necessity having lost most of his body in a fight. It’s not hard to justify. Easier since he’s already gone in that direction.

And yes sorry Failsafe did technically talk. But not like this. He never claimed to be Batman, he never needed to. It’s clearly not the robot is what I’m saying. And again as soon Dick hears what’s up he knows it’s Zur. Don’t get the “they’re acting like idiots”.

[marvelprince]

It's hilarious how out of synch all the Bat Books are .

I say let ‘em all cook.

[Frontier]

The robot suit was born from necessity having lost most of his body in a fight. It’s not hard to justify. Easier since he’s already gone in that direction.

And yes sorry Failsafe did technically talk. But not like this. He never claimed to be Batman, he never needed to. It’s clearly not the robot is what I’m saying. And again as soon Dick hears what’s up he knows it’s Zur. Don’t get the “they’re acting like idiots”.

How many of the family actually knew about the robot hand again?

Hopefully they act better than in Gotham War.

I say let ‘em all cook.

I guess you get a Bat-Book for everybody except anyone who wants a grounded Bat-Book (unless that's the First Knight series).

[SixSpeedSamurai]

It's quite a unique case, where all the books are completely ignoring each other existence, because writers, apparently, don't give a **** about anything what's going on in other books. Zdarsky has his Zur saga (but in terms of continuity it's the most important story, because Zur is gonna be the villain of upcoming event), Ram V has his own epic going on in 'Tec, Williamson is writing his nice, heart-warming father and son story.
The only exception in this list is World's Finest - it's set many years before current events.

That's on the group editor for letting them do whatever they wanted.

[HsssH]

Kind of giving me DCYou vibes (even though in DCYou stuff like RoboBats was present in like every book).

DCYou had "normal" continuity from what I remember, its just that it had big direction and style changes for many characters.

[thwhtGuardian]

That's on the group editor for letting them do whatever they wanted.

I'm honestly okay with it. If we're going to have concurrent horrible runs on Batman and Detective then it's for the best that the other books are allowed to disregard them so at least there are decent reads in Batman and Robin and World's Finest.

[marvelprince]

I'm honestly okay with it. If we're going to have concurrent horrible runs on Batman and Detective then it's for the best that the other books are allowed to disregard them so at least there are decent reads in Batman and Robin and World's Finest.

Are you just making an example or do you really feel both the main and Detective are horrible?

[thwhtGuardian]

Are you just making an example or do you really feel both the main and Detective are horrible?

They're frustrating, both Chip and Ram are clearly skilled writers and put out some solid characterization, have written some really great and memorable dialog and are excellent at creating mood in their pieces...but their plotting is absolute garbage. Chip is slightly better at it than Ram as at least he has real discernible story arcs but even then they are longer than they need to be. If they had competent editors to reign in their excesses I think both runs could be great but as is they are easily worse than the other bat books; Nightwing and Worlds Finest in particular are both head and shoulders above Batman and Detective and Batman and Robin is slightly better than both the main books.

[marvelprince]

They're frustrating, both Chip and Ram are clearly skilled writers and put out some solid characterization, have written some really great and memorable dialog and are excellent at creating mood in their pieces...but their plotting is absolute garbage. Chip is slightly better at it than Ram as at least he has real discernible story arcs but even then they are longer than they need to be. If they had competent editors to reign in their excesses I think both runs could be great but as is they are easily worse than the other bat books; Nightwing and Worlds Finest in particular are both head and shoulders above Batman and Detective and Batman and Robin is slightly better than both the main books.

Gotcha. I get that.

[K. Jones]

There were things I really dug in Joker: Year One, not least of which was somehow feeling like Year One and Zero Year could somehow exist in the same universe. And understanding the assignment as far as culling Morrison plot points, that Zur En Arrh was a response (via Hurt) to trying to "understand the Joker" and that the ALT personality angle was unspoken but part of that the whole time. Being so explicit now actually reflects backwards on Grant's run very well and casts it in a little bit of fresh light. Generous to take the time to make room for Snyder's take to work there, too. (Snyder's vagaries all coalesced into just being like "yeah all my mysteries explanations were just things reaffirming Grant's stuff" by the end of his JLA stuff anyway).

In principle there's nothing wrong with a gruesome flash-forward to a twisted dark future, even if it's an established formula at this point, done before historically plenty, codified by Grant, copied by Snyder, set in stone by King, so forth. I did think it shouldn't have been intercut with the flashback. I hate intercuts as a matter of course for three reasons. 1. As a style choice, because it's lazy and has become a style choice and has become a trope more of hack or shortcut writing, especially in comics with the art/writing interaction. 2. Because it cuts away from a coherent narrative. This can be more subjective, but I find is often the case. 3. It also presupposes the reader won't REMEMBER or be able to apply the parallels themselves, it can be patronizing and almost never comes across as better or smarter or more clever than the alternative.

That grim future art was pretty cool though.

[phonogram12]

I'm noticing a trend in how I'm enjoying Zdarsky's run. I really seem to enjoy every other arc. This current one not as much (although I reserve the right to change my mind later when it finishes up), but I surprisingly enjoyed Joker Year 1.

[Frontier]

I wish writers would stop over-complicating things between Batman and Joker.