My ongoing post-crisis Batman read-through

[Shaggy]

Yeah, there definitely wasn't a cohesive plan beyond "Get rid of the Multiverse and doppelgangers". COIE was then used as a rationale for character reboots on a case-by-case basis - which is why Superman got a hard reboot while the New Teen Titans were still kicking around unchanged.

I don't think they even thought in terms of a 'reboot' for Batman, soft, hard or otherwise. The success of DKR probably got TPTB thinking that Frank Miller was onto something with this darker, grittier take on Batman, so they approached him to do Year One and gave him carte blanche continuity-wise. And then they had Year Two in 'Tec, and gave Jason Todd a new grittier origin after Year One was done in 'Batman'. While all this was going on, it was business in usual in books not actively telling one of these 'reboot' stories.

I haven't read Superman from that post-crisis era but as i understand it even Superman didn't get that hard of a reboot. On the one hand, DC wanted to establish that Superman was the only Kryptonian that landed on Earth but, on the other hand, they wanted to keep characters like Supergirl and Power Girl so they turned them into completely different characters. If you're gonna reboot then just commit to it imo.

[blunt_eastwood]

Yeah, there definitely wasn't a cohesive plan beyond "Get rid of the Multiverse and doppelgangers". COIE was then used as a rationale for character reboots on a case-by-case basis - which is why Superman got a hard reboot while the New Teen Titans were still kicking around unchanged.

I don't think they even thought in terms of a 'reboot' for Batman, soft, hard or otherwise. The success of DKR probably got TPTB thinking that Frank Miller was onto something with this darker, grittier take on Batman, so they approached him to do Year One and gave him carte blanche continuity-wise. And then they had Year Two in 'Tec, and gave Jason Todd a new grittier origin after Year One was done in 'Batman'. While all this was going on, it was business in usual in books not actively telling one of these 'reboot' stories.

LMAO, so even back then they couldn't get their sh1t together?

I started reading comics in the early 90's and always assumed based on the history I heard that comics continuity was much better maintained in the past.

But I guess DC has always just been a mess in terms of planning.

[bat39]

LMAO, so even back then they couldn't get their sh1t together?

I started reading comics in the early 90's and always assumed based on the history I heard that comics continuity was much better maintained in the past.

But I guess DC has always just been a mess in terms of planning.

Ironically, the most consistent DC has been with continuity was probably in the Bronze Age - immediately before COIE, which was supposed to 'clean up' continuity LOL!

[Shaggy]

Batman The Caped Crusader Vol 1 (Batman 417-425 & 430-431) & Batman A Death in the Family (Batman 426-429 & 440-442).

I feel like I don't have a lot to say about Caped Crusader Vol 1. The big story here is obviously Ten Nights of the Beast. It is pretty intense especially compared to stories that have come before in the two ongoing titles but I have to admit I burst out laughing when the KGBeast reveal happened.



Not what I ever imagined a KGB agent wearing. As a result I found it very hard to take the character seriously.
The book also concludes Jim Starlin's serial killer story that started in Batman 414. Considering that the killer turns out to be a women-hating incel type it feels surprisingly relevant. I also did not expect it to end the way it ended. The lead-up to A Death in the Family also includes some Robin-focused stories that are morally somewhat grey. Overall the stories are getting more complex and nuanced, at least for the time they were published.

As for A Death in the Family, I was surprised to see that it was penned by Jim Starlin. I've always seen his name associated with Marvel's cosmic characters but here he is writing one of the defining Batman stories. Jason's Mother betraying him and Jason still trying to save her after being almost beaten to death by the Joker was actually very visceral and for the first time during this read-through I felt a real gut punch.

But the story goes off the rails in a big way after issue 2 and becomes so ridiculous that it kind of ruins the emotional core of the story. I am, of course, talking about the Joker becoming the Iranian ambassador to the UN and, therefore, gaining diplomatic immunity (I'm not quite sure what was influencing Starlin at the time but the diplomatic immunity angle comes up quite often in his stories).



Something to note is that Bruce holds a funeral for Jason with Gordon and Barbara both present and later in Batman 430 Gordon asks Batman where Robin is. I'm not sure if this will lead to Gordon figuring out Batman's identity but it really should haha. I have not yet read Batman 440-442 (A Lonely Place of Dying) because I want to get through Batman 432-439 first so maybe those issues will be relevant.

[etrumble]

Really vicariously enjoying your read-through, Shaggy.

The illustrations emphasize what a treasure Jim Aparo was.

[bat39]

Something to note is that Bruce holds a funeral for Jason with Gordon and Barbara both present and later in Batman 430 Gordon asks Batman where Robin is. I'm not sure if this will lead to Gordon figuring out Batman's identity but it really should haha. I have not yet read Batman 440-442 (A Lonely Place of Dying) because I want to get through Batman 432-439 first so maybe those issues will be relevant.

I might be wrong, but I believe that at one point the idea was that to the public at large, Jason and Tim were the same Robin. Not sure if that applied to Gordon as well though...since he'd interacted with both kids, you'd think he'd have figured out that they were different people.

As far as Gordon and Batman's identity goes, I personally lean towards the idea that Gordon kinda knew since Year One.

[Shaggy]

I might be wrong, but I believe that at one point the idea was that to the public at large, Jason and Tim were the same Robin. Not sure if that applied to Gordon as well though...since he'd interacted with both kids, you'd think he'd have figured out that they were different people.

As far as Gordon and Batman's identity goes, I personally lean towards the idea that Gordon kinda knew since Year One.

Gordon gets easily bamboozled though. In Batgirl Year One Dick pretends to be Batgirl so Gordon stops suspecting Barbara.

[witchboy]

I haven't read Superman from that post-crisis era but as i understand it even Superman didn't get that hard of a reboot. On the one hand, DC wanted to establish that Superman was the only Kryptonian that landed on Earth but, on the other hand, they wanted to keep characters like Supergirl and Power Girl so they turned them into completely different characters. If you're gonna reboot then just commit to it imo.

i consider post Crisis Superman to get a pretty hard reboot. He was the only Kryptonian then. His power level dropped considerably. Krypton was portrayed completely different. His adopted parents were alive. Lex was given a very different back story and status quo as a corporate CEO.

[TheKryptonMan]

Looking back , before Grayson became Nightwing , Bruce treated Dick like crap , I mean really really bad .
I started reading when Tim was already Robin and Bruce and Tim got along good .
The thing with Dick is that when he's stepped up and took over for Batman , he was awesome .
But when he's just Nightwing he's not written with the same competence all the time . Which is a shame really .

Also on another topic , I really believe that Gordon has known for a very long time that Bruce is Batman .
DC might as well make it official , like they did with Luthor & Superman just recently .