Batman #15 Preview (Spoilers!)

[superduperman]

I REALLY hope this means that Year One is canon again! Not sure how this whole Rebirth thing will pan out but I hope that's where the chips fall. And, for the record, you can have both be canon since one is as Bruce and the other is as Batman.

[Atlanta96]

I really hope the return of Holly Robinson is a sign that a new Catwoman solo is in the works. Bringing back old elements from her more popular runs is definitely what the character needs at the moment.

Aside from the insufferable repetition I liked this issue, don't know what the consensus is yet but I like how it explained the deaths attributed to Selina, it's a believable explanation that I didn't see coming. But maybe that's just me.

[spirit2011]

I guess I enjoyed this two-parter, as much as I've enjoyed any of King's run. I'm not crazy about the "Bat/Cat" thing, but King's depiction of Bruce and Selina in this issue was kinda sweet and operatic in typical King's style. I hope I enjoy the next arc more then "I Am Suicide" though.

I'm starting to think that SNL skit where Batman continually bothers Gordon at inopportune times wasn't that far off. And I like how he made a note that Batman usually calls him "Jim" when he wants something. But hey, it's nice to see Jim again .

Well, on the one hand, Holly is back and Selina didn't actually kill 237 terrorists! On the other hand, now that's apparently Holly...I guess I mind this a little less then having Catwoman do it, but it doesn't really feel right to make it Holly either. It seems like the kind of "edgy" reboot of a character we would've seen in the New 52, which isn't a glowing endorsement on my part .

So...is Selina going after Holly? Is that what her new direction is? Are we going to alternate between Bruce's story and Selina's? Is that where the "co-lead" thing comes from?

holy geezus Tom King. I don't know if I'm annoyed at the fact that this wasn't Catwoman mass killing just another big splash plot twist for people pay atention to this awful book or that it is Catwoman's sidekick that did this. Oh really Tom King?
just poor writing and lack of new ideas

Question?? Isn't Batman a paranoid character who is always prepared for every scenarios?? Isn't he very protective of his identity, to protect his loved ones?? So why on earth would he stip naked sans mask out in the open on the roof top?? Isn't that putting himself and Selina at risks?? In the past they flirted and made out on the roof top, which is not as risky as stripping off and having sex.. why does everyone think it's a good plot??

not pro tip but still a tip: it isn't

[K. Jones]

holy geezus Tom King. I don't know if I'm annoyed at the fact that this wasn't Catwoman mass killing just another big splash plot twist for people pay atention to this awful book or that it is Catwoman's sidekick that did this. Oh really Tom King?
just poor writing and lack of new ideas



not pro tip but still a tip: it isn't

I was thinking about the nature of the timeline being shortened and pieces stolen out of it and how that might reflect on Holly Robinson. But mostly I'm just happy to see Holly back, and frankly in a role that it seems like King won't be able to just throw out there as a weird Catwoman mystery answer but never get back to talking about. What Holly did is sympathetic, and plays just INCREDIBLY well with King's proclivities for storytelling about the lines people cross and for whatever reason, and the kinds of post-CIA themes he likes to write about. There's also the fact that a Holly who is "wholly trained" as a sort of "another Catwoman" with Selina's skills (who Bruce 'doesn't remember') is canon-harvesting from the Brubaker and Pfeiffer eras. It's an interesting turn of events. I'm curious what story he wants to tell with it now that the shock of the dramatic 'mystery' and twist stuff will fall by the wayside.

[16 Bit]

I thought this was great. The Batman #1/Year One reference was clever and I'm relieved to finally have the mystery of the murders solved.

The Rebirth continuity is annoying though. I can't tell if Catwoman's entire New 52 run is now non-canon or what. It certainly seems like it. She didn't know Bruce's true identity in that book, for example. I can't see that version of Selina matching this version with just the space between her book being canceled and her appearing in this book. I'm probably over thinking this.

[millernumber1]

I think it's really a shame that Catwoman's Valentine run was so unpopular with fans. Maybe in 25 years, it'll be referenced...

[SicariiDC]

I LOVED this issue! King is really hitting his stride and I'd like the artist here to stick around for more. It was perfect for Rooftops which has been my favorite arc of Batman Rebirth yet.

I LOVE BAT/CAT

And I'm coming to the realization that we all read Batman or comics in general for WILDLY different reasons. I thought this was the sweetest thing to see Bruce actually NEED Selina. Other people are like "why would he get naked on a roof... he's Batman" lol. Y'all bitch about Catwoman killing 237, then moan about her friend doing it. We are just all here for different things. And it's awesome, but hell yeah, idc how many villains they took out in an hour, this arc was great to me.

[WhipWhirlwind]

Yeah I didn't mind that.

I mean, are we really surprised that Bats would let his guard down around Selina and act irresponsibly? Really?

[David Walton]

I REALLY hope this means that Year One is canon again! Not sure how this whole Rebirth thing will pan out but I hope that's where the chips fall. And, for the record, you can have both be canon since one is as Bruce and the other is as Batman.

Is Year One not canon? I was under the impression that it basically was, and that Zero Year just filled in some blanks that happened both before and after.

At any rate, I think Rebirth is putting forward the idea that there's some kind of overlap between the pre and post-Flashpoint worlds where characters are capable of remembering 'the lost years' in varying degrees. For some, it's just a vague sense of deja vu, like when Green Arrow feels an inexplicable connection to Black Canary. Other times, it's more explicit, like when Barry remembers the original Wally West having been his sidekick.

[David Walton]

I enjoyed the issue. Typically, I've defended King's use of repetition, but there were some places where it crossed over into minor annoyance. Like when Batman yelled "Cat" over and over, or Selina was talking about "the anger."

The idea of Holly catching Batman by surprise again brings things full circle. It appears she has an uncanny ability to make Bruce underestimate her.

[Frontier]

Yeah I didn't mind that.

I mean, are we really surprised that Bats would let his guard down around Selina and act irresponsibly? Really?

...I still think they should've found a room .

[David Walton]

...I still think they should've found a room .

For the purposes of an over-the-top romantic adventure comic, the rooftop is the only logical choice.

Well, that or the top of a Boeing 747 in flight.

Because he's Batman!

[JBatmanFan05]

Is Year One not canon? I was under the impression that it basically was, and that Zero Year just filled in some blanks that happened both before and after.

That was the impression suggested at first, but it became clear that was not really what was going on. Quotes like this are illustrative:

SNYDER: We wouldn’t have done it, but he’s really the only character in the New 52 who hasn’t had his origin explained. It became clear to us, to DC, that there were changes made to characters that appear in “Year One,” like Catwoman, and Jim Gordon, and the Falcone family, and the fact that James Jr. would only be six years old if that stood as Batman’s origin, that made them come to us and say “we need an origin, we’re going to do it, do you want to be the ones to do it?” And it was sort of, “yeah, I’m not letting anyone else do that!” (laughs) And I did have an idea of how I would do it. I’m always playing that game with my friends, like a “if I did the movie how would I relaunch Batman” kind of thing. So this kind of cut 180 degrees away from Year One and let us do something our own.

I really like that King is bucking that partially and feeling free as far as overt Year One stuff.

[David Walton]

That was the impression suggested at first, but it became clear that was not really what was going on. Quotes like this are illustrative:

Ah, thanks for the quote. I wasn't aware that they were officially contradicting Year One, even though most of the events from Zero Year couldn't logically overlap with Miller's story.

I really like that King is bucking that partially and feeling free as far as overt Year One stuff.

Geoff Johns is the one who pretty much told writers across the board to incorporate their favorite elements from across characters' histories and not worry about the New 52.

I recall reading excerpts from an interview with Benjamin Percy, where he'd been told during the New 52 not to use classic elements like Black Canary and the goatee. Then with Rebirth, Johns asked him what he loved about Green Arrow and wanted to incorporate, and let him run with it.

[Dr. Chaos]

That nickname crap is terrible but other than that, always nice to see Batman and Catwoman together.