Batman #23 Preview/Discussion

[Chubistian]

Another fantastic issue in a great run imo

[Caivu]

So I will throw this out here, instead of its own thread, I'm hearing King is off Batman after jokes and riddles,

He himself says he's not comfortable writing Batman, and honestly it shows.

His run has been ....off, let's just say.

Take this issue, so far you guys have been positive, while a good- one shot, this did not feel like a BAtman comic.

I just read it, found it interesting I guess, and then afterwords. Meh.

While I don't think this is true and won't until I see a source... it falls in line with some of my own thoughts starting around "I Am Suicide". Again, I don't think it's true, but the small conspiracy theory part of my brain picked up on what seemed like King not wanting to write Batman anymore and trying to deliberately sabotage his run. Which of course backfired. Totally irrational, but I've had similar thoughts as this.

[Alycat]

So I will throw this out here, instead of its own thread, I'm hearing King is off Batman after jokes and riddles,

He himself says he's not comfortable writing Batman, and honestly it shows.

His run has been ....off, let's just say.

Take this issue, so far you guys have been positive, while a good- one shot, this did not feel like a BAtman comic.

I just read it, found it interesting I guess, and then afterwords. Meh.

That's an interesting thing if it happens I guess. I disagree that this did'nt feel like a Batman comic though. especially when you consider how adaptable Batman comics are.

[Frontier]

So I will throw this out here, instead of its own thread, I'm hearing King is off Batman after jokes and riddles,

He himself says he's not comfortable writing Batman, and honestly it shows.

His run has been ....off, let's just say.

Take this issue, so far you guys have been positive, while a good- one shot, this did not feel like a BAtman comic.

I just read it, found it interesting I guess, and then afterwords. Meh.

I have a hard time seeing this as not a Batman comic, even if I've not been the biggest fan of King's run.

This seems like the type of story Morrison could've easily told during his run if he had been so inclined or interested.

[SicariiDC]

I liked this issue for all the reasons folks have stated. And all the reasons people gave why they didn't like it. We all bring different worldviews to the things we read but I love the idea that Batman, even after all these years still hopes, still yearns to be comforted by knowing his parents energies are still apart of the universe. The fact that he bought into Swamp Thing's speech about returning to the green, was dope. It shows that this will always be part of him. And after The Button it makes a ton of sense to me.

Good ass standalone issue

Edit: I really hope King doesn't leave Batman. I think, ala Morrison, he is doing something different and hope he sees it thru, as it could look and feel much different when it's complete

[Katana500]

So I will throw this out here, instead of its own thread, I'm hearing King is off Batman after jokes and riddles,

He himself says he's not comfortable writing Batman, and honestly it shows.

His run has been ....off, let's just say.

Take this issue, so far you guys have been positive, while a good- one shot, this did not feel like a BAtman comic.

I just read it, found it interesting I guess, and then afterwords. Meh.

Hopefully not! I want to know what all the stuff Gotham Girl said in issue 5 (was it issue 5?) means 😊

[Fearless Heart]

Edit: I really hope King doesn't leave Batman. I think, ala Morrison, he is doing something different and hope he sees it thru, as it could look and feel much different when it's complete

I agree. I regret my knee-jerk reaction to changes with Morrison, and his run is amazing. It's easily in my top 3 runs in the 21st century. There's been issues with Tom King's Batman, but he's giving us something different. I regret my dismissal of this run. I've skipped buying issues and then went back and bought them.

[JBatmanFan05]

Comicsbeat review's last paragraph:

As a matter of fact, the conclusion is unrelenting, particularly in how the reader is forced to endure Swamp Thing’s full-fledged wrath and the unexpected emotional outburst that follows, which in-turn reframes the entire conversation that Bruce and Alec have over tea into one that plays right into the ongoing themes of Bruce’s own ongoing emotional reconciliation. Just when he thought perhaps there was a different perspective he could hang onto, that in turn evaporates, much like Alec does when finally confronted with his own still somewhat existent human nature.

This is a great comic book, the best issue of King’s run, and the best Bat-comic I’ve had the pleasure of reading in quite some time.

[JBatmanFan05]

CBR did a great article on #23:
http://www.cbr.com/batman-swamp-thin...s-new-reality/

Excerpt:

King and Gerads have stated that this one-shot will have long-term repercussions, and an impact upon Batman stories yet to come*. Perhaps Bruce Wayne will finally stop trying to die in order to honor his parents, and instead start living in order to honor his son.

*See CBR's interview:
http://www.cbr.com/interview-tom-kin...gerads-batman/

CBR: In Batman #23, we return to the Bane storyline that really started with your run on the title, Tom. Will you return to the Batman and Swamp Thing story at some point, too?

King: The story doesn’t complete itself. It leaves a question open and we’d like to revisit that but what Swamp Thing does to Batman in this issue and the pain he releases in Batman pays off over the next year and goes right into what ‘Jokes and Riddles’ is about. In that way, the story continues.

[Pohzee]

The Kite Man joke is dead.

[Atlanta96]

Wasn't there supposed to be a line in this issue retconning Dick being Robin at age 13 back into continuity?

[JBatmanFan05]

[post retracted]

[Frontier]

I believe Bleeding Cool mentioned a line where Bruce talked about what Dick was like at Damian's age, but I don't recall seeing it in the issue.

[JBatmanFan05]

I believe Bleeding Cool mentioned a line where Bruce talked about what Dick was like at Damian's age, but I don't recall seeing it in the issue.

Oh yea, I found it the article. Very odd, since Batman #23 was really tight and focused (like no room), never appeared to have any moment to even sneak that in.
https://www.bleedingcool.com/2017/05...ics-this-week/

Rich was way off, for some reason he should explain.

[Chubistian]

The Kite Man joke is dead.

Personally, I came to see him as some kind of Turk in Frank Miller's DD instead of simply a joke (Not that there's a big difference), especially since he may be the protagonist of an upcoming issue in The War Of Jokes And Riddles