By Luke Abbott
Batman Eternal once again decides to go through several plot lines at once, rather than knuckling down and truly getting to grips with a specific set of characters. I partially expected this after the gang war story was brought to a close; we need to be reminded what is left to do for the next set of issues. However, a bit more tack would have been nice.
Personally, I would have liked to have spent the whole issue with Corrigan and Batwing in Arkham Asylum. This story is the most intriguing at the moment, because no one has quite figured out what it is all about. We have seen Dr. Phosphorous rising from the depths and the Joker’s Daughter seems to be behind it all, but otherwise we have just witnessed a few terrifying shots of the inmates being tortured by supernatural forces. In fact, I would have happily had a whole comic book series of Batwing and Corrigan slowly making their way through the Asylum, a gripping horror mystery. As it happens, the writer’s attention is often elsewhere (with Bluebird, or with Batgirl), so the Asylum is never fully tackled. It moves along too fast, jumping from the eeriness of an empty Asylum to the horrors of the two heroes taking on zombies that come out of the brick walls. Don’t get me wrong, I liked this particular section of the issue, but I just wished that it was slowed right down, so we could appreciate every beat of the story, rather than rushing through it to get to the point.
The other stories were kept to a minimum and therefore too short to comment on much. Red Robin and Bluebird remain a fun team, never really progressing with the story, but being so much fun to spend time with that you don’t mind wasting a page with them bickering. Bluebird’s ‘hand-made costume’ is quite a fun addition. Batgirl and Red Hood uncover a lead, but it doesn’t seem to be in any rush of carrying on Batgirl’s interesting arc. Batman is given the worst deal of them all. His appearance in this comic does little more than remind everyone that we are reading a Batman comic. In fact, his brief interaction with Bard actually hurts the overall story. Doesn’t this little conversation totally ruin the interesting dynamic that the last issue left us with? This is a problem with a story this big with several writers attached to the project: you end up getting issues that contradict each other.
Quote of the Issue:
Red Robin: You pull a stunt like this, you deserve nine hours in a stress position.
For more comic views and reviews follow Luke on Twitter at @LukeBbtt and check out his website at www.oracleoffilm.com
Posted on July 18th, 2014
Category: ORACLE OF COMICS, REVIEWS
Tags: Batgirl, Batman Eternal #15 review, Batwing, Batwoman, Bluebird, Comic Reviews, James Tynion IV, Jim Corrigan, Luke Abbott, Red Robin, Scott Snyder, Spectre
By Luke Abbott
This weeks issue handled something very interesting: a finale of sorts. The end of the Penguin vs Falcone subplot. Interesting, yes. Good, no.
The problem with handling a franchise as massive as Batman is that it leaves you very restricted with where to take new stories. For example, the writers here felt very restricted by the fact that they were unable to kill off Falcone or the Penguin. It would have made a very bloody end to the gang war and would have made the build-up justifiable. However, seeing as there is the possibility that the fan base (as well as the writers themselves), would revolt if one of the more intriguing bad guys was written out of the canon, they felt unable to make that risk. As it stands, the gang war fizzles out rather than coming to an explosive end. The solution Bard came up with felt like the writers tying off an arc, rather than giving us a great ending to one of the main storylines of Eternal. The Penguin got to scene-chew, Falcone got what was coming to him and the gang war is finally over. As a reader, I wanted more. The Batman felt like an outside force rather than the hero of the story; I was happy with Bard doing the heavy work for a change, but Batman needs to actually progress some of the action, as it is his comic book series.
When we are dealing with a series as long as Eternal, we want assurances that the finale will be good, otherwise there is little point to investing time and money into the series. On the other hand, one good thing does come out of the finale: Bard’s character is a very interesting one. I actually thought he wasn’t going to make it. Seeing as I assumed Falcone or the Penguin weren’t going to be biting the bullet, I thought Jason Bard would be the major shock of the issue. Blossoming romance, check. A force of good in a corrupt town, check. A character minor enough to be killed off but major enough to deliver emotional impact, check. Maybe it is a good thing that the comics didn’t do the obvious thing, because now the Batman and Bard have an interesting relationship. Bard committed a crime to bring down the bad guys, something Batman couldn’t allow. It was a justifiable crime and the loss of life belonged to mobsters; it just doesn’t match up to Batman’s black and white morals. This brings the two major good guys at loggerheads, which could make some of the following stories much more interesting.
And now all eyes are turned to the Asylum. It has all but been forgotten about, but the Joker’s Daughter reappears for the final frame, kidnapping the Scarecrow. And when the Scarecrow begins getting terrified, you know you are in for something good just around the corner.
Quote of the Issue:
Mayor Hardy: (insulting) You’re just like Gordon, kid…
Bard: Thank you.
For more comic views and reviews follow Luke on Twitter at @LukeBbtt and check out his website at www.oracleoffilm.com
Posted on July 11th, 2014
Category: ORACLE OF COMICS, REVIEWS
Tags: Batman Eternal #14 review, Bruce Wayne, DC Comics, Jason Bard, Jim Gordon, Luke Abbott, Red Robin
By Luke Abbott
For once, I am more than happy to let Batman take the back seat on this issue. Jason Bard is a very fun hero to spend this issue with, especially as his plan goes full throttle and he turns into the smartest guy in the room.
The writing, pacing and dialogue of the thirteenth issue of Batman Eternal is terrific. I love Jason Bard as a character; he is the newcomer to the Batman franchise, but he instantly becomes a success with the reader. He takes a bad situation, and this issue spends a lot of time hammering home to the point that Gotham really is a corrupt nightmare, and works out a plan that could usurp Forbes corrupt rule of the police force, allowing Batman to properly take on the vigilantes, tearing up Gotham right now. I love his scenes with Vicki Vale; their back and forth banter is always delicious to read and adds a spark to the issues in a place I didn’t expect much excitement to be coming from. The Bard gang war storyline plays out incredibly well and again, even though Batman is essentially only here to look awesome in a handful of frames, I didn’t mind. I hope Bard becomes a major figure in the next few issues to come.
The other subplots are whittled down to brief recaps, which is fine, because they cover everything they need to. The Red Robin and Bluebird story is kept to a few pages, but its only job is to remind us that this is an ongoing side-plot, so when the issues are ready to tackle it, we haven’t totally lost interest. All we need from the writers is a few funny and charming moments from the two characters (Bluebird will end up a fan favourite for sure), to keep us happy. The Cluemaster storyline is still the best thing about Eternal overall. I love how the comic handles the Cluemaster, Vale describing him as a ‘second-rate Riddler’. However, everyone’s complacency is causing a massive problem for Stephanie Brown and the inability of anyone to take the Cluemaster seriously has a serious consequence for a few characters. Again, this side-plot is still my vote for the one to watch. I hope it plays a massive part in the finale.
Finally, Jim Gordon comes face to face with his renegade son. It will be a nice parallel between James Jr. and Batgirl and seeing how they both cope with Gordon’s imprisonment. I hope the two children of the Gordon family come face to face at some point in this series. I could criticise the scenes in the prison as scene-chewing. It is essentially the two characters reeling off monologues and justifications for their actions. If this was a movie, it would serve as nothing more than giving two good actors a reason to bounce off of each other. However, these scenes are far too fun to criticise. It opens up some interesting ideas and, most importantly, makes Jim Gordon the central figure once more, something that Eternal is always moments from forgetting.
And in the background, I cannot shake the memory that this gang war means little. It is killing time while the true nemesis, the nanobots, the real reason Gordon fired at an unarmed man, is revealed. We still have to explore the Joker’s daughter, Dr. Phosphorous, the mysterious first frame of the entire series. Batman Eternal is only just kicking off and we have a lot more great set-pieces waiting for us.
Quote of the Issue:
Stephanie Brown: Out of all of the super-villians in the world, why did my Dad have to be one of the crap ones?
For more comic views and reviews follow Luke on Twitter at @LukeBbtt and check out his website at www.oracleoffilm.com
Posted on July 5th, 2014
Category: ORACLE OF COMICS, REVIEWS
Tags: Batman Eternal #13 review, Bruce Wayne, DC Comics, Jason Bard, Jim Gordon, Luke Abbott, Red Robin
By Luke Abbott
This was the issue I figured out I had been reading Batman Eternal all wrong. Rather than checking them out each week, I should have collected the entire series and marathoned them in a single evening. There is not a lot I shall say in this review that I haven’t said before. “We check in with everyone’s storylines.” “Something big is around the corner, promise!” The truth is Eternal is playing the long game and the people who will get the most pleasure out of this series are the ones who are content to wait until they have every issue in their hands, before even beginning. However, I have started this weekly review now and I will see it through to the bitter end.
The Good Man tackles far more of the ongoing stories than any of the other issues so far. Jim Gordon makes a return after a long absence. His trial gets underway and we get a savagely delicious courtroom scene. Meanwhile, Penguin and Falcone are going to greater lengths to win the city back, the first page showing Penguin’s thugs getting mown down by armed thugs. Jason Bard, Harvey Bullock and Captain Sawyer get together and come up with a plan to end the gang war once and for all, but it requires a risky step which is revealed in the last few pages. Also, Batgirl and Red Hood’s encounter is carried on from the last issue, but without the distracting art or silly humour. Also… takes deep breath… we check in on Red Robin and Bluebird, who haven’t shown up in forever. And on top of that, there is more drama in the Pennyworth family. Yes, this issue is action-packed, yet the writers even find time to slip in a cameo from a certain famous DC reporter.
It’s all good. It really is. There isn’t any part of this issue where I could point to a certain beat and say: “that’s wrong!” As far as issues of Batman Eternal go, that would make this particular episode a success. It is just always promising something interesting in an issue’s time. Every frame is orchestrated into making you buy the next issue, rather than focusing on this particular one in your hands. This is a common sin for any comic book collector. However, it works, because I am unable to stop buying this Batman comic now: I am in too deep. So yes, if anyone is still on the fence about buying these comics, do it! Just maybe read them in one go, rather than sitting through a single issue that seems perfectly content to inch along with its narrative.
Quote of the Issue:
Bluebird: “Just told me to ‘buck up’ or something like that.”
For more comic views and reviews follow Luke on Twitter at @LukeBbtt and check out his website at www.oracleoffilm.com
Posted on June 26th, 2014
Category: ORACLE OF COMICS, REVIEWS
Tags: Batgirl, Batman Eternal #12 Review, Bruce Wayne, DC Comics, Luke Abbott, Red Hood, Red Robin, Spoiler
By Luke Abbott
This issue moves away from Batman, Bard and ex-Commissioner Gordon and picks up a new strand of story. This time, we focus on the Red Robin, taking the investigation back to the first issue. While Batman and Batgirl take on Falcone and try to solve what happened to Gordon, Red Robin is focused on the children that were abducted by Professor Pyg. Turns out they were not infected by Pyg’s serum, but something else. Red Robin decides to head off on his own to get to the bottom of that riddle. In the meantime, Vicki Vale takes an intern and tries to find out what Falcone is up to. However, that gets her into trouble with some of the goons in the Narrows. Throw the Bluebird into the mix and the three sections of stories end up colliding in an explosive way.
I was a little apprehensive, as soon as I realized that we were going to be having a Batman-lite installment of Eternal. I came here for Batman and I want the god damn Batman. However, on the other hand, while I have been hooked on the mystery, I have to admit the series had been dragging its feet. A change of pace is just what the story needed. It helps that this additional strand of story has really upped the ante. Up until now, it was just another case of ‘gang war’ and who is behind it all? Now, we are introduced with a new element to the mystery, which throws in some more colourful ideas into the pot. As Red Robin says at one point, this is “more advanced than anything Pyg is capable of”. My interest has been well and truly piqued once more. Also, it was nice to have Vicki Vale added to the story. She is a character that often gets lost in the canon, but here, she makes up for lost time, especially in the final frame, where she shows the reader how a civilian woman stands up alongside all of these vigilantes. Bluebird was also a welcomed addition to the story, as I know very little about the character, but she bursts onto the pages, grabbing your attention and respect instantly. I look forward to what she gets up to.
Yes, I enjoyed this issue, but there were a few, minor details that confused me. The main one was the Batman’s only scene. Last we checked in, Batman was rushing away to stop Batgirl rashly interrogating a suspect. How does he have time to pop in on Red Robin? Is this a mistake as the writers change hands in between issues? Or maybe the two strands of story are told slightly out of order? Either way that can get confusing fast and needs to be better explained to the reader. The other thing that threw me was how Vicki Vale’s plan of action was to waltz into the Narrows to interview people. I get that Vicki is a headstrong reporter, but there’s a difference between headstrong and stupid. This is what happens when a writer needs to lay Vicki Vale out for the newcomers to Batman, without recovering old ground for old fans of the character, while progressing the story simultaneously. In the space of a few frames. It is tricky, but I think Vale needed to have her scene thought through a little longer. However, like I did say, her character redeems herself in the final page.
I also wasn’t sold on the art style. Sometimes Andy Clarke drew a beautiful portrait of the characters. The goons were very detailed; we could see every crevice and imperfection on their face. Red Robin looked very cool, illuminated by the glow of his holographic detective system. However, other times Clarke dropped the ball completely, mainly during the ‘talking head’ moments. When characters got through exposition, Clarke would draw Vale or Cullen with an expression that looked a little ridiculous. The overall style was good, interesting, and at times, the most beautiful we have seen the art in Eternal yet. However, it was a little inconsistent, which frustrated me at times.
However, that is just me nit-picking. This is a true return to form for Batman Eternal, maybe only being trumped by the very first instalment of the series. Batman Eternal isn’t quite at the quality I want it to be just yet, but as far as comic books go, this is a good investment.
Quote of the Month:
(when intern Joey Day meets the Red Robin)
Day: I have a picture of you on my wall.
Red Robin: Uh. Thanks?
For more comic views and reviews follow Luke on Twitter at @LukeBbtt and check out his website at www.oracleoffilm.com
Posted on May 10th, 2014
Category: ORACLE OF COMICS, REVIEWS
Tags: Batman Eternal #5 Review, Bruce Wayne, Comic Reviews, DC Comics, James Tynion IV, Jim Gordon, Luke Abbot, Red Robin, Scott Snyder
By Kulbir Mann
Batman and the Joker are one of the greatest all time superhero villain combinations. Their names are etched in comic folklore stone. Where do you begin to explain how they work and why they work so well with each other? There are books written on the matter and there are countless works of comics, cartoons and films depicting the subject. Put simply, Bruce took on a persona to instil fear into the villains of Gotham and the Joker is Gotham underworld’s response to Batman. Is a killer clown any more or less ridiculous or crazy as a man dressed as a Bat trying to fight crime? Of course not. Regular street crime and villainy is no match for Batman and so new criminals are born and wander into the fray for the challenge.
Enter the Joker. His insane genius is so incomprehensible that a detective will not be able to piece together the clues in his mind.
Enter the Joker. His insane genius is so incomprehensible that a detective will not be able to piece together the clues in his mind. It is difficult to remember that Batman is primarily a detective even though he has a ridiculous amount of other skills. Unfortunately that is not enough to fight the Joker, which appears a ridiculous statement as Batman always wins. However there is a cost to these victories: namely to the ones Batman holds dear. Batman’s second Robin, Jason Todd was brutally murdered, Sarah Gordon, Jim Gordon’s wife was also hideously killed, Barbara Gordon, Jim’s daughter was left paralysed and he almost sent Jim to Arkham asylum. The amount of times Joker was arrested and sent to Arkham only to escape and kill is immeasurable. The only way to stop is to prevent his fleeing incarceration or simply to kill him. Batman does not kill and therein lies the problem.
The Joker adores Batman and has no immediate wish to kill him. He is a bored man and finds the Bat incredibly amusing and loves to torture him. The Joker has described Batman’s eventual death as a work of art that needs to be planned in order for it to be fitting of the icon. There was even an episode of the animated series where the Joker stops Batman from being killed because the death scene was not amazing enough. He also knows that Batman does not kill and eventually he will always be free to inflict suffering on him. All Batman can do is try to outthink his eccentric mind and catch him again before another loved one is hurt. As complex a hero villain complex as this is, there is only one man who suffers and that is Bruce Wayne.
The Joker adores Batman and has no immediate wish to kill him. He is a bored man and finds the Bat incredibly amusing and loves to torture him.
Joker has been away. He was only in one issue of the first year’s worth of new 52 comics and that was Detective Comics #1. This featured a break into Arkham asylum in order to meet the Dollmaker, who gave him the ultimate disguise: he removed his face. A disgusting final page showed Joker’s skin pinned to a wall and that was the last we heard of him, until now. The Death of the Family has begun and the Joker has returned to Gotham ready to inflict pain on Batman again. The title suggests that there will be more death and destruction to the people Bruce holds close. What is his current motivation and why has he returned now after a year? In order to answer this question we need to look closer at his comic book return.
This featured a break into Arkham asylum in order to meet the Dollmaker, who gave him the ultimate disguise: he removed his face.
There are a few obvious truths to the return of a homicidal megalomaniac with delusions of grandeur. He has to be the most feared and hated villain irrespective of Batman. He is a son of Gotham returning to reclaim his throne and he alludes to this many times when confronting Batman and the Gotham police. He also stamps his role when meeting with the Penguin, where he places himself as a prime suspect for thug murders. He barters with Cobblepot in order to manipulate him into performing a favour. Once again outthinking and positioning himself above the Penguin in the super villainy stakes. The Joker is jealous of the troubles inflicted on Batman from the court of owls, making two separate mentions of it. He is irate that Bruce struggled so much and genuinely thinks he should have managed better. The Joker wants to be his toughest villain, not some old owls. Finally I think he just missed the place and running amok around the city.
The Joker has an interesting ideology when it comes to Gotham and Batman. Batman is the Godking of Gotham and organised crime is Batman’s purpose in life. The thugs fear the bat insignia and it’s meaning, escalating Bruce to mythological status. Successfully completing a crime is the reward; it means that you have evaded the bat, let alone the booty itself. The Joker compares this to a worship like practice and Cobblepot is in charge of the offerings. There is a lovely line that states that the Penguin is the bishop in Batman’s dark kingdom. As Batman feeds on all of this crime he is satisfied he is doing his job. He is kept busy and Gotham has its champion, its king. These villains are fulfilling a role but they are simple folk, not like the Joker, not like him at all.
The Joker compares this to a worship like practice and Cobblepot is in charge of the offerings.
The Joker is special. He is Batman’s enemy and his nemesis and that relationship is special to him. When he talks to Batman he does so with emotion and sentiment, which is easily disguised with his crazy grin and laughter. The Joker has gone to a lot of effort in his return, just for Batman. He has gotten his face back, because it is who he is and he needs to be seen again, even if it means using a belt to fix his face in place. He does not want to remain unrecognisable because the world must know what he is doing and how well he is doing it. He uses an analogy of the play My King and I to describe his relationship with Bruce. It’s an interesting reference to a show about a couple being on opposing warring factions. The man and woman eventually understand one another and only then are able to share their feelings with a single dance. The Joker understands Batman’s mentality and holds him dear. He is his jester and no one else can take his role. He wants to dance with him again. The Joker takes great lengths to re-enact the evolution of their relationship, as he recreates his first kill and one of the earliest Batman meetings on a bridge at the Gotham reservoir. Batman says, “You’re nothing to me” and the Joker replies, “Shhh. Don’t do that, don’t pretend, not here, not to me.” These are amazing lines showing how upset Joker becomes when their relationship is belittled.
The Joker takes great lengths to re-enact the evolution of their relationship, as he recreates his first kill and one of the earliest Batman meetings on a bridge at the Gotham reservoir.
Batman has changed. He has a large support network and family. He is no longer a lone warrior patrolling the night and this irks the Joker. The true villains of Batman are the company he keeps and they have ruined the Joker’s dear king. He states that Batman has become soft and fat because of his poor efficiency when handling the Owls. The Joker expects more maybe because no one else is allowed to be a bigger threat. He misses the real Batman and is angry he has become weak and dependant. He needs Bruce to be stronger and be more of a challenge and therefore he needs to eliminate his family. His dialogue during the two issues is very protective of Batman and hating to all his associates. The city deserves a better Batman and he is going to return him to full glory.
He needs Bruce to be stronger and be more of a challenge and therefore he needs to eliminate his family.
Where do they go from here? Clearly the crossover will involve many titles and many bat family members. If Joker had his way they would all be killed leaving Batman to himself. I imagine he would try to torment him for as long as possible in his strange bad romance fantasy until he mentally breaks. We know that is unlikely to happen and that Batman will win outright and probably send him back to Arkham. It is the status quo as I alluded to above, but there will be a change, and it is likely someone will die or be irreparably damaged. I hope the Jason Todd storyline will be well handled given he died at the Joker’s hands once before and is not as moralistic as Batman. Whatever happens once again Bruce will be left with the guilt of an injured or dead loved one and I wonder where it will take him. What roads will he travel that he has not travelled before? He has a huge family with his world of Batmen, which need support and continued motivation, so that cannot be changed. The Joker will remain to fight another day but Bruce will bear the consequences again and I am interested to see another scar added to his brutally abused mind.
For more comic views and reviews follow Kulbir on Twitter at @Kooliebear and check out his website over at houseofflyingscalpels.com
Posted on November 23rd, 2012
Category: DEVIL IN THE DETAIL, NEWS & VIEWS
Tags: Batman, Batman Review, Bruce Wayne, Comic Reviews, DC Comics, Detective Comics, Devil in the Detail, Greg Capullo, Joker, Kulbir Mann, Nightwing, Red Hood, Red Robin, Robin, Scott Snyder
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