World's finest #2

[superfangirl1]

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Comments

[box_in_the_box]

Because you can totally fucking tell he's Bruce's son.

a) Only if, by "Bruce," you mean "Frank Miller's Goddamn Batman," and since ASBAR made me hate Frank Miller's Goddamn Batman, this is not a ringing endorsement.

b) I hate the biological determinism inherent in this portrayal, as though Damian is more of a "true" successor to Bruce than Dick, just because of their shared DNA. Fuck that. Batman isn't Batman because of his genes, but because of his life experiences.

[jlroberson]

I don't see him as anything like the adrenaline freak in ASSBAR. Which I loathe and have said here I loathe many, many times. What made me think of Bruce was how well he scares the crooks and the disdainful manner in which he throws of the Guardian.

If he were going around randomly attacking crooks and laughing the whole time, I could see your point. But he's not. Even his more sadistic moves have a no-nonsense precision to them. I don't think he gets a kick out of this. I think he takes it seriously.

[cmic]

I'm on board with b) completely.

I don't mind a rotten kid being written as a rotten kid, but I guess my issues here have to do with this rotten kid being written as smart/xtreme/hardcore/badass/grimdark . . .

I think he's aimed at a demographic much younger and more sure of their awesomeness than mine. So I'll be moving along.

[shadowvalkyrie]

Agreed! He's the baby version of every Batman characterisation I've hated over the years! ("My father taught me that the police just get in the way of real crime-fighting." Uh-huh. That's why he's been friends with Gordon for decades and otherwise collaborates with the GCPD every other week! Dream on, kid.) And while I can see the appeal of grim-and-gritty in a mid-thirties man, who has every right to be jaded, it's nothing but ridiculous in a pre-teen child. Seriously, has Morrison ever met a ten-year-old?

It scares me how S_D's opinion suddenly seems to have shifted in Damian's favour! I mean, why? He's still the same annoying, over-the-top, unrealistically-clever-and-badass-for-his-age, spoilt brat most of us started out hating! He's just all out disagreeable!

Also, word on the biological determinism! They did it to Jason, Cass, Rose... and now the little shit, but in the other direction. Hero by genes. What the hell? Is that some sort of weird, pointless agenda of DC's? I can understand if characters have been raised into being criminals by criminal parents (occasionally a good writer will do that, and then show that character struggling against their upbringing and winning out over it -- that's the stuff of GOOD stories), but that's usually not the way it's presented. Sorting heroes and criminals apart from birth makes no sense! Damian has no reason whatsoever to be "like Bruce" (in ways even Bruce should not be).

[autolychus2]

It scares me how S_D's opinion suddenly seems to have shifted in Damian's favour! I mean, why? He's still the same annoying, over-the-top, unrealistically-clever-and-badass-for-his-age, spoilt brat most of us started out hating! He's just all out disagreeable!

Well, I'm in the group that doesn't really like him (though I find him funny for some reason) but I might be biased because I've only liked Steph and Carrie, in the 35 years I've been reading Batman. I also agree with you and Box on biological determinism -- I mean there's a reason why Hitler lost -- but my real reason for replying is the implication that those who don't agree with you -- especially on your sacred board -- are wrong.

No one here is wrong. Even the ones who adore the Red-and-Blue Boy Scout and his Silver Age spawn.

[ladymirth]

It scares me how S_D's opinion suddenly seems to have shifted in Damian's favour! I mean, why? He's still the same annoying, over-the-top, unrealistically-clever-and-badass-for-his-age, spoilt brat most of us started out hating! He's just all out disagreeable!

Well, for my part, it's because he's so effing unintentionally hilarious. There's nothing he says or does that doesn't crack me up. I've got over the biological determinism thing. DC has shown no sign of getting what makes the Bat-verse tick in years and I have give up all hope that they ever will.

They have an established character cycle. First they do something atrocious to them, followed by something fucking awesome, followed by nonsensical character regression. (Barbara's crippling, becoming Oracle, then unceremoniously disbanding the Birds and moving into her former mentor's discarded base/ Killing Jason Todd, bringing him back in awesome fashion, crapping on him ever since/ Firing Dick in the worst way imaginable, making him Nightwing, then crapping on him for the majority of his own book/ No Man's Land, introducing Cassandra Cain, making her go evil for no reason whatsoever/ That Whole Fiasco With Leslie Thomkins/ Tim Drake. Nuf Said) I'm waiting for them to do something awesome with Damien before they flush him down the toilet with the rest.

[autolychus2]

Just a quick hit:

1. TDKR2 made me hate Miller.
2. It's not like ASBAR was worse than ASS.

[box_in_the_box]

OH THANK GOD I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO DOESN'T LIKE ALL-STAR SUPERMAN

[hurricane-jam.livejournal.com]

I know what you mean, but I've never seen it as biological determinism. The way I've seen it that everyone's been pushing him onto a certain path, like "oh, you're the son of the goddamn Batman so you should be able to take out fifty ninjas with one hand tied behind your back." I always thought it was more about living up to other people's expectations, and in some ways competing with a dad who's already had years of training and experience when you're just a ten year old kid. Batman is in the realm of frickin' myth, so how does anyone live up to that. Given that, I think it's hilarious that he acts more like the goddamn Batman than the goddamn Batman.

Eh, that doesn't mean I don't want to see him taken down a peg.

[kingrockwell]

Just a word of warning, notorious e-mail troll Newton has his sights on you. The silly idiot actually asked me if I could give him your e-mail! Even if I had it, the idea that I'd let that little joker loose on anybody is an amusing one.

Keep fighting the good fight.

(as for damian, i go back and forth: sometimes he's endearing, sometimes he's annoying, but he's always a shithead)

[box_in_the_box]

You mean this guy?

http://encyclopediadramatica.com/Tom_Newton

[kingrockwell]

Nah, this guy keeps to comics boards, mostly. And I think his first initial's D if his CBR handle's anything to go off of. He's been harassing a few of us over the last while just for saying things he doesn't like (he latched on to me because i don't like Greg Land, of all things!), but I'm one of the few silly enough to leave my e-mail public enough for him to take it there. My bet is most of the irate anonymous comments that popped up on s_d2.0 were him, but that being disabled over here, he's got his legs cut out from under him.

I'm baffled why he thinks I'd be some go-between for him to troll other s_ders, but he's a bit touched, I think.