scans_daily: Father..er.. Bane knows best

joasakura (

joasakura) wrote in

scans_daily,
@ 2010-03-21 08:24 am UTC

Entry tags:

char: bane, char: ragdoll/peter merkel jr., char: scandal savage, creator: gail simone, creator: jim calafiore, creator: john ostrander, event: blackest night, group: secret six, publisher: dc comics, title: suicide squad

Father..er.. Bane knows best

after

3goodtimes's Scandal and Bane adorableness,

falseaesop wanted to see Bane's pre-date interview of Liana.

Three pages of delightful awkwardness under the cut from Suicide Squad Blackest Night

Suggested Tags: char: bane, char: ragdoll/peter merkel jr., char: scandal savage, group: secret six, creator: gail simone, creator: john ostrander, creator: j. calafiore

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s0mnambulance
2010-03-21 12:50 pm UTC (link)

Oh, Bane! And to think that, not too long ago, I felt shame for having been such a fan during my preteen years. You were a hairy man in spandex created only to break the Bat. What was there to do with you after that? You were too formidable to be relegated to a henchman, but you were too encumbered with the '90s to be taken seriously. You got slapped around like a $2 whore by writers who had no clue what to do with you.

Gail Simone has given you a second life, dear Bane. I don't have to feel shame over my tattered old copy of Vengeance of Bane II: Redemption. (Yeah, I know it's a comic book Escape From Alcatraz, but I still liked it.) You've got a great origin, Bane--a far better antithesis to Batman than Hush. If your other attributes keep you from being taken seriously elsewhere, then that's fine, so long as Gail continues to treat you with this kind of respect.

Bane: better an ersatz father than spending a decade looking for his own.

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falseaesop
2010-03-21 01:01 pm UTC (link)

While I was never especially a fan of his I always thought that for the guy who came closest to ending Bruce Wayne's career as Batman (up until that whole Final Crisis thing) he never really got any respect. I'm really glad to see him taken seriously as well.

Though there was that one storyline that almost made Bane Bruce's half brother (turns out no, no he wasn't)... and now with this characterization I wonder what could have been had Bane become the kooky uncle of the Bat-clan.

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q99
2010-03-21 01:59 pm UTC (link)

The problem Bane had is people only remembered the physical side of his character, not the plan that let him get in a position to win in the first place, that and after Knightfall no-one had any good story idea for him for quite awhile. Sometimes he was around in other stories, like in No-Man's Land he was there so that Batman could convince him to leave, but no one seemed to have anything Bane-centric.

The half-brother one was one of the first one that really tried to do something with him, there were a few other good small parts with him like that such as Checkmate, then Gail got ahold and his character took off :)

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	no subject icon_uk 2010-03-21 05:11 pm UTC (link)
	Perhaps because the plot A) required him having overly handy super-duper awareness, like instantly recognising that Bruce Wayne was Batman, and B) Had been done several years previously in Killer Croc's introductory story. (Reply to this) (Thread from start) (Parent)

	no subject ravenous_raven 2010-03-21 04:17 pm UTC (link)
	...and now with this characterization I wonder what could have been had Bane become the kooky uncle of the Bat-clan. My BlackCat senses are tingling! (Reply to this) (Thread from start) (Parent) (Thread) (Hide 1 comment) (Show 1 comment)

	no subject proteus_lives 2010-03-21 11:33 pm UTC (link)
	I could see Bane becoming the Alfred to Damien's Batman. That would be boss. (Reply to this) (Thread from start) (Parent)

	no subject 3goodtimes 2010-03-21 04:37 pm UTC (link)
	I approve of this speech. waves flag behind you I've always quite liked Bane. I mean, as villains go, he's one of the best. His origin story always made me tear up... Osito! (Reply to this) (Thread from start) (Parent) (Thread) (Hide 2 comments) (Show 2 comments)

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s0mnambulance
2010-03-21 04:45 pm UTC (link)

Ah, Osito! You know, I hate to let it come down to this, but I think it was easy to relate with Bane because I grew up poor and in an unpleasant family situation. It was no Santa Priscan prison, but it pretty much sucked. Bane's perseverance and pseudo-redemption was, dare I say it, pretty inspiring. The one thing I liked about the 'Bruce and Bane brothers?' angle was that it forced Batman to acknowledge that Bane never really had a chance to do the right thing. All he knew were the horrors and incessant power plays of prison. He survived by becoming the strongest of the strong. He only came after Batman because of this jailhouse mentality--there was a man called Batman that men feared, and Bane's education mandated that he crush any threat to his superiority.

OMG, I just ranted. That'll happen sometimes. Glad I'm not the only Bane fan out there.

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3goodtimes
2010-03-21 09:26 pm UTC (link)

Rant away! I find this subject fascinating, though I don't have much to say about it today.

I can certainly understand the feelings of empathy. I was a welfare kid myself with a very aggressive mother, so I get the fight or flight impulse. Bane couldn't flee, so he hit back. Unfortunately, drugs, trauma, and violence are rarely a good mix. But I quite liked the brother storyline too, and was glad to see him redeemed. :)

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	no subject aaron_bourque 2010-03-21 08:18 pm UTC (link)
	Never feel shame of being a fan of evil steroid-addicted Doc Savage. (Reply to this) (Thread from start) (Parent)

	no subject jlroberson 2010-03-21 01:34 pm UTC (link)
	I remember when reading this, my reaction was that this was more like BN: Secret Six. Not that there's a damn thing wrong with it. But I never read Suicide Squad, so its fans probably feel differently. (Reply to this)

	no subject icon_uk 2010-03-21 02:04 pm UTC (link)
	I think my only issue with this is that, adorably warped though it is, the character shown has so little to do with the Bane of the 90's that it might as well be someone else completely. The contrast is amusing, but there's never been a remotely plausible explanation of WHY he gets paternal over Scandal, of allpeople. (Reply to this) (Thread) (Hide 12 comments) (Show 12 comments)

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sherkahn
2010-03-21 02:58 pm UTC (link)

That I can explain. It's the type of role people feel they need to be. Some people click as "partners in crime", some as siblings, some as opposites that fill in the roles that the other is missing, some as rivals, some as "good cop/bad cop", and even mentor/student.

In the mentor/student roles, you get the spectrum, from Pai Mei and the Bride (Kill Bill) to Mr. Miyagi and Daniel-san friendship. Every now and then you also get the "mentor/student" bonding from complete strangers (Mask of Zorro movie with Banderas and Hopkins being a good example) that is similar to a loving parent/child relationship. The how and the why's aren't explained, yet it doesn't feel forced.

What it does show is a lot of depth to the two of them with the role of "the parent" sometimes switching to Scandal, as it did when Bane was fighting off the addiction to the venom drug. The unique relationship that they have shows that they are much deeper characters (in Gail's able hands). Also, the bonding shows that they need love, and to give love, in a way they didn't have in their upbringing. Someone to trust to let down their guard and not have it betrayed.

And pun intended or not, I get a feel of Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth's influence on Bane more than Bruce's. His attention to details and manners. Despite being firm about his opinions, he does it because he cares and you feel it.

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	no subject theanswer 2010-03-21 03:28 pm UTC (link)
	It is actually a quite common occurrence in the culture Bane is from. (Reply to this) (Thread from start) (Parent) (Thread) (Hide 9 comments) (Show 9 comments)

	no subject icon_uk 2010-03-21 04:12 pm UTC (link)
	What, growing up in a prison with no concept of parental attention or mentoring? (Reply to this) (Thread from start) (Parent) (Thread) (Hide 8 comments) (Show 8 comments)

	no subject theanswer 2010-03-21 04:47 pm UTC (link)
	No, the Spanish Caribbean. (Reply to this) (Thread from start) (Parent) (Thread) (Hide 7 comments) (Show 7 comments)

	no subject icon_uk 2010-03-21 04:56 pm UTC (link)
	Except he had no exposure to that culture, it just happens to be where he grew up geographically. He spent the entirety of his childhood and early adulthood inside a male only prison consumed with anger and hate, (Reply to this) (Thread from start) (Parent) (Thread) (Hide 6 comments) (Show 6 comments)

	no subject theanswer 2010-03-21 04:57 pm UTC (link)
	So? The culture found it's way into the prison via the guards, fellow prisoners, and books. (Reply to this) (Thread from start) (Parent) (Thread) (Hide 5 comments) (Show 5 comments)

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icon_uk
2010-03-21 05:10 pm UTC (link)

How? He was, IIRC raised in the isolation block and had minimal contact with any guards or prisoners (beyond the most violent and vicious criminals).

Without any sort of familial context to apply to the situation, the awareness of any such culture would be entirely abstract, and have no more meaning to him than ballet dancing or the lifecycle of the Norwegian homing pigeon.

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	no subject theanswer 2010-03-21 05:11 pm UTC (link)
	Not really, he had access to books and educated himself. (Reply to this) (Thread from start) (Parent) (Thread) (Hide 3 comments) (Show 3 comments)

	no subject icon_uk 2010-03-21 05:15 pm UTC (link)
	Yes, but as noted, he had no context to apply to them. Given the absence of any sense of familial or cultural identity, why should the Spanish Caribbean culture have any more meaning to him that that of the Arapaho or Maori? (Reply to this) (Thread from start) (Parent) (Thread) (Hide 2 comments) (Show 2 comments)

	no subject theanswer 2010-03-21 05:18 pm UTC (link)
	Well that would be where the contact he had came in. The prison's priest IIRC was the closest thing he had to a father. (Reply to this) (Thread from start) (Parent) (Thread) (Hide 1 comment) (Show 1 comment)

	no subject icon_uk 2010-03-21 05:20 pm UTC (link)
	Ah, fair enough then. (Reply to this) (Thread from start) (Parent)

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3goodtimes
2010-03-21 04:42 pm UTC (link)

Bane's kind of in the habit of becoming family with random people. Ra's temporary son figure, Batman's temporary brother. And the teddy bear shows a glimmer of the nurturing urge.

Which is not to say you don't have a point. This is a pretty big change. But I certainly don't mind it.

I'm fine with the plausible explanation being him getting off venom, growing as a person, and becoming more likable and interesting as fake daddy to Scandal.

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	no subject retro_nouveau 2010-03-21 03:46 pm UTC (link)
	Seeing ~~Knockoff~~ Liana again reminds me -- I wonder what happens with Bane and Scandal if (when?) Knockout comes back. I also wish that Bane would shave ~~everywhere below his neck~~ his whole head or none of it. That little patch with the widow's peak bugs me to no end. (Reply to this) (Thread) (Hide 2 comments) (Show 2 comments)

	no subject joasakura 2010-03-21 04:00 pm UTC (link)
	Knockoff SNRK! (Reply to this) (Thread from start) (Parent)

	no subject sherkahn 2010-03-21 04:38 pm UTC (link)
	I also wish that Bane would shave his whole head or none of it. That little patch with the widow's peak bugs me to no end He keeps trying to grow a warrior's wolftail, but fails. (Reply to this) (Thread from start) (Parent)

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r0b666
2010-03-21 06:16 pm UTC (link)

Somewhat off topic but...

When the hell did a new Mockingbird happen?

And why would the Six follow them? This incarnation's rationale for following Luthor was backmail.

So

1) Who did they think this new Mockingbird was?

2) Why follow thir orders?

Also the reveal that it is Waller at the end of the Squad crossover was just sloppy. Do they even explain this new Mockingbird?

I feel like I missed something here and I have and have read every issue of the series.

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	no subject shanejayell 2010-03-21 11:39 pm UTC (link)
	They're mercenaries. Mockingbird is, presumedly, paying them. shrug (Reply to this) (Thread from start) (Parent)

	no subject espanolbot 2010-03-21 08:24 pm UTC (link)
	Hm, considering how Ra's "isn't amused" by Thomas Elliot's decision to impersonate Bruce Wayne, I wonder what Bane's reaction would be, considering that he and Bruce are actually on better terms then Wayne and Ra's are currently. (Reply to this) (Thread) (Hide 1 comment) (Show 1 comment)

	no subject q99 2010-03-22 09:18 am UTC (link)
	I assume he wouldn't like it, but it's not really one of his concerns. Unless Elliot tried to approach him first, then it may become one. (Reply to this) (Thread from start) (Parent)

	no subject shadowpsykie 2010-03-22 03:39 pm UTC (link)
	god i love Bane, i have said this before, and i am sure you are all tired of hearing th is, but gail is my goddess, (with Marc Andreyko, and Greg Rucka in close competition for my Gods:) the last issue with Rags and BlackAlice, were AMAZING "What? It wasn't me who was being perverted this time!" (do you like me: Yes[ ] No [ ]) heehee (Reply to this)

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