Batman Eternal #13

[kojiro]

Comments

[mrstatham]

I think the only problem with trying to invest any kind of suspense in Steph's story is that - thanks to Batman #28 - we know she'll at least survive to the end of Eternal's second act. That's not to say it's not interesting, but still.

[big_daddy_d]

Jesus. H. Christ. Did this guy ever love his daughter? At all? I mean damn the way he's going after her it's like he hates her. I know before the reboot, he's a dick but damn he wasn't like this was he?

[aperturedreams]

He was also a lot less successful and serious. Which, given that he's still a crap villain here, sure is saying something.

[shadowpsykie]

i don't know... i mean all the interactions we i recall seeing of them showed that he pretty much was just using his family as a cover... he was more shocked than anything that she was the spoiler... in Her batgirl run he straight up drugged her and sent super villains after her with orders to pretty much kill her (one could argue he figured they wouldn't kill her, but he seemed pretty aloof about this...) so yeah... honestly ia m not seeing much that DOESN'T jibe with pre 52 arthur brown

[xammax]

Never have I seen someone die in Gotham before and thought; truly that person was too dumb to live.

[toby_wan_kenobi]

To be fair, if a nicely-wrapped package arrived at my house addressed to one of my friends, I don't think a bomb would be on the list of things I'd expect to be inside it.

And we're talking about a nosy teenager here. That's a demographic that is not renowned for forethought.

[zabilac]

You have a point on the package, she still shouldn't have opened it. Not that it would have helped, but either way.

[deepspaceartist]

Not opening it might have helped. Perhaps the timer was a short countdown rigged to only start when the box was opened. You know, designed to give Steph a chance to realise who killed her before she dies.

But yeah, if you live in GOTHAM CITY and a friend is telling you not to open a mysterious box, you don't open the box. In fact, put as much distance beteween you and the box as you possibly can. It's Gotham survival 101.

[shadowpsykie]

agreed. especially a colorful mysterious box...

[icon_uk]

I suspect Gotham Mail carriers will automatically refuse to deliver; any parcel which has purple and green wrapping; anything which has plain black and white split down the middle packaging; appears to be a jigsaw puzzle, or has kitty cat festooned wrapping paper.

And the Interflora couriers resigned en masse after Ivy's last venture.

[shadowpsykie]

really. "Surviving in Gotham" should be a manditory class starting in pre-school

[sir_razorback]

I think the key to surviving in Gotham, is to move to Metropolis.

[toby_wan_kenobi]

Oh, it is extremely rude to open a package meant for someone else, I just think it is a bit of a leap to call it suicidal.

[icon_uk]

Those two idiots in NML who took way too many pages of story to realise that the safe house they had just broken into was actually an abandoned (but not harmless) Joker hideout spring to mind.

[espanolbot]

I don't know, there's the No Man's Land issue where two urban explorers break into a house that is very obviously the Joker's and somehow don't pick up the dozens and dozens of clues as to who the owner is. The issue ends with them NEARLY dying from setting off a boobytrap, only for one of them to then accidentally die from chugging a can of poisoned soda they found while searching the place for supplies.

[big_daddy_d]

I thought I was the only one thinking that.

[kd_the_movie]

Man.

This is getting pretty fucking ridiculous.

OTOH, my disdain for Cluemaster has risen so much, I'm praying for Frank Castle to make a surprise crossover visit.

[starwolf_oakley]

First page, third panel. I take it that's Steph blowing air out, deliberately puffing her cheeks. Not exactly a sigh.

Unless it is something else.

[shadowpsykie]

heh yeah that's what i figured. it fit with the whiney tone of the text "Steeeeeeeph"

[shadowpsykie]

hmmm i wonder what the Clue is... Trojan Horse?

i hope his clues are somewhat clever. Riddler always seemed... lofty. Cluemaster seems like they would be more clever... ugh, forgive me... i am beginig the mid day wind down.

[icon_uk]

Cluemaster has rarely been clever. His first appearance featured clues which only made sense when turned upside down, and that was as close to brilliant as he ever got. Since then he's rightly been considered a poor Riddler knock-off, with the only other gimmick being his weapon capsule straps.

[shadowpsykie]

oh i know, but even as a loser villain, i could see potential in him. Riddle seems rather bougeous (sp?)... like an upper class type of puzzle that is soooo out there that it would be hard for someone to solve it...

i would like to see a cluemaster who has a Clue that could be easily figured out by someone with a decent level of education or street smarts.

[drtechnobabel]

You mean kind of like a blue-collar Riddler? Hmm...that would actually be kind of interesting.

[shadowpsykie]

yeah like that. Not riddles that you would have to have a degree to know. but knowledge that anyone (in Cluemaster's mindset) with HALF A BRAIN should know.

then his MO would be "Everyone is just too stupid to even SEE this"

Riddler is like "See how smart I am?"

Cluemaster is "See how STUPID everyone else is!"

He's top of the D list.

[7dialsmystery]

Originally he was a half-assed, low rent knock off of Riddler. He was trying to ride the coat tails of one of the villain "A listers" to success. His clues were really lame and he was just two bit dimwitted thug. His new origin story, quiz show host turned evil out of jealousy of those who inherited wealth, is actually less interesting than him being some guttersnipe trying to break into the big leagues with a gimmick.

[burkeonthesly]

My guess is "stalking horse." Bait, to draw someone out--which is what the bombing of her friend's house ended up being.

[angelophile]

So, DC introduced a female character of color as a friend of Steph's and then immediately killed her off for shock value.

Why am I not surprised by this.

[daningram.insanejournal.com]

Basic pattern recognition?

[junipepper]

Well, she's the woman in refrigerator being used to advance the story of a female protagonist. Not sure you could call that progress.

[kurenai_tenka]

This is a totally minor thing to be bothered by (and I'm way late to the party), but how is it that despite sleeping rough in a library and presumably not leaving, Steph has had the time/facilities to apply mascara?