All-Star Batman and Robin #4

[history79]

Comments

[captainbellman]

Huh. Life, Minus Parents, Plus Bacon-Cheeseburger-Delivered-By-A-Shadowy-Butler Equals Heaven.

Let me just go put a "Help Wanted" ad in the paper and buy a good solid axe, and I'll be sailing to paradise. Thanks, Frank Miller!

[icon_uk]

His life is a shit storm right now, something as normal as a hot meal to a cold, exhausted, stressed out kid might well seem pretty close to heaven for the moment.

[bradygirl_12]

Ha! Even in this loony tune world, Dick still makes a difference at the Manor!

[captainbellman]

You can actually see Miller beginning to clumsily lay the seeds for his bizarre 'arc' for Dick where he becomes an immortal shapeshifting Joker imitator who wears the uniforms of the Legion of Superheroes and arises to try and destroy Batman's life for no particular reason.

That "he'll ruin everything" line is, I suppose, meant to be ironic; and the later bits about how Dick can jump a lot and is very murdery were probably meant to be hints as well.

[icon_uk]

Even knowing that that first parpagraph is a pretty accurate and concise description of the events, it still makes my brain hurt.

[janegray]

Because the death of Bruce's parents wasn't bad enough, Miller had to go and add the part about "their brains splashed all over my feet." Okay.

[walkingthroughforest]

That's actually Dicks monologue, and his parents just died hours ago.

[janegray]

But that makes even less sense...

I mean, Bruce's parents were shot in front of him, so conceivably their brains might have got on his shoes. But Dick's parents fell off a trapeze... Did he change their origin so that they died within reach of Dick?

[sagrada]

Yeah, last issue we saw them and the Flying Graysons were taking a bow before Thomas Zucchini shot Dick's parents in the head, with a conspicuous lack of exposed brains for some rating. I mean reason.

[icon_uk]

Different history, different form of death because, apparently, the tragic irony of aerialists falling to their deaths wasn't gruesome enough

[beeyo]

I'm starting to notice what everyone was saying about the art not jiving with Miller's writing. I associate Lee's Batman with Hush and, as jumbled as that story was, Batman was far from a fucking massive jerk in that story. It's hard to remember that Hush Bruce and this Bruce are two completely different characters and it creates a big ass disconnect for me.

[reveen]

Uh... who's Ekhart?

What is this, the Room? Who the hell is Ekhart?!

[captainbellman]

A...doctor? Who is apparently OK with Superman kidnapping him at Batman's merest command?

[sagrada]

"Doctor! I am Superman, there's a woman in the United States only YOU can save! Will you come with me?"

"WILL I?!?! Take me straight there!"

"But, your car-"

"No time! Just run along the surface of the ocean because that makes sense and doesn't just make you look like a tool to any passers-by strolling along the Atlantic."

[captainbellman]

From the sea-bed, Aquaman stares up, a disappointed expression on his face. "I have told him a million times he could just fly. I would tell him the million-and-first, but then I wouldn't get to watch that booty of his zooming along. Decisions, decisions..."

[leoboiko]

Back then I was really sure that this comic was literally a self-parody. Then The Blog Post happened, and I realized I had been another victim of Poe's Law.

[tcampbell1000]

Strangely, while the Goddamn Batman is Goddamning it up and down the street and even DIck and Superman are all but unrecognizable, Alfred has not been changed AT ALL from his then-current template. One almost expects him to interrupt himself in the middle of his speech and say "Oh, wait, sorry wrong universe" and exist stage left, to be replaced by the effete gay stereotype that would fit in better around here.

[lego_joker]

As much as Miller (deservedly) gets shit on, he pretty much *invented* the modern fearless, snarky Alfred who talks back to Bruce whenever he damn well pleases. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that Miller left a bigger mark behind on Alfred than he did on Bruce.

It makes sense that Miller wouldn't change that characterization.

[leoboiko]

As much as Miller (deservedly) gets criticized, I don't think he's much for the effete gay stereotype? The only gay male characters of his that I can think of is the military couple from Sin City: Hell and Back, and they were non-stereotype-y (and also pretty cool, in my book).

[icon_uk]

Any universe where Bruce EVER thinks that taking Dick would ruin things, should just be hit with a wave of anti-matter right there and then (Apart from Dick and Alfred, who should be allowed to escape to another, better, universe)