BATMAN DAY megapost

[starwolf_oakley]

For Batman Day, here are some Batman pages. The first group covers some of Bruce Wayne's troubled mind, the second and third deal with his troubled "friendship" with other superheroes.




Sam Hamm, who wrote the 1989 Batman movie, also wrote a three-part DETECTIVE COMICS story that ended in #600. The story introduced Henri Ducard, toyed with the idea of a replacement for a paralyzed Bruce Wayne, and had Bruce suffering a recurring dream of Batman killing the Waynes. Hamm wraps up the story with a theory as to why Bruce Wayne's mind plays the death of Thomas and Martha Wayne on a near-constant loop.







So, there's the theory. Bruce knows Gotham City and the world needs Batman, so the death of the Waynes is going to go on and on and on.


These pages from the final issue of SUPERMAN BATMAN, issue #87.





As I've said elsewhere, some people might say "At least when Falcone was in charge, the trains ran on time and Chinese Ninjas weren't trying to blow them up."

The editor is fired as Wayne Enterprises is buying the paper. Nothing can be proved other than he put a name in a dropbox.





Here's a link to the last page done without the word balloons:
http://blondthecolorist.deviantart.com/art/Superman-Batman-87-p20-254600654

And here's a page from Brad Meltzer's JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #0.



"...Until the day you die!"

Batman's utter contempt for the rest of the Justice League bugs me, especially since DC can't give a good reason for it in any post-Crisis or post-Flashpoint time period. Any attempt makes Batman look absurdly petty.

I think what Mark Waid started with "Tower of Babel" and Brad Meltzer continued with IDENTITY CRISIS led to its ultimate conclusion in Frank Miller's ALL STAR BATMAN AND ROBIN, THE BOY WONDER. The conclusion being Batman hates the rest of the Justice League, but they are incompetent without him, so he has to put up with them so they won't be complete failures.

Comments

[lbd_nytetrayn]

So... what is Batman Day? Is there any significance to the date?

Nearest I can tell, DC just said "hey, this is Batman Day. Buy Batman stuff!" on their website.

[crinos]

I think the whole "Batman has countermeasures to disable the rest of the league" could be handled a lot better

Like for one, Batman told the JLA that he had them, not what they were per se, just that they existed in case it was ever needed.

I mean they probably wouldn't be happy about it, but I think it would be better than them finding out when Ras Al'Ghul stole plans and turned them on the Justice League.

Plus it could be framed in the sense that Batman has respect for his allies, and knows they would never want to be forced to hurt their loved ones or innocent people against their wills, then point out all the villains they know with mind control (Despero, Starro, Grodd, Manchester Black) and all the times they've been mind control or went on rampages (Red Kryptonite effect, Fernus), instead of Batman treating them like wild dogs that may have to be put down.

Just a thought.

[locuatico]

Yeah. that's the reason why I think Batman having Counter-measures for Superman work: he didn't design counter-measures, he and Clark Designed the counter-measures together.
It's the same reason why i find the Infinite crisis scene in which Kal-L destroys the Kryptonite Ring because it represented the superheroes distrusting each other as Geoff Johns failing to understand the true meaning of the ring. I.E. a symbol of the unconditioned trust Clark had on Bruce.

[icon_uk]

Have to say I was always with Batman on this one. The JLA has been mind controlled too often for them to be blase about it... and they should recognise that fact, since they are rational adults.

If Batman tells them he has such plains, they are diluted, or rendered useless, because they know he has them and that if the first thing they do when controlled is kill Batman rather than, say, round up the rest of the League, then he hasn't got a chance to implement them.

And the point was that Ra's stole the plans from the usually ultra secure, but now wrecked. Batcave in the middle of the disaster that was post earthquake Gotham. Deeply unfortunate, but hardly Batman's fault per se.

I've mentioned before I always loved a fanfic I read just after Tower of Babel came out, where Superman and Nightwing talk (since Superman isn't talking to Batman) and Superman eventually asks Nightwing if he thinks Bruce has a file on HIM? And Dick replies, "I really hope he does, because if I'm out there, hurting people because someone is controlling me, I really hope that that will be someone who is prepared to stop me, no matter the cost to themself."

[crinos]

Well, again, All he has to do is tell them he has a way to stop them if need be. Not what it is or how its implemented. Knowing Batman, a lot of these plans can be implemented without his direct input (Which was kind of what the problem was in Tower of Babel: Ras stole Batman's notes on how to disable the JLA and unleashed them).

Which is the other problem: The rest of the League found out about these countermeasures in the worst possible way: By having them used on them by a villain (Plastic Man in particular was hurt by the idea Bats thought up a way to potentially kill him). If these countermeasures had been used in the way they were intended: To take down a mind controlled JLA member, then they might have been more open to the idea (or at the very least would not have reacted as badly as they did).

[starwolf_oakley]

Also, for the JLA, it's hard to tell if these are "mind control" countermeasures or "When the JLA does something I don't like because I'm Batman" countermeasures.

And when Superman was mind-controlled by Maxwell Lord in "Sacrifice" (specifically Superman was seeing his worst enemies attacking him) there wasn't a thing Batman could do.

[icon_uk]

Batman's reaction to the suggestion that it was for anything other than a mind control contermeasure seemed absolutely genuine, he was horrified they would think so poorly of him.

[icon_uk]

When one of the Leaguers is a powerful telepath, nope, you really don't tell them you have plans, because evil-J'onn now has the whole plan.

IIRC Ra's took Batman's plan and CHANGED them, rendering them lethal, he made them so as not to distract or disable them for long enough for the threat controlling them to be dealt with, but to ultimately kill them.

And under the circumstances, Batman would definitely be in the "ask for forgiveness rather than permission" school. If not telling them gave him even a slight edge should he actually need to implement them, he wouldn't.

[lego_joker]

I think you and Bluefall had a huge debate about this back in the day. Didn't the plan for J'onn involve the very-lethal method of burning him alive?

IMO, a much simpler solution would be to simply *not have Bruce and the JLA exist on the same Earth*.

[icon_uk]

I can imagine we did... it happened quite a lot.

I would note thought that Batman's plan would logically involve utilising J'onn's only known tactical weakness, his chronic pyrophobia, but I don't know if it was Bat's original or Ra's modification to the plan which involved actually burning him alive.

What on earth would divorcing Batman from the world the JLA exists on achieve? It'd be nuts from any number of standpoints, starting with tradition, moving on through corporate synergy and licensing opportunities.

[lego_joker]

Well, "tradition" dictates (among other things) that Mr. Freeze be a goofy one-dimensional bank robber in green spandex, and the other two are entirely financially-based, which makes them irrelevant from a storytelling perspective...

But okay, I'll admit this is my bias against a DC Shared Universe peeking through, specifically the "any world that needs a Batman is too far gone for Superman to save" sub-bias. In addition to that, I feel the very presence of Batman on the JLA necessitates dumbing everyone else (especially Superman and WW) down so that the guy with no super-senses can keep up with the ones who do.

(Stay tuned for my half-sensical rant about why the JLA itself is kind of a dumb idea, coming soon to a message board near you!)

[icon_uk]

We will hold our collective breaths in anticipation! :)

[sarahnewlin]

that last page...diana what is torso? what is arm? what is

[zapbiffpow]

Hey, what's with the celebratory shit here? Is this a Rebirth thing, or something?

I thought Detective Comics #27 was released in March.

[locuatico]

I remember someone pointing out that the whole "I am a Loner" charade Batman has going on falls apart when you consider how many bat-family members there are.

[janegray]

http://cuhboose.tumblr.com/post/131837994518/if-i-may-say-so-sir-superman-seems-like-a

[lego_joker]

To be fair, that might be because the Bat-Family is easier for him to boss around; even the more rebellious members like Huntress can't toss him into deep space with a thought. Heck, the likes of Dick, Tim, and Cass practically lick the ground he walks on.

[icon_uk]

Dick and Tim are loyal out of respect for what he has done as Batman and what he has done for them, but they are also the first ones to call him on his bullshit behaviour.

Cass is loyal to what the bat stands for, not Batman.

[locuatico]

Dick doesn't really "licke the ground". he has had plenty of times where he butts heads with Bruce Batman has shown in plenty of ocassions that Dick is his own man. Hell, It has been implied multiple times that Gordon is his equal and the only reason Batman is allowed to be.

[starwolf_oakley]

Bruce and Dick not agreeing is a trope by this point. Although DC is vague about what Bruce and Dick disagree on.

[empgonzo]

I always thought Batman's first appearance was on 9/19/39 not on the 18th.

[bradygirl_12]

I've always thought it was funny, too, that Batman is presented as a loner when he has the biggest superhero family around.

I've always loathed the depiction of him being contemptuous of his JLA teammates. That's bull, Bruce. They are all highly competent heroes, some of whom may do things differently than you, but guess what? That's life. Your arrogance and high-handedness make you tolerated, not respected. Any respect you do get is for your capabilities, but no one likes to be sneered at and condescended to, and that version of Batman has nothing but contempt for his fellow JLAers. Screw him! He needs A Christmas Carol-type awakening.

[starwolf_oakley]

And the biggest part I forgot to mention in my post...

If the members of the Justice League are afraid of Batman long enough... eventually they will HATE him. And it is different from the hatred the old gang at Arkham and Blackgate have for Batman.

Hal Jordan is a good example, but that's because Batman reminds Hal of Sinestro, and not in a good way.

[zylly]

Agreed. Joe Schmoe the bank robber should be afraid of Batman. Kyle Rayner, his JLA teammate should not.

This is a legitimate complaint about Gotham..

[7dialsmystery]

"At least when Falcone was in charge, the trains ran on time and Chinese Ninjas weren't trying to blow them up."

Gotham is a cesspit. The rest of the country has washed it's hands of it (see Cataclysm arc). The only people invested in it are Bruce Wayne (who wants to continue being Batman which won't happen if Gotham becomes civilized) and the crime lords trying to do business. Today's mob boss/warlord is tomorrow's legitimate ruling royal family. If they can bring some kind of stability and function to the place, let them. Even if it means legalizing certain unsavory businesses.

Re: This is a legitimate complaint about Gotham..

[icon_uk]

I do believe Bruce would give up being Batman if Gotham didn't need him, and that doesn't stop him attempting to improve it through being a civilising influence (Full college tuition paid for his employees, offering a second chance to ex cons and so on)