Detective Comics #984

[history79]

Comments

[angelophile]

This nonsense again?

[shadowpsykie]

i think this is a misdirect

[mastermahan]

Seconded. Karma's a mind reader. If Bruce is going to trick him, he'll need to trick the rest of the Batfamily. If they know it's a trick, so will Karma.

This doesn't mean deliberately lying to his trusted allies is a good idea - they're still going to be pissed - but yeah, it's a tactic.

[icon_uk]

Would any of them fall for this schtick again though?

Though having said that, I suppose Duke and Cass are about the only one's he HASN'T pulled that routine on.

[shadowpsykie]

the others would just say "damnit... i owe Dick 1,000 dollars!"

[lieut_kettch]

Though Cass could probably see Bruce was lying by observing his body language.

[mastermahan]

Probably why he's having Jefferson deliver the message.

[lordultimus]

Wow, even the villains are sick of the pearls thing.

[janegray]

Please accept this "like" in comment form :)

[scorntx]

Oh no, the lightning must've fried Bruce's settings. He's gotten stuck on "Jerk" again.

[matrix_dragon]

Ah, I see we're at the 'Bruce driving everyone away' stage of his regular bullshit.

Also, the Emoting Helmet Moron beat Cass in hand to hand. No. Just No. Those swords should be getting surgically removed from his asshole.

[scorntx]

Judging by what happens with Black Lightning, it looks like Dark Hel-... sorry, "Karma" has some kind of power / ability mimicking thing going.

[caivu]

The helmet lets him read minds. This is a nonissue.

[thanekos]

As (retroactive legacy) Prometheus and Lady Shiva, so Karma and Cass.

[lieut_kettch]

The guy's a telepath, so he gets a pass. Otherwise, he'd be having his ass handed to him.

[icon_uk]

All his powers should give him a brief forewarning about where the next burst of blinding pain is going to come from.

Just because you can read the mind of the person about to shoot you, doesn't mean you're suddenly fast enough to dodge the bullet.

[thanekos]

In conclusion, Outsiders.

[goattoucher]

Bullshit.

This guy can read minds. Awesome. That doesn't mean that he can beat Cass.

"Mister X" over in Marvel!" you say? Yeah, and how was he beaten?

1: Wolverine went Berserk and fought without thinking.
2: Quicksilver was too fast for him to react to.

Cass is similarly nonverbal, -and- has been trained to fight with speed and precision since early childhood. If he -could- read her moves, she would be able to tell in his body language and adjust before he could.

The guy breaks her arm to show what a badass he is. I have never seen a more "Worf" moment since late 90's Wolverine got his ass kicked by the author's pet of the week.

Lazy fucking writing.

[broblawsky]

For God's sake, give the story a break. If new villains aren't allowed to at least occasionally present a real threat to our protagonists, writers will never create them, and we'll end up in the same endless Joker-Two Face-Scarecrow loop, with occasional cameos from the Riddler or the Penguin.

[matrix_dragon]

The problem is, this guy is taking the wrong way to being a threat to the protagonists. Beating Cass hand to hand so damn easily comes across as a Worfing. Last issue he got the jump on her by blowing up a bike. That part was clever. Have him win by fighting smart. Staying at range, using his powers to know how she's going to try and close the distance while having time to react. Show that he's a threat, he's smart, he's prepared. Right now, he's coming across as another Prometheus, and Prometheus was always nonsense.

[angelophile]

Co-signed.

There are ways to effectively show your villain is a threat by having them work smart, not by just having them be 'better' than your heroes.

[goattoucher]

Also, "Give the story a break"?

How about No. These guys are professional writers. Their entire job is finding ways to create threatening antagonists and use existing antagonists in new ways to make them threatening.

The Batman has beaten his entire rogues' gallery literally dozens of times. If you want to make them a threat, you need to be clever, creative, and talented. Don't retcon. Don't give them an unexplained power boost. Be creative.

As for making new guys, I refer to the good thoughts expressed above.

If you can't do it, get off the mound and give someone else a chance.

[locuatico]

I am reminded of a scene in "Soul Eater".

One of the characters suddenly has to fight a dude who tells him "I can see the future and see what you will do BEFORE you do!". We are then shown an inner monologue in which said character is trying to think of a way how to deal with an enemy with such a powerful ability. He can't find a solution because "whatever I think he probably already knows".

The guy then gives up, begging for mercy. Because he could not see a future in which he did not completely wreck him with little effort.

[janegray]

Ah! :D

Yu Yu Hakusho did something similar. An enemy can read minds, and Yusuke just thinks "I'm going to hit him with a right hook." Then Yusuke goes and hits him with a right hook. Because Yusuke is super fast, so even with ample warning the guy just couldn't avoid the attack he knew was coming.

[goattoucher]

[matrix_dragon]

Oh man, I adore that scene. Horrible little god mode monster gloating about how perfect he is, how he's going to kill so many people. Cue Quicksilver with a piece of metal.

[mastermahan]

Andy Diggle's take on Mister X was great. A stuck-up, shirtless douchebag who existed only for other characters to figure out a way past his powers and beat the shit out of him.

[locuatico]

Yeah. I recall that one. it wasn't just that he thought that, IIRC.

Before doing so, he told the guy "I am going to punch you with my right hand" and the guy was like "heh, I will see what you are ACTUALLY planning to do!" and then... he reads yusuke saying "I am going to punch you with my right hook" over and over and over again. then yusuke punches him.

[hybrid2]

Orphan is a awfull name...
Even Black Bat was better.

Signal?where did that name come from?

[lizard_of_aus]

Well, doy. The big shiny thing on Mister Gordon's roof.

[mastermahan]

I assume Duke considered Mobile and Arang at some point.

And yes, Orphan would be a lousy name even if it wasn't a tribute to her abusive monster of a father.

[shadowpsykie]

surprised no body can see what Bruce is doing. He's telling Jefferson to tell them "They Make me weaker" that is not the same thing as BELIEVING it. He is telling them this because they KNOW this is what he does. the villains are expecting batman to continue predictable patterns of behavior. The problem is, the point of this arc is to BREAK those patterns of behavior. this whole self exploration (CAN batman be batman if he is happy) means that the old tropes have to be examined and proved wrong. it's the LONG game.

[locuatico]

Yeah. Even the scene makes it clear he is downright lying about not needing them and he knows he is lying.

[shadowpsykie]

anyone else staring at Bruce's ass in that last panel?

[viridian5]

It's never just you.

[lieut_kettch]

PFFFT. Not even one-tenth the perfection that is Dick Grayson.

[mastermahan]

Bruce deserves some credit for training the world's greatest ass.

[icon_uk]

That's not a very nice thing to call Jason

Oh... right...

Never mind...

[icon_uk]

Perhaps not, but it'll certanly do as a stopgap.