Batman #101

[cyberghostface]

Comments

[blueprintstyles]

I have to admit, this is a good pitch.

[lucean]

I really like the status quo set up here. It is rich and allows for good stories, but is malleable enough to allow for the next writers to find their own ways to build on it.

[lbd_nytetrayn]

And eventually retcon it.

Sorry for the cynicism, it just feels like nothing they ever try to do to reinvigorate the character and dial things back a little ever sticks.

[silverhammerman]

I remember a few months ago I mentioned how I don't love the continued escalation of Bruce Wayne's wealth and wondered if we might ever be due for a non-ultra-rich take on the character, so it's cool to see that actually happening.

This is sort of like that time in the Bronze Age when Superman lost most of his powers for a while, and I kind of expect it to work much the same way. Like, Batman's still probably gonna have rockets and stuff when he shows up in Justice League, but so long as they at least make an effort to follow through on this in the Bat-books I do think it could be a really interesting direction and a true reinvention of the character for the post-Scott Snyder era.

[zachbeacon]

Some random thoughts...

I am amazed Red Mohawk survived this event.

It must be nice to have the option to buy someone out when they offend you.

One of the reasons I liked No Man's Land so much is that Batman was forced to operate with limited resources.

Sacrificing the good the Bruce can do with his money so he can continue to be Batman is extremely selfish.

I think the Nolan movies proved any halfway competent accountant would have caught Bruce's embezzlement long ago. The fact that he hasn't been audited is right up there with "why is the Joker still alive" in terms of suspension of disbelief. "Batman Inc" was weirdly brilliant in that it gave Bruce an excuse for when people start asking about all the Batman stuff he buys.

[starwolf_oakley]

One review for this issue said for a while, Bruce Wayne's wealth was at "Superman in the Silver Age" power levels.

https://www.polygon.com/2020/10/20/21524863/batman-how-much-money-net-worth-rich-dc-comics

"Bruce Wayne moves into Gotham City" has been done a few times, once after Dick Grayson left for college Batman Vol 1 217.

"No Man's Land" introduced the idea of a few "mini-caves" around Gotham City. We learned Bruce built them while Dick was Batman during "Prodigal." I think it was Bruce's idea of "intense introspection while also keeping busy."

[agent8]

Haven't they already done "Batman loses all of his money" before?
And as for "permanently" yea , right. Nothing's "permanent" in comics. Give it a year, or two at most, and status quo will be restored.

[cyberghostface]

Everything’s been done before.

[starwolf_oakley]

They've done "Bruce moves into Gotham City has a Batcave under Wayne Enterprises" before. Batman Vol. 1 #217, IIRC.

[janegray]

He hasn't lost all his money though, they mention that he is getting a "very generous" allowance. He's just not gonna be able to buy a jet with the spare change in the batcouch.

Given society's change of attitude over billionaires, and the increasing outrage over it (Amazon paid no taxes, while forcing its workers to rely on government-issued food stamps despite their working full-time jobs, so it can accumulate enough money to fix world hunger five times over and chooses to hoard it uselessly instead), this is one change I could see sticking.

[thanekos]

Lucius Fox's dialog in this scene was just copy-pasted from the pitch document for Batman post-#100.

[janegray]

I really like this. It's an elegant way to address the increasing concerns with the ethics of a billionaire Batman and the question of whether that money wouldn't be better spent fixing world hunger or climate change.

A Batman who is still very wealthy but reasonably so, rather than Richer Than God, works much better.

[nyadnar17]

Doesn't this move the problem to Lucas Fox rather than Bruce Wayne.

Honestly I always liked having the conversation because too many people seem to think billionaires could fix the worlds problem if only they were willing to throw money at it.

[tripodeca113]

Now he's only really very super wealthy, compared to ultra, really, very, super wealthy.

[akodo_rokku]

CITIZENS OF GOTHAM
DON'T YOU DARE BE SOUR
CLAP FOR YOUR WORLD'S GREATEST DETECTIVE
AND FEEEEEEL THE POWWWWAAAAAAHHHH
IT'S A NEW DAY, YES IT IS!