What I Bought Today – Batman #16, Batgirl #16, Batman and Robin #16 (WARNING – SPOILERS)

Oh look, it’s Wednesday again! That means it’s time to take a look at…

We got three comics that are leading into the conclusion of Death of the Family, so let’s start off with Batman #16.

I love this cover so much. It’s like they were saying to themselves “Hmm, how can we make that scene from The Dark Knight Returns where he’s riding that horse into battle any more badass?” and then some wonderful, brilliant man said “Well why don’t we just light it on fire?” XD

Lemme just give a hint to people that plan to wait until the trade comes out to buy Death of the Family: Whenever you think you know what the Joker is planning, slap yourself in the face and say “No, you don’t”. I almost feel like Scott Snyder is trolling me in that sense sometimes. Now, at this point, the Joker’s master plan appears to be slowly but surely unveiling itself for what it truly is, but I wouldn’t be surprised if I’m actually way off on what the end result of this story is. If I have one complaint about this book, though, it’s that there’s a short montage of sorts where Batman fights through several of his rogues gallery to get to the Joker in Arkham Asylum, but he makes each fight quick and relatively easy looking. And these aren’t second stringers either. Frigging Mr. Freeze is in there. It just seems too easy for him, the way he breezes past them. Also, horse lovers might not exactly like this book all that much, since there are two horse fatalities in it. Still, this comic continues to keep me on the edge of my seat, and I’m somewhat mortified by something that happens at the very end, and we’ll get to that later.

Madness? THIS IS GOTHAM!!! 😛

Batman & Robin #16 was…well, here’s the thing. I felt none of the emotional tension they were trying to convey in this story whatsoever as Robin was fighting ‘Batman’ because I frigging KNEW that wasn’t really Batman. I’m sorry, but I could just smell the fake-out coming from the instant I was done reading last month’s issue. That was the inherent problem with this particular tie-in: I knew the real Batman couldn’t really be there. It’s also part of the problem with this being a Batman & Robin book instead of a Robin book: Batman HAD to be there. Seriously, this book needs to drop Batman as a main protagonist and just be a Robin comic. Heck, it technically already is, just not in name.

Okay, how freaky would THIS be: If Gail Simone did herself up to look like this for Twitter? XD

Batgirl #16 is wonderful and creepy, as the whole series has been. I’m gonna miss Gail Simone…for the two months she’s off. lol Long story short for this issue, Joker tries to wed Batgirl, James Gordon Jr. gets involved, massive fight breaks out, ends with a destroyed church…Well THAT’S not gonna go over well. To those who were actually wondering if they were going to pull this, no. Batgirl does NOT get married to Joker. Duh. However, we get a scare at the very end that’s quite similar to what we see at the end of Batman and Batman & Robin, which means it’s finally time to talk about this.

Joker has a dinner tray. Well, I think it’s one dinner platter, it looks a little different in each book. I’m going to assume either they’re different platters or nobody kept it clear what it was supposed to look like. Anyway, point is he has a platter, and the contents are covered up. We don’t know what’s in it for certain. However, I do recall Batman #14 wherein the Joker said he kidnapped Alfred to prepare for some type of celebration…and the platter has what appears to be blood on it in Batgirl #16…If that platter has what I think it has inside, I think I’m gonna be sick. :O

…So yeah, that was all for this week. Check in next week when the Joker continues to give us nightmare fuel in Nightwing #16. And I think come this time next month, I’m gonna want a few barf bags ready. Ja né.