Jyger’s Favourite 5 – 5 Favourite Moments From Scott Snyder’s Batman

Well, I’ve recently read the last issue of Scott Snyder’s Batman that I’ll be reading for a while, so now’s as good a time as any to look back on some of my favourite moments from this 40+ issue run (including annuals and whatnot). As always, these are in no particular listing of best to worst, and just like with my Favourite 5 for Superman Unchained, only one entry per issue, unless there’s a tie for which moment I liked best, in which case, they both share the same entry. So, let’s go ahead and start with…

#1 – The Burning Horse from Batman #16

This was probably the first time I actually had to physically ask the question “Scott…….what the hell is wrong with you?” XD I think what I love most about it is how it just comes outta nowhere, right as Batman is trying to size himself up for this confrontation with the Joker. Just imagine yourself being like “Okay, you got this, no matter what he throws at ya, you can’t let anythi-WHAT THE FUCK?!” And that’s not even the only horse to die horribly in this series. Hell, another one gets frozen and smashed IN THIS ISSUE! Seriously, Mr. Snyder, between this and your love of harming Alfred, were you assaulted as a child by an Englishman riding a horse or something?

#2 – Pretty Much ALL of Batman #5

As you know, I’m a big fan of the original Court of Owls story arc. Without a doubt, though, the highlight of that arc had to be Batman #5, as it’s probably the single creepiest comic I’ve ever read that isn’t explicitly supposed to be a horror comic (though with Scott Snyder, it’s hard to tell sometimes, lol). It’s not overly gross, it’s not filled with jump scares, it’s just this slow build of terror as we watch Bruce slowly but surely fall into madness. And even the hater of turning books on their side, Linkara, has gone on record as saying he approves this issue not only eventually turning on its side, but then turning upside down, as it’s symbolic of Bruce’s fractured mind becoming more-so as he goes crazier and crazier. I won’t spoil the whole thing, though. With that said, it’s a must read, especially if you love scary stories, which usually I’m not that big a fan of, but here, I LOVE it.

#3 – The Joker’s Reveal in Batman #36

While I think this ultimately takes a close second in terms of overall creep factor to Batman #5, this is nonetheless a terrifying moment as it’s revealed that Eric Border was actually The Joker in disguise all along. Looking back on it, yes, the clues were all there, but so subtly that, much like Batman, you didn’t realize it until it was far too late, and the way the scene builds up to the point where Joker is revealed is very much a scene filled with dread as the truth slowly dawns on you, that the man you thought was the ally was the greatest enemy. It’s gripping, it’s terrifying, it’s, for better or worse, the modern-day Joker.

#4 – Batman and Robin in Batman #17

You all know I like Damian, right? Good. Now, in Death of the Family, Joker had knocked out and captured Batman’s allies one by one, sat them around a table with their faces covered in bloody bandages, and presented them dinner platters with their faces staring up at them. So after Batman forces Joker into retreat and tends to them, he goes to Damian first. Now, most comic fans, when they’re reading a comic, will hear the character’s voice speaking in their head. As such, in this scene, you can hear Damian trying desperately to sound like the cocky little bastard he usually is, trying to be brave as his father removes the bandages, when the fact is, he’s a 10-year-old boy who believes he’s had his face surgically removed. And the relief that it was just a facsimile and that he was just fine under the bandages, followed by the hug between father and son, brings the emotional moment full circle. Plus, there’s the fact that this was just before he died in Batman Incorporated, so the emotion is made even more-so in hindsight. Scott, you might not have the best grip on Damian’s character, but you managed to come through just fine on the father-son dynamic here.

#5 – Detective Comics #27 Cover Recreation from Batman #24

…Yeah, you knew this was gonna make it on here. lol What can I say? It’s an AWESOME recreation of the cover art where the world first laid eyes on The Dark Knight and said “Wow, that looks cool”. EVERYTHING about this two page spread is frakking perfect. If I could, I’d blow it up and put it on my wall…and then I’d put Wonder Woman on her pegasus in Batman/Superman on another wall. XD Zero Year, you may have taken FOREVER to get finished, but my God, did you leave the most epic of moments for us to remember you by.

And those are my 5 Favourite Scott Snyder’s Batman Moments……….Now for the honourable mentions! 😀 Oh, and no rulings with these ones, so anything goes.

Batman Plays Chopper vs Chopper in Batman #2

There’s just something about that grin of his as he’s about to launch the Batpod off the train at these poor bastards that makes me go “FUCK YEAH!”

Batman and Bane’s Fastball Special from Batman #40

I find it simultaneously amusing and awesome that Bane has gone from the man who broke the bat to being the Colossus to his Wolverine.

“I AM IRON BAT” from Batman #8

…Admit it, you thought it too. lol

Bruce and Dick in Batman #2

I just think this scene is too cute. “Come on, Dick, you know me better than nearly anyone. We’ve been through so much together……Of course I checked the cameras to make sure you weren’t a horrible murderer. What the fuck is wrong with you?” XD

Stephanie Brown Reveal in Batman #28

The moment where I realized that not only was Stephanie Brown going to be back in Batman Eternal, but she was going to play a big role…..ish. Well, okay, that’s a debate for another time.

Alfred’s Monologue in Batman #24

Yeah, Snyder’s definitely taken a cue from the version of Alfred from the Dark Knight trilogy when it comes to Alfred’s speeches, but regardless, this is a good one, where he sums up exactly why people have rarely managed to tie Batman and Bruce Wayne as being the same person.

Batman vs Joker in Batman #40

What could very well prove to be the final battle between Batman and Joker. Just a warning, though: It’s not for the faint of heart.

The Goddamn Batman from Batman #29

That moment where I just laughed, shook my head, and said “Scott, you just couldn’t resist, could you?” XD

Anyway, I think that’s enough for now. Got one that’s not on here? Lemme know what your favourite moments of this series were in the comments below. Ja né, and long live the Dark Knight!

Thoughts On Batman #38 – What Is The Joker?

Well, I ended up getting my copy of Batman #38 late, due to the roads being kinda icky last night (although that didn’t stop me from reading spoilers, because dammit, after last issue, the hell if I was gonna wait any longer than I had to in order to find out what the hell is going on). Since its release yesterday, Scott Snyder has clarified a few details for the sake of those wondering.

1. This is NOT a dream, illusion, or hallucination. What Batman is going through is 100% REAL, so theories that this is another worst case scenario brought on by the Scarecrow’s fear toxins are incorrect, though it’s likely that the payoff for that is that Batman goes through the horrid nightmares of his end, but is able to cheat death where it counts most.
2. The Joker DOES know now that Batman is Bruce Wayne. There’re no more implications, suggestions, doubts, or theories, HE KNOWS. As such, all bets are off regarding what Joker can and will do to Batman now.

So, let’s get down to the question at the core of everything going on in this story: What is the Joker? Is he human, or some kind of monster? Is he mortal, or immortal? Well, before we get to that, I can clear this much up: Regardless of what he is, there IS something in his bloodstream that has a regenerative factor to it. He was shot through the chest and didn’t die. Ergo, whether or not he’s always had it, the fact is, Joker cannot be killed right now, so even if Batman was finally willing to cross that line, the end result is that he cannot kill him.

…That, right there, is where Grayson should realize just how boned they are: BATMAN does not have a plan.

Regarding whether or not Joker could possibly be an immortal that’s been haunting Gotham City for at least a hundred years. Well, here was the argument that kept getting in the way of that for me: “How can Joker be immortal, have been seen in Gotham for at least a hundred years, and have that same pale face to boot throughout that time, when he only got it when he fell into the chemical bath?” And we HAVE established that this part of his history is still canon, having occurred during the Zero Year story-arc. However, here’s the counter-argument I eventually came to: “How do you know he got that face from the chemical bath? The only proof you have are flashbacks provided by Joker’s own narration, and his tales of his past have proven he’s either a liar or doesn’t remember his own past. In fact, how did he even survive the fall to begin with? Furthermore, how did he manage to survive everything he has, from falls off cliffs to escaping deadly explosions to even surviving the process of having his face cut off?” I’ll admit, at that point, I was kinda stumped to come up with a logical explanation for all of that, especially since so much of who Joker is and his past is kept a mystery. Remember, Zero Year suggested that he WASN’T the leader of the Red Hood Gang, but an impostor that had taken his place after the real one died. And then there’s the cave he had of other Harley Quinns he’d supposedly created prior to turning Harleen Quinzel to his side, all dead. Now, one could assume he was just messing with Harley, and in fact, he very well may have, but what if he wasn’t? What if they were all allies of his throughout his years of tormenting Gotham? Finally, how can someone trump Batman at his own game as often as he has, putting the opponent at a sheer disadvantage due to prior preparation, unless he’s been playing this game far longer than him?

This narration has been brought to you by Crazy Quilt, who got a MUCH appreciated revamp for this story.

 

So, here’s what I’m thinking has happened: Either Scott Snyder has finally explained how it’s possible for Joker to have survived all he has in his career as a Batman villain, OR has created a reasonable enough conclusion for people to come to before throwing the rug out from under them. Either way, though, when I realized he’d done one of these two things, I was torn between my admiration of his brilliance and my need to punch the beautiful bastard. lol And for that matter, I love what else he’s done, in involving Bruce’s uncle’s associates, having this story be a sequel to Death of the Family, and having Bruce finally decide to get his answers on whether Joker is immortal or not from, of all people, the Court of Owls. This is taking everything he and Greg Capullo have done in their time on the book and bringing it all together for one big climax. And the bizarre thing is, it’s not even the end! They’re still on-board for the book post-Convergence, which I keep hearing is supposed to get insane with how things change for Batman afterward. If THIS isn’t the part where things get crazy, then I gotta see what the hell those evil geniuses have in mind for post-Convergence.

Anyway, those are my thoughts on Batman #38. Lemme know your own theories on what’s happening with Joker in the comments below, and we’ll see how things turn out as Endgame winds down to a close over the next couple of months. Ja né!

What Should Infinite Batman’s Costume Be? YOU DECIDE!

So, as anyone who has been reading along with my Justice League Infinite fanfic, you should know that Batman has been wearing a high tech ‘Meta-Buster’ costume, which, on the surface, is a repaint of the Justice League 3000 Batsuit. However, as the most recent chapter that I posted revealed, the suit is actually a plot point: When Starro manages to take control of him, Batman’s Meta-Buster and his knowledge of the heroes’ powers and abilities are turned against the team. As such, the Meta-Buster is NOT Batman’s primary costume in JLI. But then, what is? Well, I HAD a plan going in, but now, looking over the various costumes Batman has worn throughout the years, I find myself doubting the plan. So instead, I decided to bring up a few costumes I think would work great for the DC Infinite Universe’s incarnation of The Dark Knight.

The Batman Incorporated/Earth One Batsuits

 

The reason I post both of these together is because I think I’d want to use a suit that incorporates elements of both, and also leaving out the…*ahem*, ‘Bat-Cup’ that the Batman Incorporated Batsuit had. I do kinda like the idea of the light-up Bat symbol, though. Maybe he could use it like that spot-light Spider-Man used to freak out bad guys with.

The Burtonverse Batsuit

 

The original suit that I had in mind. I think the only changes I’d make would be to very lightly tint it blue (because for some weird reason, blue actually blends into the dark better than black, don’t ask), and to make the belt pouches more rectangular. The cylindrical ones bug me. It makes me wonder how the hell he ever kept anything in them.

The Arkham Knight Batsuit

 

While it makes me wonder how the heck he’s supposed to change into this costume on the fly, I rather like it. The panels actually kind of remind me of the live action Iron Man suits, which I’m assuming is the idea, and is probably what I’d go with as well in using it.

The Zero Year Costume

I just love how this suit pays great homage to the original Batsuit. The only thing I’d probably change is to remove the weird line patterns going down the sides. I have no idea what the hell those were for.

The New 52 Costume

Basic and badass. That said, because his Robin is Carrie Kelley, I’d probably change the Bat symbol to look more like the one from The Dark Knight Returns, just for the heck of it.

Anyway, that’s it for some of the ones I could think of. Which do you think would look best for the Infinite Dark Knight’s Batsuit? Perhaps a mixture of the bunch, or a completely different one I didn’t mention? Lemme know in the comments below which you think I should go with, and we’ll see what happens. Ja né!

What I Bought This Past Week – The DC Books (Batman #25, Batman/Superman #5, Batman and Robin #25, Harley Quinn #0) (WARNING – SPOILERS)

So, I’ve been to Heroes’ Beacon the past couple of Wednesdays, so I guess it’s time to talk about…

 

…And since I bought a LOT the past couple of weeks, I thought I’d split it up between DC and Marvel/Dynamite. So, let’s start the DC books with Batman #25.

Y’know what I realised this is? This is the comic book equivalent of the Ultima VII cover! XD

Well first off, the Zero Year Batmobile is a frakking hot rod. AWESOME! 😀 Second, before we get to Riddler, apparently we got a Doctor Death/Poison Ivy arc, which is pretty cool. I like the fact that Zero Year has three phases, the first being the Red Hood Gang, second being Death and Ivy, third being Riddler. Also, apparently there’s something the military digs up in Nigeria that’s supposed to be important to all of this. Got a little bit of a problem with Bruce Wayne and Jim Gordon being antagonistic towards each other because of something that happened over the murder of Bruce’s parents. Just feels unnecessary. Also, Lucius Fox does a heel turn at the end, I’m going to assume he’s being brainwashed or it isn’t really him, considering how trusted an ally he is to Batman later on. And finally, nice little back-up involving Harper Row and her brother, talking about everyone that’s helping in the blackout (Batman, Superman, Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Barbara Gordon, John Stewart, Barry Allen, and the rest). Overall, a great issue, albeit one that kinda feels a bit disconnected from all these tie-ins, considering we only hear about the storm coming in the main story, while the tie-ins and the Harper back-up are about the different characters surviving it.

Oh, Snapple…Sorry, guys. Hang on a sec…

…There we go. Yeah, as you can tell, Batman/Superman #5 was a little weird to read, because it was utilizing a different style where you have to turn the comic on its side for the entire book. In other words, Linkara‘s nightmare taken form. XD There was a moment where Superman is able to tell that, and I quote, “In Metropolis, New York City, all up and down the eastern seaboard, the average human heart rate just increased by about three percent”. And I was like “…He can hear that???” and then I had to slap myself and go “Of course he can, you idiot, he’s Superman”. I was a tiny bit offended (not a lot, just a little) by the gamers playing Toymaster’s game not being able to tell that something wasn’t normal, and how when it’s revealed to them that they’ve been actually interacting with the real world, they think it’s just some meta story-within-a-story. C’mon, I know Jimmy Olsen is one of the players, but even HE isn’t THAT stupid. But I will give it a pass for the freaking horrifying reveal at the end: Mongul hacked the game so he can turn online gamers into his own personal army, since they spend billions of hours playing first person shooters and war simulators. THAT is actually kinda scary, and the fact that Mongul is doing it makes it all the more horrifying.

Okay, I’m just gonna say real quick that Batman on this cover makes me think of Batman: The Animated Series, so this book gets points just for that.

Batman and Robin #25…Okay, before I get to the review, I gotta address something. Remember how it was becoming ever-so-clear that Carrie Kelley would become Robin? Well, guess what? No sign of her for a few issues now. The apparent connection that was suggested in the solicit for this issue to what’s going on with Two-Face and Erin McKillen? Not here. And now there seems to be a lot of hints and suggestions that Damian might actually be coming back. So…what the crap is going on? Was Carrie Kelley just dropped in favour of bringing Damian back? Is this maybe just misdirection to just throw us off? And when is this book gonna go back to being titled Batman and Robin instead of Batman and Whoever-The-Frig-Else-Is-In-This-Book?

But yeah, getting back to Batman and Two-Face, it’s fine. The new revised origins for Two-Face are given a bit more development, and I do like the symbolism involved, that Harvey took away Erin’s better half, so she did the same to him. I also really like the return of Matches Malone. There is one panel in the book I have to just shake my head and laugh at, though. Not for being bad, because it isn’t, but because…well, you’ll see.

American Batman! Stay away from me!
American Batman! Mama let me be!

Wow. Subtle, guys. Really. lol

Harley Quinn #0…Y’know what, I don’t know if I’ll be picking up the series to follow it or not, but I will say this: This one issue is worth every penny you pay for it. In fact, for what I paid for it, I almost feel like I was ripping THEM off. This is the funniest comic I have ever read. And before you ask, no, I haven’t read Deadpool. Considered it a couple of times, may end up doing it in the future, but not as of this moment in time. If you don’t know, and I don’t know why you wouldn’t if you’re into comics, this issue is all about Harley Quinn wanting her own comic, and she’s breaking the fourth wall and talking to Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti as they write the book, talking about the different artists and basically judging which ones she likes best. They even make jabs at themselves and the different artists, so you know they were fully embracing the silliness and not taking themselves too seriously. Favourite moment was probably seeing Harley in her classic costume and drawn by Bruce Timm. The point where I had to put the book down for a second because I was laughing too hard was when they made the remark about Jim Lee’s quarterly royalty payments. XD Seriously, if you like Harley Quinn, or you just like comics that are funny and random as all hell, PICK THIS BOOK UP. I cannot recommend it any further, you guys.

Anyway, that’s it for the DC books I bought lately. Check back in later to learn all about the Marvel and Dynamite books I got in the past couple of Wednesdays. Ja né!

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What I Bought Today…And Last Week, lol – Batman #21, Batgirl #21, Batman and Robin #21, Nightwing #21, Li’l Gotham #3, Supergirl #21, Superman Unchained #1 (WARNING – SPOILERS)

What’s that? It’s Wednesday? Then I guess I better take a look at…

…and last week, since I kinda got caught up doing other stuff and didn’t talk about it. lol My bad. Anyway, let’s start with Batman #21, the beginning of Zero Year.

How many people thought Zero Year was gonna suck? C’mon, be honest, a lot of people thought this was gonna suck. And honestly, I don’t know why. Is it because we already had Year One and this was just a retelling of Batman’s origins while sweeping Year One away? Well, the thing is, even if that were true, which I’m not sure it is, that’s not really Scott Snyder‘s fault. The universe was rebooted, and I get why that sucks, but all Snyder wants to do is tell Batman’s origins within this rebooted universe. In other words, judge it based on its own merits. If you still wanna say that Year One was better, go ahead. That doesn’t mean this sucks by default. And frankly, I really liked this book…with the exception of Bruce telling Alfred to shut up in one scene, but otherwise, it works.

Batgirl #21…Okay, I’m gonna repeat what I said to Gail Simone after reading this book: If I didn’t already have a nightmare about gigantic mutated dinosaurs coming to life in my town, this book would’ve scared the shit outta me! O.O The new Ventriloquist is frakking terrifying. And no, we don’t get an explanation for how she controls the puppet, or her dead parents for that matter (oh, did I skip that part?) when they engage Batgirl in a VERY bloody ordeal, but frankly, I like it better that way. It adds to the horror element that there’s this terrifying force we can’t understand or reason with. So if you like being scared, by all means, feel free to pick this up. My only complaint? Commissioner Gordon continues to be an idiot. Sadly, I don’t think that’s gonna end any time soon.

Batman and Robin #21, or rather Batman and Batgirl as it’s called this issue, is the bargaining phase. However, Batman isn’t the only one bargaining here, as we see him try to convince a group of criminals to take him hostage as opposed to the civilians…which is a far more noble endeavor than we’ve seen outta him the past few issues of this book, but we then see Batgirl trying to reason with him in his current state of mind. She even tells him that if he needs a Robin with him so badly that he can’t function right without one, all he needs to do is say the word and she’ll don the costume in a heartbeat…Um, Babs? I get the sentiment and all, but I think you’re a little old and established for that. I mean, I know I said once that Huntress could do it, but looking back, I was wrong about that. Anyway, this is a better book than the last few, as Batman’s a bit nobler in the field, and even when he freaks out at Babs, it’s not really a physical confrontation and is a bit more understandable. My only complaint? No Carrie Kelly. Not necessarily a big problem, but they could definitely serve to bring in more development for her if I’m right about her role in this story in the future.

Nightwing #21 might be the best book I got last week, even including Zero Year. Why? Because dammit, I love seeing Dick Grayson be a snarky bastard. lol Seriously, there’s a scene where he’s got Prankster up on a roof, who is just waking up after he knocked him out, and Nightwing’s just sitting there with a cup of coffee and a box of donuts just chillin’. It’s hilariously awesome. Unfortunately, this was Brett Booth‘s last issue drawing Nightwing, and I know a lot of female fans will miss the beefcake. I keep hearing this rumor that a certain arch-nemesis of mine (Dan Didio) wants to kill off Dick Grayson, and that he’s actually been wanting to kill him off for years now. I hope it’s not true, because at this point, even the editors would tell him that’s stupid.

Li’l Gotham #3 continues to be hilarious, albeit I’m on the fence if I liked the Robin/Katana section simply because Damian says and does a lot of stuff he wouldn’t be caught dead saying…Y’know, when he was alive………..I’m gonna get it for this. I do think that’s one of my favourite parts of the book, that Damian is still very much active in this book. And let’s face it, plenty of people still miss the little bastard (don’t look at me like that, his parents aren’t married).

Supergirl #21 was pretty neat, as we see that Kara, who is dying from Kryptonite poisoning, comes across a planet full of people under attack by a renegade monstrosity made from their tech, which apparently allows them to craft their buildings however they see fit and auto-repair them. In fact, they even like to rebuild their city and planet and their culture into that of destroyed worlds, so Kara gets the idea to ask them to do so for Krypton. Unfortunately, not all is as it seems, as someone is actually dangling this idea to use Supergirl for their own schemes. Who is this individual?

GRANNY GOODNESS! DUN-DUN-DUUUUUUUUUNNNNN!!!

…Nah, I’m kidding, although that’d be funny considering her pre-Flashpoint origins. No, it’s Cyborg Superman!

And I gotta admit, he actually DOES look awesome now. Hopefully, his involvement in the Supergirl stories doesn’t require me to buy the other Superman family titles, ‘cuz I ain’t doin’ it. lol

And finally, that brings me to the book I skipped out on so I could grab it this week, Superman Unchained #1. Now, on the plus side, this is a LOT better than the other Superman titles out there, one in particular. Superman feels like Superman. His first appearance is flying in and saving the day using his wits and incredible powers. We see him at his new blogging job and having genuinely friendly conversations with Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen, who I actually don’t feel like killing for once in this book. We see Lex Luthor being the marvelous piss stain on humanity that he is and reveling in every second of it. However, I do have two gripes with this book. First off, as awesome as it looks and will look on my wall, the four-page spread is NOT NECESSARY. It just ups the price by a buck for no reason other than to be pretty. Also, while I don’t necessarily mind that the government has a super-powered individual hidden underground, the idea that this person has been working for them since World War II and was what they actually bombed Japan with…Yeah, even ignoring the possibility of someone being offended by that, which is highly likely, it’s still silly at best. But otherwise, feels like a book I might wanna stick with…which is actually a problem, and I’ll get to that some other time.

Anyway, that’s it for this week…and last week. Check in next week when I check out what’s new with the recently undead Calvin Rose, the recently Man-Bat Batman, and the recently AWESOME X-Men. Ja né!

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