Batman
Growing up I was one of those kids. The ones who liked Superman more than Batman. There are probably many ways to justify that, but I was not only nerdy enough to like comics, but nerdy enough that instead of the dark cool billionaire playboy or the sarcastic killer mutant my favorite character was a clean cut guy with his undies on the outside.
So it means something when I say that even with one of my favorite writers (Grant Morrison) writing Superman (in Action Comics) I’m turning into a Batman fan.
There are plenty of reasons for that, Morrison’s run on the character being one of them. It also can’t hurt that All Star Superman was kind of the only Superman story I really need. But Scott Snyder’s current run on Batman has cemented my feelings.
First off: don’t worry about Batman continuity before starting this series. None of it. Not important at all. Batman Inc., Batwoman, Batgirl (ugh), Nightwing, none of it matters. Also forget all the other Batman books out there right now, this is entirely self contained. It doesn’t start from scratch, but a passing pop culture feel for the general Batman character is plenty.
From that starting point Snyder does something few writers are brave enough to try: instead of trying to put a stamp on the character or make it his, he just tells Damn Good Batman Stories. He doesn’t deconstruct or reinterpret or create a new supporting cast or try to tell a story that’s entirely new. He just writes a very good comic.
The current arc, six issues in as of today, deals with some mysterious Gotham history coming back to haunt the city. The one bit that threatens to weigh down the series, the fact that this mysterious history has never been references before, is fairly well neutralized by hanging a lamp on it. Everyone believes The Court of Owls is just a fairy tale, right?
Using this history as a framework Snyder’s telling a Batman story that hits all the right notes. It deals with Gotham as a city, Batman as the last Wayne, Wayne family history, superstitious cowardly lots, and so on. Bruce is put through the ringer physically and mentally as the Court of Owls comes into focus.
The mental ringer in particular has played into the art of the last two issues (#5 and #6) and it’s part of what pushes this series from good to great. With the Court of Owls trying to break Batman mentally and physically Greg Capullo has started to insert strange non-literal representations into the art. It’s typical dream sequence stuff, but inserted without fanfare into what is otherwise more literal. It makes from a great effect. One moment Batman’s at the mercy of twisted mask-wearing freaks, but when he throws them off he’s ten stories tall.
Even better is issue #5, where Batman is disoriented in a malicious maze beneath Gotham, deprived of water and drugged. As Bruce stumbles into the same room for what seems like the 10th time to find no sign of his passing, the pages start to turn. Eventually you’re holding the comic (or rotation-locked tablet) upside down so you can read the page. It’s comic storytelling at it’s best, leveraging the medium.
At least so far these tricks haven’t been over-used. They’re icing on the cake of a still completely solid story. Snyder and Capullo are on the same page artistically and thematically bringing the art and story into perfect harmony.
There’s a temptation to only talk about superheroes when they’re doing something new and different. Snyder’s Batman is the counter-argument: a comic doesn’t have to be different to be good.
I agree about the batman reboot, particularly issue 5. That was a really inventive use of layout to reinforce the story elements. I haven’t had a chance to pick up issue 6, but will probably run to my local comic book store to pick up this issue, as well as batwoman and a couple others this weekend.
Issue 5 was a high point. 6 moves a little slower than I’d like, which might be an overall problem with the arc: I’d like to wrap it up and move on. Luckily things seems to be coming to a head, so hopefully we’re hitting the climax.
Not that the pacing has been off per se, I’m just ready to see what else Snyder can do. I picked up some of his old Detective Comics stuff just to sate my appetite.