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I didn't read Snyder's run on Batman, and a lot of the ideas I've heard seem honestly kind of doofy to me. What he did with the Joker, and the Court of Owls. Well, more the Court of Owls being introduced so late in Batman's career, a secret society running Gotham that Batman somehow failed to discover during all of his years knowing Gotham inside and out. But I know he's considered a good Batman writer. Would actually reading the books win me over? Or if I don't like the ideas, is this just not a run for me?

Also, how was Grayson? Now that I've worked through all of Tom King's limited run stuff, and not having cared for his Batman Rebirth, the only thing left to potentially try is Grayson. In theory, his time as a CIA agent should make that a compelling read, but it looks less "Sheriff of Babylon" and more "James Bond." if it's a worthy addition to his oeuvre I'll check it out, but if it's only okay but nothing special, I'll probably pass.

I left Batman a few issues into Snyder's New-52 run. I've tried multiple times to get into Snyder (Swamp Thing, Batman, Metal), and every time I'm left wanting. It's odd, because I like some of his concepts, and he's passionate about the same characters I am, but the execution never rings true for me.

I do find it funny how people criticise Morrison for perpetuating the Bat-God depiction, while people are more accepting of Snyder who has had Batman come back from the dead, rebuild his body, and now in Meta,l has literally made him the most important person in the world.

Snyder lost me with his New 52 Batman series. I stuck thru Court of Owls but thought Death of the Family was terrible. If Morrison made Bruce into Bat-God, then Snyder did about the same thing with an invincible Joker.

Far superior was Snyder's immediate pre-New 52 run with Jock and Francesco Francavilla that featured Dick under the cowl, most (or all?) of which is collected in the Black Mirror trade. I figure if someone reads that run and doesn't care for it, then they'll never like Snyder's writing.

As for Grayson, I've never read it. However, former regular poster Conjure Lass loved it and said it was tons of fun, and she's the biggest Dick Grayson fan I know. Others, possibly including Cobie, have said nice things about Grayson, as well.

Well, I hope you read it soon-ish and let us know. Based on comments here and researching the review aggregate site Comic Book Roundup, it seems like the reception for DK3 has been lukewarm at best. (Reviews don't always reflect my reaction to the product, however--the site shows the response to Rebirth Cyborg, a book me and Cobie really dig, being tepid.) So at the moment, I'll pass on the DK3 HC, even though it's currently 50% off.

I hope to have it read sometime before 2019!

Despite feeling just as ambivalent, I managed to inhale the next two trades. I am skipping "I Am Night of the Monster Men" and "I Am The Button." I have trouble getting my head around his take on the character. Sometimes he's a broken mess, sometimes he seems like he is full of zen wisdom, seeing the things that make others crazy but somehow seeming at peace with it.

I am super not won over by his Batman/Catwoman relationship. Again, it veers wildly, this time from "unhealthy codependent" to "true soulmates who understand and accept each other." First they are drawn together by their mutual deathwishes. And then we're supposed to root for their engagement, I guess? Am I the only one hoping she turns him down? And something about the way they call each other "Bat" and "Cat" just makes me shudder on a very visceral level.

Teying to decide if I want to try "I Am The War of Jokes and Riddles" or not. Since it's a flashback and not something that immediately hooks me, I'm leaning towards not, and maybe just sampling the next issue. Is there any compelling reason to reconsider? I know he's supposed to be telling Catwoman some horrible secret. Is that secret either important or compelling enough to read if that's my main motivation?

Well I'm not sure that the BIG secret has been revealed yet in the War ... The pace of the War is plodding with sporadic heavy action - methinks they are trying to capture the feel of war rather than one relentless battle. If that's the intent, they are pretty successful in it. It's an offbeat read.

The War allows us to see more of the intimate moments between Selina and Bruce (or "Cat" and "Bat" if that's your preference). I'm not sure what the wedding bells are about. Is Bruce going through some kind of mid-life crisis? Is he feeling the biological clock ticking and wants to produce a Helena or another Damian? I do enjoy the notion of Bruce and Selina - especially the classic Earth 2 versions. Will this version be allowed to grow and thrive? Or will this be another Mary Jane and Peter marriage - where the editors and writers decided a deal with the devil was required to cut their way out??

The War is enjoyable for me because I think Tom King and I have the same character preferences. The spotlights on Deadshot and Kite Man have brought welcome focus on these characters.

I like what they did with Kite Man in the story.

Has anybody been reading Dark Nights Metal? What's the consensus?

Okay so I've seen the preview for Batman: The Drowned and Dan Abnett has made one of the best Looney Tunes jokes ever by giving a male version of Selena Kyle the first name "Sylvester."

You should check out Batman/Elmer Fudd, there's some great and creative use of the Looney Tunes (including Sylvester).


In answer to your previous question, I'm underwhelmed by Metal so far. I get the premise, and even like some of the ideas, I just find Synder's actual writing leaves me cold.

I've mentioned this before but I'm gonna be mad as hell if I find out there's not gonna be a Dark Multiverse guide. The Drowned is the only part I've been interested in because it looks like she's the only Dark Knight they put effort into being truly distinctive instead of a generic "Batman gone bad" Earth like the Dawnbreaker and Murder Machine and Red Death.

It started strong but it has gotten progressively less cohesive as it goes on ... UGH

I was checking out the new story arc in Batman and, for some reason I thought Joelle Jones' artwork looked a bit off. It reminded me a little of the Pander Bros. style.

The recent Batman Annual features a brilliant King story about Batman and Catwoman, and the love they share. It may be the best Bat/Cat love story I've ever read, and made their romantic pairing appealing to me for the first time.

King's Batman is quirky and is at times not for everyone. This was one of his best stories yet IMO.

I may give the annual a chance on your recommendation, but I have to say that so far, King has not sold me on the pairing at all. In fact, it was the engagement that convinced me to stop trying to like the book, because it pretty much guaranteed that the book was going to become wall-to-wall my least favorite part of his run to date.

I’m reading in Trade collection sets now (saving my individual ebook copies to read until they match an upcoming Trade collection) for all my comics and I’ve been enjoying King’s run on Batman. I have to say it is the only book by either of the Big Two I bother keeping up with. Marvel has been subpar with the awful Secret Empire storyline, which I couldn’t even finish and the lackluster new X-Men series which I’m still trying to like. Waiting for the last two Dark Nights Metal issues before jumping into that one.

I'm near the tail end of a "new" comics floppy read (I'm always at least several months behind, as I usually read trades with the floppy reads being the "break"), and one of the highlights was Tom King's Batman Annual #2. This book focuses on the genesis and then the apparent future of the Batman/Catwoman relationship. Full disclosure, I've been pro-Batman/Catwoman since Julie Newmar & Adam West, so the Tom King run has been an automatic win for me for that reason alone. And, yes, I know the wedding didn't happen, so no reason to tiptoe around that.

I thought the story was just delightful as it showed Selena playing a cat and mouse game with Bruce. A cool twist King put in there was that she figured out his secret identity very early on in his career. And she uses that knowledge very playfully to toy with him. She gradually breaks thru his personal walls, and they start to form the beginnings of what they would find with each other in the current stories. It ends with a future-set coda that shows you how their story might end. This ending is beautiful and plays somewhat with how their story ended in the classic pre-Crisis Earth-2 continuity but with some notable twists. I absolutely loved it!

It doesn't hurt that one of my favorite artists Lee Weeks draws the entire flashback tale, and the coda is by another favorite Michael Lark.

Easily one of the best Batman stories in a while!

Hm. I like both those artists, too. So I just might give Tom King a second chance. Thanks, Lardy.

I can't guarantee you'll like it, but I hope you do. As I admitted, King is scratching my Selena/Bruce itch, so I'm biased.

Noted. And appreciated.