All Star Batman!

[philster]

Heh, heh.

[The Spider]

Just got the second issue today. A few years ago I might've complained about how this was bizarre dialogue for Batman, but now? I'm just enjoying it because I find a part of it unintentionally(?) funny.

Also thought the two-page pic of the Batmobile in jet mode was absolutely cool.

[Gray Lensman]

Yeah, I have to agree that Batman's dialogue did sound strange. I can overlook it to an extent because Batman's trying to scare Robin. (Bats is probably also testing Robin, too, in typical Bat-style.) Still, it's rather jarring to see some of those lines coming from Bruce.

Otherwise, it's a pretty solid issue. I like Miller's version of Robin so far, too. He's an innocent, but also has smarts and courage beyond his years. Miller is doing a good job of showing why Batman would have recruited him at an early age.

I don't expect this to be any sort of modern classic, but it's a fairly entertaining Batman story. I can live with that for the time being.

[The Spider]

Like I mentioned on HR, I went back and read SPAWN/BATMAN recently.

Surprisingly, I didn't hate it as much when I read it back in 1994. Maybe it's because I stopped expecting a seemingly serious Batman a la DKR and YEAR ONE from Miller.

[The Spider]

Also, lines like:

"Nuts? You want to see nuts, kid? I'll show you nuts!"

are seriously asking to be taken out of context.

[Duncan]

Yeah, you can't help it can you?

'I may have a use for you.' Jesus, Bats, stop. Damn you, Fredric Wertham!

I liked this a whole lot better than #1, though it did in the laughing scene give me an unpleasant backflash to Grant/Wagner(?)'s Bats/DD crossover of some years ago, in which the Libran Vigilante acted like a victim of smilex throughout. Very annoying stuff.

That being said, I am very open post-Begins to interps of the character that are not so relentlessly grim and tired (no luck for you then, Brian Azzarello!) be it the singing on JLU, Curtis/JHW3/Fisher's odd sofa-bound, post-TV series take in LOTDK, the sci-fi closet in JLA:C, Ellis historicious(?!) cycle in Planetary/Bats or this nut. Key differential being - these are fun.

And, jeez, if Miller himself doesn't want to use his own archetype anymore (as he so evidently didn't in DK2, which I thought did the book a lot of good and no harm whatsoever; others didn't) maybe it's just a bit hidebound.

No, this was good, and Lee raised his game a lot, which doesn't hurt. While the 16 panel grid ain't Mazzuchelli (who is?,) they still work.

[Elliot Kane]

I really liked this Bats is trying so hard to appear like the grim avenger, and I love that Robin sees right through him from the start. Great stuff, there

[Duncan]

Yeah, I can't remember liking Robin, though I likely did watching the old TV serial - always thought he was a part of the mythos that was ill-fitted, and generally a bit crap.

Here, I see his purpose, and I dig it.

[Elliot Kane]

Gotta agree. I never saw the point of Robin at all. But Miller's obviously thought about it a lot, and for the first time I really see Robin as having value as a character for what he brings to the story, rather than just being there to be 'The Kid Sidekick'.

[Gray Lensman]

I've always liked the character, though I consider myself more a Nightwing fan than a Robin fan as such. I don't think he really became interesting until he grew up and moved away from Batman's shadow.

Miller has done a good job of actually making early Robin interesting. The difference here is that Miller is doing a better job of explaining why Batman would draft a kid into his urban war. It's easy to see why Batman wanted to recruit him, as he's shown here. There's also definite signs of the hero he'd eventually grow into later.

I like Miller's Robin so far. Has the potential to be up there with Wolfman's and Dixon's, if Miller keeps the quality high.

[The Spider]

Robin worked in the time period they introduced him, since it was when they decided to lighten up Batman (and he remained that way for the rest of the 40's, 50's, and 60's). It's rather hard to believe that he'd have a sidekick dressed in what Dick and Jason wore, in a Gotham where many of the villains are psychopathic killers.

[hector]

This a brutally bad comic book. I like how how when one think Miller can't go crappier he exceed expectations and go lower.

Aw well, I doubt All-Star Superman will be as dissapointing as this.

[Max]

A pretty good issue but maybe I expected too much from Miller. Though the whole repeating lines thing he doing this and last issue really started getting quite annoying this issue.
And he's obviously trying to take Batman on a more different path from mainstream Bats, making more...messed up.

[jesse]

I read my friend's copy of this, and am beginning to think I should start buying this book monthly.

Did Batman seriously call Robin retarded? Gold.

Also, I liked DKSA.

[hector]

I liked DKSA, I got what Miller was aiming for there. Not so sure about All-Star though.

[Duncan]

jesse said:

I read my friend's copy of this, and am beginning to think I should start buying this book monthly.

Did Batman seriously call Robin retarded? Gold.

Also, I liked DKSA.

Dude, wake up. This comic rules.

Do it.

[The Spider]

#3 is out now, and it looks like much of the issue is devoted to setting up Black Canary with enough crotch-shots and broken teeth as possible.

Also, the "quotable moment" is this part:

Dick: So what do you CALL this thing anyway?
Batman: The BATMOBILE.
Dick: That is totally queer.
Batman: Shut up.

(Of course, it ends up contradicting the part in DKR where Batman says that Dick came up with the Batmobile name...)

[jesse]

Haha! I just read #3. I refuse to buy this, cause I won't pay three dollars for a comedy book, but this thing is just...wow. Jesus, I have no idea what Miller is trying to do with this. It's funny, but is it intentional?

Who cares. Hilarious. I'd love to see the script for this. Did you guys see the script snippet in LITG? "Ok, this panel should be an ASS-SHOT."

I wonder what the script for this issue was. "Okay, let's get as many ass and crotch shots as possible. Repeat for sixteen pages."

Not that I have anything against ass and crotch shots, or anything.

[Elliot Kane]

I'm still really liking it, too. Miller is creating a very new version of Batman and his world, and writing it well. Great stuff

[hector]

jesse said:

wow. Jesus, I have no idea what Miller is trying to do with this.

If I were guessing, I would say he aim to write bar-none the worst-written, most awful and stupid Batman story ever written so no one, not in a million years would even dare to ask him to write Batman again.

But I find myself enjoying the Adam-West-on-crack comedy more and more with each issue, so who knows? Despite the immense drop in sales he may be asked to write Batman again (besides the supposedly in the works Batman vs. Al Qaeda)