Batman #687

[runespoor]

I'm going to go on record as saying that Batman #687 is really, really good. Not perfect, but very good. It gives everything I could hope from the first issue of a series following Bruce's death.

Judd Winick gets the Batfamily. Yeah, none of them are acting exactly like they would in usual circumstances - but it's acknowledged, and it's the point. They're mourning, they have to make with Bruce's death, and they're adjusting. Every scene with Alfred is goddamn near perfect. There's a couple of pages with Clark and Diana coming to visit the cave... I could've teared up.

Oh, and there's Damian, but the lack of a flying Batmobile partly designed by him makes me welcome him entirely. Winick's clearly saying that Damian being Robin is going to be a lot of work, and I can't wiat to see how it's done.

And there's also - that was unavoidable - meta sprinkling the pages, and it's good meta. So yeah, Judd, I'm listening to you.

Also, I so far like the art. We'll see how long it is before the Ed Benes-ness of jerks me out of it.

ETA: one problem I do have with this issue is the absence of Babs and Cass. it's especially jarring since there's a short scene with Helena, Dinah and Ollie (and Unidentified Black-Haired Man #1, Benes, is this how your maskless Tim is going to look?). I'm giving Winick's the doubt that it's probably to do with the Batgirl kerfuffle so they weren't usable/mentionable in the first issue, but damn if it's not annoying. I hope Winick does something with them later.

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/__marcelo/]

Yeah, I missed them too. Babs, specially. I'm not sure about Cass and her response to Bruce's death. She's loyal to the Bat, so it wouldn't surprise me for her to team up with Dick now if she feels/believes he's Batman now.

Hmm. Maybe she won't do that until she can read in Dick that he buys it, too. She will know.

[runespoor7.livejournal.com]

I think Cass would be invested in the Bat no matter what Dick believed - and it'd make an awesome scene, to have Dick and Cass quietly discuss Batman. But she's so often forgotten in Batfamily books that her absence is less jarring than Babs', everything considered. I suppose they may be busy somewhere else, but Dick and Alfred going through all that pain without Oracle is just wrong.

[callarkhamquick.livejournal.com]

Judd Winick gets the Batfamily.Truer words were never spoken.

Between that and Red Robin, I'm in total meta mode.

I WANT THE NEW BATGIRL RIGHT NOW. I know that Batgirl, the picture from Red Robin of the Waynes grave and Scarlet and Red Hood are all in the beginning of August so I'm just so excited for August.

[runespoor7.livejournal.com]

I haven't read Red Robin yet. The premise makes me wince (Dick lets Tim find out that Damian's taken his place as Robin before talking to Tim about it? wtf?) and I wibble in the face of grimdarkandgritty!Tim. Knowing that, do you think I should?

Did you notice Damian made meta? "Only Batman can drive the Batmobile!" and all that. It made me much more welcoming of Winick's Damian, let me tell you.

[callarkhamquick.livejournal.com]

No, it's done brilliantly. Tim has this moment of "oh god, I'm Tim Wayne, what happened to Tim Drake, he lost everything" and he has this huge freakout and Dick is all "I need you" and Tim just storms out and he goes upstairs and has this little breakdown and it's like seeing Tim from when he was 13 and realising how much he's changed and how he doesn't know who he is and what a mess he is and how he needs to sort his life out. There's even some nice Jason calls backs from Robin.

I totally did! Except...he totally let someone else drive it once. I wish I could remember who it was, now because I was outraged at the time.

[runespoor7.livejournal.com]

But I like my Jason and Tim as opposed to each other as they can possibly be without impinging on Dick's territory! D: I don't want Tim to follow in Jason's footsteps. I don't want Tim to cross any line. I don't want any Tim development that makes the terrifying Batman!Tim loom any closer than it already does!

it's like seeing Tim from when he was 13 and realising how much he's changed and how he doesn't know who he is and what a mess he is and how he needs to sort his life out

That does sound good. Oh Tim. Woobie. You're totally not my favourite Robin and I totally don't know what makes you tick, but-- oh Tim.

That scene made me wish Tim and Damian would get on better. They could meta together! And crush on Dick, because until we have proof of the contrary, in my world Damian is going to develop a crush on Dick like woah.

[callarkhamquick.livejournal.com]

Oh they are opposed, it's like...Damian is the Tim to Tim's Jason when he's trying to get him out of the cave. I think Tim is noting that he's going over a line because he's freaked and scared and it all comes through really well. It was like Tim realising what's happened and being so terrified of it and then being all 'omigod, must find bruce to make it better!' It's like he's discovering who Tim is again and now he's thinking 'oh crap, where did my life go' and found it so scary to go back that he went into a new suit. He might be saying "it's gonna get dirty" but it's like he's remembering how to breathe and trying to sort himself out and leaving a part of him behind, like he did when he became robin with the buried box. /metas all over you

I want to hug him SO MUCH. He needs it so badly. I have more understanding of him now than I used to. A part of me wishes they'd all get on a little better. I just want my Robin piles.