DC's New 52: Reviews and Discussion (Spoilers welcolme and likely)

[Mr Light]

Man, maybe it will finally be time to stop getting Green Lantern! I really loved both titles from Rebirth to Blackest Night. But the franchise totally peaked at that point. While the Hal/Sinestro pairing was cool, "War of the Green Lanterns" and "Rise of the Third Army" were not one fourth as cool as the previous stories.

[sidious618]

Hound of UIster wrote:

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That is not a twist. He wanted to kill Damien in his very first story on Batman.

Killing off a character who has been around for five years is a twist. It doesn't matter that Morrison played with the idea initially.

[Admiral_Young]

Apparently Johns is not the only one leaving a "Green Lantern" title...

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2013/02/11/green-lantern/

[Hound of UIster]

Matt Kindt was apparently offered one of these books. I think the next Lantern writer is probably going to be someone like Fialkov, the wave of Nu52 writers.

[Admiral_Young]

I expected big news to come out of the retreat...but this huge. I have stated many times that I've thought that Johns should have left after Blackest Night, I felt like that was the peak of his run and he himself gave interviews that story was basically the third part of a "trilogy". I've honestly not been following "Green Lantern" since issue one of the New 52 relaunch, but I have credited him for getting me into the series and I'll be checking out his last issue.

I guess Johns is just going to be continuing with Justice League? I'm assuming Batman: Earth One Volume 2 as well?

[Icemizer]

Jim Starlin on Stormwatch and I am suddenly very interested. They are also bringing back the Weird which was a pretty cool mini back in the day.

[OdoWanKenobi]

Huh. Batman #17 is my only pull from DC tomorrow, and from Marvel all I have is Uncanny X-men. I can't remember that last time I had a day this light. Of course, next week I make up for it with twelve pulls, the biggest single week I've ever had.

[Hound of UIster]

Star Wars, Demon Knights and Batman for me.

[Turtletrekker]

Avoid any news links mentioning Batman or the Joker. The end of "Death of the Family" has leaked.

[Admiral_Young]

Batman #17, and Django Unchained #2 for me tomorrow.

[Admiral_Young]

Batman #17 was incredible. It took a turn that I wasn't expecting...and I felt was an emotional story. Greg Capullo's art is sensational in this book, he really brings it in this issue...and at the end of the issue the Bat Family is left scarred. I guess we now know why Harper is going to be brought in starting next arc. I'm really looking forward to seeing what Snyder does with Riddler...his take on Joker was awesome.

[Mr Light]

I found the big finale pretty disappointing. After all this hype about this being the definitive Joker story, I was expecting something to actually HAPPEN. I think the only thing that actually occurred was the Bat Family is now distrustful of Bruce, but that happens ALL the time.

I never thought they would actually kill Alfred, but I was expecting some permenant damage to him. I thought he'd be blinded, because in one issue Joker says he's pouring acid in his eyes. Or that he'd be crippled and in a wheelchair. Or at least a cane. I thought the mystery dinner dish was going to be Alfred's eyeballs.

And I never thought for a second that he ripped the faces off ALL of the Bat Family, not for one second.

So if I understand the final scene properly, Joker *DOES* know that Batman is Bruce Wayne, but he'll never ever reveal it to anyone or use it? I find that a little convenient. Wouldn't he think it'd be hilarious to reveal his identity to the world and make him a fugitive?

[Trekker4747]

Mr Light wrote:

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I found the big finale pretty disappointing. After all this hype about this being the definitive Joker story, I was expecting something to actually HAPPEN. I think the only thing that actually occurred was the Bat Family is now distrustful of Bruce, but that happens ALL the time.

I never thought they would actually kill Alfred, but I was expecting some permenant damage to him. I thought he'd be blinded, because in one issue Joker says he's pouring acid in his eyes. Or that he'd be crippled and in a wheelchair. Or at least a cane. I thought the mystery dinner dish was going to be Alfred's eyeballs.

And I never thought for a second that he ripped the faces off ALL of the Bat Family, not for one second.

So if I understand the final scene properly, Joker *DOES* know that Batman is Bruce Wayne, but he'll never ever reveal it to anyone or use it? I find that a little convenient. Wouldn't he think it'd be hilarious to reveal his identity to the world and make him a fugitive?

No, because that would ruin The Joker's fun. Which in part is having this "over" Bruce that he could reveal it at any moment.

The book was very good, I agree. I sort-of thought maybe the faces would be removed but at the end :technobabble: and the faces would be back on with no problem. (A flip-through of Batgirl showed her with her face, but bandaged slightly.)

But I thought the book was a very good ending to the arc, the story and the art in Batman has pretty much consistently been fantastic.

[Hound of UIster]

Yes Joker is a jester in that he wants to make Batman laugh in the language that Joker uses, which is mayhem and terror.

[Mr Light]

So if he wanted to torture and kill the Bat Family, why didn't he reveal THEIR secret identities to the world?