Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? (Spoilers)

[Nick Ryder]

Then children of the late 80s early 90s UNITE! Let us storm the offices of Marvel and DC and set things right!

[coolghoul]

Back to the Caped Crusader.

I just finished reading the trade hardcover for this. First of all, Andy Kubert's art is pretty awesome. I would have hated if they would have messed it up. He draws Batman as he was drawn in different eras - short pointy late-50s, the Bob Kane long-curved pointy etc.

But let's continue on with the story. Bruce is present 'in spirit' along with a female presence at a funeral service. Different members of the audience speak up about how *they* killed Batman. Selina Kyle says she killed Batman. The Alfred storyline (already mentioned in the first post) is effing awesome to read/view - especially the transformation to the Brian Bolland Joker. You get an origin classic shot too (Bruce as a child sitting with his parents lying dead) and there are "flashbacks" to various memorable versions of Batman including a small scene from Year One where the Swat team is just entering the derelict house where Batman is hiding behind the staircase.

Anyway - spoilers follow ---


It turns out the female presence is Martha Wayne. Bruce protests that he doesn't believe in God and so he doesn't believe in heaven/hell. Martha tells him "You don't get Heaven or Hell. Do you know the only reward you get for being Batman? You get to be Batman." And then you to end the story you have this awesome shot of the Batsignal transforming into a pair of hands - it's a doctor delivering a baby boy to Martha Wayne (a modern Martha Wayne - looks like a current hospital setting).

It seems to suggest that the reward for Bruce being Batman is that he will get to be Batman again. This kinda ties into another thread we have going on about what will happen to Bruce Wayne when he "comes back" from the dead or whatever limbo he is in. Right now Dick is being Batman in the DC books. However, if this story is "supposed" to be believed then Bruce Wayne can't be anything but the Batman. It's his reward for him being the Batman. Dick is and will always be "playing" the role of the Batman. The real Batman is Bruce and the real Bruce is the Batman. It has been so and will ever be thus.

I think it's a fitting way to write this kinda story for Batman.

Thoughts?

[coolghoul]

Hate to follow up to my own post - but I just re-read the book and by now I'm a fan.

It was masterfully done. The weird funeral with the "I killed the Batman" guilt running thru everybody's minds. The idea of an "ending" book for a character's run in comics, where the character is told that he can rest "for now" but he will again get to be the character soon. Then the "Good night, Good bye" panels, followed by the rebirth. The Bat's conversation with Martha Wayne...

Lovely circular setup.

I strongly recommend this one. And no previous Batman experience necessary.

[byron lomax]

I read this recently and thought it was an okay meta-story with some lovely art, no more, no less. So it didn't exactly blow me away, although I loved the story Alfred told at the funeral. Such a cool idea.