"Some deaths are worth living for." - Batman
Odd to see the Bruce Wayne Batman speak those words when the character
himself isn't around in the mainline books. Odd, but resonant. Powerful,
even. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, because DC finally snagged a
writer who has emotional drama down pat, and always provides dialogue
that speaks to the reader in more ways than one: J. Michael Straczynski.
For the past several years, Straczynski has been providing those same
kinds of stories in some of Marvel's most noteworthy ongoing titles. He
had a years-long run on THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN that has received heavy
critical acclaimhe successfully tried his hand at Marvel's first family the FANTASTIC FOUR, and is just wrapping up an Eisner Award sweeping run on the Norse God of Thunder, THOR. A little over a year ago, DC Comics had announced that JMS was coming to work for them on THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD. A year and a half later, we finally have the first issue released.
And I don't often say this, but it was well worth the wait.
This issue features a pairing of Dial H for Hero and The Dark Knight.
For those of you unfamiliar with Dial H, it is about a mysterious dial
that enables an ordinary person to become a superhero for a short time,
by selecting the letters H-E-R-O in order. Each time it's used, the dial
causes its possessor to become a superhero with a different name,
costume, and powers. The story begins with a young boy, in possession of
the Dial, on a trip to Gotham City with his grandfather. Across town,
The Joker comments that he needs to find a way for Batman to die in more
ways than one. Later, a mugger gains access to the Dial and off the
story goes. Straczynski delves into the concepts of heroism in a
surprisingly deep yet charmingly simplistic way. Batman appears in this
story as the unquestionable hero we all know him to be, but he also
appears in a role that we're more used to Superman playing: the moral
guide to a self-doubting hero.
Any self-respecting Batman fan knows that Bruce Wayne can absolutely be
that in every story he's featured in, but more often than not he's the
"bad ass" who shows his heroism through action and generally, violence.
But here, he speaks more than we're used to. Reading this story and
Batman's wisdom pour off the pages reminded me of a moment in INFINITE
CRISIS, right after Booster Gold was trying to make the new Blue Beetle
"feel better" by scarily telling him how much pressure he was under to
help save the universe. Batman just looked at him, and said, "Booster.
You have no idea how to talk to kids."
Batman does, and without sounding sappy or clichéd, JMS gave us a Batman
who is not only justified in what he is saying, but very reassuring in a
way that we don't often get to see Batman be. When we do, it can be
phenomenal, if done correctly.
J. Michael Straczynski knows the web-head. He knows the FF. He knows the
God of Thunder. And I am very happy to say, that he knows The Dark
Knight. He knows Batman in a way where he's still cool, but if you ever
had any doubts, he's also something to aspire to. Not just physically,
but morally. This story illustrates that Batman is just as much of a
moral beacon as Superman could ever be, and that's great company to be in
OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS: "Robby Reed and his grandfather thought their brief visit to Gotham City would go smoothly until one of Gotham's petty thieves made the score of the century in the form of Robby's H-Dial! Batman's on the case, but The Joker's crime wave has the city in a panic, and the power of the H-Dial has had a very unexpected effect on the hood who stole it. The choices he makes could change his life – and Robby's – forever!"
