Catching up with The Batman!
Author: John Fallavollita
Sunday, December 25, 2005

There’s a lot to be written about Batman’s history in comics. Most of it tends to be --
a) stuff that nobody picking up issue #648 for the first time would care about. Or…
b) stuff the die-hard Batman fan already know.

So what does the person who walks into a comic book store on December 28th and picks up a BATMAN comic book need to know?

WHO IS THE BATMAN?

When Thomas and Martha Wayne, parents of 10-year-old Bruce Wayne, were gunned down in Gotham City’s Crime Alley, a fire was lit inside of Bruce Wayne. Instead of a normal kid, Bruce became something more. There are many versions of Batman’s origin -- be it on film, in comics, or embedded in the shared consciousness of pop culture. All of them are good, all of them touch on the same themes, and all of the variations just add to the urban legend aspect of Batman for the reader.

Batman is human drive personified. Batman is a human being who has pushed his mental and physical limits to their maximum capacity daily. He is always “running on all cylinders.” He preys on the fear and superstitions that criminals have -- the same fear that they inflict in others to punish crime in “his” city. Batman does not kill, instead he uses theatrics, deceptions, strategies and physical and mental techniques to bring the guilty to justice. He is the police officer of the superhero world, and every officer needs a little backup.

THE BAT-FAMILY

While mostly a “lone wolf”, over the years Batman has had some help. Most notably is Robin, the most famous sidekick in history. Robin has had a few incarnations over the years and each one has both aided and damaged Batman’s crusade on crime.

Dick Grayson is the first Robin. His history with Batman has evolved into that of an estranged father and son. Dick moved to Belhaven -- another city of crime -- to become Nightwing after a falling out with Batman.

Jason Todd was the second person to wear the Robin costume. Jason was kind of a funky thing in comics. The character took on a life of his own and became this arrogant, cocky kid who the fans ended up hating. Batman would try to reign in Jason and Jason would rebel -- until the story “A Death in the Family”. This story became a defining moment (in Batman history) and one of Batman’s biggest failures. Jason was beaten with a crowbar by The Joker and left in a shack rigged with explosives. The fans voting via a 1-900 number would determine whether Jason would live or die. Ultimately, Jason’s fate was death and Batman has never forgiven himself. Over the years this has made Jason infinitely more important in death than he ever was in life. Jason Todd’s Robin costume hangs in the Batcave as a memorial, and a reminder of why he fights this fight.

Batman has had two other Robins. Tim Drake and Stephanie Brown (who took over the mantle while Tim Drake couldn’t). Stephanie’s fate was decided during the recent “War Games” storyline, as she became the second Robin to become a casualty in the war on crime. Though Stephanie’s death weighs heavily on Batman’s conscience as well, her death plays more into Tim Drake’s storyline in the Robin comics than it does in the Batman comics.

THE BATMAN NOW

Batman is quite possibly at the end of his rope. In Brad Meltzer’s “Identity Crisis,” it was revealed that the rest of the Justice League magically erased part of his memory to cover up a lobotomy they gave to Dr. Light. In Greg Rucka’s “The O.M.A.C. Project,” a satellite that Batman himself created falls under the control of a villain and becomes sentient, laying waste to the superhero community via its own private army -- the O.M.A.C.s. In Jeph Loeb’s “Hush” a villain stalking Batman is at first to be revealed to be Jason Todd; then that was revealed to be a trick, only recently to find out that it was not a trick after all. After years of Batman tormenting himself over Jason’s death, Todd has returned. He calls himself The Red Hood, and he’s not the hero he used to be.

As we approach issue #648 of BATMAN, Gotham’s current crime boss -- The Black Mask -- is entering a union with a united front of villains, Jason Todd has waged his own war on crime through whatever means necessary, the satellite The Batman himself created has waged a war on heroes everywhere, and the universe stand on the brink of crisis.
While the BATMAN comic itself seems to be spinning it’s wheels for now (all of the real action is in INFINITE CRISIS) it’s still a good book to be reading for the interactions with Jason Todd (Who Judd Winnick made into a really interesting character). Also The Black Mask adds much needed comedy to the Bat-world, while keeping him a respectable and sometimes frightening villain. The mystery of Jason Todd’s resurrection will be revealed soon, and his ultimate role in the life of The Batman is still playing out.

RECOMMENDED READING

Intrigued? Want more of The Batman? Here is my recommended reading list:

BATMAN BEGINS: Ok you got me, it’s not a book. What it is though is an excellent version of Batman’s start. Also, Christian Bale’s performance of Bruce Wayne and Bruce Wayne -- cheesy voice aside [EDITOR’S NOTE -- NOT a cheesy voice in my opinion!] -- is my personal favorite. The Batman doesn’t appear until about halfway through the movie, and with Bale’s performance as Bruce Wayne, you don’t miss him.

BATMAN: UNDER THE HOOD by Judd Winnick). This will bring you up to speed on the Jason Todd thing pretty quick, as it is the story that re-introduces him.

BATMAN: HUSH by Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee. Intriguing story that plants many seeds of what is going on right now. The ending falls a bit flat but the story itself is excellent and the art by Jim Lee is nothing short of incredible. Hush is a great villain for The Batman.

IDENTITY CRISIS by Brad Meltzer. While this is more of a Justice League story than a Batman story, it was the event book of 2004 and drove a big fat nail into Batman’s relationship with the Justice League. People tend to have mixed feelings about a book of this caliber. Personally I feel the character’s personal stories as well as the theme of the book (Anyone who puts on the mask paints a target on their family’s chest) makes for the type of emotional investment that’s practically unheard of in comics. This book is as much about the people behind the mask and their loved ones, as well as the masked heroes. There are two character deaths in this book that happen simultaneously, and they left me speechless when I first read them. That’s the kind of emotion this book evokes. Also, this book re-established some villains back into the A-level that really deserved to be there. Meltzer is also an excellent novelist (one of my personal favorites).

THE O.M.A.C. PROJECT by Greg Rucka. This will soon be in Trade Paperback and is an excellent Batman story. Rucka can really write techno-conspiracy-espionage, strong female characters, and most importantly The Batman. (Rucka is one of the few authors who really “gets” Batman.) This story has all of that and then some.

Next Up: Issue #648 and more on the reading list. Happy Holidays everyone!

Love this review? Hate it? John can be reached for comment at JOHNFAV@GMAIL.COM.