Batman Comics

Good evening Gotham! Once again real life got in the way of my Batman time, it’s just not fair how that happens. Not only did I not get to write about last week’s comics, I didn’t even get to read them! Hopefully that doesn’t become the new normal, or I’ll have to realign priorities … who needs a day job, anyways? Just because Batman is also CEO of Wayne Enterprises doesn’t mean I can’t quit my job to focus on reading comics, right? So here’s what’s waiting for me:

Batman: The Dark Knight 7 – It’s a fun comic, what else do we need? We’re still fighting Bane and his new version of Venom, which Batman just got over thanks to some Super help. Now he’s off to find Flash and save him from a grisly end, while also tracking down more information about that mysterious white rabbit lady (has she done anything other than run around being mysterious?).

Teen Titans 7 – The Titans head to N.O.W.H.E.R.E. Headquarters (how do they find it?) to rescue Evil Superboy, and presumably drop the ‘evil’ on the way home. Overall this comic still feels like it’s in the ‘getting started’ stages, rather than being fully involved in an adventure, but I’m not complaining. I actually really enjoy extended team-coming-together stories, and it’s great to see these young heroes get to know each other.

Batwing 8 – Massacre’s hunt for former African superheroes has brought him to Gotham City, with Batwing hot on his heels. I’m looking forward to seeing how Batwing interacts with our favourite Gothamites (Batgirl, Robin, and Nightwing), and also to the big reveal about who Massacre is behind the mask.

Detective Comics 8 – Last issue we had a big showdown in Penguin’s Iceberg Lounge, and Batman rescued his girlfriend (I think?) Charlotte from icy doom. I’m feeling surprisingly lacklustre about this issue, and I want to see more detective work, but I know I’ll enjoy it once I start reading. There’s also a second feature with art by Szymon Kudranski, who drew the Penguin book that I liked so much. Here’s the cover, by Tony Daniel, I love the smoke (fear gas?!) and how Batman looks like he’s ready to just jump off the page.

Writer & Penciller: Tony Daniel

Inks: Ryan Winn, Sandu Florea

While reading Detective Comics 2 yesterday, I couldn’t help but compare it to Catwoman 1, specifically in terms of sex and representation. Instead of doing a full review of the issue I’m going to just look at the first two scenes, but don’t let that suggest I didn’t like the rest – it was a great issue and Detective Comics remains one of my favourite series.

One problem I had with Catwoman 1 was how Catwoman was drawn in the opening pages. The focus was on her breasts, exposed for no plot-based reason, and we didn’t see her full body until the third page. The effect is to de-personalize Catwoman, making our access to her body more important than her character. Bruce in Detective Comics 2, in contrast, is almost immediately shown in a full-body action shot, and unlike Catwoman he looks back out at us from the very first page of the book.

We start with Bruce in a tank top and shorts, rock climbing in his office (ah, the benefits of being a billionaire). When he’s joined by an unexpected visitor we see even more exposed skin, as the guy removes his shirt to join in. In some ways this is just as objectifying as the Catwoman scene (why not put the guy in an undershirt?) Does the fact that they’re exercising/training change the meaning of the scene, or how we respond to it, in contrast to Catwoman diving backwards off a building?

Immediately following this scene Bruce Wayne has yet another unexpected meeting, this time with a Charlotte Rivers. She seems to be a TV reporter, and the first part of her we see is her ass. Since we don’t yet know her as a character, it’s hard to tell if she’s using her beauty to try to gain access to Bruce, or if she dresses to fit in with her industry but genuinely dislikes how she’s treated because of it (“My eyes are up here”).

Either way, when Bruce tells Charlotte her eyes are shooting daggers, she responds with “Then kiss me before you bleed to death.” What do you think? Is she using sex to get a story, or is Bruce going along with it to distract her from her investigation? If it’s the latter, then Bruce is sort of whoring himself out to protect the Bat-Secret! He’s a willing and hopefully enthusiastic participant, but it just seems like his heart’s not in it.

So we’ve seen Bruce/Batman with two different women now, and both times he seems reluctant. With Catwoman he initially said no but changed his mind soon after; with Charlotte follows her lead with apparent pleasure but is clearly distant and distracted afterwards. How interesting, to compare that against Catwoman (she gets what she wants) and Starfire (who doesn’t get to love or even remember who she’s been with) – it kind of seems like Catwoman’s the one coming out on top.