Batman Comics

Good evening, Gotham City!! Happy Canada day to those in Gotham North, and Happy Independence Day to my friends south of the border! This hot weather puts me in the mood for a cool drink and a comicbook, and lucky for me there are a few good ones coming out today. Before I get to that, though, a costume update — as I’m sure everyone will be glad to hear, my Bat-dress is ready to go! It’s about time, since the San Diego Comic Con is next week! I don’t have any full costume photos to share quite yet, but here’s a blurry iPhone shot that gives you an idea of what the utility belt looks like:

Yes, those are Bat-sunglasses, we creatures of the shadows don’t do too well with California’s bright sunshine. Enough costume talk, here’s what I’m reading this week:

Batman: Earth One – Batman’s origin story, the official DCnU version! Some people may think it’s redundant, but I love a good origin and don’t mind reading Batman’s again! With a storyline that’s as well known as this one, it’s always interesting to see what the writer adds, changes, or removes altogether. I think Geoff Johns has enough history with the character to do it justice, and although I’m not very familiar with Gary Frank’s art, I’ve liked his recent Justice League work. Although I don’t normally buy hardcover graphic novels when they first come out, this was a birthday present that I’m definitely looking forward to reading (and thanks again!!)

Earth 2 3 – Still mad at DC for calling it Earth 2 instead of Earth Two. And don’t tell, but I may have neglected to actually read issue 2 (despite enjoying issue 1)… This isn’t technically a Bat-book anyways, but I have to read it for gay Alan Scott if nothing else!

Detective Comics 11 – I’ve seen a lot of hate for Tony Daniel’s run in this series, and I didn’t really agree because I’ve generally enjoyed D.C. lately (especially issue 10, I thought it was great, though it’s possible that most of what I enjoyed was the art…) Then it occurred to me that the main problem I have with D.C. was how they started big with the Joker (insert Nic Cage quote here) and then didn’t follow through, we haven’t seen Mister J all year. I’m thrilled to bits that the Batman team will be writing a Joker storyline, but whose fault is it that we had to wait this long? Of course, I don’t know what goes on behind the doors of DC Comics (and I get the sense even that people working there don’t plan ahead sometimes) but maybe if Daniel had done something with the Joker, he’d be writing Detective Comics for more than a couple more issues.

World’s Finest 3 – The continued adventures of Huntress and Power Girl! I really enjoy the inversion here: the “World’s Finest” title starred Superman and Batman for so long, it’s great to see two women taking up that title and all the symbolism that goes with it. We’re early in the series, still getting to know the characters and learning how they relate to each other and the world they find themselves in. I’m most interested to see how Helena Wayne goes from being Robin to being Huntress, and how she grieves the loss of her father, the Batman of Earth 2.

Batwing 11 - The villain here is a gangster named Long, who just happens to be a dragon. Not a man in a dragon costume, no. An actual dragon. This is why I read comics! What is the point of having a guy in Bat armor running around fighting crime if not to have him fight a dragon? Exactly. Add in Marcus To’s art and I’m definitely sold; take a look at this cover – I love Long’s antlers, and Nightwing is just perfect!

Let’s talk about DC’s recent announcement that a well-known character will come out as gay this June. This is a very exciting step! I want to see the world I live in reflected in the comics I read, although of course I also want the fantastic, impossible, magical elements that I can only dream about in real life; an important part of my world is the diversity of the people I interact with. Race, age, size, gender, sexuality – these are all sites of difference that can shape who we are and how we interact with others, and when these differences are reflected in the art that we create and consume it enriches both the reader and the art. It’s great to see DC comics embracing that diversity in the characters it portrays, and hopefully this marks the beginning of further diversification in DC’s creators and who they market to as well.

The announcement specifically uses the word “reintroduced”, which suggests that this character has not been active since the relaunch, but they’re also “major” and “iconic”, which rules out lesser known characters. After some in-depth lunchtime discussions with my Bat-fan coworkers, these are my top three picks for who might be the new gay hero, keeping in mind that my first choice (Tim Drake) is disqualified because he’s already been very busy in the DCnU and thus can’t be reintroduced.

1. Alan Scott (Green Lantern, Earth 2). We saw Scott at the end of Earth 2 issue 1, so his reintroduction is happening right now. He’s iconic, having been the very first Green Lantern, but unlike Hal Jordan (Ryan Renolds in the Green Lantern movie) or John Stewart (on the Justice League cartoon show) he hasn’t had much exposure outside of comic books and so there’s less attachment to a certain version of the character. Coming out would probably give this older character a much-needed boost into the modern world.

Earth 2 #1 by James Robinson and Nicola Scott

2. Vic Sage (The Question).  He’s an iconic DC character, in that he’s been around forever and lots of readers know him, but he’s also less popular and has less cultural baggage than someone like Batman or Superman. He appeared very briefly in the Free Comic Book Day issue that DC put out this May, so we know the Question is a part of the relaunched universe, but very little other information was given. Plus, maybe there’s something about the Question mask that carries a certain gayness with it… Renee Montoya, who was The Question prior to the relaunch, was a lesbian.

The New 52 FCBD Edition, by Geoff Johns and Jim Lee

3. The Riddler. It could be a villain, and of any villain, the Riddler is probably the gayest! I know, don’t worry, I’m not saying that the Joker’s straight, but Mister J’s more queer than gay. The Riddler is well known, not specifically written as straight (unlike the Penguin, who’s already had a tragic romance storyline), and hasn’t really done anything since the relaunch. We did get a few glimpses of him with the other inmates of Arkham Asylum in Batman 1.

Batman #1 by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo

One problem with my list is that it’s three men, but I didn’t want to include a woman just for the sake of having a lady on the list, and these are the characters that made the most sense to me as possibly the one. Also, it’s often easier or less controversial for a woman to come out as lesbian or bisexual than it is for a man to do the same thing. That’s problematic (to say the least), but this isn’t the right time or place to get into that whole conversation.The point is, the DCnU can use more diversity all over and having a gay man in the scene will help. I’m looking forward to watching this story unfold, and would love to read your comments about these three possibilities and whoever else you think might be getting ready to come out.

Happy Wednesday, Bat-fans! Once again it’s been longer than I’d like between updates, but we do what we can. Despite not sharing my pull file last week or the week before I did read my comics, and love the Court of Owls storyline. I’m trying not to speculate too much about who’s behind it, but it’s been fun seeing theories online. What do you think will happen this week, and who do you think is really in charge of the Court of Owls? Leave a comment and let me know!

For the record, on April 18th I picked up Batman 8, Birds Of Prey 8, Catwoman 8, Justice League 8, Nightwing 8 and Red Hood and the Outlaws 8 (yes, I’m still buying it…) It was a busy week! Then on April 25th I read Dark Knight 8 and Teen Titans 8. Today is also a great day for Batman comic readers, here’s what I’ll be buying after work today:

Batwing 9 – Issue 8 came with some startling realizations about Batwing’s current nemesis Massacre, and I wonder how that will tie in to the Court of Owls storyline today. Perhaps there’s no connection at all, the Court may just swoop in and disrupt everything in this issue! Either way, with art by Marcus To we’re in good hands and I’m sure we’ll finally see some background detail in the art, what a relief.

Detective Comics 9 – The Court of Owls comes to Detective Comics as well! Batman has to protect one of the Talons’ targets, Jeremiah Arkham, which I guess means he’s back in charge of Arkham Asylum? That’s a far stretch from where we last saw him before the relaunch, when he was Black Mask (and just as villainous as the name suggests). I’m excited to find out what happened and what Jeremiah’s up to now!

Earth Two 1 – This new series opens up an alternate universe, where we meet Golden Age heroes Jay Garrick (Flash) and Alan Scott (Green Lantern). I got pretty confused just trying to figure that much out, so I hope James Robinson writes it to be a good first-issue introduction for those of us who started reading comics within the last few years and aren’t well-versed in DC history. Artwork by Nicola Scott, I’m not familiar with her work but it’s always nice to have another female artist in the mix!

Teen Titans Annual #1 – I don’t understand why there’s a random “annual” issue (well, maybe not so random) or why it costs $4.99 (most comics are $2.99) but surprise, I got this anyways. Teen Titans is good stuff, so I’ll go along for the ride.

World’s Finest 1 – Huntress and Power Girl from Earth Two are stranded in Earth One. How did they get here? Why can’t they go back? What will they do, what are they like, what do they want? I have so many questions! I’m also definitely excited that this comic is focused on two heroines, and I like the subversive aspect – instead of the classic World’s Finest team-up (Batman, Superman, and Robin) we have Power Girl (Superman’s cousin) and Huntress (Helena Wayne). There’s potential here! I really enjoy the cover, by George Perez and Hi-Fi (yes, really).