Join Infinite Speech, Decapitated Dan, and the Canadian Webslinger each week as they gather around the water cooler of stories to talk about comics.
Listen in this week as the guys are joined once again by the Clergyman to play some Superhero Jeopardy and go over this weeks books, Sage #10, Superior Spider-Man #4, Indestructible Hulk #4 and Nova #1.
If you are a comic book fan or at the very least a fan of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy, you might have heard the rumor that Nolan and Bale are going to reunite for the Justice League movie. The story goes that Christian Bale will once again don the cape and cowl, joining Man of Steel’s star Henry Cavill in the Justice League film. Man of Steel director Zack Snyder is the rumored director, with Nolan in the role of series “Godfather.” I am pretty cautious when it comes to the rumor mill, though I suppose it could happen, like the surprise announcement of J.J. Abrams directing with the new Star Wars trilogy.
There are several issues with this possibility. After putting Batman and Gotham City through hell in The Dark Knight Rises, Nolan and co. took the unique route of giving Bruce Wayne a happy ending in a life of retirement with Selina Kyle. After this reward for the tireless champion, would it really make sense for him to give it all up and re-enter the ring? The Justice League movie in question could of course provide a high-stakes explanation that would force Wayne out of retirement to save the world with Superman, Wonder Woman and the rest, but I don’t think it would feel right. Without delving into it heavily, Nolan’s films set up a very finite story for Bruce Wayne and a legacy that will live on through Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s John Blake. I don’t want John Blake Batman in the JLA, and it’s been confirmed that that wouldn’t be the case, but I think they should just leave Christian Bale Batman alone altogether and start fresh.
Marvel Studios has obviously been successful in their world-building films, and DC/Warner Brothers is most definitely trying to match wits with the giant, but they lack foresight, and always have. Even though DC Comics gave birth to the popular notion of the superhero (with Superman), they have almost always been behind the curve in relation to Marvel Comics. The 1960s saw the birth of the Marvel superhero and with it a meticulous interwoven universe where Spider-Man regularly ran into The Fantastic Four and everything was interrelated. Conversely, outside of Batman and Superman, the DC superheroes didn’t interact as often, and their universes were frequently inconsistent. Even today, with The New 52, DC Comics massive reboot character depictions don’t really gel among many books. The Wonder Woman of her own title feels vastly different from the one in Justice League, for example.
Iron Man and Iron Man 2 began the trend of laying the groundwork for future Marvel films, without sacrificing its own story (for the most part.) I think that if Batman Begins and its subsequent sequels tried to do this by dropping mentions of “Superman in Metropolis” or “that Wonder Woman person” would’ve changed the nature of those films and probably ruin them altogether. So I hope that DC/Warner Brothers cuts any ties to Nolan’s saga and starts off in a new direction with Man of Steel. They want so desperately to have a presence as big as Marvel’s in the movie business, but they are nowhere near ready for it. I pray that they realize this and take a slow-and-steady approach to an Avengers-style Justice League movie. But I kind of doubt they will. Oh DC, I love you so very much, but sometimes you are crazy man.
Join Infinite Speech, Decapitated Dan, and the Canadian Webslinger each week as they gather around the water cooler of stories to talk about comics.
Listen in this week as the guys are joined once again by the Clergyman to play some Superhero Jeopardy and go over this weeks books, Sage #10, Superior Spider-Man #4, Indestructible Hulk #4 and Nova #1.
DC Comics hasn’t been very discreet when it comes to the dire nature of Batman Incorporated #8, urging retailers to order additional copies, implying something big was going to happen. Then of course there was the recent media blitz where DC basically spoiled the fact that Robin AKA Batman’s son Damian would be killed. While the character has only been around for six years, he went through immense changes over several comic book series that caused him to grow as a more complete and heroic character.
The concept of Batman fathering a child with Talia al Ghul (daughter of enemy Ra’s al Ghul) was originally explored in Mike Barr’s popular 1987 one-shot “Batman: Son of the Demon.” It wasn’t until 2006 when Grant Morrison re-introduced the idea in Batman #655, which kicked off the arc “Batman and Son” as well as Morrison’s book-spanning run on the Dark Knight. It’s no secret that I am a huge Grant Morrison fan, especially of the things he has done with Batman in the past six years. And while I plan to take a greater look at that years-long story when it reaches its conclusion, right now I want to take a retrospective look at the character of Damian.
In “Batman and Son,” Damian was introduced as a nightmare version of Robin, a petulant brat with a taste for blood. Annoyances aside, he was merely a pawn in Talia’s war with Batman. Fans (including me) absolutely hated the character, which was Morrison’s intention. He originally had planned for Damian to die early on in his Batman run, in a drastic situation that demanded a heroic sacrifice, therefore redeeming the little snot. Things did not pan out this way, of course. Damian would make a few cameos here and there in Batman’s nightmares along with scenes where he was faithfully at his mother’s side. In the appropriately named Batman #666 Morrison took readers to a hellish future of Gotham where Damian had inherited the mantle of Batman, still seeking approval from his long-dead father. After the apparent death of Bruce Wayne/Batman in Batman R.I.P. and Final Crisis, a new Batman and Robin team stepped up: former Robin turned Nightwing Dick Grayson as Batman and the arrogant Damian as Robin. It was during the new Batman & Robin series that the character really started to grow, and readers actually began to like him. Damian was allowed to thrive in his role as Robin, under the guidance of the more lenient and understanding Dick Grayson Batman. Damian became a true hero in the 16 issues that Morrison wrote, facing struggles of humility, independence and in one case, physical disability. Once Bruce Wayne “returned from the dead” Morrison seemingly shelved Damian for the most part. It wasn’t until the first volume finale of Batman Incorporated that Damian came back into the fold, breaking his no-killing rule and realizing that Talia was the master villain that our heroes were up against. But despite growing into a hero alongside Dick Grayson, Damian had to prove himself once again to his father; both as Robin and as a son.
Damian Wayne was fearless and headstrong from the get-go. His violent nature and overconfidence made him the perfect pint-sized Batman, undoubtedly the son of Bruce Wayne. The humorous dichotomy of a dark vengeance seeker of justice in the form of a little boy is one of the reasons he was so well received as Robin. In the real world, the concept of Robin is obviously ridiculous. But Damian was truly a product of the comic book world: a 10-year-old boy trained by assassins, with the know-how to operate high-tech motorcycles and Batmobiles and stare the Joker in the face without even flinching. It is fitting that Grant Morrison, the man created Damian, would be the one to kill him; “The Lord gives and The Lord takes away.” Morrison, along with current Batman & Robin scribe Pete Tomasi really shaped one of the most compelling and interesting Batman characters in a long time. Morrison’s tale has obviously been about Batman, but after today it feels like it has simultaneously been Damian’s. He went out heroically, with “The Boy Wonder” fighting his evil clone no less. Comic book deaths can fall victim to being played for cheap shocks, but the death of Damian Wayne felt more deserving. Damian’s “Hero’s Journey” is over; a fitting end for a hero redeemed.
Join Infinite Speech, Decapitated Dan, and the Canadian Webslinger each week as they gather around the water cooler of stories to talk about comics.
Listen in this week as Decapitated Dan and Infinite Speech play some Black History Month Jeopardy and go over this weeks books, Powers: Bureau #1, Batman #17, Todd the Ugliest Kid on Earth #2 and Uncanny X-Men #1.
Listen in this week as the guys are joined by the Comic Book Clergyman to play some Valentines Day Jeopardy and go over this weeks books, I Love Trouble #3, Think Tank #5, All New X-men #7, Dia De Los Muertos #1 and Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #20.
Listen in this week as the guys are welcome the Canadian Webslinger to the team, play some Superhero Jeopardy and go over this weeks Futurama #65, Teen Titans #16 and Superior Spider-Man #2.
It’s time to celebrate this week as the Water Cooler reaches Episode #100, and one Cooler member will not make it to #101! Listen in as the guys are joined by the Comic Book Clergeyman to do some Superhero Jeopardy and go over this weeks picks X-O Manowar #9, Bedlam #3, Hellblazer #299 and TMNT: The Secret History of the Foot Clan #2.
Listen in this week as the guys play another round of Super Hero Jeopardy and then go over this weeks picks Saga #9, Todd the Ugliest Kid on Earth #1 and Batman #16.
The guys are back from vacation and are ready to rock and roll with some Super Hero Jeopardy! Listen in as they go over this weeks picks Vampirella Strikes #1,Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #19 and Colder #3.
