Hello again GEN readers! It’s Jill a.k.a. The Nerdy Bird back with another installment of DoubleDCoverage. Neil Gaiman tells us something we’ve been dying to know - Whatever happened to the Caped Crusader? - and Superwoman is FINALLY unmasked! Did you guess correctly for either? Reviews for Detective Comics #853 and Supergirl #40 are ahead, also, check out my star ratings for my other pulls from last Wednesday!
DETECTIVE COMICS #853
“Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?” was definitely worth the wait. In a time where not everyone quite understands what’s been going on with Bruce Wayne, this salute to the iconic character is just what the doctor ordered. And no, I do not mean Doctor Hurt.
The first half of the story, published back in February in Batman #686, felt like a “This is Your Life” episode tweaked by some of Batman’s closest associates, villain and hero alike. The eulogies only take up the first half of this issue and aren’t as in-depth but that’s because there’s other business to attend to. Bruce finally deduces the narrator who’s been speaking with him this whole time - his mother. He considers this to be his own near death experience but she feels he has something to learn from what he’s witnessed. “The Batman doesn’t compromise. I keep this city safe even if it’s safer by just one person and I do not ever give in or give up,” he says.
His own retrospect is powerful enough to carry the issue but it doesn’t end there. His mother tells him instead of heaven or hell, for dying, he gets to be Batman. What he also gets is a few years of happiness with his parents, he can stop fighting - for now. Using the motif of the “Goodnight Book” she helps him say goodbye to everything and everyone in his life. Goodnight Giant Penny, Goodnight Boy Wonder, Goodnight Bat-signal. The image of the Bat-signal slowly transforms into a pair of hands holding a baby. It’s a boy, named Bruce, being handed to Mrs. Wayne.
A book that presents Batman in a mash-up of his varied incarnations throughout his 70 year history is, without a doubt, a challenge but both Neil Gaiman and Andy Kubert are beyond qualified to handle such a task. “The end of the story of Batman is, he’s dead. Because in the end, the Batman dies. What else am I going to do? Retire and play golf?” There really is no other end for Bruce. This two-part story can be viewed in two ways. One way to look at it is that this is exactly what’s happened to Batman following Final Crisis. He’s dead, or on the brink of death, and being reborn into another life thanks to Darkseid’s Omega Sanction. Or, this is an out of continuity story meant to help us say goodbye to Batman as we know him and usher in a new era. Either way, it was a fitting tribute.
SUPERGIRL #40
Just who is Superwoman? What does she want and will Supergirl figure that out before it’s too late? Finally our questions are answered in this penultimate issue. Considering Alura’s former head of security Thara Ak-Var has since been unmasked as the new Flamebird it’s safe to say she wasn’t pulling overtime as Superwoman as well. Not that Supergirl is aware of that though.
Supergirl rushes off when Major Lane informs her of Superwoman’s whereabouts but in doing so, falls for a decoy. Reactron is ready and waiting with Gold Kryptonite to take away her powers temporarily in midair. She thinks back to training with Batman to survive the fall and hold off Reactron for as long as possible. Meanwhile, Cat Grant, Lana Lang and Jimmy Olsen are attending a Student Journalism Awards ceremony . They witness the fight on a rooftop but are helpless to do anything about it. Lana gets another nosebleed but this time can’t hide it as she collapses.
Supergirl holds her own without her powers until Reactron brings her close again. So close, she faces the gold rock inside of him and yanks it out. He dives off the building after it and disappears. Once her powers are back Supergirl notices something about Superwoman’s cape that leads her to believe she’s finally deduced her identity. She races back to police headquarters where, sure enough, Superwoman has just put a hole through Inspector Henderson’s chest. Supergirl rips off her head covering to reveal Major Lucy Lane.
A very intriguing reveal to be sure. Superwoman has been answering to her father, General Lane, who hates Kryptonians. So why would he possibly give his own flesh and blood the powers of one? It’s just such a relief the title finally has some real direction under Sterling Gates. The extended cast of characters for Supergirl is definitely something the book was lacking and what brings it on par with the rest of DC’s super books.
AZRAEL: DEATH’S DARK KNIGHT #2 (OF 3) - I felt this one took a nose dive. Lots of exposition, not enough action.
BATMAN: BATTLE FOR THE COWL – ARKHAM ASYLUM - See? I don’t hate all the BftC one-shots! This was an amazing behind-the-scenes look at our favorite mental institution and it’s lost inmates.
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #32 - I love the JLA but this, is not the JLA.
THE OUTSIDERS #17 - The naked cult finally gets a name! They’re called, The Insiders and Vandal Savage is somehow involved.
TRINITY #47 - Big battle where nothing happens and Lex Luthor may save the day. Hmm…
So, what did YOU think? What are you excited to be reading and what could you live without?
My pull list for next week:
BATMAN: BATTLE FOR THE COWL – THE UNDERGROUND
FINAL CRISIS: LEGION OF THREE WORLDS #4 (OF 5)
GREEN LANTERN #40
JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #26
SUPERMAN #687
TEEN TITANS #70
TRINITY #48
WONDER WOMAN #31
Which two should I review for DoubleDCoverage #6?
April 29th, 2009 at 12:53 am
Excellent, excellent review of the Detective Comics story.
April 29th, 2009 at 4:05 am
Great review of Detective - I loved it, despite a lot of the negative feddback it seems to be getting elsewhere. Gaiman’s always been good at the metaphysical tone-poem stuff, and this was a fitting tribute to Bruce.
April 29th, 2009 at 4:33 am
Yes, I am sick of all the Cowl one-shots. Grrr. Asylum was pretty great.
April 29th, 2009 at 11:48 am
… Doctor Crane?
I have to disagree about DETECTIVE, Jill and Richard. While I understand what Gaiman and Kubert were doing, there was something about this issue that just didn’t have this amazing effect on me. Although the Mad Hatter’s pins, on the other hand …
ASYLUM was indeed awesome, Beth!
April 29th, 2009 at 2:30 pm
wait…so with Big Bruce sleeping Six Feet Under, and my Batman Beyond fandom my mind just exploded on the paradox. I admit my comic noob-ness, but is there any possible explanation to the apparent paradox that isn’t from the 8th Dimension of Off-the-Wall Storylines?
May 1st, 2009 at 12:28 pm
Thanks for the comments everyone!
Doctor Hurt Steph, the wackadoo from RIP! I think there are a lot of people out there who agree with you about Detective. It just really hit a nerve with me I guess. A good nerve.
And yes, the pins were a great touch!
Darthrevan1789, what paradox are you referring to specifically? That Bruce is “dead” but around in BB? The answer there is obvious, and I think Steph would agree with me here - Bruce won’t be “dead” for long.
May 4th, 2009 at 9:09 am
yup, just read Detective yesterday and i had to admit it was a very good story. The wait was worth it! Speaking of which, I would love to see your review for the much delayed FC: LO3W #4