There’ll be Sun.
March 16th, 2010 by Esther Inglis-Arkell | Tags: batman and robin, DC comics, grant morrisonOkay, this is technically today with spoilers, so I’ll cut it.
I think that Grant Morrison is one of those creators who need to be beaten back from continuity with a stick, but there’s no denying that out-of-continuity he is pretty fantastic.
This isn’t just fun, it also explains why Bruce Wayne’s ancestors were always such paragons of anachronistic virtue. They were Batman, with his modern values, gone back in time.
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Will you be doing a play-by-play of Batgirl # 8/Red Robin # 10? These are also good comics that could get your mind off DC’s mainstream crap. They’re the exact opposite of CfJ: fun, entertaining, intentionally funny, well written, no death, and heroes who are actually heroic.
My thoughts exactly Esther,
@kendall: RR was so much better than Batgirl this week. Wonder what Miller thought of being so royally upstaged, Yost wrote a better Steph and Tim.
also we get the name of the Bat-Pez-Dispenser (Ricochet)
@Nathan: I respectfully disagree. RR had the two best moments in this x-over. But both those moments were really more about Tim than about Steph: Tim being made to realize that Steph has earned the right to be Batgril and Tim apologizing for what an asshole he’s been. It made sense that both these moments are in RR rather than Batgirl. In Batgirl, Miller was his normal fun, efficient self, developing the Tim Steph relationship from animosity to mutual affection and the rekindling of old flames. The only thing really inferior about Batgirl was the art and even there the problem was fill-in artists. As for being “upstaged”, this is predominantly an RR story, made up of 4 RR issues and only 1 Batgirl issue.
@kendall: I get what you’re saying but reading Batgirl, I got the feeling that Miller hadn’t read more than a few issues of RR before writing, he still had Dick-Tim. Also I don’t know, she just came off as more competent in RR
What is the book/series?
@West: pic is from Batman and Robin #10
set up for Return of Bruce Wayne mini
You know, if it turns out that Bruce Wayne is going to be his own grandfather, great grandfather, and great-great grandfather back to the stone age, well, that’s just … man, that would be a pretty unique loop of inbreeding, right there … I’m sure he’ll keep showing up as long-lost cousins or something, but that wouldn’t explain the portraits, which strongly suggest a direct line of descent. And that Bruce’s salvation plan relies entirely on no one ever redecorating Wayne Manor … which has been destroyed and rebuilt before, hasn’t it?)
But I digress: Just when you thought DC comics couldn’t get ickier: Self-inbreeding Batman!
(Note: I’m kidding — I’m sure that Morrison writes around that matter quite easily. And that DC can indeed get ickier.)
Continuity: The idea that the best writer having limitations placed on them by the worst writers is a good thing. Fuck continuity.
@Terrence: High five, absolute co-sign there.
@Terrence: Maybe its my upbringing keeping me from thinking of the alternatives but I get the feeling Bruce simply modeled for all the paintings and changed the names
@Guy Smiley: No [insert clever smilie here]
But in the ways of making an actual comment. Continuity is essentially the backbone of Morrison’s run. Without it it all kind of falls apart, which is what makes it interesting. Morrison himself is going out of his way to pull EVERYTHING by every writer (both good and “bad”) and weaving an epic story out of it.
Plus I just like the idea that the stories I like actually matter in the context. (though there is the fact I’m one of those “autistic morons” who doesn’t hate modern superhero comics with every fiber of my being)
Enh. Continuity seems to be a definitive part of serial storytelling.
I can see why you might fondle it, but not fuck it.
@Nathan: Why can’t all stories matter?
@West: I think the idea of “fucking it” is what attracted Morrison to Batman, the challenge to mix everything and bring stuff he loved out of obscurity.
@david brothers: I mean matter in a continuity sense. If a character grows and matures in one book I’d like it if this reflected in others, or for events that merit big responces echo out. You had a problem with OMD you should at least get part of what I’m saying
I’ll be honest, I have a lot of problems with the current view of continuity and the fan mindset it creates, so I have no problem having Grant Morrison in the place where his Batman books get more exposure
I was mostly worried about the danger that Bruce Wayne ultimately gave birth to himself. But on the topic of continuity: It seems a thorny issue, because if you’re gonna have ANY continuity, it’s hard to draw the line. Conceptually, I like the idea that Morrison should be bound to general current continuity (like, Stephanie is undead, and Batgirl) — but not have me ruin his Bruce Wayne Portrait Gallery by screaming, “Wayne Manor was burned to the ground in Detective Comics # 312, and it was SPECIFICALLY SAID that NOTHING survived! Wahhh!”
But … where I decide continuity is important or trivial is not where the other readers will. So I really need that late-seventies Detective where the Bronze Tiger kills the original Batwoman to be in continuity, but what if Greg Rucka wants her to show up alive in next month’s Detective? Well, then, what if he wants to retcon her murder to do with his Cult o’ Crime? What percentage of us will riot over that one?
Being hamstrung by all continuity is limiting and dumb. But simply adhering to continuity, back to the latest reboot at least, is easier, kinda like playing fair with the readers’ expectations (other than expectations of quality).
Me, I don’t much care if they retcon/ignore the ancient trivia. I’m more likely to wonder whether coding a message into a carefully arranged portrait gallery is actually gonna work in the story than I am to worry about whether it contradicts World’s Finest #14.