Sorry . . it took me a while to get started on this week's books. I had quite a pile of Marvel to work through from last week. 17 Marvel books, alone, last week. This week I only have 20 books total. Well . . 22 really. I got a couple of Simpson books. But I just read those for fun. I still spent to much money though. There always seems to be 3 or 4 variants I want during the first week of the month. And my guy offered me a deal on the
Gotham City Sirens variant, so . . what's a comic-geek supposed to do? Anyways, on to our second installment of this new series. For me, this book is a dream. I love it when Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely team up. I don't know why, but they seem to perform their best work together. We see Dick going through all the insecurities of trying to take over for Bruce this issue. He knows that Gordon and the rest of the cops suspect something. "Didn't they used to be taller?" "Batman sounded different, right?" "Familiar. And that kid . . I've seen him somewhere before." And he's having a hell of a time getting Damian to follow his lead. He thinks he knows everything and has all the answers. "I already promised my father I wouldn't kill. Now I'm supposed to be nice to the Police as well? This pathetic impersonation of my father makes a mockery of his memory! Keep your clues and your 'detective skill' and your limits.
I'll do this my way." But to me, the best relationship expressed through this story is that of Dick and Alfred's. They talk about everything, exposing their innermost feelings and fears, and use each other to garner strength and vision. They're true best friends, confidants, and mentors. Anyways, with this group, they find out that it's an extreme circus group . . le Cirque D'Etrange. I don't know if they know about Pyg yet though. He seems to be their leader. They stage a break-out, for the Toad's benefit, which Batman and Robin help thwart. But, in the process, 4 cops were killed . . 6 seriously injured. And the Commissioner had to calm Robin down as he was putting a serious beating on the 'fat-woman' who was trying to get to the Toad. On top of all that, in the end, the Toad ends up dead. So far Dick only has a few clues to go on . ."Wooden Gallopers, Circus people, domino killers and weirdo drug deals". Now he just has to figure out how they all go together. Meanwhile, Damian, off on his own, has gone right to the source . . the grounds where the circus is now rooted. The problem is . . they're strongest on their home turf, so Robin is quickly overwhelmed. "Alone in the rain and dark . . mmm? Hasn't he heard? The hour of the Pig has come! And the night belongs to me!" Personally, I love this book. I think it's full of excitement, emotion and the intrigue that makes for a good Batman story. No it's not seamless. It's not a smooth transition. But whoever said it would be? This is a kid, basically, that's trying to take the place of his mentor/father who had been doing this since before he, or any of them besides Alfred, were even born. Plus, for all the years that he worked with Bruce, Dick never saw himself as one day taking his place. He used what he was taught, and the tutelage he received, to become his own man. An homage to the original . . not a clone of. Now? Now he has to learn to adapt what he knows . . his methods and style, to filling the role he's trying to perform . . not imitate it. I think this is a great time to be following the Batman books. There's a whole lot going on.
Sorry . . it took me a while to get started on this week's books. I had quite a pile of Marvel to work through from last week. 17 Marvel books, alone, last week. This week I only have 20 books total. Well . . 22 really. I got a couple of Simpson books. But I just read those for fun. I still spent to much money though. There always seems to be 3 or 4 variants I want during the first week of the month. And my guy offered me a deal on the Gotham City Sirens variant, so . . what's a comic-geek supposed to do? Anyways, on to our second installment of this new series. For me, this book is a dream. I love it when Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely team up. I don't know why, but they seem to perform their best work together. We see Dick going through all the insecurities of trying to take over for Bruce this issue. He knows that Gordon and the rest of the cops suspect something. "Didn't they used to be taller?" "Batman sounded different, right?" "Familiar. And that kid . . I've seen him somewhere before." And he's having a hell of a time getting Damian to follow his lead. He thinks he knows everything and has all the answers. "I already promised my father I wouldn't kill. Now I'm supposed to be nice to the Police as well? This pathetic impersonation of my father makes a mockery of his memory! Keep your clues and your 'detective skill' and your limits. 
I'll do this my way." But to me, the best relationship expressed through this story is that of Dick and Alfred's. They talk about everything, exposing their innermost feelings and fears, and use each other to garner strength and vision. They're true best friends, confidants, and mentors. Anyways, with this group, they find out that it's an extreme circus group . . le Cirque D'Etrange. I don't know if they know about Pyg yet though. He seems to be their leader. They stage a break-out, for the Toad's benefit, which Batman and Robin help thwart. But, in the process, 4 cops were killed . . 6 seriously injured. And the Commissioner had to calm Robin down as he was putting a serious beating on the 'fat-woman' who was trying to get to the Toad. On top of all that, in the end, the Toad ends up dead. So far Dick only has a few clues to go on . ."Wooden Gallopers, Circus people, domino killers and weirdo drug deals". Now he just has to figure out how they all go together. Meanwhile, Damian, off on his own, has gone right to the source . . the grounds where the circus is now rooted. The problem is . . they're strongest on their home turf, so Robin is quickly overwhelmed. "Alone in the rain and dark . . mmm? Hasn't he heard? The hour of the Pig has come! And the night belongs to me!" Personally, I love this book. I think it's full of excitement, emotion and the intrigue that makes for a good Batman story. No it's not seamless. It's not a smooth transition. But whoever said it would be? This is a kid, basically, that's trying to take the place of his mentor/father who had been doing this since before he, or any of them besides Alfred, were even born. Plus, for all the years that he worked with Bruce, Dick never saw himself as one day taking his place. He used what he was taught, and the tutelage he received, to become his own man. An homage to the original . . not a clone of. Now? Now he has to learn to adapt what he knows . . his methods and style, to filling the role he's trying to perform . . not imitate it. I think this is a great time to be following the Batman books. There's a whole lot going on.
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