Batman R.I.P.? I Doubt it.

I'm sure you've all been reading the reports of Batman's death. Much like the death's of Superman (in 1992) and Captain America's death (in 2007, which I wrote about at the time) the media always seems to pay attention to the world of comic books when something major happens. Everyone seems to be a bit up in arms about the death of Batman this time but there are a few things I'd like to point out before everyone faints.

First of all, I've been reading Batman comics for as long as I can remember and this isn't the first time they've pulled the "helicopter-over-the-water-and-the-body-disappears" bit. It sounds a lot like the time Joker "died" shortly after he killed Jason Todd (the second Robin) twenty years ago. It was quite awhile before the Joker once again appeared in Batman continuity, but the character was so much a staple of the books longevity and success, editors knew killing him outright would be a mistake. "Find his body! Find his body!" Batman shouts to Superman but he knows it's futile. "But I know they won't," he thinks to himself. "That's how things always end with the Joker and me. Unresolved."

Bruce Wayne is part of the formula that makes the Batman franchise successful. Yes, he's had people fill in under the cape and cowl with mixed results (like the insane Jean-Paul Valley nee Azrael, and his original Robin turned Nightwing, Dick Grayson) but he was always back in the mantle soon enough. With the lack of a body in this latest issue and the desire on DC's part to make ever increasing amounts of money from an expanding mainstream fan base, I can't imagine Bruce Wayne's absence will be for very long.

Secondly, how long can DC afford to keep Batman continuity in disarray with the army of fans of The Dark Knight racing from the movie theatres (or home theatres) to the comic book store to pick up a Batman comic only to be confused by Grant Morrison's long and complicated storyline? Neil Gaiman is coming in for two issues to do sort of a recap of some type on Batman's career and then it's a fresh start. Admittedly, DC is moving into an event they're calling "The Battle for the Cowl" which, if written in a more reader friendly way than Grant Morrison's run, will engage new readers and ease them back into the world. I imagine (mind I'm just speculating here) this arc will redefine Bruce Wayne and his legacy through the eyes of his various proteges and by the time one of them finally proves worthy enough of the mantle of the bat, Bruce himself will step out of the shadows and give readers a reason to stand in awe of him once more.

My third and final point is the following quote from Dan Didio. He told the New York Daily News, "He's not dead, though he'll definitely be gone for a while. Batman and (alter ego) Bruce Wayne have been here long before me, and they'll be around long after me."

What I hope is that all of the added publicity in places like this will drive new readers to comic books (Batman or otherwise). And take it from someone who's been reading Batman far longer than it would seem possible, you're always in for one hell of a ride.

(Suggestions for further reading: If you want to start out with Batman in self contained stories, try The Long Halloween and Batman: Venom. For a longer arc for the more initated, Batman: No Man's Land (Volumes 1-5) is a fun read.)

(Bryan Young is the producer of Killer at Large and blogs frequently about comic books at Big Shiny Robot!)

Follow Bryan Young on Twitter: www.twitter.com/BigShinyRobot

Comments

[falgiano]

i haven't collected comics in 20 years but am loving all the comic-based movies, many of which emerged from the classic storylines.

i can't see how 'death of Batman' works as anything more than temporary, or as a gimmick. they would have been better off exploring the idea in a standalone 'alternative universe' kind of comic or series.

in fact, i'm beginning to believe there is no point in the 'monthly serialized titles' b/c after 100, 200, 300 issues, what kind of continuity could there possibly be? maybe every Batman storyline should be a 'limited series' so that you can keep varying the endings and outcomes. kill him a hundred times in different versions of the caped crusader and he'll still be alive when the next comic comes out.

btw, i loved Jim Aparo's Batman. in my mind it's visually iconic.

[Bryan Young - Huffpost Blogger]

I've been reading Batman since the Death of Jason Todd and I have to say that not only has it generally gotten better over the years, each writer and artist has managed to make their own distinct mark on the character.

Some of the best teamups on the regular series include Doug Moench and Kelly Jones, Ed Brubaker and anyone he worked with, Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee.

It's worth buying the books. And if you enjoy the comic movies, you'll enjoy the comics... Despite gimmicks like this, there's no better time to read comics.

[edgraham]

I never recovered from the disappearance of Captain Marvel. I was very young, but I really loved the whole family. He was killed by a law suit. A death from which you can't recover.

Batman will return.

Ed Graham

[getoffthecross]

I was working at a comic book store during the Death of Superman story line, and can say with absolute certainty that the arc helped to cripple the comic book industry. Speculators came out from the woodwork to pick up multiple copies of "landmark" issue, positive that this was the comic that would help put their kids through college. Within a year, those issues were guide priced for $75...except no one was buying them because everyone already had one. Now? I think they go for $5.

People were shocked when, within a year, Superman actually returned. Even while I was selling people multiple issues, I tried to tell them that there was no way DC was killing off one of their cornerstone characters, but people will believe what they will. Now Batman is the subject of yet another "Death in the Family?" This is just one of the reasons why I have distanced myself from an industry that was such an integral part of my childhood.

I have seen how they make the sausage, and it changed my diet forever.

[Mrrar]

They lost me when they randomly turned Cassandra Cain into the exact opposite of her Archetype, and her back story. I understand why, to someone who has only a cursory understanding of the character, what they did might make sense.

I understand it in the same way I understand why the director Kevin Smith spoke of as turning Superman into a capeless, martial-ar­ts-matrixy Kryptonian whose arch-nemsis is the Giant-Spid­er-Riding-­Kryptonian­-Lex-Lutho­r thought that his ideas were also totally legitimate.

ie, totally weren't.

Didio is a massive disappointment, who obviously lacks an understanding for the characters created in the 90s and 2000s. Basically, the leadership at DC said "golly we sure liked the comics when we were kids, let's bring that back!' while totally disregarding the people who were, you know, actually reading the comics of the modern era.

As a result, DC became.. well.. crap.

It also deeply saddens me that they only talk about Drake or Grayson filling the cowl, which actually does _not_ make sense for _either_ of their characters :-... and yeah, i'm biased, but if you read the story from a purely literary perspective, Cass Cain was the most fitting to fill the cowl of "Batman" (so to speak).

Oh well. If they put in Grayson, instead of Drake, I'll know for sure that when I have the money to buy comics again, there'll be no reason to give DC a glance.

[Bryan Young - Huffpost Blogger]

I'm with you on the Cassandra Cain stuff... everything they did with her after they cancelled her book (of which I anxiously bought every issue of since the beginning) was both confusing and infuriating.

And I think that she had one aspect of the mantle covered. But I think her, Tim and Dick each have an aspect of Batman that the others don't.

But at the end of the day, Bruce will be back soon enough, mark my words.

[auramac]

I'm getting tired of DC and Marvel killing off characters to generate publicity or when they run out of ideas. The lack of creativity ( and decline in quality of artwork as well as a rudimentary knowledge of anatomy) is distressing. The early comics creators were influenced by novelists, movies, and classic painters and illustrators- most of today's comics are stylized distortions of earlier comics.

Thet couldn't figure out how to portray the challenges of marriage in Spiderman, had to kill Steve Rogers to redefine Capt. America- how many times have they redone the Hulk? So we get the Golden Age, the Silver Age, the Last Age and the Old Age.

The TV show Smallville is a good example of how to modernize and rethink a character. Even there, though, there's too much death and shock for shock value. Do they need to keep bringing in every character from the DC Universe (Aquaman?!?) to keep the stories interesting? Don't they have enough to work with?

[Bryan Young - Huffpost Blogger]

Maybe they'd do this less if sales were better.

Meaning, go to your local comic book store and get in on the act.

[NoSillyName]

I sent my brother, an avid comics collector, that BBC "Batman is Dead" story. He told me it wasn't true.

What a relief!