Maps and Mirrors

From Eric Glover at Bleeding Cool, "Give Batgirl the Chair"

Yet Simone’s implication that meta-textual reasoning has been reserved for Oracle alone—or that DC’s creative integrity is somehow being questioned by it—rings somewhat false. Until now, DC hasn’t healed Oracle through an outlandish plot contrivance for the same reason Superman’s kryptonite allergy won’t be “fixed” by permanently dressing him in a protectively lead-lined suit, and the death of Batman’s parents won’t be “put right” with the comics’ life-restoring Lazarus Pit: In reality, using on hand sci-fi measures to erase our heroes’ most pressing challenges undermines what keeps them fundamentally appealing. Superman should be vulnerable to kryptonite because his weakness makes him human, and his strength despite it makes him a hero. Batman should continually wrestle with his parents’ death because his pain is his power, and his emotional conflict makes him an everyman. Barbara Gordon should cope with paralysis because her intellect is her greatest weapon, and her enduring will to use it makes her a miracle.

I highly recommend the article not just for statements like this but as a pretty thorough overview of the issue.

On a vaguely related note: I can handle a lot of change in a comic, even to the point of retcon. Probably the best example is Alan Moore's "The Anatomy Lesson" for Swamp Thing; it was a stunning move and yet only one of the reasons Alan Moore's tenure at Swamp Thing was a game-changer for comics (and vastly under-appreciated one if you ask me, but you probably don't want to get me started). And unlike a lot of people I was genuinely a fan of the character and title before Moore came on board. But a sure way for a writer to piss me off is to retcon the death of Batman's parents to make it the result of some kind of conspiracy. I think it's important that it was a random act and I think taking that away diminishes Batman's story. (I even got pissed when Andrew Vachss did it and I have a serious case of hero worship where he's concerned.) Stories matter, and we need to be careful not to forget what makes a story matter.

When I quit smoking a few years ago my reading dropped dramatically due to habit association issues. It got a bit of a bump when my TV died but it's still nothing what it was before. Still, I thought it might be nice to post what I've been reading, so this is a new thing for me this year. Even though it will show you what a COMPLETE DORK I am.

Palace of the Plague Lord by C.L. Werner
Short summary: a northern barbarian seeking revenge for his tribe that was wiped out is chosen by a god for a quest with the promise of a reward that is almost too good to be true. A Warhammer tie-in novel. Short review: meh.
( the rambling bits )

Baltimore: or The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden
Short summary: an encounter on a battlefield in WWI instigates a vampiric plague and the soldier who was there gathers three friends who have had their own encounters with evil to help him fight. Short review: Well done, boys!
( the rambling bits )

Batman: Arkham Reborn by David Hine and Jeremy Haun [graphic novel]
Short summary: Arkham has been destroyed and a descendant of Amadeus Arkham rebuilds it from plans Amadeus left behind. Short review: it brings the crazy and is for the most part a solid Arkham tale.
( the rambling bits )

Batman: Arkham Asylum: Madness by Sam Keith [graphic novel]
Short summary: a day-in-the-life of the asylum, much of it through the eyes of a nurse working a shift that's waaaay too long. Short review: Enjoyable interpretations of our cast of crazies, especially the Joker; allows a nice creepy atmosphere to build but the payoff is a bit lacking.
( the rambling bits )

B.P.R.D Volume 4: The Dead & B.P.R.D. Volume 5: The Black Flame by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi and Guy Davis [graphic novels]
Short summary: it's Mignola - awesome Liz is awesome, we find that Roger is better off not wearing pants and though everyone in a Mignola book has a haunted house for a psyche this time around it's Abe who does the guided tour. Short review: I feel Arcudi and Davis were good choices to work with Mignola. I loved Liz here; I'm still on the fence about Daimo. I wish these collections weren't so small, but I'm glad I could check them out from the library. And that's as rambly as I'm going to get with these.

You know what I want? I want Batman to have a worthy female antagonist where it isn't all about teh sex (yes I know, everything is about sex, but anyway). I realize this is too much to ask for Nolan and his studio money but I can dream, right? Ooh, reboot Oracle as a villain, then you could take some of what TDK seemed to be trying to say about technology and play with it.

(Now stop right there. No, I sure as hell am not saying Oracle is a neuter because she's a paraplegic. I've read some damned hot paraplegic Barb fic - and wouldn't mind seeing more. I am certainly referring to the fact that she largely doesn't operate in the physical world.)

Mostly though I want to see a woman kick his ass without feeling the need to hump his leg in the process.

You know what else? Is there any chance we could backtrack a bit to the part where Batman is the Dark Knight Detective? The part where he uses his mind as well as his neato fighting skills and expensive gadgets?

(Obviously I need to watch BB and TDK again to remember that I really like them. It's just that the whole Catwoman vs. Talia debate that's going on in regards to the next movie makes me a little cranky.)

Observations on a second viewing of The Dark Knight:

( Spoilers are anarchy )

I've been noodling over some things about Batman that are actually related more to Batman Begins than The Dark Knight.

For the most part I'm a big fan of reinventing classic stories. Shakespeare in outer space? Go for it. I actually think the US remake of Touching Evil was pretty good (though I'd almost gladly volunteer to sabotage the US remake of Life on Mars).

But I still have my touchy areas, and a big one is Batman. Don't get me wrong, like any long-lasting character I've seen different writers do all kinds of interesting things with Batman and I usually like the results. But you DO NOT MESS with Batman's backstory.

( Cut for length - no spoilers for The Dark Knight )
ETA: Mild spoilers for TDK in the comments.

Oh, Bruce. Oh my poor boy.

As many accolades as he will undoubtedly get, I doubt that Christopher Nolan will truly get the recognition he deserves for telling this story.

Oh my poor boy.