Batman General Discussion

Could someone recommend me some good Riddler stories? (Hush doesn't count, for being absolutely terrible).

The TPB Batman: Four of a Kind has a very good Riddler Year One-origin story.

Paul Dini's Detective Comics run had a very good subplot with the Riddler as a "reformed" consulting detective. It can be seen in issues #822, #824, #828, #837 & #845.

, Thanks a lot. I'll pick them up.

I remember reading a piece by an actual psychiatrist who pointed out that, clinically speaking, Batman is not at all insane. He's driven and, in the psychiatrist's words, "a bit broody," but otherwise healthy, mentally speaking. For the world he lives in, his actions make perfect sense.

I think someone asked about where Batman's Outsiders fit in, since he formed Batman Inc.

Whoever asked that, here's a little something from Wikipedia:

In the 2011 Batman Inc. series by Grant Morrison, Batman assembles a new team of Outsiders which acts as a black-ops wing of Batman Incorporated. The team consists of Metamorpho, Katana, Looker, Halo and Freight Train, and is led by Red Robin. This incarnation of the team proved short-lived, as all of its members (except Red Robin) were caught in an explosion caused by Lord Death Man in the 2011 Batman Incorporated: Leviathan Strikes one-shot. The survivors were revealed in the first issue of volume two (2012).

Man, the Outsiders never can catch a break.

That makes sense. I've never bought the idea that Batman is as insane as his villains or that he's the reason why they are around in the first place.

No, actually I was asking what people thought of Outsiders as a whole. Whether it's a good concept or if it's unnecessary.

edited 14th Aug '12 6:56:13 PM by TheDrifter

I think they are a good concept that just tends to lack direction, which then again, is a common problem in DC superteams other than the League, the Society, the Titans and the Legion. I also think they would work better permanently detached from Batman, since they'll always be 'Batman's OTHER team', behind the JLA and the Batfamily.

I agree but I don't think they need to be separated from Batman completely to work. I never saw Batman as the leader type but it could work if they all have a say on what to do without any designated leader, oh and if they are based in another city instead of Gotham.

One of the problems with putting Batman on the JLA is that they have to somehow make him relevant among the other powerhouses of the League, hence why we get the Crazy Prepared Batman and even the writers of JLU admitted to have ripped from Tony Stark in order to make him work. With the Outsiders you could have Batman work in a team without having to stray too far from his noir/street roots. Most of them are normal or not very powerful to begin with.

So, on a post The Dark Knight Trilogy buzz. Are there any recommended on-going series or recent stories worth checking out? Or indeed any obscure ones? I've read most of the classics over the past couple of years.

edited 15th Aug '12 2:50:29 PM by korpse_man

Scott Snyder's "Owl Saga" that was running from the rebooted Batman #1-11.

You might try Justice League of America: Tower of Babel. It starts out with Ras Al Ghul, Batman's enemy, hatching a plan to destroy the human race by rendering all forms of communication useless (hence the title "Tower of Babel"). Ras has to get past the Justice League first, so he takes them down with a method for each of them, except for Batman. The Reveal that occurs later is Batman came up with those methods to take them down from years of studying his friends and teammates. Ras simply stole those methods and put them to use. There is a good amount of fall-out as a result.

edited 16th Aug '12 6:11:36 AM by TiggersAreGreat

If you haven't read it, you might enjoy the "Knightfall" storyline if you want to see where Bane originated in the comics and how his big attack on Batman played out in that storyline. I think a lot of the story has been collected into trades at this point. Quite a few ideas and scenes from that storyline made their way into "The Dark Knight Rises".

Uum, can I get the name of that torrent that was mentioned page two please.

So, I've got The Long Halloween coming in the post, probably on Tuesday. Looking forward to it.

I'm not a big comics reader but the ones I do own are all Batman-related.

I like Batman but I don't know much about comics.

Random Quinton who are Jokers notable..."associates"

• Harley Quinn (dua)
• Mr. Hammer
• Bob
• That transgender Nazi ((BTW how dos that work?)) that used to be the Image for Refuge in Audacity
• Penguin... if that counts.

edited 1st Sep '12 8:01:24 AM by HeroShepherd

If you're counting Joker associates, you can't leave out Gaggy, Mo, Lar and Cur and those freaky little guys at the amusement park.

edited 1st Sep '12 9:11:05 AM by NapoleonDeCheese

There's also Lewis and Buster from the Harley Quinn series.

And, depending on the continuity, Joker's had an odd friendship/rivalry with Lex Luthor since the 1950s.

It's not uncommon for the Joker to have henchmen named after comedians; I've seen it most often in prose stories (like the Martin Greenberger edited "The Further Adventures of Batman" and "The Further Adventures of the Joker"). In one story, his henchmen were named "Bobcat" and "Kinnison"—three guesses what they looked like...

@Batman being insane: this is kind of variable depending on the writer. Trying to prevent crime after being a victim of it is reasonable. Breaking every bone in a criminal's body because you've been a victim of crime is not.

Also, how much charity work is Bruce doing? If he's trying his best to prevent criminals from being criminals, that's great. If he's waiting for them to steal medicine for their ailing Grandmas and then breaking their skulls, not so great.

It's been my understanding that Bruce Wayne's charity work has involved a lot of urban renewal and job creation. You don't see it much because, really, it's more fun seeing Batman squaring off against the Joker than it is seeing Bruce Wayne signing checks and attending board meetings.

Everybody's insane, Batman is to say he's a little less sane than average but he doesn't belong in a straitjacket to perhaps enough see a psychiatrist every week or so.

edited 9th Sep '12 6:02:54 PM by HeroShepherd

Does Bruce Wayne, being the President/CEO of Wayne Enterprises at day and the Batman at night, count as an example of Authority Equals Asskicking?