Agree 200% with not knowing Phantasm! I see the same thing starting with Red X in Teen Titans Academy. Introducing a cartoon character into the comics should be a big deal, but Tom King seems like he is too lazy to do any of the leg work and just hopes you watched the movie!

even the tie-ins shouldn’t have worked (even though Imo King in black had unusually good tie ins like Black Cat) and yet they did.

I have a question for Tynion. With Alfred (albeit temporarily) and Tynion positioning Lucius Fox as Batmans Q, why is Batman having to rough it for high tech gear? And setting the table for the magistrate un gotham to eventually lead to future state isn't a great idea given how poorly received it was.

This is typical Tynion lightweight story telling. He sets up Fox to be the new Alfres and caretaker of his fortune and Fox cant even maintain the gear he needs?

And giving Clownshoes and Quinn access to the batcave has to be one of the dumbest ideas in comic book history.

Quinn - Ghost-Maker is not the Clown Hunter character. They are two different characters. In an earlier issue, Ghost-Maker was going to kill Clown Hunter. Ghost-Maker is written as some vigilant rival of Bruce Wayne, who trained with him as a young man, in this storyline.

No I know ghost maker and Clownshoes are two different characters but Tynions creations are bland and interchangeable. I could have added Punchdrunk and it would work the same. Can we just get Alfred back and Tynion off the book?

Mingthemerciless, glad someone gets my humor. And bingo. Tynion’s characters are bland, interchangeable forgettable. I too await Alfred’s return. But the way Tyrion writes the book, I keep thinking Alfred is just in the kitchen, and he is not really dead. And who are they kidding. We all know he is coming back. Why bother “killing” him at all. Or I could be wrong.

I was just re-reading The Outsider story again the other night in Detective Comics #356 (October 1966). Alfred always comes back. I don't know how they will do it. But if they buried Alfred and had him come back as The Outsider, we know anything is possible. Heh and that was in "canon." Well, with "everything" being "canon" now, who knows what will happen?

myself, i prefer "eh" over the frustration of what "Ding-A-Ling" King was doing to Batman. 😂😂😂

Have you read Heroes in Crisis #1 that’s an easy 1/10, while most of the title is also on the lower end of the scale. Superman/Action Comics currently are easily below a 5 currently. Nightwing I’d go negative on if I could. That said this arc has been abysmal, nothing has really happened for months. Only the crossover which interrupted it had developments take place. Regardless it’s close to half a year of nothing. To say this issue is the best one in it is saying something.

I am reading HiC and it’s also going no where. I don’t mind Superman or action comics TBH. Nightwing is bad, TT is bad, I would say I love Wonder Twins right now, JL is hit or miss depending on if it’s too crazy and I can’t understand if, GL is ok, young Justice is ok too... but nothing is really great. This issue certainly wasn’t the best and TBH I was all in on TK at first but then it started going down hill before the wedding an after that he lost me. Now, I don’t even know what I’m reading.

I think TK just wakes up a writes something quick and calls it a day

Basically lol

The nightmare part is Batman is unhappy the entire dream, while everyone around him is living it up. Superman is constantly trying to get something out of Batman in this issue and he keeps shutting him out. At the end Superman realizes and accuses Batman of being unhappy at the possibility of no longer being BM. Also, the Superman robot thing is a joke and I feel like if you take it seriously, well... why? They're totally wasted, Selina even points out that Lois will only have herself to blame.

Also when will it end? Did you miss the final page? I don't check solicits but I assumed that meant this was the final dream.

You do have a point about there being a lack of progress since the wedding issue though. I think there is a point to the madness. We are seeing Batman at his absolute lowest and we are seeing a lot of hints that maybe he wasn't really understanding why he was getting married? Nobody knows for sure how this title will end up, but I think everyone should approach it as a 100 issue story and realize we are in the 3rd act where everything goes to shit, and that it may have a redemption final arc.

Or it could go up in flames. I don't know for sure, I am just a fan of some of Tom King's other work so I have hope that he knows what he is doing long term.

5 to 6 issues about a dream/ nightmare is redundant and unnecessary. We got the point. The Superman strip party with robots was done for shock and aw and was done without taste imo. I get that it’s a dream but it’s out of character for Superman Lois and Selena.

One issue would have been enough. And, we don’t need a 100 issue story drawn out. This entire 100 issue story could take 50 issues max, probably less but he’s stretching this out. No one should be on a book for 100 issues. No one. His style may be good for some but you must admit that it’s getting stale and redundant. New blood is needed

New spicy, new angle... 100 issues is over 4 years double shipped. If it was monthly it would be 8 years...... 8 YEARS!!!!!

I’d give 100 issues to Doug Moench or Chuck Dixon& Alan Grant, but King isn’t a good enough writer to pull this off. Problem with his entire run is, that I don’t buy it for a second, that breaking up with his girlfriend would break Bruce like that. King is overestimating Bruces relationships to women& is forgetting, that being Batman& protecting Gotham is what he’s obsessed with. His entire Batman run is mediocre at best& I can’t thibk of one single arc, that I loved. As for Knightmare I‘ve read

so many better Fear gas illusion stories, that really explored the characters. Also the fear gas explanation seems kind of random, especially because Scarecrow isn’t even part of the story.

And I’d probably shoot myself if we got 8 years with Tom King Batman 😂

hahahaha!!! don't do that Darkseid24 !!! xD

Lol don’t worry 😂

I know can you imagine.... 8 years!!!!! Holy cow! Darkseid24 I loved those a writers and creators you named but 100 straight issues of the same character.... I don’t think I could do it. I can’t think of anything in which I don’t need a break from for a bit.

Also, over all, I think the other side of the coin would be this: have him finish the story under his own title for Batman but leave this book. Maybe “Batman: Breaking the Bat” and people could buy it on their own not on the main title. That way, your not taking down a flagship book with your own long winded tale

This way he can go nuts and do what he wants their with his own King Contuity and everyone that cares about King can read it and everyone that doesn’t can stick to the main title. Plus, I wonder how sales would be? If you want to see if it’s all King or if it’s also the title or the book that drives sales, this I how we could truly tell

8 years would be terrible. King is mediocre, but I still hope, that Batman run will be great one day again. I think no writer should get so many issues. 50 should be the highest& if it works they can do more. King should have stopped with 50 as originally planned. Good idea. His run would be better if it was an Elseworld

Not even else world as much. If he wants it in continuity.... sure... I can turn my head to it and just say “it’s king it doesn’t really matter anyway” realistically, no one else is writing his crap in their stories and he’s not doing it either. He beats to his own tambourine where he is the only one of value and he is the most important thing going on. Nothin else is weaved into his story. I can overlook the book then because it’s not a flagship book.

This happened with Hitch and JL. It was a shame that he didn’t follow ANYTHING that was happening around him and he did his own thing. Destroyed JL and it took Snyder to fix the book and make it important. Sure, Snyder isn’t my fav, but JL is sooooooooo much better than it was with Hitch even if Snyder goes down these over the top, confusing plot twists. It’s still better. Someone big will have to fix this.....

Kings stories affect the DC universe. Dick is Ric thanks to him. Wally might be a killer thanks to him& others are dead. Thanks to him Catwoman can beat 3 Flashes& can slow beat Bane with one kick. It’s canon unfortunately. So I think as an Elseworld I could deal more with it. Especially when it comes to the wedding. I still hate the idea. I like JL. A little bit exaggerated like most of Snyders story, but it’s enjoyable up until now.

I kind of meant the other way around as in HE doesn’t account for anyone else and what THEY are doing. Oh I know about Ric, but that will go back because it’s just DUMB and Wally won’t be a killer by the end of this. The last thing we need is another bad guy speedster especially if it’s Wally West. There are too many of them. King will throw in some sort of curve ball that he plans at the last minute to fix everything. Maybe it’s all a simulation in Boosers head or Wally’s head

And what we’ve been reading is Batman going over the video logs and all that dumb stuff... something stupid like that. The ol switch a too in the end. O how clever king is (said with sarcasm). My problem is that DC is just sending out writers to write whatever they want. Do they not have retreats anymore? Can they not work together and weave the stories together? Are these writers not coworkers and friends? The stories should melt together, especially detective and Batman. I

It’s two totally different Batmen. As well as JL Batman. They’re all different and no one talks about Batman’s marriage other than King. But yes, Catwoman defeating flashes, and who knows what other crap King is spinning. It’s getting worse and worse...

Now I get what you mean& I agree. I liked the Ric story, but I think since it was Kings idea& other writers had to change their story just because of him he should have adressed the recovery of Dick more. I mean Dick gets shot, Bruce almost kills KGBeast, then there is a time jump to Dick being able to walk again. As for Wally he shouldn’t be a killer, but it’s a good idea to address how multiverse crisis affects the human mind. I’ve never bought it, that sone heroes had memories of 2 lives

after Rebirth without getting crazy. But yeah Detective Comics Batman feels normal, Kings Batman just weird. Apparently DC wants to turn Oracle into a villain too& Female Furies writer will take over Batgirl. Hope we don’t get some forced fake feminists ideas in Batgirl.

Where did you hear that? Not that your wrong I’m just curious. I hope oracle doesn’t become a villain... a geeeeeeez

We have so many villains as is... just use one that we haven’t seen for awhile. Better yet, trade sims villains and have a flash villain in Gotham for a bit. Something like that. But no need to create new ones from good guys

It’s in July Solicitations. However it’s not Barbara, it’s Oracle as an AI or something like that. I also hate the idea. They should just use the regular Batman villains. They are the best. Or they could team up with some others. I miss stories like Torment.

Love torment

Ric is a shitheel. Current Nightwing is utter and complete garbage, just like Superman and Action Comics. Unfortunately were stuck with bendis because they’re trying to bank off his name, but Nightwing would be better served ending the book until they can get someone who can do the character justice.

*we’re stuck with

@Dispatchdcu I love Torment too. @ RBL Ric will last at least until August, I assume until October or November. Somebody said King wants to keep Dick out of his City of Bane story, so it might be longer. However blame King. He forced Ric on Percy’s Nightwing run. Even so Knight Terrors was so much better than his dark web story. But you can’t blame him or Lobdell. They had to come up with a story in a short amount of time. I’m curious about Jurgens take on Ric. Court of Owls are boring though.

I don’t mind the Court of Owls. I enjoyed the concept when it was introduced by Snyder in new 52. I loved it. That said, it got out of hand even in the new 52. If done well, I could enjoy the court... but we shall see... I agree with the Forcing on Percy, which is why he left. And if you’re forced to write a character due to someone else’s book whose is effecting the character, it ain’t your fault. You do the best with what you got

He was forced to drop his storyline while it neared his planned climax for it in favor of some of the worst and most regressive “development” ever put to page. It’s clear to see how to a writer, this would not be great. His writing of the first issue of “ric, total shitheel” was because he wanted to leave the book on his terms. But that title is far from worth reading. I’d find it hard for anyone to turn that garbage fire into anything worth reading.

His writing for Ric in 50 wasnt „total shit“ at all, it was actually one of the best issues since ages, but I can see why Percy left. Love Knight terrors though& after rereading it Ric actually makes a lot of sense. People should pay more attention to the storyline instead of just hating on it for no reason. I’m curious what Jurgens is doing, Ric will stay for quite a while. And it’s nothing co pared to how DC ruins the New Gods. Ric is still Dick.

@RBL it seems you were right with, that King is sticking with that Knightmares was a fear gas illusion. That’s what preview says. Still hope he has a better explanation.

Same!!!!

Even as a Tom King Batman fan, 8 years of him on Batman would completely ruin Batman I feel. I am on board for his 100 issue story in isolation, but the world needs Batman. Classic Batman stories and classic villains. Tom King is not writing Batman as an icon to be looked up to and be inspired by, he is writing a very depressing and dry take on Batman that would never have widespread appeal.

Yeah. For me King is writing an average guy with average problems, who coincidentally dresses up like Batman. None of the characters are recognizable.

You know what I totally agree with that

@Br'er Lapin- "Tom King is not writing Batman as an icon to be looked up to and be inspired by, he is writing a very depressing and dry take on Batman" BEAUTIFULLY STATED! @Darkseid24- "King is writing an average guy with average problems who coincidentally dresses up like Batman" excellently state as well!

ric is total crap and irredeemable garbage. I mean it took 2 storylines and 3 writers for even most minute of progress to be made and it amounted to him not whining about needing a normal life. That shitheel is not Dick Grayson, he doesn’t even qualify as his shadow.

@RBL How is Ric so different from Dick?

I agree with both takes in Batman. But I don’t go to comics, especially Batman for depression. And I agree Batman is being written more normal with every day problems who dresses like a bat, BUT again that’s not who I want to read. I want to read him to escape. Batman is supposed to be smarter, tougher, faster, stronger, and more durable emotionally then I. That’s why I go to his book... to imagine, to hide from my problems and not be remembered of them. This take would make a fine comic...

But not Batman.. better yet, it would make a fine maxi stand alone/ elseworld but not in continuity

Dispatchdcu - excellent review, BTW. all these points you bring up are why i feel Tom King SHOULD NOT be writing superhero comics! ...they should just have him write another series of Sherrif of Babble On or something.

Agreed. He should at least do some research.

Thanks myconius appreciate it! And I agree he should be writing more Sherriff

you're most welcome!