ProphecyGirl40's Profile

Joined: Jun 02, 2018

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9.4
Overall Rating
8.5
X-Men: Red (2018) Annual #1 Jun 2, 2018

**SPOILERS** I can understand that at first glance this issue doesn't seem to have a lot of substance, but Tom King as a writer is all about symbolism and metaphor. Though it may not be everyone's cup of tea, he likes to make you think. If you dig a little deeper, especially considering this is a nightmare happening in Bruce's mind, this issue actually says a lot. Batman starts on a rooftop and slowly descends into the underground of the city until he's about as far down as he can go - the sewer. King is depicting Batman falling further and further from the noble mission he set out upon. First Selina left him and he nearly beat Freeze to death, then Nightwing got shot and he left KGBeast to die in the snow, then he punched Gordon and Gordon smashed the bat signal, etc. With every move and every loss, he's getting closer and closer to the level of the very villains he faces. And for what? Tying this to the roadrunner and coyote is brilliant because it shows how he's been involved in this seemingly endless and pointless chase. He's the coyote, who will never win. And I saw someone comment that the roadrunner is a bad analogy for the Joker because the roadrunner never hurts anyone and simply goes about his business. But if you watch the cartoon, he's constantly taunting the coyote. In fact, he's kind of a dick. Plus, he knows the coyote so well, he can anticipate his every move. How do you beat someone like that? It's a great parallel, especially if you think in terms of the larger story, in which Bane has consistently been two steps ahead of Batman. I think it's cool that King is digging deep into Batman's psyche. And all the existentialism aside, it's a freaking cool and beautiful chase sequence.

10
Batman (2016) #78 Sep 11, 2019
10
Batman (2016) #83 Nov 20, 2019

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