Batman General Discussion

Humpty Dumpty, Riddler, Two Face, don't count?

They're the exception to the rule. Most Batman villains would be considered eccentric and in need of therapy, but legally sane. Calling them insane is a Flanderization of their actual mental issues

Well considering Arkham is both corrupt and incompetent, it’s no wonder they diagnose most of the villains as legally insane not sane and evil. Doctors who give the same diagnosis tend to meet horrible fates.

Generally, "it's Gotham" is all the excuse needed. Finding anyone honest and competent is a challenge, and they tend to not last long.

Riddler isn't mentally ill, just an egotist who thinks he's smarter than everyone else.

doesnt he have a compulsion to leave riddles

Initially it seemed like the writers were using insane in an Unfortunate Implications way, it's just now they have it in-universe misdiagnosis to avoid said Unfortunate Implications

Riddler's ego depends on the writer, but generally, his need to leave riddles at the crime scene does point to a sort of irresistible compulsion, like Two Face who does actually fit the legal definition under the insanity plea. Speaking off, I genuinely think Two Face doesn't have DID just Schizophrenia and was misdiagnosed by Arkham doctors so he became worse under therapy.

Though these days, Arkham is called the house for the CRIMINALLY insane, so i feel like writers are trying to draw a line between genuinely mentally ill people who aren't dangerous, and Batman villains who's insanity is putting on a costume and committing flamboyant crimes.

Edited by RedHunter543 on Jun 3rd 2019 at 8:01:48 AM

Any concerns Tom's "generation defining" change to Batman won't occur now that he's off the title need no worry, King says the change is still happening, only in the pages of Batman/Catwoman

Edited by Zarius on Jun 6th 2019 at 12:21:51 PM

Does Nyssa Raatko have a section in the character page? I've been looking but haven't been able to find it.

So apparently the main villain of Batman/Catwoman is The Phantasm

Unless they change their true identity, I’m not really happy with this choice.

Phantasm only works, imo, in the context of the movie. Putting her in the comics just reduces her to an ex who turned evil.

I think it's a contrast/comparison thing. Phantasm and Selina were both engaged to Bruce and both dumped him and went off on their own. Selina will change for the better, Andrea changed for the worst

It does feel like artificial drama for the title, since without it it's bound to be twelve issues of sickly sweethearting between Bat and Cat.

That’s why I don’t like it. It’d be a massive disservice to Andrea’s character, just pitting her against Selina as “the bad ex”.

I'm going to assume there will be more to this situation since King already did the "Bruce and Selina fight Bruce's evil ex" story with Talia (not like that was any better).

Edited by windleopard on Jun 13th 2019 at 12:31:45 PM

EXCLUSIVE: Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy Series Spins Out of Heroes in Crisis

Have you read King's dialogue? He's hardly averse to repetition.

Edited by caivu on Jun 13th 2019 at 3:17:02 PM

Here's Tom's real reasons for leaving Batman early

Bruce and Selina reunite in Batman#75, and everything from then to Batman/Catwoman#12 is them working through the relationship. Looks like Jones' Catwoman run has just been relegated to a nothing burger.

Good lord that pose. Didn't DC learn their lesson from the Poison Ivy cover during Hi C?

Edited by windleopard on Jun 13th 2019 at 1:26:27 AM

Can they actually learn lessons?

Harley Quinn to Get Another Black Label Comic, a New Origin From Stjepan Šejić Called Harleen

I’m glad DC picked this up. It started out as just some little story snippets he posted online, quite a while back.

Sejic is a really fantastic storyteller, and Black Label is a great fit for him.

Notes from the September solicitations

-Batman tries to get Clark to interogate Clark in Eventh Leviathan#4...can't quite crack it, so gets Lois to do it

-City of Bane is taking a month off for more Bat/Cat 'shipping in a special two-part interlude

-In the meantime, Catwoman's ongoing doesn't bother tying into it at all

-The Shazam of the Dark Multiverse arrives in Batman/Superman

Is the Black Label in the Dark multiverse?