Thursday, November 5, 2009

Batman: Face the Face TPB(2006)

Poor Harvey Dent... This was a really tremendous Batman trade.

59 comments:

  1. That was a wonderful arc, I loved it. Of course Bats' accusations would send Harv over the edge. "Don't call me Bats, Jason" - If you get that reference you win a dollar.

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  2. Yeah, Batman's accusations might have been the final nail in the coffin, but Harvey was on his way down once Bats came back into town. I honestly thought the way Bats treated Harvey was pretty lousy in that arc. Bats returns to Gotham and is like, "Thanks for your help Harvey, but get lost now, I'm taking my job back.". Couldn't he have allowed Harvey to continue working as Gotham's protector as well?

    Damn, I can't place that reference...

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  3. Yeah, he did just waltz in like, alright Harvey, move, The Batman is back. He could've let Harvey be the daytime protector, because as sleazy as Gotham is I refuse to believe people are only getting mugged during night. Sometime Bruce is his own worst enemy in terms of just pushing people aside.

    Sins Of Youth, when B-man is a kid and everyone keeps calling him Bats. "Don't call me Bats, Wally/John/Kon.)

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  4. Amen dude. Bruce has some HORRIBLE people skills! Hell, Gotham is a big city, you can't tell me he couldn't leave Harvey to police say the west side while Bats took care of the rest of the city. I guess we can just chalk this up to yet another case of Bats being a jackass.

    Damn. I should have gotten that...

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  5. Yep, Batman = Jackass in Latin. Look it up my brother, look it up.

    I was kinda shocked you got it. I just read Sins of The Youth. I got alot of Young Justice I haven't cracked open yet that I borrowed, including the two 80 page giants.

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  6. "Batman = Jackass in Latin." Huh, I can't say I'm totally surprised. I will say that I'm impressed with your Latin skills. VERY impressed.

    Ahh, Young Justice... I've got the entire series, along with all the various specials and stuff. Now that was a fun series.

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  7. I actually took Latin in my freshman year of Highschool and passed with a D, thanks to my knowledge of Greek Mythology. And of Batman's name origins of course.

    I just gave a few issues to my girlfriend, I'm trying to convince her Cassie wasn't always annoying, ironically as a kid she was the most likeable.

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  8. Huh, who knew they were even teaching Latin anymore! There's something that will come in handy... Like nowhere!

    Totally agreed. I always liked Cassie, but I liked her way more during her YJ days.

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  9. Exactly...Learning Latin in Inner-City Detroit is like becoming President of Krypton the day it blew up.

    She's probably my favorite Character besides Impulse and Batman in Sins of the Youth, just watching hr and Diana switch places was hilarious.

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  10. I've got to get my hands on the full Sins of the Youth x-over... I have a few issues(mainly the YJ, Superboy, Robin and Impulse ones), but for some reason, some of those x-over issues are crazy expensive. Well, now that it's back in my head, I'll be searching around for the rest of 'em.

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  11. I have the one's you mentioned and the Lagoon Boy & Aquaman one and the one with Diana and Wonder Girl. I actually got those from a garage sale for CRAZY cheap. It's amazing how cheap some people sell their comics for. But I enjoyed it, those books I traded online for came today so I'll be reading World Without Grown-Ups pretty soon.

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  12. Yeah, when I check out the new books this Wed. I'll see if my CB shop has a few of those comics cheap. Yeah, garage sales are a great place to score crazy cheap comics. You'll usually have parents who are selling their kids collection who have no clue as to what the value of the books really are.

    World Without Adults is special because it's the first real time Robin, Impulse and Superboy teamed up together. They had teamed up seperately, but that was the first time they'd teamed up together. I think it was WWA first, then Young Justice The Secret, and then the main YJ series.

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  13. I wish there was more around, I'll have to check when it gets hot again. For garage sales that is.

    I was gonna read it today but got super side-tracked so I'm sure i'll check it out tomorrow although it sounds good. I haven't found any Starman yet but I wanna grab some more comics and you're a great help when it comes to that so any recommendations?

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  14. Asking me if I have any comic book recommendations is like asking if the sun is going to rise tomorrow morning! There's always the JSA series, either the current one or the last one. I just finished off a JLA TPB called "Crisis of Conscience" which was pretty good, and spun directly out of Identity Crisis. I'm sure there are plenty of other DC books out there that I'm blanking on right now(it's been a LOOOONG day!). If I remember anything else I'll try to remember to post 'em here.

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  15. Awesome, i'm not a big JSA fan...I don't know why but I'll give em a shot. I do wanna know more about Crisis of Conscience if you'd care to elaborate.

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  16. How about I leave you with a cliffhanger and say that I'll be posting a mini-review about it tomorrow night over at the other blog in my "best of the rest" post? I will say that it dealt with Batman confronting the JLA members who mindwiped him after the Dr. Light incedent, that it was written by Geoff Johns and that it was VERY good!

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  17. Aww yeah. I saw Best of the Rest, Batman, Mindwipe and Geoff Johns and it's a done deal. I'll be buying THAT at the comic shop tomorrow. See you + recommendations = Me being a happy comic book fan.

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  18. Yeah, that's one story you really can't go wrong with. Wow, my recommendations really have a lot of pull! :)

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  19. They do sir, mainly because we like the same type of comics, and someone with enough dedication to read the entire Nightwing series definitely gets respect from the Main Man. (Lobo moment)

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  20. Boy, some of those Nightwing comics were EPICALLY bad too(mainly Devin Grayson's entire run). You know what a huge NW fan I am and all, but I don't know if I'd EVER want to read through that entire series again...

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  21. So...Is Devin Grayson a woman? That ambiguous name always confused me. As well as the irony of her/him having the same last name as the main character. I think thats the ONLY reason He/she got that job.

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  22. Devin is a woman. I remember reading somewhere(that's not exactly a trustworthy source)that she liked the Dick Grayson character so much that when she chose a pen name for herself she took the last name of Grayson. But like I said, that's what I recall reading SOMEWHERE, so who knows if it's true or not.

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  23. Ahh I thought I recalled you referring to her as a woman in a review. Hm...then she got her dream of writing, and subsequently ruining the Nightwing series.

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  24. To this day, I don't know what she was trying to accomplish during her NW run. Chuck Dixon's run left Dick in a wonderful spot, she could have told so many great NW stories, but instead we get NW acting like a 10 year old on a sugar rush whenever he was around Babs, NW raped by Tarantula and NW joining the mafia... Ugh...

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  25. Nightwing joining the Mafia, getting Raped and becoming "The Target", I don't recall if that was Grayson or Dixon but either way it was a horrible storyline. Man that was horrible, at least now he can get a few good stories as Batman. Hoping when he *DOES* gain the Nightwing name back he gets a good writer and not a Yost type writer.

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  26. Nah, I'm like 95% sure it was Dixon who was behind the Target debacle... The only good thing about that Target comic was that it wasn't a part of the main NW series, it's like DC knew it sucked, and decided to just put it out as a stand alone one-shot, where they hoped not many people would buy/read it. Damn, I hope so too, cause if Yost were to get the new NW series, I wouldn't be reading it!

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  27. Man Target sucked...I always got the idea that okay, Bats uses his symbol as a Target and arms it with more padding to keep him safer but a guy who believes he's a Target so he wears Targets just upset me. Plus Nightwing made his own persona and Bruce just comes and says...you can't use the name. What? It's not YOUR name to take.

    Who would you pick to write the (new) Nightwing series? Besides Geoff Johns of course. ;-)

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  28. Ha... Bruce can be such a pain sometimes!

    I think I'd go with James Robinson. He's one of the best comic book writers around when it comes to character development and building a strong supporting cast. If Ed Brubaker wasn't contracted to Marvel, he'd be a great fit as well.

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  29. Hm...I could see James writing Dick Grayson pretty well. Him adjusting to Bruce being back, his time as Batman, where he'd go from there and alot of other questions that Dick Grayson would need answered at that time.

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  30. Yeah, whoever the writer of a post-Batman Dick Grayson is would need a very good understanding of Dick in particular and the bat-family dynamic in general. Plus they'd have to be able to do some great characterization work, 'cause I'd think Dick would be happy that Bruce was back, but maybe a little bummed that he was no longer The Man(Batman that is)anymore.

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  31. Yeah, that's what i was thinking as well. Whoever does I hope that Alfred appears and has more Heart to Hearts like he does with Dick now. I'm also interested on seeing what Bruce thinks about Damien being his Robin.

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  32. I think the Damian/Bruce thing COULD be very interesting depending on who/how it was written. If Grant is writing it, then I have no doubt that Bruce will gladly accept Damian as Robin. Another writer may take it that Bruce didn't choose Damian for the Robin position, and therefore Bruce won't want him as his Robin. See, I'd love for Bruce to come back real pissy and just bitch at everybody. Tell Dick he did a lousy job protecting Gotham. Tell Damian that he doesn't deserve to be Robin. Yell at Tim for always Jinxing every damn thing. I think there are way better stories to be written with an angry Bruce as opposed to a happy Bruce.

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  33. Lmao Bruce is such an asshole I can see that. I don't want him to but if he does it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest bit. I would love for him to not except him because he's not trained by Bruce therefore he isn't an official Robin. Also if he yelled at Tim for jinxing everything I'd make the writer my new official favorite. I gotta agree, Happy Bruce makes issues, angry Bruce makes novels.

    I do have to say i can't wait for him and Alfred to see each other again. Also Bruce and Selina, Hush and Clark.

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  34. Bruce's return is going to be epic, no doubt. I just hope it's epically good, and not epically bad.

    Bruce yelling at Tim for jinxing everything would prob be the best conversation in comic book history!

    You know, I think I'm most looking forward to Bruce meeting up with Clark and Ra's. Ra's will be SO happy to know he can once again match wits with "The Detective" again.

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  35. Good point, I've been so anxious for his return I didn't even think about the fact that it could be screwed up. But considering how Supes and Barry Allen's and Hal's were planned well I have faith Bats return being good.

    "Goddammit Tim!!! Why are you such a Jinx? Everyone dies when I'm around you and it's clearly not MY fault, because I trained around the world. So my pupils are automatically worse some how. It's YOUR fault Jason died Tim. Now get outta my cave!" (I love when he tells people get outta my cave like he hollowed it himself."

    Hm...I think Ra's may be happier than Talia is weird as that is. I'm looking forward to his convo's with people who have "died" like Ollie and Clark and especially Barry since they haven't seen each other in a while, people he loves like Dick, Alfred, Selina, and of course Joker. Because I can see him saying "So...where ya been Batsy? Vacation?"

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  36. Yeah, I've got my fingers crossed that Bruce's return can live up to expectations.

    That's like when he "fired" Dick during Nightwing circa #101-106, the Nightwing Year One story. I loved the way Bruce "fired" Dick and then threw him out of Bruce's cave! First off, how can Bruce even fire Dick from the Robin gig? Was he paying Dick to be Robin? Did he own the copyright to the name "Robin" or something? That always makes me laugh, 'cause Dick should have just said screw you and kept walking around as Robin(with longer pants of course!). Then of course throwing Dick out of "his" cave. Man, Bruce is just awesomely crazy sometimes.

    Bruce blaming Tim for Jason's death=Hilarious!

    I'm actually more psyched to see Joker run into Dick as Batman. You've got to think Joker will know right away that Dick isn't Bruce, as well as possibly knowing that it's Dick underneath the cowl. The Joker/Dick conversation should be great if done right.

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  37. Lol the Nightwing Year One was EXACTLY what I was thinking of. But yeah it's like dude, you don't OWN the name Robin, you didn't MAKE the costume, you can't tell everyone without them knowing you're Bruce Wayne.What could he possibly have done? AND it was Dick's birthday if I recall.

    Bruce would blame anyone for anything. I bet he blames Tim for the whole OMAC/Brother Eye fiasco.

    IF it even happens. Remember in The Dark Knight Returns they said without Batman Joker went normal. If he did see Batman and realized it's not Bruce, or HIS Batman I can see him not even caring. Either way it should be VERY interesting.

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  38. Bruce was a real jerk in NW Year One... That's the Bruce Wayne I like, the crazy, ranting one.

    You know, I think Booster Gold basically said almost the same thing about Bruce never taking responsibility for anything. I think(and I could be wrong)it was right after Blue Beetle died, and everyone found out Max Lord/Brother Eye was responsible. Booster ripped Bats a new one there.

    I don't know, if there was NO Batman I could see Joker quietly going to Arkham, but as long as there's A Batman, I think they'll be a Joker. If anything, Joker may be really pissed that someone else is running around as Bats.

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  39. Lol not too far off from All Star Bruce eh?

    I recall reading that as well, I loved it because it was one of the few times Booster really manned up. I think they mentioned that in the last Booster Gold issue.

    Of course he's gonna know it isn't Bruce too, that's what I'm awaiting the most. Because if Two-Face figured it out you know Joker will, being Batman's arch-enemy.

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  40. Oh man, wait until Friday when I do my best of the rest column... I just finished reading Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Strikes Back, and I'm nearly bursting at the seams to talk about THAT particular comic...

    Yeah, Booster getting in Bruce's face was so out of character, but totally believable, considering what had happened.

    Yeah, if anybody can figure it out, Joker will. He may be stark raving mad, but he's still a pretty sharp cookie.

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  41. Lol i can't wait...I gotta hear ya thoughts on the Heel version of Dick Grayson and the Neck snapping Bruce Wayne.

    Yeah because of the grief. And I can see Bruce deep down knowing Booster is right, and regretting not listening to Ted. But Bruce is so good at burying his feelings. That's such a powerful scene.

    Yeah, Joker's gonna know damn near instantly. He makes it his business to know everything about Bats except his Secret Identity for some reason.

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  42. Yeah, you know that deep down, Bruce knows he messed up BIG TIME by ignoring Ted when he came to him looking for help. That's probably why he didn't shut Booster up during that scene, because he knew Booster was 100% right.

    I love that with all the various powers Joker has gained and lost over the years, he never once bothered to use them to find out Bruce's ID. I think that in Joker's warped mind, he is only feuding with Batman, not whoever it is behind the mask. I think the man behind the Batman mask is irrelevant, as meaningless as any of the thousands of Joker's faceless victims over the years, while the Batman costume itself is what Joker is drawn to feud with. That's my two sense on that matter though.

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  43. He has to. Especially because Bruce is KNOWN for having his doubts. There's no way Bruce wouldn't have gone and looked if it was someone else who made the OMAC's and Bro. Eye but because he thought he knew everything he caused Ted his life. May suck for Ted but I'm sure stuff like that keeps Bruce humbled.

    I agree with you. He's never wanted to unmask Bats, he just wants to play around as crazy as that sounds. It's all a big game to Joker and that's why he's so dangerous. He's one of the best villains around for that reason.

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  44. You know, it's too bad Bruce isn't around during Blackest Night, because he'd have TONS of dead characters coming after him! I'd love to see the conversation between BL Ted and Bruce.

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  45. That's be pretty sweet. The whole "You let Maxwell kill me, you should've listened." Plus you've got The Wayne's, um...Hell...is anyone else dead? Besides like Dick and Tim's Parents?

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  46. With Bats, you've got tons of dead people who'd want a piece of him. Besides Ted and Bat's folks, you've got all his dead rogues, and... Hmm, I guess you're right, I can't think of anybody else... Maybe his dead teammates, the BL JLA?

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  47. I couldn't think of any of his dead Rogues. Hell Bats is the real boyscout. So who's died in the JLA thats not already back for Bats to beef with besides Ted Kord?

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  48. Ha, yeah that's exactly it, besides Ted, there really isn't anybody who'd have big-time issues with Bruce. He was always on good terms with the Martian and Ralph and Sue Dibny, maybe Max Lord would bitch at him because of Brother Eye? Or maybe Dr. Light could complain that Batman didn't fight hard enough to save him from Zatanna's mindwipe. Bats doesn't seem to really have any dead folks who'd want to be his enemy...

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  49. Yeah for Bats to be a man with alot of enemies he makes damn sure they don't die huh? Arnold Wesker and Magpie are like the only people in Gotham to die villain-wise. Maybe we gotta rethink that whole Bruce being The Jinx thing...

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  50. I don't know, in a way it makes sense for none of Bruce's villains to die if he is actually the Jinx. By having a neverending stream of villains, it's kind of like he's jinxing himself and his freinds/allies.

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  51. Hm...I didnt think about that. He's jinxed himself into fighting eternally where he'll eventually take on a jailbait sidekick and fight Dickie...man that book looks awful. Miller's the real Jinx.

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  52. That book was awful! I don't give out many 0 out of 10 scores(off the top of my head I can't think of any others)so that should tell you just how much I hated that comic. I wouldn't wish that comic on my worst enemy!

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  53. Lmao Man that sounds so bad. What's gonna happen with that tpb, you gonna bury it under your others so you don't get that horrible taste in your mouth? That may turn me off of Miller after your review for that and my run in with Dark Knight Returns.

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  54. Yeah, that trade will never see the light of day again. It'll probably wind up in my closet, which is where I put all the books I don't ever expect to read again, or the various comics I got from family memebers who decided to dump their comic book collections on me. I'm actually embarrassed that I read it! The sooner I forget about that TPB, the better. The funny thing is that for the most part I like Frank's work(not love, like), so I don't know what the HELL happened there...

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  55. The first thing I read by him was TDKR and I hated the artwork so much, coupled with Bruce being a old man, taking an untrained Robin that doesn't listen, I just hated it. Then I heard that Strikes back was worse so I knew to stay away from it, so they turned me away from anything Miller writes or definitely anything he drew. I've heard he can write though.

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  56. Batman Year One was done by Frank, as was All-Star Batman. Both of those series I enjoyed. TDKR & TDKSB, not so much!

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  57. I liked Year One and All-Star was okay, I'd actually forgot he wrote those. Maybe it's just his awful artwork I hate.

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  58. Yeah, I've gotta say, his artwork really sucks. He should def just stick to writing, and leave the artwork to the guys who know what they're doing.

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  59. Yeah now if he wrote something but Jim Lee drew it, like with All Star Batman then that's fine. But Miller's drawing is awful at best.

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