Review : Batman war on crime. Ross does it again.
Ridley99
Art Alex Ross story Paul Dini
Rating: 4 stars out of 4
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I am a big Alex Ross fan, and who isn't. We should not take his work likely
nor should we assume he will continue to work in the field of comics. Like
Adams before him " the new genius " may take up pencils and inks and head for
hollywood or maybe his own ardous attention to detail and devotion to
perfection will burn him out. It has happened many times before, creative minds
must evolve.
History tells us that we will only have Mr Ross and his gigantic talent for a
couple of more years; if so he has given us this at least and as a visual
tour de force it is unsurpassed in comic history.
The story is laid out on two different levels. First there is the things that
are seen. Many of the panels are set up from the Batman point of view. We look
down on the streets of Gotham , detached at first , safe at a distance, it
isn't long before the Batman forces us into the heart of the action and we must
look on in horror at crimes shocking aftermath.
The next level is the things that are felt. Every emotion is played out on
the Batman 's face. Always there,behind his eyes is the vision that has
destroyed his life, the cold blooded deed that gave birth to the Batman. The
Death of a young boys Mother and Father.
Another young Boy loses his parents by gunfire, and the event haunts the
Batman and cuts him to his soul. We see him follow the child to the police
station where the boy is all but ignored. Just another victim in this world of
unending victims. The world is a cold and heartless place.
The Batman ever the loner does not comfort the boy he can only look on as
the tradgedy of his life is replayed before his eyes. Psychologically I have
alway felt that the reason the Batman patrol the streets of Gotham is a deep
desire to find the Bullet that will unite him with his parents.
He tells himself he is out there protecting the innocent but deep down he
knows that ' that ' is just about impossible.His nightmares haunt him. In his
dreams the streets are always filled with children and thier parents and around
every corner a gunman waits. The only way to avoid the nightmares is to not
sleep . Instead he patrols the shadowy world that is Gotham at night.
Each night presents new horrors. Horrors mount on horror it never ends. Even
the great Batman cannot change human nature. A criminal can be caught and
locked in a cage. They will say thre right thingds and be released once again
into the streeys of Gotham . The Batman keeps his eyes on these ones hoping
beyond hope that they have been rehabilated that they have been saved. But he
knows deep in his heart its all a sham. In time they will meet him again in the
night.
It fights a never ending war. But he is one man against an army. A biy with
his finger in the Dyke trying to hold back the flood. One day he will surely
drown.
He has no friends. No love life. He fears friendship like any soldier. He
fears another loss.So he goes on alone. He is slowly going mad. And he knows
it. He is a criminal in a sense. Though he respects the law, he will not live
by it. He is his own law.
All of this is conveyed through Mr Ross's superb and elaborate artwork as
well as Mr Dini's narration.
As a fan of great art it is hard to pick my favorite page, there are so many.
Batman's haunted eyes when he confronts the boy with the gun. The image of
Batman swinging down into an alley, you can almost sense the muscles straining
under the cloak. The Convenience store ; the murdered couple in thier
immaculate little store. The Penguin club. The fear on the riddlers face when
the Batman sneaks up on him. It is amazing.
It is appropriate that this comes out at thanksgiving because it is
certainly a holiday treat.
Loren Di Iorio
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Ridley wrote:
: I am a big Alex Ross fan, and who isn't.
Well, I can't say as I'm a *big* Ross fan, nor a fanboy of his work.
He paints lifelike people. Personally, I prefer Scott Hampton's work.
: We should not take his work lightly nor should we assume he will
: continue to work in the field of comics.
I'm not building him any pedestal. Every time something with his name on
it comes out, we get charged extra. I'll take his work as lightly as I
dang well please. ;)
: History tells us that we will only have Mr Ross and his gigantic
: talent for a couple of more years; if so he has given us this at least
: and as a visual tour de force it is unsurpassed in comic history.
Sometimes, realism isn't always the best way to go.
: The next level is the things that are felt. Every emotion is played
: out on the Batman's face.
I dunno...I saw more emotion in his face, in Sale's work with Bruce on DV #2.
: Psychologically I have always felt that the reason the Batman patrols
: the streets of Gotham is a deep desire to find the Bullet that will
: unite him with his parents.
Do you speak metaphorically here? I know it's distasteful of me to say,
but wouldn't the bullets that shot the Waynes have been lodged in their
bodies?
: The Batman keeps his eyes on these ones hoping beyond hope that they
: have been rehabilated that they have been saved. But he knows deep in
: his heart its all a sham.
I hardly think he thinks that, 'cause then he'd really have no hope for
himself, and no reason to believe in what he's doing.
: He has no friends.
Alfred? Dick? Jim Gordon?
...Loren
Ridley99
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>I dunno...I saw more emotion in his face, in Sale's work with Bruce on DV #2.
you saw the emotion " I " FELT IT.
>Psychologically I have always felt that the reason the Batman patrols
>: the streets of Gotham is a deep desire to find the Bullet that will
>: unite him with his parents.
>
>Do you speak metaphorically here? I know it's distasteful of me to say,
>but wouldn't the bullets that shot the Waynes have been lodged in their
>bodies?
The Batman suffers survivors guilt. Plauged by nightmares driven by guilt he
knows the only way the torment can end is with his death.
Until that day he is doomed to wade through endless horrors while all the
while trying desperately to hold back the tide.
>
>I hardly think he thinks that, 'cause then he'd really have no hope for
>himself, and no reason to believe in what he's doing.
>
he hopes,he desperately hopes that people can change but reality has taught him
to expert the worst.
>: He has no friends.
>
>Alfred? Dick? Jim Gordon?
Alfred is not his friend, mentor maybe, surrogate parent but not a friend.
Dick Grayson not a friend. A son maybe but not a friend.
Jim Gordon doesnt even know Bruce Wayne is the Batman, I wouldn't call that a
friend.
The Batman has no friends. He fears friendship.He feels emotional
entanglements, he knows he'll put anybody who loves him at risk and fears he is
cursed and anybody who loves him will meet the same fate as his parents.
Loren Di Iorio
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Ridley wrote:
: Loren wrote:
:
: > I saw more emotion in his face, in Sale's work with Bruce on DV #2.
:
: you saw the emotion " I " FELT IT.
Nice one. :)
: The Batman suffers survivors guilt. Plauged by nightmares driven by
: guilt he knows the only way the torment can end is with his death.
Or how about if he (identified) and caught his parents' killer?
: >> He has no friends.
:
: > Alfred? Dick? Jim Gordon?
:
: Alfred is not his friend, mentor maybe, surrogate parent but not a
: friend.
Countless times, we've seen it referred on panel that he calls Alfred his
friend.
: Dick Grayson not a friend. A son maybe but not a friend.
So no father can be a friend to his son? They're friends.
: Jim Gordon doesnt even know Bruce Wayne is the Batman, I wouldn't
: call that a friend.
Read LotDK #125?
Jim: Are we friends?
Batman: Yes, Jim. We're friends.
The whole point of the issue was to illustrate that despite everything
they've been through in the past year, they still acknowledge that they're
friends.
: The Batman has no friends.
Leslie Thompkins?
...Loren
Todd VerBeek
>: The Batman has no friends.
Nonsense. He doesn't have anyone that he can go to the bar with and talk
about his receding hairline and wasted youth. He doesn't have anyone that
he can invite over to watch The Game on Sunday afternoon. He doesn't have
anyone who'll throw a surprise birthday party (with a stripper) for him.
But those aren't the only forms "friendship" can take. He has friends
whom he knows he can count on when he needs them. He has friends for whom
he would do the same. They care about him, and vice versa. It may not be
your ideal of what "friendship" should be, but it works for them.
Cheers, Todd
--
Radix malorum est stupiditas.