Indeed. But I do actually have points to make. I have read every issue of his New 52 Batman run, and I have never been that amazed by almost of his issues. Looking back, I cannot think of anything beyond the two big events, and then I actually look back and see, well, that is all his run has been. Really long events that have left me bored, with no change between issue 1 and 18. No status quo change, no lasting impacts that did not happen in other titles and no new additions beyond one, who seems to have people divided.
But then I look closer, and find some individual stories tucked away inbetween his far too long, gruellingly long really, stories. Issues 12, the Annual and 18 all were self-contained stories, and were far better for it. They told a story, got to the point and then let you move on to the next tale. Shame the next tale was then long, tied into most of the Bat Family titles - though not Batwoman, which in its run has had much in the way of change in the same amount of time, working with multiple characters and superheroes and yet not impacting on any other books.
Now, this piece is not about Batwoman, but considering the very similar premise, the fact they have been running for the same amount of time (circa New 52) and yet one, even at its worst, would never be something I considered boring. Her cousin gets attacked, maimed and has to retrain to be a superhero. She gets enlisted into a government agency. She sort of cheats on her girlfriend. There is a team up with Wonder Woman. She reveals her identity and proposes to her girlfriend. Her crazy sister comes back from the dead. All with little to no fanfare from the hype machine.
Unlike Batman.
Nothing happens between issue 1 and issue 18 that is a direct change in the status quo, even when teased and said otherwise. Batman is still Batman, Nightwing is still Nightwing, Batgirl is still Barbara and not Steph or Cassandra (no, I will not let that go, especially with something I talk about later). No girlfriend or otherwise interested party to work in his personal life. Everything is left how it began, the pieces back into their starting positions.
Even Teen Titans, a title that went from very good (pre -New 52) to one of the worst (but hilarious in a terrible way) series, has managed to change the status quo. Characters have changed, come and left etc, even if it has been in such a mishandled and terrible way. But hey, back to Batman.
Not only does nothing seem to change, of the two stories told so far, because that is all there has been, both Night/Court of the Owls and Death of the Family have the same structure. Just look back at them, they have the same structure, the same conventions, the same threat. They seem to know who Batman is, how to target him, to involve his Bat Family, to have a secret in his past. And so on.
Repetitive. And what is repetition if not boring?
Well, it might be recursion. Oh ho ho. With that terrible joke out of the way, we shall move on to my next topic - women.
Or, more specially, women in the New 52 Batman. How many can you name? Two, and one of them is Batgirl? Who guest stars less than any of the Robins (including Nightwing), in maybe part of an issue or two and she wears heels, something she does not wear in her own title. Because, as we all know, women in comics have no calf muscles.
Minor quibbles with artwork aside, the fact that the title is so, well, male dominated is a bit strange actually. Yes, a male focus is fine, desired even. It is Batman after all. And there it is, this is Batman. He is known to be involved with many women, some not for long, others for a while. In 18 issues there has not been a hint of his personal life in that direction that I can remember. Nor almost anything of a personal life at all.
This is a series with even less than Nolan's trilogy, which while having people of both genders popping up, it feels really quite an asexual environment, even when there is romance. Anyway, a slight diversion really.
The lack of personal developments does seem to be hindrance - Bruce is not Batman 24/7, even if Batman is the real man. Why not feature more on his personal interactions, on his relationship with Alfred? Something we are just assumed to take for granted. Not something I am comfortable with, not when this is meant to be a reboot.
Imagine an issue or two with a love interest for Alfred. It would build more on the dynamic, test the waters between the two. Someone who is dating something in his house, who has no interest in Bruce. Could he trust her, would he push her away to keep Alfred to himself? Could it show a new side to Bruce that would be interesting to see once?
Or perhaps a story of Batman on the streets, just a night in his life. The people he sees, the darkness of Gotham, and perhaps a smidgeon of light, engulfed by the monster that is the city?
But nope. We get two big stories and two single issue breaks. Wonderful. Both of which feature the only other female character in Batman - Harper Row. Someone who, while interesting, does feel rather similar. Some names ring bells, some no longer among us.
Jason. Tim. Steph.
Why does she seem so much like an amalgamation of them? Especially when not all of them currently exist.
And that they both also act as another character looking at Batman. And these are the most interesting issues? They have a personal connection, dealing with a family, the stuff inbetween. Not just one fight, one event after another.
Oh, and the amount of things that are impossible? According to Batman, those pancakes would be. And the brownies.
As a brief summary, no, I do not think Scott is a bad writer. But he needs to write shorter stories, actually change the dynamics round, which Harper might end up doing and focusing more on the future and not the secrets he keeps inventing for Bruce to have done or kept?
Wait, what is that? His next arc is a 10 part look at Batman's past?
Oh.
Well, never mind then. This is going to suck...
