The Goddamned Batman

I've got any idea! What if we make a Batman comic series wherein we play him as an extremely over the top, ultra violent psycho. He'll be atleast 23x darker than any alternate incarnations, swear more than the worst of sailors, and then we'll cover it in sexy babes. Hell, lets just make it laughable in excessively played actions. Then? lets release the title over several years, averaging two issues a year.

Now that was not at all what the pitch for All Star Batman and Robin looked like (I presume), but it might as well have been word for word. Don't get me wrong though, it's one of the better titles coming out from DC...when it does actually come out. This title makes me laugh hysterically at the large degree of exaggerated moments in batman history. Furthermore, its almost like a drinking game, taking a shot everytime Batman says 'goddamn'. On a side note, I don't advise play such a game without a very high tolerance to the liquor you're consuming. Honestly, what were they doing letting Frank Miller write this? I honestly can't tell why, but for some odd reason the series amuses me to no end. From the word goddamn popping up in just about every panel of issue #7 to nazi nipples in issue #8, this just screams out as being a badcall from DC. Still--and don't ask me why--this series is absolutely amusing and worth far beyond its simple $2.99 a copy.



Here is what I'm wondering though. DC is a comic company that censored the hell out of the fairly mature "Tenjou Tenge" manga they released through subsidarary CMX. Why are they allowing their most well known character to be drawn as such a raving lunatic? As amusing as it is, it still feels like a bad buisness move. Perhaps its because once the comic fans it was truly aimed for get past the insanity there is so much humour to be found in it that we'll snatch it off the shelf a million times faster than they put it out (quite litterally, because I'm pretty sure I'd grab at it in under 15.5 seconds, 1/millionth of the time between issues). Still, it seems to give a very...unique and unmarketable view of the character. In fact, the script seems like it would far better suit the Midnighter over at Wildstorm. None the less, seeing Jim Lee's beautiful artwork showing off sexy and half naked dames, damaging the dentures of Gotham scum, and masterfully illustrating many of DC's greatest heroes does allow me to ignore the out of character attitude far easier.

So my over all opinion for All Star Batman and Robin would be to recognize it as an atlernate reality parody of Batman. Perhaps consider it the modern day version of our 1960's Batman television series. This is because a simple open minded view allows you to honestly enjoy the humour of the situation where Batman has become the most outrageous superhero title on the market.