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| [ PUNCH THOSE BARGAINS ] |
TO QUOTE Will Rogers: 'Diplomacy
is the art of saying "Nice doggie" until you can find a rock'.
THE REVIEW:
Many years ago,
Martha Wayne told her young son Bruce that the best way to
resolve a dispute is to sit down and have a good old fashioned dinner. You
know; something fairly fancy, like a nine course meal, similar to what the
French Aristocracy used to serve. Years later Bruce remembered his mother's
words, and that is why he put them into action in order to resolve a dispute
between the Joker and the Riddler.
Yeah. I'm not
kidding! He actually managed to do this with a little help from his contact in
the Gotham City Police Department, namely, Commissioner James Gordon, as
they arranged it so everyone would meet up at Wayne Manor for a sit down meal, hosted by Bruce and his butler, Alfred Pennyworth. Also in
attendance were an assortment of their associates, such as Mister Freeze
and Killer Croc, who stood back and observed these proceedings while
Alfred served each of them their meals, one course at a time.
After a while
Bruce was able to use this situation to his advantage, doing so by transforming
it into a contest of sorts, a contest in which he posed one simple question: 'Prove
to me which one of you deserves to kill the Batman and I will support you once
this meal is finally over'.
So, who do you
think he chooses? Surprisingly enough, it's The Riddler, and thats why Batman
joins forces with him so he can systematically take down every single one of
the Jokers henchmen. Seriously, you name the fiend, and one way or another they
get taken down. Be it Dumm and Dee, Scarface, Man-Bat,
Two Face, Quizmaster, Mister Freeze, and even the Mad
Hatter, every single one of them gets slapped, kicked, punched, and blown
into submission, until eventually it only leaves one man standing: Kite-Man,
who Batman catches and takes back to the Riddlers hideout for further
interrogation.
And on that
note, dear reader, I think it best that I stop myself there because I'm
sure I've said too much already. Besides, I think that now would be a
pretty good time to tell you what I thought about these two episodes. Here,
check this out…
POINT ONE)
Unbelievable Meal: Now
my main problem with issue 29 is that it felt fairly flat in terms of
believability. For one thing, I wasn't completely sold on the idea
that most of Batman's Rogues Gallery would stand around and idly watch three
people eat, even if two of those people included the Joker and the Riddler. I
mean, they're a bunch of thieves, killers, and lunatics, for crying out
loud, not henchmen, plus I don't think for one second that villain's such
as Clayface, Poison Ivy, or Two Face, would be so obedient
towards their known opposition.
I could also
say exactly the same thing about the Joker or the Riddler! From my
point of view they wouldn't be able to sit down and have a partly civilized
discussion without trying to kill each other in the process. Seriously, none of
this feels quite right, not one little bit, and that kind of puts a big dent in
the stories initial intent.
POINT TWO)
Continuity Gaff: Something else I wasn't too keen on was a mistake issue 29 made to continuity.
Now if I remember rightly, this dinner party takes place at the start of
Batman's second year. So with that in mind, why were Batgirl and Robin featured
in a sequence where the Riddler imagines killing them? These two
characters were established later on in continuity, not now, and a similar
thing can also be said about the Penguins appearance, particularly since
his character hasn't been properly established yet.
POINT THREE)
Let's Have Some Fun: On
a more positive note, however, some parts of this book were very enjoyable to
read, funny even, while some other parts were very therapeutic and revealing.
For instance, whenever certain characters spoke, such as Bruce or the Riddler,
it almost seemed as if what they were saying was a cathartic experience,
bordering on the self analytical, and indirectly may highlight certain fears
they have brewing inside them (I wonder if Bruce does want to kill Batman?).
In the same
token I also have to applaud Tom King for being brave enough to set this tale
in such a Agatha Christie styled manner. Heck, I don't think I've
seen this type of dinner table sequence played out in a Bat book before (except
for that one time at the end of the 'Death of the Family' story arc).
Plus, I particularly enjoyed how Tom denoted each chapter by presenting us
with a different plate of food. Not only did this 'technique' fracture
the narrative and give it a faster pace, but in addition to this, each small
scene allowed the whole scenario to seem more digestible (excuse the obvious
pun).
POINT FOUR)
Kite-Ham: Unfortunately
my praise for issue 29 has been tempered somewhat by my confusion over issue
30. Essentially this interlude is told from Kite-man's perspective,
and illustrates how every villain he joins forces with ends up getting taken
down by the Batman. While this is going on he also internally remembers a
conversation he once had with his dearly departed son, a conversation which
obviously highlights that he doesn't hold himself in high esteem, largely due
to some of the choices he's made throughout his life.
Now, without
trying to sound too judgmental, I felt that this particular chapter
didn't really find the right kind of balance between the humor and the
sadness it was trying to convey. Whenever something funny would occur, it was
immediately undercut by the despondent internal monologue relayed by
Kite-man and his son. Plus, to make matters even worse, once you understood the
basic intent of this issue (that being Batman methodically taking down the
Joker's Gang), the whole pretext started to become somewhat repetitive
and obvious to follow. Which was a shame, truly it was, because conceptually
this was a much better idea than the previous issue, far better and much more
relatable within the confines of this story arc.
Now in closing
I would like to congratulate Clay Mann and Mikel Janin for
providing such exquisite artwork for both of these episodes. Each and every
month I seem to be praising their work more and more. In fact, I'm doing it so
much now; I'm starting to find it pretty difficult to praise them without
repeating myself. Well, just look at the artwork scattered throughout this
review and you can see for yourself how good they really are. Their characters
show character, their layouts show depth, and more or less, everything they
produce seems to be just spot on.
THE MUSIC:
The one thing
both of these episodes have in common has to do with the way they each try to
mix together comedy and tragedy. Admittedly, they don't do it very well.
Although, that said, this type of thing isn't a very easy thing to do, unless
you're a British sitcom, made in the 80s, about a bunch of patients lounging
around a hospital ward. So take it away, 'Only When I Laugh', as it's
now you're time to shine.
THE COMPARISON:
In 1967, Stanley
Kramer directed a fantastic melodrama about a multiracial couple who ask
their parents for permission to get married. It was called, 'Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?', and it starred Spencer Tracy, Sidney Poitier,
and Katharine Hepburn. But more importantly than that, most of the
action took place while sitting down, around a dinner table, with either side
of the equation trying their best to prove their opinions are right while the
others are wrong.
Sound familiar?
At least on a conceptual level? Then comparison made.
THE CONCLUSION:
At the end of
issue 30, the Riddler and Batman finally corners Kite-man in order to ask him
one simple question. So, out of the following eight options, can you guess what
that question is? Could it be…
- Where do babies come from?
- Did you just fart?
- Where's the Joker hiding?
- If Tommy had two apples, and I took
away one of them, how many bananas does he have left?
- Did you vote for Trump?
- Can you show me the way to
- Who has the better ass? Kim
Kardashian or Jennifer Lopez?
- Can you lend me 5 dollars?
Nuff said.
BATMAN #29 & #30
Reviewed by David Andrews
on
September 21, 2017
Rating:
Reviewed by David Andrews
on
September 21, 2017
Rating:
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