BATMAN #686
What did the
iFanboy
community think?
Pulls
Size: pages
Price: 3.99
Shit, I am totally lost now. As if Grant Morrison’s R.I.P. and Last Rites weren’t confusing enough…
I don’t care what they say, no matter how much Batman continuity you are familiar with, and how much trade paperback reviewing you do, these new Batman stories still don’t make any damn sense!! What the hell is going on here?! How did Batman die three different ways.
First he died in Final Crisis #6, now how did his body get to this back alley funeral home in old day’s time? If he died there in Final Crisis #6, how the hell did he get to Catwoman’s pet shop to get tied down to her couch and bleed to death? And then how did the Riddler kill him another time? This is like playing a game of Clue over and over and again just to see how and who kills the Batman this time…
Nonetheless, confusing it might be, but certainly the kind of confusing that leaves you stunningly curious to see what is going to happen in the next installment of this story arc by this Neil Gaiman guy. I don’t think it comes out until next month in an issue of Detective but I’ll be there.
Please feel free to leave comments under this review, especially if you have any facts or theories on to which you could help me understand what the fuck is going on here! I’d love to read them…
Art: 4 - Very Good
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Clones… if Spider-Man can, why not Batman?
It’s funny — I found this issue waaaay less confusing then Morrison’s RIP storyline. Because the tales told within are pretty straightforward. The only confusing part for folks is when you try to fit this into continuity.
This is a dream of a Batman story. It doesn’t really fit into continuity. Different characters tell different stories, but they’re all just stories. It’s just a different way of looking a the Batman legend. You can’t really take this one literally. It’s obviously not real — time periods and characters shift throughout the issue.
The point to this "review" is you need to read some past stories to be more familar with what Gaiman is trying to do in this book. 1. First refer to the Canterbury Tales 2. Refer to the Sandman series of Gaiman 3. Read the recent released trade "Where were you on the night Batman was killed." (issues 291-294) 4. If all less fails watch the Batman Antimated series episode "Almost Got ‘Im." #686 is a salute to the Batman legend and borrows from classic, comic, and Batman literature. This may be one of the best comics I’ve read in the past 12 months. ***** stars.
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@Indycwf – nice points, but to be fair — you don’t NEED to know about any of the references you’ve made. That’s the thing — Gaimain may be drawing from various points of literature, but those are just influences and maybe homages. But this can easily be read and understood without any of that. It’s clearly a complete tale (well, half of one so far) on its own, which we will see after the story is completed.
@daccampo- I agree- but this reviewer seems to be asking for some reference points so I gave him some.
This is out of continuity, out of logic, out of sense. It’s just a big,awesome, "What if" story. And I liked it. Batman didn’t even die in Final Crisis, he was turned back on the beginning of all time. I don’t understand how he’s talking to a voice in his head if he’s conscious at the beginning of time,
but, in fact, I don’t think this story is related with this at all. It’s just an out-of-this-world story with original takes on the characters. I’m enjoying this.
This is out of continuity, out of this world, out of any sense. But I like it. It’s just a big awesome "What if" story.
Also, Batman didn’t die in Final Crisis, he was sent at the beginning of time. I don’t get how he can talk with a voice in his head and had such visions if he’s conscious at the beginning of time. BUT MAYBE NOTHING IS RELATED WITH ANYTHING.
Well, I’m enjoying this Gayman story, with original takes on characters and on Batman history.