Last Rites

[Orion Pax Iolande's Bodyguard Find all posts View Profile Close Orion Pax]

I assume that Alfred is describing the condition Bruce is during Final Crisis.

[W.West Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close W.West]

That's my guess, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was referring to post-Final Crisis as well. We've already seen Grant place a scene from the future in a story already, and it wouldn't be a shocker for that to happen in a primarily flashback oriented issue.

[Orion Pax Iolande's Bodyguard Find all posts View Profile Close Orion Pax]

That's my guess, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was referring to post-Final Crisis as well. We've already seen Grant place a scene from the future in a story already, and it wouldn't be a shocker for that to happen in a primarily flashback oriented issue.

I would agree, but the begining of the monologue: "...I can see him now, in the grip of implacable forces innumerable foes. Somewhere without hope. n a place where all seems lost..." Seems to be how the situation is during Final Crisis.

[W.West Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close W.West]

Definitely, especially the place without hope. Pretty much specifying the Anti-Life...I can't wait for FC #6, not that I wouldn't have been but now I that much more excited.

[Darth_Andrea Owned by Natu Find all posts View Profile Close Darth_Andrea]

I wonder who's body he is carrying in that cover?




Darth_Andrea

[W.West Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close W.West]

Jason Todd most likely. This issue showed a flashback to where Batman holds Robin like that from Batman:A Death In The Family, where the Joker kills Todd. Besides, you can pretty much tell by the shoes..lol

[myuserid Lantern Hex Find all posts View Profile Close myuserid]

I was thinking it was Todd too. Either that, or the Dick that "died" in the issue.

[W.West Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close W.West]

Those good not great guys at Newsarama have posted the preview to Batman #684 written by Denny O'Neil with art by Guillem March. Cover by Alex Ross and Variant Cover by Tony Daniel(both below). This Part 2 of the "Last Days of Gotham" storyline that started in Detective Comics #851.

http://www.newsarama.com/php/multime....php?aid=25031





While Alex Ross is my favorite, I do like this Nightwing cover. But I am not liking this art. Its definitely not as crisp as part one was. I do like where this is going. It reminds me of Tomasi's Nightwing, its taking the story further, and its still in character for Dick. All good things. Can't wait to read this and Neil's arc.

[myuserid Lantern Hex Find all posts View Profile Close myuserid]

Looks pretty good. I didn't like the art either at first, but the further I got, but more it kind of grows on me. I'll wait until I'm holding it in my hands before passing final judgment.

[Andrew NDB Shot Caller Find all posts View Profile Close Andrew NDB]

Read Batman #683. Awesome. And yes, it does certainly amp up the anticipation for Final Crisis #6, doesn't it?

I liked the Bane/AzBats cameo.

[W.West Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close W.West]

Batman #684, I believe this is the fourth Batman book in five weeks. Or something close to that. Either way, it feels like every week there's a great Bat-family story to read...This week is no different.

#684 is far from perfect. The art, imo, is C+ at best, and by the end of the issue I'm still not sure if March can or can't draw Nightwing. He does some excellent action shots, and it definitely compliments the "old-school" style of writing that Denny O'Neil brings to the table.

That being said, I was disappointed by his writing in this issue, after such a great setup in Detective Comics #851. We knew coming into this arc that it was only to last two issues, so I expected a quick conflict resolution and an even faster conclusion to the overall story. This story provided neither. Denny took his time with it and told a decent story. It was always a simple story but I guess I'm in a Morrison-relapse because I was left wanting so much more to it.

I did not enjoy Nightwing basically questions himself throughout the entire issue. Mainly because Tomasi's run this year has been so great in making Dick his own identity where self doubt wouldn't be an issue anymore. And that's the big drawback from bringing someone unfamiliar to the books continuity/story. That being said, it makes a little sense that Dick questioned himself. Mostly because of Batman's absence, he is left feeling inadequate. Which compared to Batman, he honestly is. Dick will never be Bruce and that's why I like Bruce...and that's why I like Dick. Two separate and distinctively different characters.

But Denny makes Dick too hard on himself, and it just comes off as more pussy than worried. Those kind of thoughts are better suited for Nightwing:Year One than Nightwing: Post R.I.P. Let's hope Neil Gaiman has been provided the necessary tools to avoid O'Neils character development/setback flaw, once he hops onto the book with issue #686 in February.

[myuserid Lantern Hex Find all posts View Profile Close myuserid]

When Milicent said something along the lines of, "soon he will be gone" about Nightwing, did she mean from Gotham? I don't have the issue in front of me to read exactly what all she said on the last page, but that line was interesting to me in light of things about to take place.

[W.West Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close W.West]

On first read, I figured it was pertaining to Gotham, just because he's not regular around there anymore. But it could have meant something more, since Millicent was so mysterious. I wouldn't put it past O'Neil to put a foreshadow in his work, but its not anything concrete that says it is foreshadowing. But I guess we'll have to read Battle to know that...

[myuserid Lantern Hex Find all posts View Profile Close myuserid]

I guess it was interesting to me because Milicent is more or less the "human embodiment" of Gotham city. I look forward to seeing if she plays any sort of role in BftC.

[W.West Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close W.West]

Detective Comics #852

Last Rites/Faces of Evil issue. This issue is ALL about Hush, and if you enjoyed Dini's RIP tie-in with Hush than this issue(and arc) is especially for you. To me it(Dini's tie in) was good but not great, but that doesn't take away from this issue at all.

All narrated by Thomas Elliot aka Hush, we see him on a closed due to snow covered bridge to start the issue. HE JUMPED! I don't know why it caught me off guard but boy was that suicide great! lol We found out in Detective Comics #850 that after Selina Kyle(Catwoman,fyi) recovered, she proceeded to take every fucking dime Elliot had! Now we see the aftermath. As I said, Hush jumps off the bridge trying to kill himself after such a failure.

But of course, he survives. Two (presumably) fishermen have saved his life by using CPR. One of them recognizes Elliot...as BRUCE WAYNE. That's when it hits Hush like a ton of bricks. Only those who know Batman would know he isn't the real Bruce Wayne. So Hush cons the two fishermen out of sixty bucks for a cab,clothes/shave, and a tip to get into an exclusive Gotham club. This is where the issue picks up for me. Hush walks into this high profile club looking like shit, basically asking for paparazzi and the Gotham socialites to start talking shit about him or rather Bruce Wayne....And he STILL is able to catch a girl(albeit she's a 'cougar' as Dini so elegantly put it. lol) in that outfit.

He sweet talks the woman into taking him back to her place and gives her nothing. No sex, not even a kiss. He sleeps and rests his Tim Drake,Dick Grayson and Bruce Wayne ass kicked bones. The woman(known as Connie) is definitely disappointed and lets him know this. And with one swoop of his arm around her waist, he sweet talks his way into a trip to the Caribbean...on HER yacht of course. And as they take this trip for two out to sea, Hush sneaks up on the Captain and strangles him with a belt, then proceeds to drug Connie and throw her overboard. Now that may not seem like much to you, but when Dustin Nguyen definitely did a fantastic job of capturing Hush's plan in motion. Her body falling into the ocean reminded me of his falling into the river just a few short pages ago.

Hush sells her $4million yacht to some crooked Jamaicans for $800,000 while he's in Kingston. He buys a passport(in the Wayne's name of course) and two guns...Hush style. Then he heads out to Sydney,Australia. That's where he cons Russell Corey, a business associate of a company that Bruce owns 60% of, out of 2million dollars. (Damn, this issue really gives you a sense of how filthy fucking rich Bruce Wayne is). Bruce..excuse me, I meant Thomas Elliot, gets cleaned up and starts to feel that much better because he is becoming rich and using Bruce's money in the process. Problem now? He just got pushed into a wall by a giant bear like creature. The creature is apparently protecting him from three masked men with guns who just stole a non stated amount of money. All while this is happening, Hush is thinking to himself "who...What is this?" and its just great writing and such a believable thought process of a villain. "So many of the damn freaks!" he says while asking himself which super-hero this may be, and if he knows that Bruce Wayne is Batman. The creature is Hugh Dawkins aka The Tasmanian Devil and he apparently knows nothing about Bruce Wayne or Batman, because he lets Hush walk away about his business. Thankfully, because Hush was ready to unload a few into him! lol

To keep a low profile, Elliot heads to Vietnam where plans to pull a similar grab at a rainforest resort owned by Wayne Enterprises. Hush realizes something is wrong when the manager has been in his office for thirty minutes. Apparently, word got to Vietnam that Bruce Wayne was to apprehended? Because the manager has two cops/guards in his office(one of them is a little gun-ho, he's already got his hand on his weapon, wtf?)

Hush takes off in a Jeep outside, and does 50mph into the jungle...for two hours. Soon as he starts to slow down, another Jeep pulls up speedily from behind, and they don't look friendly nor legal. There's a terrific scene/panel at the bottom of the page where we see Hush point his gun throw the driver side window towards the Jeep next to him and the word "BLAM" directly next to his gun. The next page shows Thomas screaming "GAH!!" with two bullet holes in the side of his car and one apparent hole in his arm. He loses control and his Jeep crashes into a tree. The men in the Jeep tie him up and bring him...somewhere..as Hush starts to awake we get the words of someone off panel saying:

"What a pity. Alone, hurt and held by enemies in a strange land. Not an enviable position 'BRUCE WAYNE'..."

Then the final page is of Catwoman, and a gang of thugs behind her(all of them strapped for war, I may add). Where she says..."...My heart goes out to you."


Great issue, and though I'm not HUGE on Nguyen's art, it is good at times. It does takes a while to get used to it, but when he's on...He's ON! I knew Catwoman was going to be somewhere in this issue, but I gave up hope when she didn't appear on the boat. So the appearance at the end caught me by surprise. Nice issue, though I had low expectations. OH, it was nice to see Dini add "Bruce Wayne hasn't been seen in weeks...neither has Batman." I loved that. It made the issue worth getting, even it sucked. This obviously takes places not too long after Detective Comics #850 and probably a month after Batman #681. I take it, since Batman's body was never found in the river and he took that Justice League page ASAP, that he probably left Gotham without saying goodbye to anyone, which is why Nightwing and Robin are so sad these days. Batman took a page, and never came back. lol...