A review by davybaby
All Star Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder by Frank Miller
2.0
There are six uses of "the goddamn Batman" in this nine-issue graphic. There is also this exchange, which pretty much sums up the dialogue in the series:
BLACK CANARY: "Batmobile"...?
BATMAN: Not one word. I've taken enough grief about calling my goddamn car the goddamn Batmobile. I'm the goddamn Batman and I can call my goddamn car whatever the hell I want to call it.
BLACK CANARY: Whatever you say, man of mine. That's just a totally queer name for a car, is all.
I don't have a problem with the phrase, "the goddamn Batman." I don't even have a problem with Batman saying it. It's kind of funny the first time, and it gives you the interesting impression of Batman as a narcissistic weirdo, which rings fairly true. It's the over-use of it, and the complete lack of narrative voice between the characters. Black Canary and Robin both insult Batman by using queer, and every character's 90's teenager dialogue sounds like Frank Miller writing a parody of Kevin Smith.
That said, here are some of the more interesting points made in the series:
- Green Lantern is berated by Batman for having potentially limitless power, but lacking the imagination or intelligence to do anything interesting with it.
- Batman's training of Robin is described as an act of torture, kidnapping, and drafting of a soldier for war. In fact, the main arc of the series leaves the reader in serious doubts about Batman's status as a hero at all.
- Batman, as seen by Robin, is clearly insane. Robin's cooperation looks a lot like Stockholm Syndrome, and only occurs after he's been traumatized, threatened, and neglected until he's reduced to literally hunting and eating a rat in the Batcave.
While the relationship between Batman and Robin is interesting, it seems like partially intentional self-parody of the absurd grittiness that Miller helped bring to the character twenty years before. I'm curious, had the series continued, if it would have justified itself rather than simply continuing the trend of gritty-for-the-sake-of-gritty.
Miller proved his ability with Year One and The Dark Knight Returns that he can write an excellent Batman book. But in this, the lazy writing overshadows the good points and interesting takes on characters. In fact, the lazy writing, along with Jim Lee's consistently excellent but sexist art, actually made me embarrassed to read this comic. Miller and Lee are two of the most self-indulgent comics creators in the business, and both were at their worst in this series.
BLACK CANARY: "Batmobile"...?
BATMAN: Not one word. I've taken enough grief about calling my goddamn car the goddamn Batmobile. I'm the goddamn Batman and I can call my goddamn car whatever the hell I want to call it.
BLACK CANARY: Whatever you say, man of mine. That's just a totally queer name for a car, is all.
I don't have a problem with the phrase, "the goddamn Batman." I don't even have a problem with Batman saying it. It's kind of funny the first time, and it gives you the interesting impression of Batman as a narcissistic weirdo, which rings fairly true. It's the over-use of it, and the complete lack of narrative voice between the characters. Black Canary and Robin both insult Batman by using queer, and every character's 90's teenager dialogue sounds like Frank Miller writing a parody of Kevin Smith.
That said, here are some of the more interesting points made in the series:
- Green Lantern is berated by Batman for having potentially limitless power, but lacking the imagination or intelligence to do anything interesting with it.
- Batman's training of Robin is described as an act of torture, kidnapping, and drafting of a soldier for war. In fact, the main arc of the series leaves the reader in serious doubts about Batman's status as a hero at all.
- Batman, as seen by Robin, is clearly insane. Robin's cooperation looks a lot like Stockholm Syndrome, and only occurs after he's been traumatized, threatened, and neglected until he's reduced to literally hunting and eating a rat in the Batcave.
While the relationship between Batman and Robin is interesting, it seems like partially intentional self-parody of the absurd grittiness that Miller helped bring to the character twenty years before. I'm curious, had the series continued, if it would have justified itself rather than simply continuing the trend of gritty-for-the-sake-of-gritty.
Miller proved his ability with Year One and The Dark Knight Returns that he can write an excellent Batman book. But in this, the lazy writing overshadows the good points and interesting takes on characters. In fact, the lazy writing, along with Jim Lee's consistently excellent but sexist art, actually made me embarrassed to read this comic. Miller and Lee are two of the most self-indulgent comics creators in the business, and both were at their worst in this series.