All-Star Batman & Robin, the Boy Wonder Vol. 1. Written by Frank Miller by Frank MillerMy rating: 2 of 5 stars
A lot of people hate this book. I don’t hate it. But I don’t like it. From reading the comments, I guess that many of the haters have a history with the Batman and just don’t like what Frank Millar has done to a beloved character. I have read a few Batman stories (including Batman: The Killing Joke - obviously) but I have no real history with him. I therefore don’t have a problem with a writer re-imaging a Batman and Robin origin story. I don’t see it as a huge leap to imagine a traumatised child growing up to not only fight crime but growing up to be a psychopath who fights crime. Once you are there, it is a believable step to see that crime fighting psychopath turn another traumatised child into a boy soldier. It was an interesting idea. I was willing to go with it.
I went with it but soon ran into problems. For a start, there were too many plot holes and loose ends. For example, Bruce Wayne at the circus with Vicki Vale; crime happens and the Batman appears but at no point does Vicki ask what happened to Bruce. (Minor related side annoyance - clean shaven Bruce becomes grizzled unshaven Batman in the space of seconds. Does the stubble come with the costume?) The dialogue is far from sparkling - don’t get me started on the infamous “Goshdarn Batman”. Characters appear and disappear with no discernible impact on the plot. Batgirl, The Joker, Catwoman... Why were they there? Perhaps all would have made sense if a Volume 2 had appeared but they are a waste of space in Volume 1.
My major issue though is with the portrayal of women. Comics are not always noted for their feminist, gender balanced attitudes but I got more annoyed with this book the more I read. It would fail the Bechdel Test big time! And it’s not just the dialogue, it’s the artwork too. Within the first few pages, we have Vicki Vale dictating a column... in her underwear. Or, our introduction to the Black Canary which I will summarise as follows: “Phworr! Eh? Eh? Phworr!”. A policeman gets beaten up by Batman... and for no good reason at all, there is a lingerie clad woman on the bed behind him. Worst of all, the Joker brings a female minion with him to clear up and she is stripped to the waist with two red swastikas covering her naughty bits. Seriously!?
If it hadn’t have been for the last few pages, this would have been a one star review. I wonder if the “haters” had given up by the end because I see a glimpse of light at the end of the psychopath tunnel.
***Spoiler alert***
*
*
*
Having almost turned Robin into a murderer, the Batman seems to have a moment of self-realisation, shares a moment of grief and (I think) takes a step back from the madness. I could be wrong but I think there is a glimpse of hope at the end.
View all my reviews
No comments:
Post a Comment