Excellent write up David!

The reasoning behind this is similar to to that posed in the article but with a touch of Morrison’s own outlook as to time paradoxes. In his IGN interview dated January 26th 2010 Grant states:

“There are no paradoxes. If you go back in time and do something then all it does is contribute to the world in which you already lived where you became a time traveler.”

This to me leads me to think that Bruce/Batz can’t save anyone who shouldn’t have been saved in his prior realities history. He can’t save his parents anymore than he can kill James Gordon before he was born. It all has to make sense regardless.

Taking this thinking I reckon Bruce would accept that perception of ‘evil’ or ‘murdering’ due to his inability to stop it and become the most evil man on the planet - only to reveal his dupe once he is able to have a positive impact on the world again and is well aware of where everyone who is doing evil is.

He can do greater good by being the evilest of people up until his release from fate.

Just a thought which semi-mirrors your David. I hope you like it :)

The answer’s really a simple one, though: Just buy what you would like to read, and after you’ve seen an advertisement for something the first time, you should never, ever pay attention to it again.

Like many, I’m curious about the iPad, but I’m not going to touch one until at least the 2nd Gen.

And Colt, I doubt the people who make such decisions really know or care that DC has lost talent to Marvel - somehow I doubt they’d be in a position to know Ed Brubaker from Ed Wood. DC always has difficulty gaining traction for b- and c-list characters, so I doubt that’d be viewed as a failing specific to Didio either. End of the day, they’re making more money than they were before Didio was in charge - thus he gets promoted. I think his tenure has been a disaster on many levels, but it’s pretty hard to argue with the bottom line.

Meanwhile DC’s losing talent left and right to Marvel, failing to properly capitalize on exclusive talent (the Kuberts spring to mind), failing to lure promising creators to their company, instead focusing hiring untested movie/TV writers, utterly failing to gain sales traction with new characters or titles (Blue Beetle, Booster Gold, Doom Patrol, Power Girl, etc.) and tanking successful franchises (JLA, JSA, Teen Titans, Wonder Woman, and Superman).

I get the feeling that DC’s propped up almost entirely on the shoulders of Johns and Morrison. Were they not working on Batman and Green Lantern, and driving those franchises in directions that encourage readers to try satellite Batman and Green Lantern titles, what would DC have going for them?

Thanks for the annotations!

That wasn’t Bruce Wayne that did that. It was Josef Muller, the first of the three ex-cops Dr. Hurt turned into fake Batmen.

And Mavel has had more problems with lateness, so there really is a balance to it.

He didn’t have to. The three Batmen were supposed to have been trained when Gordon was retired, which was post-Knightfall.

Other than that nitpick, this is a fantastic little bit of speculation.

To further it, what if Bruce started going insane due to the time jumping, recognized that fact, and set into motion his transformation into Hurt as a way of pitting himself against his family, the only ones he’d trust to stop him?

That would gain extra weight if you considered the Robin #175-176 RIP tie-in.

Any chance you could list out the titles you mentioned? I listened to the podcast while on my bike, and so wasn’t able to write all that down, and, much as I enjoy your voices, have to move on to other backlogged podcasts.

Cheers and will buy drinks if you guys visit the Bay Area.

Thanks for the annotations in any case. Man, has anyone ever tried annotating a range of comics not by moore or morrison and comparing them to see just how less layered most comics are?

Kathy Kane’s current continuity crisis is an ongoing question, especially with multiple “Kathy Kanes” running around in the form of Kate Kane, her step-mom Catherine Kane, Bruce’s old friend who was murdered Kathy Kane who was no longer Batwoman but yet who has been seen in-continuity in nods from Moore, Morrison, and more!

Current belief is that the older Kathy Kane is our current Kate Kane’s aunt and namesake, especially given that her cousin Bette is also niece of Kathy, and that’d make Kathy Colonel Jake Kane’s sister, possibly deceased.

Nothing spoilery. Just some fun little Easter eggs that are more fun to discover on your own rather than have described.

KJ page 10 has Batman back in the Batcave. In panel 3 he places a joker card on a table. On the table is a picture of the Bat-family featuring Batman, Robin, Batgirl, (presumably) Alfred, (presumably) Gordon, Batmite, Ace the Bathound, and (most inexplicably) BATWOMAN(!). Can’t say I’d ever noticed that before. Then, in panel 4, there’s one of the Bat-gyros Batman and Squire fly to the mine in hanging in the background.

None of it means anything but it definately once again reinforces that Morrison is consciously referencing The Killing Joke.

“Donna” is slang for a woman in England much the same way “Sheila” is slang for it in AU, and “Colleen” in Ireland.

Speaking of Joker analogues - The Pearly King of Crime and his son, a “Prince of Crime” … the guy plays “the old-school street games” like Dominoes, Darts and Cards, and he has a fish-tank full of electric eels. And Batman meets him in Arkham looking for answers.

This guy is another Joker analogue. As probably is Dai Laffyn. Can’t say about King Coal yet. Wonder who King Coal’s “old lady” is, actually, and if she’s someone we know like Whisper A’Daire or another Rucka guest character.

and his ‘donna’ is a reference to his woman - see the brilliant ‘Snatch’ by guy ritchie. or don’t. you’ll be happier if you don’t.

and on the subject of things i hate, i really hope morrison isn’t listening to keane.