Written By: Tom King
Art By: Joelle Jones & Jordie Bellaire
Published By: DC Comics
Tom King’s Batman run has been in a transition, going as far back as “The War of Jokes and Riddles.” First Batman is dour, telling his fiancé-to-be a story, then he’s less dour because he now has a fiancé who won’t let him be dour. Also the fiancé is awesome. Now, as much as I’m content with Batman going on double dates with Superman—best issue of this run so far—I know most people won’t be. They want action, and not just action action but Batman action!
So now we transition into Batman action, but with the caveat that Cat Woman is still around and awesome.
The plot is pretty simple: In the long ago, Batman and Wonder Woman met a magic dude stuck in a jam, and they promised to fill in for a day so he can live a normal life. Queue the swap; queue problems.
Issue #39 is largely prep work and explanation, but it’s fun prep work and fun explanation. What would normally be Batman grumping his way into a suit of armor to fight monsters is now a cute moment where we can all sit back and go, “Batman sure looks silly in a suit of armor.”
Hell, Wonder Woman even joins in on the fun!
Maybe it’s odd that I’ve only felt Tom King has struck Batman gold by making fun of the character, but he’s just so much more fun when the people are around him are having fun. Fancy that, huh? Make no mistake, this isn’t Marvel-level quips that ruin tension or dramatics. Tom King writes these characters like they’re real people conversing like real people. It just so happens that Cat Woman has some snark to her that’s adorable.
It’s also nice to see Wonder Woman written well again. I miss you Greg Rucka and Shea Fontana! Please come back!
For those in want of action, there’s a goodly amount to be had. It’s the badass kind too, the stuff promised by Dark Knights the Forge but without the bad writing. The monsters look wicked, and even though Batman wearing armor is silly, him swinging a sword into a hydra is not. It’s just cool. There are a lot of amazing little and big scenes here, either fighting or moments between fighting, and everything just feels right.
Tom King is capable of having his silly and his gravity.
My only complaint is that some plotwork is rushed along by the end, because while I get the framework of it, I don’t feel like the story itself earned its cliffhanger. That won’t make any sense since I’m avoiding spoilers, but feel free to nod in approval after you’ve read the book.
Batman #39 is a strong issue. It’s got a rad premise, some rad artwork, and some rad character moments. It balances the quirky fun of the last few issues with the somber gravity of those earlier on in the run, and it does so well. Also Cat Woman is the best.
I like how Wonder Woman keeps mentioning Bruce being engaged but she doesn’t even acknowledge Steve at all but hey that’s all she is an object in this issue.
I’m curious as to how Wonder Woman not talking about Steve is relevant, and how it’s in any way correlated with her being objectified?
Really You don’t see it? Steve is just an example of many that can be used. 10 years stuck and all she did was ask Bruce a bit about Selina. No other emotion seen come from her. King only used Diana as a temptation for Bruce.
Examples:
Diana – “You love her. You will marry her. And here you are without her. With me.”
Diana – “and all we have forever. Is you and me.”
That’s all she was used for. All King wanted was a women that Bruce could lock lips with. You can’t honestly believe WW has another purpose in this story and if you see it please point it out to me. Swap WW with someone else and the story doesn’t change a damn thing.
There’s probably a twist in #40 but the way he wrote Diana here is so bad.
I mean, I don’t really think you can swap any woman into Wonder Woman’s position – after all, writers have toyed with the Bruce/Diana pairing for years, in comics and other mediums. The reason Catwoman comes up in conversation, I think, is because it’s new territory for Bruce. Sure, he’s had some relationships in the past, but nothing that seemed lasting or serious. Diana, conversely, has had Steve basically since her inception as a character, and honestly, that dynamic is on-again, off-again and I can’t remember it ever being the central thrust of a story. There’s no other woman (or man) in the DCU who has the same lengthy history with Batman that Wonder Woman does – except, of course, Selina.
Ultimately, I thought the soap opera trope of needing some sort of “competition” (though I don’t think this is exactly that) for the main pairing is a little tiring. But, imo, King handled it pretty well here, devising a scenario in which both characters would likely desire some sort of deeper relationship, especially after years of being the other’s only human contact. It’s not a huge step to say that two characters who have flirted with the idea of a relationship in the past being trapped together fighting an endless war for ten years would simultaneously arrive at the same conclusion, which is that this relationship makes sense.
I felt like Diana had agency as well. You can make the argument that the trope is boring, which I’ll agree with. You can also make the argument that it’s inherently harmful and objectifying, but I don’t quite know if I would buy into that.
Anyway. Maybe I’m missing something in the portrayal, but like Chad said in the review, this kind of felt like a breath of fresh air as far as Diana is concerned, considering the abysmal state of the main book since Fontana’s far too short run ended.
Lol there’s barely any romantic history between Daina and Bruce. The most recent one I can remember was in JLA and that issue ended it before it even began. Blackest Night is another example, though that was just a random situation that was never brought up again in her title. Just like this exact issue King wrote, never to be brought up again. There’s hardly anything between these two. She might be Bruce’s next significant other (thats not saying much considering there’s barely anyhting between the two) but for Diana it’s not even close to the other relationships she’s had.
Even Superman and Wonder Woman have more history being romantically involved wether it’s canon or else worlds.
I figure it’s because Wonder Woman is the lonely one who is crumbling from what’s happening moreso than Bruce. She brings it up because unlike him, she cannot function as well without some sense of normalcy. Bruce has too many neurosis though, so he’s fine.
Or she’s horny and wants a fuck. I dunno. Ten years being dirty and killing, I’d want a change of pace too.