Batman: The Dark Knight #14 Preview/Discussion

[InformationGeek]

http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/11/...ght-14-preview

I'm surprised nobody posted this preview earlier. I wonder why.

Anyhow, I only have this to say: OWWW! Batman you're brutal!

[Batman&theWolverines]

Jeez, that's a little gory for my tastes, if that's what it looks like.

[Nite-Wing]

Damn
Batman needs to start using his grapple gun like that more often

[Barry Allen123]

Damn
Batman needs to start using his grapple gun like that more often

Wait what does he do? I
can't quite make it out.

[InformationGeek]

Wait what does he do? I
can't quite make it out.

I think he shot his grapple gun through the lower jaw of Scarecrow.

[booyah]

Gnaaaarly. I haven't been following this arc how is it

[InformationGeek]

Gnaaaarly. I haven't been following this arc how is it

I've been enjoying it a bit, but it really is grim and dark. Certianly a vast improvment over where the comic was before in the past mind you. I'm curious to see where Greg takes the book when he moves to the Mad Hatter arc soon.

[SpideyZERO]

Err....I think that's a bit too much, Bats

[El Sombrero]

Yeah, I don't know if there is some explanation or whatever, but this feels way out of character for in-continuity Batman.

Didn't they also have a plotline in the first volume of TDK where Bruce is poisoned or mind-controlled or something, and acts excessively violent?

Seems like an excuse to have Finch draw Batman doing horrible things.

[Aquacatlungfish]

He's probably this brutal because it's a nightmare of him going to far and becoming murder Batman which is one fo his worst fears or something.
This series would benefit if it wasn't told from Batman's perspective and insted the villain of the half year but I have been enjoying this series.

[Retro315]

Ah, B:TDK. It keeps on trucking.

It's by no means my favorite title in the Bat-line. How could it be? But I'm glad that Hurwitz has come on and carved out a place where he's basically going hog-wild with all the various "psychedelic chemical horror" villains and giving them basic, gristly, somewhat Batman: The Animated Series by way of the brutal nature of the Arkham games storylines. Scarecrow getting a basic "attack Gotham" plot and having all his standard Scarecrow tropes used ... Mad Hatter coming next ... is it too much to just hope that he uses Hugo Strange and Professor Milo next? I kind of like this being the evil psychiatrists and their horrible chemicals title.

(Put it this way; I'm glad each Batman book, even with the occasional homage and genre-blending, can inhabit and embrace a certain "kind of Batman story". Incorporated gives us the holistic "everything" Batman, but more than that it gives us the self-aware Batman doing the 60s and 70s super-spy comics thing, with "Brave & Bold" style partners, fighting international threats. Snyder's Batman gives us a slightly animated and somewhat Englehart/Rogers take on the character. Detective started rough with the whole "An artist got control of the title and just threw in everything he wanted to draw (same with TDK) but has turned into something that feels slightly Animated Series and slightly 90s/early 2000s. And TDK does grim & gritty Bats so hard that it makes Snyder and Layman's books look downright clean-cut.)

Finch is Finch. If you don't like what Finch does I guess you've got no business flipping through a Finch book. I hope he grows from JSA. I'm glad to see EVS take over. That's not really a review or condemnation of the art, I don't really have much to say. It's Finch. I think he'd benefit greatly from having a better colorist.

Penguin was great here. I'm not big on Finch's gross Batman Returns take on Penguin, but Hurwitz nails his angle; profiting off of Gotham Gimmick Crime and including the necessary "WAUK WAUK" laugh that I require for it to be considered a good Penguin appearance.

[Doug Strange]

Wow, this looks atrocious.

[Liquid?!]

Extreme. I haven't read any of this, nice to hear it's doing well with the current writer/artist combo. Might start picking it up when the Mad Hatter arc begins.

[RoughNTumble]

I'm just glad we're finally out of that basement. It felt like it was an eternity, and very little of the hallucinations/flashbacks felt genuine or true to the characters. I think that's what hurwitz struggles most with, understanding the voice and motivation of several characters. Damian was in this book, but it simply wasn't damian.

The book took a massive turn for the better when scarecrow decided to 'go big' and unleash a very scarecrowish plot to destroy gotham. I delight in the appearance of these sorts of plots because they've become a rare thing in comics, which often use classic villains in supporting roles. I'm a little excited pondering what mad hatter's 'big' plan might be.

[Nite-Wing]

LOL scarecrow has a blimp now. That has to be a homage from BTAS with all the police blimps
Still what's with all of Batman's villains getting horribly disfigured now. Scarecrow is almost as hardcore as the Joker now just sitting in a chair bleeding.

This arc has been going on forever