Am I the only one who doesn't like Snyder's Batman?

[Henzapper]

That's a hard question to answer. Unlike most people, I don't either love or hate his work. I really enjoyed the first half of his Court of Owls arc, and the second half was merely a satisfactory ending to that.

I really wanted to like his Death of the Family arc, but so far it's not working for me. I understand Batman has his flaws and weaknesses, but he's being portrayed as kind of a helpless emotional wreck IMO. I mean, I know he's going through the whole Alfred thing, but it's still kinda hard to take in. I also don't really like his portrayal of the Joker. The Joker has always been dangerous due to how unpredictable he is, but the way he's written here, you would think he's a supergenius (on a higher level than Batman) who somehow got a hold of League of Shadows training. He's a little too powerful. His monologues also aren't really doing it for me.

That sounded kinda rant-ish, but I actually really like the guy. I think he's a great writer with great ideas. I just don't agree with all of them.

[B. Kuwanger]

I think his MoS run will be interesting to see, because at its worst I think Batman is just exhausting with its "shock" in a way I don't see someone trying with Superman.

Though I do expect heavy narration and light plot, both under the pretense of "deep."

[Vil_Dee]

Wasn't crazy about CoO, it was too RIPy. I think Bruce should be kind of arrogant, but when he was saying "oh the court of owls can't possibly exist because I couldn't find them when I was an eight year old" now we're beginning to enter comical level of hubris. I like Dotf so far, though. When comparing his nu stuff to the pre, I'd say he's more successful when he avoids linear storytelling -where he tends to spin his wheels -and sticks to juggling multiple plots, which seems to be a natural editing mechanism for him. He also seems to do better when he sticks to more intimate, or horror/thriller type stories. Once he starts trying to get all superhero-y is when the problems begin because I think he way overdoes it.

Wow, now Chuck Dixon is "mediocre", too. This place makes me dumbfounded, sometimes.

Yeah, did we just enter the twilight zone?

And no, Laymen isn't comparable to Dixon just cause he writes small scale stories. Dixon is one of the best character writers in comics. When Layman takes characters I don't give two craps about and makes me want to read about them then we'll talk.

[Outside_85]

I wont say I don't like it, because I think it's decent. But I don't think it as good so many people claim it is.
Court of Owls was to me just a paler version of the Black Glove, not helped by how this organisation managed to hide from Batman all this time...and not at all helped by the ending.
So far DotF is still lumbering into gear, so will refrain from saying too much about it. Except it annoyed me that Snyder hijacked part of a mostly unrelated panel (YJ i think it was) at a convention to talk about it.
And finally there's my bother that Snyder doesn't seem to be able to tell a story without involving a bunch of other titles, which seems to derail some of them.

[melkorjunior]

Chuck Dixon's awesome. Just for Robin Year One alone.

[Mr. Holmes]

I think his MoS run will be interesting to see, because at its worst I think Batman is just exhausting with its "shock" in a way I don't see someone trying with Superman."

Nah that's exactly what I'm expecting from his Superman. Just look at some of the interviews he's given.

[tylenoljones]

Chuck Dixon's awesome. Just for Robin Year One alone.

I'm one of the few that likes Joker: Devils' Advocate. I didn't care for Robin Year One, but Batgirl Year One was great.

On the other hand, Dixon wrote Joker: Last Laugh, amongst many other pretty subpar stories. Now I wouldn't call him bad, but looking at his entire body of work I wouldn't call it exceptional. Paul Dini's made some great contributions to the Batman mythos while working in animation, but I haven't enjoyed much of his comics work. For every Mad Love and Slayride there's a Heart of Hush or House of Hush (or anything he wrote in Streets of Gotham, for that matter).

But apparently "average" has somehow come to mean "bad".

[ispacehead]

Now I wouldn't call him bad, but looking at his entire body of work I wouldn't call it exceptional.

His run on Tec was alot of fun. That's kinda what I think of when I think of Dixon. Good, fun stories.

I also enjoyed Devil's Advocate more than most (apparently...) and wow Last Laugh, huh? That one was his? I had forgotten, but yeah that was truly forgettable.

[adkal]

His run on Tec was alot of fun. That's kinda what I think of when I think of Dixon. Good, fun stories.

I also enjoyed Devil's Advocate more than most (apparently...) and wow Last Laugh, huh? That one was his? I had forgotten, but yeah that was truly forgettable.

And Scott Beatty - can't forget him!


(Just sayin'...)

[tylenoljones]

His run on Tec was alot of fun. That's kinda what I think of when I think of Dixon. Good, fun stories.

Did you ever read that story "Electric City"? One of my first Batman stories. Yeah, his Tec was good stuff. I guess with Dixon it's more of a what have you done for me lately kind of situation. There was a time when it seemed he was writing everything Batman-related (Tec, Robin, Nightwing) and it was all awesome, but then his work really seemed to fall off. His relaunched Batman & The Outsiders wasn't anything special either, and I think that's the last thing I've read by him.

And I never could get into the Az-Bats era stuff, even though I've heard Dixon had some good stories in there.

But when I think of exceptional Batman writers, I'm thinking more of Frank Miller, Alan Grant, etc. I'd defnitely put Chuck above guys like Jeph Loeb, and far above the average current Batman writer.

[ispacehead]

Did you ever read that story "Electric City"? One of my first Batman stories. Yeah, his Tec was good stuff. I guess with Dixon it's more of a what have you done for me lately kind of situation. There was a time when it seemed he was writing everything Batman-related (Tec, Robin, Nightwing) and it was all awesome, but then his work really seemed to fall off. His relaunched Batman & The Outsiders wasn't anything special either, and I think that's the last thing I've read by him.

I've never cared for the Outsiders books. I enjoyed his run on Tec and Nightwing. Robin was great for a while and then kinda meandered into a series of after school specials. I think that's about the time Dixon's work started to disinterest me.

And I never could get into the Az-Bats era stuff, even though I've heard Dixon had some good stories in there.

In all seriousness, that is entirely to your own detriment, sir.

But when I think of exceptional Batman writers, I'm thinking more of Frank Miller, Alan Grant, etc. I'd defnitely put Chuck above guys like Jeph Loeb, and far above the average current Batman writer.

I'd probalby put Dixon above Miller on my list simply because Frank's written a total of 2 good Batman stories, and only one of them works in my continuity.

Alan Grant surely. That period when Grant and Dixon were opposite each other was one of my favorite periods.

[JasonTodd428]

Did you ever read that story "Electric City"? One of my first Batman stories. Yeah, his Tec was good stuff. I guess with Dixon it's more of a what have you done for me lately kind of situation. There was a time when it seemed he was writing everything Batman-related (Tec, Robin, Nightwing) and it was all awesome, but then his work really seemed to fall off.

I need to read "Electric City" and I feel the same way about Dixon as you. (Oh, noes I agree with you on something )'Tec, Robin and Nightwing under him were some of the best stories I've read but then his work just became meh to me. He's not an exceptional writer overall but when he's good his stories are fun to read. Alan Grant is another of my favorites.

[Evxn]

I've never cared for the Outsiders books. I enjoyed his run on Tec and Nightwing. Robin was great for a while and then kinda meandered into a series of after school specials. I think that's about the time Dixon's work started to disinterest me.



In all seriousness, that is entirely to your own detriment, sir.



I'd probalby put Dixon above Miller on my list simply because Frank's written a total of 2 good Batman stories, and only one of them works in my continuity.

Alan Grant surely. That period when Grant and Dixon were opposite each other was one of my favorite periods.

Miller made The Dark Knight. And Batman is forever his.

[Personamanx]

Regardless of the quality of his writing he has yet to make me want to come back for a second issue.

[Evxn]

All style and no substance. Build up with no payoff. Love the atmosphere he creates, but he just isn't a good enough writer to sustain a story. Inc and 'Tec are far superior.