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High Volume: Year One. Part Two. Animation

After the fall of the DCAU monopoly era, the universe leisurely began to find itself. The first successful attempts at the TV format came immediately. The rest had to wait...

Experimental pilots, specials and YouTube shorts showed themselves well all the following years. Success came in the early 2010s. At that point, there were already many original projects that the public liked. There were also adaptations, none of which clearly followed the lines of the comics.

Batman: Year One was the first literal porting of the comics to the screens unaltered form.

Small additions the project has allowed itself. It's about tone, individual visual decisions, a couple of extra scenes. Take a look at some of them.

1. Without an artist.

The stylistics, the way individual scenes work, was changed for the sake of preserving the cinematic foundation. In the cartoon, Bruce's rebirth uses silent narration. It's the conversation in terms of sounds and pain. An atmosphere of global hopelessness, at the end of which Batman, as in the original, doesn't feel like a light, a real salvation, but an opportunity...to overcome this horrible world. Turn into the monster that Gotham deserves.

Or remember the beating scene?

In time, Jim comes back for Flass for revenge. This is one of the key points of the whole plot. Miller shows the build-up of tension mostly through internal monologue. But there's also a lot of drawing, because you see that absolutely all the blows - they're very strong - are delivered by Gordon.

In the cartoon this is achieved by, firstly, a greater emphasis on tracking and chasing (literally a whole scene) Flass, which Jim is not typical. Secondly, the length of the scenes. Because they literally give a whole 10 seconds to Jim hitting a man lying down.

They don't use new introductions. They're just doing what will work best in the movie.

2. Another tone.

The boarder between points 1 and 3. On the one hand, it's just as much a dystopian tale of salvation and personality deformation. At the same time, you can find Bruce foolishly losing to teenagers here. In the comic, it's more of an emphasis on inexperience combined with a city that seeks to kill you in any way it can. The focus is on Wayne's opponents. It isn't that he lost to the kids. The problem is that he has to fight the kids.

In the cartoon, it's about the difficulty of the battle. You can see how hard he tries, but every action ends in defeat. And he ends this whole silent battle on one word — amateur.

3. Why did you choose the Light?

Remember the hostage scene?

He experiences the events deeply, but does not fully realize that he is a part of them.

In the cartoon, Gordon doesn't just do his job, but has a long walk to the apartment where every misstep could be the girl's last.

Then he walks over to them. Smiles and gives them gum. So much Goodness!

It was 2011. The year Wayne had already realized that he didn't have to be only the Dark knight. A strong family, many different characters within the Batverse. The approach has changed again, resulting in a completely different style of story. That's why Jim gives more hope. That's why Bruce, already used to the madness of Gotham, hates his weakness. This is a completely new time. New interpretation.

By the way. They added more motivation for some moments. My favorite example is meeting Holly Robinson. She is hurt, however in the comics the attitude towards the girl by her “boss” is more about words.

In the movie, she screams in a very painful way. Plus in the voices, globally, it's very easy to feel the conflict. Oh, and the pain.

You can find the heaviness of the impact force here. Every blow, shot, explosion is a wild picture in your mind. God, even the light setting. It isn't smart visual. But it works.

And let's not forget the most important thing. This is a critical success. It's not just for fans. It's for the general public. It sold really well. Because of this success, the world saw the next close, in terms of approach, adaptation. Two-part TDKR movie

Beware, my Knight! The final text is near!

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i have midpollo brainrot 🥀

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Promise me to stay happy. Why I love L-type.

First things first, what the f*** the L-type is?!

That's what I call girls who act childish all the time. All life is a game to them. They react loudly to restrictions, don't like to listen to others, and are always in a state of amusement. They play by the rules when the punishment is real. The rest of the time they don't care. They live to express their individuality. They like to be the center of attention, love to surround themselves with acquaintances, most of which end quickly.

They're not interested in the truth. They like to live in the moment, to do some hot things. Dressing provocatively. Drive you crazy...

You might think, it's a frequent guest in the media. But it's the other way around. I mean,

We can remember Gehenna, gf of Firestorm.

A good example would be Roxy from Gen 13.

Of course, we mentioned Eve from Lucifer.

All of these girls took this path for a reason. It's not just about joy or impulse shopping. They always got everything they wanted, but rarely did they get true love. As a result, they have fun as a way to escape from any responsibility or pain. Sometimes they try and they get better, but then they think about it more and lose some of their playfulness. They live with the paradox of responsibility heaviness and(or) stealing other people's money, live thanks to others.

So it's really hard for creators to make it live. Because we're talking about sincerity in an unusual way. They're acting like children, but they're adults. But they feel like they're on the frontier of the first and second. They don't want to be the problem, it really hurts them a lot if a loved one says they feel hurt because of them. But they are more helpless than other people. They don't know what to do about it.

So I was surprised to see this type in Batwheels. I really fell in love with Kitty. Because she does her stupid(best way) stuff.

They were able to make a drama with her in it. Showing how out of control girls like this are, but at the same time, why they deserve the love of the world. The episode in the cave is so funny and sincere because of her.

I know you're tired of the word sincere in these texts. But I believe it makes the world a better place. And back to psychology...

I think Kitty is what Selina could have become if her life hadn't been so cruel. Because the L-type is really good at knowing childhood and the good stuff from there.

Selina didn't have a good childhood. Sometimes just a childhood. It's only violence and pain and hate. Drunk father...

I like these girls because they don't break in a unique style. It's usually about intentionally breaking the rules or fighting to the blood.

But they're just enjoying life. And inspiring others to do the same. Never hurt. L for Love

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i think helena bertinelli and helena wayne, both huntresses, are not the same person, but they're like... two sides of the same coin. or two different coins of the same currency, more accurately

they both seek justice and fairness, but like

imagine the scale of justice

helena wayne is someone who values fairness and balance, she's not like bruce wayne in the sense that everything has to be idealistic and she thinks the ends justify the means, but in the end, order brought by chaos is still order and balance. to her, the scales are equally weighed, and if they're deviated, then it's up to her to fix it and restore balance by hook or by crook

helena bertinelli, on the other hand, wants to even the scale too, but in her eyes, the scale is disproportionately tilted in one side, weighed heavy by the sins and corruption of untouchable predators, and she's having to fight a long, thankless uphill battle to get the scales to even budge from place

they're both fighting the same battle, ultimately, and they both want the same thing, and they're both huntresses, but they're not the same person really, they have very different lived experiences and heritages and legacies which are not interchangeable in the slightest

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Ah, superheroes origins and average people inside them! Have they always been here?

50/50. On the one hand, standalone stories about random cops, Jim's personal adventures, etc took up space in the old comics. Their appearance varied from decade to decade, but you can easily find them on the Batman pages in the 60s and inside Detective Comics of the early 80s.

However, these were more random stories from individual authors. Year One was a true revolution in DC's superhero narrative, establishing the place of Gotham, the Department, and a little thieves as a key component of Batman's plots. In other words

It's not just the foundation of everything in Dark Knight after the Great Crisis. No. It's the foundation of the entire Batverse itself.

And you can see how the authors developed ideas about not so powerful, inexperienced, protector of the weak in Legends of the Dark Knight. How Gotham became a modern comic book hero thanks to Scott Snyder. How Catwoman blended elements of luxury, street life and unusual roots into one person.

Moreover, Year One is the start of the important Year Trilogy for understanding Bruce's psychology. Also it's basically modern approach - visual style is important, deep cinematic narration, feelings behind hero, plot twists, idea of fight with something much bigger than Gotham itself.

Now that we've dealt with the importance of the comic on the outside, let's talk about the inside. It's a start of Jim's long run. Trouble with his wife and new love in the form of his partner. Problems with being a father and a cop in a dirty system. An unbearability of living in the city where psychos trying to kill their own family have become the norm. All of these things will shape the image of the commissioner in the past, present or even...

...a future...

How does he do it? Well, details make things happen. On the first panels we see the man. Very tired but generally believing in a bright future. The reality of Gotham forces him to act differently. More brutal and severe. But at the same time, he remains an honest man. Frank Miller asks the reader to believe in Jim as much as Jim himself believes in the rule of law. So even when he plays dirty...

It's still about the letter of the Law. Miller makes visual storytelling the backbone of the show. The colors, the shifting beauty and dirt of the city, the variety of streets and the people on them captivate the imagination.

In the finale of the first issue, we get Bruce drowning in devastating thoughts. Trying to help isn't working. His life has been wasted. Or it is not? Of course, criminals are a cowardly and superstitious lot. He got his answer! He's supposed to become a Bat!

Bruce, Jim, even Selina...it's just a symptom. They become the answer to Gotham's call to free itself from the old order, where there are only mad kings and the oppressed poor soul.

We either fight to the death of the enemy or we die ourselves. To defeat monsters, we become monsters ourselves.

And now you're thinking: Hey, crazy fellow, we've all read the Batman classics! Why are you saying all of this clear conclusions?

Because we will never learn what are adaptations without the original. A comic book is a product of its time. When Batman was just beginning his modern journey. When his Darkness was everywhere. When Robin died, when the Batfamily was only a distant Dick and a rare visitor, Barbara. When Tim didn't know how to handle his life.

Batman: Year One is the answer to the question of who Batman is after his reboot, the reboot of all of DC. As universe, as publisher, as one (of two) biggest gamers at picture stories wildspace in its renaissance.

The End of Part One. High Volume YO cycle.

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Very deep meaning or not. Solomon Grundy!

Many evil characters don't have permanent opponents. This can be due to many factors.

For example. Croc appeared as Jason's adversary, but he didn't have a full-blown conflict with the boy, something long-lasting. Todd died soon after, and Croc had already had time to try new approaches. He'd been a wild animal, fought Bane, tried to understand humans...he'd formed enough bonds to be a very different person by Under the Hood. Or Harley, who turned good...

The idea is that not every villain has to have a strong connection to someone they usually cross paths with. That's why we're not talking about Alan or even Batman. However!

Our big Zombie are still a part of their world!

I think Grundy is a very handy tool to tell part of your story. His personal problems sleep on the surface of the swamp, so you only need to briefly describe cause and effect, if you wish. Without going into any specifics. Our guy just wants to live in peace.

Wait! What peace? He's literally destroying everything around him!

Oh, okay. Let me be more specific.

An aggressive personality type and an aggressive reaction are two very different things. When we talk about aggressive people, we are talking about global hatred of everything around them. As Alfred says:

You see it in Black Mask. His desire to hurt everyone, even the most defenseless. Hell, especially the defenseless!

Grundy is different. Aggression is his reaction to external factors. If you remove these factors, he happily becomes your friend. I love how he once called Swamp Thing a friend, because the green guy really doesn't like to disturb nature and embraces it wholeheartedly. To put it in simple terms, Grundy is a chain of impulses that respond to a stimulus.

All right. Now that we have that cleared up, I want to talk about Batwheels. Oops, stop! One more page! Batman/Superman vol 2!

So, in Grundy's understanding, friendship is the absence of problems. He has no real friends, but all his friends are close to him. Because he's still a creature of reaction.

If something annoys him, he hits everything. For Grundy it doesn't matter if you hurt him or not. He felt bad and he saw you at that moment. So you're bad. The animated sequences show that he can't hear at times like this. This is very important to the character. He can't. He doesn't not want to.

But then they just remove the source of the irritation and he reasons. In the 2005-2010 comics, this trope was made more unusual because Solomon became a genius. But he was still waging war against superheroes.

Why would he do that? Because that's his character. Batwheels is not exaggerating when they say it's about the “needle”. This is literally it. The Good? The Bad? Just Grungy!

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You can fly = You can swim. About Batwing's fun ability to be whatever she wants to be.

New day! New Bat-garage member!

She flies through the clouds. She is not afraid of rain, floods or fires. You've seen it in every media and in every form. Helicopter, propeller chair, shuttle, plane, wing...

I like the episode about meeting Arrow's airplane because it brings up Wing's loneliness. In a sense, this is true, but not in the context of connecting with other machines. Historically, Wing's about Bruce.

I mean, Robin and Batgirl are always changing. Other techniques have been used by many heroes. Batwing and Batmobile are Batman's only. However, the Batmobile is hard to replace as a concept. Because it's the first thing in Gotham. A motorcycle makes you vulnerable to snipers, for example. Batmobile is closed, different sizes, armored, has many levels of speed, can be disguised as any car. The airplane is effective for emergency situations, when you need to distribute antidote on the territory, to get to the far end of the city, to be on the roof at once. Wing doesn't need much profile.

And as we've said before, Bam could replace her in the aerial arena. So there is a question:

Why would Wing have what others have if she's not the most successful at it?

Except for(as) plan B of course...

In what situations do you need a flight?

Long distances. For example, from country to country.

Enemies from the air. Pterodactyls, Germans, parademons.

It's not safe on the ground. The floor is lava.

Your other fast travel is out of use.

The Plane takes advantage of this, but also keeps personal status in mind. Batman's enemies use complex patterns. Freeze can move through water by simply freezing it. The Penguin mostly rides and swims, but his umbrella allows him to soar like a bird. The Joker has giant robots that the Batmobile is useless against.

Wing does not have to take over the functions of others, but she must be prepared for emergencies. It's like a bomb joke. No one taught it to Barbara, and she didn't teach it to Cassandra. But they had to defuse bombs. She gets the skill to just know it. Does that mean all Batwheels should be ready for anything? Not exactly.

It's impossible for a truck to move fast. There will never be enough armor for a motorcycle. Redbird is Robin's transport, and it sets its own parameters, which are usually highly dependent on the owner. Where Tim:

Dick uses lighter approach...

But you can use Wing in most cases. Forest, city, mountains, sometimes space. For chasing, for exploring, for fleeing an explosion, as a shield. You can control altitude, you can turn on stealth, you can launch heavy (they won't fit in a motorcycle, yes) missiles. You'll destroy a tank and bring a birthday present for the kid.

Batwing is unique! Yeah, it's not as versatile as Bam. But she's good at what she does locally. That's why Bruce uses her less often.

But each time it's unusual, sometimes far more original, challenges. That's why she's so different. It's not about time and some kind of sensergy with Batman, but purpose. That's why the character is heavier and more pressurized. She's resilient. Indestructible.

There was supposed to be "Invincible" song from Kirsten Arian here, but it's the Batgirl theme, hence Bibi...

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Knocking on heaven's door is pointless. Let's build our own kingdom. It will stand Forever.

It's from a different movie, but we're talking about the sequel. In a conversation with Bruce, Alfred said:

For what is Batman? If not an effort to master the chaos that sweeps our world. An attempt to control death, itself?

Batman is always fighting. But the ways of that battle are changing. Part of it has to do with the villains, who always surprise you with bizarre gadgets like a brain-controlling device on your TV. Most of the time, however, it's about the person themselves. And the time he spends with other people.

Do you remember how Batman 1989 ended? The woman in the car. Darkness. The Knight who guards his grounds. Keaton's not a villain, but he's not the hero of history either.

“Forever” ends with a very close episode. One difference. Bruce ends with Chase. But now he is happy. The beginning of Joel's dilogy is a bold statement. Batman doesn't have to give up his human part to work right.

The whole structure of the opening movie of the Schumacher's universe wants to give the viewer a chance to see Wayne as a man for whom the identity crisis is finally over.

Why am I talking about this in the context of the battle? If you've read Kilmer's biography or watched the wonderful autobiographical movie “Val,” you know the difficulties he had to face throughout his life. Problems within the family, finances, roles he can't get...

Moreover, Val was a difficult man. I know a lot of people loved working with him when things were great. But if something was bothering him on set...heh, Batman Forever for example. Clooney didn't just show up.

That's what the battle is. Confront the idea of our own infallibility with the ability to recognize weaknesses. Ability to achieve new things. Experimenting. DC has an idea:

As long as you fight, you live. You can't completely disappear from Reality as long as your mission continues. Val has been setting goals since he was a kid. He wanted to be an actor. An actor who can be anything. Singer

Or Moses

Funny cowboy-captain

Can you imagine this guy being held hostage of one role? No. Because he's always adapting. Even when the cancer took his voice, he kept playing. Made a documentary, came back to Top Gun. He had his own little house with paintings where other people studied.

It's how we overcome challenges. How we go from 1989 to 1995. We challenge ourselves. We find strength in our obsessions, but we don't let it rob us of our individuality.

We develop ourselves, and that's how we become better for others, because it makes our opportunities broader.

Val is only been Batman for one movie. Less than anyone not only in cinematic history, but live action globally. But he lived like the real Bruce. Fighting. Constantly looking for solutions. Helping others. Like Bruce, he could be unfair at times. Like with Joel for a while. Or allowed himself to make rude remarks about someone else. But he built his career with integrity. With endless auditions, craziest original approaches, by living in hero

His Bat-signal will burn forever. Because we will always need people like Val Kilmer.

Thank you, my first Light Knight!

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You want to go for a ride? Let's go for a ride!

Nightbike. Or Wingcycle. What do we know about it? He's stable. As long as Bat-tech changes every week(not ironic, literally!), He's stable. While Battech's tech changes every week(not being ironic, literally!), Dick's bike is +/- the same. Yes, it retains some of the era's vibes in its color scheme...

Or the number of seats...

Its shapes are sometimes sharper or smoother because we're talking about different periods and versions of Dick.

But in general, it's very loyal Nightwing's ally. As fast, mischievous and bright as Grayson himself. So it does the same thing that Batgirl's motorcycle does. Reflects the character of the owner. So Batwheels shows him as funny, sometimes a little cheeky, but a good friend and a pleasant companion.

I think there's an interesting detail here that separates the bike from Dick a bit. Makes him a complete person like the Batmobile.

Nightbike's character is built on unfinished separation. A stage that the former Robin completely shut down for himself back in Titans and the first volume of Nightwing.

The bike needs to prove that it does a great job on its own. Bibi makes this mistake as well, but quickly admits it. Because she is constantly learning, and her development is one of the key ideas of the character. She can't just stand still. Because her mind doesn't work that way. For Nightbike, it's important to be at the center of the table.

Because when he doesn't, he gets bored. At first we think it's about leadership. But he has nothing against Bibi's command. I think Wingcycle is getting sad alone. Because... remember his history. It always worked as an attention-getter. The Titans pointed out that Dick had a cool bike. Barbara liked him. And when he was inside the cave, Alfred took care of him. These were his glory days.

But then Dick left. What was he doing with the bike? Just left it alone in the middle of nowhere. I mean, seriously. In the grass, in alleys, by the pier. He could forget him for days, it was in the comics. Wingcycle had nothing to do. Bam is always in the battle.

But Nightbike is lost...

It's really fun, what kids show can do with our mind. Batwheels speculating on hard theme. And TV series do it so well. That's the reason why I love it so much! Why we're talk.

Wingcycle is a fun character. After all, in most aspects it's just Dick. But the problem with loneliness seems to be unique to Night.

And yes, he actually did do that crazy rope trick in the comics. It also has a beautiful b...

Hop in the back! 

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For you, my lord!

SECOND ACCOUNT @batwheelblogger IS UP!!

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Our new honored guest. Or just Batwheels.

I've been watching this since the start, but only got back to the unfinished episodes a few days ago. Globally, this show is about the fact that there is the Batmobile. Because the motorcycle is the character of Batgirl. Red Bird for Robin. Buff is an original character. I'm not sure about Batwing, because she's also Batcopter. Too different.

Batmobile (or just Bam) has a strong history behind him. The cartoon gathers the general ideas of what Dark Knight main transport has always been and makes it ultimates.

We realize that the Batmobile has to be brave, has to literally have everything inside of it. It should be a boat, a fire truck, a room for smaller vehicles, a tank, a battering ram, and a symbol of speed all at the same time.

Because that's what Batman himself is. Of course, Batwheels does so in a less direct way. Bam tries to be a good leader, always find an approach to others, know and do more than others, study better, be focused. We can't talk about it directly because it's not about real garage. Batmobile's alive here.

However, everything Batwheels says is the truth. Because if you think about it in the context of the story, you'll realize that the metaphor works perfectly. Bruce doesn't see that his car is alive. Yeah, it's always a tool. Bam is often injured, but always comes back. Hell, yes! The Batmobile is important, but sometimes useless for individual missions.

That's why I find it interesting what they did in season two. They introduced the new concept. Bat-Truck concept. History time!

Bat-Truck (globally) is a huge vehicle that is not only a transport but also a mobile base. His style, like all of Batman's tech, changes. It's not always huge. It's not always pure truck. Sometimes it's more of a tank or a cave on wheels. Sometimes it's Batman's base. Sometimes it's just a temporary solution. Also, it's always changing owners.

So it's hard to put an idea in it. The creators decided it wasn't a standalone character, not a person. It's Bam's armor! Does it make much sense? Well, we need more history.

Batman always adapts. His enemies are strong, so he must be stronger. Must be able to defeat armies. If we say that the Batmobile is important as someone who does the same thing as its owner, we are talking about a unified mindset. That's how Bam gets armor too. It's doing the same things, but empowering its own. He becomes more invulnerable, more dangerous, more mobile. On the other hand, he could easily refuse. Transfer control, for example, to Buff. Or last post's guest, heh.

Second, but no less important...what is Bat-Truck in aesthetic way?

Stop! You're talking about facts! Aesthetics is biased!

I know. I mean, what's the Bat-tech in the core? Bat-cave, all that crazy vehicles, suits. It's about possibilities, about future army. Bruce always wanted to control the world, and many alternate futures show bat-bots patrolling Gotham. Or think of the Batmobiles in White Knight. That's a fleet of police. All of this presupposes a structure. Levels of authority. We see it in the comics.

Sons of Batman who became his invisible hand. Clone Ideas. Batman Beyond project.

It's not just Heritage. It's a hierarchy. The mobile base is the center of the idea. A headquarters that can be deployed anywhere. A cave on the wheels. He can always return safely. Can observe and be a participant. Batwheels gives us the idea of Batman's absolute dominance. It's crazy!

Bam doesn't just become Batman. He becomes his second Alfred. But Butler opposes the war. The Batmobile never argues. He loves to fight and win. Bam agrees to “turn off the lights” if the mission is worth it. God help us all....

We'll better discuss the character and history of the Batmobile and Batwing's place in future posts!

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How do you do a good tribute to a deceased person in a children's show? Just use a soul.

This day...March 28, 2014...Lorenzo Semple Jr. passed away. He was the chief developer and head scriptwriter of the Batman'66 show. The legacy of this ambitious project continues to live on in our hearts. The very image of West's Batman is still one of the leading ones in the perception of not all, but many - by the way, not the oldest - fans.

So it wasn't surprising to see him back in animation or comics. It's not so important whether we're talking about cameos in the third volume or projects of his own universe.

But they're just easter eggs. We see other Knights there. Keaton, Bale, sometimes even the writers. Good cameos have long been normal even outside of comics. It's tradition.

The difference is that when you're talking about a first-person role, it's a full-fledged tribute. But Adam is dead. You're not gonna play with his voice like you used to. In BTAS (Gray Ghost) or The Batman 2004(Mayor) for example. Not to mention Proto(TBATB)...

I know, I always drag out the intro. But I want to give you a sense of the power of what they did. Because it's not just a cameo!

A.D.A.M. (short for Awesomely Dynamic Auto Mobile) in the Batwheels uses modified archived audio of Adam's voice. They let the deceased actor “play the part,” thereby elevating to an absolute the possibility of actor to live on even after death.

They knew it would sound strange to the modern generation that Bam epitomizes. And it's become not only a good joke, but one of the ways the show gives the message. All generations are good. We are different, but there is our strength in these approaches. Sometimes it's hard for us to understand each other, but that doesn't mean we should strive for it. Adam was about it too. So, the creators gave a good idea. What about the realization? I'm in love!

The dynamic between ADAM and Bam is constantly evolving. At first they just argue, but soon you realize that even here the old tricks are active. I mean, seriously, we can't have random cameos like in the original. What are you gonna do with that window?

Arrow is suddenly in Gotham and he's making Santa jokes. You just don't expect it. It works at the expense of surprise. It's simple and brilliant! Oh, think about this one!

They made the Batmobile...before the Batmobile. Admit it, you're doing it. I'm doing it. We're always shocked when we find out there was a guy before. Oh, you know Lewis Wilson? Pre-Crisis Comics? Wait, you're talking about the first appearance at 19...no way! So obvious, that's why you understand Bam. What I'm trying to say...

You don't need to be louder or brighter than everyone else to work. It's just a kids' show. We don't talk about death in places like this. We talk about life. It has to be simple. They'll never know what it's about right away. But they'll grow up and see it. Then something will explode in their minds. That will be love.

Oh, no, my red phone is ringing! Hurry, open your screen! You gotta watch Batwheels now, chum! The fate of Gotham depends on it!

Batwheels! Watch them turn on a dime! Batwheels! They look great in black! Batwheels! Hop in the back!

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You have something like these old Archie cartoons. They look like comics globally, but there's a lot of Filmation vibe in the characters' movements, facial features, etc.

I really like it. Stephanie was always about tenderness, funny smiles. Your style does that. And I love that you're trying different eras. Modernity, the first image...wow, cool!

I hope you get a lot of attention. It's such an unusual and warm style! Oh, and open the comments. Please! You deserve them!

spoiler alert!

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You're not him. About Jeph Loeb style. Perfection of The Long Halloween universe. Why Hush was never important. H2SH fails.

We're starting a long journey that will focus on the upcoming Batman issues. Each new topic post will follow the thoughts that are brought up in Hash. But what is Hush?!

The original series was successful commercially and massively. I mean, new readers, regular people, and random comic fan could easily understand what Batman is.

Cool art, nice narration, lots of drama and a simple plot did its job perfectly. You knew a lot of things. You understood the cost of Bruce's victory. And there was an unusual relationship here. But that's for them.

Don't get me wrong, you can love Hush while still being a Batman fan. I respect that. I think Hush is a pretty good work because it is what it is. There are clever notes here about Jim and Alfred's role in Wayne's life. I love the alley scene because it reveals the nature of Gordon and Knight's relationship. Every episode is in its place. And I'm always happy to see Helena-that's my girl-Huntress.

But it's the most conventional Batman story ever. Because we've known for a long time that he and Selina couldn't have been a couple at the time of the comic, and it's Bruce's fault. Hush never made sense as a character. The best friend who showed up years later, but whose death the steely Batman reacts more strongly to than Jason's murder. It's not a detective story because the structure is too obvious. You only have one new antagonist, and no one else here is going to change their mask. They're stable.

Writers tried to make it interesting after...Hush...but the attempts were not successful. Because all the character has is blind revenge. Which works for a standalone story, but not a complete storyline. You're asking me why it really worked in the past. Only one reason. Cool Loeb's approach.

Hush takes place after big Figurative event. After Cassandra father-daughter plots. But before complicated Bruce/Selina and Todd's returned scenarios. It retains the imprint of the era. On the one hand, Batman hasn't properly begun his journey into the light yet. He was fighting with Cass about it. He was having problems with Sasha. He had become less focused on the mission, but still obsessed with it and his fears. Jeph emphasizes it from the first monologue in his head. Bruce can't work as Clark, he's too dark. He has a lot to lose, takes a lot of risks.

At the same time, we see how much his friends and family mean to him. He talks about Tim's role, the importance of Dick's support. He always wants to help Dent...

It's an image of time. Today is a different time. Bruce hasn't been obsessed with fighting for a long time. Jason closed the Joker issue and became a better, kinder man. Calmer and more humane. He's really learned how to be a true hero. Damian is no longer a child. Hell, even the Joker has important new stories! The foundation of Bat-universe has changed. Forever!

But all we see in part 2 are blind comic book references that don't make the scenes. Bruce can't be mad about that. He's done years ago. This isn't Barbara's trauma. Or Jim's. And it's not even a trauma to the reader, because modern conflicts are New 52, Bats Who Laughs, Tom King's concepts, City of Madness, Harleen...is about Bruce's place in his own world, about psychology.

About a city without Batman, because we're talking about Legacy. The difference between Wayne and Knight. H2SH is not!

We get a laughing fish thrown in our face, they give us the Joker's rescue again like it's not a plot from 2009. Or 2015. Or 2019. Again thoughts of the endless mission. Again the panic in every reaction as if it were the end of the world. Stop it! But again. HOW. DOES. IT. WORKS. Well...it's smart!

Dark Victory uses the same vibe, structure, roles and character locations as The Long Halloween. This can create a sense of deja vu similar to H2SH. The main difference is that this...structure here makes scenes.

The Long Halloween has a story about the world before Batman. Bruce is often wrong, he can be hurt by mafia. He's more violent, putting principles above the world. Gotham's elite, the clans, are destroyed, and at the end, there are a new kings...supervillains. The master assassin uses old methods in the form of a gun. His messages are poetic but not ideological. In mafia style, yes.

It's different in Dark Victory. Batman is more accurate and dangerous. Villains have become more understandable and easy for him to deal with. Selina is back from Rome, and she's acting a little differently. The attentive and cruel huntress like in TLH? Yes! But now she acts more gentle. Doesn't just lunge at her prey. She plays with affection. The main villain uses a particular style of killing. He's still close to old-fashioned assassins, but also has clear signs of a new approach. Unusual targets, a sly message in each new body, a bit of games with the police and Batman. This is the age of dark Gotham...

And then you open The Long Halloween Special, where jailbreaks have become the norm. Where Gotham isn't so scary. Where Batman and Jim can go out on a night of celebration together, and Batgirl and Robin make a date under the Moon. This is comics!

Globally, it's always the same story. Someone dies. Chasing the killer through the clues. A third plan character with sudden help. The collapse(literal and figurative meaning) of a building or something big on the heads of all the characters. An epic battle with a happy ending. Killer isn't a killer.

Jeph uses this all the time, so the basis of his universe doesn't change. Bruce is always quite dark and serious. The detective works on a circle system where minor character in the first issue = killer. Details make it alive.

In H2SH, there are no meaning-making details. Think back to The Killing Joke adaptation. One shot tells every fan a deep Bat/Joker never-ending battle background.

Instead, Batman imagines the Joker killing his parents. It's a reference again, but what role does this have in the plot? Bruce doesn't realize that the Joker hurts others? Can he only realize it by going through it? Then Batman doesn't work at all. Or is it about seeing all the killers in one killer? Then you're just erasing any relationship with Two-Face.

And that's the way things work around here. Loeb's beautiful approach breaks down because he forgets when and why he does what he does. It does the same thing as in The Long Halloween universe. But there we have a gradual development while maintaining a general...stability, unchanging foundation. This doesn't work for H2SH because it has no context. Because a violent Batman with the loss of dear ones doesn't work in 2025. That's all that's left to do is draw homage. Bad release.Really frustrating.

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