BATMAN #75

The biggest story in the comic book world this year has to be the fact that DC pulled Tom King off of Batman. King wasn't, of course, a big time, famous comic book writer like, say, Bendis or Kirkman or Grant Morrison or someone when he got the gig. King had a bonafide hit with Marvel's The Vision that everyone was talking about, so DC signed him to an exclusive and put him on their biggest book. Perhaps, though, they didn't do their homework. Did you read The Vision? Did DC read The Vision? Or Sheriff of Baghdad, King's other pre-Batman book (they definitely read Omega Men since it was a DC book)? King isn't exactly a fan friendly type of a writer. He's more dark and cerebral. So, 75 issues in, we kind of have gotten what we paid for. Two months ago, after a dismal, boring, weird, dream storyline that seemingly went on forever, DC announced that they were kicking King off the book and letting him finish his storyline in a 12 issue Batman/Catwoman mini-series. King will still get to write the book until the end of the year...which seems strange, unless he already had every script written, which seems absurd. It's going to end up being a year of King's Batman taken away and shrunken down to a 12 issue side book. The sales have slipped and the quality has slipped, although the book is still always the bestseller the week that it comes out. Supposedly one of the higher ups made the decision because he hated the book. That makes sense, as the book is a complete, baffling mess. Although I've read every issue, and since they're fast to read (he doesn't use a lot of words), I do usually read it as soon as it comes out, even if I'm often disappointed. The problems have always been there (the book didn't exactly start good and never really picked up steam, although a few arcs like "The War of Jokes & Riddles" and the Booster Gold storyline were pretty good) but they definitely reached the pinnacle with #50 which promised a Batman/Catwoman wedding and did not deliver. I suppose it's not a surprise that #75 ends with Catwoman saving Batman and apparently they're back together and ready to save the day. #75 is the best issue of the book all year. You can probably thank artist Tony Daniel for that. He's one of DC's best artists and he draws comic books the way you kind of want comic books to look like. As for the plot...well, I've been lost in the haze for awhile now. There was a long dream arc that made no sense. The problem was that we never really knew what was real or fake. Apparently, Bruce Wayne's father from the Flashpoint universe showed up and is now the new Batman in a city run by villains. King did not do a very good job developing that plot, though, as all of a sudden it seems to be a reality out of nowhere instead of steadily building it up. Batman was in the desert last issue but in this issue he's in the snow (huh?). This issue kicks off the "City of Bane" storyline yet Bane only appears on the cover. Gotham Girl shows up yet I can't even remember the last time she was in the book. Is she a villain now? It's kind of a problem when I read every issue and it comes out twice a week so the story is pretty fresh yet I'm still mystified at to what the fuck is going on. Will firing King be a good thing in the long run? I guess it depends on who they pick as the successor. I think we all know that it's going to Bendis. And will that be any better? Probably not. But in all of this there is tragedy. King's run was cut short which is a shame for King. But the real tragedy is a once great writer putting out a complete disaster of a book. **