The Batmom

Death of the Family & Digital Comic Books

Months after DC set me swooning over its Bat-family crossover series Night of the Owls, they’ve begun another multi-book arc: Death of the Family.

Crossover series feature multiple characters/books focused on a single storyline. Death of the Family involves the characters/books in Batman’s “family,” most of them superheroes trained by Batman, including Nightwing (former Robin Dick Grayson), Red Hood (former Robin Jason Todd), Batgirl, Batman’s son Damian (current Robin) and Teen Titans’ Red Robin (former Robin Tim Drake). Plus Catwoman. She and Batman love to hate to love one another.

In Death of the Family, the Batcrew joins once again for an epic battle (are there any un-epic battles?) against the Joker. The arc stretches through February; I’ll save my rambling 'til series’ end. For now, let’s talk digital.

I failed to score any of the October DOTF books: Batgirl #13, Catwoman #13, Batman #13. My friends @Harrisons_ said the books sold out in 30 minutes. I found copies elsewhere, but $20 for a $2.99 book proved too much for even my keen interest.

I purchased the books digitally, using DC Comics’ iPad app. I’ve heard comic book artists speak with varying degrees of enthusiasm about the transfer from ink-saturated paper to intangible pixels. For me, the move was upward.

Many pages of a comic book comprise multiple panels. Take, for instance, this page from Batman #13, part of the Death of the Family arc.

My eyes first take in the big picture, then consume only the strongest visual elements: darkness, text balloons, spotlight, “crack,” Commissioner Gordon’s horrified face. When reading the page digitally, I have the option of reading small panel to small panel, and I benefit. 

The first panel I see – alone – is the top. I process only the dark and the words. I don’t see the upcoming action – the “crack” and the horrified face. I begin to read and, in time with Commissioner Gordon, I start to recognize the maniacal voice.

Moving through panels in this slower fashion increased my suspense. I wasn’t able to process the full page until I reached the final panel. For me, the experience felt much fuller. Comic books are short; quickly consumed. These digital meals stretched far longer than my paper snacks typically last, and I savored each individual ingredient.

Yes, I missed the slick signature feel of a DC comic book under my fingers, and I wondered if the coloring suffered (I didn’t notice if so). I realize I’m not supporting my local comic book store when I buy a digital book. But still, the digital experience made for a much stronger, much closer read and I’m going to continue on digitally for the rest of the series.

Batgirl #0

Covergirl 

I like the uniform look of the Zero Issues: Superheroes burst through greyscale comic book pages. But while #0 Batgirl has the signature Batgirl features – gold bat, sleek black, red locks — she doesn’t look Barbara Gordon-ish to me. She’s verging on sensual, and while Barbara G. is a looker, to my mind she’s more Buffy Summers sexy, less Sophia Loren sultry. This Covergirl Batgirl’s got definite Loren Lips.

Inside Story

Most of you don’t read comic books, and those who do don’t need plot summaries. If you didn’t read it, buy it! These comic books are affordable art; go support their artists.

Ramble

Other than a few awkward boob-emphasizing stances, solid book.

It’s hard not to enjoy something @gailsimone writes. I loved seeing threads of the quippy, self-assured and self-questioning superhero Batgirl surfacing in pre-superhero Barbara. She’s supremely confident but knows people find her weird, and kind of minds it that they do. And kind of doesn’t give a Batshit.

I also appreciated witnessing Barbara transitioning loyalty from her family triumvirate (Dad, Barbara, James) to her superhero triumvirate (Batman, Batgirl, Robin).

The tiny peeks at James Jr. offered interesting if slight clues to his future. In what might be the funniest understatement in the book’s year-long run, Barbara wonders if her little brother might have some sort of social anxiety disorder. But it’s clear she loves him and would risk her life to keep him safe.

Finally, the phrase “flirt flu” is my new favorite BG-ism. Her drollery marks Barbara Gordon the most charmingly clever of my superhero reads.

My use of the thesaurus-suggested “drollery” marks me the most sluggishly unclever* of your superhero blog reads.

*thesaurus-approved antonym for “clever”

Catwoman #12

Catwoman #12/Judd Winick, Adriana Melo, Julio Ferreira

COVERGIRL: Is there anything creepier than dead whores dressed up like flappers? Nope. We’re skeeved, Selina’s skeeved. And she doesn’t even see … behind her.

 

INSIDE STORY: Catwoman busts into the Dollhouse, run by a twister sister named Matilda, confusingly AKA Dollhouse,. (Perhaps my bad guy name should be Blue Colonial Duplex?). Dollhouse is carrying on a family tradition … of kidnapping prostitutes and street kids, harvesting their organs, killing them, stuffing them, and turning them into life-sized dolls. Happy Family, that.

A slew of drugged streetwalkers plus one wide-awake Detective Alvarez greet Catwoman, who immediately comes to blows with Dollhouse. Spark, despite his partnership with Gotham’s crooked cops, alerts Batman. The Dark Knight busts in, saving Alvarez and the drugged prostitutes. Catwoman slips away.

As she enjoy a hot tub fully dressed (an odd artistic choice for creators who seem to love nothing so much as Cat-skin), Catwoman muses on how much she likes Spark. Meanwhile, the Penguin tells Gwen (Catwoman’s fence) that Spark is ratting on Catwoman to Gotham’s crooked cops. Gwen blows Spark away. Before he takes a bullet to the gut, Spark claims he’d never hurt Catwoman.

RAMBLE: Not blown away like Spark is by Gwen, but interested like Catwoman is by Spark.

Right now, Catwoman’s my big question mark. Should she stay or should she go?

Should she stay or should she go, now?

If she stay, there will be cleavage.

If she goes, will there be grievage?

Enough with the prom songery.

In the stay column: the guts-bonkers combo, which leads Selina to rush in like brave fools before her. In the go column: anything solid I can cling to. She’s wishy-washy. Neither villain nor superhero. Neither good nor evil. Kinda wanting friends, kinda not. Kinda loving Batman, kinda not.

The neither-this-nor-that holds huge potential, and I’ve seen glimpses of promise, especially over the last few issues.

Make me stay, #0. I’ll even avert my eyes from your horrific, ridonkulous cover. Make me stay!

Who the Hell are These People?

Catwoman: Selina, a hooker-esque thief with a heart of pawn-shop gold and a weakness for the Batman

The Batman: The Batman

Detective Carlos Alvarez: Good cop amid a dirty slew in the Gotham PD; he knows they're dirty, and he's in the odd position of wanting to stop Catwoman's thieving ways and also to save her from the bad cops. At the start of issue #12, kidnapped by Dollhouse

Dollhouse: Crazy kidnaptress named Matilda. Grabs streetwalkers and street kids off the streets, drugs them, harvests their organs, kills them, and stuffs them. Dollhouse is ew.

Gwen: Catwoman’s fence

Spark: Catwoman’s new thieving partner; he’s working with the dirty Gotham PD to capture Catwoman

What the Hell is Going on?

Catwoman is trying to save a slew of hookers and street kids being kidnapped by a freaky someone who kills them and turns them into corpse-y playthings. She’s also being pursued by a handful of dirty Gotham police officers because she stole their dirty money. Her supposed partner Spark is informing on her to said dirty cops.