Crazy Quilt and Cucumber Sandwiches
Written By: Tom King
Art By: Matt Wagner, Tomeu Morey, Clayton Cowles
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: September 5, 2018
It's time to get back to Gotham to see how Batman's dealing with his emotional problems since Bane went and secretly broke the Bat by getting Selina to leave him at the alter....... In our previous issue, we saw the lengths that Bruce Wayne went to correct a mistake he made by going after Mr. Freeze for a crime and now....... Well, now we'll see Dick Grayson and Bruce Wayne hanging out and hopefully we'll be able to get some actual feels out of it and get the "human" Batman that everyone keeps telling me we're getting with this series. Let's check it out.
So in case you don't know, Dick Grayson's parents died in a horrible acrobat accident that left him a ward of billionaire Bruce Wayne and in this issue we get to see how Dick got acclimated to living with Bruce and Alfred and while that happens we continue our foray into the emotional state of Batman while he continues to go out at night and prey on fearful and cowardly criminals........... like Crazy Quilt............ who died in Endgame......... but who's here because....... well, because Tom King thinks it's funny and that's about it. We also have Condiment King and a Kite-Man and Ten-Eyed Man reference.......... because it's supposed to be funny. This is what we get folks.
I'd like to go on and tell you that there's some really deep stuff here, but Bruce kind of acts like a dick and Dick kind of acts like a dick and their dickish behavior somehow finds them a moment where our hero opens up and I'd like to tell you that it was a really nice or revealing moment, but because this issue is just filled with conversations that just start and stop and don't really feel like they should be happening, it just kind of came out of nowhere and felt forced for the situation.
I like the art in this issue, but art is really never a problem when it comes to this series, it's the story and dialog that always fall short in my mind because if the dialog isn't forced, the situations to get us where Tom King needs the story to go are and at this point I just kind of find myself reading through Batman every two weeks wondering when something is going to change because it barely feels like Tom King trying to be interesting at all He's found an easy niche and he's just going to ride it out until he's taken off the book.
Bits and Pieces:
If you're looking for a refresher into Dick Grayson's origin or an issue where Dick Grayson comments on lame villains than look no further because this is the issue for you. If you're looking for a decent Batman story though, then you're going to be a tad disappointed. There just isn't much here besides awkward dialog and forced moments and at the end of it all, the art is the only thing that I really enjoyed about this issue.
4/10
I have hated this run of Batman but I have to say I liked this issue. Probably because it is more of a Dick Grayson issue and it shows his love for Bruce, even through his cheery persona. Didn't like the art though, I feel Matt Wagner has never progressed as an artist.
ReplyDeleteOh, and cucumber sandwiches are never good.
they are never ever good!!!!!
DeleteI tired with Tom King I really did but i cant stand his batman run the end of Snyder's run with robobat wasn't good but that gave us a human bruce at lest i was expecting at the end of all that to get the real Bat back :/
ReplyDeleteI keep waiting for the point where we start liking it again because that will surely mean everyone else will start hating it
DeleteTotally late to the party (as always), but I am really excited about one aspect of this issue. The flashbacks to when Bruce took Dick in (sorry for the phrasing), he was still just a kid, as in, it looked like they were showing he was taken in during his pre-teen years, as opposed to that garbage 16 year old origin that came post-flashpoint (Yes Jim, I'm still holding that grudge).
DeleteOtherwise, this issue was fine I guess, standard stilted dialogue from King, and the Art was passable, not my favorite, but good enough for 1 issue.
I did enjoy the story, but not for the content itself oddly enough. It just nailed this hidden dynamic between the original duo that's often overlooked; that being , when Dick is around, Bruce gets to play the full on Grump. And I know that sounds odd, but with everybody else, Bruce has to kind of roll his eyes , hold their hands and be the best and most cheerful person that he can be. Think of his relationship with Casandra, Tim , and Damian, always best Bruce with a smile and a lesson, with Tim, it's the mentor encouraging his best student, and with Jason, it's the example to follow , no killing , no darkness; But with Dick, Bruce can be his full awkward a$$hole self, knowing that Grayson can take it without going off rails.
To be fair he could do the same with Selina, but there were less words, no real names, and lots of (I'm assuming Klingon style) sex.
Two cents dropped!
Rock on Fellas
-Ascent
Oh $H!T you guys updated the posting software, so I can post!
DeleteI'm a real boy now!!!
I'm not just some Anonymous sleaze-tard!!
ROCK ON!!!!
Ascent!
Normally, I agree with you 100% on your Batman reviews, but for some reason I actually liked this issue. It's not the best comic book I've ever read by a long shot, but it's also not NEARLY as bad as some of the other crap King has foisted off on us during his run. Sort of a backhanded compliment, but any time King can hurdle the low bar of "pretty good" on this title, I have to give him a bit of credit where it's due. *polite golf clap*
ReplyDeleteI hate his fisrehard for continuity for a joke that doesnt hit
Delete