"Big Batman book"! (only not really...^^')
.
AN UNEXPECTED FINDING ;)
Acctually this book has a little history for me.
When it first appeared out of the blue on a Yahoo auction, I couldn't believe my eyes. A new book by Izumi Yakumo after three long years of silence?! And a Batman book to that? And I was beggining to think that she gave up doujinshis altogether and we'll never see another one again! Ah, that was a happy day! ^_^
I got more excited when I read the auction's details: book freshly issued, over 140 pages (huuge! :D), not a reprint! I was overjoyed, but astronomical price held down my enthusiasm - that wasn't something my piggy bank could bear (it went for crazy prices, reaching 8000 yen! Crazy, right?!)
Another problem was that no-one seemed to know what was Izumi's new artistic name, so it was virtually impossible to find her at comic events (my proxies failed three times!). So it took me a while, a lot of effort and nerves to get this book, but before I did I put my hands on another of her new doujinshis, "Deux ou trois choses que je sais du nuit" (I scanlated it some time ago). And from a flyer sold together with it I learned deux ou trois choses about "the big Batman book", as I called it.
But I wasn't quite sure what to make out of what I read: before the re-launch, Dick Grayson, BFTC, NTT, Jason Todd, Damian... I felt like I needed a translator. ;) And I knew where to find one. caelimane (my private Bat-expert ;), didn't fail and concluded:
"It seems like it's all about "the Robins"!
Let's start with an important note: the whole book refers to the Bat-universe from before the relaunch that took place in DC comics some time ago. It was suppose to refresh the fandom I guess and create a new canon and openings for a different character development and new plotlines.
So the whole book talks about the 'old' Batman-universe and the old versions of characters and their biographies. The same goes for caelimane's comments, which now may seem like a lesson in Bat-history, because the world they refer to doesn't exist anymore in the comic world.
SO IT IS A "DICK BOOK" ;)
There is no doubt about it from the very first page - a lovely color spread. After reading Izumi's older Outsiders doujinshis (Arsenal & Nightwing, "Between bathroom and bedroom" and so on) I knew that she was fond of that character, but this book really tells how much...
There are six stories here, some longer, some just a few page scenes, but Dick Grayson is the main character in all of them. It's hard to say if they add up into a linear story, although there is a prologue and an epilogue, they were clearly set in a certain order, they reflect, complement one another, but not necessarily create a single plot. It seems more like a character study, showing us different faces of Dick Grayson.
So you can read this book as a collection of independent stories, different variants of reality or, to make things more interestitng, as a coherent plot, one tale with a beginning and an end. Although you might have some trouble with the beginning itself, the prologue, merely a few pages, the beginning which seems more like a post script, a shred of a story, a piece of the puzzle which doesn't exactly fit...
On the other hand, if you try to see it in a different light, it could be the key to the whole story. In a way it may tell more about the way Izumi pictures this character than the remaining 130 pages.
In case you're not very familiar with the fandom, let me quote how my Bat-expert, caelimane, characterizes him:
Dick Grayson is that rare "good" character who doesn't come off as bland or sanctimonious. I usually like flawed characters, characters with good hearts but who have a dark side or are seeking redemption for something, etc. Not Dick, though, he's pretty pure. Fair, kind, smart, beautiful, loyal, strong, funny, charismatic, empathetic... he's got it all.
Well, our author clearly tries to see beyond this perfect picture. Although Dick remains here his usual-"good-boy"-self most of the time, we see him crossing the line a few times too, maybe even going too far.
In these six stories Dick plays various roles: lover, brother, guardian, protector of the city, but behind all them remains the most dominant one - that of Bruce Wayne's protégé, foster son and companion. It was that relationship that shaped him into a man he became and it never stopped influencing his life.
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE ROBINS!
As I said above it's also the "Robins book" and indeed, Dick's relations with other Robins take the most part of the doujinshi.
Other Robins? What other Robins? If you ask this question, it would be problably good, if you read a short introduction, an "Abbreviated History of Robins" ^^, provided by caelimane to help me making heads and tails of it:
A lot of people think of "Batman and Robin" and picture Batman and his young sidekick running across rooftops together, and never consider that that boy, Robin, would of course GROW UP. And that's what happened. Dick Grayson grew up, turned in his Robin costume and became Nightwing. Batman chose a new Robin, Jason Todd, who started out well but became reckless and it all ended badly (he died, but years later was "resurrected," and is still running around; he's a semi-villain now).
The next Robin was Tim Drake, and he was another excellent Robin, like Dick was. Tim broke with Batman at one point and Bruce brought in a FEMALE Robin, Stephanie Brown, but that didn't last long and many argue that she doesn't count as a "real" Robin. Rather unfair, if you ask me, but that's how it is.
Tim Drake returned to his role as Robin, and things were fine until Damian came along. Damian is Bruce's son by the villainess Talia al'Ghul. (Bruce didn't know he had a son until Talia dropped Damian off on his doorstep a couple of years ago. Surprise!) Poor Tim got squeezed out of his job as Robin, and he and Damian can't stand each other. Well, Damian tried to kill Tim at one point, so that's understandable, haha. Damian is only 8-10 years old (...), but he was raised by assassins and is lethal and very abrasive. Dick is the only one who can tolerate Damian.
See? Easy to get lost with such a crowd. ^^' Although in this book we get to know better only two of them, Jason and Damian, but I'm guessing we get a glimpse of the other two at the end, in the epilogue.
What my Bat-expert has to say about these featured Robins? Here's her private opionion:
Jason is a complete jerk and I cannot stand him, but he makes a good foil for Dick. I prefer Damian. He is also a complete jerk, but he's still a young boy so he has a better excuse than Jason does. I grew to love the Dick & Damian relationship that developed over the year that Dick was Batman. ;D
Tim is supposedly a great guy and maybe that's why he's not in the book. ;P (although the author claims she just couldn't draw him for some reason...)
Jason may be a jerk, but his story is definitely one of my favorite in this volume. It's set very deeply in the fandom, there are hints and refernces to many different DC stories, among others to "Battle for the Cowl":
BFTC was a 3-issue story that followed the supposed death of Batman(...). BFTC revolves around the question of who will become the next Batman, and of course the answer is: Dick. So at the end of BFTC Dick sets aside his Nightwing persona and takes on the role of Batman. That lasted for about a year - with Damian as his "Robin" - and then the publishers brought Bruce back to life and Dick went back to being Nightwing. (courtesy of caelimane)
Damian is a nasty, arogant brat, but he's also somehow cute here and it's hard not to like him. His character seems very well pictured, really consistant and convincing.
Robins are those "Children of Midnight" from the title, and like in every family sometimes they go along, sometimes they fight, sometimes love each other, sometimes hate. What keeps them together despite the differences, draws them together, if only to compete with one another, aren't ties of blood, but the man without whom there would be no Robins - Bruce Wayne.
IT'S ALL ABOUT BRUCE
Bruce Wayne appears only twice in this book - at the beginning and at the end and he doesn't even say a word.
About a half of the plot takes place around the times of "Battle for the Cowl"and after, the time when Bruce was thought to be dead.
He's the great absent in this story, but at the same time he's still somehow there. This is what surprised me the most about this book, how it's in fact centered around Bruce even if he practically doesn't play any part in the plot. But he's still there, the characters constantly refer to him, idolize him, keep talking about him, comparing themselves to him, remembering him.
He's the nodus of the relationships shown it these stories, a constant point of reference. But also someone who's not there, who's out of reach, either actually absent or just unapproachable. There is a great deal of nostalgy and feeling of loss in this story, and those 'children of midnight' seem more like orphans, gathering around an empty place that nothing can fill up. Left on their own, they compete over their legacy, even though it's a burden they can hardly bear sometimes, as we see in one of the stories.
But it's not all bitter and angsty, the whole thing ends up on a bright note, and the epilogue, strange, so casual that almost unreal, is one of my favourite scenes in the book.
ABOUT SCANLATION, TRANSLATION & OTHER STUFF
I parred with this beast of a book all alone, and I don't feel like I was always the winner, so my translation is very far from perfect. I had to improvise a few times, really, the way those guys talk at times, it's as if they were trying to make things harder for me! >_< (yes, I 'm talking to you, Mr. Arsenal you bastard! Nobody needs your damn metaphors! x__x)! I tried my best, but both my Japanese and English are limited, so please, be understanding. ^^
The scanlation is in my usual lazy/careless style - sound effects not scanlated (with a few exceptions), some even not translated (I guess you know my policy by now, but I wouldn't be myslef if I didn't repeat it: I consider sound effects in manga a part of the artwork, especially when they're drawn by hand. I don't have skills, talent and time to edit them. Besides, in Japanese onomatopeic words are an important part of the language, there are hundreds of them and using them comes naturally. While in Western languages usuage of such words is very limited and many equivalents for Japanese sound effects sound awkward or just stupid... I realize some scanlators can do wonders with them and their edits are incredible (Dangerous Pleasure's for example), but that's really not my league. That's why I usually leave sfx alone.). You'll have to use your imagination. ;D
One story was left out altogether - a short piece by a guest artist called Ricken. Reason: I didn't like it. ;P
I haven't touched the author's notes, and there is quite a few of them here. Reason: it would take forever.
The book is rated R18, there is only one yaoi chapter, quite explicit though. The whole thing is a serious story, with a few NSFW moments and rather for a mature reader.
For the end I'd like to thank my invaluable Bat-expert, caelimane, your insightful comments and support were very helpful! <3
Forgive me this insanely long and chaotic post. There was a few things I felt I need to say, but maybe putting them together didn't come out that well. ^^'
I hope you'll enjoy the book. As usual, I'll be happy to hear what you think of it. ^^
Title: Les Enfants de Minuit
Artist: Izumi/griotte
Fandom: Batman/Nightwing
Characters: Dick Grayson, Roy Harper, Jason Todd, Damian Wayne, Albert, Bruce Wayne
Genre/Rating/Warnings: R18, yaoi, serious story, possible shota...
Scanlation: lilydescend = me ^^;
Download - Mediafire
You may share and repost this book but you have to credit Divine Squids as a source (a link to this community would be nice :) and keep the credit page inside the folder intact. Thank you! Password: Orphans
AN UNEXPECTED FINDING ;)
Acctually this book has a little history for me.
When it first appeared out of the blue on a Yahoo auction, I couldn't believe my eyes. A new book by Izumi Yakumo after three long years of silence?! And a Batman book to that? And I was beggining to think that she gave up doujinshis altogether and we'll never see another one again! Ah, that was a happy day! ^_^
I got more excited when I read the auction's details: book freshly issued, over 140 pages (huuge! :D), not a reprint! I was overjoyed, but astronomical price held down my enthusiasm - that wasn't something my piggy bank could bear (it went for crazy prices, reaching 8000 yen! Crazy, right?!)
Another problem was that no-one seemed to know what was Izumi's new artistic name, so it was virtually impossible to find her at comic events (my proxies failed three times!). So it took me a while, a lot of effort and nerves to get this book, but before I did I put my hands on another of her new doujinshis, "Deux ou trois choses que je sais du nuit" (I scanlated it some time ago). And from a flyer sold together with it I learned deux ou trois choses about "the big Batman book", as I called it.
But I wasn't quite sure what to make out of what I read: before the re-launch, Dick Grayson, BFTC, NTT, Jason Todd, Damian... I felt like I needed a translator. ;) And I knew where to find one. caelimane (my private Bat-expert ;), didn't fail and concluded:
"It seems like it's all about "the Robins"!
Let's start with an important note: the whole book refers to the Bat-universe from before the relaunch that took place in DC comics some time ago. It was suppose to refresh the fandom I guess and create a new canon and openings for a different character development and new plotlines.
So the whole book talks about the 'old' Batman-universe and the old versions of characters and their biographies. The same goes for caelimane's comments, which now may seem like a lesson in Bat-history, because the world they refer to doesn't exist anymore in the comic world.
SO IT IS A "DICK BOOK" ;)
There is no doubt about it from the very first page - a lovely color spread. After reading Izumi's older Outsiders doujinshis (Arsenal & Nightwing, "Between bathroom and bedroom" and so on) I knew that she was fond of that character, but this book really tells how much...
There are six stories here, some longer, some just a few page scenes, but Dick Grayson is the main character in all of them. It's hard to say if they add up into a linear story, although there is a prologue and an epilogue, they were clearly set in a certain order, they reflect, complement one another, but not necessarily create a single plot. It seems more like a character study, showing us different faces of Dick Grayson.
So you can read this book as a collection of independent stories, different variants of reality or, to make things more interestitng, as a coherent plot, one tale with a beginning and an end. Although you might have some trouble with the beginning itself, the prologue, merely a few pages, the beginning which seems more like a post script, a shred of a story, a piece of the puzzle which doesn't exactly fit...
On the other hand, if you try to see it in a different light, it could be the key to the whole story. In a way it may tell more about the way Izumi pictures this character than the remaining 130 pages.
In case you're not very familiar with the fandom, let me quote how my Bat-expert, caelimane, characterizes him:
Dick Grayson is that rare "good" character who doesn't come off as bland or sanctimonious. I usually like flawed characters, characters with good hearts but who have a dark side or are seeking redemption for something, etc. Not Dick, though, he's pretty pure. Fair, kind, smart, beautiful, loyal, strong, funny, charismatic, empathetic... he's got it all.
Well, our author clearly tries to see beyond this perfect picture. Although Dick remains here his usual-"good-boy"-self most of the time, we see him crossing the line a few times too, maybe even going too far.
In these six stories Dick plays various roles: lover, brother, guardian, protector of the city, but behind all them remains the most dominant one - that of Bruce Wayne's protégé, foster son and companion. It was that relationship that shaped him into a man he became and it never stopped influencing his life.
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE ROBINS!
As I said above it's also the "Robins book" and indeed, Dick's relations with other Robins take the most part of the doujinshi.
Other Robins? What other Robins? If you ask this question, it would be problably good, if you read a short introduction, an "Abbreviated History of Robins" ^^, provided by caelimane to help me making heads and tails of it:
A lot of people think of "Batman and Robin" and picture Batman and his young sidekick running across rooftops together, and never consider that that boy, Robin, would of course GROW UP. And that's what happened. Dick Grayson grew up, turned in his Robin costume and became Nightwing. Batman chose a new Robin, Jason Todd, who started out well but became reckless and it all ended badly (he died, but years later was "resurrected," and is still running around; he's a semi-villain now).
The next Robin was Tim Drake, and he was another excellent Robin, like Dick was. Tim broke with Batman at one point and Bruce brought in a FEMALE Robin, Stephanie Brown, but that didn't last long and many argue that she doesn't count as a "real" Robin. Rather unfair, if you ask me, but that's how it is.
Tim Drake returned to his role as Robin, and things were fine until Damian came along. Damian is Bruce's son by the villainess Talia al'Ghul. (Bruce didn't know he had a son until Talia dropped Damian off on his doorstep a couple of years ago. Surprise!) Poor Tim got squeezed out of his job as Robin, and he and Damian can't stand each other. Well, Damian tried to kill Tim at one point, so that's understandable, haha. Damian is only 8-10 years old (...), but he was raised by assassins and is lethal and very abrasive. Dick is the only one who can tolerate Damian.
See? Easy to get lost with such a crowd. ^^' Although in this book we get to know better only two of them, Jason and Damian, but I'm guessing we get a glimpse of the other two at the end, in the epilogue.
What my Bat-expert has to say about these featured Robins? Here's her private opionion:
Jason is a complete jerk and I cannot stand him, but he makes a good foil for Dick. I prefer Damian. He is also a complete jerk, but he's still a young boy so he has a better excuse than Jason does. I grew to love the Dick & Damian relationship that developed over the year that Dick was Batman. ;D
Tim is supposedly a great guy and maybe that's why he's not in the book. ;P (although the author claims she just couldn't draw him for some reason...)
Jason may be a jerk, but his story is definitely one of my favorite in this volume. It's set very deeply in the fandom, there are hints and refernces to many different DC stories, among others to "Battle for the Cowl":
BFTC was a 3-issue story that followed the supposed death of Batman(...). BFTC revolves around the question of who will become the next Batman, and of course the answer is: Dick. So at the end of BFTC Dick sets aside his Nightwing persona and takes on the role of Batman. That lasted for about a year - with Damian as his "Robin" - and then the publishers brought Bruce back to life and Dick went back to being Nightwing. (courtesy of caelimane)
Damian is a nasty, arogant brat, but he's also somehow cute here and it's hard not to like him. His character seems very well pictured, really consistant and convincing.
Robins are those "Children of Midnight" from the title, and like in every family sometimes they go along, sometimes they fight, sometimes love each other, sometimes hate. What keeps them together despite the differences, draws them together, if only to compete with one another, aren't ties of blood, but the man without whom there would be no Robins - Bruce Wayne.
IT'S ALL ABOUT BRUCE
Bruce Wayne appears only twice in this book - at the beginning and at the end and he doesn't even say a word.
About a half of the plot takes place around the times of "Battle for the Cowl"and after, the time when Bruce was thought to be dead.
He's the great absent in this story, but at the same time he's still somehow there. This is what surprised me the most about this book, how it's in fact centered around Bruce even if he practically doesn't play any part in the plot. But he's still there, the characters constantly refer to him, idolize him, keep talking about him, comparing themselves to him, remembering him.
He's the nodus of the relationships shown it these stories, a constant point of reference. But also someone who's not there, who's out of reach, either actually absent or just unapproachable. There is a great deal of nostalgy and feeling of loss in this story, and those 'children of midnight' seem more like orphans, gathering around an empty place that nothing can fill up. Left on their own, they compete over their legacy, even though it's a burden they can hardly bear sometimes, as we see in one of the stories.
But it's not all bitter and angsty, the whole thing ends up on a bright note, and the epilogue, strange, so casual that almost unreal, is one of my favourite scenes in the book.
ABOUT SCANLATION, TRANSLATION & OTHER STUFF
I parred with this beast of a book all alone, and I don't feel like I was always the winner, so my translation is very far from perfect. I had to improvise a few times, really, the way those guys talk at times, it's as if they were trying to make things harder for me! >_< (yes, I 'm talking to you, Mr. Arsenal you bastard! Nobody needs your damn metaphors! x__x)! I tried my best, but both my Japanese and English are limited, so please, be understanding. ^^
The scanlation is in my usual lazy/careless style - sound effects not scanlated (with a few exceptions), some even not translated (I guess you know my policy by now, but I wouldn't be myslef if I didn't repeat it: I consider sound effects in manga a part of the artwork, especially when they're drawn by hand. I don't have skills, talent and time to edit them. Besides, in Japanese onomatopeic words are an important part of the language, there are hundreds of them and using them comes naturally. While in Western languages usuage of such words is very limited and many equivalents for Japanese sound effects sound awkward or just stupid... I realize some scanlators can do wonders with them and their edits are incredible (Dangerous Pleasure's for example), but that's really not my league. That's why I usually leave sfx alone.). You'll have to use your imagination. ;D
One story was left out altogether - a short piece by a guest artist called Ricken. Reason: I didn't like it. ;P
I haven't touched the author's notes, and there is quite a few of them here. Reason: it would take forever.
The book is rated R18, there is only one yaoi chapter, quite explicit though. The whole thing is a serious story, with a few NSFW moments and rather for a mature reader.
For the end I'd like to thank my invaluable Bat-expert, caelimane, your insightful comments and support were very helpful! <3
Forgive me this insanely long and chaotic post. There was a few things I felt I need to say, but maybe putting them together didn't come out that well. ^^'
I hope you'll enjoy the book. As usual, I'll be happy to hear what you think of it. ^^
Title: Les Enfants de Minuit
Artist: Izumi/griotte
Fandom: Batman/Nightwing
Characters: Dick Grayson, Roy Harper, Jason Todd, Damian Wayne, Albert, Bruce Wayne
Genre/Rating/Warnings: R18, yaoi, serious story, possible shota...
Scanlation: lilydescend = me ^^;
Download - Mediafire
You may share and repost this book but you have to credit Divine Squids as a source (a link to this community would be nice :) and keep the credit page inside the folder intact. Thank you! Password: Orphans