Scans: Superman/Batman, Flashpoint

[mithen]

Superman/Batman 84 ("Sorcerer Kings" conclusion):  Written by CULLEN BUNN; Art by CHRISCROSS and MARC DEERING
Flashpoint 2:  Written by GEOFF JOHNS; Art and cover by ANDY KUBERT and SANDRA HOPE

When last we left the S/B "Sorcerer Kings" arc, the Superman from our time was getting ready to help the future-Batman in the huge fight to stop the evil

Comments

[snake_easing]

(Dick Grayson, for example, is happily touring Europe with Haley's Circus and his mother and father when his mini-series begins!)

COME BACK, DC, ALL IS FORGIVEN.

Though, okay, I am less than pleased that the batman book is all about fathers and sons, again.

How does Martha feel about her son being dead? Oh, we don't get to find out. And she doesn't do anything interesting with it, like her husband does. And she may be dead. She's so unimportant to what's happening that we don't even know if she's dead.

It's the same when Jor-El is so, so important and Lara is so... not.

Although it is beautiful that Thomas desperately wants his son to have been the one to survive and would give up anything, especially his life, to make it so. That's the perfect mirror image to regular-canon Bruce.

.... And now that I'm thinking about it, Dick's parents are going to have to die horribly, aren't they? If Dick's going to be Nightwing. And he certainly looks broody in that new Nightwing cover. And red and black are never good colors for him to be wearing.

(Or does all of Flashpoint get erased once the series is over? Is Dick going to get his regular history back? I'm so confused, DC...)

[mithen]

How does Martha feel about her son being dead? Oh, we don't get to find out. And she doesn't do anything interesting with it, like her husband does. And she may be dead. She's so unimportant to what's happening that we don't even know if she's dead.

Considering the Joker in this world is a serial killer who specializes in murdering children, and who shares some special connection to Thomas, (and who, by some incredible coincidence, no one has referred to by a pronoun yet), I strongly suspect we'll see what Martha's reaction to losing Bruce was. I just don't think I'm going to be very happy with it. I'd kind of rather she be dead, to be honest... but I guess she's going to be plenty important!

.... And now that I'm thinking about it, Dick's parents are going to have to die horribly, aren't they?

I'm curious about that one! The narrative (which I think is really well-written so far) is that Boston Brand is an asshole who doesn't understand the need for family but is beginning to have a glimmering, so I suspect that he's going to sacrifice himself to save the Graysons. (Which doesn't mean they don't die later!) So far it's my favorite of the bunch, but considering it's written by (arm-ripping dead-cat-swinging) Krul, I should probably brace myself for something crushing.

I have no idea how all this is going to bleed over! I would have said "nothing, it's going to simply be erased," except that certain characters are most definitely going to make the transfer. Whether that means the standard characters remember their life in Flashpoint...I doubt it, but it could be an interesting question.