Comments | mithen: 1990-1995: "Strangers"

mithen

1990-1995: "Strangers"

Jan 02, 2009 19:13

1990-1995 is the absolute nadir of Superman and Batman's friendship. Elie Wiesel is quoted as saying "The opposite of love is not hate. It's indifference," and between 1990-1995 Clark and Bruce prove that point, as they simply do not speak to or think about each other at all, with only very rare exceptions. Oddly enough, in some ways I find this ( Read more... )

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Comments 5

confusedkayt March 13 2010, 03:46:34 UTC

... I want to say something smart. I do. But my brain is screaming "why so much lipstick, Batman?!!!!" That last series of panels is a HOT MESS.

ALSO. Dear Frank Miller Batman: I approve of your refusal to accept The Mullet. But Clark is and always will be one comb and some white socks away from hippiedom. :P (Side note: There is a certainly hilarious symmetry between The Pointy Super-Mullet and The Pointy Super-Junk in that handshake picture.)

More seriously, this is a fascinating move to me. Let's take the big name heroes and keep them COMPLETELY APART. This is an especially interesting move, to me, when you're keeping Batman on a team that doesn't operate in Gotham. I can understand a certain draw to letting Batman and his rogue's gallery build a claustrophobic little reality in Gotham; it's powerful storytelling to keep the powered folk away. But, when you don't apparently want to do that...

mithen March 13 2010, 15:01:56 UTC

OMG, ALL the art from that miniseries is like that too--everyone is all beefy and squiggly and very, very odd. I think that's the real reason I just can't find it slashy, lol...

Ah, the perennial problem of packages. :) It looks bizarre when they're smooth as Ken dolls, it looks bizarre when they actually bulge, all in all it is...not really a feasible fashion choice. :P

You know, you've got an interesting point about the JLI! You're right, if Batman is to be the grim urban avenger, the JLI is a particularly odd choice. Giffen claims he wasn't given any choice on the characters, either, DC told him "Here are the characters we have available for the JLI," and Batman was one of them. So...obviously it was a choice on their part...

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mithen May 7 2010, 12:58:22 UTC

Seriously, Dick & Clark are like on a horse race for the most facepalming look during this period. Not only with the crazy hair, but also the Electric costume.

I think it was a contest to see who could drive Bruce the craziest, lol. Although even Bruce did weird things like have pointy shoulders during this era...

I'd be dying a slow death if I'd ever have to go through that, lol. Just this one year separation is already making me all fidgety and stuff.

It's going to be close to two years by the time it's done! :( But at least we still have things like the Superman/Batman title (it's not great, but it's THEM) and the Public Enemies DVD to keep us going. The 90s are a nearly total wasteland...

Oh, the madness... dr_feel_good_md August 2 2011, 13:54:15 UTC

~ There's also Superman/Batman Apocalypse, which didn't have much of both of them. It focused mainly on Amazons and Wonder Woman and Supergirl but...I love the hot fighting females so I didn't mind. *drool ( ... )

Re: Oh, the madness... mithen August 3 2011, 07:19:10 UTC

I agree, Apocalypse was really more about the women--and I loved seeing Wonder Woman and Big Barda fighting side by side! That was really awesome...

Generations is a bizarre and hilarious AU, isn't it? Byrne sure had fun creating loads of angst for Clark and Bruce, but did give them that weird happy ending together (yes, and Lana, but Byrne is obviously a Lana/Clark shipper).

The Public Enemies movie was so much slashier than the book, I was so delighted and surprised by that! Much, much better. Also, Clark totally called Bruce "my best friend" in the movie, which was a first as far as I know. Yummy.