history, like love, is never enough
So I read Batman & Robin 25, which came out yesterday, and featured the end of the little Jason story arc that was going on.
What the hell was the point of that? It didn't do anything to advance any of the important relationships (Jason and Bruce or Jason and Dick), though I guess it showed that Jason really does care about Sasha, which I had already figured out by, you know, reading the issues in which she first appeared (and basically, the plot of this story, such as it was, wouldn't have worked, not that it did, if we didn't already know that).
But it didn't tell us anything new about Jason, except that he has a couple of insights on Dick as Batman that might actually be true (that Dick has a lot of anger that he could use to drive him as Batman, but he doesn't), and I didn't believe it when he was all "I hate Dick." And that's not even with shippy goggles on. It's just what's there in the text, which has always seemed to me to be adult siblings who really irritate the hell out of each other because they have a lot of unresolved issues between them (mostly on Jason's side, though Dick might have some residual guilt) and diametrically opposed lifestyle philosophies to which each would like to convert the other, but no dice. But Winick keeps saying they hate each other in interviews and I'm just like, "uh, that might be what they tell themselves, but it's not actually what you've written."
And then we didn't even get anything else with Bruce at all, and nothing with Tim (or Steph or Cass, but I guess that was just completely wishful thinking; I still want the AU where Cass and Jason are both Lady Shiva's bio-kids). I guess I'm just thankful Jason didn't taunt Damian with the fact that he'd slept with his mother, though that is kind of cancelled out by the prison rape joke. Stay classy, Winick. (on the third hand, is it wrong to be amused at how willing Jason is to drop trou in public? He and Dick really do have more in common than they know.)
In addition to having little to no emotional resonance, the plot made no sense and had no real resolution. Why was Sasha still dressed as Scarlet and wearing the dollotron mask? Or was the art just so bad that that was supposed to be her actual face and I couldn't tell? How did the people who kidnapped her know Jason's name, when he's known only as the Red Hood these days, as Jason Todd is still officially dead? What did they want from him? Who broke him out of prison and why? Apparently none of that mattered, though, because none of it was ever explained. I guess the only point was to get Jason out of prison and, in the end, out of Gotham.
Just to not be completely negative, I did enjoy Jason trolling Dick in the Batmobile (they should do that forever and always), and the fact that he really does care about Sasha and she for him (I hope part of his "be a better Batman than Bruce or Dick" campaign includes not screwing up his teenage sidekick any more than she is already screwed up), and his pre-planning with having wired the bridge with explosives months ago.
Otoh, blowing up a bridge for no good reason except he might need some leverage someday for something seems weirdly out of character for the guy who went out of his way in London during Lost Days to defuse bombs that were going to kill a bunch of innocent people and get other innocent people framed. I realize that looking for character consistency in superhero comics, especially when the character in question is Jason Todd, is kind of an existentially futile quest, but when the same writer wrote both stories (this and Lost Days, I mean), I don't think hoping for some character continuity is all that outlandish.
And wow, I think there are more words in this post than were in the entire issue. This is why I need a new fandom, asap.
On the other hand, yesterday I also learned that in the Flashpoint AU thingy that they've got going on, Jason is an ex-junkie turned priest. With dark hair, thank you, jebus. You can see scans here. (also, go Traci Thirteen! I see you are awesome in all worlds!) So basically, if Bruce didn't exist, Jason's life would actually be better. How am I not surprised?
Now, I do not actually have a priest kink, but I really want the story where acrobat Dick Grayson (his parents aren't dead so he's still with the circus in this world) seduces streetwise yet serene Father Jason.
*hands*
I don't even know, okay? The heart wants what it wants.
Also, last night, I meant to go to bed at a reasonable hour. Instead I wrote about 1000 words. I guess I will take that trade-off. Sigh.
***
This entry at DW: http://musesfool.dreamwidth.org/344155.html.
people have commented there.
What the hell was the point of that? It didn't do anything to advance any of the important relationships (Jason and Bruce or Jason and Dick), though I guess it showed that Jason really does care about Sasha, which I had already figured out by, you know, reading the issues in which she first appeared (and basically, the plot of this story, such as it was, wouldn't have worked, not that it did, if we didn't already know that).
But it didn't tell us anything new about Jason, except that he has a couple of insights on Dick as Batman that might actually be true (that Dick has a lot of anger that he could use to drive him as Batman, but he doesn't), and I didn't believe it when he was all "I hate Dick." And that's not even with shippy goggles on. It's just what's there in the text, which has always seemed to me to be adult siblings who really irritate the hell out of each other because they have a lot of unresolved issues between them (mostly on Jason's side, though Dick might have some residual guilt) and diametrically opposed lifestyle philosophies to which each would like to convert the other, but no dice. But Winick keeps saying they hate each other in interviews and I'm just like, "uh, that might be what they tell themselves, but it's not actually what you've written."
And then we didn't even get anything else with Bruce at all, and nothing with Tim (or Steph or Cass, but I guess that was just completely wishful thinking; I still want the AU where Cass and Jason are both Lady Shiva's bio-kids). I guess I'm just thankful Jason didn't taunt Damian with the fact that he'd slept with his mother, though that is kind of cancelled out by the prison rape joke. Stay classy, Winick. (on the third hand, is it wrong to be amused at how willing Jason is to drop trou in public? He and Dick really do have more in common than they know.)
In addition to having little to no emotional resonance, the plot made no sense and had no real resolution. Why was Sasha still dressed as Scarlet and wearing the dollotron mask? Or was the art just so bad that that was supposed to be her actual face and I couldn't tell? How did the people who kidnapped her know Jason's name, when he's known only as the Red Hood these days, as Jason Todd is still officially dead? What did they want from him? Who broke him out of prison and why? Apparently none of that mattered, though, because none of it was ever explained. I guess the only point was to get Jason out of prison and, in the end, out of Gotham.
Just to not be completely negative, I did enjoy Jason trolling Dick in the Batmobile (they should do that forever and always), and the fact that he really does care about Sasha and she for him (I hope part of his "be a better Batman than Bruce or Dick" campaign includes not screwing up his teenage sidekick any more than she is already screwed up), and his pre-planning with having wired the bridge with explosives months ago.
Otoh, blowing up a bridge for no good reason except he might need some leverage someday for something seems weirdly out of character for the guy who went out of his way in London during Lost Days to defuse bombs that were going to kill a bunch of innocent people and get other innocent people framed. I realize that looking for character consistency in superhero comics, especially when the character in question is Jason Todd, is kind of an existentially futile quest, but when the same writer wrote both stories (this and Lost Days, I mean), I don't think hoping for some character continuity is all that outlandish.
And wow, I think there are more words in this post than were in the entire issue. This is why I need a new fandom, asap.
On the other hand, yesterday I also learned that in the Flashpoint AU thingy that they've got going on, Jason is an ex-junkie turned priest. With dark hair, thank you, jebus. You can see scans here. (also, go Traci Thirteen! I see you are awesome in all worlds!) So basically, if Bruce didn't exist, Jason's life would actually be better. How am I not surprised?
Now, I do not actually have a priest kink, but I really want the story where acrobat Dick Grayson (his parents aren't dead so he's still with the circus in this world) seduces streetwise yet serene Father Jason.
*hands*
I don't even know, okay? The heart wants what it wants.
Also, last night, I meant to go to bed at a reasonable hour. Instead I wrote about 1000 words. I guess I will take that trade-off. Sigh.
***
This entry at DW: http://musesfool.dreamwidth.org/344155.html.
people have commented there.