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trelas ([info]trelas) wrote in [info]scans_daily,
@ 2009-08-28 00:45:00

Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
Entry tags:char: batman/bruce wayne, creator: john cassaday, creator: warren ellis, series: martial arts week, title: planetary

Of course he's single
And to continue with the Martial Arts week with another Batman post to exemplify my obsession. Now this post proved to quite challenging, as I felt the brawl in this story automatically belonged to this week, kind of, but the story had so many great moments and scenes to choose from while trying not to cross the posting limits. In the end I decided to stick with the fight scene in the beginning and the ending scene, which actually refers to said fight. What is this story I'm writing about? A masterpiece called Batman/Planetary: Night on Earth by Warren Ellis/John Cassaday.

To those unaware of the team, Plantery was/is/I don't know a three member team featured in a comic of the same name, written by Ellis, which took place in the Wildstorm universe, although it was completely independent of the other books. The team was the front of an international organization which researched the secreat history of the world and weird events which took place, they were even advertised as superpowered archelogists. In their stories Ellis used a lot of tweaked versions of fictional characters, mostly superheroes, but also other characterypes, and the big bad of the story was actually a twisted version of the Fantastic Four. The planetary team consisted of Elijah Frost, a grumpy investigator who could drop temperatures at will, Jakita Wagner, who had superstrength and endurance, and Drummer, who could control eletrical signals of all kinds. It is a fantastic storyline and I recommend it to everyone, but I won't discuss the team anymore as their history is somewhat complicated and the story isn't actually that much about them, but rather an interesting character study on Batman, well Bruce Wayne, to which I'll return at the end of the post so that my babbling won't bore those just wanting to enjoy a good fight.

To quickly, well as quickly as is possible, to sum up the story, is that the Plantery team has arrived to their worlds Gotham to give chase to a man called John Black, whose father survived a govermental experimental camp and thus they wish to find out what he knows of the said camp and what powers his father acquired through the testing done to him. Their version of Gotham is lacking of Batman, but the Planetary field office is manned by their versions of Dick Grayson and the Joker, who can tell what Johnny Boy. He can kill people in extremely gruesome ways, with people missing body parts or having been melded together. Elijah recognizes the method from a time when several universes collapsed together, which happened to take place in 1986. Anyhow Elijah takes the team to where most of the victims have been found, which happens to be Crime Alley, which turned from a prosperous and lively street to one of the most decript and dangerous place in the city for some reason, which certainly has nothing to do with the Waynes. There they stumble across John Black who tries to flee them before having a nervous attack and having a bright blue ball of energy expand from him, with the team being within that sphere. And we finally get to the fight.





Jakita tells Frost and Drummer to go after Black, while she keeps the Bat busy.







Frost and Drummer try to catch up with Black, who stumbles and has another of his episodes, with the blue sphere once again appearing.











Awesome fight, wasn't it? So, somewhat predictably turns out that everytime Black has one of those seizures, he cycles himself and the surrounding area through the different versions of Earth, with tthe events he causes happening on all of them. So while Black and Planetary are constantly shifted, the versions of Batman they encounter react to them as if they have been dealing with them all along. It's kind of difficult to explain. Jakita encounters next the Adam West version of Batman, who is completely ridicilous of course, yet manages to take out Jakita with Bat-female villain repellent. No, I did not make that up. Seeing the West Batman approach Frost things he can easily handle that weirdo, but Black has another seizure and suddenly Frost is face to face with the Miller Batman, who is at the same etremely more dangerous and somewhat more psychopathic than the West Batman. Frost disables him for a moment by giving him brainfreeze, but severely underestimates him as the Miller Batman begins his assault and has his Batmobile run over the fleeing Black. This leads to another shift, with the 70s Batman who seems to think that Black ran in front of the Batmobile and checks his wellbeing while informing the team that they have good doctors at Arkham. The team try to explain to him what is happening, telling him how Black's parents were murdered, but after a moments pause Batman stresses that Black must face justice. Another shift and we see the original, guntoting Batman ready to execute Black.

Finally Drummer recoveres enough to detect a signal from the alley, tapping it so that everyone can see it. It is of course the murder of the Waynes, which is so powerful that it actually resonates through all the realities, even in the one where it didn't happen. With that, they shift to the final variation of Batman. Sorry about explaining so much, by the way, I just always strive to give the context to the best of abilities, which is difficult at times.





I love how even Frost seems to impressed by Batman at this point.











It's kind of awesome how sceptical the ultimate Batman is about Wagner beating any variation of him.

I just love this story and I hope that those reading it have enjoyed it as much. I shall now continue to my ramblings, so feel free to stop reading. Anyway, one of the reasons I admire this story is that it expressed one of the factors which I consider make Batman as great a character as he is. In the story we are shown several classical versions of the character, the first one being the closest the current DCU Bruce Wayne, yet at the same time despite all of them being incredibly different in their methods and behaviour, they are all at the same still Batman. That is ultimately, in my opinion, a source of greatness for the character and what has allowed him to remain so popular and adaptable over the years. There are so many approaches you can take with the character, so many different stories you can tell with him, while remaining true to the core of the character, as can be seen simply comparing the DCU, DCAU and the movie Batman.

So this story to me feels almost admiring of the character, despite the occasional claim of Ellis's problems with superheroes. Although at the same time Ellis does seem to point out in the story that Batman isn't a superhero or even a vigilante, that he is something greater than that, although I guess only he can say if that was intentional or if fanaticism with the character has once again blinded me.

I think I'll stop here before I bore someone to death and retreat to think which fight I'll post next, as there are so many possibilities that I don't think I'll be able to post them all this week.


(Post a new comment)


[info]fromtheaether
2009-08-27 11:41 pm UTC (link)
Might I suggest one of the fights from the short-lived Storm Shadow series by Hama?

(Reply to this)


[info]omgwtflolbbqbye
2009-08-27 11:55 pm UTC (link)
I absolutely love, love, love this story.

I picked up the entire Planetary catalog based on this story (although the comic store didnt carry the trade collection that contained this one).

And it's pretty funny how, as you mentioned, one of the best summarize of the character happened in a non-Batman book that most other Batman fans maybe never got a chance to read.

(Reply to this)


[info]shanejayell
2009-08-28 12:06 am UTC (link)
"He's your special Bat-friend."

LOL

LOVED this book. :)

(Reply to this)


[info]sailorlibra
2009-08-28 12:11 am UTC (link)
Also, I knew this story had an awesome ending, but I hadn't realized the whole thing was this great. I need to go pick this up like right now.

(Reply to this)


[info]sistermagpie
2009-08-28 12:13 am UTC (link)
Awesome. For some reason I especially love the panel where he's standing back to let her sword go by in front of him.

(Reply to this)


[info]icon_uk
2009-08-28 12:52 am UTC (link)
Are those bata-sword-arangs? Awesome, if insane.

I love Batman at the end here, the sort of empathy that made him adopt his sons, and right up there with the Batman who sat beside the dying little girl Ace in JLU, so she wouldn't be alone when she died.

(Reply to this) (Thread)


[info]cmdr_zoom
2009-08-28 01:46 am UTC (link)
Meh on the 'rangs, but the rest? very motto.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]icon_uk
2009-08-28 10:20 am UTC (link)
Oh, I definitely prefer the sword he has in the Brave and the Bold cartoon, which is flexible and stored around his waist inside his utility belt, but which becomes straight and sharp when pulled out and activated.

I just like seeing Batman using a sword now and again, not sure why, but it adds to his Zorro theme! ;)

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]jlroberson
2009-08-28 01:00 am UTC (link)
You know, I really liked this, but I was absolutely unimpressed by the climax. What the hell is supposed to be so impressive about the last one by comparison to all the rest(except of course the Adam West one)? Ellis gives no reason he should inspire such awe in Jakita and Elijah when none of the others do. Ohh, shiny spiffy!

Secondly, his dialogue is an example of the drawbacks to Ellis' sometime habit of reducing characters to a pitch. His parents were shot? Tough. Batman wouldn't care; he's killing people, and all the others are like the Batman we know in that respect, but this one's understanding. But so? There's a LOT more to this guy than that his parents were killed. Oooh, poor baby. I find the Adams Batman's reaction much more plausible than this one's encounter session. It just doesn't ring "Batman" to me.

All that said, it's still the best of those three crossover specials. The one with the Authority is a mess, and the less said about the one with the alternate Clark, Diana and Bruce, the better. That one itches my brain every time I think of it. ("Will you be in League with me?" oh please)

Also: giant ants, bullets, bombs, none of these bother Jakita, but his swordarang does?

(Reply to this) (Thread)


[info]sailorlibra
2009-08-28 03:42 am UTC (link)
What the hell is supposed to be so impressive about the last one by comparison to all the rest(except of course the Adam West one)? Ellis gives no reason he should inspire such awe in Jakita and Elijah when none of the others do. Ohh, shiny spiffy!

I think it's more the combination of Batmans than just the last one. They earn respect for all of the Batmans, but only show it for the final one because he's the only one being cooperative.

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]stratosfyr
2009-08-28 01:56 am UTC (link)
Ha. One of my favourite single issues ever. Makes me want to bring over the "Bat-Female-Villain-Repellent" icon from LJ.

Basically my only problem with it is that Dick Grayson is for some reason a total skeeze in the Planetary universe.

(Reply to this) (Thread)


[info]jlroberson
2009-08-28 01:58 am UTC (link)
Sure you're not thinking of his partner Jok--er, I mean "Jasper"?

Though yeah, he is a little pathetic when he talks to Jakita.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]stratosfyr
2009-08-28 02:19 am UTC (link)
That take on the Joker I didn't mind. "Guy with serious emotional problems in stressful job who's probably really really wrong in the head and might just be causing trouble behind the scenes" is an interesting variation and makes a weird kind of sense.

Having Dick be kind of pathetic, vaguely pervy, and twitchy-nervous didn't make much sense at all... in the DCU he's always been pretty much fearless, if sometimes self-conscious. You kind of wonder what the hell happened to him to make him like that.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]jlroberson
2009-08-28 02:20 am UTC (link)
Too many comics books as a teen?

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]darkknightjrk
2009-08-28 04:22 am UTC (link)
If I'm understanding the synopsis right, Dick in this is from a world where Batman doesn't exist, right? My guess is that in that world his parents were probably killed, he had no outlet to get over that fear and anger like the DCU as Robin, so he just stagnated, never having an opportunity to really rise up.

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]jlroberson
2009-08-28 02:26 am UTC (link)
Here's the thing too: though the whole point of the first scene is the fight and it has to start somehow, (a)Jakita's punch should have gone through his chest, and (b) what the fuck did she start the fight for anyway? She's a THUG.

(Reply to this) (Thread)


[info]stolisomancer
2009-08-28 03:16 am UTC (link)
A) Yes, because she's going to punch a normal person who has exhibited no superhuman powers as hard as she possibly can.

B) Well, sure. She started the fight. Jakita has never had a particularly firm grip on the moral high ground.

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]ladymirth
2009-08-28 03:21 am UTC (link)
Ha! The Micheal Keaton Batman trumps all!

Also: the art is so pweeeety!

(Reply to this)


[info]jedd_the_jedi
2009-08-28 04:15 am UTC (link)
I wonder what would happen if they put Christian Bale Bats into this story...and the art is absolutely amazing!

(Reply to this)


[info]darkknightjrk
2009-08-28 04:25 am UTC (link)
Man, I seriously need to buy this, as well as the rest of the Planetary run. Also, Ellis needs to be on a Batman book--like, right now. That last part shows he definately gets the character.

(Reply to this)


[info]psychop_rex
2009-08-28 07:12 am UTC (link)
Well, this is pretty cool. I'm kinda hit-or-miss with Warren Ellis - he seems to go through more-than-occasional spasms of too-damn-many-ideas-at-once - but when he slows down enough to really tackle a subject, he can be great. And damn, he's really nailed Batman's motivation there.
Also - BAT-SWORDS! We have GOT to introduce the Bat-Swords into regular continuity. Maybe Damian can run across them in the Batcave and go 'Hot damn! Clearly, these are part of my inheritance from my father - and even if they aren't, I'll take them anyway, 'cause they are COOL!'

(Reply to this)


[info]mysteryfan
2009-08-28 04:07 pm UTC (link)
Awesome post!

I LOVE this. Love the whole thing, always like a Batpanel with only the eyes. But anyway, love the whole thing. The fight is incredible.

In the story we are shown several classical versions of the character, the first one being the closest the current DCU Bruce Wayne, yet at the same time despite all of them being incredibly different in their methods and behaviour, they are all at the same still Batman. That is ultimately, in my opinion, a source of greatness for the character and what has allowed him to remain so popular and adaptable over the years.

Very much agreed.

(Reply to this)


(Anonymous)
2009-08-28 04:09 pm UTC (link)
ok you have to post the Adam West stuff :)

(Reply to this)


[info]ex_menagerie993
2009-08-28 09:45 pm UTC (link)
Mmm beatings by Mistress Jakita. Ahem. I'll be in my bunk.

(Reply to this)


[info]mania21
2009-08-29 03:13 pm UTC (link)
Great work here. It's more a shame that it seems to me that nowadays Warren Ellis is not really trying anymore.

(Reply to this)


[info]evah_k
2009-08-29 07:53 pm UTC (link)
Great post. Great fight scene!
This looks like it´s a must read for every Bruce Wayne/Batman fan.
And I do enjoy your "ramblings" very much too.

(Reply to this)

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