Today marks the release of The Return of Bruce Wayne #1 and with it, a countdown of sorts. By September Bruce Wayne will return to the DC universe proper and there’s no doubt in my mind that he will take up the mantle of the Bat once more. That just leaves me with a question, one that really should be on the minds of all the fans out there: What’s going to happen to Dick Grayson?
Ever since Dick took up the cape and cowl at the conclusion of Battle For The Cowl I’ve enjoyed reading his adventures, watching him adjust to his new role, and most of all, I’ve loved the dynamic between him and his Robin, Damian Wayne. It’s been an exciting time to be a Batman reader, but it’s also been a bittersweet time to be a Dick Grayson fan.
DC’s EiC Dan DiDio hasn’t made his feelings about Grayson a secret and I’d say everyone knows by now that it was his desire to kill off the character at the end of Infinite Crisis. Thankfully there was enough of an outcry from people who’s opinions matter which stopped this (because heaven knows that it doesn’t matter a lick what we, the people who spend the money think) but more and more I feel as though the character only got himself a stay of execution rather than a pardon.
So what does happen once Bruce is wearing the ears again? Does Dick just go back to being Nightwing? Everything about that just seems unsatisfying to me. I mean, what, do we just plop the character back in New York City again? Not that it was a terrible setting for the character, but let’s be honest, nothing was going on in that book post One Year Later that any of us should want to see a repeat of (except for the cool HQ.)
The questions don’t stop with Grayson either – will we actually see Bruce acting as Batman once more with his son by his side as Robin? Seems like we could get some fun, Silver-Agey stories out of that but it’s my fear that something like this wouldn’t last. We’ll get some scheme from Talia or Ra’s and the next thing we go, poof, there goes Damian. And what then? Does Tim Drake stop being Red Robin and become Robin again?
Whatever will be will be, and there’s little I can do to prevent what’s going to happen from happening. I guess what I’m really asking has less to do with the fates of Dick, Damian and Tim and is more about Bruce Wayne. Did we need that last page in Final Crisis #7 which showed us that Bruce wasn’t really dead, but time-displaced? Do we need Bruce Wayne to come back? Do we need Bruce Wayne to be Batman?
No, that’s not even what I really want to ask. What I’d like to know is whether or not DC Comics (and by proxy, Warner Brothers) needs Bruce Wayne to be Batman.
Given that we live in the era of the comic book movie I’d say we’re all much more aware of how important both DC and Marvel have been about keeping their brands recognizable. Marvel’s recent films have raked them in wads of cash and it doesn’t surprise that they’ve made slight tweaks to characters in order to make them more accessible to the movie-viewers who decided to jump into comics. This can’t even be denied. Go ahead, read Invincible Iron Man #25 and tell me the success of the movies had nothing to do with that. I dare you.
I’m all about brining new people into comics, I’ll toss my friends a graphic novel or a trade any chance I get, but shy of rebooting the entire fictional universes there is nothing you can do to make superhero comic books more accessible to new readers other than getting comics into new retail outlets. Mother!@#$ the movie watching crowd. We’re lucky enough when we get a version of our beloved characters on screen that is in anyway recognizable to us (other than the name) why the hell should we have to put up with changes made to cater to them? Do you think Tony Stark not having glowing chest-piece is really what’s stopping people who liked the movies from getting into the comics? Honestly?
The same thing applies with Bruce Wayne and the Batman identity. The identity of the man under the mask in the comics will in no way limit the money making potential of movies and cartoons about Bruce Wayne as Batman, so why should they have to suffer?
Of course I’m not actually stating as gospel that the reason Bruce Wayne didn’t really die is because someone was worried about how that would affect the movie sales. I don’t sit in the DC offices, I don’t know what conversations go on between them and the larger Warner Brother’s corporate entity. I’m basing a lot of this on the actions I’ve seen of their distinguished competition and who knows how those will change now that they, like DC, are owned by a larger corporate entity who has a vested interest in the money-making power of their properties. Don’t get me wrong, I love that Bucky is Captain America now, but if you tell me you don’t think it’ll be Steve Rogers wearing that costume again by the time Captain America: The First Avenger hits the screens, you’re out of your mind.
Really, it’s just been easier to place the blame for Bruce Wayne’s return on a large amorphous corporate entity than it has been for me to face the facts: that there is no one in charge at DC right now who is pro-change. If they’re out there, I’d love to shake the hand of guy at the meeting where it was decided Dick Grayson was going to be Batman who asked “Forever?” and wasn’t upset about the notion, but excited by it. I truly would.
Bruce Wayne has done it all as a character. He’s loved, he’s lost, he’s travelled the world, fought alongside it’s greatest heroes, battled the devil himself and “died” fighting an evil alien god. Never in a million years would I say that there are no more Batman stories to be told, I just really want to know if there are any stories about the Bruce Wayne Batman that are so worth telling it means derailing future stories about Dick Grayson-Batman.
This whole thing isn’t even really just about Bruce Wayne though. This is equally about Hal Jordan and Ronnie Raymond…and Ray Palmer, Arthur Curry, Barry Allen, and Oliver Queen. Damn it, this isn’t even just about the characters whose legacies have been passed on and re-bestowed on them. This is about Peter Parker just as much as it is about the aforementioned DC characters who just won’t stay dead.
This is about the fact that the love, adoration and (let’s not beat around the bush about it) money that we are willing to invest into certain characters, whether we want to think about it or not, has an affect on other characters and the stories that get told about them. It has an affect on characters who haven’t even (and may not ever) be created and their stories as well.
You say that Batman must always be Bruce Wayne and that Peter Parker must always be Spider-man (unless you’re one of those people who’ll say Ben Reilly) and there’s a part of me that agrees with that and there’s a part of me that disagrees with that. There’s a whole other part of me though, a bigger part, which wants to know if I even want a Batman or a Spider-man anymore if they’re never going to change.
Yes, I understand that asking companies to push their main money-makers to the side in the sake of letting new ideas flourish is completely naïve…but that’s not what I’m asking. I’m asking you out there, all of you fans, to demand something different. We’re the ones spending the money – why can’t Dick Grayson stay Batman forever? Why can’t Superboy become Superman? Why the !@#$ can’t Spider-man be married to Mary Jane and have a kid?
I’ve long accepted that my heroes are never going to be exactly what I want them to be, and I’m sure most of you have too. Now I’m just wondering whether or not it’s time that we stand up and ask for new ones.
So…yeah…I guess an impassioned tirade is about as good a way of any to make my introduction. If any of the above comments upset you, please forward all hate mail to Grey Scherl. Trust me, he’s the one to blame.
I’m Jay Galette…and I’m off to pick up my copy of The Return of Bruce Wayne #1.
