The Darkseid War - Johns and Manapul are Brilliant

It's not too late.  If you haven't picked up all of the issues of Justice League: Darkseid War, drop everything and go get all the issues right now.  I'm serious...right now.

Go ahead...I'll wait.

You're back already?  Excellent!

Now that you have them, read them.  That's right, go ahead.  Nothing I have to say could top this type of storytelling.

Are you finished?  Awesome, right?

Now I have a question:  Does Geoff Johns EVER run out of good ideas?

Frankly, his writing, and the superb artistry of Francis Manapul, have given me hope that we are heading back to the old days of comic book writing.  You remember those days, right?  When the story telling was so powerful that the anticipation of upcoming issues was enough to give you a brain aneurysm?

For those who haven't read it, it can be summed up in a couple of DC Universe shattering sentences:

Darkseid dukes it out with the Anti-Monitor.  Darkseid loses.  Heroes become Gods.  Flash becomes death.  We find out Wonder Woman is a man.  (OK, so I lied on the last one, but how do you follow up a sentence like "Flash becomes death?").

For those of you without a scorecard here is the current state of things:

The Flash is now the "God of Death" (with an insanely cool costume)

Batman is now the "God of Knowledge" (he's also the new owner of the Mobius Chair much to Metron's dismay)
Superman is the "God of Strength"
Shazam is now the "God of Gods"
Green Lantern is now the "God of Light"
and Lex Luthor is the "God of Apokolips"

Wonder Woman remains a woman
Mr. Miracle is on more covers than when he had his own series
and Big Barda reminds us how she is a one woman wrecking squad.

And it all started with an Amazon no one seems to have heard of having Darkseid's child.

If all of this doesn't intrigue you, you should really be on an anti-depressant.

In the most recent issue Geoff and Francis leave us with Darkseid's child, Grail, who has taken possession of the Anti-Life equation and becomes, "Grail, Goddess of Anti-Life".

This is what comic books are all about...legendary storytelling that MAKES you want to talk about it.

I'm not talking about the Joker escaping Arkham for the 750th time or Thanos gaining complete control over every molecule in the universe at least once a quarter, I'm talking real storytelling.

This is the two most powerful villains in the DC Universe duking it out with one of them getting killed (even if the death may only be temporary)!

This is the Flash combining with the Black Racer to become Death!

This is Lex Luthor pretending to be Superman and becoming the God of Apokolips!

This is Batman in the Mobius Chair telling his unflinching version of the truth and almost coming to blows with Green Lantern who is the new God of Light!

This series also has spin-offs, as one would suspect, and each character is going to have a mini-series about what happens with them.  My guess would be that the unmatchable storytelling will continue throughout all of them.

It's fascinating, man/woman has been telling stories since time began and it hasn't changed much.  Stories on cave walls depict the great hunts and drawings on scrolls depict the efforts of people trying  to capture what the gods look like.  And here we are in 2015, still telling stories of hunts, kills, and trying to capture the look of the gods.  The only difference is that no one thought of spin-off caves or variant cover papyrus.

This series is well worth picking up and I highly recommend its purchase.  The reason, however, is not that it will skyrocket in worth or that it's a #1 or that it has great variant covers.  It's because this is storytelling at its finest.  You not only WANT to read the story, you CAN'T WAIT for the next issues to come out!

Now go to your local comic books shop, put these on your pull list, and tell them The Comic Whisperer sent you!


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Questions That I REALLY Would Love To Have Answered

Let’s start by getting something out of the way; reading comic books forces you to turn your “Logic-Meter” off.  The fact that I have any questions goes against the whole point of comic books.  If I buy into the whole idea that a man can fly, can lift buildings, and is bullet-proof, I have no right to question anything else, right?  Wrong.

As geeks we have the right to choose whatever piece of fantasy we want and question it.  Call it a fringe benefit of geekdom.

“Out of this entire collection of logic defying pages and unrealistic fantasies I choose to pick just one fallacy, act as if it’s a fact, and question it.”

It’s my right as a nerd.

Come with me as I exercise my constitutionally guaranteed right to take an illogical situation and question it like it has a scientific basis in reality.

1.)  How do characters like Mr. Fantastic generate the money to finance things like the Baxter Building?

If I’ve missed the issues where Mr. Fantastic goes to work for the local Ice Cream Shoppe to earn a paycheck that allows him to finance expeditions to the negative zone, please tell me.

2.)  Do people like Tony Stark and Bruce Wayne have “selective IQ”?

If you need a detailed plan to defeat every member of the Justice League or the plans for creating and building “Anti-Transformer” armor, Bruce Wayne and Tony Stark can do it.  We’ve even seen the creation of Shark Repellant and a supremely intelligent AI systems like Jarvis from that same duo.  Yet, Tony can’t find a way to keep a lone piece of shrapnel from killing him and Bruce can’t figure out a way to keep the Joker locked up for more than 15 minutes at a time.  Odd.

3.)  In one storyline we see The Thing with two kids, both with the same rocky exterior as their old man.

How did he and his wife...I mean how big of an epidural did she...the kids appeared to be twins, how were they...I think you know where I’m going with this.  The whole act of consummation, and the 9 months following, were probably as difficult as me asking about it.

4.)  What really happened at the end of “The Killing Joke”?

Oh, right, like you know the answer.  (C’mon, just tell me, plllllleeeeeeaaaaaaaassssssseeeeeee!!!!)

5.)  Are there really any other superheroes necessary than Hulk and Zatanna?

Since everything she says backwards becomes a reality and it appears that nothing whatsoever can hurt Hulk, why doesn’t he just guard her as she casts spells?  Once she says, “syug dab eht fo dir teG” then, “kluH eht evlossiD”  There could just be a Zatanna series about how she is the ruler of a peaceful planet, then after 3 weeks it could be discontinued due to boredom, and that would be that.

6.)  What insurance companies would still be willing to insure Gotham, Metropolis, Star City, the Baxter Building, etc. after all this time?

What Civil War really should have been about was the insurance companies arguing about who would insure all of these places and what the deductibles would be.  Couldn’t you see them arguing about what wasn’t covered?  And, how overworked would the insurance adjusters be?

7.)    With few exceptions, such as Captain Marvel dying of cancer, why don’t we see more everyday issues plaguing the heroes and villains?

Why don’t we see Flash wearing a knee brace or having tendonitis?  How does Batman not have arthritis in his back by now?  Does a Green Lantern every need a ring resized?  Does Killer Croc ever get pruney skin because he’s in the water too long?  Why doesn't Namor ever get ‘swimmer’s ear’?  Shouldn’t Iron Man rust at some point?  Why doesn’t Spider-Man or Black Panther have problems breathing through their facemask?  

So, I get an overdose of gamma radiation, bitten by a radioactive spider, see my parents gunned down in front of me, or shot from an exploding planet and I don’t suffer the indignities of the human condition anymore?  Sign me up!

8.)  How many mutants are there and, for that matter, how many X-Men are there?

In the Marvel Universe it seems that, as a mutant, if you aren’t an X-Man or working for Magneto, you don’t exist.  I think if you eliminate everyone who is not an Avenger, a former Avenger, an X-Person, or in some way connected to X-People, there may only be 2 or 3 people left on earth.  I truly think that’s why Marvel was eventually forced to do AvX.  There was no-one else.

9.)  Is there really any logical explanation as to why Alan Scott (the old, old, old Green Lantern) had a ring that had no effect on wood?

I’ve read the explanation a couple of times and I am still baffled.  Is there a wood expert in the house?

Listen, I wasn’t hired for my good looks or my brains.  Frankly, I wasn’t hired at all, that’s why I run the place.

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Supermovie Release Schedule Through 2020 and Beyond

Here are the movies that are coming out through 2020 and Beyond.  Keep in mind that all of these are subject to change:

February 12, 2016               Deadpool                                                        (FOX)

March 25, 2016                   Batman vs. Superman:  Dawn of Justice     (WARNER BROS.)

May 6, 2016                        Captain America:  Civil War                         (MARVEL)

June 3, 2016                        Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles:  Half Shell  (PARAMOUNT)

May 27, 2016                      X-Men:  Apocalypse                                      (FOX)

August 5, 2016                    Suicide Squad                                               (WARNER BROS.)

October 7, 2016                   Gambit                                                          (FOX)

November 4, 2016               Dr. Strange                                                   (MARVEL)

January 13, 2017                  Untitled Power Rangers Movie                   (LIONSGATE)

February 10, 2017               Lego Batman                                                (WARNER BROS.)

March 3, 2017                     Wolverine 3                                                   (FOX)

May 5, 2017                        Guardians of the Galaxy 2                           (MARVEL)

June 9, 2017                        Fantastic Four 2                                           (FOX)

June 23, 2017                      Wonder Woman                                             (WARNER BROS.)

July 28, 2017                       Untitled Spider-Man Movie                          (SONY)

November 3, 2017               Thor:  Ragnarok                                           (MARVEL)

November 17, 2017             Justice League                                              (WARNER BROS.)

Unknown Date, 2017          Bloodshot                                                       (SONY)

February 16, 2018               Black Panther                                               (MARVEL)

March 23, 2018                   The Flash                                                     (WARNER BROS.)

May 4, 2018                        Avengers:  Infinity War 1                              (MARVEL)

July 6, 2018                        Ant-Man & The Wasp                                    (MARVEL)

July 13, 2018                      Unknown X-Men Movie                                 (FOX)

July 20, 2018                      Untitled Spider-Man Animated Movie          (SONY)

July 27, 2018                      Aquaman                                                       (WARNER BROS.)

March 8, 2019                    Captain Marvel                                              (MARVEL)

April 5, 2019                      Shazam                                                           (WARNER BROS.)

May 3, 2019                       Avengers:  Infinity Wars 2                              (MARVEL)

June 14, 2019                     Justice League 2                                             (WARNER BROS.)

July 12, 2019                      Incredibles 2                                                   (DISNEY)

July 12, 2019                      Inhumans                                                        (MARVEL)

April 3, 2020                      Cyborg                                                             (WARNER BROS.)

May 1, 2020                       Untitled Marvel Movie                                    (MARVEL)

June 19, 2020                     Green Lantern                                                 (WARNER BROS.)

July 10, 2020                      Untitled Marvel Movie                                    (MARVEL)

Year Unknown                   X-Force                                                            (FOX)

Year Unknown                   The New Mutants                                             (FOX)

Year Unknown                   Sinister Six                                                       (SONY)

Year Unknown                   Sandman                                                          (WARNER BROS.)

Year Unknown                   Untitled Superman Movie                               (WARNER BROS.)

Year Unknown                   Justice League Dark                                        (WARNER BROS.)

Year Unknown                   Untitled Batman Movie                                    (WARNER BROS.)

Year Unknown                   Harbinger                                                          (SONY)


For those of you who like numbers, here are the totals:

43                  The total number of movies scheduled for release

             15                  Being done by WARNER BROS.
             12                  Being done by MARVEL
             8                    Being done by FOX
             5                    Being done by SONY
             1                    Being done by DISNEY
             1                    Being done by PARAMOUNT
             1                    Being done by LIONSGATE

4                    The number of movies being released in July of 2018
2                    The number of movies being released on July 12, 2019
8                    The number of movies with no official release date

I hope this helps you schedule your movie-going in advance!  Maybe I’ll see you there!

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Wearing a Superhero Costume Can Ruin Your Life

The whole concept of banning certain costumes at school has been gaining momentum for many years.  I have seen it go from just banning certain specific costumes to banning costumes completely. I even know one school that refuses to acknowledge Halloween (to the point of not having a single Halloween decoration).  I admit, I have a tough time understanding some of the rationale.

Fair Disclosure:  I have two grown kids who went through grade school at the beginning of these “bans”, so please dismiss the “you don’t have kids so you wouldn’t understand” thoughts you may be having.

Supporters of the ban on certain costumes say that costumes must not be interpreted by other students as offensive, promoting a religion, scary to a small child, sexualized, discriminating, or associated with gangs.  Costumes with a weapon are also not allowed.  In fact, according to an article in Mental Floss magazine, (http://mentalfloss.com/article/69774/8-halloween-costumes-have-been-banned-schools) there are 8 costumes/costume types that are banned in many schools this Halloween.

1.)  Jesus Christ
2.)  Superheroes
3.)  Geishas, Squaws and Cowboys
4.)  Sombreros
5.)  Trench Coats
6.)  Cross-Dressing
7.)  Sexy Nurse
8.)  Anything with a weapon

As this is a mostly comic book blog let’s just focus on #2, Superheroes.

According to the article an unidentified school sent out a letter, ahead of the holiday, to all parents.  It stated that superhero costumes that included, but were not limited to - Wolverine, Batman, Superman, the Power Rangers, and any of the Fantastic Four - were not allowed.  It went on to say that witches, ghosts, or any costume that would be too scary to a small child, were also not allowed.  The letters apparently used a comic style font for further effect.  Frankly, some of the reasons for these bans should be scary to a small child.

I couldn’t find that particular letter, but I did find this one online.  I could not authenticate it, however.

So why ban superheroes?

Some take it back to 1954 when Frederic Wertham published his book “Seduction of the Innocent” which said comic books were the cause of juvenile delinquency in America.

Some say it’s because the act of playing “superheroes” can lead to acts of violence, such as biting, punching, kicking, etc.

This poster, found online, was authenticated by the author of the article in which it was found.  Note the spelling and grammar errors in this poster authored by two school “Directors”.

Some say it’s because not all kids can afford superhero costumes and it’s not fair to those who can’t.

Some say it’s because certain heroes promote violence.

Although I do agree that children should not be committing acts of violence on one another, I think we need to reexamine how we handle the situation.  Here’s why:

Let’s say, for example, that I tell my son that he cannot dress as Superman for Halloween at his school’s party.  If he asks why I tell him that I don’t want him hitting or punching other kids when they play superhero (I have no clue what the real reason is).  He tells me that he wouldn’t do that but I ask him not to just the same.  Later that night he asks if he’s allowed to wear his Superman costume trick-or-treating.  I tell him it’s OK.  He asks why I’m no longer afraid he will hit other kids while playing superhero.  He wonders why I let him read the comic books, why I let him get the costume, and why we watch the cartoon together.  He asks me why he can play make-believe at home but not in school.  He asks if I ever dressed up as a kid.

Do I tell him the truth?

Do I tell him that I dressed up as Superman at his age and no one at school was emotionally or physically scarred?  Do I show him pictures of me dressed as Quasimodo at his age, with a horribly disfigured mask, and tell him I only ever heard “Cool!” or “Can I try it on?” from classmates?  Should I share my childhood stories where we spent countless hours playing “Green Lantern” or “Spider-Man” at recess with no long lasting effects?

Of course I feel that certain behaviors shouldn’t be allowed in schools.  The problem, however, is a behavioral problem (kicking, bullying, etc.) not a costume problem.  I hope it won’t be much longer before we realize that behavior and grades aren’t improving because kids are no longer allowed to dress up as Reed Richards.  There is a whole generation of people who dressed as superheroes and are full functioning contributors to society.  There are also gatherings of adults who dress as superheroes who are also fully functioning contributors to society...we call them ComicCons.

For those of you who were pinched by a classmate dressed as Flash or Captain America and, due to specifically to that, grew up to be a bitter, angry and hateful adult....please disregard this blog.

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What Would Happen If All The Villains Struck At Once Due To a Technical Glitch?

When the Fear Itself series came out there was a parody comic that came out as well called “Shame Itself”.  If you haven’t read it, do so, it’s worth the time.  As a spin on “Shame Itself” I offer my story.

Before I begin, however, let’s look at what typically happens in your typical comic book.

The heroes from any given universe finish up with one disaster, mend the city, have time for a meeting, and are then informed of another disaster taking place.

Luckily, villains seem to be on a schedule and don’t strike at the same time.  It seems that while Dr. Doom is attacking, the Red Skull is busy hatching a plan that won’t be ready to go until Dr. Doom has been defeated.  Of course, at that point Galactus is on the other side of the galaxy and will make his way toward Earth only to arrive after the Red Skull has been defeated.  The same thing happens in the DC Universe as well as others.

But what if the villains, due to a technical glitch, all struck on the same day?  More importantly, let’s say that the villains from DC don’t wait until the villains from Marvel are done attacking?  Everyone’s protecting the same Earth, right?  So, shouldn’t villains and heroes cross over during attacks?

Let’s start with a typical day where we find Electro fighting Spider-Man for some random reason:

Electro:  Spider-Man, your time has come!  I have finally found a way to defeat you!

Spider-Man:  Electro, what could you possibly want this time?  Haven’t I beaten you enough?

Electro:  I must own all of the frozen toothpaste in the world!  You can’t stop me!

Spider-Man:  Wait...frozen what?  Why would you..... (he stops and looks up surprised)

Electro:  What are you looking at?

Spider-Man:  Is that Doomsday?  I thought he was DC.  What’s he doing here?

Electro:  I’m not really sure.  There’s got to be a copyright or trademark infringement here somewhere.  Someone call Stan Lee!

Doomsday:  Electro?  Spider-Man?  I thought this was....(he looks around in surprise)...Metropolis.

Spider-Man:  Nope.  Wrong town.  Wrong comic, even.  (looking up again, amazed, he sees the Hulk coming out of the sky)

Hulk:  Hulk smash!!

Spider-Man:  Now wait just one minute....

Electro:  Hmmm....do I fight Spider-Man or do I try to get rid of the other villains?  Are you guys looking to corner the frozen toothpaste market?  That’s all I really wanted.

Doomsday:  The frozen what?  No, you can have that.  I’m here to destroy Metropolis.

Spider-Man:  Again, I think you’re in the wrong place.

Hulk:  Hulk smash!!

Spider-Man:  Is this a Groot type of thing?  “Hulk smash” means something different each time?  Never mind.

Green Lantern:  I heard there were problems in this Sector!  Wow.  What’s everyone doing here?

Electro:  I was just leaving.

Spider-Man:  Well, that’s one gone.

Doomsday:  I really just want to get on with destroying the city.

Hulk:  Hulk smash!

Batman:  (winded from running) I came as soon as I heard!

Green Lantern:  I’m anxious to hear what you heard about this.

Spider-Man:  Shouldn’t all of you be in another comic?

Batman:  I heard that the Outlook calendar on the Villain network was having issues.

Red Skull:  (stepping out of the shadows) There are no issues!  I specifically had conquering the Earth set for 2:00 pm today!

Galactus:  (appearing in the sky)  That can’t be right, I had devouring the Earth set for 2:00 pm today.

Flash:  (showing up in a blur) I came as soon as I heard!

Spider-Man:  What...is this being Tweeted?  What is everyone hearing?

Flash:  I got the text that Outlook is having issues.

Spider-Man:  Why aren’t I getting these (shaking his iPod and looking at it quizzically)

Flash:  Do you have it on airplane mode?

Spider-Man:  Darnit!  Why do I always do that?  OK, I’m on the same page now.

Reed Richards:  (walking up calmly) I don’t mean to interrupt, but I’m working on the fix right now.  It should be OK shortly.

Doomsday:  Listen, times a’wastin here.  I have another planet I’m supposed to destroy in 2 hours.

Red Skull:  Let’s do this the right way and take a vote.  Which villain would you heroes like to fight right now?

Green Lantern:  I’m not fussy, but I think Galactus would be the toughest to beat.  I vote Red Skull.

Hulk:  Hulk smash!

Flash:  I agree with Green Lantern, I vote for the Red Skull.

Batman:  Doomsday, is there any way you could go destroy the planet now and then come back after we beat the Red Skull?

Doomsday:  But I was already at this end of the universe.

Galactus:  Reed, where are the rest of the Fantastic Four?

Reed Richards:  They are at their regular jobs.  How do you think we pay for all of this stuff?

Galactus:  I just don’t feel right devouring the Earth without all of you here.  No offense to you Justice Leaguers.

Batman/Flash/Green Lantern:  None taken.

Reed Richards:  They should all be available tomorrow for the whole day.

Galactus:  Do you heroes think you can take out the Red Skull by midnight tonight?  Then we can all go home and get a good night’s sleep and fight tomorrow.

Thanos:  (just showing up and looking around at everyone sitting and talking)  What gives here?

Starro:  (also just arriving on the scene and giving a heavy sigh)  Don’t tell me, the Outlook issue?

(everyone nods their heads)

Starro:  I knew I should have sent a herald ahead.

Doomsday:  Listen, I just called the planet I’m supposed to destroy and they’re not doing anything right now, so I’ll just do that and come back.

Green Lantern:  Is anyone protecting them right now?

Doomsday:  No, so it shouldn’t take long.  I can come back the day after tomorrow.

Red Skull:  So, then I’ll attack now, Galactus will come back tomorrow and Doomsday will be the day after?

Thanos:  Great.  Push me off until next week.

Starro:  You?  I travelled 200 light years to get here.  Do you know how much gas that takes?  I’m calling the Outlook help desk right now and giving them a piece of my mind.

Thanos:  Then that should definitely take until next week.

Hulk:  Hulk smash!

Spider-Man:  I don’t do weekends anymore so Thanos and Starro will have to wait until Monday.  By the way, did Electro leave?

(incoming text:  Budapest Frozen Toothpaste Factory raided.  Everything taken.)

Spider-Man:  Never mind.

Reed Richards:  OK, everything seems to be working with the calendar now.  Is everyone set with their schedule?

Galactus:  I’m set.  Does the Marriott have any rooms available for tonight?  I’ll just stay over.

Doomsday:  OK everyone, I’m on my way.  I have a planet to enslave.

Red Skull:  I hear that....

Spider-Man:  I’m glad this is settled.  My spider-sense has given me a migraine.

Batman:  Alfred, book Galactus and I a room at the downtown Marriott.  King size bed for Galactus.

Red Skull:  Is it OK if we start now?  I have thousands of troops waiting to attack and we haven’t even had lunch yet.

Spider-Man:  That’s fine.  Green Lantern, Flash, can you stay with Batman and I and try to wrap this up by midnight?

Green Lantern:  I’m good, I can hang around.

Flash:  I have to run home and set my DVR to record Walking Dead.  OK, I’m back.

Spider-Man:  Hulk, can you go smash another town and we’ll just come clean it up later?  If you do it far enough away from here we have plausible deniability.

Hulk:  Hulk smash!  (he jumps over the horizon)

Starro:  I’m on vacation next week so I’ll attack the week after if that’s OK.

Thanos:  Cool!  Where are you going?

Starro:  It’s a stay-cation.  I have a bunch of chores to do for the wife.

Thanos:  I know the feeling.  Between conquering civilizations and scheming I have no time to cut the lawn.

Batman:  I can recommend a lawn guy.  Starro, we’ll see you in two weeks and Thanos in three.  Can you both send us a meeting planner?

Starro/Thanos:  Sure thing.

Red Skull:  Are we good to go?  Great!   ALL MINIONS ATTACK!

Outside the realm of reality?  Not in our high tech world.  I often wonder if team-ups weren’t just the result of two villains, or heroes, showing up at the same time and just figuring “what the heck” and working together.  All I know is that I’m glad that the artists and writers have the attack schedules firmly in their heads or else we might see something like this in the not so distant future.

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To Kill Or Not To Kill, That Is The Question

I have to confess, I never grow tired of reading people’s opinions as to whether superheroes should or should not kill.  The biggest one, of course, is the eternal Batman vs. Joker argument.  Should he kill the Joker or shouldn’t he?  When one looks at comics like Injustice: Gods Among Us, did you rejoice that Superman finally did in the Joker or do you cringe that Superman went over the line?

I’d like to look at this issue not as a matter of strictly the Batman and the Joker, but as the overall issue in general.

So why write this now?

I read an article today that pushed me over the edge so I have to weigh in on the issue.  But first?  An image:

There, now that that’s out of the way...

I read an article where an ethics expert argues in favor of Batman killing the Joker.  It was one of the worst written arguments I have seen followed up by an even worse argument against the article. Should you wish to see an overview yourself, it can be found here:

http://scifimafia.com/2012/02/ethics-expert-argues-in-favor-of-batman-killing-the-joker-fails-to-understand-batmans-purpose/

I could go into why there really can’t be “Ethics Experts” in a world of greys or I could pontificate about how the author of this article, Brandon Johnston, is obviously not a comic book reader, but I won’t.  I’m a logical person and I would like to take this argument apart piece by piece.  You see it’s not an argument of whether heroes should or should not kill villains, it’s more than that.

Let me shine the light of logic and add my two cents:

Argument; A hero who kills is no better than a villain.  Heroes shouldn’t kill.

Hmmm, is that so Batman? YOU have an issue with killing a man?  Let’s take a look at your own past.  How about when you hung a mental patient from the Batplane?

Or how about the time you killed KGBeast by locking him a room and letting him starve to death?

Or how about the time you left a bunch of crooks inside a burning room to get some nookie?

As an aside, my favorite part is her quote (sorry it’s so blurry), “He doesn’t stop.  He doesn’t spare a one of them. Not a one.  Before I can even catch my breath they’re a bunch of bleeding burning heaps they are.  And God help me I am thunderstruck in love with the man.  The goddamn Batman.”  What great writing!

My Argument:  Heroes are mostly human and they do kill for reasons they feel are justified.  This is NOT a Joker vs. Batman issue, so stop pretending it is.  Here are some more heroes doing what they feel needs to be done.  You remember all of these moments, don’t you?

Next argument; No one has the right to take a life.

Sure, people will get all high and mighty and say that the villain has no right to take a life, but neither does the hero.  It makes them no better than the villain.  Then let me ask you a question.  Did you weep for the Anti-Monitor?  Did you ask why there wasn’t a funeral procession for Doomsday?  If there aren’t jails strong enough to hold the villain is that cause enough?  You might respond that they always come up with a jail or dimension that can hold a villain.  Not so.

Let’s look at Arkham, shall we?  Talk about a prison that can’t seem to hold a criminal.

If Killer Croc gets out once a week and kills 5 people is that enough to put him to death?  How about 10 a week?  20 a week?  What if it’s only once a week but it’s always one of your family members?  

If that doesn’t convince you can we come up with a term (that may already be a term) Killing by Proxy?  Here’s the logic:

The Joker Kills People When He Escapes The Jail He Is Put In

Batman Jails the Joker When He Catches Him For Killing People

The Joker Always Escapes The Jails He Is Put In

Batman Knows the Joker Always Escapes The Jails He Is Put In

Therefore, Every Person the Joker Kills Is Also Killed By Batman By Proxy

My Argument:  If you know the killer is going to get out regardless of what you do are you not, in fact, partly responsible for those deaths?  Aren’t you already taking a life whether you have the right to or not?  Let’s try this another way.  Let’s call a jail cell a house and a cell door a front door.  Let’s also call locking the cell door locking the front door.  If I lock you in the house knowing full well that you will eventually unlock it and get out aren’t I partly responsible for you being out?  I knew the house wouldn’t hold you but I expected you not to get out.  One could argue that the person being locked in should be responsible for their actions, but if they were responsible I wouldn’t have to lock them in.  In this case Batman is taking a life...by proxy.  What gives him the right?

As for the argument of one death to save a million it seems relatively simple.  Phoenix gave her life to save a universe.  What’s the difference between giving her life to save millions versus taking her life to save millions?  The argument is that no one has a right to take a life.  If you didn’t take one to save millions, didn’t you kill millions by not doing it?  If there is something called a lie by ommission shouldn’t there be a death by absentia?

The next argument is one I can NEVER understand.  Putting a criminal to death is not a deterrent. 

Here is what I found in the way of a definition for deterrent:

Deterrent

- a thing that discourages or is intended to discourage someone from doing something.

Putting a criminal to death would, in fact, deter them from ever doing it again.  The argument that someone won’t kill another person because of a fear of being put to death is an unstable one at best and not an argument for this blog.  But killing a criminal is certainly a deterrent from them ever doing it again.

My Argument:  This is a no-brainer.  If you know the Joker is guilty and will kill again, then killing him would be a deterrent.

THE STUNNING CONCLUSION!  GASP!

It’s the age old argument...without good there is no bad.  Kill off all the bad and there is no need for the good guys.  I have even heard the reason some believe in the devil is that because there is a God there has to be a devil.  A bad to balance the good.  The heroes NEED the villains, it’s the reason they are heroes.  It’s said best in Injustice:  Gods Among Us.

Translated:  You’re angry at me taking away the reason for you to be Batman.

There is even the argument, and I buy into this whole-heartedly, that although a moral compass guides the hero it can’t be the reason that villains do the crimes.  The occasional villain death is what makes all of these stories so human.  Good people fear the bad and the bad need to sometimes fear the good.

In the end, comics allow us to live out fantasies, be heroes ourselves, and allow us to challenge the views of the populace.

Should the Batman kill the Joker?  He can’t, it’s as simple as that.  Batman can’t be a hero without a villain to catch, the Joker isn’t the Joker without a Batman to challenge.  Let’s face it, if every villain was killed off the writers would run out of ideas for new ones.

Keep debating it, everyone, it’s not only fun but it’s healthy.  Our opinions are what make us who we are.

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