Mythos and Media #8 - Captain America vs. Batman

New to Marvel Mythos and Media? Please check out my previous columns!

This month is accompanied by a preamble.  Chris has changed the site in order to eliminate the rigidity of adhering to a certain sphere of geekdom, so you’re going to see a similar loosening of the reins in my articles.  The most obvious change is the name, as I will be going from Marvel Mythos and Media to simply Mythos and Media.  With all graphic medium open to me, you can expect to see a wider range of materials in the coming months.  Also, I hope to be more reactive to recent comic events!

Captain America vs. Batman (or How I Stopped Worrying and Realized Why Marvel is Kicking DC’s Collective Ass)

Launching right into fresh territory, this column will be taking a look at the recent death of the Batman and compare it the death of Captain America, which was also a large media event.  Like any major comic occurrence, this began in the mind of a writer.  The eccentric but highly-regarded Grant Morrison was hired by DC Comics to handle a few major storylines, effectively giving him control over DC’s biggest event of 2008 and one of their most important characters, Batman.

Grant Morrison in the most normal looking pose I could find.

Grant was given control of the Batman title and the helm of “Final Crisis”, a major universe-shaking event in the DC universe that utilized its entire lexicon of heroes for over half a year.  Also, it should be noted that several years of events led to this culminating event, so Grant Morrison was being given a very big and expensive toy with which to play.  Grant quickly made a buzz by launching the Batman and Detective Comics titles into a storyline he’d dubbed “Batman R.I.P.” Rumors flew amongst geeks that Bruce Wayne, the Batman since 1939, was going to be killed.  Grant’s run on Batman is still being dissected, with some out on the fences, but many referring to it as the worst storyline to ever hit Batman.  Some of the lowlights include a crazed Joker that loses all the charm of the character, reducing him to a frightening freak.

Though he’s a psychotic madman, even Heath Ledger portrayed him with a hint of bizarre charm. This is just freaky.

With a confusing and muddled ending, fans were confused as to whether or not Batman was dead.  That question was answered definitively in the Final Crisis mini-series that Morrison was penning.  In issue 6 of 7, Bruce Wayne died while fatally wounding the evil god Darkseid with a gun loaded with a special god-killing bullet.  If that sounds ridiculous, your feelings mirror my own.  At least Grant has Batman mention his tension over using a gun, breaking a principal rule, but it still seems hideously out of character.  I can’t see Batman using a gun, no matter the circumstances.  He swore them off in the most important of oaths after his parents were gunned down by a common criminal.

Also, Batman’s final word is “Gotcha”?  A lame quip? Very un-Batman.

To make the groans of fans even louder, instead of being given a respectful end, one has to be subjected to Superman toting the skeleton around.  Anguish or not, do we really need to see Batman’s still-smoking body?  While it was gratifying to see Superman enraged by the death of his best and oldest friend, I can’t see the world’s biggest superhero flying around with the body in such a creepy manner.

Tasteless. Batman is still smoking, for God’s sakes!

In Final Crisis #7, Batman is mentioned, but not nearly as often as one would suppose.  We see his smoking body one more time and get a quick glimpse at some type of memorial service.  It doesn’t seem fitting that one of DC’s most important properties meets such an ignominious end and is disposed of so quickly.  Earlier in the series, the Martian Manhunter was disposed of in a similarly graceless manner, which left another writer to give him a proper send-off in Final Crisis: Requiem.  We can only hope somebody comes to give Batman a proper send-off.

Not a bad start, but we need more than this!

In a final, cheesy tip of the hat, Morrison gives an ending to Final Crisis that insults the intelligence of every fan.  Many are already snorting, wondering how long it will be until DC brings Bruce Wayne to life.  With Warner Brothers owning DC Comics, one can only wonder how long until such a valuable property would be brought back to life, and the end of Final Crisis answers the question.  The last page offers a glimpse of their out, what seems to be Bruce Wayne stuck in prehistoric times, scrawling on a wall.  How this makes any sense is beyond me.  Time travel ret-cons are the worst sort of mulligan.

Vigilantism was discovered somewhere between fire and the wheel.

Finally, DC has announced its plans for how Batman’s titles will be carrying on without him.  There will be a storyline entitled “Battle for the Cowl”, in which Batman’s would-be successors all clamor for their shot at being the new Batman.  In all fairness, there will be plenty of contenders for the throne: Batman was on his third Robin and has numerous villains who are obsessed with the Batman imagery, including a son who wavers between heroism and villainy.  Still, it seems so contradictory that his ex-sidekicks would battle over his identity.  One would think he would have taught them better.

The recent death of this icon caused me to cast my mind back several years to the death of Captain America.  Marvel was just concluding its “Civil War” event, a blockbuster that served as an allegory for the real world events of a United States that was torn over how much government should suspend human rights in the search for terrorism.  While the event appeared to end in a very anti-climatic fashion, the writer of Captain America, Ed Brubaker, had an epilogue in mind that would astound many fans.

Pound for pound, Brubaker is one of the most readable and consistently great writers.

In Captain America, Brubaker had caused the character to rise from the ashes after decades of disservice.  As a child, I can remember despising Cap’s overbearing righteousness and antiquated ideas.  Brubaker spent several years retooling him, instituting great international drama and subtle hints of who Cap was behind the mask: a man named Steve Rogers who was burdened with duty and felt out of place after being thrust into the future to be a hero once more.  After two years of great storylines, he blew minds by killing Steve Rogers without any fanfare or marketing ploys.  Instead of a valiant death destroying super-villains, he was laid low by the bullets of an assassin.

Legitimately tragic.

In the above shot of this death, Brubaker shows how a death of an icon should be handled.  While the uniform is sullied, it serves as a metaphor for the fall of a man who epitomized the values of the United States.  His girlfriend clutches his body in a very tender manner, unable to believe what has occurred.  The reality of his death is nailed home later in the issue.  Instead of a cheesy “he may be alive” moment, we’re greeted with a sobering shot of damage done.

These two panels made my stomach clench when I first saw them.  Powerful.

At first, fans were as skeptical of Cap’s death as they were of Batman’s death.  How could the man be separated from the hero?  He would have to come back to life, right?  Brubaker would only become baffled during interviews, wondering why everybody assumed that Steve was coming back at all, let alone soon.  Two years later, Steve Rogers is still dead and Captain America is still one of the best books on the shelves each month.  How was this accomplished?

First, there was no battle for the role of Captain America.  If anything, nobody wanted to take on the job.  Who would be willing to take on a role that big?  It’s intimidating.  We’re talking about a man who was in World War II and regarded as the living embodiment of American values!  However, after a year of intrigue and political positioning by villains and Captain America’s friends, the legacy fell upon Bucky, Cap’s old partner from WWII.  With a shady past that involved being used as a brainwashed assassin for the Soviets during the Cold War, he was reluctant, thinking himself unworthy.  His ascension into the role has been brilliantly written.

Bucky goes into action for the first time.

Whereas Steve Rogers had the advantage of a serum that had provided him with increased strength, speed and endurance, Bucky’s Cap has to rely more on his knowledge of covert ops, a bionic arm, and weaponry.  With a darker background, it’s easy for fans to sympathize with a man who has to live up to expectations by using what is at his disposal.

The reader’s connection to Bucky is solidified through his relationships.  In one brilliant scene, Bucky talks to Namor, the Sub-Mariner, as they head to a mission together.  With a huge history, they swap memories instead of posturing.  Shouldn’t all heroes do this more often?  If you get together with an old friend, don’t you talk about “remember whens”?  With such a long history, this conversation just makes sense and is much more poignant than anything Superman and Batman have been given recently.

Brubaker’s dialogue is sparse, but reveals so much.

Also, Bucky’s love interest, the Black Widow, is about as interesting as a girlfriend can be in the comic book world.  Sexy and dangerous, she’s the perfect counterpoint to Bucky’s all-business attitude.  Also, she’s been shown to have affection for Bucky and shows loyalty, despite a history as a bit of a heart-breaker.

She’s been loyal so far.  I hope it continues so we can see where this relationship goes...

While far from being a scientific dissection of the differences, I think this gives a glance into why Marvel has been beating DC in sales recently.  The death of an icon is a major event, but should be treated with tact.  Comic geeks are a touchy bunch, especially when you’re killing off their heroes.  However, when done right, we’ll follow you with our money, even while we’re still missing Steve Rogers.

*All images used are from Marvel Comics’ Captain America and DC Comics Batman, Detective Comics, and Final Crisis titles.