Lately, my research for Ten Things has had me stuck in the 1990s, and have discovered that a few of my preconceptions about those comics were somewhat biased. Seeing the hero he has become makes even the worst early Kyle Rayner appearances a bit more palatable, while leather-jacket angular-hair Superboy has become a fave-rave (and no matter what you think of ‘Young Justice’, he needed that original costume back.) Still, the character whose heroic fortunes have changed the most for me is Jean-Paul Valley, the interim Batman of the post-Knightfall 90s. The revelation that the creators INTENDED him to be terrible, to emphasize how tough the gig can be, really underlines the tragedy of his arc as Terrible Batman, and changes my perception of the character from “jerk” to “poor jerk way out of his depth.” That said, I still wouldn’t want him within 40 miles of my emergencies, as I want Brave & The Bold Batman to save me, which leads to today’s same bat-time, new bat-query…
The MS-QOTD (pronounced, as always, “misquoted”) will allow alternate-universe Bruce Waynes, but NOT primary Bruce, and only if you can make your case with fervor, asking: Which alternate Batman would you choose to save YOU from great peril, becoming the Batman you deserve?
4 Comments
Terry McGinnis is really the only alternate Batman I know, but seems like a good choice.
Kyle Richmond!
Kyle is cool. Bruce is a drag. Plus, he was in the Defenders.
Batman 1966. I’d feel that situation wouldn’t actually be that bad and never saw anyone get killed by his villains.