#batwing 2011

[batmancurated]

by ben oliver

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noooooooo they killed rachel ;_;

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😭

Batwing #8

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Batwing #11

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OK David's Batwing run thoughts

I posted most as they were happening, or reblogged cool posts, this is mostly about the last plotline.

It felt very rushed. It felt like the only conclusion was supposed to be that David can't make a difference as Batwing and he had to come to the conclusion that his optimism was delusional.

Which

I think that, isolated from other context, David deciding he can't make a difference as Batwing and deciding to start his life anew is perfectly fine and an interesting direction.

but!

It's so hard to tell if like. that's mostly just to get him out of the way b/c the writers didn't want him to be Batwing anymore and wanted a new Batwing.

Like the buildup to David feeling as if his actions are making things worse is very sudden rather than gradual, so it seems easy to only be a one-off thing or a temporary moment of self doubt. Matu has to be convinced David isn't making a difference b/c he doesn't kill people who get out of jail due to corruption, and mentions it being a limitation due to teaming up with Batman Inc, but ... we didn't see David actually killing people pre Batman Inc-ing (post child soldier-ing)? Like his not killing code seemed to be entirely divorced from Batman, it seemed to be about what he did as a child and how he was no longer going to (phrase from that plot) "Honor them in blood".

anyway so it seems as if a situation that otherwise could have been a moment of doubt for a hero is treated as the end for the hero, because the comic is supposed to end or the character is supposed to be retired*. it's also weakened because we get emphasis on how David is turning over a new leaf and starting a new life which may be fulfilling and he'll get to make a change, but ... we don't see that new life! So it just seems to be a rather depressing close to David's story that does not allow him to triumph.

This isn't saying I think David has to be Batwing forever, I just wish that the closing arc had more build-up.

*NGL Similar to Babs retiring from Batgirl in Batgirl Special.

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thinking of how even long before his batwing days, we see David compelled to act as a vigilante (DC comics style, going on 'patrol' and protecting people) and to help people (repairing the dead phones and giving them away)

First panel is from Batwing #0, can't remember the second panel, I got it off my tumblr from back before I labelled which comic things were from.

Anyway

I know that David contextualizes the first thing (beating up the guys who were beating up a girl) as punishing the guilty, in addition to protecting the innocent. which is a very common narrative in superhero comics. I just think it's interesting that we see him actively doing what is essentially 'batwing' stuff way before he ever became Batwing (and in this continuity, which is New 52 where superheroes only existed for 5 years -- before superheroes were even a thing)

I don't know whether he's supposed to be younger than 15 or not in the first panel, but we also do see that he did other stuff to help people. makes me think of this post (link) by @laurie-juspeczyk talking about what brings him and isaac to keita's attention, but i think it's important (for what i'm talking about right now) that that's also protecting people from the other soldiers in the army he was abducted into

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marcus to's guy gardner looks so weird. like why does he look like that.

Batwing #12

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Thinking of the comparisons between David and Cass and David thinking he deserves his ptsd bc "its a small price to pay for what I've done"