The birth of the new DC Cinematic Universe… DC Extended Universe… DC… ah whatever the hell they’re calling it, kicks off on the big screen this week with the debut of James Gunn’s Superman film, so we’re obviously tying in because SEO is a powerful thing. We have three more stories of the World’s Finest…
The evolution of representation of queer characters in mainstream superhero comics is something that entire books can, and should, be written about. So I’m not going to wax rhapsodic about all the changes here, but it’s June and thus Pride Month, and so we’re back with queer Bat characters. First we wrap up Greg Rucka’s…
There are a few things that, when I see an announcement of a new comic, immediately make me want to read it. Heists are one. Cats are one. Greg Rucka is one. And when you get all three? I am so in! Coming out August 6th, DC is releasing Cheetah and Cheshire Rob the Justice…
It’s always a good time for us to return to the runs that we’re following in order. This time, things go from bad to worse in No Man’s Land, Dick Grayson investigates Wayne Manor for clues to Bruce Wayne’s whereabouts while Damian has a strange encounter with Oberon Sexton, and the magical war in the…
It’s been a while, but we’re returning to the three runs that we’re following in order. In No Man’s Land, we take a break from big story revelations for an anthology month of four of shots. In Grant Morrison’s run, Dick Grayson brings Batman’s corpse to England to a Lazarus Pit and learns something unexpected…
We’re in the heart of June, which is Pride Month, so BatChat is joined by the hosts of the Gotham Outsiders podcast to talk about three stories featuring the queer residents of Gotham. Kate Kane’s origin is revealed, Tim Drake comes out, and animated Harley and Ivy go on a road trip. Oh, and towards…
It’s been a while, but we’re back reading the three series/runs that we have been following (mostly) in order. In “No Man’s Land,” both Batman and Jim Gordon make some choices that definitely won’t come back to bite them on the butt. In the Morrison run, they investigate ethics in vigilantism and Jason Todd’s hair…
I know cats aren’t dogs. I don’t know if Jeff Loeb does. Ranked this episode:
Originally introduced in the 1950s, Batwoman has gone from a forgotten character to one who is a queer icon and headlined her own TV series. Kate and Kathy Kane are very distinct characters, and this week, we’ll be reading stories featuring them both, thanks to a request from Sam Hopper. We see Kathy meet Bat-Mite,…
There are plenty of superheroes you could talk about where the issues of copaganda in 2023 don’t come up. I’m sure there are. But Batman isn’t one of them. We’ve had episodes talking about Jim Gordon and the main detectives of the GCPD before and had to look at those questions, and this week, we’re…
The Mad Hatter is one of Batman’s oddest major foes. While all of the rogues who have existed since the Golden Age have gone through various permutations, few are as wildly different. Sometimes he is obsessed with hats. Sometimes he is a mind control scientist. Sometimes he is obsessed with Alice In Wonderland and has…
Ed Brubaker is one of the best crime writers in comics, and before going over and writing some of the best comics on the market for Image, he did runs on various Batman and Batman family titles. This week, we’re reading three stories from three different runs on those titles. Fearless (Batman V.1 #582-583) Made…
Among Batman’s many foes are serial killers, madmen and monsters. But few are the type of villain who seeks to dominate or control the world. The one who is, possibly the foe that Batman respects and fears the most, is Ra’s al Ghul, the Demon’s Head. Seemingly immortal, Ra’s wants to return the world to…
Continuity is a cruel mistress. DC’s ever rebooting universe has meant most characters have at least two completely distinct histories. And amongst the Batfamily, no character’s two histories are more different than the Huntress. Introduced as the daughter of the Batman and Catwoman of Earth-2, Crisis on Infinite Earths wiped out the alternate Earths and…
Batman may be the world’s greatest detective and martial artist, but he isn’t infallible, as much as some sections of fandom want you to believe. And this week, we look at three stories where Batman loses in very different ways. Wonder Woman: The Hiketeia Superheavy (Batman V.2 #41-50) Cold Days (Batman V.3 #51-53) If you…