Batman #687

Can't stand Winick on .. well , anything. However, I am going to pull this because I have been subscribed to it forever.

Wasn't really a fan of Winnick's previous run on Batman, and his work on Titans is just alright, but I loved him on Green Arrow, so I'm always willing to give him a shot, at least. Let's see how it goes...

ill give it a shot. unfortunatly, this is the next title on the chopping block. If it's not a good issue, then i'm out until money lossens up.

What the hell, I'll probably give this a shot. I love me some Dick so I'll flick through in the store and see how hot he's been drawn.

Anyone know where to find a picture of the variant cover to this or Red Robin?

Should i buy this or Red Robin?? I think ill buy this only because I loved Judd Winick on Green Arrow/Black Canary.

@Slockhart check IGN the posted all the variants about 2 weeks ago.

@Garrett - well put...sir...

Winick and Benes!!!

Run for your lives!!

Mildly excited for this. I'm back and forth with Winick, but I generally enjoy what he does. Plus, it's Batman, and the premise sounds interesting. I'll be checking it out for at least this issue and the first arc.

I like Winick. But, I wish he'd go back to his indie stuff. I miss Barry.:( And I think Benes's art is just about one of the worst things in mainstream comics, right now. It just reinforces stereotypes about comics and those who read them.   

http://comicsmedia.ign.com/comics/image/article/992/992736/batman-20090608052359381.jpg  I'll be getting this cover. Reminds me of 1989 Batman / Michael Keaton.

Should be a good read.  And everybody who is not excited about Bene's just remember he's only on for one issue.  Then we get Mark Bagley. 

Should be interesting. Not terribly excited for this. This might be the Bat-Title I pick up from Story Arc to Story Arc. Still... we'll see.

@Trichon: Ugh, DC just about ruined anything Bagley related for me with Trinity.

@jobob - That's a great cover, thanks for posting that!

I honestly jumped back on to reading Batman regularly after a really fucking long absence during Morrison's run so I really have no idea about this Judd Winick dude. It seems like a lot of people aren't down with this clown.  The preview for this issue looked really good on IGN dot com though, maybe it was all in the artist, but it looked like it was going to get plenty interesting from where I was sitting.

Action Comics will get chopped off my list before this one does though.  I mean this is Batman with a new Batman, could be cool.  Action is a Superman title with no trace of the big guy at all.  I just started reading Superman stuff again during the Braniac and New Krypton arcs so I don't think I'm ready to get devoted enough to pick up a book that doesn't even feature the main character all Summer.  But then again, I could hit the jackpot in AC tomorrow and subscribe for two years...

@Robbydzwonar

This Judd Winnick guy is a fun writer. And if your debating between this or Action I would say 100% this should be a lot better. Cant wait for this book.

Winnick solid B+ writer IMO, is capable of better things.  The Benes art makes me nervous, however, I think he's really fallen off in the last few years.

@Notahiro Agreed on Benes. His work when Meltzer first started writing this new volume of JLA was good but lately its been horrible.

Just going to try it out.  Winnicks not even in Morrisons galaxy.

You guys try it out and let me know if it's any good. I'm still deliberating whether to add this book to my already limited budget.

Gonna wait until I see what you guys rate it.

Winick and Benes equals a very middle of the road, vanilla comic

@ Edward: I would say that your 90% right. But I got to leave the other 10% just incase this turns out to be great. Every great writer has a first great book. This could be theirs.

Guess I'm in the minority who like Benes art, but I have no love for Winnick's writing, so I am half excited for this comic, but mostly curious to see where things will go in Gotham.

Anyone else pleasantly surprised to see that the cover had been recolored?

This was surprisingly awesome. I really enjoyed the he'll out of it.

I really wish this had come out before Batman and Robin #1.  Would've set it up beautifully.

@sillytothejoe  I was thinking the same thing, when Dick was in the Batmobile

 (no spolier, you know what I'm talking about) I was like this should of came before

Batman  and  Robin #1  Red Robin had the same feel to it too.

Batman #687 Red Robin #1 then Batman and Robin #1.

I really liked how the story jumped around from time to time, classic story.

This was kind of pointless, but I agree it should have come out before Batman & Robin #1.  And didn't Conor say that Batman in this one was Jason Todd?  I guess it's Dick, but all on his lonesome.  Still, I get the feeling this title is pretty much filler.  Really Morrison's story should be in this title, but I guess he really wanted the "Batman & Robin" title, and no doubt DC wouldn't have OK'd that name change, even for 12 issues.

Those couple of pages with Dick, Tim, Clark, and Diana. Then the ones with Dick and Alfred. And Dick, Tim, and Damian. Those were some powerful pages. 

Liked this way more than I thought that I would.  No big reveals or other gimmicks, just a really good book.

I liked how this filled in some of the continuity blanks.

I liked that this Batman is still Dick and not an alternate-Jason book.

 I even didn't mind the Benes-cheesecakery.

Somehow, though, alot of the sentiment expressed here seemed a little easy/boring/melodramatic. 

Willing to give it some room though. Really dug his pre-Infinite Crisis run in spite of the Jason resurrection. (my kingdom for a bizarro-superboy punch to put that one back to bed).

This was the first Batman book I've read by Winick.  I really enjoyed this issue, and I look forward to reading the rest of his run.  People need to stop hating on him so much.  Yes, ressurrecting Jason Todd was a dumb idea if you ask me, but people need to quit worrying about it and move on with their lives.

i thought this was a fantastic book.  i don't get all the hating going on.  i thought winick did a great job and really enjoyed benes' work.  can't wait for the next issue!  this is my pick of the week and favorite "new" batbook so far...

I know most folks hate Winick but I liked his GL and Exiles.  This was a good issue he has the perfect state of mind for Dick Grayson.

I thought this was pretty good. I even liked Benes' art in this one. Wonder Woman's ass wasn't facing the reader at any point, I think he's learning restraint. 

I can already see that this is gonna be controvesal.  On one hand this was a nice fill-in-the-blanks story that gives the reader good foundation to pick up all the pieces left lying arond after RIP & Final Crisis.  On the other hand, personally, I didn't think it was necessary to tell this story, that' why there was Battle for the Cowl.  This issue show of been the first half of the first Battle for the Cowl issue and the second half of the last Battle for the Cowl issue, if it had to be told.

After months of waiting, I'm just need some solid Batman stories, not reading 39 pages to get to a conclusion that was already addressed in a prior series.  Batman and Robin and Red Robin did it right, Batman fell short.  I'm hoping for something better in the next issue or this is going to be one Batman title that is out of the pull bin. 

@supertrackmonkey Those were good pages (at least art wise).  Benes convenyed great emotion in his faces and figures.  The Alfred comment ' "I've lost my son ..." - I'm tired of hearing it at this point.

The Alfred line killed me. Great book...

@Notahiro In all honesty, I thought this did a better job than Battle for the Cowl at getting Dick in place. Really enjoyed this. 4/5 for me. Not great, but I'm ready for next issue. Not really outstanding, but a solid Batbook. Excited for Bagley art, too.

slow first issue, seemed to rehash some of battle for the cowl, primarily dick's struggle with whether to take the mantle or not. but if it had to be that way to allow new readers to catch up, so be it. the art is unforgiveable though, distractingly bad. 

at least the finally aknowleged that final crisis happened.

@Notahio Yeah, I've been one to say that I really didn't understand from a story point of view why Dick took up the cowl. (I know *why* he did, from the text in Battle for the Cowl, but felt it was just said and never actually dealt with.) So for me, having something that actually deals with that (even rehashing). But I understand your point totally

@peterporker Ummm... I believe at this point at least JLA, JSA vs Kobra, Green Lantern, Flash: Rebirth, Batman, Battle for the Cowl and the Re-Bat-Boot. have all acknowledged it. 

nope

A fantastic 4/5 star book. Not perfect, and not a contender for POW, but a great look at the Bat family. I especially thought Alfred was the centerpiece of the story more than anyone. He's the only living person to have seen everything Bruce, Dick, Tim, Jason, Damian, etc. have ever gone through, and I think that speaks volumes here. Such a great character. The "My Son is dead" line killed me. I'd love to see more Alfred-centric stuff like this in the OUTSIDERS book.

@peterporker Actually, yes. Indeed, Flash: Rebirth is entirely premised on it.

This had a good story with shite art.

Whoever coloured this book should be shot, that or the person who made the colourist rush it.

Better than I thought, although like many I agree that the world could happily survive with less Benes art.  Winick did blow me away with that one simple line from Alfred as he mourned his son.  It wasn't showy or overwritten and it just nailed exactly what Alfred really would be feeling right now.

i didn't mind benes but i'm eager to see what Bagley can do with this book.

@peterpoker: Prax is correct, all of those books have dealt with FINAL CRISIS.

a surprisingly good issue

this was overly emotional. or maybe not overly emotional but "forced" or "not genuine" and although i like ed benes on art he's more meant for "cool guy" poses so the emotional stuff felt unnatural.

Goddamn the colors in this bok are terrible, who the hell let these out of the door? It's about the level of work that I can do, and I'm a shitty colorist! And the fact that there were two of them.... fuck...

Not a bad book otherwise though, I really feel for Alfred, I'm glad Winick is giving his character time to mourn as well as having Dick staring at the costume a lot. 

This book replaces all the Battle for the Cowl junk.  A surprisingly great issue.  It boils down the important issue to what's really important.  I thought, however, that this was going to be the Jason Todd book?  Are we instead going to have 2 Dick and Damian books?

This was awesome! (surprisingly to me) Winnick has written the Nightwing character perfectly. Loved the way he doesn't WANT to wear the cowl, he doesn't feel worthy ect. but will do it because the city needs it. Awesome.

This was a great issue. I picked it ahead of Red Robin, actually.