I don't want to come off sounding like some sort of deranged fangirl, but this is just bad writing. I also don't want to jump the gun, but I've always had an itchy trigger finger! So it is time for a vent - if you don't give a hoot about Batman, you probably should just mosey along before I melt your brain.

So, Batman #693 has recently come out. As summarized by someone on Wikipedia, "after an explosion Nygma says that he is free leaving his career as a private detective behind and returning to a world of crime."

I checked and right they are! Sort of. The actual meaning behind is words was somewhat vague and could have several different directions, but either way it was unpleasant. Apparently someone hired him to keep an eye on the party and was acting more or less like himself - egotistical, taunting, and nosy - there was an explosion, and suddenly he's acting like a very out-of-character nutcase and proclaiming that he's "back".

"Twister of TRUTHS...Dastardly Definer of DEFINITION...King of CONTRADICTION...Grandmaster of RIDDLES...

"...I'M BAAAAACK! Heh Heh."

+1 Crazy Face.

WHAT THE FUCK, DEAD BATMAN. This makes no sense and seems to snub his current portrayal in Gotham City Sirens. He has been reformed since Detective Comics #822 since waking up from his coma, which hasn't been a particularly long time, and Gotham City Sirens just touched on how he was on a path to recovery. In fact, the final pages of the last issue, #3, have him seriously musing over what a bad person he "used to be" while our happy stalker Dick sits outside and muses about how it just might be true - it is an opening to a serious exploration of character and huge potential to make him important to crime fighting in Gotham. Tony Daniel took a big gigantic (redundancy on purpose for retard emphasis) crap on this - at least, as far as anyone can tell right now.

I pray to the deities of comic books that Paul Dini can find a way to fix this shit or at least retcon it to death if this is going where most people think it is. This just seems so blatantly disrespectful towards both his work and the character. Paul and Eddie both deserve better.

Apparently I'm not the only person who thinks this. I found this as I was writing this journal entry: [link]

There are many other similar forums topics on the issue out there too.

"Then in a matter of a single explosion, a poorly contrived plot gimmick that was rushed and idiotic, he undid all the work Dini put on the character. Again, he's done with a character EXACTLY WHAT HE SHOULDN'T HAVE!"

My thoughts exactly, good sir!

However, in his blog, Tony Daniel does say this:

"there's a lot of fallout to be had in the coming arcs. Like what happens with the Riddler for instance. I see a lot of people jumping the gun on that little "I'm back" incident, and rightfully so, I guess. But what I have happening to him isn't so black and white. It's going to be fun to see what actually happens to him in the coming arcs."

Plus:

"I expected people would want my head for what happens - or think happens - to Riddler. So that's totally normal. People want to know what the heck is going on. But these are monthly books and we'll have answers in due time."

I don't know if he has realized what he has done due to complaints and is trying to save face or really has something more appropriate planned, but I really hope he remedies this properly. Let's hope Eddie is bullshitting for some reason beneficial towards his detective work and is trying to get into character, is being brainwashed, struck by legitimate insanity thanks to an outside source, or another interesting theory - maybe it isn't Eddie at all. I like the last one.

All of which could be a very interesting story if done right and this isn't just a majorly cheap cop out to bring back a villain - which has been done before in regards to reformation, plus the cheap ass stunt of 'he was in a coma and now he doesn't remember jack shit important'. I will give Daniel credit for possibly fixing that - there was some suggestion that Edward perhaps now remembers that Bruce Wayne was Batman and given that he also knows that Dick Grayson was Nightwing and that the new Batman is someone else, that could really add up to something interesting. However, if he fixed that one only to replace it with a far worse cop out, all I can say is: FUCK THE WHAT.

So, I'm skeptical. Eddie needs to stop being bitch slapped with cheap crap and it has happened enough that I easy jump to conclusions. He has the potential to be a great character if the writers would let him be. His personality, behavior, and psychological profile are constantly all over the board (let us not mention his impossibly inconsistent appearance) and I personally believe full rights to touch his ass should belong to Dini. He seems to be the only person who treats him with proper respect. He needs to be viewed as a person rather than defined as a villain and forever forced into the role.

There are next to no logical reasons for him to return to crime and even less for him to act particularly crazy - he has largely overcome his OCD, which was really the main reason he became and remained a criminal for as long as he did. Batman was the only person who could play the game matching him in wits - however, if said disorder returns, it would be a good and interesting reason to work with. However, that would be a struggling with an extreme compulsion that would build up and lead him into trouble - not sudden mad cackling and proclamations of villainy. Edward Nygma always did best as a psychologically driven character. When presented realistically was never really crazy - just quirky, but not driven by malice, insanity, or irrationality. He was merely troubled, bored, compulsive, and self-serving. Plus egotistical as all Hell.

Continuing on the reasons why not: he isn't an idiot, he takes great care to look out for himself, and even if he is simply bored most of the time, life as a detective has been sustaining enough. I personally loved when he was berated by Oswald: We got a good thing here, don't screw it up.

Again, Eddie isn't stupid, even if boredom makes him squirm. It would take a lot of compulsion and temptation to make him lead himself back towards ruin. Plus, he gets to play "the game" in a whole new way by beating Batman at his own game of detective work.

The reason being presented is nothing even vaguely psychologically feasible or believable, however. It was "AND SUDDENLY AN EXPLOSION". What is with this guy getting injured and doing an heel face turn?

BONK. OH, NOW I NO LONGER HAVE OCD AND CAN'T REMEMBER IMPORTANT INFORMATION.

BOOM. I FEEL LIKE BEING IRRATIONALLY CRIMINAL AGAIN.

Do we just borrow a mace and give him another good couple of cracks on the noggin? Do we call ol' Penguin to shoot him in the leg by way of tough love counseling? This is a joke. All Daniels has going for him right now in my eyes - as far as Riddler is concerned, the art is good and the rest of the writing isn't bad - is that is he isn't Shane McCarthy and Tommy Castillo. HAHAHA.

Augh.