Batman #37 - Wow.....

Every so often a comic book comes along that reminds you why you love this medium.  Sometimes it's a comic with big storyline revelations, or part of a big event that is so twisted and clever that you can't help but appreciate it.  Sometimes it's the relaunch of a book that is handled so well you feel like you've known this character forever.  And sometimes, it's just the simple pleasures.  And that, is where Mr. Tom King comes in.

I have to admit that I thought Batman Rebirth got off to a bit of a shaky start.  After the mercurial run that was Snyder and Capullo, Tom King and (at the time) David Finch had a lot to live up to.  But the first couple of arcs were, well, just alright.  They were still well written and interesting, but they were not up to the New 52 standard.

Then came the one shot called 'The Brave and the Mold', which presented the frankly ridiculous situation of Swamp Thing sitting in Bruce Wayne's study with him, drinking tea, while Alfred dusts in the background.  You couldn't help but admire the sheer audacity and simplicity of it.

Then Tom King embarked on his ambitious arc of putting Batman and Catwoman together, to the point where Bruce proposed to Selina, and she accepted.  While still enjoying their engagement, Bruce wanted to make sure Selina knew what she was getting into and so regaled her with the tale of 'The War and Jokes and Riddles', an ambitious 8 issue arc.  That one hit the spot and was immensely satisfying, yet in the last couple of issues, the standard has just shot through the roof.  And it has been for no other reason that simplicity of storytelling and understanding of these characters.

'Double Date' is a single issue arc that does exactly what it says on the tin.  Bruce and Selina go out on a double date with Clark and Lois to celebrate their engagement.  They decide to enjoy the simple pleasures of a county fair.  However, there is one caveat.  They have dressed as civilians for the evening, and you can only gain entry to the fair if you are dressed as a superhero.  Well, as luck would have it, they have some outfits in the car that might do.  But in a piece of pure inspiration, they all switch.  So Bruce gets to try on the Superman outfit, while Clark dresses up as Batman (complete with glasses being worn on the outside of the cowl.  If that image doesn't make you smile then we may not be able to be friends anymore).

What follows is a straightforward tale of 4 people out on a date, talking about what scares them in a relationship, what excites them, and the differences between the two couples.  They also get to stop a robber (there had to be something heroic in here somewhere), and also quibble over whether Batman could hit a baseball pitch that Superman threw.

To say anymore would be to ruin the issue.  But we are reminded here of what comics should be first and foremost - fun.  There are no end of the world scenarios here.  No supervillains pushing our heroes to the limits.  Just a look at what makes these characters tick, what drives them and how they can exist in the world when they are not out being heroes.

I cannot recommend this  highly enough and just remember -

'The S stands for hope'
'The Bat stands for a Bat'.

Until next time......