What "Batman: The Wedding" Teaches Us About Love
Batman #50: The Wedding
First, a huge shoutout to @cryplectibles and his "Batman #50" contest! I was lucky enough to win a copy of this issue, signed by its cover artist Alé Garza (AKA Garza the Great!)
The Negative Reviews
As a newcomer to this Batman series, I was surprised to see so many negative reviews of this issue! (Spoilers inbound.) One YouTuber called it a "slap in the face" to fans, and, another said that DC intentionally misled fans to the conclusion that this important event - the wedding - would actually happen.
While I have not been reading this new series for a long time, I certainly understand the feeling of disappointment when we continue to create our own expectations of art over a long period of time and our predictions are not met in the way we suspected. Anyone who is a fan of Star Wars knows this to one degree or another.
However, I'd like to offer a different point of view.
Here's Why Batman #50 Got it Right
Cultivating, maintaining, and expressing any relationship is an art form. Relationships require talent and honesty that parallels writing a book (maybe an example of a work of art that's exhausted itself over time.) A book that is poorly written and does not arrive from a honest perspective is not creativity. It is a poorly produced, fraudulent, and possibly plagiarized artifact. And when we're discussing romantic relationships, things get a little more tricky.
In Erich Fromm's book The Art of Loving, he speaks to the concept of love as a paradox: "that two beings become one and yet remain two."
While love is indeed a union that alleviates the anxiety created from the experience of being separate from others, it also permits each individual to retain their integrity and express their independent selves.
It's Not Just Good Writing, it's Psychology
Batman/Bruce Wayne & Catwoman/Selina Kyle are both complex characters with a strong sense of individuality and very different motivations for living. While it's clearly demonstrated that Bruce & Selina hold romantic feelings for each other, their values and personas/psychological clothing (represented by Batman and Catwoman, "persona" literally derives from a word meaning "mask") aren't capable of union.
This is hinted at in the proceeding issue, Batman #49: The Best Man, in a dialogue between Catwoman and The Joker.
Catwoman: "I... got a dress. At least. I stole it."
Joker: "You criminal. Does he know?"
Catwoman: "No. He'd be mad."
Joker: "If you do this wedding, if he found some joy... he'd lose the frown and the costume... He can't be happy. And also be Batman."
Bruce & Selina Still Have a Relationship, it's just not Mature & Healthy Love
To understand more about what an unhealthy relationship is like in the Batman universe (although in the upcoming example, it's not a romantic one,) I turn to some dialogue from The Dark Knight film. Again, we have The Joker speaking, this time to Batman.
Joker: "This is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object... You won't kill me out of some misplaced sense of self-righteousness. And I won't kill you because you're just too much fun. I think you and i are destined to do this forever.
And therefore, through mutual understanding, The Wedding didn't happen
What do you think? Do you agree/disagree? Am I missing something? LET ME KNOW! The last time I read a Batman comic book was the Knightfall series as a kid, so I certainly don't have the houseful of knowledge here that others have. Also pinging @blewitt to keep my analysis honest. And thanks again @cryplectibles for the care package!
Well, I have really loved the Catwoman, Batman dynamic in Rebirth. It's probably my favorite thing actually, going back to the "I Am Suicide" arc. But honestly I was a bit disappointed in the outcome. Maybe just because I though it felt right and could work. The Batman: Rebirth Annual #2 Date Nights was a lovely reflection of this. Oh, well. C'est la vie.
Also, I think a lot of retailers over ordered and felt burned that they were left holding copies of a promised wedding that didn't happen......I'm not real sure on the state of the market of it though.
I didn't consider this. If DC, another entity/person in authority, promised the event, I see your point on how that effects more than just people's feelings/reactions to the art (with your example of retailers & ordering.)
I read the first issue of the new Catwoman (taking place after The Non-Weding) and thought it was okay!
Really, that is just a rumor I had seen floating around, that DC had marketed it as a can't miss wedding event.
I like Selina, I should probably give it a go. I'm always down with morally grey.
I've got a new piece up if you would care to look. Prominent female first appearances on a budget!
Thanks for the interaction Steve!
Gotcha! I also gave you a follow so I'll see your posts in my feed :)
I didn’t read it but skimmed through it when it arrived in my shop. My problem with it didn’t really lie with “it@ but with DC spoiling the news days before the books release. Just kinda thought it was a shot move on their part. I’m in a few retailer groups on Facebook along with some higher ups at DC and the retailers let them have it. We still over ordered AND sold out so it didn’t affect us negatively sakes wise but still think the spoiling several days before aspect sucked.
I was not aware about DC spoiling its own content. That's... weird. If Disney announced an expected major event happening/not happening in The Last Jedi days before its release, that would be horrible.
Whyyyyy would DC spoil that, I feel like it would make them less $$ in sales. Sorry to hear about your over-order - @jackofcrows touched on this point I didn't consider - but glad you sold out!
I believe the reason DC went to the NYTimes (?) with the spoiler is that since the books ship ahead of release date, the information about what exactly happens in the comics would have been spoiled anyways, so they wanted to be in control of the spoiling is all.
Here is the video I seen the information from
Yeah it REALLY fucked over retailers who did store exclusive variants for their shops. Lots of retailers had customers email or call to cancel their pre orders which is a total dick move as well. These retailers spent 10-20k to have a store exclusive variant for an issue with the conclusion to a storyline that they pumped up for over a year. In my opinion a slap in the face and DC saw it too afterwards. They made the issue fully returnable to retailers if they were stuck with an over shipment.
Thank you!
Yeah they blasted it in I believe, The NY Times 3 days before the book was released. Bonehead move as lots of people were upset about it. I saw 0 upside to that move.
i upvote you thanks for upvoting me !
I also love batman series.
i voted you .......and give me your vote
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