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Comics

The Journey of Renee Montoya

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The 1990s has become a surprisingly important decade for Batman. This decade saw the publication of two major Batman comic events – Knightfall & No Man’s Land. Both of them would have major influences on the character and mythos for years to come. Speaking of Knightfall, this decade would see the introduction of Jean-Paul Valley AKA Azrael who would take up the Batman name during that event. No Man’s Land saw the introduction of Cassandra Cain, the second woman to take up the Batgirl mantle. And the character who would star in the first Batgirl solo title. Tim Drake would be the star in the first solo Robin title which started during Knightfall. Let’s not forget Batman in other media. The film “Batman Returns” would become a fan favorite in the years following its initial release. The animated film “Batman: Mask of the Phantasm” was sorely overlooked but has become known as one of the best – if not the best – Batman movie. And of course, the show “Batman: The Animated Series” was highly popular and has become known as one of the greatest cartoon shows of all time.

The animated show is relevant to what this article is taking a look at. While the show’s biggest influence on the comics was creating Harley Quinn, there was another character that the show created that would make the jump to the medium. A character that when it comes to the regular citizens of Gotham, is probably the best representation of the best the city has to offer. That character is the cop, the vigilante, the badass known as…Renee Montoya.

As mentioned, she was a character that was created by the animated show, as a cop (and later detective) of the GCPD. But she actually was preemptively introduced Batman #475. Kind of similar to how the Adam West Batman show asked DC Comics to create a female character – Barbara Gordon as Batgirl – to see how people would react before introducing her on the show. It would later be established that she is the daughter of immigrants from the Dominican Republic, along with her brother. When she was later promoted to detective, her partner was Harvey Bullock. While he was a grouchy character, and someone who didn’t mind bending the rules to solve a case, Montoya was a sort of counter-balance. She’s someone who was supportive of Batman. In fact, she would later admit she became a cop partly because she was inspired by him.

During the events of No Man’s Land, Montoya was one of the cops who remained in the abandoned city of Gotham along with Commissioner Gordon. It was during this era should would act as the middle man between the remaining GCPD and Two-Face’s gang. Maintaining an uneasy alliance to help keep the peace in what has become Gotham. There were moments of genuine partnership, especially in the early days when Two-Face found himself helping out the people in the aftermath of the earthquake and Renee would lend a hand. Things were more tense as No Man’s Land went on however. Even reaching the point where Two-Face would capture Gordon and put him on trial for what her perceived as wrongdoing. Renee would convince Two-Face to actually execute a fair trial where the Harvey Dent persona of Two-Face would defend Gordon. The situation ended with Gordon being released.

Despite Gordon doing some morally questionable things during No Man’s Land and even refusing Batman’s help in the beginning, Renee would stick by his side and offer support. Which is why later on, after Gotham rejoined the US, she found herself on the brink of the abyss. Gordon had been shot, seriously injured. Renee went out to try and track down the shooter and seek vengeance. Thankfully she was stopped by Bullock before she could do anything. But it turned out that Harvey had leaked the shooter’s identity to the mafia when it was discovered the assailant was a part of the Witness Protection Program. This would result in him no longer being a cop. Some hated Bullock for doing what he did, others stuck by his decision. Renee was stuck in the middle. She was angry at what her partner did. But she can’t ignore the fact that she shared his anger at the man who shot one of their closest friends. Anger that would be fed as danger began moving in her direction.

Renee would be assigned a new partner, Detective Crispus Allen. He had more in common with Renee personality-wise compared to Bullock. All though he considered Batman a necessary evil, one that he wants to help the GCPD move away from. So he’s a little more by the books than Renee in certain areas of the job. But that won’t be a factor until later one. In the comic title “Gotham Central”, Renee found herself harassed by a rapist that ended up walking. It started with him suing her. Nothing that she probably couldn’t fight off herself. But then he and a private investigator discovered her big secret. Renee Montoya is gay and has been secretly seeing a woman named Daria. When he followed the two of them, Renee would confront him and make a threat to him if he ever went near Daria. The next morning, two major things happened. Renee’s stalker was found dead. But more importantly – a picture had been hung up in the GCPD showing her and Daria kissing. She had just been outed to the entire police force.

These two events combined and some more finer details made her the primary suspect and was put on trial for murder. Her brother – who had already known but still struggled with the knowledge – couldn’t convince their parents that Renee being gay wasn’t true. Disowned by her parents and several officers from the GCPD against her and throwing slurs at her, her only ally was Crispus Allen who was struggling to prove she was framed. But thankfully, the mastermind revealed himself as Two-Face. It turns out that he had fallen in love with Renee due to their working relationship during No Man’s Land. He orchestrated everything so that she would have nothing in her life except for him. Leaving her no option but to love him. In his delusion, he believed that her love for him during her darkest hour would be enough to “overcome” her sexuality. He had captured her during her transit from the courthouse to reveal this information to her. At first she played into it to try and lower his defenses. But then she fought back, the gun in his hand dropping to the floor. Both made a move for it, but Batman finally intervened. A part of her became angry at him because she was almost at the gun. But he told her that one of them being shot and killed was not an option. Still, her anger grew despite being rescued and her name being cleared.

Renee Montoya was someone who would still help the people of her community. Someone who worked hard to do the right thing and find justice. But ever since she was outed and her parents turned their backs on her, she began to spiral. At night, she was out at bars looking for fights. She began drinking just like her former partner Bullock. One night she found herself holding a gun and crying in her home, her girlfriend Daria trying to comfort her. A slightly more productive way of exercising her anger was going after a cop from the crime investigation department, Jim Corrigan. He is c op who sells crime scene evidence on the side for some money but the GCPD could never firmly prove his illegal activities. When his side hustle put her partner Cirpus Allen in danger of losing his job, she beat the information she wanted out of him. While he was cleared, Allen was angry that now the GCPD didn’t have a case against Corrigan. Renee would discover that since then, Allen had been doing his own investigation to try and create a solid case. However, he ended up being shot and killed by the man he tried to take down.

The GCPD went all in to try and finally nail Corrigan. But he manipulated the evidence and once again walked. So during the night, after taking a few more drinks, Renee broke into Corrigan’s home. She held the gun up to him until he dropped to the ground, crying and begging her to not kill him. Despite all her anger building up all this time, through everything that had been thrown at her – she couldn’t pull the trigger. She left him to cry on the floor. The next day, she turned in her gun and badge and quit the force.

Months went by. Daria ended up leaving Renee, unable to watch her spiral any longer. That only pushed her to drink more, seek out more women for sex meaningless sex. But at least it distracted her. She no longer knew who she was or what she stood for. Her inability to become a killer also made her view herself as a pathetic version of Batman. What’s next for someone who has lost everything and everyone that she considered important? Now that’s the question. And it’s also where the faceless vigilante Charles Victor Szasz AKA The Question enters the story.

The faceless vigilante recruits Montoya as he investigates a bizarre case that touches on various aspects of the DC world. During this time, it is revealed that The Question is dying from lung cancer. And the reason he reached out to her is because he wants her to take his mantle. But in order to do that, he must go through the same kind of training he did. Which includes her looking deep into herself and confronting all of her flaws. Finding some sense of inner peace. It at first seems like a nigh impossible thing for her to do. How can someone who has gone through so much hardship – including being disowned by her own parents – find a way to move past that? But Renee found what she was looking for. And so when Charles Victor finally dies, he feels at peace knowing that he did manage to help someone he called a friend in his final days.

The woman formerly known as Detective Renee Montoya is no more. She is now The Question. Taking on the corruption of the larger world in a way she never has before. Reuniting with an old flame, Kate Kane the Batwoman, and even briefly working together to take on the Religion of Crime. The faceless woman fights for those that have been exploited and abused by those in power, feeling whole for the first time in her life.

And then DC Comics decided to shoot itself in the foot and started the New 52 initiative. The purpose of the New 52 being was to reboot the entire DC universe and start all their characters from the beginning. We don’t have time to go over the entire New 52, but here is what is relevant. Despite there being no communication on what was or wasn’t canon anymore, referencing characters or events or stories that shouldn’t exist yet, Renee was back to being a detective at the GCPD. And yet, as DC moved past the New 52, they seemed to be unsure of where they wanted Renee in her story. In some appearances she was a detective on the force. In others she was The Question, even though I’m not sure if Charles Victor is supposed to be dead. And more recently, she is shown as the being the commissioner of the GCPD. It is all very confusing. But on the bright side, no matter what role she’s occupying, she is continuing the fight against evil.

At the time this is being posted, the character is celebrating her 30th year anniversary. But the real reason I decided to write and publish this piece is to show the true strength of what DC has to offer. We often stay focused on the superheroes like Batman or Superman or Wonder Woman. Those that put on a costume and fight against unfathomable forces. But there is a plethora of characters who are much more regular citizens that have some of the more inspiring journeys that the medium has to offer. A woman struggling with her identity, dealing with everyday crime, then losing everything that once defined her only to become more confident in who she is and what she feels compelled to do. The story of Renee Montoya is one that inspires and gives hope for all of us that we can be heroic. We have the capability of fighting back against the corruption and obstacles around us. And she shows us how we can improve on ourselves.

Renee Montoya – detective, vigilante, fighter, hero.

Comics

The Three Jokers: Was It Worth The Wait?

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Back when the DC Universe was still under the New 52 banner, there was a big Justice League Storyline called “Darkseid War”. At one point, Batman sat in the Mobius Chair. It’s basically a super advanced computer that can answer any question you have. He tests it by asking it who killed his parents. And then he asks a bigger question – who is the Joker? We don’t hear the Chair’s answer, but we see Batman’s shocked reaction. Later on in 2016, not too long after the end of that storyline, there was a special one shot that revealed the answer. There are THREE Jokers. The story going into this answer had been teased for years but kept getting pushed back. Until finally it came out in 2020, even though it was under an imprint that takes place outside the main continuity and the main Batman title never addresses this revelation again. But is it still worth reading?

The 3 issue story is written by famous comic book writer Geoff Johns. If your unfamiliar with comics and who he is, there is one important thing to know about him. He has written both good and bad stories, like anyone has – but one thing that is common in most of his stories is that he tends to introduce retcons. The reason he does this is to help support the story that HE wants to tell. Even if the retcons he uses might go against what has been established or well known characterization of favorite characters. One the one hand, this can lead to “Green Lantern: Rebirth”. After Hal Jordan turned into the villain Parallax back in the 90s and then died for several years, Geoff brought him back to life and retconned the reason why he turned bad. This lead to a huge expansion of the Green Lantern mythology that will help provide truly great stories. And it didn’t necessarily take away the importance of the other characters that have took on the role of Green Lantern. But on the other hand, Geoff’s style can also lead to “The Flash: Rebirth”. Barry Allen had a heroic death back in the 1980s that allowed his sidekick, Wally West, to take over as The Flash and develop his large fanbase. While Geoff might not have resurrected him in 2008, this story from 2009 pushed Barry Allen into the spotlight and pushed Wally West to the side. Wally would either become ignored by the DCU all-together or be completely mishandled in the following years. Point is, Geoff tends to use retcons to help tell his stories and the consequences can easily go either way in terms of affecting the quality of his stories or later stories.

Anyway, back to the story at hand. It is discovered in this story that while one Joker came into his own by himself, he ended up creating two other Jokers. Each one has their own nickname and it usually how they are addressed in the story. The Criminal is a representation of the Golden Age Joker who thinks and acts like a crime boss. The Clown is a representation of the Silver Age Joker who does some of the more over the top schemes. While also being the one who killed the second Robin, Jason Todd. Don’t worry, he came back as the Red Hood. And then there is The Comedian, the representation of the Bronze & Modern Age Joker. And the one who crippled & sexually violated Barbara Gordon AKA Batgirl. She also got better. As they gather once again, the plan seems to be for them to create a new Joker. And the choice they end up settling on is Joe Chill, the man who killed Bruce’s parents. It is up to Batman, Red Hood, & Batgirl to find and stop all the Jokers.

It was a smart idea to have Batman’s only allies in this story be the two that have suffered the most from one of the Jokers plans. It ties into the theme of trauma and how someone tries to move on from that experience. But there is more focus on Batman & Red Hood than there is on Batgirl. Jason goes through a variety of emotions and even ends up killing The Clown – the one who had originally killed him. But there isn’t a lot of exploration of what Batgirl is going through emotionally. You can make the argument that she has come to some sense of closure in her own title back in the main DCU and that since this only has 3 issues they need to cut something to keep it going. But considering Jason already aired out all of his baggage about his trauma back in mid 2000s and his feelings are plain and simple, it would be more interesting to see the complex thoughts Barbara has. Especially since in “The Killing Joke” – the story where the Joker crippled and violated her – her trauma was really just used to advance the story of all the male characters in the story, mainly the Joker’s. So to see her get less focus again is annoying.

Another issue this story shines on is the relationship between Batman and Jason Todd. As mentioned earlier, Jason came back as the Red Hood in the 2000s and he was a villain when first brought back. He used guns, he killed, he tried to get Batman to kill the Joker himself. Jason was angry, furious at Batman for not seeking vengeance against the Joker for what he did. But in the years since Jason Todd has come back, he has been transitioned into more of an anti-hero role that will sometimes be an ally to Batman. He still uses guns and keeps going back and forth on whether or not he kills. And yet when he kills one of the Jokers in this story and Barbara informs Bruce, he seems to want to forget it. Which is against how one of the most well known things about Batman is that his one rule it that he doesn’t kill. And makes sure any other vigilante operating in Gotham and allied with him also follows that rule. I think this is supposed to shed some light on why Batman has tried to bring Jason Todd back into the Bat Family since his resurrection. It’s supposed to be his way of trying to make up for what he sees as his failure for not saving him and him trying to not react & punish Jason for this murder ties into that. If so, it isn’t really explained that well. And it still goes against his one rule and how he is usually portrayed in the main continuity.

But on the other hand, this does also tie into one of the positives of the story. How Bruce is shown with some more humanity and emotion than he might normally be portrayed as. Which makes sense considering the inclusion of Joe Chill and how Batman ultimately has to choose to save him from becoming another Joker. We do get some insight into the history between the two and how he seems to have some closure about that trauma towards the end of the story. And we do get a good final scene between Batman & The Comedian – the last Joker left alive by the end. It isn’t groundbreaking but it does shine some light on how he views himself in their relationship.

One last issue to shed light on is the revelation that Batman has known the identity of this version of the Joker for a long time. And that his wife from before he transformed didn’t actually die but has been living in the Witness Protection Program with her son she was pregnant with back when she was with Joker. First of all, this goes against the established fact that he doesn’t actually know as show in the main DCU. Secondly, this does complicate how “The Killing Joke” is viewed. It kind of indicates Joker wasn’t the best husband prior to the transformation. Which might sound logical, but it goes against how he was characterized before he actually became the Joker. But I think this might actually balance out. That story wasn’t exactly the best in regards to handling it’s female characters. I already mentioned what that story did to Barbara. So actually having her survive and kept hidden so that they don’t get harassed by the press, Joker, or someone seeking revenge against Joker does give her a happy ending. Complicated as that revelation might be.

With all of that being said, where does the story stand quality-wise and is it worth the read? If you go into this story hoping to find something new and earth shattering, you might be disappointed. But it does play around with a cool concept that touches on the Joker’s entire comic history. There are some cool scenes and there is an emotional element to it that I think is well done. And the theme of finding a way to move past from past trauma is relevant. Yes, a couple of characters should have gotten more focus and some stuff that happens in the story goes against what has been established in the main continuity. But I think the advantage of it being published under a different imprint means it can be decided later if it is canon or not. Even though that means the main DCU just dropped one of it’s most interesting story teases in recent years. What I’m trying to say is that I was still able to enjoy this story. Maybe not as much as I wanted, but I think I was able to focus more on the good than the bad.

Comics, Film Editorials, Movies

Film Editorial – The Best Villain for The Batman 2

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The latest film version on the Caped Crusader has opened to positive reviews from both critics and audiences. With early talks for a sequel already underway, many people are trying to guess who the next villain will be. Most Batman fans and actors from the film have their money on The Court of Owls. A recent addition to Batman lore, they are a secret society of Gotham’s most powerful controlling everything from the shadows. They are also a group of villains that have been growing in popularity thanks to their appearances in other media. As exciting as they would be, it runs the risk of repeating the same story of corruption that the previous installment covered. Which is why, if you ask me, the best villain is a guy who used to wear a potato sack on his head.

Dr. Johnathan Crane is a psychologist at Arkham Asylum and a professor of Psychology. His experiments relating to fear and the effect they have on the human mind lead him to becoming the villain known as The Scarecrow. He has appeared in video games and various animated Batman shows over the years. But his most well known appearance was in the Christopher Nolan film “Batman Begins”. There was potential in him in that film, certainly not a bad performance. But it’s safe to say he was underutilized, especially when it came to showing what people see while under Crane’s fear toxin. But it is because of this lack of focus and development that Scarecrow can receive the same treatment as The Riddler. But what kind of story would work with this kind of character?

There was a recent storyline in Batman comics that focused on Scarecrow as the main bad guy. Known as “Fear State”, Dr. Crane took advantage of a city trying to recover from two back-to-back city wide traumatic events by using the media to intensify the sense of fear throughout Gotham. He even manipulated city officials into turning against Batman by framing him for terrorist attacks, forcing him to team up with a group of people – The Unsanity Collective – who try to move past their traumatic past by wiping their memories clean and losing all sense of fear. The entire purpose behind this plan is to push Gotham into what Dr. Crane calls the Fear State. His theory is that once they confront and push beyond the limits that fear puts on the human mind, people can grow and become better versions of themselves.

This is a storyline that can be used effectively in the next Matt Reeves film. After The Riddler kills several high profile officials – including the mayor – and then uses bombs to flood Gotham where his followers attempted to attack Gotham’s citizens, there would be fear that more people like The Riddler will start appearing. Dr. Crane could be inspired by what the serial killer was trying to accomplish and tries to help the city in his own way. Through a series of attacks and the spread of his fear toxin, he would push Gotham’s citizens into a state of panic in an effort to have them let go of their fear and become new people. The movie could even do justice when it comes to what people see when under the toxin’s influence. While the first movie had a psychological element and a Horror atmosphere, the movie could create truly disturbing visions and hallucinations that – if presented the right way – can make you question what is real in the scene you are watching. In this way, it can take inspiration from “Joker” by using subtle choices and framing to keep you guessing what’s really going on until the very last second. There can even be a way to adapt the Unsanity Collective where they are formed by Dr. Crane to help him in his mission.

This is admittedly my suggestion for where The Batman 2 could go. But it’s a direction I believe would help further the themes and story of Matt Reeves’s universe.

Movie Reviews, Movies

Review – The Batman

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It’s been a long journey to get to this point. When this movie was first announced, Ben Affleck was attached to direct and star in his own film following “Batman v Superman” and “Justice League”. Long story made short, Affleck ended up walking away from the film and the role entirely and the new director Matt Reeves was given the freedom to come up with the story he wanted to tell. And now it is finally here. The Dark Knight returns to the big screen.

Let’s start by taking a look at the man wearing the cowl. Robert Pattinson has worked hard since “Twilight” to work on his acting, taking roles in indie films. And you can see the result of those years of dedication in his performance. When he first shows up in the movie wearing his Bat Suit, he gives off a menacing aura. The way he moves makes him come off as someone like Michael Myers or Jason Voorhees. He intimidates all the criminals he comes across. The first time the Bat Signal turns on, the movie lets us see the reactions of the criminals who take notice. They look to the shadows in fear of seeing the Caped Crusader walk out. Robert Pattinson puts forth terror. His Bruce Wayne is a version that is addicted to this lifestyle, who has almost given up entirely on having a life outside of the Bat Cave. But over the course of the movie, we see him interact with those he considers allies, creating new relationships and deepening old ones. The story forces him to rediscover his humanity, remember the true reason he put on the suit and go out into the night. You see his emotions in every looks he gives, in every movement he makes. Robert Pattinson does right by the role and gives one that leaves a dark yet complex impression.

But that’s not to discredit the the quality of the other acting performances. Jeffrey Wright as Lieutenant James Gordon is a standout in this film. The partnership between the cop and the vigilante is unique from the other film versions and you can tell that there is respect and some trust between the two, especially as they go against a corrupt city in order to solve the case. It is arguably better than the chemistry Robert shares with Zoë Kravitz as Selina Kyle/Catwoman. Their interests and goals align for most of the movie, which is when we see the spark between the two slowly grow between the two. Since this is the first time meeting each other, the relationship isn’t as intense as one might hope for. But that doesn’t mean you will be disappointed. You will see the beginning of a deep connection that would hopefully be revisited and deepen in future installments. Paul Dano as The Riddler reinvents the character from practically every other popular version in past movies, TV appearances & comics. Taking influence from both The Zodiac and Jigsaw from the “Saw” franchise, Dano’s character is truly disturbed with a dark sense of humor. You carefully watch and follow him as you want to know what his endgame truly is. Lastly but certainly not least, Andy Serkis as Alfred is a strong choice. The relationship between the butler and Bruce is more distant than in past iterations, but their relationship is also an indicator of how Bruce slowly reconnects to his humanity. And Andy shows genuine love and affection in those later moments, but you will also be impressed by the more stern posture he gives off early on as he subtly displays the role he played in creating the young Batman.

There is one character that has shown up in every film version of Batman that doesn’t always get the proper attention – Gotham. While Tim Burton gave us a city with beautifully gothic visual style, Christopher Nolan gave us a version that’s as realistic as it could be. Both have their strengths, but both ultimately don’t truly portray an authentic Gotham. But Matt Reeves takes the best of both versions and gives us the best portrayal yet. You feel the grit whenever you follow Batman out into the night, the aura of crime that is a part of every brick. A version of Gotham that makes you wonder why does anyone choose to live here. This is enhanced by the strong visual direction of the film, letting scenes speak with very little or no dialogue. The action is also well choreographed and displayed, allowing you to see what is happening in style and let’s you feel the weight of the vigilante’s punches. All of this accompanied by a beautiful musical score. One full of terror, beauty, and even hope. If you fear that the length is too long, you will probably forget that once you follow the along with the protagonists working to unravel the mystery put in motion by Gotham’s newest serial killer. Every scene feels like it has a purpose or reason for being in the movie.

Here you have it. A Batman movie with a strong Horror atmosphere, a story that has psychological effects on all those involved. Performances that keep you glued to the screen and a menacing Batman that reconnects with his emotional side by the end of the movie in the hopes of better serving his city. This is a film that you can’t miss.