How Do I Title A Post About A Subject This Awesome!?

2008's Grant Morrison penned Batman R.I.P. arc did alot of folks no favors. For those who preferred their Bats sans the greater DCU and the other caped heroes of that ilk, this story arc's final culmination in DC's then current company crossover Final Crisis was like a shot to the head. Tony Daniel's gorgeous looking but mediocre in written execution Battle For The Cowl followed soon there after placing Gotham in chaos before reluctant former protege and first Robin in line Dick Grayson begrudgingly took over the mantle. Nearly one year later, we see in the pages of Morrison's Batman and Robin monthly that Grayson still hasn't settled into his mentor's boots and ears - second Robin Jason Todd is now behind bars after a second stint as the Red Hood while third Robin Tim Drake has taken on another alias (albeit all too similar in many ways) and has taken to traveling the world in search for Bruce, thoroughly convinced the man still lives. Fourth Robin Stephanie Brown has moved on up and taken the mantle of Batgirl much to the chagrin of the new B & R team. The son of the Bat, Damien Wayne is the current Robin and has taken to playing the bad cop to Grayson's good. Oh yes, and it would appear that they're all currently contending with Black Lanterns masquerading as deceased love ones. The fun never stops.

For many, all of this continuity clutter has proved overwhelming. Many have questioned why the brass at DC have in the wake of last year's mammoth The Dark Knight decided to take such an avant garde approach in their story telling. On paper, it isn't the best idea to remove the man from the cowl on the comics pages after his very presence was what nearly sank the Titanic in box office sales.

For those detractors (of which I am not one. While I understand the apprehension met by many by the recent events in the Bat universe, I'm currently enjoying the ride and look forward to each week's new batch of comic developments), DC has been rolling out a few alternatives. The first was the recently released Batman/Doc Savage one shot featuring the title characters in a 'pulp and powerless' variant of the DCU where super powers simply don't exist. I take personal exception to this due to Batman's use of fire arms. While the excuse has been that his dependence on them is a harkening back to his more noir days in the pages of late 30's and early 40's comics, I argue that he only used them then because he was a brand new character who hadn't been fully defined yet. 70 years later, Batman upholds a very staunch moral code - amongst his short list of blacks and whites, killing is at the top and resides on the 'Bad, Tsk Tsk' side.

In the coming year, DC is putting together a set of graphic novels featuring Bats completely revamped - yet another Year One scenario. I was initially apprehensive of this as it reeked of 'been there, done that' until I saw one particular detail...

friggin' GEOFF JOHNS is at the writer's helm!

The man behind the current 4th volume run of Green Lantern (my absolute favorite ongoing title which after 46 issues, is still fresher then an overzealous Frenchmen's loaf of piping hot bread) who brought Hal Jordan back in GL Rebirth - the guy who is currently retooling Barry Allen in this year's very hot (but often delayed) Flash rebirth - the guy who is actually bringing the JSA to the Smallville screen in the coming months - the man who is the architect behind this year's brilliant Blackest Night. The man who can for all intents and purposes in my book atleast, do absolutely nothing wrong.

See here's the thing about Johns, when he crafts a story, he approaches it like a clock maker. The Blackest Night for example, was forecasted back in 2004 when he retooled the Green Lantern franchise. There have been easter eggs in both the Green Lantern run as well as the accompanying Green Lantern Corps.

After Flash Rebirth, he'll be at the helm of the Flash's new ongoing.

...and this guy, THIS guy - he's writing a set of graphic novels on Batman.

Batman.

Batman.

Batman.

Yes, my inner fanboy is squealing like your big sister back in 87' at that NKOTB concert.

2,010 is gonna be good!