Aspiring Bat-fans might want to take a look at Batman: The Ultimate Guide to the Dark Knight, which is a coffee-table book giving a fairly up-to-date info on the mythos.

Having read the rant, I'm kind of "Eh" about it. Yes, he was harsher than he needed to be but it doesn't fall into my "How could he say that?" category. It sounds to me like the reply of someone who's heard that question (or ones very much like it) a million times and lost their patience. Could he have used a lot more tact and lessons in customer service, definitely, but it's hardly a deal-breaker for me.

I think we're very lucky as fans that Joss, Tim and co. are so nice to us and have so much patience for some of our little quirks. Honestly, the fan's question seemed to be intended in the way Mr. Kobar interpreted it, a chance to settle debates with "Well, Justin said X." in much the same way we say "Well, Joss said X." The difference is, Joss has a clear vision for the Buffyverse and his word is essentially law. WW, on the other hand, encourages their fans to make their own worlds, using their books as inspiration.

Of course, Mr. Kobar could have gone about explaining this and the reasons behind Justin's non-answer in a much nicer way and probably should have, but I just see that as being rude rather than insulting. YIMV, of course.

Though it certainly proves that Joss, Tim and Co. are much cooler than the WW people.

ETA: Also, reading his later posts in the same thread, he restates his opinion a little (not a lot, but a little)more tactfully. It would have been nice if he'd added an apology for his earlier posting, but it gives me more of an inclination to see the first post as being a little more pissy than his usual.

For some reason, I thought 1602 #8 was out next week. Maybe I'm confusing it with The Escapist. Hmm. Must go to comic store at lunch.

On Robin, amych said that Spoiler is gonna take over (and be the first she-Robin in the main continuity).

When you say "main continuity," does that not include Dark Knight Returns? (Which I just finished last night, BTW.) Because -- what about Carrie? (Who is a little crazy, IMO.)

DKR is definitely not part of the main continuity. It would have been an "Elseworlds" title had such a thing existed when it was first published.

Why is it not part of the main continuity?

(It's the first Batman title I've read, so maybe I just confused the hell out of myself.)

And speaking of DKR -- was Clark *supposed* to look all big, gay, and Fabio?

Why is it not part of the main continuity?

There's the whole set-in-an-apocolyptic-future thing.

ETA: It's been over ten years since I read DKR. Doesn't DKR!Batman use guns? The canonical Batman would never use a gun. He hates guns.

And speaking of DKR -- was Clark *supposed* to look all big, gay, and Fabio?

Possibly. Writer/Artist Frank Miller doesn't like Clark/Superman very much, so maybe he was dissing on him in his art style. I actually didn't think he treated him that badly in DKR, though. It's the horrible, horrible sequel in which he (and every other character) really gets treated like crap.

ETA: It's been over ten years since I read DKR. Doesn't DKR!Batman use guns? The canonical Batman would never use a gun. He hates guns.

Yes, he uses a gun twice in the book. Plus he's quite old and it's set in a post-apocalyptic future. And Gordon is still commissioner in that future — hasn't he been out of that role for quite a while in canon? And he fakes his death at the end.

There are many, many reasons why this doesn't fit into the modern continuity of the younger, fit Batman.

Steph, here: [link]

Which, you know, might help clear some of the Batthings up.

ETA: It's been over ten years since I read DKR. Doesn't DKR!Batman use guns? The canonical Batman would never use a gun. He hates guns.

Although I'm pretty sure that waaaaay back in the early days, when he was introduced in Detective Comics, he used guns. He was certainly casual about the bad guys dying.