Guh, it's discouraging though.

Why? It's all just a retelling of a mythology shifting to suit present time, and its mutablity is part of its power.

The Batfamily titles, though, seem to be particularly good about not resetting the consequential events like Babs getting shot by The Joker. (They haven't changed that, right?)

Actually, now she's in a chair because of a freak ski accident.

OF COURSE they haven't changed that, silly!

I'm less irked by a slow twist and change in what's continuity than I am by books (Suicide Squad, I'm looking at YOU) that have sudden and jarring shifts from it without the whole "written at the same general time" excuse that, say IC has with the Robin issue. (In Squad, Oracle is assumed to not know Bruce's identity outside of the cowl. Which, of course, is a massive WTF?? moment, as she knows damn well who he is. See: Killing Joke, when Babs wakes up.)

Cereal to add that SOME events of consequence were undone by Zero Hour. Batman no longer knows who killed his parents, for example.

I know that the DC titles aren't perfectly synchronized in terms of chronology, so that's not my question. I only started reading Robin at 125 (because my damned store doesn't have 124 anywhere), so -- when did Jack find out that Tim was Robin, and why was he calm about it for a while (because IC sure makes it look like he was calm about it), and what precipitated Jack finding out about Bruce and then flipping out

Hrm

Okay, I have an idea when this takes place, but requires spoiler text.

Read this first

Look, this is really a big spoiler. You have been warned

Read this second.

In this late summer, fall Bat book xover event, War Games, it has been heavily implied that Steph buys it. Pushes up daisies, enter the refrigator, leaving the way for Tim to return. Which is a shame, but it seems to be an editorial fiat in progress...

Yeah, I've only seen it implied and not actually spoiled, but on the other hand, it's undeniable that Tim's been hanging around (and going on having adventures -- see upcoming Robin solicitations) a lot more than someone who's stepped down and gone back to normal life really ought to be . Of course, I've been sure from the time I heard about it that Steph wasn't going to last long as Robin -- still, given how badly this whole run has been written/characterized, I don't expect it to be anything but a disaster in the execution. Sigh. (Note: that was in response to Bil's really big spoiler. Which is. Big. I'm serious.)

Bil, your whitefont is what I'm thinking, as well.

The coy little promos for it would indicate that, at least, and it makes sense with IC.

And I have to say, it pisses me off. No fuckin' reason to kill her -- take her out of the game if you must, send her off to have her own adventures somewhere else, but, dude, enough.

Apparently, the War Games crossover plotlines were all or largely DC fiat From Above. I have no idea if that makes me like them more or less -- time will tell.

Yeah, the writer in question was basically told what would happen, he said in an interview, and his job was to execute the plans.

That being said, he is the newest writer in the Batverse, so he may have been left out of the yearly Bat-retreat where the direction of the titles are decided, supposedly with input from editors and writers. Since he wasn't there, the other writers may felt free to do whatever they wanted to the character...

No shit, M. At best, she becomes a "look, Ma, a female Robin!" gimmick (which, frankly, is all they've done with her) and future footnote. At worst, it gets to be a whole "she couldn't handle it" vibe.

Actually, now she's in a chair because of a freak ski accident.

I KNEW it! Was it Hal Jordan's fault?

Why? It's all just a retelling of a mythology shifting to suit present time, and its mutablity is part of its power.

That's probably a healthy perspective. But I was reading comics a lot at a time when Miller and Moore dug deep into continuity to create new/better myths. They didn't just overwrite identities with lameass Atlantis crap. Also I find it hard to reconcile (for example) what I know/read as Dick's history with Donna Troy with all the twisty Troia storylines that happened in the last 20 years. It's sort of like the annoyance I felt in Aliens 3 when they killed off all the supporting characters that were so vital and interesting in Alien 2.

Man, CaBil's spoiler indicates a seriously lameass narrative. It's the equivalent of a lesbian kiss on Ally McBeal.