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Topic: World’s Greatest…Punching Bag?? Post ReplyPost New Topic
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John Byrne
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Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
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Posted: 14 May 2022 at 1:46pm | IP Logged | 1 post reply

Just now I was paging thru that big black and white collection of Neal Adams Batman stories I’ve mentioned before.

For some reason I found myself noticing for the first time how often Batman gets knocked out—most often by being struck from behind. Makes for “drama”, I guess, but sure does diminish his credibility. In one story he recovers from a conk on the noggin only to be laid low again on the very next page. And by a different assailant!

Not the best recurrent motif for our favorite caped crusader!

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Eric White
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Posted: 14 May 2022 at 4:37pm | IP Logged | 2 post reply

In one scene he turns his back on a criminal just to get smacked in the back of his head. I've always been more of a DC fan than Marvel but I wonder why sometimes because DC never believed in using common sense in their stories. Great art though. 
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Mike Benson
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Posted: 14 May 2022 at 6:30pm | IP Logged | 3 post reply

Superman takes the hits and is unaffected. Batman’s “power” is not taking the hit in the first place.  One of the reasons I have yet to find a movie Batman that resonates with me. Body armor instead of skill.  

Edited by Mike Benson on 14 May 2022 at 6:30pm
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Eric Jansen
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Posted: 14 May 2022 at 11:42pm | IP Logged | 4 post reply

Well, that was the writing of the time, right?  MANNIX on TV was always knocked out too--AND run off the road--and his secretary kept getting kidnapped!  I think on ROCKFORD FILES, Jim got beat up every episode!

I bought the BLACK CANARY Golden Age collection and I really liked it, but she (and Johnny Thunder for the first few stories) got knocked out every time!  Then she (or they) would get tied up (or otherwise bound) and she would activate her choker (with her chin!) and a different hidden weapon (gas, a little knife, a mirror, etc.) would be used to help her escape!  But she got knocked out--every single time!
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Phil Frances
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Posted: 14 May 2022 at 11:53pm | IP Logged | 5 post reply

I'm looking at buying that Black Canary collection fairly soon, Eric (steadily filling in gaps in the Marvel Masterworks and DC Archive collections) - interesting to hear some of what to expect ... ! :-)
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Craig Earl
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Posted: 15 May 2022 at 2:02pm | IP Logged | 6 post reply

Comics' use of 'knocking someone out' is a staple of the medium, and I'm fine with it, especially given the fighting expertise of some characters (DD pressing a nerve in a someones neck, Iron Fist's skills or She-Hulk's out and out power).

It's way overused on TV and in movies, however, where it often becomes a lazy tool to engineer any number of situations. 

It really isn't that easy to knock someone out!

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John Byrne
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Posted: 15 May 2022 at 2:12pm | IP Logged | 7 post reply

The point is this is BATMAN. No one should be able to lay a glove on him—least of all by sneaking up!
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Michael Penn
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Posted: 15 May 2022 at 3:28pm | IP Logged | 8 post reply

Yes, and that's also why Batman not wearing armor is essential too. 
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Doug Centers
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Posted: 15 May 2022 at 3:41pm | IP Logged | 9 post reply

Seeing how Batman avoids such blows would be more of a fun read anyway, rather than the go to "knockout" trope. Plus you have to see if the writer can navigate around the why he wasn't unmasked or outright killed, if it's addressed at all. 
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Craig Earl
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Posted: 15 May 2022 at 4:36pm | IP Logged | 10 post reply

Doug, your comment reminded me of that DD / Iron Fist fight by Miller where they evaded each others blows for 2-3 pages.
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Darin Henry
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Posted: 15 May 2022 at 9:17pm | IP Logged | 11 post reply

This thread sounds like it’s setting up a story in which Batman goes ultra violent before being diagnosed with C.T.E. due to too many blows to the head. 


Edited by Darin Henry on 15 May 2022 at 9:17pm
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ron bailey
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Posted: 15 May 2022 at 9:44pm | IP Logged | 12 post reply

I get Batman's aversion to guns given his origin, but what's the rationale against any kind of armor, given all his other preparation (his wonderful toys, transportation, etc)? 
Even Captain America has chainmail and a shield, and he has the super-serum on his side to boot. 
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Pure aesthetics? I get that ...
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