Grimlock ♥ Ultra Magnus

Seeing as I've read more DC this year than maybe the whole of my life, I consider this branching out.   I've also abandoned Booklikesopoly without meaning to, but mostly because it was too hard to fit what I wanted to read into that game.   I had to struggle to find something to read, and the truth is that buying books - even short ones - at the rate I do on a weekly basis means I have so much new stuff that I'm excited about, that I was reading that instead of Booklikesopoly book.  It's a combination of keeping up with my weekly comics, my real life, and anxiety over Marvel, the world we live in, who's in charge of our country, and school things.   (I had a pretty hilarious stress dream about school where one of the pre-class things you had to do - that effected how you did - was make plants grow, or at least keep them alive.  And when I couldn't, I pointed out I never could, and what did this have to do librarian science, and the answer was the same as every time I pointed out the buildings, and setup was different from when my dad and I visited: just trust us, this is important.   I woke up, panicking, telling myself I'd fucked up before class had started - and then remembered I had months to go, this was real life, laughed it off, and went back to sleep because it was too-early o'clock.)    Basically, I need my stress relief, it's comics, and if I wait too long, my comics pile up.   And I've started to realize that I join these games going 'yes, I'll be part of this big thing,' but the truth is that I'm happier reading at my own pace, and making my own decisions for the most part.   Which is why when I set up votes for what to read next, I was carful to pick out things I'm excited about.

Having said that, thank you to the creators, Obsidian Blue and Moonlight Reader.   This was a work of love and it was great for the community: so many people are not only playing, but enjoying, this game.   It's clever, it's thoughtful, and you obviously, so obviously, put so, so much effort into this!   It's a work of art, really, and it brought this community tighter together.  I look forward to seeing the rest of the game play.   That is to say: I appreciate this game, and what it's doing, and despite it not working for me, I love the concept.   I'm bringing it up now because the realization that I'm not going to be joining Booklikesopoly?   Hit me during this book.   And I wanted people to know, yes, I am dropping it out, it's for reasons that my reading habits don't mesh well with this game - between the high volume, shorter books and my habit of mood reading - and that I'm enjoying seeing others playing, so I hope that this game ends successfully and maybe someone else decides to run this again.   And I know neither OB or MR would think that I thought poorly of the game because of this, but I've come to the decision to do my own thing for various reasons.  

Onto the actual review, yes?   This is part three in what I've come to understand will be a four part crossover with The Flash, Batman's parts being one and three, and Flash's being two and three.   Given this issue, it makes sense: they wanted to bring back part of Flashpoint that dealt with Batman - Bruce's father as Batman in Flashpoint - and they wanted to use Reverse Flash and Flash to break the barriers between universes to not only go to Flashpoint, but to go to the Watchmen-verse to find out more about The Comedian's button.  The thing is: I'm not sure of 100% of what's happening. I certainly didn't reward Marvel for these crossovers.  I wanted to read for the writer many times, and hated feeling like I had to buy another book by someone I didn't know.   Or I wanted to read for characters, and didn't want to read a title that focused on another character.  Because of my long term emotional investment - not to mention monetary - in Marvel, I had more reason to read full crossovers with them.    Marvel seems to be worse about unwieldy crossovers though, ranging through four or five or more titles, and going out for a couple months.   With Batman and The Flash coming out twice a month, it means that this is one month, four issues maximum.   No preludes and epilogues.   It's more manageable, but my fatigue and distrust of crossovers stems from Marvel's practices. 

That being said, I probably would have enjoyed The Flash.  But I still resist these things.   I was also worried: DC doesn't have a previously on page, and in the past has made it notoriously hard to read mid-series, or in the middle of crossovers.   This was pre-Rebirth, thought and I figured I'd give this a shot.   Seeing how much I'm enjoying DC, and as a kick in the pants to Marvel, though, I may in fact get The Flash next week.   (As long as both parts of the crossover are still available.)   This didn't answer all the questions, but it's hard to get them all without reading all the material in a crossover.   Second issues in series were all but incomprehensible in The New 52; this second part of this crossover glossed over what I didn't, know, though, and told a story connected to the rest but also somewhat a stand alone.   I understood the story being told in this one issue, without having to read the corresponding issue in the Flash.   And that was a lovely surprise, so much so that I'm inclined to give DC more of my money. 

I may also reread The Button all together if I do this, and review it as one full story.   Some wonderful moments between Bruce and another version of his father, too, and while I didn't fully understand Thomas Wayne's decision, I understood his despair perfectly.   I understood because it wasn't just about Bruce, it was about the world he lived in, too, and nothing could erase the memories or the knowledge of how messed up his world was. 

Love, love, love.   Thanks to Tom King for really getting me into this modern take on Batman!