# Comics questions -- Batman, Watchmen, Krazy Kat **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 2, 2005, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comics-questions-batman-watchmen-krazy-kat/302108 "2005-05-02T19:23:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2005, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comics-questions-batman-watchmen-krazy-kat/302108/21 "2005-05-03T14:26:16Z")
I meant Dark Knight Straikes Again, of course. :smack: –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![gonzoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@gonzoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzoron)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2005, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comics-questions-batman-watchmen-krazy-kat/302108/22 "2005-05-03T17:23:05Z")
> [@Menocchio](#): > > Both Jason and Green Arrow got better. They did? GA did, but to the best of my knowledge Jason didn’t. They flirted with it during the Hush soryline, and his body was found missing, but I don’t think he’s better… yet, at least. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2005, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comics-questions-batman-watchmen-krazy-kat/302108/23 "2005-05-03T17:34:04Z")
> [@gonzoron](#): > > They did? GA did, but to the best of my knowledge Jason didn’t. They flirted with it during the Hush soryline, and his body was found missing, but I don’t think he’s better… yet, at least. It’s a brand-new plot development, as of the most recent issue or two of Batman. Jason Todd is back as the Red Hood. ---
**Author:** ![critter42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ba0ec/32.png) [@critter42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/critter42)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2005, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comics-questions-batman-watchmen-krazy-kat/302108/24 "2005-05-03T18:33:22Z")
> [@caveman](#): > > I seem to recall that it is at least implied that GA lost his arm after running afoul of Superman. Heh. Implied? Yeah, if by implied you mean hit over the head with a 2’x4’ :). I’m at work and don’t have it in front of me (I’ve got the Longmeadow Press edition of _The Complete Frank Miller’s Batman_ - which, sadly(thankfully?), is no longer “Complete” 🙂 ), but IIRC, Bruce is talking with Ollie. Ollie tells Bruce that he (Bruce/Batman) has been making too much noise for the government to ignore (quick summary: During this story, superheroes that aren’t under government control are banned, and Supes is the goverment’s enforcer) and mentions that Supes is going to have to show up to quiet him up. Ollie then makes a request of Bruce that when the showdown happens he wants Bruce to make sure he (Ollie) gets a piece of Superman - it then cuts to a close-up of Ollie, with his stump prominently in front saying “it still hurts when it’s cold” or something like that. Oh hell, I don’t remember verbatim - I guess I’m going to have to go read the darn thing again when I get home :). My nitpick of the thread: Your course is “Graphic Novel as Literature” - I would like to point out that, strictly speaking, neither _The Watchmen_ nor _DKR_ were graphic novels, but were 12 and 4 issue miniseries, respectively. They were eventually collected into graphic novel-sized volumes, but in and of themselves weren’t technically GNs. That being said, I’m glad those two selections are included in this course you’re taking, as they are what I consider to be two of the best pieces of any kind of literature of the late 20th century (esp. _Watchmen_). However, I would really hope that if this class includes those two worthies, that it also include not only the (arguably) “First” GN - Eisner’s _A Contract with God_, but also Marvel Comics’ first GN - _The Death of Captain Marvel_ by Jim Starlin. Now I don’t want to get into a semantic debate in this thread - yes, there were other earlier publications that might qualify as being considered GNs, and I think Jim Steranko would - as usual - debate whether Eisner in fact coined the term “Graphic Novel” as is usally attributed, but that’s all for another thread, methinks 🙂 critter42 ---
**Author:** ![Hamish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a5b964/32.png) [@Hamish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamish)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2005, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comics-questions-batman-watchmen-krazy-kat/302108/25 "2005-05-03T20:34:06Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > **Hamish** , I’ve been meaning to ask, what’s the name of this novel based on KK? It’s entitled _Krazy Kat: A Novel_, by Jay Cantor. I’ve read about 10% of it, and I’m already having an Officer Barbrady moment (“I read every last word of this garbage, and because of this piece of s\*\*t, I am never reading again”). I’m hoping it gets better, though from what I’ve seen of the strip itself, it’s much better than the book (the strips seems quite charming now that I’ve seen examples of it). And it doesn’t look like I’d recognize anything from Charlton Comics, except Flash Gordon of course. > [@critter42](#): > > However, I would really hope that if this class includes those two worthies, that it also include not only the (arguably) “First” GN - Eisner’s A Contract with God, but also Marvel Comics’ first GN - The Death of Captain Marvel by Jim Starlin. Eisner’s _Contract with God_ on the list, and I’ve read it now. Captain Marvel is not. I was very surprised to see that _The Sandman_ wasn’t on it, nor was _Maus_. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2005, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comics-questions-batman-watchmen-krazy-kat/302108/26 "2005-05-03T20:58:47Z")
> [@critter42](#): > > My nitpick of the thread: Your course is “Graphic Novel as Literature” - I would like to point out that, strictly speaking, neither _The Watchmen_ nor _DKR_ were graphic novels, but were 12 and 4 issue miniseries, respectively. They were eventually collected into graphic novel-sized volumes, but in and of themselves weren’t technically GNs. Novels (the non-graphic variety) are still novels even if they were originally published in serial format. The works of Charles Dickens and Andre Dumas were all serials originally, and you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who would claim that _The Three Musketeers_ or _Little Dorrit_ are not novels. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2005, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comics-questions-batman-watchmen-krazy-kat/302108/27 "2005-05-03T21:16:27Z")
Good point, **Miller** , although “Graphic novel” exists as a term of art, and it means something within the industry different than a lay person would expect to find just by putting the words together. I, too, am surprised that Maus wouldn’t make the cut, but there’s so much out there now it’s tough to cover every important work from the beginning of the genre. Heck, I took more than one course on typical novels in college, and I never read Pamela. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![gonzoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@gonzoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzoron)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comics-questions-batman-watchmen-krazy-kat/302108/28 "2005-05-04T17:29:41Z")
> [@Big Bad Voodoo Lou](#): > > It’s a brand-new plot development, as of the most recent issue or two of Batman. Jason Todd is back as the Red Hood. Ah… that would explain it then. thanks for the update! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comics-questions-batman-watchmen-krazy-kat/302108.md?page=1)