I was teaching a bit of epic poetry this week, and, tonight, I put my kids to bed with a dramatic reading of "Batman: Brave and the Bold" #1 (the new Johnny DC title). That issue ends with a very brief and shallow interview with producer James Tucker, but in the brief and shallow interview, Tucker mentions how each episode just starts with Batman in the middle of an adventure and the audience catches up from there.It's not an innovative technique by any means (as anyone who was paying attention in my English class should be able to confirm), but its so damned refreshing to see it used again. Nobody cares how Batman ended up fighting Signal Man with the help of Airwave. All that matters is: what's going to happen next?
It got me thinking about the loud anti-Final Crisis voices and the generally flat and slowly shambling storytelling of so many comics today. Comics could benefit from more "in media res" and less slow build up. Comics could learn from James Tucker. Please.
