Hearing about All-Star #10 being recalled for it’s foul language, I tracked down this series I have not been reading and just read #9 which has an appearance by Green Lantern Hal Jordan.
Frank Miller really writes Batman as jerk, a-hole and quite frankly abusive towards Robin. Check out when he throws, punches and calls him a snot to Robin.
This whole Batman thinks he’s the only one right, and is an arrogant jerk, was something I first got a vibe on at the end of Dark Knight Returns. But on Miller’s sequel a few years ago Batman really was an a-hole.
With the All-Star series Miller’s vision of Batman is clear. He makes Batman arrogant, and most of all a jerk. And not someone a reader would like to get to know. Plus hubris is usually followed by a downfall, but Miller would never do that. Bottom line is his portrayal of Batman as a smug S.O.B. is not one I’m feeling, or interpret Batman to be.
Far as I’m concerned Frank Miller was great in the Dark Knight Returns series and Year One, but ever since then he has not portrayed a good Batman.
The first hint of this was his Batman portrayal in the teamup of Batman/Spawn in the McFarlane book in the 90′s published by the Image side. Great art, but study Miler’s Batman characterization, what you see now started then.