Like, maybe this whole plotline is not as it seems? I'm not tracking things closely enough to know, but is it possible that Bruce and Leslie are putting on a show? That somehow, Leslie is lying, or both of them are lying for some purpose? Oh, I have very little doubt that DC will eventually get around to retconning this themselves... but I also have very little doubt that Willingham didn't mean it to be what it *seems* like. If it had been another author - say Gabyrich (who did the other, actually-worth-reading half of War Crimes) - I would perhaps be willing to see what he was up to, but Willingham has consistently screwed up every Bat-title he's been on. Other highlights of 644 include Batman threatening to beat a couple police officers into the hospital because he's in a bad mood.
You have to be willing to be daring (because at this point, how many interesting Bat-stories or Superman-stories remain?), but also know that your time will pass too, and you should leave the characters intact enough for others to pick up where you left off.
*nods* thete1 wrote a post (http://www.livejournal.com/users/thete1/483436.html) that I mostly agree with about DCU authors who love the characters and the universe (and how you're allowed to kill the things you love).
But as much I love stories with consequences and character development... there's something to be said for being able to ignore the continuity that just doesn't *work*.
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Oh, I have very little doubt that DC will eventually get around to retconning this themselves... but I also have very little doubt that Willingham didn't mean it to be what it *seems* like. If it had been another author - say Gabyrich (who did the other, actually-worth-reading half of War Crimes) - I would perhaps be willing to see what he was up to, but Willingham has consistently screwed up every Bat-title he's been on. Other highlights of 644 include Batman threatening to beat a couple police officers into the hospital because he's in a bad mood.
You have to be willing to be daring (because at this point, how many interesting Bat-stories or Superman-stories remain?), but also know that your time will pass too, and you should leave the characters intact enough for others to pick up where you left off.
*nods*
But as much I love stories with consequences and character development... there's something to be said for being able to ignore the continuity that just doesn't *work*.