Posted in: Batman, Comic Spoilers, Comics, DC Comics | Tagged: Batman, brian bendis, dc comics, ducktales, justice league

Recap Pages, Batman's DuckTales And More In Justice League #61

Common to Marvel Comics since the nineties,"recap pages" are storytelling devices summing up the "Story So Far" on the first page of a comic book, that help bring new readers up to speed and keep unnecessary exposition out of the story pages which would look clumsy when collected

In 2011, then-DC Comics publisher Dan DiDio said "My goal is never to have recap pages, but I understand the people's desire. I always call the recap page lazy writing, because I always felt that it always gave someone an easy way to do an essay about what's going on in the book, rather than what's going on in the storytelling. So I think we'd rather try to find a way to make our stories as dramatic as possible, so we don't have to rely on things like that."

In 2015, editor Ellie Pyle moved from Marvel Comics to DC Vertigo. And, on her first book Coffin Hill, she ran a recap page. Pyle was congratulated internally on bringing the recap pages to DC, but not for long. Despite it being greenlit, DiDio was enraged and told Pyle she should never do this ever again. Next issue, there was no recap page to be seen. She rapidly left the publisher and became Senior Comics Editor at Riot Games, creating League of Legends comics and is now Director, Content Development, Marvel New Media.

There have been a very few exceptions to this ruling. Superman: Doomed used website pages as semi-recaps. And when Brian Bendis came from Marvel to DC Comics, he brought recap pages with him, disguised as desktops, notebooks and the like. But with Dan DiDio fired from DC Comics, and Brian Bendis' taking over Justice League #60 and #61, the recap page now seems to be a permanent thing, for that title at least.

Might others join in? And even given a new DC Comics definition for a certain like of super-hero.

Mega-Power? The DC Comics equivalent of an Omega Mutant? We also learn that Batman and Superman have their own special communication channel which they refer to as;

You call your own backchannel "World's Finest" Superman? To describe you and Batman? Big-headed much? Has everyone calling you Superman gone to your head? As for Batman, it turns out he's the world's finest counsellor as well, talking to Namoi.

Woohoo! Would this trick work on Huey? I can confirm that this didn't work on my eldest teenage daughter today but, then, I'm not Batman. Hey, don't forget, according to Bendis, male ducks are the most dangerous birds in the bird kingdom.

JUSTICE LEAGUE #61 CVR A DAVID MARQUEZ
(W) Brian Michael Bendis, Ram V (A) David Marquez, Xermanico (CA) David Marquez
The new Justice League is trapped on a world devastated by a super-powered war, and Brutus hungers for a new home of his own—our Earth! With their powers gone haywire, the League must fight their way out of a post apocalyptic Thunderdome of depravity and desperation. On the run with Batman, Naomi learns more dark secrets of her birth world's broken legacy, while Hawkgirl and Black Canary battle through the henchmen trenches. But where are Superman and Black Adam, and what kind of trouble is Aquaman in? (Hint: it's bad.) And in the Justice League Dark story, Ragman joins the hunt! Zatanna, Constantine, Etrigan, and Detective Chimp hit the books—literally—in a possessed library, as Merlin's plan takes shape before them…and spells doom for the universe. Retail: $4.99

I bought my copy from Piranha Comics in Kingston-Upon-Thames. Piranha Comics is a small south London comic store chain with a small south-east store in Kingston-Upon Thames's market centre, and a larger south-west store in Bromley, with an extensive back issue collection and online store. With a new store planned for Watford, if you are in the neighbourhood, check them out. 

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