I personally don't care for ASBAR or Frank Miller taking the piss, it's really not my cup of tea, and I don't care for Jim Lee's art. But when I discuss the book with people whose opinions I don't agree with, I will try to give it a bit of respect. It makes it so that if we don't agree, they will realize I didn't come in to completely disregard the opinion.

In the end, the people you are decrying are defending ASBAR like jerks sound like they are using similar tactics as you.

Actually, I know great fans of the book who casually refer to it as ASSBAR, so I don't know why people are assuming it's a Micro$oft-ism. The second 'S' shouldn't be there, true, but a lot of people seem to type it out of habit. It possibly keeps showing up because it makes the Bat-book's acronym more closely resemble sister book All-Star Superman's ASS abbreviation. It's one of those things that isn't right but frequently seems to look right to a lot of people.

However, I shall go let these fans of All-Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder know that by misspelling the abbreviation of their favorite book's title, they're actually demeaning themselves and the conversation. I am sure they will be as horrified and contrite as when I let them know that referring to Batman as "Bats" in casual conversation is highly disrespectful!

I should have been a little more specific. I have an extreme problem with evangelical fans of All-Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder, who specifically like to assume that if you don't like it, you don't 'get it'. You're not cool, you don't understand the satire, you clearly are just a fanboy who can't grasp a Batman who doesn't act a certain way, your opinion can't possibly matter.

That makes me laugh, and please don't pretend like you've never read an issue defended in this manner. Around issue four of All-Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder's tenure, this sort of writing became terribly en vogue for displaying yourself as an unusually intelligent and discerning superhero blogger/forum poster/whatever. It's ludicrous, and I laugh at that sort of behavior. I thought the juxtaposition of phrases in my post made that distinction clear, but apparently it did not, so I hope I have spelled it out in sufficiently clear fashion here.

I generally won't laugh at people who just enjoy something I don't, provided they aren't getting in my face about being better people than me 'cause they liked it. (I will laugh at the source material, sorry, I'm not made of stone.) Likewise, I try to keep out of people's faces if, I don't know, they don't like Captain Carrot or Ambush Bug or something, and I won't use it as a basis for seriously questioning their intelligence, taste, or moral fiber.

I may find their reaction fairly baffling, but that's life, isn't it?

It also confirmed that comics fans seem to be easily amused, and willing to accept and defend anything provided it has sufficiently big names and licenses attached. They’re also willing to look down their noses at people while doing so, which just makes me laugh harder.

This statement is baffling, since you're leaping to a lot of conclusions here. Not everyone likes it because there are big names and licenses attached. Some people like it because they think it's fun. Others get something out of it that you don't.

I think that most people praised the Hal Jordan paint issue not because of the paint shenanigans, which were funny and over the top, but because of the emotional turn where Batman realizes that he's been pushing this kid too hard and hasn't allowed him time to grieve at all. Real life catches up to Batman and he realizes that he screwed up hard.

I enjoyed the series on a purely surface level before then, but the twist made me like it a lot more. I didn't like it just because Batman painted himself yellow. That made me chuckle, yeah, but that isn't something you can hang an entire issue on. The twist added punch.

You're doing the same thing that you think ASBAR fans are doing here, which is looking down your nose and laughing at someone who enjoys something you don't.

The fact that people wildly praised the brilliance of the issue where Batman defeats Hal Jordan with yellow paint, which is roughly identical to a joke I made back when I was fifteen, confirmed that there was nothing that could possibly happen in this book that would justify the five minutes or so required to read it.

It also confirmed that comics fans seem to be easily amused, and willing to accept and defend anything provided it has sufficiently big names and licenses attached. They're also willing to look down their noses at people while doing so, which just makes me laugh harder.

Well, it's shed quite a few readers since day one, so that could be because the people who hated it stopped buying it and talking about it, rather than because it won them over.

I still can't decide if ASBAR is the modern equivalent of the Adam West show (that is to say, far smarter than anyone will ever give it credit for except Bill Reed), or if it's just "so bad it's hilarious." I suppose we'll find out when it eventually concludes. If I live that long.

also that analagy with the polar bear and the monkey doesnt really make any sense.

Although, In Countdown Arena, we saw the DKR Superman... so I suppose technically it is in continuity, just not Universe 1 continuity...

Would be interested to find out if the ASB-haters out there actually like any other Elseworlds takes on Batman, e.g. Red Rain??

DKSA lovers unite! It's still one of my five-or-so favorite superhero comics from the bast decade.

Even if DKSA and ASSBAR are jokes, they’re pretty lame jokes.

I wouldn't say it was a joke, just a tongue in cheek take.

There was definitely a change in mood in the Green Lantern issue. Then again, it took so long to get there (and still feels so early in the process) that we’re probably looking at another 2-4 years before we truly get the full picture/payoff.

A change in mood, or the first sign of the big picture?

Also, I know it must suck for those buying it as it comes out, but it all worked and flowed well reading it as one.

My biggest problem with that was in several issues people make comments they'd made the issue before - Robin describes Batmans voice in several issues.
Helps for a catch up between issues, but is odd in the trade.

I know off topic and all that but it seemed funny how (at least to me) this books converged on some of what you were saying.