Just what I always wanted: more elections. We’re going to cover that and more in Comics Disassembled, a look at ten things I liked or didn’t like from the week of comics, led by the X-Men getting democratic.

1. The X-Men Vote, Returning!

Well, it’s that time of year again. Writer Gerry Duggan had suggested to me on Off Panel that the Hellfire Gala and X-Men Vote might be annual occurrences, and he has been proven correct, as they are back in action starting with the current vote between an honestly wild mix of candidates. Like with the first one, this feels like a smart move, as X-Men fans are nothing if not…opinionated, and this gives them a chance to have a voice on who graduates to the main squad. It also gives everyone an opportunity for yelling a lot, which is exhausting, but you can’t have one without the other.

That said, the second time certainly feels tempered. Maybe it’s my own Twitter usage being limited, but the first X-Men vote felt huge and this one seems…relatively tame, comparatively? That’s even with a condensed window, as voting will have closed by the time this post even goes up, so you’d think interest would be front loaded by design. That was a very high high, though, and most tricks people pull in comics work much better the first time. It’s still generating coverage and traction, which is exactly what they’re looking for.

In case you’re wondering who I voted for, though, I voted for the only person that made sense to me, the clear cut pick above them all. There was no deliberation here. It was just pick and that’s that. You know who I’m talking about.

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…Right?…

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It’s clearly Penance and I will not be taking questions at this time.

2. Ed Brubaker, Superhero Writer?

While I’m more of a fan of Ed Brubaker, writer of whatever original thing he works on, I also enjoy Ed Brubaker, superhero writer. So word coming out that Brubaker has been working on the upcoming Batman: Caped Crusader animated series over at HBO Max and Cartoon Network with showrunner Bruce Timm is welcome indeed. That’s an important note, though. While that The Hollywood Reporter article makes it seem as if Brubaker is new to the show, as he says in his newsletter, Brubaker has been actually at it for a few months now, operating as the head writer and the right hand man to Timm – according to THR this time – on a show that the writer himself describes as a “complete reimagining of the character,” even if it also sounds like a spiritual successor to the beloved Batman: The Animated Series.

Most of the time adaptations don’t get headline treatment in this column. I genuinely try to focus on comics as much as possible, as there is enough coverage of movies and TV shows based on comics without me contributing. That said, Ed Brubaker working on a Bruce Timm Batman series is the type of mad libs that genuinely gets me excited. I have zero clue when it’s arriving, but odds are, I will be watching.