Polite Dissent

H of the Comic Treadmill wanted to know the S.C.R.U.B.S. score for War Games. For those of you who don’t remember, S.C.R.U.B.S. is a numerical system designed to quickly indicate how likely a particular Batman storyline is to be bad. The higher the number, the more likely that it’s a bad story. Just remember, you asked for this…

Rules of Engagement

1. Basic S.C.R.U.B.S. scoring is used (as of Act One, no Advanced S.C.R.U.B.S. modifiers apply…yet)
2. As this is a 25-part crossover, each comic has a starting score of 13
3. A character’s appearance in their own book does not count against the book (For example, Nightwing appearing in Nightwing is not worth S.C.R.U.B.S. points)
4. All secondary characters play substantial roles, so their reduced point value is used (for example Batgirl is +3 instead of her normal +5). The exception to this is the Spoiler who only has a peripheral role in Act One so is still worth her full +6 points (the exception to the exception is that she plays a major role in Batman: The 12? Adventure, so is only +3 there).
5. The Tarantula is counted as equal in annoyance to Batgirl, Spoiler and Orpheus and as such is worth +5/ +3 (your mileage may vary).
6. Each gang is counted as a villain, not each person in the gang. There are eleven gangs total, but not each gang appears in each issue. Also, Orpheus’s gang is not counted as a villain and nor are the Latin Unifieds once the Tarantula takes control of them. (The stories get confusing sometimes, so I may have lost a gang or two somehwere along the way)

The scores:

• Batman: The 12? Adventure
  13 + Spoiler (+3) + Catwoman (+2) + Orpheus (+3) + Nightwing (+1) + Tarantula (+3) + 11 gangs (+9) + Kobra (+1) = 35
• Detective Comics #797
  13 + Oracle (+1) + Orpheus (+3) + Batgirl (+3) + 5 gangs (+3) = 23
• Legends of the Dark Knight #182
  13 + Orpheus (+3) + Oracle (+1) + Batgirl (+3) + 3 gangs (+1) = 21
• Nightwing #96
  13 + Nightwing (0) + Oracle (+1) + Tim Drake (+1) + Tarantula (+3) + 2 gangs (0) = 18
• Batman: Gotham Knights #56
  13 + Oracle (+1) + Nightwing (+1) + Batgirl (+3) + Tarantula (+3) + 6 Gangs (+4) + Hush (+1) + Prometheus (+1) = 27
• Robin #129
  13 + Tim Drake (0) + 2 gangs (0) = 13
• Batgirl #55
  13 + Batgirl (0) + Oracle (+1) + Spoiler (+6) + 1 gang (0) = 20
• Catwoman#34
  13 + Catwoman (0) + Spoiler (+6) + 1 gang (0) + Mr. Freeze (0) = 19
• Batman #631
  13 + Tim Drake (+1) + Oracle (+1) + Nightwing (+1) + Batgirl (+3) + 6 gangs (+4) = 23
• War Games Act One (as a whole)
  13 + Oracle (+1) + Tim Drake (+1) + Nightwing (+1) + Batgirl (+3) + Catwoman (+2) + Orpheus (+3) + Tarantula (+3) + Spoiler (+6) + 9 gangs (+7) + Kobra (+1) + Hush (+1) + Prometheus (+1) = 43